Copyr. 1997, Bruce N. Cameron, J.D.
INTRODUCTION: THIS QUARTER WE HAVE BEEN DISCUSSING THE TOPIC OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS. SO FAR WE HAVE JUST LOOKED AT THE GENERAL BACKGROUND FOR SPIRITUAL GIFTS. STARTING TODAY, WE CROSS OVER THE DIVIDE BETWEEN BACKGROUND AND THE STUDY OF SPECIFIC SPIRITUAL GIFTS. OUR STUDY TODAY IS ON LOVE. WHETHER THIS IS A SPIRITUAL GIFT, OR THE FOUNDATION FOR SPIRITUAL GIFTS, I WILL LET YOU DECIDE. SO I SAY THAT TODAY WE ARE CROSSING THE DIVIDE.
I. WHAT KIND OF LOVE ARE WE TALKING ABOUT?
A. HAVE YOU EVER WORRIED ABOUT WHETHER YOU LOVED GOD?
1. WE ARE TOLD THAT GOD IS LOVE.
2. WE KNOW THAT GOD GAVE HIS LIFE FOR US.
3. WE ARE TOLD, AND KNOW, THAT WE SHOULD LOVE GOD. BUT HAVE YOU EVER WORRIED ABOUT WHETHER YOU TRULY LOVED GOD? OR WHETHER YOU WERE SOME SORT OF FAKE? (I HAVE WORRIED ABOUT THIS.)
B. WHAT IS THE FIRST STEP IN DETERMINING WHETHER YOU LOVE GOD? (IT IS THE SAME FIRST STEP AS YOU USE IN DETERMINING IF YOU HAVE MEASLES, YOU LOOK FOR THE SYMPTOMS! WE NEED TO FIND OUT WHAT, AS A PRACTICAL MATTER, IT MEANS TO LOVE GOD?)
C. TURN WITH ME TO 1 CORINTHIANS 13:1-3. READ. WE HAVE JUST SHOT DOWN TWO "BIGGIES" ON SPIRITUAL GIFTS: WE HAVE TONGUES, THE MOST COMMON "SIGN" GIFT: WE HAVE PROPHECY, PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT "SIGN" GIFT.
1. WHAT OTHER VIRTUES ARE SPOKEN OF HERE? (ULTIMATE FAITH, ULTIMATE WISDOM AND COMPLETE SELF-SACRIFICE.)
2. ON THE FACE OF IT, WHAT KIND OF A HYPOTHETICAL CHRISTIAN DO WE HAVE HERE?
3. BETTER, OR WORSE THAN YOU? (WE HAVE A FABULOUS CHRISTIAN. IF YOU KNEW SOMEONE WHO HAD FAITH THAT COULD MOVE MOUNTAINS, AND WHO WAS WILLING TO GIVE UP EVERYTHING FOR THE GOSPEL, AND A PROPHET TO BOOT, WHAT A CHRISTIAN!)
4. WHAT DOES PAUL SAY THAT WE HAVE IN REALITY? (NOTHING! v. 1 EMPTY SOUND. v.2 "AM NOTHING." v. 3 "GAIN NOTHING." WE ARE TOLD THAT THESE GIFTS AND VIRTUES ARE ABSOLUTELY MEANINGLESS UNLESS WE HAVE LOVE.)
D. WHERE ARE WE NOW? WE SAY THAT WE ARE UNCERTAIN IF WE LOVE GOD. (OR WE AT LEAST WOULD NOT MIND A TEST.) AND WE ALSO FIND THAT UNLESS WE HAVE THIS LOVE, WE ARE NOTHING, EVEN IF WE SEEM TO LEAD THE GREATEST SPIRITUAL LIFE!
1. NOW THE TENSION IS REALLY MOUNTING ON WHETHER WE HAVE LOVE!
E. LETS READ ON. 1 COR. 13:4-7. LETS MAKE A LIST OF WHAT THIS TEXT SAYS LOVE IS AND IS NOT:
LOVE IS: LOVE IS NOT: PATIENT ENVY KIND BOASTFUL ALWAYS PROTECTS PROUD ALWAYS TRUSTS RUDE ALWAYS HOPES SELF-SEEKING ALWAYS PRESEVERES EASILY ANGERED REJOICES IN TRUTH RECORDKEEPING OF WRONG DELIGHT IN EVIL
F. AS YOU LOOK AT THIS LIST, IS THIS YOU? REMEMBER, PAUL SAYS OUR GREATEST WORKS ARE NOTHING, UNLESS THIS IS US!
G. REVERSE THE HEADINGS FOR OUR LIST. INSTEAD OF "LOVE IS," SUBSTITUTE "LOVE IS NOT." INSTEAD OF "LOVE IS NOT," SUBSTITUTE, "LOVE IS." IF WE REVERSED THE LIST DO WE HAVE "SELF-LOVE?"
