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Brother Geoff spoke to us last night

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about the privileges of the Christian.

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And he mentioned to us that privileges

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come with responsibilities.

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And so I'll be speaking more

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on the responsibilities that we have

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in the Christian life.

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If you'll open your Bibles

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to the first letter to 
the church at Corinth

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in chapter 13.

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I want to begin by stating 
a concern that I see.

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It's a concern that's 
repeated in Scripture

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in numerous places.

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And it's a concern that's prevalent

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in the church today.

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The concern pointedly is this:

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How do we handle our differences

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in our local churches?

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I have a concern that

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we all too often view ourselves

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much more spiritually mature

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than we really are.

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And the evidence of our immaturity

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is revealed in our lack of love

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towards one another,

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demonstrated in how we 
respond to one another

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and handle our differences

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in our local churches.

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I'm concerned this is especially true

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for us in the reformed church

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in the area of doctrinal differences

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and in the area of how we live out

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our convictions in our lives.

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Reformed churches and reformed Christians

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are known for their focus

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and their emphasis on doctrine and truth.

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And praise God for that.

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That is commendable.

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Let me say from the start,

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every Christian and every true church

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should be known and marked

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for their careful attention

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to right doctrine.

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I mean, after all,

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the Scriptures tell us that the church

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is a pillar and buttress of truth.

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Most of you who are here

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in the churches represented here

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are in those because you love

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doctrine and truth.

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You're in those churches

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because the pastors of those churches

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unashamedly proclaim truth,

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uphold truth, and defend truth,

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and the whole counsel of God.

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Beloved, we should thank 
God for those pastors.

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We should thank God for those churches,

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for those Christians

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who long for truth,

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proclaim truth, and defend truth.

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Over the years, I've gotten 
to know many of you here.

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I know that you're a people

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who individually study doctrine.

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Your desire is to glorify God

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and you want to take 
the truths of Scripture

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and apply them in all areas of life

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and be ever conformed

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to the Word of God for the glory of God.

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But we must be careful.

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At the same time that we are

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in our pursuit of truth,

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and the application of truth -

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individually and corporately -

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as local churches,

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that we don't fail to heed

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a very important call in Scripture.

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And that is to maintain the 
unity of the Spirit in Christ.

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This unity of the Spirit

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that we have in Christ is wonderful.

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It's what we love to experience

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when we gather together

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in fellowships like this.

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It's that unity of Spirit 
that we've all had

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where maybe we are on
a plane trip somewhere

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and we sit down next to someone,

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and we begin a conversation,

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and we feel a bond to them.

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We feel a oneness with them,

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and as we go further in the conversation,

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we begin to realize,

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this is a brother or sister in the faith.

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And we may not even know their name,

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but we love them and 
we're drawn to them.

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We even want to be with them.

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This is that oneness of spirit 
that we have in Christ.

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Know this, church,

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the church of Jesus Christ

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is united together supernaturally.

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We are not called in 
Scripture to create unity.

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Do you know that?

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We are called in Scripture

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to maintain and preserve the unity

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that God Himself has created in us.

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Maintaining our unity in 
Christ is vitally important

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because the church's unity

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is a living witness to the lost world

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about the saving and uniting power

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of Jesus Christ.

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Jesus Christ, through the gospel,

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brings together a diverse people -

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a people from every nation, tribe,

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tongue, and language.

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and makes them one in Jesus Christ.

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In Christ, we are one body.

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We are one spirit.

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We have one hope.
We have one Lord.

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We have one common faith.

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We have one common object of our faith

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and affection of our hearts

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and that is Jesus Christ.

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In our churches;

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in our families of faith

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our unity though is tested.

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It's tested in the midst of our diversity.

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When I speak of diversity,

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I'm not just speaking about

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cultural diversity here.

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Although, there is cultural diversity.

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The diversity I'm speaking about

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is the diversity, maybe,

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in maturity in Christ.

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Or, our growth in the understanding

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of truth and doctrine.

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Or, the diversity in our convictions

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and how we apply the Scriptures

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to our lives.

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How we live out those understandings.

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So what do we do?

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Do we just set doctrine aside?

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Find the lowest common denominator?

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And just rally around that?

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Of course not.

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Of course that's not what we do.

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We do see that happening in some places;

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some of the professing churches

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who set aside doctrine

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for the sake of unity,

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which is a fake unity.

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But no, we don't set aside doctrine.

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Again, the church is the 
pillar and buttress of truth.

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We must all be consistently growing,

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understanding, defending,

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and proclaiming truth.

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We must be conforming to truth

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personally in our lives.

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We must maintain that unity 
that we have in Christ

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and the witness that we have

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to a lost and dying world.

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So let me summarize it in one question

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and put it before you,

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and then try to answer it for us.

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How do we as local churches here

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with such diversity

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maintain our unity in Jesus Christ

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while we vigilantly 
pursue and defend truth.

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That's the question I want 
to put before us today.

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And I think Paul in 1 Corinthians 13,

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he gives us the answer.

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Let's read 1 Corinthians 13.

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Please follow along as we read

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God's holy and inerrant Word.

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"If I speak in the tongues of men

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and of angels but have not love,

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I'm a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

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If I have prophetic powers

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and understand all 
mysteries and all knowledge,

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and if I have all faith

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so as to remove mountains,

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but have not love, I am nothing.

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If I give away all I have

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and if I deliver up my body to be burned,

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but have not love,

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I gain nothing.

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Love is patient and kind.

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Love does not envy or boast.

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It is not arrogant or rude.

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It does not insist on its own way.

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It is not irritable or resentful.

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It does not rejoice at wrongdoing,

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but rejoices with the truth.

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Love bears all things;

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believes all things;
hopes all thing;

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endures all things.

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Love never fails.

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As for prophecies, they will pass away.

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As for tongues, they will cease.

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As for knowledge, it will pass away.

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For we know in part 
and we prophesy in part,

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but when the perfect comes,

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the partial will pass away.

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When I was a child,

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I spoke like a child;

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I thought like a child;

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I reasoned like a child.

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When I became a man,

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I gave up childish ways.

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For now we see dimly in a mirror,

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but then face to face.

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Now I know in part,

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then I shall know fully

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even as I have been fully known.

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So now, faith, hope, and love abide

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these three,

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but the greatest of these is love."

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I'll be focusing on verses 1-7,

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and I won't even be able to cover them all

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in this short period of time.

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In verses 1 - 3,

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I hope to convince us all

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of the essential need for love

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in our local churches

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in the midst of our differences.

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In verses 4 - 7,

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we will look at the picture

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that Paul paints for us,

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which is nothing less than a portrait

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of Jesus Christ Himself.

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And I believe that we will all

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look at this portrait of love;

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this portrait of Jesus Christ,

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and I think we're all going to see

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that we are falling short.

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What we will all see is

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that the genuineness and the depth

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of our love towards one another

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may be found lacking.

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And I think we're going to discover

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that we're not quite as mature

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as we think we are.

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As Paul said,

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when he was a child, 
he thought like a child.

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He reasoned like a child.

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He's talking about the maturing process.

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Beloved, I think many of us think

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that we're men or women,

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but by how we handle our differences

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in our local churches,

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we're proving to still be children.

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Well, it's no secret that the answer

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to how do we maintain our unity

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in Jesus Christ in the 
midst of our diversity

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in our local churches is love.

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Before we walk through these verses,

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I don't know about you,

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but I find it very interesting

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that the greatest treatise on love

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in the entire Bible

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is not written to a man and a woman

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standing at an altar with rings in hand

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about to exchange vows.

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But it's written pointedly

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to a local church.

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A local church - and we've all read

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the book of Corinthians who no doubt

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is in the face of diversity;

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has some differences.

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And the unity that they have 
supernaturally in Christ,

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right now is at stake

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in this local church.

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And I will tell you, that's true

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for all of us sitting here right now.

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The context again is that this is written

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to a local church

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who had experienced wonderful fellowship

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in their union of Christ.

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And now that fellowship,

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that unity in Christ,

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is in danger.

279
00:12:44,307 --> 00:12:46,245
Look at verse 1.

280
00:12:46,245 --> 00:12:48,540
"If I speak in the tongues 
of men and of angels,

281
00:12:48,540 --> 00:12:49,747
but have not love,

282
00:12:49,747 --> 00:12:52,729
I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal."

283
00:12:52,729 --> 00:12:54,518
We know from chapter 12 that there

284
00:12:54,518 --> 00:12:57,130
is a division sprouting up 
in the church of Corinth

285
00:12:57,130 --> 00:12:58,857
over spiritual gifts.

286
00:12:58,857 --> 00:13:01,224
They're priding themselves

287
00:13:01,224 --> 00:13:03,790
in what gifts they have.

288
00:13:03,790 --> 00:13:05,321
It seems people are creating

289
00:13:05,321 --> 00:13:07,724
what you might call subcultures

290
00:13:07,724 --> 00:13:09,770
within the church.

291
00:13:09,770 --> 00:13:11,574
Based on what?

292
00:13:11,574 --> 00:13:15,067
Based on what spiritual gifts they have.

293
00:13:15,067 --> 00:13:17,530
They're creating spiritual hierarchies

294
00:13:17,530 --> 00:13:19,858
within their local church it seems.

295
00:13:19,858 --> 00:13:22,955
Different classes of Christianity.

296
00:13:22,955 --> 00:13:25,673
Treating some people with 
preferential treatment

297
00:13:25,673 --> 00:13:28,398
or elevated treatment over other people

298
00:13:28,398 --> 00:13:32,974
based on which gifts they have.

299
00:13:32,974 --> 00:13:34,818
Well, Paul will have none of that.

300
00:13:34,818 --> 00:13:36,157
In fact, in chapter 12,

301
00:13:36,157 --> 00:13:37,703
we know that he spent time

302
00:13:37,703 --> 00:13:39,370
straightening that out.

303
00:13:39,370 --> 00:13:40,654
He helped them all see

304
00:13:40,654 --> 00:13:43,014
that the body of Christ is one body

305
00:13:43,014 --> 00:13:45,141
with many different parts.

306
00:13:45,141 --> 00:13:46,856
But the gifts within the church

307
00:13:46,856 --> 00:13:48,363
are distributed by God,

308
00:13:48,363 --> 00:13:49,946
and we're not to boast in those,

309
00:13:49,946 --> 00:13:52,049
and they're to be 
used for the edification

310
00:13:52,049 --> 00:13:55,351
and the building up of 
the church as a whole.

311
00:13:55,351 --> 00:13:56,950
But here in chapter 13,

312
00:13:56,950 --> 00:13:59,502
Paul says something different.

313
00:13:59,502 --> 00:14:02,260
Paul says essentially

314
00:14:02,260 --> 00:14:04,552
you're finding your identity

315
00:14:04,552 --> 00:14:07,097
in believing that you are something;

316
00:14:07,097 --> 00:14:09,671
believing that you have something to offer

317
00:14:09,671 --> 00:14:13,594
based on what gifts God has given to you.

318
00:14:13,594 --> 00:14:16,564
"If I speak in the tongues 
of men and of angels,

319
00:14:16,564 --> 00:14:18,180
but have not love,

320
00:14:18,180 --> 00:14:22,015
I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal."

