Demonstrating Our Love for Others: Part 3

First Corinthians 13 and again, we'll read it in just a few minutes. But before that, I want to bring us all together with the series that I've been preaching on. What does God want and deserve from Missouri Avenue Baptist Church in 2016? I started this as a New Year's first Sunday after New Year's message and it haven't finished it yet but we'll get there. What does God want?

Well, God wants to be glorified in his children. Among other things, God wants his name to be praised. He wants to be glorified in the lives of those who he has saved. And changed and sanctified. He says in first Corinthians ten thirty one, whether therefore you eat or drink or whatsoever you do, do, all to the glory of God.

Matthew five sixteen, let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven. Leads us to the question, how do we do that? How do we bring glory to our God? Well, it says here in this verse that we bring glory to God through our good works. God desires that our works, our lives, that we live before people.

The words that we say, the things we do, the actions we take, the attitudes that we demonstrate, that they bring glory to God, that they they reflect to others the holiness and love of God, his true nature and character that others might see Jesus for who he really is. Because you're the only Jesus, the representative of Christ that some will ever see. And if they don't see Christ in us, where will they see him? We can demonstrate this in our faith. We looked at that back beginning of January.

Others need to see that our faith is real. That we don't just go to the church and fill up you and say, hey, look, I'm a Christian. I I I'm a Baptist. Know that that what we believe is real. That it means something to us.

That it has changed our life. They need, they are glorified by us demonstrating our love. Our love for God, and love for others that God has shed abroad in our hearts that will be we've been looking at the last few weeks and then by demonstrating God's holiness that will start next week. In relation to the love of God that has been given us that we need to show others. We first see this.

Number one, you can love others. You can love God. Romans 15, I mean, Romans five five says, and hope it make it not ashamed, hope make it not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy ghost which he has given on to us. The Bible says in first Corinthians five seventeen, if any man be in Christ, he is a. New creature.

New creature. Old things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new. Bible says in Philippians four thirteen, I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me which means you can love that neighbor. You can love that relative.

You can love that coworker. You can show them the love of God because God has put it in our hearts by his spirit that he has given unto us and we began this morning with this verse, seeing you purified your souls and obeying the truth through the spirit unto unto unfeigned love of the brethren. See that you love one another with a pure heart fervently. Seeing you have come to God through Jesus Christ, his son, has been saved and given his spirit which has given us a love for one another. See that.

That's a command. See that. You do it and that you love each other with the love of Christ. So, first of all, we can. Number two, we must.

Not only can we love others and can we love one another, we must. We must. Says that in this verse, it also says that in one, John thirteen thirty four and thirty five, Jesus speaking to his disciples said, a new commandment I give unto you that you love one another. As I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples if you have love one to another.

That's not the mushy kind of stuff that we're talking about that usually gets all the attention on Valentine's Day. No, it's real, lasting, true, selfless, unconditional sacrificial love. The love demonstrated by our savior. When he came, and he died for us. We can show that love towards to him and others.

We can demonstrate it. We must demonstrate it and number three, it needs to be real. You know, if if you put on like you love somebody, But you don't really? Do you think they don't can't tell the difference? I know God certainly can and I think others can too.

It isn't enough to just say I love you. It needs to be real. This kind of love isn't something that's put on in order to get somebody's attention or to get from them what we want. No, it's the kind of love that is selfless and values them above ourselves. That is the love of our savior and it must be real.

It was real in Jesus's life. Just one example this morning in scripture, when it speaks of Christ's love, it also often uses the word compassion. In Christ demonstration of his love for others. He had compassion for others. He saw them for who they were.

Needy people. And he had compassion. He cared for them. From his heart. One example, Mark one hundred forty and forty one, there came a leper to him, beseeching him and kneeling down to him and saying unto him, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean and while others would have run away and had nothing to do with the leper.

Jesus instead was moved with what? Compassion. And he put forth his hand and touched him and said unto him, I will. Be thou clean. What was Jesus saying?

Jesus was saying this, I do care about you. Though others treat you like a curse and a plague, and run away at the sight of you. I care about you. And I can and will. Make you clean.

Of your leprosy will heal you. It has been said, people don't know how much people don't care how much you know. Until they know how much you care. And Jesus said in his word and God says in his word many times, how much he loves us but the Bible says, God commended. That means demonstrated his love toward us and that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

He not only says he cares. He not only tells us the truth that we need to hear but he has demonstrated it. For all of us to see. We need to be more like him. Sometimes, it seems like particularly in fundamental circles that we have all the dos and the don'ts right.

