Summary of Love 2

Title: LOVE IS… The Summary of Love Pt 2- Possessive

Text:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails

Intro: 1. One of the most famous passages in the Bible

2. Follows chapter 12 which is all about Spiritual gifts/manifestations

3. Love is the greatest gift of them all

4. First week we talked about the Superiority of Love

a. Spirituality without love is annoying

b. Knowledge without love is arrogant

c. Giving without love is manipulation

5. We have no capacity to generate (agape love) on our own

a. It comes from God

b. the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us

6. Summary of love

a. Love is submissive- patient and kind, submissive to God and others

7. Love is not possessive

I. LOVE IS NOT POSSESSIVE

A. I am more important than you

1. Is not arrogant

a. Proud, puffed up with self-importance, no high opinion of itself

2. Pride is at the root of all sin

a. Pride has been called the root of all sin

1) In the list of the 7 sins God hates pride is first-

2) Sin is about me and my wants

3) The middle letter of the word sin and pride is “I”

4) Everything revolves around me

b. Lucifer

1) I will ascend to heaven, I will raise my throne above the stars of God, I will sit on the mount of assembly , ‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will make myself like the Most High.

3. I am not more important than you

a. We are all the same in the eyes of God

b. God is no respecter of persons

c. God does not show favoritism

4. Corinth

a. Arguing over who was the best preacher

b. Treating the poor people with a lack of respect at church dinners

c. Love is not arrogant, doesn’t have an inflated view of yourself

B. My desires are more important than your desires

1. Not Jealous, does not envy

a. To boil with envy or jealousy

b. Jealous/envious people are self-centered

1) A person who is radically consumed with his own desires and plans

a) So bent on getting their own way they are willing to sacrifice anything or anyone to get it

b) Walk on others because they feel like they are more important

c. Jealous/envious people are threatened by others

1) Two kinds of Jealousy/envy

a) Coveting the possessions of others

b) Begrudging the fact that they have it and you don’t

2) Wrath is fierce and anger is a flood, but who can stand before jealousy?

3) No one is more miserable than someone filled with jealousy or envy

a) They rob us of happiness and make our good accomplishments seem bad

b) The Renaissance artist Giotto painted a picture of envy that is on the wall of a chapel in Padua, Italy. The picture depicts envy with long ears and a serpent’s tongue that is biting itself in the eye

4) People harmed through jealousy/envy

a) What Joseph’s brothers did to him

b) What Pharisees did to Jesus

c) What the Pharisees did to Paul

5) Love is generous

a) It does not begrudge others for their gifts

b) It doesn’t want what it doesn’t have

c) Love is satisfied with it’s own portion and glad of another’s greater portion

d) Am I committed to seeing others blessed and successful, more than myself

· Love my neighbor as myself-

e) We’re walking in love when our greatest concern is that others succeed

· Maturity- thinking of others, taking and accepting responsibility instead of blame

f) How committed are you to the success of others? what are you doing about it?

6) How do you respond to the good fortune of others?

a) Story of Solomon and the two mothers- The true mother pleaded for the baby to be spared, even if it meant losing possession of him. The false mother, however, would rather have had the baby killed than for the true mother to have him

d. Corinth

1) People had divided into factions and were jealous of each others gifts

2) Love works toward the success of others

2. Is not rude, act inappropriately, dishonor others

a. Without shape, in an unbecoming manner

1) The Greek word schema means "shape or plan," English word "scheme, schematic."

2) It refers not just to the substance of a thing but to its outward appearance, the shape it takes before others

3) Some Christians think it makes no difference whether they speak bluntly or tactfully, as long as they speak the truth (without love they won’t listen to the truth)

a) You can be right, but not be righteous

4) Paul is concerned not only with the fact that we have love, but also the way we expresses love outwardly

a) When we buy clothing, we are concerned not only with getting the best quality of cloth, but in how our clothes make us look

b) God is interested not only in our possessing the divine fabric of love but also in the attractiveness of the pattern that love takes in our lives

b. To be In defiance of social and moral standards

1) The rules don’t apply to me- congress and healthcare

2) Because I’m more important, my time is more important

c. Doesn’t appreciate others, show thanks

1) Fails to give others their proper due, respect, honor, or consideration

2) No appreciation leads to entitlement

3) We are all where we are because of the sacrifices of others

d) Corinth

1) They were questioning Paul’s leadership and authority

2) Interrupting services with their own revelations- decently, in order

3) Love respects others, appreciates others, is decent, orderly

4) They should be respectful and appreciative of Paul

3. Is not self seeking, seeking it’s own interest

a. To demand its rights, insist on its own way

b. Instead of taking no for an answer, this person is so intent on getting their own way that they will search, seek, and investigate, never giving until they get what they want

1) They will twist the facts, look for loopholes, put words in other people’s mouths, twist someone’s arm, to turn situations to their benefit

2) This is manipulation- taking advantage of another because they are more important

c. Also used to depict a person who is so upset about not getting what he wanted that he turns to the court system to sue or to demand what he is striving to obtain

d. Corinth

1) They were suing each other in worldly courts

2) You will judge angels, your brothers, figure it out inside the church

3) Love is not seeking it’s own interest

4) Love would rather take the hit or take the blame, it’s sacrificial

4. Is not provoked- easily angered, quick-tempered

a. The word “easily” does not appear in some older manuscripts

1) Some scholars believe it was added into the King James Version because the translators of the day wanted to make a certain point to King James, who was famous for losing his temper

b. The word provoked means to poke or prick as with a sharpened instrument

1) Portrays someone who comes alongside to poke another person until the victim becomes provoked until they respond violently to the offender

2) Do you have those people in your life (animals)

c. The root of the word is also the Russian word for vinegar

1) Vinegar is stringent, sharp, severe, sour, tart, bitter

d. Quick temper

1) My time is more important than your time

a) Lash out because things don’t go your way, in your time

b) Lash out because others aren’t meeting your expectations

2) quick tempered man acts foolishly

3) Out of control

a) Why are we so quick to go over the edge?

b) Could we be living with no boundary in our lives?

c) What are we angry about? underneath, seething, ready to lash out

e. Paul may have been quick tempered- Him & Barnabas separated over John Mark

1) Sharp disagreement is this word

f. Corinth

1) Lots of disputes and opportunities to say mean things

2) Love is slow to anger

a) Working at healing what’s going on underneath so it doesn’t come out

3) Thick skinned

Cncl: 1. We hold onto the things of this earth way too tightly

a. Not just stuff but prestige, attention, position

b. We aren’t living for this world, but for the next

2. When you think you are more important than others

3. You think your desires are more important than others desires

4. You think your time is more important than others time

5. Pride leads to jealousy, leads to being rude, leads to self-interests, leads to a quick temper

6. Possessive- I want it all, I deserve it all

Altr: 1. Salvation- sin, pride, self

2. How could you show someone else how important they or appreciate them

- Saving money for something for you that you could use to buy them something

- That their time is more important than your time