321
00:14:22,015 --> 00:14:25,296
What is it that Paul's doing here?

322
00:14:25,296 --> 00:14:26,885
Well, please know this, beloved.

323
00:14:26,885 --> 00:14:31,376
Paul is not minimizing the importance

324
00:14:31,376 --> 00:14:34,780
of spiritual gifts in the local church.

325
00:14:34,780 --> 00:14:36,959
He just spent an entire chapter

326
00:14:36,959 --> 00:14:39,250
letting them know spiritual gifts

327
00:14:39,250 --> 00:14:41,420
are important and vital

328
00:14:41,420 --> 00:14:43,739
to the local church.

329
00:14:43,739 --> 00:14:45,957
Well, if he's not minimizing 
the importance

330
00:14:45,957 --> 00:14:47,246
of spiritual gifts,

331
00:14:47,246 --> 00:14:50,892
what is it that Paul is doing here then?

332
00:14:50,892 --> 00:14:57,303
He's maximizing the necessity of love.

333
00:14:57,303 --> 00:15:01,413
Paul is not minimizing 
the importance of gifts,

334
00:15:01,413 --> 00:15:04,823
but maximizing the necessity of love.

335
00:15:04,823 --> 00:15:06,387
He's essentially saying this,

336
00:15:06,387 --> 00:15:07,509
if you have gifts -

337
00:15:07,509 --> 00:15:09,561
even the ones you're all boasting about -

338
00:15:09,561 --> 00:15:10,985
the gift of tongues maybe,

339
00:15:10,985 --> 00:15:13,759
but it's not rooted in love;

340
00:15:13,759 --> 00:15:17,016
it's not used and governed by love,

341
00:15:17,016 --> 00:15:21,764
then your gifts do not help the church.

342
00:15:21,764 --> 00:15:24,308
They distract from the church.

343
00:15:24,308 --> 00:15:27,553
They hurt the church.

344
00:15:27,553 --> 00:15:29,410
Verse 2.

345
00:15:29,410 --> 00:15:31,105
"And if I have prophetic powers

346
00:15:31,105 --> 00:15:33,829
and understand all mysteries 
and all knowledge,

347
00:15:33,829 --> 00:15:35,127
and if I have all faith

348
00:15:35,127 --> 00:15:36,689
so as to remove mountains,

349
00:15:36,689 --> 00:15:38,082
but have not love,

350
00:15:38,082 --> 00:15:41,290
I am nothing."

351
00:15:41,290 --> 00:15:45,691
And I think is where we'll focus our time.

352
00:15:45,691 --> 00:15:47,604
This is where we in the reformed church

353
00:15:47,604 --> 00:15:50,372
with our emphasis on doctrine

354
00:15:50,372 --> 00:15:53,844
seem to struggle a lot.

355
00:15:53,844 --> 00:15:56,895
Praise God again that we study doctrine,

356
00:15:56,895 --> 00:15:58,148
and we seek to live it out

357
00:15:58,148 --> 00:15:59,816
and apply it in all of our lives.

358
00:15:59,816 --> 00:16:01,494
That's something we must be doing.

359
00:16:01,494 --> 00:16:04,762
But for many in the reformed church,

360
00:16:04,762 --> 00:16:07,144
understanding doctrine

361
00:16:07,144 --> 00:16:09,663
has become everything to them.

362
00:16:09,663 --> 00:16:11,401
At any time I begin to discuss

363
00:16:11,401 --> 00:16:13,459
this type of subject,

364
00:16:13,459 --> 00:16:15,824
like Paul's discussing here in v. 2,

365
00:16:15,824 --> 00:16:19,286
it's not long before I hear from someone,

366
00:16:19,286 --> 00:16:21,477
"Jesse, you're minimizing doctrine,

367
00:16:21,477 --> 00:16:23,473
and doctrine is from God's Word,

368
00:16:23,473 --> 00:16:26,410
and we can't minimize doctrine."

369
00:16:26,410 --> 00:16:28,745
So let me say loudly and clearly,

370
00:16:28,745 --> 00:16:32,616
and I will repeat myself 
throughout the entire sermon,

371
00:16:32,616 --> 00:16:36,306
I'm not minimizing doctrine.

372
00:16:36,306 --> 00:16:37,428
I agree with you.

373
00:16:37,428 --> 00:16:40,145
All of doctrine is of vital importance

374
00:16:40,145 --> 00:16:42,931
because it comes from the Word of God.

375
00:16:42,931 --> 00:16:47,211
I'm not minimizing doctrine.

376
00:16:47,211 --> 00:16:51,969
I'm not suggesting that 
we set doctrine aside.

377
00:16:51,969 --> 00:16:53,681
As a pastor, I'll tell you this.

378
00:16:53,681 --> 00:16:57,329
I've given myself to doctrine.

379
00:16:57,329 --> 00:16:59,253
To the study of doctrine.

380
00:16:59,253 --> 00:17:01,593
To the teaching and preaching of doctrine.

381
00:17:01,593 --> 00:17:03,903
To the defending of doctrine.

382
00:17:03,903 --> 00:17:07,095
Week after week, year after year.

383
00:17:07,095 --> 00:17:12,006
I'm not minimizing doctrine.

384
00:17:12,006 --> 00:17:17,709
But I'm maximizing the need for love.

385
00:17:17,709 --> 00:17:21,901
The need for love in our doctrine.

386
00:17:21,901 --> 00:17:27,147
The need for love in our 
doctrinal differences.

387
00:17:27,147 --> 00:17:29,137
Look what Paul is saying here.

388
00:17:29,137 --> 00:17:31,934
"If I have prophetic powers

389
00:17:31,934 --> 00:17:37,295
and understand all mysteries 
and all knowledge..."

390
00:17:37,295 --> 00:17:39,952
All mysteries.

391
00:17:39,952 --> 00:17:41,890
One of my favorite portions of Scripture

392
00:17:41,890 --> 00:17:43,102
is in Luke 24

393
00:17:43,102 --> 00:17:44,719
after the resurrection of Christ

394
00:17:44,719 --> 00:17:47,898
on the road with the disciples.

395
00:17:47,898 --> 00:17:50,149
He's speaking to the disciples.

396
00:17:50,149 --> 00:17:54,335
And Jesus unlocks all mysteries for them.

397
00:17:54,335 --> 00:17:55,837
He helps them to see

398
00:17:55,837 --> 00:17:58,333
how He is the fulfillment,

399
00:17:58,333 --> 00:18:01,299
and how all of Scripture 
finds its fulfillment

400
00:18:01,299 --> 00:18:03,689
in Jesus Christ.

401
00:18:03,689 --> 00:18:06,527
Jesus who understands all mysteries.

402
00:18:06,527 --> 00:18:08,887
What a value that would be to the church!

403
00:18:08,887 --> 00:18:11,261
To have an individual 
or people in our church

404
00:18:11,261 --> 00:18:14,104
who understood all 
the mysteries in Scripture

405
00:18:14,104 --> 00:18:19,883
and how they find their 
fulfillment in Jesus Christ.

406
00:18:19,883 --> 00:18:22,656
What about the one who has all knowledge?

407
00:18:22,656 --> 00:18:25,453
Deep doctrine.

408
00:18:25,453 --> 00:18:27,117
This may be the person who has

409
00:18:27,117 --> 00:18:28,527
all the covenant issues

410
00:18:28,527 --> 00:18:32,817
sorted out perfectly.

411
00:18:32,817 --> 00:18:36,153
They have all their eschatology down.

412
00:18:36,153 --> 00:18:40,740
Paul says here they have all knowledge.

413
00:18:40,740 --> 00:18:42,235
He's giving them credit.

414
00:18:42,235 --> 00:18:43,913
You understand all mysteries.

415
00:18:43,913 --> 00:18:54,109
You have all the knowledge.

416
00:18:54,109 --> 00:18:57,171
But if you have not love,

417
00:18:57,171 --> 00:19:02,688
you are nothing.

418
00:19:02,688 --> 00:19:04,073
Again, I think this is where

419
00:19:04,073 --> 00:19:06,080
the rubber meets the road for us.

420
00:19:06,080 --> 00:19:10,141
maybe these churches represented here.

421
00:19:10,141 --> 00:19:11,868
There are some of us who believe

422
00:19:11,868 --> 00:19:14,707
we have all the mysteries and knowledge

423
00:19:14,707 --> 00:19:15,696
figured out.

424
00:19:15,696 --> 00:19:17,132
And I think if we're honest,

425
00:19:17,132 --> 00:19:19,049
we need to confess

426
00:19:19,049 --> 00:19:22,079
we don't have it all figured out.

427
00:19:22,079 --> 00:19:24,674
We're all still growing.

428
00:19:24,674 --> 00:19:26,882
These men who have walked in the faith

429
00:19:26,882 --> 00:19:29,595
40, 50, 60 years faithfully,

430
00:19:29,595 --> 00:19:31,552
you could bring them up here one by one

431
00:19:31,552 --> 00:19:32,898
and they would acknowledge,

432
00:19:32,898 --> 00:19:34,497
listen, I'm still growing.

433
00:19:34,497 --> 00:19:36,250
The Word of God is still sharpening

434
00:19:36,250 --> 00:19:38,874
and shaping my 
understanding of who God is.

435
00:19:38,874 --> 00:19:41,439
The mysteries are still 
being unlocked to me.

436
00:19:41,439 --> 00:19:44,050
The knowledge and the 
deeper things of the Lord

437
00:19:44,050 --> 00:19:45,574
are still being revealed to me.

438
00:19:45,574 --> 00:19:47,749
And praise God, we never stop growing.

439
00:19:47,749 --> 00:19:49,194
But what Paul says here is,

440
00:19:49,194 --> 00:19:53,220
what if you did 
understand all the mysteries

441
00:19:53,220 --> 00:19:56,882
and have all the knowledge?

442
00:19:56,882 --> 00:20:05,535
Even then, without love you're nothing.

443
00:20:05,535 --> 00:20:07,667
In verse 3, Paul goes on to say this:

444
00:20:07,667 --> 00:20:08,931
"If I give away all I have

445
00:20:08,931 --> 00:20:10,822
and deliver up my body to be burned

446
00:20:10,822 --> 00:20:14,557
and have not love, I gain nothing."

447
00:20:14,557 --> 00:20:16,396
Again, I've talked to so many of you.

448
00:20:16,396 --> 00:20:20,146
You're living self-sacrificing lives

449
00:20:20,146 --> 00:20:21,925
so you can be more faithful to Scripture

450
00:20:21,925 --> 00:20:23,675
and give more.

451
00:20:23,675 --> 00:20:25,507
I mean, aren't you the kind of people

452
00:20:25,507 --> 00:20:27,212
you want to see in our church?

453
00:20:27,212 --> 00:20:30,000
The ones who are gifted by God?

454
00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:32,093
The ones who have and 
are studying doctrine

455
00:20:32,093 --> 00:20:34,001
and have knowledge and understanding?

456
00:20:34,001 --> 00:20:35,784
The ones who are living sacrificially

457
00:20:35,784 --> 00:20:37,507
for the glory of the Kingdom of God?

