WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.580 your word together and we pray that your spirit would be at work through your words and be at 00:00:06.580 --> 00:00:14.679 work in our hearts that you would speak Lord and we would be listening and we pray in Jesus name. Amen. 00:00:19.559 --> 00:00:26.219 Now as we'll be thinking about love as kindness I thought it'd be helpful for us to read from 00:00:26.219 --> 00:00:34.379 Luke chapter 10 together. A very familiar passage I'm sure for many the parable of the Good Samaritan. 00:00:34.979 --> 00:00:43.920 So Luke chapter 10 and at verse 25. On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. 00:00:44.460 --> 00:00:51.500 Teacher he asked what must I do to inherit eternal life? What is written in the law he replied how do 00:00:51.500 --> 00:00:57.520 you read it? He answered love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with 00:00:57.520 --> 00:01:03.700 all your strength and with all your mind and love your neighbor as yourself. You have answered correctly 00:01:03.700 --> 00:01:10.539 Jesus replied do this and you will live. But he wanted to justify himself so he asked Jesus 00:01:10.539 --> 00:01:18.379 and who is my neighbor? In reply Jesus said a man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho 00:01:18.379 --> 00:01:24.599 when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away leaving 00:01:24.599 --> 00:01:31.719 him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road and when he saw the man he passed by 00:01:31.719 --> 00:01:37.419 on the other side. So too a Levite when he came to the place and saw him passed by on the other side. 00:01:37.840 --> 00:01:43.919 But a Samaritan as he traveled came where the man was and when he saw him he took pity on him. 00:01:43.920 --> 00:01:49.320 He went to him and bandaged his wounds pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey 00:01:49.320 --> 00:01:54.439 brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to 00:01:54.439 --> 00:02:01.480 the innkeeper. Look after him he said and when I return I will reimburse you for any extra expense 00:02:01.480 --> 00:02:07.159 you may have. Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of 00:02:07.159 --> 00:02:16.500 robbers? The expert in the law replied the one who had mercy on him. Jesus told him go and do likewise. 00:02:18.060 --> 00:02:24.519 And bear that in mind as we then turn to our text for today which is from 1 Corinthians chapter 13. 00:02:25.019 --> 00:02:30.620 Now we're just going to look at the first half of verse 4 but let's read from verse 4 to verse 7. 00:02:30.620 --> 00:02:41.719 Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not envy. It does not boast. It is not proud. It does not 00:02:41.719 --> 00:02:49.700 dishonor others. It is not self-seeking. It is not easily angered. It keeps no record of wrongs. 00:02:49.700 --> 00:02:59.159 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, 00:02:59.159 --> 00:03:10.039 always perseveres. So again here is Paul showing us love as the most excellent way. Today let's think 00:03:10.039 --> 00:03:21.259 about those two little phrases. Love is patient. Love is kind. Now as we begin think for a moment of 00:03:21.259 --> 00:03:30.620 someone you admire and respect in any field. I imagine at least three things are likely as you begin to 00:03:30.620 --> 00:03:37.979 think about that person. There will be a quality or qualities that make them attractive to us. 00:03:38.919 --> 00:03:44.939 As we think about those qualities that they have likely also we become aware of some of our own 00:03:44.939 --> 00:03:52.680 failings and shortcomings. But at the same time considering those qualities we recognize there 00:03:52.680 --> 00:03:59.400 are changes we want to make in our lives that we might better imitate those who we admire and respect. 