But we lack a little bit in the area of compassion. The Bible says in Galatians six one and two, brethren, if any man be overtaken in a fault, you which are spiritual restore such in one the spirit of meekness considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear you one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. When somebody's hurting, when somebody's fallen, when somebody's messed up, it's not our responsibility only to tell them what they did was wrong. It's not our our our our place to kick them when they're down.

It is our responsibility to try to do within what is within our power. To encourage and help them back what? Help them back up. That is compassion. Jesus said, I came to seek and to save the lost.

Jesus said, I came not for the righteous but to call sinners under repentance because Jesus cared. And he wants us. Ask us. Has shown us how we can care for others and have compassion as he did. That he might be glorified in it.

How do we demonstrate this compassion? Well, one of the ways we can demonstrate it is through our attitude and attitudes lead to what? To actions and in first Corinthians 13, God tells us how love expresses itself. This true love of God expresses itself in our attitudes and in our actions to others, to our spouses, to our children, to our parents, to our coworkers, to our neighbors, to our friends, and yes, at times, our adversaries. We are told in the scripture even to love our what?

Our enemies and pray for them. How was this demonstrated and expressed in our lives? It tells us in first Corinthians 13, how true love not lust, not infatuation, not selfish love that's looking for something in return but true love that actually values others above self. How it is demonstrated in our life. Look, if you would in verse one of first Corinthians 13, though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels and have not charity, the word charity throughout this passage is the same word for love, okay?

So, don't think giving to others generosity, it means love. I am become as a sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. Sounding brass or tinkling cymbal all by themselves aren't pretty. They're just irritating. And though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge and though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains and have not charity, I am nothing and though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor and though I give my body to be burned and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

I can give away. I can give away my own life as a martyr but if I do not do it out of love, what does it profit me? What does God say? Nothing. When we stand before God, only those things that were done for him and others selflessly and not selfishly.

Will be things that will last. He goes on in verse four to say, charity or love suffereth long, Patient is kind. Charity envieth not. Charity vaunteth or doesn't exalt self. It is not puffed up or proud.

Doth not behave itself unseemly or inappropriately or rudely. Seeketh not her own the things of your own. Is not easily provoked or angered. Thinketh no evil. Rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth.

Beareth all things. Believeth all things. Hopeth all things. Endureth all things. Charity never fail it.

True love, real love that comes from God. The love that he has for us. The love that he has shed abroad in our hearts. Doesn't fail in service to our God. Doesn't fail to produce lasting fruit.

Doesn't fail to effectively make a difference in the lives of others. You do matter. You can make a difference. If you choose to love. This list here.

We've looked at many of them already. We'll briefly review. Love is what? It is patient. It's long suffering.

It puts up with a lot, with other shortcomings, spiritual weaknesses, personality quirks, ill manners, dumb decisions, you name it. Love is long suffering. Doesn't give up on people so quickly. Hangs in. It's patient for it takes time for people to change.

It's kind. It's not rough, coarse, mean, or ugly. No, love is kind. Love doesn't envy. It envieth not.

It doesn't begrudge others their blessings. No, instead of begrudging other the blessings that they have, if you love somebody, you're happy for them. You're happy that they've been blessed. You're happy that they have been blessed with good health even though you may not. You've you're you're thankful and happy that they have their needs met even though you may be struggling.

You're happy at the things that God has provided them in their life. That are pleasant. Instead of begrudging them of it. You're not covetous of others. No.

Love is content. Love is content. This was the key to Paul's ministry, I believe among others. He says in Philippians four eleven, not that I ever speak in respect of one for I have learned and whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. How did he learn that?

He learned that by love. The example of the love of his savior who gave up everything to come to Earth and die for us. The love that God had put in his heart for others that caused him to go on despite his rejection. They he was rejected over and over again from city to city. Sometimes, they beat him.

Sometimes, they threw him in prison. In one case, they stoned him and left him for dead. On the next missionary journey, he didn't bypass the city where they did that. He returned to it. The city of Lystra.

Then, there he picked up a young man named Timothy. The love of God. It doesn't envy. No, it's content. It doesn't exalt self.

It doesn't brag or boast. No, it's modest and unassuming. It doesn't say, look at me or seek the limelight, limelight. It doesn't push itself forward or say, look, what I've done, acknowledge me. It isn't a know it all that must be heard.