458
00:20:37,507 --> 00:20:39,866
Aren't these the people 
we want in our church?

459
00:20:39,866 --> 00:20:41,418
And the answer is yes.

460
00:20:41,418 --> 00:20:43,545
And don't they bring value?

461
00:20:43,545 --> 00:20:45,742
Don't they help edify and 
build up the church?

462
00:20:45,742 --> 00:20:49,241
And the answer is maybe.

463
00:20:49,241 --> 00:20:53,662
But maybe not.

464
00:20:53,662 --> 00:20:55,741
Do you see the progression that happened

465
00:20:55,741 --> 00:21:01,090
in these first three verses?

466
00:21:01,090 --> 00:21:06,997
Without love, we accomplish nothing.

467
00:21:06,997 --> 00:21:10,717
Without love, we are nothing.

468
00:21:10,717 --> 00:21:17,719
And without love, we gain nothing.

469
00:21:17,719 --> 00:21:22,340
What's the conclusion 
that we must come to?

470
00:21:22,340 --> 00:21:25,774
In measuring our Christian maturity,

471
00:21:25,774 --> 00:21:30,149
if we have everything without love,

472
00:21:30,149 --> 00:21:32,777
we have nothing.

473
00:21:32,777 --> 00:21:33,923
We have nothing.

474
00:21:33,923 --> 00:21:37,596
Love is essential.

475
00:21:37,596 --> 00:21:40,386
Oh, how important the use of gifts are

476
00:21:40,386 --> 00:21:42,757
in the local church.

477
00:21:42,757 --> 00:21:45,588
Oh, how important doctrine is

478
00:21:45,588 --> 00:21:47,332
in the local church.

479
00:21:47,332 --> 00:21:50,017
Oh, how important sacrificial living

480
00:21:50,017 --> 00:21:53,777
is in the local church.

481
00:21:53,777 --> 00:21:57,237
But apart from love, beloved,

482
00:21:57,237 --> 00:22:00,339
it's nothing.

483
00:22:00,339 --> 00:22:02,600
Right away, some of you 
may begin to struggle

484
00:22:02,600 --> 00:22:03,998
as we talk about doctrine

485
00:22:03,998 --> 00:22:07,042
and begin to ask a question like,

486
00:22:07,042 --> 00:22:08,914
"So, are you saying that we should

487
00:22:08,914 --> 00:22:13,218
let go of doctrine and pursue love?"

488
00:22:13,218 --> 00:22:16,167
And I want you to know this: No.

489
00:22:16,167 --> 00:22:21,323
It's not truth or love.

490
00:22:21,323 --> 00:22:25,550
It's truth in love.

491
00:22:25,550 --> 00:22:27,675
So often, we have that pendulum swing

492
00:22:27,675 --> 00:22:29,550
in our life, don't we?

493
00:22:29,550 --> 00:22:31,585
Where, okay, I'm pursuing truth.

494
00:22:31,585 --> 00:22:33,111
I'm given to truth.
I'm studying.

495
00:22:33,111 --> 00:22:35,997
I'm reading systematic theology.
I'm going through all these things.

496
00:22:35,997 --> 00:22:37,980
I'm growing in truth;
growing in truth.

497
00:22:37,980 --> 00:22:40,324
And we begin to neglect 
other areas of our life,

498
00:22:40,324 --> 00:22:42,309
and you realize, wait a minute,

499
00:22:42,309 --> 00:22:43,786
I'm lacking in love.

500
00:22:43,786 --> 00:22:45,271
So what do we often do?

501
00:22:45,271 --> 00:22:47,983
We overcompensate and we set truth down,

502
00:22:47,983 --> 00:22:49,572
and we walk over here

503
00:22:49,572 --> 00:22:51,631
and begin to pursue love.

504
00:22:51,631 --> 00:22:54,017
Saints, it's not truth or love.

505
00:22:54,017 --> 00:22:55,357
It's truth in love.

506
00:22:55,357 --> 00:22:58,550
It's not 50% of truth and 50% of love.

507
00:22:58,550 --> 00:23:02,367
It's 100% of truth and 100% of love

508
00:23:02,367 --> 00:23:05,875
working together.

509
00:23:05,875 --> 00:23:10,999
It's not either/or; it's both/and.

510
00:23:10,999 --> 00:23:13,084
Well, it's at this point that some of you

511
00:23:13,084 --> 00:23:16,426
may say, okay, I'm pursuing truth,

512
00:23:16,426 --> 00:23:18,678
and I believe that I'm loving.

513
00:23:18,678 --> 00:23:20,528
But you may believe that you're loving

514
00:23:20,528 --> 00:23:22,660
because all too often, we find -

515
00:23:22,660 --> 00:23:25,030
especially in reformed circles -

516
00:23:25,030 --> 00:23:26,827
statements like this:

517
00:23:26,827 --> 00:23:29,352
Of course, I'm loving. 
I told them the truth.

518
00:23:29,352 --> 00:23:34,039
That's the most loving thing you can do.

519
00:23:34,039 --> 00:23:37,697
Well, it is loving to share 
truth with people.

520
00:23:37,697 --> 00:23:39,207
But Paul now in verse 4

521
00:23:39,207 --> 00:23:40,615
is going to help you see

522
00:23:40,615 --> 00:23:43,733
what does love look like

523
00:23:43,733 --> 00:23:46,331
actually lived out.

524
00:23:46,331 --> 00:23:48,002
He's going to help us see that

525
00:23:48,002 --> 00:23:50,487
love is not just sharing the right,

526
00:23:50,487 --> 00:23:51,941
correct doctrine,

527
00:23:51,941 --> 00:23:55,878
but the spirit in which 
you share that doctrine

528
00:23:55,878 --> 00:23:58,782
is vital.

529
00:23:58,782 --> 00:24:01,128
Here's what Paul's going to show us.

530
00:24:01,128 --> 00:24:06,951
The genuineness and depth of our love

531
00:24:06,951 --> 00:24:13,391
is not seen in just sharing truth

532
00:24:13,391 --> 00:24:15,595
or how we respond to people

533
00:24:15,595 --> 00:24:19,306
who agree with our doctrinal positions,

534
00:24:19,306 --> 00:24:23,723
but the genuineness and depth of our love

535
00:24:23,723 --> 00:24:26,658
is revealed in how you respond

536
00:24:26,658 --> 00:24:28,997
to people who disagree

537
00:24:28,997 --> 00:24:41,080
with your doctrinal positions.

538
00:24:41,080 --> 00:24:43,820
What I keep seeing in reformed circles

539
00:24:43,820 --> 00:24:47,444
is people pursuing truth.

540
00:24:47,444 --> 00:24:50,183
And typically as I begin this discussion,

541
00:24:50,183 --> 00:24:51,997
I'll see them pursuing truth

542
00:24:51,997 --> 00:24:55,387
as it pertains to doctrines 
that we would call

543
00:24:55,387 --> 00:24:58,680
non-salvific.

544
00:24:58,680 --> 00:25:01,101
Meaning, we're not usually struggling

545
00:25:01,101 --> 00:25:04,524
in the areas of whether Jesus is God

546
00:25:04,524 --> 00:25:07,048
or we're saved by grace 
through faith alone.

547
00:25:07,048 --> 00:25:09,181
We're dealing in doctrinal areas

548
00:25:09,181 --> 00:25:11,179
that although very important

549
00:25:11,179 --> 00:25:14,423
and vital because they're 
from the Word of God,

550
00:25:14,423 --> 00:25:17,094
that we know that some through the ages

551
00:25:17,094 --> 00:25:18,689
have disagreed upon

552
00:25:18,689 --> 00:25:21,060
and come to different conclusions upon.

553
00:25:21,060 --> 00:25:23,032
And that's kind of where I want to focus

554
00:25:23,032 --> 00:25:28,651
my effort and energy today if i could.

555
00:25:28,651 --> 00:25:31,419
Someone begins to study 
a doctrinal position.

556
00:25:31,419 --> 00:25:33,221
Maybe they were unaware of it.

557
00:25:33,221 --> 00:25:35,756
It wasn't even on their radar before.

558
00:25:35,756 --> 00:25:37,552
They become passionate about truth,

559
00:25:37,552 --> 00:25:40,826
as we all should be 
passionate about truth.

560
00:25:40,826 --> 00:25:42,681
Well, they begin to talk with others

561
00:25:42,681 --> 00:25:44,488
in their local church about this truth

562
00:25:44,488 --> 00:25:46,181
because they're excited about it.

563
00:25:46,181 --> 00:25:47,792
They see how God can be glorified

564
00:25:47,792 --> 00:25:50,266
in it and through it.

565
00:25:50,266 --> 00:25:51,847
And this is good.

566
00:25:51,847 --> 00:25:53,775
But then they find someone in the church

567
00:25:53,775 --> 00:25:55,413
or different people in the church

568
00:25:55,413 --> 00:25:58,740
who disagree with them.

569
00:25:58,740 --> 00:26:00,828
And it's at this point that I begin to see

570
00:26:00,828 --> 00:26:03,061
that unity that we have in Jesus Christ -

571
00:26:03,061 --> 00:26:05,870
that supernatural bond that we have -

572
00:26:05,870 --> 00:26:09,581
this is where I begin to see a disunity.

573
00:26:09,581 --> 00:26:12,002
Not a working to preserve 
and maintain that,

574
00:26:12,002 --> 00:26:14,358
but a division beginning to occur.

575
00:26:14,358 --> 00:26:16,319
And I see the divisions occurring really

576
00:26:16,319 --> 00:26:18,063
in two different ways.

577
00:26:18,063 --> 00:26:19,876
One of the divisions that may occur

578
00:26:19,876 --> 00:26:21,187
is they say,

579
00:26:21,187 --> 00:26:24,007
"Well, if you're not going to side with me

580
00:26:24,007 --> 00:26:25,682
in my beliefs, I'll just go find

581
00:26:25,682 --> 00:26:27,152
another group of Christians;

582
00:26:27,152 --> 00:26:32,079
another church who more 
believes in these areas

583
00:26:32,079 --> 00:26:33,798
the way I believe,

584
00:26:33,798 --> 00:26:36,260
and I'll go be with them."

585
00:26:36,260 --> 00:26:38,166
But another division I'm actually seeing

586
00:26:38,166 --> 00:26:39,706
more likely happening,

587
00:26:39,706 --> 00:26:41,162
and probably more prominent

588
00:26:41,162 --> 00:26:43,716
in our churches represented here

589
00:26:43,716 --> 00:26:47,093
is a division that stays 
in the local church.

590
00:26:47,093 --> 00:26:49,605
And what this division looks like is this:

591
00:26:49,605 --> 00:26:51,577
When I find someone who doesn't agree

592
00:26:51,577 --> 00:26:53,404
with my new study of doctrine

593
00:26:53,404 --> 00:26:55,195
or my new arrival of understanding,

594
00:26:55,195 --> 00:26:56,646
or I find someone who doesn't

595
00:26:56,646 --> 00:26:58,466
live out their convictions

596
00:26:58,466 --> 00:27:00,865
the same way that I do,

597
00:27:00,865 --> 00:27:03,858
there's division within the church.