00:04:01.539 --> 00:04:08.360 My guess is that that will be true of these two virtues, patience and kindness. We admire them, 00:04:08.360 --> 00:04:17.240 don't we? Compare them to impatience and unkindness. But I imagine also if we reflect for just a moment 00:04:17.240 --> 00:04:25.560 there will be times where we are painfully aware of our own shortcomings in both those areas. There is a 00:04:25.560 --> 00:04:32.879 desire within us no doubt to want to change, to be more patient, to be more kind. 00:04:32.879 --> 00:04:42.719 Paul is continuing to discuss with this church love as the most excellent way. And we're going to think 00:04:42.719 --> 00:04:52.379 about these two verbs, these two actions and attitudes that are to be ongoing, that are to be ingrained 00:04:52.379 --> 00:05:00.860 within us. If you were here last week you might remember something of the church in Corinth. This is a 00:05:00.860 --> 00:05:09.420 church that's marked by power plays and power struggles, where there are divisions across various lines, 00:05:09.420 --> 00:05:18.759 where there is a strong push towards self-promotion. And so Paul is encouraging them to think about love 00:05:18.759 --> 00:05:26.360 and God's love as the driving force behind all the relationships within their church. And here in 00:05:26.360 --> 00:05:37.240 particular, patience and kindness, easy to understand, sometimes hard to do. So the goal for us today, 00:05:38.020 --> 00:05:44.780 in essence, is that we would use the Bible as a mirror. First of all, revealing our own hearts, 00:05:45.540 --> 00:05:52.939 revealing some of our own failings, that we might, with the Spirit's help, be honest as we think about 00:05:52.939 --> 00:06:01.199 this text, consider our own patterns and ways of dealing with others, that we might see our inability, 00:06:01.439 --> 00:06:09.100 that there might be repentance and renewal going on in our hearts, that one goal is that we would have 00:06:09.100 --> 00:06:18.920 that desire personally to be more patient and more kind. But we also want to use the Bible as a mirror 00:06:18.920 --> 00:06:28.720 to reveal to us God's heart and God's perfections. That crucial to today is that we would see God 00:06:28.720 --> 00:06:36.160 as perfectly patient, perfectly kind, Jesus our Savior as completely patient, completely kind, 00:06:36.360 --> 00:06:42.180 that that would be the beauty of the perfect image of love, that we'd be before our eyes, 00:06:43.100 --> 00:06:48.439 that we'd be thinking together about God's character and God's gospel, and seeing love there, 00:06:48.439 --> 00:06:57.459 that is patient and kind, that would attract us and lead us towards worship. So that the more that we 00:06:57.459 --> 00:07:05.540 admire God's love in His Word and His character and His gospel, and as the Spirit is at work in our hearts, 00:07:05.620 --> 00:07:13.800 the Spirit of love, that we might more and more reflect the character, the image of Christ in our lives. 00:07:13.800 --> 00:07:21.340 That this patience, that this patience, that it would be seen in our family, in our workplaces, 00:07:21.819 --> 00:07:28.780 be seen in our streets and communities, it would be seen with one another in our church as we are 00:07:28.780 --> 00:07:40.139 responding to God's love for us in the Lord Jesus. So four simple questions for us to ask as we go along, 00:07:40.139 --> 00:07:46.959 thinking about love is patient, love is kind. First of all, what are they? Well, a most simple question, 00:07:47.120 --> 00:07:54.139 patience. Well, the patience that's in view here is not simply, for example, our ability to be 00:07:54.139 --> 00:08:02.719 thoroughly British and good at queuing. It's not the patience that can wait serenely while our computer 00:08:02.720 --> 00:08:08.700 updates and uploads. It's not even that patience that's required when we're trying to explain a task 00:08:08.700 --> 00:08:13.980 to a child or to a colleague. Now, that patience is good, but that's not all that's involved here. 00:08:14.960 --> 00:08:25.680 Patience is also long-suffering. This is thinking about patience when we are treated unfairly. 00:08:25.680 --> 00:08:34.139 This is patience towards another person when they attack our good name and drag our reputation through 00:08:34.139 --> 00:08:43.000 the mud. This is not lashing out when that hostile, critical email comes in, or when someone you trust 00:08:43.000 --> 00:08:50.500 begins to spread a hurtful story, or when you are overlooked despite all the help and attention that 00:08:50.500 --> 00:08:58.600 you are giving to someone else. It's at that point that this patience needs to kick in, this love that 00:08:58.600 --> 00:09:05.320 is patient. What then of kindness? Kindness, we instinctively know what that means, but let's think 00:09:05.320 --> 00:09:13.059 in two ways, especially as Christians. Kindness is absolutely doing practical good. That's