Relationships:
God sums up the whole new testament with the love God and love others.
You want to know if you really love God?
You have to love your brothers if you love God.
1 Corinthians 13
What is love?
1 Corinthians 13:13 "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."
Faith vs. Hope vs. Love (the greatest)
When we make love the point faith and hope will be the overflow. Is love the primary thing you do?
Isn't that the opposite of the church today? We have made faith the most important! We have forgotten how to love. No wonder our churches are not how they should be.
Matthew 25:31-46 The parable of the sheep and the goats.
Love is self evident. If you really loved God you would be feeding his sheep.
Love compels you where duty will not.
Why does everyone look up to Mother Theresa? Because of the love she had for others. All the people she ministered to died, she didn't heal them. She had no degree. She wasn't supported by her church. She just loved! Why can't we all be like her? We can if we choose to love above everything else.
Missions:
God will only ever do the maximum of what you give Him the capacity to do.
The very thing you think is disqualifying you from living in the kingdom of God, is the very thing God wants to use.
Think of the people in the bible. The better the person, the ones that did the most amazing things, were mentioned less in the bible. The worse the person the more God chose to use them, and they are the ones who have whole books just for them.
When you start to discover your destiny, the devil is going to try to steal, kill, and destroy that by making you look at other things and see them as more beautiful and desirable. He will try to distract you from it in any way possible.
Why is it important to struggle with finances as a missionary? Because God is sending us to the nations. We will be able to identify with the nations who live in poverty.
Safety is an illusion, you aren't safe in the USA (shootings, natural disasters, etc.). No matter where you go you are not safe. This world isn't a safe place. Why wouldn't you live your life to the fullest and just go where God calls you (example: to the middle of the African jungle).
1 Corinthians 13:12
Our understanding of love is limited.
You don't sin and then receive a consequence. Sin is the consequence. That's why God says not to do it.
If we really know God loves us why do we not live like He did?
You can't go out and help people as a victim, you have to go out victorious.
Hurt people hurt people. Monsters are not born they are made.
Passion is not action.
Lies only have power if you give them power.
1 Corinthians 13:11
Expressing love (adult vs. child)
Go wants us to do the best with what we have, then he will give you more responsibly.
When we constantly live a life of getting everything we want it literally takes away from living our lives.
What kind of life will you choose?
We become mature in the kingdom of God by love...not wisdom.
We need to stop asking God, "What do you want me to do with my life?" We need to be so in love with him, so in tune with his heart, that he no longer has to tell us. If he told us it would no longer be special. Do you know him enough that you no longer have to ask him? You already know what he wants you to do.
1 Corinthians 13:8-10
Spiritual Maturity is not measured in gifts
Yet, what are the primary reasons that churches fight? Over prophecy, knowledge, and speaking in tongues.
If these gifts alone make up your whole Christianity than you are not living a Christ would. However, these gifts should be the overflow of love. If you seek first love, all the other things will be added.
When our context is LOVE the world will come to us. Just as they came to Jesus.
1 Corinthians 13:7-8
Love never fails, Why?
It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Bear (v)- To hold or remain firm under, support.
Believe (v)- To have confidence or faith in the truth of.
Hope (n)- The feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best.
Endure (v)- to hold out against; sustain without impairment of yielding undergo.
Love is an adverb! It's something we either do, or we don't do. If we really love God are we showing it?
What is the primary reason we want to be safe? Because we don't want to endure pain. Love is one of the most hurtful things you can choose to do in your life. If you really want to be safe, you can never love anyone, you can't have any relationships at all. Well, God made us for relationships with Him and with others. Jesus took on more pain than any of us will ever take on when He died on the cross for us. He loved us that much! Do you know what really killed him on that cross? It wasn't the beatings, it wasn't the blood loss, it wasn't the shame, it was His broken heart that killed Him!
Hebrews 6:6 - "He who sins again and again crucifies the son of God all over again" (paraphrased).
God loves an infinite amount therefore He is able to endure pain an infinite amount.
LOVE IS PAIN
Why do we always pray the pain and suffering away when it comes? We ask Him to take it away, and He just might, realizing you are not ready for what He has for you.
The more suffering you go through in this life the better and stronger you will be.
"You will never develop the necessary endurance needed to take down giants unless you take on the lions and bears." (David and Goliath).
How tall can a building be? Only as deep as the foundation is. He is asking how deep He can dig our foundation (how much suffering we can take), so that He can build our building higher. How deep are you allowing God to dig your foundation?
We need to stop asking God "What am I supposed to do with my life, what is you will?" What are we allowing Him to do in and through our lives so that He can use us?
Why would He tell us what to do in the future when we can't even endure what we are going through now?
Why do we walk through the valley of the shadow of death? So that we don't have to fear that situation anymore.
We shouldn't be wishing that pain away, we should be asking for it, because we need it!
Jesus was born homeless.
Fled the country as an illegal alien.
Moved into Nazareth and was raised in the Ghetto.
His father left his family leaving him fatherless.
Why did He allow his life to be this way? So that He could identify with us!
Why should we endure pain in our lives? So we can identify with others!
1 Corinthians 13:6
"Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth."
"Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth."
Judging is the complete opposite of love. It's not a gift to see what's wrong in the world, it's a gift to see what we can change.
We don't have the right or the wisdom to judge.
We are not to determine what is good just truth.
Where do we find truth? In The Word.
Why do we condemn others living in sin? We also are!
By judging someone you are saying that you are perfect and better than that person. That's not true!
Read Matthew 7:5!!
1 Corinthians 13:5
Love keeps no record of wrongs
Forgiveness!
Yes, even the people that don't deserve it! You don't deserve it either!
We also have to forgive ourselves.
The power of the cross is found in forgiveness.
Those who forgive much love much.
*Teaching by Troy Sherman
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