598
00:27:03,858 --> 00:27:05,363
And that happens by treating

599
00:27:05,363 --> 00:27:09,935
other Christians in the church 
who disagree with me

600
00:27:09,935 --> 00:27:14,359
as second-class Christians.

601
00:27:14,359 --> 00:27:16,918
"You're not as spiritual as I am."

602
00:27:16,918 --> 00:27:20,647
"You clearly don't love holiness 
and God as much as I do."

603
00:27:20,647 --> 00:27:22,413
"There's something wrong with you,

604
00:27:22,413 --> 00:27:24,401
or you would come to the same conclusions

605
00:27:24,401 --> 00:27:25,483
I have come to."

606
00:27:25,483 --> 00:27:27,220
You would live out your convictions

607
00:27:27,220 --> 00:27:32,212
the same way I live out my convictions."

608
00:27:32,212 --> 00:27:33,595
This person that we once had

609
00:27:33,595 --> 00:27:35,617
such intimate fellowship with;

610
00:27:35,617 --> 00:27:37,875
that we shared the joy and union

611
00:27:37,875 --> 00:27:40,667
of fellowship and union 
in Christ together -

612
00:27:40,667 --> 00:27:42,860
my brother and sister in the Lord -

613
00:27:42,860 --> 00:27:46,644
someone who, like me, 
has been blood-bought,

614
00:27:46,644 --> 00:27:49,315
now, I realize has come to 
a different conclusion

615
00:27:49,315 --> 00:27:51,539
in an area of doctrine,

616
00:27:51,539 --> 00:27:52,878
and I don't even treat them

617
00:27:52,878 --> 00:27:59,824
like a brother or sister anymore.

618
00:27:59,824 --> 00:28:01,402
I want everyone in here to know,

619
00:28:01,402 --> 00:28:04,316
especially myself is this:

620
00:28:04,316 --> 00:28:06,673
that's not loving.

621
00:28:06,673 --> 00:28:09,028
That works directly against our call

622
00:28:09,028 --> 00:28:12,941
to maintain the unity that 
we have in Jesus Christ.

623
00:28:12,941 --> 00:28:17,493
I see this played out 
in churches all the time.

624
00:28:17,493 --> 00:28:19,782
Maybe you come to a conviction

625
00:28:19,782 --> 00:28:23,438
about how you should 
educate your children.

626
00:28:23,438 --> 00:28:26,825
Something that never was 
even on the radar.

627
00:28:26,825 --> 00:28:30,999
And then your eye diffused that 
quickening ray in the dungeon.

628
00:28:30,999 --> 00:28:33,823
And the light came in 
and Christ became real.

629
00:28:33,823 --> 00:28:35,369
And then everything in your life

630
00:28:35,369 --> 00:28:37,606
began to look through 
the lens of the gospel

631
00:28:37,606 --> 00:28:39,367
and the Scriptures as we should do.

632
00:28:39,367 --> 00:28:42,544
And you've come to convictions
you've never even thought about.

633
00:28:42,544 --> 00:28:44,143
How should I educate my children?

634
00:28:44,143 --> 00:28:45,784
And you arrive at a conclusion.

635
00:28:45,784 --> 00:28:48,043
I think the best way 
for me to live this out

636
00:28:48,043 --> 00:28:52,879
might be for me to homeschool my children.

637
00:28:52,879 --> 00:28:56,151
And then you become 
convinced that's the only way

638
00:28:56,151 --> 00:28:57,914
that you can educate your children

639
00:28:57,914 --> 00:29:00,592
if you're seeking to glorify God.

640
00:29:00,592 --> 00:29:03,595
And you begin to look at other people

641
00:29:03,595 --> 00:29:06,052
who don't follow the conviction

642
00:29:06,052 --> 00:29:07,681
that you follow there.

643
00:29:07,681 --> 00:29:11,483
And you begin to categorize 
them in your mind.

644
00:29:11,483 --> 00:29:13,165
They don't love Jesus like I do.

645
00:29:13,165 --> 00:29:15,185
They're not willing to make the sacrifices

646
00:29:15,185 --> 00:29:17,017
that I'm willing to make.

647
00:29:17,017 --> 00:29:19,267
Do you see the spiritual pride?

648
00:29:19,267 --> 00:29:22,090
Do you see the classes of Christianity

649
00:29:22,090 --> 00:29:23,432
beginning to divide?

650
00:29:23,432 --> 00:29:25,127
Do you see that the basis

651
00:29:25,127 --> 00:29:26,723
of our fellowship,

652
00:29:26,723 --> 00:29:29,057
which was once the sweet union

653
00:29:29,057 --> 00:29:31,062
of Jesus Christ and the gospel,

654
00:29:31,062 --> 00:29:32,987
now becomes the basis of:

655
00:29:32,987 --> 00:29:36,198
well, how do you educate your children?

656
00:29:36,198 --> 00:29:37,863
What happens when we do that?

657
00:29:37,863 --> 00:29:40,089
Inevitably, whether we mean to or not,

658
00:29:40,089 --> 00:29:43,775
we begin to minimize 
the gospel of Jesus Christ.

659
00:29:43,775 --> 00:29:45,926
We begin to minimize the power

660
00:29:45,926 --> 00:29:48,222
of the purchasing blood of Jesus Christ.

661
00:29:48,222 --> 00:29:49,815
We begin to find fellowship

662
00:29:49,815 --> 00:29:52,360
in something other than Jesus Christ.

663
00:29:52,360 --> 00:29:55,591
We begin to find our unity

664
00:29:55,591 --> 00:30:00,239
in something other than Jesus Christ.

665
00:30:00,239 --> 00:30:05,095
Saints, it's dividing our churches up.

666
00:30:05,095 --> 00:30:06,979
That does not work to maintain

667
00:30:06,979 --> 00:30:14,385
the unity that we have in Jesus Christ.

668
00:30:14,385 --> 00:30:16,655
How you respond to that person

669
00:30:16,655 --> 00:30:19,336
who disagrees with 
your doctrinal position;

670
00:30:19,336 --> 00:30:21,204
how you respond to that person

671
00:30:21,204 --> 00:30:23,305
who comes to a different conclusion

672
00:30:23,305 --> 00:30:25,788
on how you should educate your children

673
00:30:25,788 --> 00:30:31,199
or what premarital 
relationships should look like -

674
00:30:31,199 --> 00:30:33,561
how you respond to that person

675
00:30:33,561 --> 00:30:36,011
is the evidence and depth of your love

676
00:30:36,011 --> 00:30:38,042
in the local church.

677
00:30:38,042 --> 00:30:40,430
You see, if we just keep 
surrounding ourselves,

678
00:30:40,430 --> 00:30:41,718
within the church,

679
00:30:41,718 --> 00:30:43,455
with little subcultures -

680
00:30:43,455 --> 00:30:45,714
we're the homeschooling group;

681
00:30:45,714 --> 00:30:47,644
we're the courtship group;

682
00:30:47,644 --> 00:30:49,667
we're the amillenial group;

683
00:30:49,667 --> 00:30:51,584
we're this group;
we're that group;

684
00:30:51,584 --> 00:30:53,373
and anyone who doesn't agree with you

685
00:30:53,373 --> 00:30:55,227
in those areas, although you do have

686
00:30:55,227 --> 00:30:56,773
union with them in Christ,

687
00:30:56,773 --> 00:30:59,237
that's not good enough 
for fellowship anymore.

688
00:30:59,237 --> 00:31:01,165
I won't let my kids be around anyone

689
00:31:01,165 --> 00:31:02,460
who doesn't homeschool.

690
00:31:02,460 --> 00:31:04,719
What are you teaching your children?

691
00:31:04,719 --> 00:31:06,413
That homeschool is more important

692
00:31:06,413 --> 00:31:09,099
than union in Jesus Christ.

693
00:31:09,099 --> 00:31:11,459
I think some of us are 
going to wake up one day

694
00:31:11,459 --> 00:31:13,790
and realize we put all 
of our hope and faith

695
00:31:13,790 --> 00:31:16,055
in educating our 
children in our home.

696
00:31:16,055 --> 00:31:19,778
Homeschooling doesn't save anybody!

697
00:31:19,778 --> 00:31:25,156
It's Jesus Christ that saves.

698
00:31:25,156 --> 00:31:36,173
And I homeschool my kids.

699
00:31:36,173 --> 00:31:38,977
Listen, I'm not implying

700
00:31:38,977 --> 00:31:40,811
that the love you have

701
00:31:40,811 --> 00:31:44,072
with the group of people you 
have surrounded yourself with

702
00:31:44,072 --> 00:31:46,536
that hold to those same convictions -

703
00:31:46,536 --> 00:31:49,119
I'm not saying it's not love.

704
00:31:49,119 --> 00:31:51,168
It is love. I think it's love.

705
00:31:51,168 --> 00:31:53,450
What I want us to look at is this:

706
00:31:53,450 --> 00:31:55,796
But what is the depth of my love?

707
00:31:55,796 --> 00:31:57,513
And Paul seems to think

708
00:31:57,513 --> 00:31:59,835
the depth of your love is revealed

709
00:31:59,835 --> 00:32:02,523
not with those you've 
gathered around yourself

710
00:32:02,523 --> 00:32:04,444
who affirm you all day,

711
00:32:04,444 --> 00:32:07,267
but the one who doesn't 
see it the same way

712
00:32:07,267 --> 00:32:09,667
and how you treat that brother or sister

713
00:32:09,667 --> 00:32:11,818
is the reality of the depth of your love

714
00:32:11,818 --> 00:32:13,922
for the local church.

715
00:32:13,922 --> 00:32:16,352
Let's look at it in verse 4.

716
00:32:16,352 --> 00:32:20,869
Paul says, "Love is patient."

717
00:32:20,869 --> 00:32:25,521
Love suffers long.

718
00:32:25,521 --> 00:32:30,614
Assumed in this first 
characteristic of love

719
00:32:30,614 --> 00:32:32,880
is offense.

720
00:32:32,880 --> 00:32:35,179
He assumes that there's provocation here

721
00:32:35,179 --> 00:32:36,340
between two people.

722
00:32:36,340 --> 00:32:37,987
He assumes there's differences

723
00:32:37,987 --> 00:32:39,963
and disagreements here.

724
00:32:39,963 --> 00:32:41,497
Why do we say that?

725
00:32:41,497 --> 00:32:42,754
Because know this,

726
00:32:42,754 --> 00:32:46,078
you don't have to 
suffer long with people

727
00:32:46,078 --> 00:32:48,253
who agree with you in 
every point of doctrine

728
00:32:48,253 --> 00:32:51,078
and live out the same way you do.

729
00:32:51,078 --> 00:32:52,792
You don't suffer with those people.

730
00:32:52,792 --> 00:32:55,431
You just sit around and affirm each other.

731
00:32:55,431 --> 00:32:57,768
Look how spiritual we are!

732
00:32:57,768 --> 00:33:00,883
Look how unspiritual they are!

733
00:33:00,883 --> 00:33:03,723
I don't suffer long if you 
just build me up all day

734
00:33:03,723 --> 00:33:05,740
and agree with me in every area.