why we read 00:09:13.059 --> 00:09:20.200 the Good Samaritan story. How does that Good Samaritan respond? He responds to suffering. He doesn't know, 00:09:20.200 --> 00:09:25.540 is this person a friend, is this person an enemy? He doesn't care. He gives of himself in so many ways 00:09:25.540 --> 00:09:33.360 in order to promote well-being, in order to bear the burdens of another. So, kindness is always doing 00:09:33.360 --> 00:09:40.160 practical good, but as Christians, it's also doing spiritual good. The highest kindness that we can do 00:09:40.160 --> 00:09:48.400 for someone is to tell them the gospel, is to remind them that God is their creator, that they've been 00:09:48.399 --> 00:09:56.120 made in God's image, to know and enjoy God, and to speak to them of the reality of sin, the destructive 00:09:56.120 --> 00:10:03.959 nature of sin, the way it separates from God and leads to judgment. It is kindness to speak of the 00:10:03.959 --> 00:10:10.240 person and work of Jesus, that he is the Son of God sent into the world to save us by dying on the cross, 00:10:10.319 --> 00:10:16.679 to pay the penalty for our sin, to be punished in our place so that we might be forgiven and brought back 00:10:16.679 --> 00:10:25.019 to God. That's kindness. To share God's Word with someone, to pray with and for someone, to bring 00:10:25.019 --> 00:10:30.219 the eternal warnings and promises we find in the Bible, to bear in a person's life, to show a person 00:10:30.219 --> 00:10:39.599 Jesus. That's Christian kindness. And we need both practical and spiritual kindness as a church. 00:10:39.600 --> 00:10:45.620 We remember, too, that both of these, Paul would say in Galatians 5, are fruit of the Spirit. 00:10:47.100 --> 00:10:52.080 That God, by His Spirit, reveals that kind of love to us, the patience and the kindness. 00:10:54.000 --> 00:11:02.340 We receive it as a gift from God, and it's as then God, by His Spirit, is at work in us, that we are to 00:11:02.340 --> 00:11:10.800 reflect it as Christians and as the church to one another and to others. So, love is patient, love is 00:11:10.800 --> 00:11:19.860 kind. Second question, why are these qualities needed? Why does Paul draw attention to these two 00:11:19.860 --> 00:11:26.400 qualities? Well, let's think for a moment about his immediate audience, this church in Corinth. If you 00:11:26.399 --> 00:11:34.059 read the letter, we encourage you to read the letter over coming days and coming weeks, they were at 00:11:34.059 --> 00:11:42.220 times excluding certain groups from their fellowship meals. So, we'll be sharing the Lord's Supper next 00:11:42.220 --> 00:11:49.360 week. They were sitting down for a similar meal, but people in one social class were excluding others. 00:11:49.360 --> 00:11:58.259 In a worship service, they were talking over one another to show how wonderful their spiritual gifts were. 00:11:59.480 --> 00:12:06.000 They were taking one another to court by bringing lawsuits against one another. 00:12:07.639 --> 00:12:13.399 Now, it'd be very easy to say, well, this is an example of how messed up Corinth was. They had all those 00:12:13.399 --> 00:12:19.120 problems, but we need to recognize that they're not unique in that every church 00:12:19.120 --> 00:12:27.100 is full of sinners who are saved by grace. Therefore, there is always this danger of a lack of love being 00:12:27.100 --> 00:12:33.519 shown in us, a lack of patience and kindness that can be so destructive to our fellowship and to our 00:12:33.519 --> 00:12:41.240 witness. So, let's remind ourselves of three reasons why for first century Corinth, 21st century church in 00:12:41.240 --> 00:12:48.519 Edinburgh, we need patience and kindness. First reason is for unity. 00:12:49.120 --> 00:12:59.659 So, imagine if every person in our church resolved towards long-suffering patience, regardless of how 00:12:59.659 --> 00:13:07.000 another person reacted to us. Imagine if each one of us determined that we were going to show 00:13:07.100 --> 00:13:10.700 kindness to whoever was in front of us. 00:13:10.700 --> 00:13:23.900 How quickly that would stop those cycles of anger, of unkindness, of slander, of mistrust that can so 00:13:23.900 --> 00:13:32.640 easily develop in any community, and the church is not immune. Moving towards one another, determined 00:13:32.640 --> 00:13:38.740 towards goodwill and love, not harboring bitterness and revenge in our hearts. 