05/01/2022 - Unselfish Love

Grace Place Atlanta COGBF 4700 Mitchell Street Forest Park, GA 30297 Website: atlantacogbf.org Email: info@atlantacogbf.org Phone: (404) 241-6781 Wayne D. Mack, Pastor Elder Jonathan Lonon Sermon Notes May 1, 2022 “Unselfish Love” Song: Hymn 1070 or 265 - Love Lifted Me 1 Corinthians 13:1–13 (CSB): 1 If I speak human or angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I give away all my possessions, and if I give over my body in order to boast but do not have love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant, 5 is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs. 6 Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will come to an end. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put aside childish things. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, as I am fully known. 13 Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love—but the greatest of these is love. Faith, Hope, and Charity are three long-lasting virtues that carry us to new heights and even deeper depths in Christ. We’ll leave hope in the basket for another day - the Creme of the Oreo - and focus on the two chocolate ends: Faith and Love. Faith is for right now and throughout life, but because love is God personified, it never ends and will be our portion in glory. So it’s good to rewind to a time before the crucifixion to learn a lesson about faith in God from the author and finisher of our faith. We can then fast forward to these times after the resurrection on the power of love to continue its trek of unfathomable graciousness in our lives. Greater love has no man than this, than to lay down His life, AND to still share that life with us after we willfully participate in putting Him to shame over and over again! On this Lord’s Day, the Sunday eve of Mother’s Day we, like Jesus, exhibit the love He had on the cross to pass our mothers on to another caretaker - Christ Himself - to care for her like no one else can. Happy early Mother’s Day in Jesus’ name - we give you into the loving arms of Jesus to carry you forward safely and lovingly, just as He did His mother. He will help us carry out that loving task. But let’s start with Faith before we get to this unselfish love. In fact Faith brings to the fore both hope and love as we use it to access His graces. However, we must first learn some lessons about faith and how God responds to it and measures it. In Matthew 8:23-27 (NLT) we see one of many instances where Jesus works a miracle that astounds the onlookers - in this case He calms the raging storm. Matthew 8:23–27 (NLT): Jesus Calms the Storm 23 Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples. 24 Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” 26 Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm. 27 The disciples were amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked. “Even the winds and waves obey him!” Notice that the sudden calm was for the fearful disciples, not Jesus, who was already quite calm since they needed to shout to awaken Him during the raging tempest! The lesson is that sudden calm is automatic to those strong in faith for they know that nothing can harm them while in the bosom of the Lord! {Freelance on each segment of these verses here - see underlined phrases above.} Now, let’s return to wrap up the other side of this Oreo cookie, Love. This love was shown long before He died and rose as He challenged the faith of the disciples with a sternness that was not intended to tear them down, but to build their spiritual muscle. Many of these lessons about faith and hope and love would come clear to them after being endowed by the Holy Spirit of God and growing even more as they worked the work of God themselves, now being empowered to speak to the elements and the people with that same sternness. Finally realizing that it was not by power, nor by might (or their own works of the flesh), but by His Spirit that their faith was effective. On heels of Easter, it is good to do as the disciples and close followers of Christ must have done - we reminisce and question Why. Why die? Especially why for me? I need more of this unselfish love exhibited in my life. I know just where to find it! God is love. His examples abound! So many prefixes for love: everlasting, demonstrative, undeniable, gracious, … and unselfish. • • Maybe the why of His sacrifice in love is to prove that with God all things are possible even the unusual, unlikely, or unthinkable. Maybe it awakens our faith in Him to empower us by His Spirit to exhibit this love to those closest to us, and those we don’t even truly know. Isn’t His unselfish love indiscriminate like that? I had to pause and take a closer look at my example of this virtue: • • Was or is my love my own choosy way, or does it mimic His unselfish, kind, and longsuffering way? Was or is it intentional always and without expectation of return, or only dutiful when I decided it was convenient or rewarding to me. When we focus on what love is (i.e., patient and kind). What love is not becomes clear (i.e., envious, boastful, proud, or conceited, improperly behaved, selfish, provoked easily, keeping tabs on wrongs done, or joyful about unrighteousness). Those undesirable seats at our table of life are removed. There are tell-tale signs of love like rejoicing in the truth (not a truth - but the whole real capital “T Truth” of God), while bearing, believing, hoping, and enduring all things. Yes, ALL things: bearing ALL the realities of life’s woes because of sin; believing ALL the amazing possibilities of the wondrous works of God by faith on this earth among men - ourselves included, hoping for a realization of ALL the expectation of His return and our promised transition from mortal to immortal; and enduring ALL the battles we must face as the enemy of love fights against God by attacking us. Unlike a mere grammatical word, or a melodious and emotional song, love really rises above either and never ends. According to I John 4:8, 14, and 16 we know that God (who is a Spirit) is declared to be love sent as His Son to the whole world – love cannot be shared with one, and then not with all! It is unselfish and one cannot “turn off” it’s spigot! It just flows like that! There are many great things to experience, participate in, and know, but those things are not eternal. Love will never cease because it is God in action. Faith will get you to Him now. Hope is your ticket to get on board the train to glory when He returns. Love is the greatest of the three because it authors and finishes His plan. May I demonstrate unselfish love and represent the Savior well in this earth!