735
00:33:05,740 --> 00:33:07,920
That's not suffering.

736
00:33:07,920 --> 00:33:14,390
But Paul says genuine love suffers long.

737
00:33:14,390 --> 00:33:19,172
Genuine love is revealed 
in the face of adversity.

738
00:33:19,172 --> 00:33:24,775
In the face of disagreement.

739
00:33:24,775 --> 00:33:26,796
So how long are we suffering

740
00:33:26,796 --> 00:33:29,390
with those who disagree with us

741
00:33:29,390 --> 00:33:30,746
or have offended us

742
00:33:30,746 --> 00:33:34,243
because they haven't come 
to the same conclusions?

743
00:33:34,243 --> 00:33:38,399
Well, that's the reality of 
the depth of your love.

744
00:33:38,399 --> 00:33:40,110
What's assumed in the characteristic

745
00:33:40,110 --> 00:33:42,292
again is provocation.

746
00:33:42,292 --> 00:33:45,319
It assumes someone has provoked you here.

747
00:33:45,319 --> 00:33:46,393
They've provoked you

748
00:33:46,393 --> 00:33:50,871
by not seeing it the way that you see it.

749
00:33:50,871 --> 00:33:53,074
"Well, I showed it to them in Scripture.

750
00:33:53,074 --> 00:33:54,011
It's so clear.

751
00:33:54,011 --> 00:34:00,386
Why can't they see it?"

752
00:34:00,386 --> 00:34:03,322
Love when they've been provoked,

753
00:34:03,322 --> 00:34:06,714
does not provoke back.

754
00:34:06,714 --> 00:34:17,508
But it suffers long with the other person.

755
00:34:17,508 --> 00:34:19,430
What becomes very clear in Paul's

756
00:34:19,430 --> 00:34:21,701
definition of love here

757
00:34:21,701 --> 00:34:24,001
is that the love Paul is speaking about

758
00:34:24,001 --> 00:34:27,330
is not the love the world speaks about.

759
00:34:27,330 --> 00:34:29,277
The love the world speaks about

760
00:34:29,277 --> 00:34:31,618
is emotion-driven;

761
00:34:31,618 --> 00:34:33,778
feelings-based.

762
00:34:33,778 --> 00:34:36,112
And know this, genuine love

763
00:34:36,112 --> 00:34:38,879
is full of emotion and feelings.

764
00:34:38,879 --> 00:34:44,038
But it's not feelings-driven 
or feelings-based.

765
00:34:44,038 --> 00:34:46,972
Beloved, the love that 
Paul is calling you and I to

766
00:34:46,972 --> 00:34:49,962
to preserve the unity we 
have in Jesus Christ

767
00:34:49,962 --> 00:34:55,696
is nothing less than the love 
of Jesus Christ in the gospel.

768
00:34:55,696 --> 00:34:59,703
This is the love that you 
and I are being called to.

769
00:34:59,703 --> 00:35:02,122
This is not a love in word only.

770
00:35:02,122 --> 00:35:04,684
It's a love in deed and action.

771
00:35:04,684 --> 00:35:08,335
It's a love in the face of provocation

772
00:35:08,335 --> 00:35:13,890
that suffers long.

773
00:35:13,890 --> 00:35:17,153
Let's apply this first 
characteristic again here.

774
00:35:17,153 --> 00:35:19,148
Suffering long.

775
00:35:19,148 --> 00:35:21,424
Someone in the church disagrees

776
00:35:21,424 --> 00:35:24,343
with a doctrinal position you 
spent the last six months

777
00:35:24,343 --> 00:35:27,018
reading three books on and 
listening to 25 sermons on.

778
00:35:27,018 --> 00:35:29,805
And you're convinced you've 
come to the right conclusion.

779
00:35:29,805 --> 00:35:32,370
You've sat down with them
and you've shown it to them,

780
00:35:32,370 --> 00:35:34,892
and they just don't see 
what you're talking about.

781
00:35:34,892 --> 00:35:39,617
In fact, they see the other side of it.

782
00:35:39,617 --> 00:35:41,463
Now, we become passionate about truth,

783
00:35:41,463 --> 00:35:44,235
and Christians should be 
passionate about truth.

784
00:35:44,235 --> 00:35:47,030
But what this love does

785
00:35:47,030 --> 00:35:51,030
is it's patient with that person.

786
00:35:51,030 --> 00:35:52,268
Have you ever noticed -

787
00:35:52,268 --> 00:35:54,495
and I've seen this in my own life -

788
00:35:54,495 --> 00:35:55,578
you'll begin to study

789
00:35:55,578 --> 00:35:57,245
and focus on an area of doctrine.

790
00:35:57,245 --> 00:36:00,058
Something that maybe 
wasn't even on the radar

791
00:36:00,058 --> 00:36:02,729
for the first ten years 
in your Christianity.

792
00:36:02,729 --> 00:36:04,952
You spend six months studying on it

793
00:36:04,952 --> 00:36:06,535
and you're an expert on it.

794
00:36:06,535 --> 00:36:09,153
You dogmatically go to other 
people in your church,

795
00:36:09,153 --> 00:36:11,203
and you can't stop talking about it,

796
00:36:11,203 --> 00:36:13,513
and you struggle that they can't see it

797
00:36:13,513 --> 00:36:15,590
the way you've explained it.

798
00:36:15,590 --> 00:36:18,401
You forget that it was 
ten years in the faith -

799
00:36:18,401 --> 00:36:20,241
it wasn't even on your radar.

800
00:36:20,241 --> 00:36:21,589
But now if they don't come

801
00:36:21,589 --> 00:36:23,396
to the same conclusion 
as you've come to,

802
00:36:23,396 --> 00:36:25,561
you can't even be in 
fellowship with them anymore

803
00:36:25,561 --> 00:36:36,816
in the local church.

804
00:36:36,816 --> 00:36:38,452
Know this, saints, suffering long

805
00:36:38,452 --> 00:36:40,182
is more than just biting your tongue

806
00:36:40,182 --> 00:36:42,643
when someone disagrees with you,

807
00:36:42,643 --> 00:36:45,563
and distancing yourself from them.

808
00:36:45,563 --> 00:36:47,830
Because one of the things 
we need to see here

809
00:36:47,830 --> 00:36:50,223
is that these first two characteristics -

810
00:36:50,223 --> 00:36:52,177
patience and kindness -

811
00:36:52,177 --> 00:36:54,941
actually go together.

812
00:36:54,941 --> 00:36:57,379
One's the other side of 
the coin of the other.

813
00:36:57,379 --> 00:36:59,669
Let me put them together with you

814
00:36:59,669 --> 00:37:03,581
and show you what this really looks like.

815
00:37:03,581 --> 00:37:05,337
Love is patient. It suffers long

816
00:37:05,337 --> 00:37:07,328
in the face of provocation.

817
00:37:07,328 --> 00:37:10,505
But more than that, love is kind.

818
00:37:10,505 --> 00:37:12,849
The root word here in "kind" has the idea

819
00:37:12,849 --> 00:37:15,546
of being "fit for use."

820
00:37:15,546 --> 00:37:17,398
Usefulness.

821
00:37:17,398 --> 00:37:20,930
Serving each other.

822
00:37:20,930 --> 00:37:26,259
Think with me for a moment here.

823
00:37:26,259 --> 00:37:29,062
True love is demonstrated

824
00:37:29,062 --> 00:37:31,656
when someone disagrees with you

825
00:37:31,656 --> 00:37:33,961
or offends you,

826
00:37:33,961 --> 00:37:36,232
and instead of responding back to them

827
00:37:36,232 --> 00:37:38,150
and provoking them back,

828
00:37:38,150 --> 00:37:40,868
you do not respond back to them with that,

829
00:37:40,868 --> 00:37:43,660
but rather you show them patience.

830
00:37:43,660 --> 00:37:46,810
But more than that,

831
00:37:46,810 --> 00:37:50,883
you move towards that person

832
00:37:50,883 --> 00:37:55,949
to serve them in kindness.

833
00:37:55,949 --> 00:37:59,843
I don't know about you, 
but that's really hard.

834
00:37:59,843 --> 00:38:01,256
I'm so convinced I'm right.

835
00:38:01,256 --> 00:38:02,235
I'm so passionate

836
00:38:02,235 --> 00:38:04,121
because this is about the glory of God,

837
00:38:04,121 --> 00:38:06,778
and I think they're robbing 
the glory of God in their life,

838
00:38:06,778 --> 00:38:07,820
so I'm trying to show them,

839
00:38:07,820 --> 00:38:09,631
I'm trying to sit with them 
and work with them,

840
00:38:09,631 --> 00:38:11,302
I've walked them through 
every Scripture in the Bible.

841
00:38:11,302 --> 00:38:12,531
They still don't see it.

842
00:38:12,531 --> 00:38:14,306
And they're getting a 
little frustrated with me

843
00:38:14,306 --> 00:38:19,141
because I won't stop talking 
about my doctrinal points so much.

844
00:38:19,141 --> 00:38:21,357
And what this says is this:

845
00:38:21,357 --> 00:38:25,883
That even if I'm right in 
the doctrinal position,

846
00:38:25,883 --> 00:38:29,977
I'm going to be patient 
with this brother or sister.

847
00:38:29,977 --> 00:38:31,930
But more than that, I'm going to begin

848
00:38:31,930 --> 00:38:33,957
to move towards them

849
00:38:33,957 --> 00:38:37,619
and serve them in kindness.

850
00:38:37,619 --> 00:38:39,511
You know what I see happening?

851
00:38:39,511 --> 00:38:42,416
I shared truth with you 
and you didn't get it.

852
00:38:42,416 --> 00:38:44,692
You're not going to be 
in the circle anymore.

853
00:38:44,692 --> 00:38:46,491
I'm not going to fellowship with you

854
00:38:46,491 --> 00:38:51,363
as much as I used to anymore.

855
00:38:51,363 --> 00:38:53,447
It's one thing to bite your lip

856
00:38:53,447 --> 00:38:55,138
and not respond when 
you've been provoked.

857
00:38:55,138 --> 00:38:56,717
It's a whole other thing to move

858
00:38:56,717 --> 00:38:58,883
towards that person you disagree with

859
00:38:58,883 --> 00:39:00,866
and find ways to serve them

860
00:39:00,866 --> 00:39:05,697
and welcome them in the church.

861
00:39:05,697 --> 00:39:09,333
Can I ask you something?

862
00:39:09,333 --> 00:39:14,924
Isn't that what Jesus Christ did to you?

863
00:39:14,924 --> 00:39:18,044
Weren't you and I provoking Jesus Christ?

864
00:39:18,044 --> 00:39:20,525
In fact, I think the only 
thing we were doing

865
00:39:20,525 --> 00:39:23,849
was provoking Jesus Christ.

866
00:39:23,849 --> 00:39:27,270
And didn't He pointedly and individually

867
00:39:27,270 --> 00:39:29,489
not only not give you what you deserved

868
00:39:29,489 --> 00:39:30,450
which was His wrath?

869
00:39:30,450 --> 00:39:33,332
He did not. He was 
long suffering with you.