00:13:38.740 --> 00:13:48.899 So powerful for promoting and protecting unity in the church, by not reacting to that critical comment 00:13:48.899 --> 00:13:54.080 in the heat of the moment. By offering to care for someone who's really struggling, even though 00:13:54.080 --> 00:14:00.700 they're completely different to us. When we do those things and so many more, we're working for unity in the 00:14:00.700 --> 00:14:09.360 church and we're working for the honor of God. Because the second reason why love as patience and kindness is 00:14:09.360 --> 00:14:20.620 needed is because of our mission. At heart, as the church, we always want people to see Jesus and to come to faith 00:14:20.620 --> 00:14:33.379 in Jesus. But we know that there are so many barriers. People are so naturally resistant, have so much baggage perhaps. 00:14:34.320 --> 00:14:42.419 They need to see Christ in us, Christ-likeness in us, in order to get faith a hearing. 00:14:42.419 --> 00:14:51.500 So we must put on Christ and His patience. That would be attractive and not repelling and driving people away. 00:14:52.199 --> 00:14:58.679 We need a kindness that goes the extra mile to show that the church isn't simply self-interested, 00:14:59.519 --> 00:15:03.559 that the church has something life-giving to offer. 00:15:03.559 --> 00:15:13.000 Remember our good Samaritan story. What a powerful, powerful witness. 00:15:14.539 --> 00:15:21.899 To see this man showing mercy, not knowing who he was, using all his resources for the sake of someone else. 00:15:23.639 --> 00:15:30.779 And remember how that applies to Jesus Himself. Jesus has come to us in our distress, our misery, 00:15:30.779 --> 00:15:37.699 our need. We're dying in our sins. And Jesus came, and He paid the ultimate price to restore us, 00:15:37.759 --> 00:15:43.819 to heal us, to forgive us by dying on the cross. And as we, as the church, as we experience that 00:15:43.819 --> 00:15:52.459 saving love, that redeeming love, that undeserved love, that's what transforms hearts. That's what 00:15:52.459 --> 00:15:59.620 transforms churches. And it's that kind of patience and kindness and love that we need to display to one 00:15:59.620 --> 00:16:07.779 another that's going to make a difference to a watching world. We need to show that kind of love 00:16:07.779 --> 00:16:16.039 to the world. Love that is patient, love that is kind. We need it for our unity. We need it for our 00:16:16.039 --> 00:16:25.879 mission. We also need it to drive our worship. What happens when we look into God's Word? What happens 00:16:25.879 --> 00:16:31.200 as we look into the gospel? What do we discover there? Don't we discover a God who is patient? 00:16:32.480 --> 00:16:37.439 Think about the Old Testament. Think about Israel. How often they turned their back on God. 00:16:37.960 --> 00:16:42.059 How often they rejected God in favor of false gods. 00:16:43.939 --> 00:16:49.500 How quick they were to claim credit for what God had done for them. And yet, God was patient. 00:16:49.980 --> 00:16:55.220 God was faithful to His covenant promise. Think about Jesus with His disciples. How patient. Think of 00:16:55.220 --> 00:17:06.960 Jesus with His enemies. How patient. Long-suffering. Read the Bible, and you discover a God who is full of 00:17:06.960 --> 00:17:16.299 kindness. His mercies to us are new every morning, that we have life as a gift, that we have food and 00:17:16.299 --> 00:17:23.960 clothing and shelter. They're all gifts that come from God the Creator. When we think about Jesus in the 00:17:23.960 --> 00:17:30.640 pages of the gospels, don't we meet the most kind man who ever lived? Kindness to all kinds of people in 00:17:30.640 --> 00:17:39.460 all kinds of ways. We have in our God and Savior the masterpiece of what perfectly patient and kind 00:17:39.460 --> 00:17:48.759 love looks like. Now, I don't know if some of us are art enthusiasts or enthusiasts about the arts, 00:17:48.759 --> 00:17:52.740 but if you are one, then you'll know what I'm talking about. Or if you've ever spoken to one, 00:17:53.240 --> 00:18:02.519 the kind of person that could spend hours in an art gallery gazing at a single picture to appreciate 00:18:02.519 --> 00:18:09.319 every small detail. Or the kind of person that will go and watch obscure European films in black and 00:18:09.319 --> 00:18:18.919 white and marvel. What happens to an art enthusiast in the face of a masterpiece? It grabs their heart, 00:18:19.000 --> 00:18:26.299 doesn't it? It grabs the imagination. It transforms life. It controls and dominates conversation. 