How you respond to that person
who disagrees with your doctrinal position;
how you respond to that person
who comes to a different conclusion
on how you should educate your children
or what premarital relationships should look like;
how you respond to that person
is the evidence and depth of your love
in the local church.
You see, if we just keep surrounding ourselves
within the church
with little subcultures -
well, we're the homeschooling group.
We're the courtship group.
We're the amillenial group.
We're this group. We're that group.
And anyone who doesn't agree with you in those areas,
although you do have union with them in Christ,
that's not good enough for fellowship anymore.
I won't let my kids be around anyone
who doesn't homeschool.
What are you teaching your children?
That homeschool is more important
than union in Jesus Christ.
I think some of us are going to wake up one day
and realize we put all of our hope and faith
in educating our children at home.
Homeschooling doesn't save anybody.
It's Jesus Christ that saves.
And I homeschool my kids.
Listen, I'm not implying
that the love you have
with the group of people you've surrounded yourself with,
that hold to those same convictions -
I'm not saying it's not love.
It is love. I think it's love.
What I want us to look at is this:
But what's the depth of my love?
And Paul seems to think
the depth of your love is revealed
not with those you've gathered
around yourself who affirm you all day,
but the one who doesn't see it the same way
and how you treat that brother or sister
is the reality of the depth of your love
for the local church.
Let's look at it in v. 4.
Paul says, "Love is patient."
"Love suffers long."
Assumed in this first characteristic
of love is offense.
He assumes that there's provocation here
between two people.
He assumes there's differences
and disagreements here.
Why do we say that?
Because know this,
you don't have to suffer long with people
who agree with you in every point of doctrine
and live out the same way you do.
You don't suffer with those people.
You just sit around and affirm each other.
Look how spiritual we are!
Look how unspiritual they are.
I don't suffer long
if you just build me up all day
and agree with me in every area.
That's not suffering.
But Paul says genuine love suffers long.
Genuine love is revealed
in the face of adversity;
in the face of disagreement.
So how long are we suffering
with those who disagree with us
or have offended us
because they haven't come to the same conclusions?
Well, that's the reality of the depth of your love.