870
00:39:33,332 --> 00:39:35,683
But more than just 
suffering long with you,

871
00:39:35,683 --> 00:39:39,450
didn't Jesus Christ move towards you

872
00:39:39,450 --> 00:39:40,976
and seek you out

873
00:39:40,976 --> 00:39:42,353
and look to serve you

874
00:39:42,353 --> 00:39:50,916
by laying His life down for you?

875
00:39:50,916 --> 00:39:54,629
And isn't this exactly what we need to do?

876
00:39:54,629 --> 00:39:56,464
If we're going to maintain the unity

877
00:39:56,464 --> 00:39:58,043
we have in our local churches

878
00:39:58,043 --> 00:39:59,549
in the midst of our diversity,

879
00:39:59,549 --> 00:40:01,879
we need to respond with Christ-like,

880
00:40:01,879 --> 00:40:03,406
gospel-centered love

881
00:40:03,406 --> 00:40:06,183
and move towards those 
people we disagree with

882
00:40:06,183 --> 00:40:09,431
and serve them.

883
00:40:09,431 --> 00:40:12,108
What a testimony that would be to them

884
00:40:12,108 --> 00:40:15,571
and to those outside.

885
00:40:15,571 --> 00:40:17,967
This is the love we're called to.

886
00:40:17,967 --> 00:40:22,221
Gospel-centered love.

887
00:40:22,221 --> 00:40:26,501
Ask yourself right now,

888
00:40:26,501 --> 00:40:29,310
those in your local church

889
00:40:29,310 --> 00:40:32,716
who view premarital relationships 
different than you,

890
00:40:32,716 --> 00:40:35,546
who view how to educate your 
children different than you,

891
00:40:35,546 --> 00:40:39,419
who've arrived at different 
conclusions of your favorite doctrines,

892
00:40:39,419 --> 00:40:41,926
are you moving towards that person

893
00:40:41,926 --> 00:40:45,282
to serve them and welcome them?

894
00:40:45,282 --> 00:40:47,935
Because that's the genuine 
depth of your love

895
00:40:47,935 --> 00:40:51,477
in the local church right there.

896
00:40:51,477 --> 00:40:55,660
That's it right there.

897
00:40:55,660 --> 00:40:57,399
Or are you like so many that I see

898
00:40:57,399 --> 00:41:00,213
that say, well, I'm only 
going to associate

899
00:41:00,213 --> 00:41:03,436
with the people who homeschool like me.

900
00:41:03,436 --> 00:41:05,796
I don't want their lack of seriousness

901
00:41:05,796 --> 00:41:08,716
to rub off on me or my children.

902
00:41:08,716 --> 00:41:10,004
And you forget all along

903
00:41:10,004 --> 00:41:11,678
that you're speaking about someone

904
00:41:11,678 --> 00:41:17,441
purchased with the blood of Jesus Christ.

905
00:41:17,441 --> 00:41:20,097
This is not being patient.

906
00:41:20,097 --> 00:41:21,832
This is not being kind.

907
00:41:21,832 --> 00:41:24,506
And it is unloving.

908
00:41:24,506 --> 00:41:27,165
It's sin.

909
00:41:27,165 --> 00:41:32,653
Do you know that 
loveless orthodoxy is sin?

910
00:41:32,653 --> 00:41:35,307
In Revelation 2, Jesus warned a church

911
00:41:35,307 --> 00:41:37,750
that seemed to have 
all their doctrine right,

912
00:41:37,750 --> 00:41:40,556
debated it, stood in the 
face of false teachers,

913
00:41:40,556 --> 00:41:43,200
and hated evil.

914
00:41:43,200 --> 00:41:45,696
He commended them for all of that.

915
00:41:45,696 --> 00:41:47,766
And then He turned to them and said this:

916
00:41:47,766 --> 00:41:50,262
you need to repent though.

917
00:41:50,262 --> 00:41:52,838
You say, well, they had 
left their first love

918
00:41:52,838 --> 00:41:56,134
and that's referring to Jesus Christ.

919
00:41:56,134 --> 00:41:58,383
I agree.

920
00:41:58,383 --> 00:42:00,746
But can I ask you this question?

921
00:42:00,746 --> 00:42:06,339
Where is the evidence of your love 
for Jesus Christ most revealed?

922
00:42:06,339 --> 00:42:08,820
In love for His church.

923
00:42:08,820 --> 00:42:11,048
How can you love Him 
whom you have not seen

924
00:42:11,048 --> 00:42:17,217
if you can't love your brother 
or sister who you do see?

925
00:42:17,217 --> 00:42:22,560
"I love Jesus!"

926
00:42:22,560 --> 00:42:24,322
The depth of your love for Jesus

927
00:42:24,322 --> 00:42:28,141
is revealed in how you love His bride.

928
00:42:28,141 --> 00:42:29,988
And the reality of love is not just

929
00:42:29,988 --> 00:42:31,264
those who agree with you,

930
00:42:31,264 --> 00:42:33,388
but those who have disagreed with you

931
00:42:33,388 --> 00:42:41,104
and offended you.

932
00:42:41,104 --> 00:42:43,103
I'm not suggesting in any way, beloved,

933
00:42:43,103 --> 00:42:46,038
that we do not discuss these doctrines

934
00:42:46,038 --> 00:42:48,084
or our convictions in our local churches.

935
00:42:48,084 --> 00:42:49,429
We need to.

936
00:42:49,429 --> 00:42:50,996
It's one of the means of grace

937
00:42:50,996 --> 00:42:54,459
that God has used to 
grow us and sharpen us.

938
00:42:54,459 --> 00:42:56,464
But I am suggesting that we discuss them

939
00:42:56,464 --> 00:42:59,282
in the context of gospel-centered unity

940
00:42:59,282 --> 00:43:04,320
and clothed in Christlike 
humility and love.

941
00:43:04,320 --> 00:43:08,658
When we allow something 
other than Jesus Christ

942
00:43:08,658 --> 00:43:12,105
to become the basis of our 
unity and our fellowship,

943
00:43:12,105 --> 00:43:18,835
again, we inevitably minimize 
Jesus Christ and the gospel

944
00:43:18,835 --> 00:43:21,046
and the work against the unity

945
00:43:21,046 --> 00:43:24,005
that He's given to us.

946
00:43:24,005 --> 00:43:26,375
Think of this statement 
and see if it just

947
00:43:26,375 --> 00:43:30,020
rings wrong for you.

948
00:43:30,020 --> 00:43:32,465
"Yes, you're my brother in Christ,

949
00:43:32,465 --> 00:43:35,337
both saved and redeemed 
by the grace of Jesus Christ,

950
00:43:35,337 --> 00:43:36,667
and we have that in common

951
00:43:36,667 --> 00:43:38,714
and we agree on those things,

952
00:43:38,714 --> 00:43:42,316
but we've come to a 
different place eschatalogically,

953
00:43:42,316 --> 00:43:48,875
so I can't even be in 
fellowship with you anymore."

954
00:43:48,875 --> 00:43:50,951
I'm not minimizing the importance

955
00:43:50,951 --> 00:43:53,820
of any other doctrines.

956
00:43:53,820 --> 00:43:55,524
But I'm saying that the unity

957
00:43:55,524 --> 00:43:57,072
that we share in Christ,

958
00:43:57,072 --> 00:43:59,401
and the love within that unity

959
00:43:59,401 --> 00:44:01,619
should help us be able to work together,

960
00:44:01,619 --> 00:44:03,679
have these discussions,
encourage each other,

961
00:44:03,679 --> 00:44:05,317
sharpen each other

962
00:44:05,317 --> 00:44:07,671
without breaking the 
fellowship and unity we have

963
00:44:07,671 --> 00:44:09,000
in our local churches

964
00:44:09,000 --> 00:44:17,834
which is centered upon Jesus Christ.

965
00:44:17,834 --> 00:44:20,736
So yes, discuss these things.

966
00:44:20,736 --> 00:44:22,784
Yes, encourage and build up each other

967
00:44:22,784 --> 00:44:23,993
in these things.

968
00:44:23,993 --> 00:44:26,485
Yes, sharpen each other in these things.

969
00:44:26,485 --> 00:44:29,437
But do it clothed in love and humility.

970
00:44:29,437 --> 00:44:31,799
And when others disagree with you

971
00:44:31,799 --> 00:44:33,121
or do it differently,

972
00:44:33,121 --> 00:44:35,438
suffer long with them

973
00:44:35,438 --> 00:44:37,234
and move towards them

974
00:44:37,234 --> 00:44:39,446
in kindness and service.

975
00:44:39,446 --> 00:44:43,589
So we don't treat them 
like second-class Christians.

976
00:44:43,589 --> 00:44:45,053
Because know this,

977
00:44:45,053 --> 00:44:52,489
there are no second-class Christians.

978
00:44:52,489 --> 00:44:56,910
The fact that our 
rallying point is a cross

979
00:44:56,910 --> 00:45:00,083
says one thing:

980
00:45:00,083 --> 00:45:03,840
the playing field is level.

981
00:45:03,840 --> 00:45:07,952
The only reason why any of 
us are getting in is grace.

982
00:45:07,952 --> 00:45:09,539
That's it.

983
00:45:09,539 --> 00:45:10,847
And when you make something

984
00:45:10,847 --> 00:45:15,265
other than the cross and Jesus Christ

985
00:45:15,265 --> 00:45:17,340
the basis of our fellowship,

986
00:45:17,340 --> 00:45:22,159
you minimize the work of Christ.

987
00:45:22,159 --> 00:45:23,812
Jesus Christ identifies

988
00:45:23,812 --> 00:45:30,602
with the lowest of 
understanding doctrine Christian.

989
00:45:30,602 --> 00:45:33,458
They will be welcomed in

990
00:45:33,458 --> 00:45:36,995
to the same degree that you will be.

991
00:45:36,995 --> 00:45:39,032
They are loved by Jesus Christ

992
00:45:39,032 --> 00:45:41,232
in the same way that you are loved,

993
00:45:41,232 --> 00:45:43,593
because the basis of His love

994
00:45:43,593 --> 00:45:48,690
is not rooted in you, 
it's rooted in Himself.

995
00:45:48,690 --> 00:45:51,912
I'm not condoning immaturity in doctrine.

996
00:45:51,912 --> 00:45:53,470
I'm not condoning indifference

997
00:45:53,470 --> 00:45:54,906
to how we live out our lives

998
00:45:54,906 --> 00:45:57,690
and Jesus Christ is not either.

999
00:45:57,690 --> 00:46:05,129
But again, Jesus Christ 
identifies with them.

1000
00:46:05,129 --> 00:46:06,782
We need to be careful how we speak

1001
00:46:06,782 --> 00:46:08,730
about the body of Christ;

1002
00:46:08,730 --> 00:46:12,507
how we treat the body of Christ.

1003
00:46:12,507 --> 00:46:13,918
Jesus said to Saul,

1004
00:46:13,918 --> 00:46:16,094
"Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?"

1005
00:46:16,094 --> 00:46:18,768
when he was persecuting the church.

