Love Test 2/9/2020
Love Is, Love Is Not • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 42:11
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· 34 viewsThe test of love that shows whether you are loving others the way God intends.
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Distinction of Love
Distinction of Love
Phileo - tenderness, brotherly love. Occurs 415 times in NT, half of the times it is used negatively. It is an emotional attachment and can be lost or diminished. Never used in any command to love God…God knows this love is not sufficient.
Agape - Occurs 320 times in the NT. Is the only word used in association with commands from God. Since it is commanded it cannot be based in emotion. This love is based solely on a decision and the will to follow that decision.
Love is not the emotion or feeling described by the world.
Love is not these nine things.
Love is not these nine things.
Love removes these nine things. If any of these nine are present, then it is not love.
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;
Love does not envy - envy tries to deprive someone of something they have. Also included in the definition of the word in greek is jealousy. Jealousy desires to have something for ones self. Love is generous in the face of competition.
Love does not parade itself - The reference of parading itself is directed at someone who brags. A boastful person, someone who likes to show off. Love is not like that. Love has no anxious need to impress other people.
Interview with man who gave $10K to a homeless person. Videoed the interaction and it went viral. Interviewer ask “Why?” “What motivated you?”
Answer “I wanted to see his response, and I knew the video would go viral. People want to see that kind of stuff.”
Selfish motivation. Not concerned for the homeless man, concerned with the attention it would bring himself.
Love is not puffed up - Love does not exhibit pride. By contrast love is humble, it comes out of the shade of life to do it’s kind deed, then slips right back into the shade. Not thinking that what Love has done is outside of the ordinary.
5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;
Love does not behave rudely - in other words love has manners. It knows how to act. Love does not make a scene...
Bridezilla is not an example of love. But somehow our culture has come to accept adult people acting like children when they are upset and disappointed.
Love does not seek its own - Love does not pursue it’s own interests. If it is only ever about you and not about someone else…that’s not love.
Abraham and Lot separating the land. Their herdsmen begin to argue… Abraham puts a stop to it. Puts Lot’s interest above his own. “Lot you choose and I will take what is left.”
Love does not seek to advance itself. Love gives. Henry Drummond wrote “The world is on the wrong scent in the pursuit of happiness. They think it consists in having and getting and in being served by others. There is no happiness in having, or in getting, but only in giving.”
Love is not provoked - Love does not have a hot temper and does not play psychological games. It never says “I wonder why so and so did not speak to me today… or I wonder why they snubbed me.” Love does not know what is to be angry over petty things.
Love thinks no evil - In other words it does not nurse grudges against others. The greek term used for “thinks” is an accounting term. Paul is saying “Love does not keep an account of wrongs it suffers.” Neither does it seek an opportunity to get back.
6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
Love does not rejoice in iniquity - Love does not rejoice when bad things happen to others, and love does not find satisfaction in the sin of others.
Jacob held onto the angel of the Lord. When the angel recognized that he would not be released touched the hollow of Jacob’s leg. When Jacob left the fight he limped back to the camp. He would limp for the rest of his life.
32 Therefore to this day the children of Israel do not eat the muscle that shrank, which is on the hip socket, because He touched the socket of Jacob’s hip in the muscle that shrank.
There is a simple explanation of why the chosen of God did not eat that portion of meat. Something so simple that each of us could benefit from it’s wisdom.
We must not feast on the failures and shortcomings of others! Love does not do that.
Love is these five things.
Love is these five things.
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;
Love suffers long and is kind - It restrains itself when provoked and is eager to act in kindness.
6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
Love does rejoice in the truth - Love does not celebrate a win…but celebrates when truth has been established.
7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love bears all things - Love covers, and protects. It finds ways to forgive and forget. Jesus sought a cover for the ones who nailed Him on the cross…Father forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing.
12 Hatred stirs up strife,
But love covers all sins.
9 He who covers a transgression seeks love,
But he who repeats a matter separates friends.
Love believes all things - This does not mean that love is gullible. However, love does give the benefit of doubt and is ready to be generous with faith toward others. It believes the best of others actions. Love trusts and puts confidence in others.
Love hopes all things - Love is an optimist. Hope is the future tense of anticipation for something good to come. Love refuses to acknowledge defeat, it has hope.
Love endures all things - The word endure means to remain under the load… Love does not bail from the burden that it carries.
Altar Call
It is the love of Jesus Christ on the cross.
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Love’s simple test
Love’s simple test
How do I know if I am succeeding or failing at love?
Did it cost you. Did you pay a price for it.
The love Paul has described costs us.
The price of love:
Comfort - our own comfort.
Self - we have to be second.
Pride - you will be humbled.
Position - puts you in the place of a servant and opens you up to being hurt.
Rejection
Love seeks the welfare of the one you are loving…and welfare involves healing but sometimes involves hurting. Disciplining my children hurts them and it’s not fun for me either…but I love them.
6 For whom the Lord loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives.”
Love involves healing and sometimes hurting, always involves helping.