00:18:28.700 --> 00:18:34.579 Friends, that should be true of us as Christians. We have in God and Jesus the masterpiece 00:18:34.579 --> 00:18:41.599 of what love is. We have in the gospel this perfect picture of patience and kindness 00:18:41.599 --> 00:18:48.220 that we would admire our God and our Savior above all. That we would gaze on his beauty, 00:18:48.220 --> 00:18:58.919 that we might become increasingly what we behold as we're captivated by our God and his love. 00:18:58.920 --> 00:19:08.759 love is patient. Love is kind. That takes us to our third question. How does God show these qualities? 00:19:09.000 --> 00:19:16.100 Let's think together about that because it's so important. You can turn with me in your Bibles back 00:19:16.100 --> 00:19:25.720 to 1 Timothy, if you wish, where Paul began to share his story. Remember Paul as one who is describing 00:19:25.720 --> 00:19:33.680 himself here in verse 13 as a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man. The story of Paul 00:19:33.680 --> 00:19:41.000 recorded in Acts and he gives his own testimony here. Someone who hated and attacked Jesus, Jesus' church, 00:19:41.480 --> 00:19:48.720 who thought Jesus was a liar and a fraud, who was imprisoning, happy to see Christians be killed. 00:19:48.720 --> 00:19:58.460 And yet, verse 15, here's a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. Christ Jesus came into 00:19:58.460 --> 00:20:05.940 the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason, I was shown mercy, 00:20:06.600 --> 00:20:15.900 so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example 00:20:15.900 --> 00:20:25.360 for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. He knew the immense patience of Jesus 00:20:25.360 --> 00:20:32.100 as he was given the gift of faith, receiving the love of God, though he had turned his back on God and 00:20:32.100 --> 00:20:39.720 turned in his hate towards Jesus and his church. Paul becomes, as it were, a poster boy of the wonder of 00:20:39.720 --> 00:20:49.500 God's patience and kindness towards undeserving sinners. Paul puts himself up there so that nobody 00:20:49.500 --> 00:20:55.200 could say, well, there's no way God could love me. Look at Paul, someone happy to see Christians be 00:20:55.200 --> 00:21:03.539 killed, someone who hated Jesus with all his energy. There's no way our life was as bad as Paul's, and even 00:21:03.539 --> 00:21:12.000 if it was, the Bible says, God's overflow of amazing grace would still be for us. So Paul uses his own 00:21:12.000 --> 00:21:22.480 life to show the patience and the kindness of God in saving sinners. He's still the same God, and he's still 00:21:22.480 --> 00:21:29.500 the same Savior. Peter looks at it in a different way. 2 Peter chapter 3 verse 9, 00:21:29.500 --> 00:21:40.380 God is patient with you. There's our words, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to 00:21:40.380 --> 00:21:49.839 repentance. What's Peter saying there? He's saying the only reason that we are not instantly condemned 00:21:49.839 --> 00:21:57.119 for breaking God's law and breaking God's heart is because of God's patience, and that God is showing 00:21:57.119 --> 00:22:03.879 patience is a gift to us because it gives opportunity to repent and to believe in the Lord Jesus. 00:22:06.639 --> 00:22:11.659 If you're here today and you're not a Christian, then this moment is an exercise of God's patience, 00:22:11.759 --> 00:22:18.359 giving you an opportunity to repent and to find and to enjoy his mercy and his love. 00:22:21.259 --> 00:22:26.819 So we see it in God and in salvation, then we see the patience and the kindness of Jesus when he lived on 00:22:26.819 --> 00:22:33.279 earth. Think about what we discover in the Gospels. Jesus faced hate, didn't he? False accusation, 00:22:33.779 --> 00:22:40.519 lies. He was misrepresented. Jesus was accused of being a drunk, accused of being possessed by demons, 00:22:40.659 --> 00:22:47.059 accused of working on behalf of the devil, accused of being a blasphemer. People conspired to kill 00:22:47.059 --> 00:22:54.819 Jesus. And even as that mob came to arrest him, what was his response? As his disciples would pick up 00:22:54.819 --> 00:23:01.599 arms to defend him, Jesus said, put your swords away. As he was falsely accused, he was silent 00:23:01.599 --> 00:23:09.500 before his accusers. As his enemies nailed him to a cross, he prayed, Father, forgive them. 00:23:10.299 --> 00:23:18.139 They don't know what they were doing. There is no one like Jesus in his patience and his kindness. 