1006
00:46:18,768 --> 00:46:21,027
Jesus so identifies with His church

1007
00:46:21,027 --> 00:46:23,057
that how you treat them,

1008
00:46:23,057 --> 00:46:27,835
He views it as how you treat Him.

1009
00:46:27,835 --> 00:46:29,991
Know this, we can have our doctrine right,

1010
00:46:29,991 --> 00:46:32,422
but the doctrine that we 
believe we have right

1011
00:46:32,422 --> 00:46:34,526
has not had its full work in us

1012
00:46:34,526 --> 00:46:36,826
until it manifests in Christlike love

1013
00:46:36,826 --> 00:46:40,438
towards each other.

1014
00:46:40,438 --> 00:46:43,411
You can have your doctrine right,

1015
00:46:43,411 --> 00:46:46,306
but that doctrine has not 
had its full work in you

1016
00:46:46,306 --> 00:46:48,910
until it manifests itself through you

1017
00:46:48,910 --> 00:46:55,574
in Christ-centered love.

1018
00:46:55,574 --> 00:47:02,267
This love we're called 
to is patient and kind.

1019
00:47:02,267 --> 00:47:03,362
One more here.

1020
00:47:03,362 --> 00:47:06,056
Paul says this love 
"does not envy or boast,

1021
00:47:06,056 --> 00:47:09,513
it is not arrogant or rude."

1022
00:47:09,513 --> 00:47:12,584
Can I tell you that nothing works faster

1023
00:47:12,584 --> 00:47:14,698
at causing disunity in the local church

1024
00:47:14,698 --> 00:47:17,700
as spiritual pride?

1025
00:47:17,700 --> 00:47:19,488
The Corinthians thought:

1026
00:47:19,488 --> 00:47:21,902
We are something.
We have these gifts.

1027
00:47:21,902 --> 00:47:24,295
We understand this doctrine.
We've arrived.

1028
00:47:24,295 --> 00:47:26,533
We're living sacrificially. Look at us.

1029
00:47:26,533 --> 00:47:29,352
And Paul didn't deny any of 
those things were important,

1030
00:47:29,352 --> 00:47:30,995
but he knew without love,

1031
00:47:30,995 --> 00:47:35,990
those things would divide the church.

1032
00:47:35,990 --> 00:47:38,725
The genuineness and depth of my love

1033
00:47:38,725 --> 00:47:42,053
is not seen with those who agree with me,

1034
00:47:42,053 --> 00:47:44,076
but with those who disagree with me

1035
00:47:44,076 --> 00:47:46,553
and how I respond to them.

1036
00:47:46,553 --> 00:47:48,573
I've often referred to the local church

1037
00:47:48,573 --> 00:47:53,373
as a brewing pot of sanctification.

1038
00:47:53,373 --> 00:47:55,100
Sometimes I find people just leaving

1039
00:47:55,100 --> 00:47:56,849
local church after local church,

1040
00:47:56,849 --> 00:48:00,074
looking for people who are 
exactly like themselves.

1041
00:48:00,074 --> 00:48:02,331
One of the reasons God put you in churches

1042
00:48:02,331 --> 00:48:04,112
with such diversity culturally

1043
00:48:04,112 --> 00:48:07,540
and maturity-wise is to abound you

1044
00:48:07,540 --> 00:48:10,216
in Christlike love.

1045
00:48:10,216 --> 00:48:11,582
And that's hard.

1046
00:48:11,582 --> 00:48:13,445
It's a lot more comfortable and easy

1047
00:48:13,445 --> 00:48:15,642
just to keep finding 
subgroups of Christians

1048
00:48:15,642 --> 00:48:17,282
who believe all that you believe

1049
00:48:17,282 --> 00:48:18,946
and do it all the way you do.

1050
00:48:18,946 --> 00:48:21,578
But that's not how He made the church.

1051
00:48:21,578 --> 00:48:23,600
He made the church diverse,

1052
00:48:23,600 --> 00:48:25,104
so we could abound in love

1053
00:48:25,104 --> 00:48:26,810
as we show patience and kindness

1054
00:48:26,810 --> 00:48:30,956
to those who disagree with us.

1055
00:48:30,962 --> 00:48:33,209
Can I give you one test that you're being

1056
00:48:33,209 --> 00:48:36,108
boastful or arrogant?

1057
00:48:36,108 --> 00:48:37,803
If you constantly feel the need

1058
00:48:37,803 --> 00:48:39,772
to talk about your doctrinal positions

1059
00:48:39,772 --> 00:48:42,199
with everyone in the local church,

1060
00:48:42,199 --> 00:48:46,176
that's a sign of arrogance and boasting.

1061
00:48:46,176 --> 00:48:48,681
If you view everyone in your local church

1062
00:48:48,681 --> 00:48:51,191
as positions rather than people,

1063
00:48:51,191 --> 00:48:52,962
and your goal is just to win everyone

1064
00:48:52,962 --> 00:48:54,114
over to your position -

1065
00:48:54,114 --> 00:48:55,986
you're not even asking people anymore:

1066
00:48:55,986 --> 00:48:58,481
hey, how are you doing?

1067
00:48:58,481 --> 00:49:00,310
What's going on at work?

1068
00:49:00,310 --> 00:49:01,694
How can I be praying for you?

1069
00:49:01,694 --> 00:49:04,370
If every time they walk up to 
you all they hear about is

1070
00:49:04,370 --> 00:49:06,191
why they should be doing it this way

1071
00:49:06,191 --> 00:49:09,520
or why they should believe this doctrine,

1072
00:49:09,520 --> 00:49:15,569
you're in a dangerous place.

1073
00:49:15,569 --> 00:49:16,849
If you look down at others

1074
00:49:16,849 --> 00:49:17,948
who disagree with you

1075
00:49:17,948 --> 00:49:19,933
and only surround yourself with people

1076
00:49:19,933 --> 00:49:21,735
who look like you and talk like you

1077
00:49:21,735 --> 00:49:23,045
and do like you do,

1078
00:49:23,045 --> 00:49:26,879
that's a sign of spiritual pride.

1079
00:49:26,879 --> 00:49:31,011
It's not preserving unity.

1080
00:49:31,011 --> 00:49:33,423
Let me ask us this question.

1081
00:49:33,423 --> 00:49:38,902
What if Jesus Christ did that to us?

1082
00:49:38,902 --> 00:49:40,768
What if Jesus said to us:

1083
00:49:40,768 --> 00:49:43,196
You know, I know we have 
this whole gospel thing

1084
00:49:43,196 --> 00:49:45,263
that we agree in,

1085
00:49:45,263 --> 00:49:47,775
but in these areas of doctrine,

1086
00:49:47,775 --> 00:49:49,921
you're wrong.

1087
00:49:49,921 --> 00:49:51,344
And He began to treat you

1088
00:49:51,344 --> 00:49:56,775
like a second-class Christian.

1089
00:49:56,775 --> 00:49:59,274
What would happen?

1090
00:49:59,274 --> 00:50:01,583
Every single one of us would be put out

1091
00:50:01,583 --> 00:50:04,503
of His inner circle.

1092
00:50:04,503 --> 00:50:05,555
Can I tell you this?

1093
00:50:05,555 --> 00:50:10,147
Jesus Christ has never 
done that to you once.

1094
00:50:10,147 --> 00:50:12,165
He keeps moving towards you

1095
00:50:12,165 --> 00:50:15,846
and pursuing you in love.

1096
00:50:15,846 --> 00:50:18,301
How can we as Christians so freely receive

1097
00:50:18,301 --> 00:50:21,098
this love from Christ 
on the basis of grace

1098
00:50:21,098 --> 00:50:26,162
and then treat others without love

1099
00:50:26,162 --> 00:50:27,885
because they differ from us

1100
00:50:27,885 --> 00:50:31,316
in different areas of 
conviction or doctrine?

1101
00:50:31,316 --> 00:50:33,151
You know what that's called?

1102
00:50:33,151 --> 00:50:36,635
Gospel amnesia.

1103
00:50:36,635 --> 00:50:42,762
You're forgetting how Christ has 
treated you in the gospel.

1104
00:50:42,762 --> 00:50:44,408
To have right doctrine

1105
00:50:44,408 --> 00:50:46,805
but lack love for one another,

1106
00:50:46,805 --> 00:50:48,863
it is sin.

1107
00:50:48,863 --> 00:50:50,540
There's so much more we could say

1108
00:50:50,540 --> 00:50:53,912
here in Corinthians about it.

1109
00:50:53,912 --> 00:50:58,873
But before I finish, I 
want to encourage you

1110
00:50:58,873 --> 00:51:03,335
because saints, the hope we have

1111
00:51:03,335 --> 00:51:05,179
of maintaining our unity in Christ

1112
00:51:05,179 --> 00:51:06,619
in the midst of our diversity

1113
00:51:06,619 --> 00:51:08,963
is Jesus Christ's gospel-centered love

1114
00:51:08,963 --> 00:51:11,949
towards those who disagree.

1115
00:51:11,949 --> 00:51:14,461
Again, it's not love or truth,

1116
00:51:14,461 --> 00:51:17,671
it's truth in love.

1117
00:51:17,671 --> 00:51:19,464
It's a love that suffers long.

1118
00:51:19,464 --> 00:51:21,344
It's a love that moves towards others

1119
00:51:21,344 --> 00:51:23,262
who disagree; who provoke us.

1120
00:51:23,262 --> 00:51:24,927
And it's about that person -

1121
00:51:24,927 --> 00:51:26,960
serving them in kindness.

1122
00:51:26,960 --> 00:51:29,104
It's a love that keeps 
no record of wrongs.

1123
00:51:29,104 --> 00:51:32,019
It's a love that believes 
the best about each other.

1124
00:51:32,019 --> 00:51:33,697
And why?

1125
00:51:33,697 --> 00:51:35,872
Because this is the love that Jesus Christ

1126
00:51:35,872 --> 00:51:37,277
has shown to you

1127
00:51:37,277 --> 00:51:39,775
and continues to show you day after day,

1128
00:51:39,775 --> 00:51:41,065
week after week,

1129
00:51:41,065 --> 00:51:42,377
month after month,

1130
00:51:42,377 --> 00:51:45,683
year after year.

1131
00:51:45,683 --> 00:51:47,248
I will confess to you personally

1132
00:51:47,248 --> 00:51:49,726
that as I studied this,

1133
00:51:49,726 --> 00:51:53,535
and preached six sermons 
on it in our church,

1134
00:51:53,535 --> 00:51:55,587
I came to the conclusion

1135
00:51:55,587 --> 00:52:00,914
that I'm not quite as 
loving as I thought I was.

1136
00:52:00,914 --> 00:52:03,342
In fact, I talked to some 
people in our church

1137
00:52:03,342 --> 00:52:06,756
after we finished six sermons on this.

1138
00:52:06,756 --> 00:52:10,194
And they were discouraged.

1139
00:52:10,194 --> 00:52:12,265
They said I thought I was loving,

1140
00:52:12,265 --> 00:52:14,282
but I realize I've just surrounded myself

1141
00:52:14,282 --> 00:52:17,431
with people who think of the 
doctrines the way I think of them

1142
00:52:17,431 --> 00:52:19,297
and do it the way I do it,

1143
00:52:19,297 --> 00:52:21,807
but I'm struggling with those 
who disagree with me

1144
00:52:21,807 --> 00:52:23,991
and I'm not as loving 
as I thought I could be

1145
00:52:23,991 --> 00:52:31,370
and it's really hard to love those people.