Doesn't exalt self. What does love do? Exalts others. At any time during Christ's ministry, he could've done as the devil tempted him to do in Matthew four and floated down out of heaven into the middle of the temple courtyard and proclaimed himself the Messiah and they would have followed him. But he didn't.

No, he came humbly. He was born in a what? A manger. In an out of the way place called Bethlehem. The only people to whom his birth was announced were humble shepherds in the fields.

For he didn't come to be ministered unto but to minister and give his life a ransom for many. That's the love of God. Love is not puffed up. It's not proud. Arrogant.

It's humble It does not behave itself unseemly inappropriately, or rudely. No. Love is considerate of others. Love is considerate of others. Paul said, I am all things to all men and by all means, I might save some.

What does that mean? If you look in context where Paul said that what he's saying is this, I am willing to give up any liberty that's necessary to reach somebody with the love of Christ. Because their salvation is more important. Than my comfort or getting my way. I will give it up like that.

It's considerate of others. It seeketh not her own. It's not self seeking. Philippians two, three, and four says, let nothing be done through strife or vainglory but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things but every man also on the things of others.

There, Paul writes and reminds us, it's not about self. It's about others. A life lived for others. Lays up treasure where? In heaven.

And will not be overlooked by the Lord. A life lived for others is a life worth living. A life lived for others is a life that brings joy. And contentment and fulfillment. That's what Jesus said when he took that towel and he washed his disciples' feet and he said for them to do as he had done, to humble themselves serve one another and he said, if you do these things, happy are you?

Happy you will be if you learn. To serve one another Love serves one another. It's natural to serve somebody. If you love them more than you love you. And then, this morning, love is not easily provoked, not easily provoked.

Verse five, it is not easily provoked. The word provoke means to be stirred up. It's only used one other place in the New Testament. It's not very not a very common word. It means to be stirred up, aggravated, or angered.

Love is not easily stirred up, not easily aggravated. You ever said to somebody, I've had it up to, you know, here. Love takes a long time to get up to here. It's not easily provoked. It's not thin skinned or short-tempered.

It's not easily driven up the wall. My mom would say that to me. So, you're driving me up the wall. I always wondered, how do I drive you up the wall? I don't understand that.

I always get this middle picture of her driving up the wall. Mean, it makes sense to me but I knew what she meant. Love isn't self centered. Therefore, since it's not self centered, it's not so quickly bothered by the things that others say. And do.

Because it's not all about So, what you say about me doesn't bother me. That much. It's not easily or quickly angry. Says this in James one hundred nineteen and twenty, wherefore my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath, for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. James writes, brethren, don't be quick to be angry or even quick to speak in response to something someone said.

Now, be quick to hear but slow to speak and slow to wrath because the wrath of man hardly ever hardly ever performs the righteousness of God. Especially when we're angry because somebody has hurt. Us because we just can't take it anymore. Doesn't perform or work the righteousness of God and if love is in our hearts, then we'll be able. To do as this verse says.

You have to learn to be a little thicker skinned So, that stuff what? Bounces off in the ministry or if you're in a leadership position, people say things behind your back. They critic you, they criticize you, they recognize your faults, Sometimes, they have a hard time forgetting them. Sometimes, they question your motives. Sometimes, they tell it to your face.

Sometimes, they tell you what you want to hear to your face and say something else behind your back. That's all part of being a leader. That's all part of being in ministry. It happens. If it's all about you then it won't work.

You've got to allow the love of God to make others more important than you. Then the things don't hurt so much and then you don't dwell upon the things that others say. Because those people that are saying those things, they have needs and sometimes we all say things that we don't mean to hurt. We all have opinions. It's okay.

Because what is most important is the Lord and others. Rather than being quick to speak and quick to wrath, it says in the feet, turn if you would. I don't have that up there. Hold your place. Ephesians is just a few pages over Towards the back of your Bible.

Don't turn too quick. You'll miss it. Ephesians four twenty six and twenty seven and then verses thirty one and thirty two. They say this, be you angry and sin not. You know, sometimes when somebody says something or does something, this feeling wells up inside of you.

That's natural. But now, you have to choose. Is the feeling going to control you? Are you going to control the feeling? Be in angry and what?

Sin not. Let not the sun go down upon your wrath. Neither give place to the devil Instead, what are we supposed to do? Verse 31, let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice. And be you kind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

What is God's answer? The people you love, you learn to what? You learn to forgive. That's what love does. If we're full of compassion and concern for others rather than malice and anger.