1. WHAT DOES THE WORLD MODEL?
2. WHAT DO THE TV PROGRAMS YOU WATCH (FOR 7 HRS DAY!) MODEL?
3. WHAT DO THE BOOKS YOU READ MODEL?
4. WHAT DO YOU MODEL?
H. READ 1 COR 13:8-10. HOW LONG WILL LOVE BE PART OF OUR LIFE? (THESE OTHER GIFTS ARE TEMPORARY. BUT LOVE "NEVER FAILS.")
I. READ 13:11-13. WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS COMPARISON BETWEEN A CHILD AND A MAN?
1. IS IT POSSIBLE THAT THIS IS A WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT FOR THOSE WHO ARE DISCOURAGED ABOUT THE EXAMPLES OF WHAT LOVE MEANS? (THIS IS FAR FROM CLEAR TO ME. HOWEVER, IT APPEARS TO INDICATE THAT THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS A GROWING PROCESS. IF YOU LOOK AT THIS LIST AND GET DISCOURAGED, I THINK THERE IS COMFORT TO BE FOUND IN v.11.)
II. HOW DO WE GET FROM HERE TO THERE?
A. IN SOME WAYS, LOOKING AT WHAT LOVE IS, AND REMEMBERING THAT WE ARE NOTHING IF WE DO NOT HAVE LOVE, CAN BE QUITE DISCOURAGING. WE LOOKED AT CHRISTIAN GROWTH, LETS LOOK AT THIS FROM ANOTHER ANGLE.
1. READ GALATIANS 5:22-23.
2. WHERE DO WE GET LOVE? (IT IS LISTED AS THE FIRST FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT. (REMEMBER IN MY INTRO, I INDICATED SOME UNCERTAINTY ABOUT WHETHER LOVE IS A SPIRITUAL GIFT OR A FOUNDATION. THIS SEEMS TO SAY IT IS A GIFT.) NOTICE THAT THE "FRUITS" WHICH FOLLOW LOOK A LOT LIKE OUR LIST OF WHAT "LOVE IS.")
3. IF WE DO NOT SEEM TO HAVE LOVE IN OUR HEART THE WAY WE SHOULD, HOW DO WE GET IT? (ASK THE HS TO COME INTO OUR HEART AND CHANGE IT!)
B. LETS LOOK AT YET ANOTHER TEXT ON THIS. TURN TO 2 PETER 1:3- 7. READ.
1. IS THIS LIST GIVEN IN SOME SORT OF ORDER? (YES. "ADD TO." IT LOOKS SORT OF LIKE A RECIPE.)
2. WHAT IS THE LAST INGREDIENT? (LOVE)
3. WHAT DOES THAT SUGGEST IN OUR EFFORT TO HAVE LOVE IN OUR LIFE? (IT SUGGESTS THAT WE GROW TOWARDS THIS LOVE. NOTE ESPECIALLY v.8 WHICH SPEAKS OF POSSESSING THIS QUALITIES IN "INCREASING MEASURE!")
III. WHAT IS "THERE?"
A. OUR LESSON STRESSES THAT LOVE AND SPIRITUAL GIFTS SHOULD CREATE UNITY IN OUR CHURCH AND NOT DIVISION. LETS SPEND A FEW MOMENTS LOOKING AT WHAT WE MEAN WHEN WE SAY "UNITY?" WHAT IS THE GOAL HERE?
1. ARE THE WORDS:
a. LOVE
b. UNITY
c. AGREEMENT SYNONYMOUS? ARE THEY THE SAME? (LOVE DRIVES UNITY. BUT UNITY AND LOVE DO NOT MEAN THAT WE ALL AGREE.)
B. READ ROMANS 12:9, 16, 18. YOU MAY REMEMBER THAT ROMANS 12:4 MAKES REFERENCE TO THE CHURCH FAMILY BEING LIKE A BODY. THESE OTHER VERSES FOCUS ON LOVE AND GETTING ALONG.
1. DO THESE VERSES SAY THAT WE MUST AGREE? (NO)
a. WHAT DO THEY SAY? (v.16 HARMONY; v.18 PEACE.)
b. WHAT DOES v.16 SUGGEST IS THE KEY TO HARMONY? (PUTTING AWAY PRIDE, CONCEIT AND THE FEELING THAT YOU ARE BETTER THAN OTHERS BECAUSE OF YOUR "HIGH" POSITION OR THEIR "LOW" POSITION.)
IV. NEXT WEEK: "SUPPORT GIFTS." STUDY!