00:23:18.140 --> 00:23:27.400 And as we receive that in our own lives, and as we see it in his example, he teaches us to say no 00:23:27.400 --> 00:23:36.940 to revenge when we are unjustly treated, rather to pursue calmness and quietness. 00:23:36.940 --> 00:23:54.779 Jesus teaches us to say no to the blood boiling and to the rage, and also to say no to losing sleep and 00:23:54.779 --> 00:24:02.480 losing joy as we play over and over in our heads conversations of those who perhaps speak badly of us. 00:24:02.480 --> 00:24:11.140 And he says yes to suffering for the sake of peace. Really interesting, in 1 Corinthians chapter 6, 00:24:12.240 --> 00:24:18.460 as Paul is talking to one group that's taking out lawsuits against other believers, in chapter 6 00:24:18.460 --> 00:24:24.460 and verse 7, he says to them, the very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you've been 00:24:24.460 --> 00:24:34.259 completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? Long-suffering that 00:24:34.259 --> 00:24:42.180 promotes unity, that promotes peace. It's the way of the Christian. It's the way of Jesus. 00:24:43.539 --> 00:24:49.319 We need to remind ourselves as we look into the gospel, use it as a mirror to remind ourselves of 00:24:49.319 --> 00:24:56.000 our true identity, that we have been loved, welcomed, accepted by a patient and kind Father, 00:24:57.059 --> 00:25:05.779 by a patient and kind Savior. The truth of salvation is something we never are to lose sight of, that God 00:25:05.779 --> 00:25:11.539 shows his patience and his kindness to us when we didn't deserve it, when we don't deserve it. 00:25:11.539 --> 00:25:19.819 So that the next time that we are hurt by another's words or actions, or when we find ourselves just 00:25:19.819 --> 00:25:30.059 simply being tired of being kind to others, that's when we need to remember how much more patient is 00:25:30.059 --> 00:25:37.579 God with us than we are ever asked to be towards someone else. How much more kind is God to us than we 00:25:37.579 --> 00:25:46.119 will ever be asked to be kind to someone else? Let our gratitude for the gospel fuel our patience, 00:25:46.819 --> 00:25:57.099 our kindness. Because we worship an admirable, a beautiful God and Savior, one who is full of that 00:25:57.099 --> 00:26:03.859 patient and kind love that is constantly pouring out on us. Last question then, as we think about love 00:26:03.859 --> 00:26:12.479 that is patient and love that is kind, how will we as the church show them? How will we show patience? 00:26:12.599 --> 00:26:19.439 How will we show kindness? I imagine that all of us, if we have jobs around the house, and I'm sure we 00:26:19.439 --> 00:26:27.119 all have different tasks, we have some that we enjoy, we have some that we enjoy not so much. My least 00:26:27.119 --> 00:26:34.939 favorite job in the house is probably clearing the drains. I know I have some sympathy with others 00:26:34.939 --> 00:26:40.879 who feel likewise. Dealing with the gunk to get the water flowing freely, it's not a pretty job, is it? 00:26:42.259 --> 00:26:49.919 The Bible says to us over and over, church, we should be overflowing with kindness. That as we receive, 00:26:49.920 --> 00:26:58.800 as it were, a Niagara Falls worth of patience and kindness from our God, that love should flow freely 00:26:58.800 --> 00:27:06.840 to one another. But as we use the Bible as a mirror to look into our own heart, what do we find it 00:27:06.840 --> 00:27:18.039 reveals? Don't we often find that it reveals hard hearts, apathy, tendencies towards disunity? All of that 00:27:18.039 --> 00:27:28.019 is the gunk that blocks that flow of God's love. It stands as a reminder that there are limits to our 00:27:28.019 --> 00:27:39.960 abilities. We cannot, by ourselves, love as we would like, love as we are called to. So, when Paul draws 00:27:39.960 --> 00:27:45.359 attention to the Corinthians, to love that is patient, love that is kind, he doesn't want them, he doesn't 00:27:45.359 --> 00:27:54.240 want us to go away with a simple, do better, try harder, fix yourself kind of religion. No, he wants 00:27:54.240 --> 00:28:02.759 us to recognize that our failure, our inability, shows us again and again our need of a Savior. 