We can learn to forgive. When we're full of strife and bitterness, malice, and anger, that's when the slightest thing sets you off. You ever been there? And just it's the straw that breaks the what? Camel's back.

And it's just a little thing and all of a sudden, you explode. Well, why is that? Because our heart was not full of love. Instead, it was full of what? Anger and it just took a little crack in the dam and so everything what?

Comes forth Our Lord exhibited the love this love and compassion all throughout his ministry but particularly I was drawn to his trial before Pilate and his trial before Herod and his trial before the high priest. He was tried three times before three different men. Actually, twice before Pilate. And at any point in time, Jesus could have snapped back. Jesus could have uttered one word and destroyed them all.

But he didn't because his love, his heart was not full of hate, not full of anger or bitterness at what they were doing as they beat him and plucked out his beard as they as they took the cat of nine to heaven, stripped the flesh from his body. And as they hung him on a cross, no, instead of lashing out, our savior said, father, forgive them for they know not. What they do. Because his heart was full of love. And therefore, he was able to keep his mouth shut, to control his anger.

And so can we. Love is not easily provoked. Love thinketh no evil is the first next one in first Corinthians 13. What does that mean? Well, it doesn't surmise or impute evil intent where it does not exist.

Have you ever read between the lines? And we're wrong happens, doesn't it? People say things. We take it one way and they meant it another or maybe you were on the other side of the issue. Those are the ones we were more often remember.

Where we said something and we didn't mean it this way and it was taken that way. That's because sometimes rather than looking for the best in people and taking the best of what they say. No, we're looking for the one. The worst. We're just waiting for them to say the wrong things so we can get all upset.

Is that love? It's love of who? Self. And not love of others. Love thinketh no evil.

It gives people the benefit of the doubt. It lets things roll off our back. It doesn't read into things. It doesn't keep a record of wrongs. Against others.

It doesn't say, oh, yes, there, they did it again. Oh, yeah, there they did it again. That's what destroys relationships and that's what destroys marriages. When you keep things maybe not in a written book but in a book in here, a ledger. Oh yeah.

Well, they look, they did it again. They said they weren't going do it. They did it again. Love keeps a record of wrongs and though they may say at times, we may say, oh I forgive you when they do it again, guess what? All of those things what?

They flood right back. What does that mean? Well, that means really haven't quite forgiven or else they wouldn't all flood back again. In Proverbs ten and twelve and seventeen nine, it says, hatred stirreth up strife but love covereth all sins. He that covereth the transgression, seeketh love but he that repeateth the matter separateth very friends.

Love covers a what? A multitude of sins. What is love? Love says, okay, I recognize, yes, that wasn't right, that wasn't but love goes on and says, I will choose to forgive. I will choose to overlook.

I will choose to not store it up and hold a grudge. What's the greatest example of this? Well, besides our Lord Jesus Christ, I always think of Joseph. I go right to Joseph. Here, Joseph was.

How did Joseph was only doing the things to honor his father and obey and how did his brothers treat him? They got angry with him. Why did they get angry? Because they did not what? Love him.

They were not doing right. They didn't love God. Their hearts were not full of love. So, rather than being happy with the coat of many colors that Joseph was gotten, they got jealous and they got angry and they got tired of hearing about his dreams. And they finally snapped When they saw him coming in the fields, they thought, we'll get rid of him once and for all.

And they threw him in a pit and left him for dead and then, they saw some slave traders coming. They said, oh well, we'll make some money off of this deal. Where's the love? And they sold him to slavery. Thought thought that that that would end in death or at best in very difficult life but when they show up during the famine, if you remember the story, near the end, when it's Joseph who was sitting on the throne, who was the second highest ruler in Egypt, and who is now there to provide them food.

Joseph says to his brothers, You meant it for harm but God meant it for good because this is where I needed to be at this time in order to save you. And he forgave them. What an example. How could he do that? A heart full of love.

Love is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, rejoices not in iniquity but rejoices in the truth. It doesn't celebrate sin. It doesn't rejoice over revenge. It rather rejoices of in truth and justice and righteousness. It does not rejoice when others are hurt.

When they get what was coming to em. Doesn't rejoice when wickedness triumphs. When someone is caught in sin or injured by it. Love rejoices not in iniquity evil and hurt but rejoices in truth and in righteousness. It doesn't laugh and enjoy sin being committed by others.

The Bible says in Proverbs fourteen nine, fools make a mock at sin but among the righteous, there is favor. Fools laugh at sin. They think it's funny. You don't have to watch much TV to see that and the sad thing is, how comfortable have we become laughing at it ourselves? When the drunk staggers down the street and can't control himself, do we laugh?