1146
00:52:31,370 --> 00:52:33,337
If that's you today,

1147
00:52:33,337 --> 00:52:35,332
if you say if I'm going to be honest,

1148
00:52:35,332 --> 00:52:37,149
I haven't been treating people

1149
00:52:37,149 --> 00:52:39,134
who disagree with me with kindness,

1150
00:52:39,134 --> 00:52:40,899
looking to move towards them,

1151
00:52:40,899 --> 00:52:42,700
to serve them and welcome them;

1152
00:52:42,700 --> 00:52:44,649
and I've made the basis of my fellowship

1153
00:52:44,649 --> 00:52:46,067
in my local church those who

1154
00:52:46,067 --> 00:52:47,619
agree with me and affirm me.

1155
00:52:47,619 --> 00:52:50,592
And I want to love like 
you're talking about.

1156
00:52:50,592 --> 00:52:52,527
I see that's how Christ loves me,

1157
00:52:52,527 --> 00:52:54,390
and I want to love like that,

1158
00:52:54,390 --> 00:52:56,694
but I'm really struggling

1159
00:52:56,694 --> 00:52:59,925
to love like that.

1160
00:52:59,925 --> 00:53:01,720
What do we do?

1161
00:53:01,720 --> 00:53:03,395
Well, most of us have been taught

1162
00:53:03,395 --> 00:53:05,057
our whole life

1163
00:53:05,057 --> 00:53:07,017
that Jesus is our example.

1164
00:53:07,017 --> 00:53:08,980
And He is.

1165
00:53:08,980 --> 00:53:11,137
And that when you find 
yourself struggling

1166
00:53:11,137 --> 00:53:16,065
in obedience to Him, to just try harder.

1167
00:53:16,065 --> 00:53:17,699
And then you keep falling down

1168
00:53:17,699 --> 00:53:22,045
and realizing I can't do this.

1169
00:53:22,045 --> 00:53:28,102
The reason why trying harder doesn't work

1170
00:53:28,102 --> 00:53:31,308
is because the love that 
you and I are called to

1171
00:53:31,308 --> 00:53:36,109
is not something we 
can produce on our own.

1172
00:53:36,109 --> 00:53:39,173
Think of Galatians 5 with me.

1173
00:53:39,173 --> 00:53:47,874
The fruit of the Spirit is love.

1174
00:53:47,874 --> 00:53:49,742
What does that tell us?

1175
00:53:49,742 --> 00:53:53,753
The love you and I are 
called to is a fruit.

1176
00:53:53,753 --> 00:53:57,840
It's something I cannot 
grit my teeth and produce

1177
00:53:57,840 --> 00:53:59,469
by trying harder.

1178
00:53:59,469 --> 00:54:01,367
It's something that must be produced

1179
00:54:01,367 --> 00:54:04,601
in me and through me.

1180
00:54:04,601 --> 00:54:06,665
Well, does this mean I'm not responsible?

1181
00:54:06,665 --> 00:54:08,412
I don't have a part in this?

1182
00:54:08,412 --> 00:54:12,532
No, you are responsible in this area.

1183
00:54:12,532 --> 00:54:15,074
Well, how do we love like this then?

1184
00:54:15,074 --> 00:54:17,203
I heard an analogy that I'll close with

1185
00:54:17,203 --> 00:54:20,308
and I think will be helpful for you.

1186
00:54:20,308 --> 00:54:21,606
As we all look at the call

1187
00:54:21,606 --> 00:54:23,243
that Paul's put before us of love,

1188
00:54:23,243 --> 00:54:26,352
which is nothing short of Jesus Christ,

1189
00:54:26,352 --> 00:54:27,884
and we become discouraged to see

1190
00:54:27,884 --> 00:54:29,449
I'm struggling to love like this

1191
00:54:29,449 --> 00:54:30,494
and I fall short.

1192
00:54:30,494 --> 00:54:32,213
I want to emulate Jesus Christ.

1193
00:54:32,213 --> 00:54:33,596
I want to love like He does,

1194
00:54:33,596 --> 00:54:35,046
but I'm struggling so much.

1195
00:54:35,046 --> 00:54:36,260
What hope do I have?

1196
00:54:36,260 --> 00:54:37,871
Is it just try harder?

1197
00:54:37,871 --> 00:54:40,224
And here's the analogy.

1198
00:54:40,224 --> 00:54:43,567
Let's say all of you love music.

1199
00:54:43,567 --> 00:54:46,593
And you love beautiful music.

1200
00:54:46,593 --> 00:54:48,100
And I come to you and I say,

1201
00:54:48,100 --> 00:54:51,811
well, I want you to begin to produce,

1202
00:54:51,811 --> 00:54:54,287
write, and play music like Mozart.

1203
00:54:54,287 --> 00:54:56,300
He's your example.

1204
00:54:56,300 --> 00:54:57,717
And you say wonderful.

1205
00:54:57,717 --> 00:54:59,117
I want that kind of music.

1206
00:54:59,117 --> 00:55:00,565
I want to produce that music;

1207
00:55:00,565 --> 00:55:02,496
write that music; play that music.

1208
00:55:02,496 --> 00:55:04,829
And you sit down and you study Mozart.

1209
00:55:04,829 --> 00:55:06,089
You look at Mozart.

1210
00:55:06,089 --> 00:55:07,560
You examine Mozart.

1211
00:55:07,560 --> 00:55:11,523
And you try really hard.

1212
00:55:11,523 --> 00:55:14,606
And you fall miserably on your face

1213
00:55:14,606 --> 00:55:16,731
over and over again

1214
00:55:16,731 --> 00:55:19,262
and you become discouraged.

1215
00:55:19,262 --> 00:55:20,862
You say, I'm trying so hard

1216
00:55:20,862 --> 00:55:22,319
to play music like Mozart;

1217
00:55:22,319 --> 00:55:23,238
to compose.

1218
00:55:23,238 --> 00:55:26,650
I just don't find the strength to do that.

1219
00:55:26,650 --> 00:55:28,815
And I would agree with you.

1220
00:55:28,815 --> 00:55:32,882
You're not going to play 
like Mozart if you try harder.

1221
00:55:32,882 --> 00:55:34,394
But what if I told you this?

1222
00:55:34,394 --> 00:55:37,938
The spirit of Mozart was going to come

1223
00:55:37,938 --> 00:55:40,868
and reside inside of you?

1224
00:55:40,868 --> 00:55:43,247
And compose through you?

1225
00:55:43,247 --> 00:55:44,914
And write through you?

1226
00:55:44,914 --> 00:55:47,737
And empower you to write music?

1227
00:55:47,737 --> 00:55:48,944
To compose music?

1228
00:55:48,944 --> 00:55:50,810
And to play music like him?

1229
00:55:50,810 --> 00:55:52,438
Then, you'd be mightily encouraged

1230
00:55:52,438 --> 00:55:54,737
and say yes, I can play music!

1231
00:55:54,737 --> 00:55:56,173
I can compose like Mozart.

1232
00:55:56,173 --> 00:55:58,574
Not because of my strength,
my trying harder,

1233
00:55:58,574 --> 00:56:02,935
but because the spirit 
of Mozart lives in me.

1234
00:56:02,935 --> 00:56:05,888
Well, beloved, that's what 
happened in the gospel.

1235
00:56:05,888 --> 00:56:08,517
Jesus Christ not only forgives you and I

1236
00:56:08,517 --> 00:56:10,211
for our lovelessness,

1237
00:56:10,211 --> 00:56:13,359
He takes up residence within us.

1238
00:56:13,359 --> 00:56:16,935
It is the Spirit of Christ 
and His love in us

1239
00:56:16,935 --> 00:56:19,216
working through us,

1240
00:56:19,216 --> 00:56:23,680
being produced for His glory.

1241
00:56:23,680 --> 00:56:25,618
So where do we begin with that though?

1242
00:56:25,618 --> 00:56:28,925
You need to begin by confessing inability.

1243
00:56:28,925 --> 00:56:32,534
John 15:5 - I can't do this, God.

1244
00:56:32,534 --> 00:56:35,459
Then by faith, you abide in Christ.

1245
00:56:35,459 --> 00:56:36,931
You be led by the Spirit.

1246
00:56:36,931 --> 00:56:39,223
You walk by the Spirit.

1247
00:56:39,223 --> 00:56:41,995
And you lay hold of 
the truth of the gospel

1248
00:56:41,995 --> 00:56:44,054
that Jesus Christ in us

1249
00:56:44,054 --> 00:56:46,628
will produce His fruit through us

1250
00:56:46,628 --> 00:56:49,989
and make it so we can maintain

1251
00:56:49,989 --> 00:56:53,371
the unity of Christ in our local churches

1252
00:56:53,371 --> 00:56:56,163
for the glory of God.

1253
00:56:56,163 --> 00:56:58,008
This is our gospel.

1254
00:56:58,008 --> 00:57:03,762
It not only forgives, it empowers.

1255
00:57:03,762 --> 00:57:11,603
Let's pray.

1256
00:57:11,603 --> 00:57:14,706
Father, in the name of Jesus,

1257
00:57:14,706 --> 00:57:19,942
I pray that You would help each of us.

1258
00:57:19,942 --> 00:57:22,692
Lord, convict us of our lovelessness.

1259
00:57:22,692 --> 00:57:25,900
Help us to mark it for 
what it is which is sin.

1260
00:57:25,900 --> 00:57:28,529
Help us believe the gospel.

1261
00:57:28,529 --> 00:57:30,605
That if we confess this sin,

1262
00:57:30,605 --> 00:57:33,586
You're faithful and just to 
cleanse us and forgive us.

1263
00:57:33,586 --> 00:57:37,417
But help us believe 
the rest of the gospel.

1264
00:57:37,417 --> 00:57:39,497
That the Spirit of Christ is now in us.

1265
00:57:39,497 --> 00:57:43,597
That love that we so seek to emulate.

1266
00:57:43,597 --> 00:57:47,363
His power is towards us who believe.

1267
00:57:47,363 --> 00:57:48,939
God, that we would abide more

1268
00:57:48,939 --> 00:57:51,444
and appropriate the gospel more.

1269
00:57:51,444 --> 00:57:53,561
Led by the Spirit;
walking by the Spirit.

1270
00:57:53,561 --> 00:57:56,996
And that Your fruit would be manifest

1271
00:57:56,996 --> 00:57:59,617
in us and through us for Your glory.

1272
00:57:59,617 --> 00:58:01,722
God, accomplish these things.

1273
00:58:01,722 --> 00:58:03,507
Preserve the unity in Your church

1274
00:58:03,507 --> 00:58:05,642
for the testimony of Jesus Christ

1275
00:58:05,642 --> 00:58:08,227
to a lost and dying world.

1276
00:58:08,227 --> 00:58:10,208
In the name of Jesus we pray,

1277
00:58:10,208 --> 00:58:11,630
Amen.