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