Is it funny? Or is it sad? Sin is made to look funny but it isn't. Says in Ephesians five, three, and four, but fornication, all uncleanness, or covetous, let it not be once named among you as become a saint. Neither filthiness nor foolish talking nor jesting which are not convenient but rather giving of thanks.

Do you laugh at dirty jokes? Do you tell em? Is sin funny? Or is it sad? And heartbreaking.

Philippians chapter four verse eight, we're told, finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things. The things that are good and true and pure and lovely. And not on things that are vile and corrupt. Rejoice not in iniquity. Love rejoices.

Love beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Love never fails. I mentioned a fellow by the couple weeks ago by the name of Scott. Scott is Alan Joe's son-in-law. He's a paraplegic, almost a quadriplegic.

He has very little movement in his in his upper body. He's been like that since college. But but Scott is their son-in-law obviously because Scott married their daughter. Her name is Sandy. Sandy is a very smart and I think somewhat ambitious was ambitious as a young lady.

She was a a very devout Christian and is. She had a lot going for. But in college she was drawn to this fellow named Scott. When they got married, he was already. He had, he fell off of down quite a distance and broke his back.

And she married him paralyzed. She spends her days taking care of him. She spends her nights working. Both of them are intimately involved in the lives of others and ministering to them. What do you call that?

What do you call that love? Love beareth all things. Believeth all things. Hopeth all things. Endureth all things.

I have an uncle whose name was Richard. He's my namesake. My uncle Richard was not what you would call a model Christian. He smoked his whole life. He he didn't regularly attend church.

But my uncle had a heart of gold and he would give you the shirt off his back and do anything for you. You asked. He was a home inspector and he inspected homes. I just learned this at his funeral that I attended back a couple months ago and he was inspecting somebody's home nearby and he noticed that there was a little baby there and and he asked about the baby. It seemed that the baby was rather unattended to and and some and the people that live there said, well, somebody just dropped the baby off.

The baby is not ours. We're just taking care of him. Well, he he really didn't see, didn't appear to him that the baby was really being taken care of. He came back a week or so, couple weeks later to make some kind of other inspection and he noticed the child was still there and was not being attended to. And he asked them, what if what if I took this little unwanted child and they say, oh, that would be fine.

So, he did. He's my cousin. His name is Darryl. Daryl his whole life has been a headache to his adopted father, my uncle. Daryl should have gone this way.

He always went that way. But he had a good home and he was loved even when he did dumb things. He was loved. An unwanted little baby but taken in out of love. And I know my Daryl, my my cousin Daryl, knows how to be saved.

I pray that someday, he will be. You know, we were that unwanted child sinners, lost, full of sin and yet God saw something in us. Loved us. He saw what we could be as his children and not what we were and he gave his own son to adopt us and bring us into his family. That's love.

And it's the love that's been shed abroad in our hearts. To show others. Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it. A new commandment I give unto you that you love one another. As I have loved you, that you also love one another.

Two questions in closing this morning. Do you know Jesus Christ? Bible says as many received him to them gave you power to become the sons of God even to them that believe on his name. God loves you. You can become his child.

You can be forgiven of your sins but you must come through faith in his son, Jesus Christ. He is the only way. I did that when I was nine. You can do that when you're 90. If you live that long.

But you might not. The Bible says, behold, today is the day of salvation. Jesus loves you. He died for you. As we give this hymn of invitation, we'd love to show you how you can be safe today.

And know the one who loves you so much. And have the gift of eternal life. And if you're here today and God is revealed in your heart, something that you need to deal with Would you deal with him today? Would you not put it off till tomorrow? Would you allow him to make you more like him?

Let's pray. Dear God, we thank you Lord. For your love for us Wherewith you loved us and gave your son for us. And Lord words cannot express nor actions. The love that you have for us or ever repay it.

Lord, we just simply thank you for it and pray that you would help us to demonstrate that love for others. Lord, when they're lovable and when they're unlovable. Lord, help us to take our eyes off of ourselves and see others and to value them as you did. Lord, I I pray if there's anyone here today that's not trusted Christ as savior as as we give this hymn of invitation. That they might come.

And be saved. And I pray Lord for your children that are here today that if there's some area of our life where you are showing us our love is not what it ought to be. That you would help us to confess that sin. And seek your help and guidance. To be more like our savior Jesus Christ.

In Jesus name, we do pray, amen.