00:28:05.699 --> 00:28:09.479 So, when we think about how will you and I, how will this church, how will we show patience and 00:28:09.480 --> 00:28:16.700 kindness? It begins with, first of all, receiving it and receiving it from God. We cannot create this 00:28:16.700 --> 00:28:25.500 in ourselves. We cannot sustain this of ourselves. We must ask the Spirit of God to stir up love in us. 00:28:25.519 --> 00:28:34.259 So, our starting point is always to believe in Jesus as Savior. If you're not a Christian, don't go 00:28:34.259 --> 00:28:38.839 away thinking, oh, what I need to do is to work really hard to be more patient and to be more kind, 00:28:38.920 --> 00:28:45.539 to be a better person. No, you need a better Savior. You need Jesus as your Lord and Savior. 00:28:46.559 --> 00:28:54.420 And then we're called to stay close to the gospel every day, to never lose sight of it, to never become 00:28:54.420 --> 00:29:01.279 apathetic or cold towards it. See, a problem in Corinth seems to be that they've been disconnected from 00:29:01.279 --> 00:29:09.059 the power source, that they are fighting and dividing because they've become disconnected, 00:29:09.279 --> 00:29:16.859 unplugged from God and His love. So, Paul gives them this wonderful picture of love that they might 00:29:16.859 --> 00:29:24.000 be plugged back in to enjoy, to receive the love of God, that that might then flow from them to others. 00:29:24.000 --> 00:29:34.480 As Christians, we must always be plugged in to God's love in the gospel. We must be daily enjoying God's word 00:29:34.480 --> 00:29:41.680 and God's love to us. We must be enjoying fellowship with Him and with His church, that our love would be 00:29:41.680 --> 00:29:52.980 warm and not cold. And as we receive it, then we are to reflect it to others. 00:29:52.980 --> 00:29:59.640 Think back to what we were talking about at the beginning, those people that we admire and respect. 00:30:01.000 --> 00:30:06.559 The goal for a Christian is that Jesus would always be who we admire the most, 00:30:07.259 --> 00:30:14.120 that we would see and admire His beauty, that we'd be drawn in particular today to His qualities of 00:30:14.120 --> 00:30:21.720 patience and kindness towards us. And then, as we see, as we admire, we would seek to imitate, 00:30:21.720 --> 00:30:27.519 we would seek by God's grace to put into practice in our stories, in our situations, that same patience 00:30:27.519 --> 00:30:30.860 and kindness towards others. 00:30:30.859 --> 00:30:46.439 That that love that we'd be transforming how we live in our family, in our workplace, our place of studies, in our street, and in our church. 00:30:47.299 --> 00:30:50.879 As we remember that we've been given the Spirit of love in our hearts, 00:30:50.880 --> 00:30:56.660 and that Spirit is conforming us to the perfect image of the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:30:58.380 --> 00:31:02.780 So that the love of God might be known and felt, 00:31:03.820 --> 00:31:05.280 and admired and received, 00:31:06.200 --> 00:31:07.380 by others in the church, 00:31:07.880 --> 00:31:09.580 and in our world. 00:31:10.520 --> 00:31:11.860 Let's pray together. 00:31:11.859 --> 00:31:15.359 Lord, our God, 00:31:15.639 --> 00:31:20.959 we are so thankful that You are a God who is full of patience and kindness. 00:31:21.859 --> 00:31:24.339 We see it all through the pages of the Bible, 00:31:24.599 --> 00:31:28.819 and we have come to know it in our lives in so many ways. 00:31:30.299 --> 00:31:37.319 It may each one of us today be plugged in to the love of God 00:31:37.319 --> 00:31:43.639 that is revealed in the sending of Jesus to be the Savior of the world. 00:31:44.899 --> 00:31:55.179 Lord, for Your people, may You build us up in our love as we are receiving and considering that love every day. 00:31:55.839 --> 00:31:59.200 And Lord, for those who are here or listening in who are not yet Christians, 00:31:59.200 --> 00:32:03.559 may You draw them to that great saving love, 00:32:03.559 --> 00:32:09.319 that they would come to taste and see that You are good. 00:32:10.159 --> 00:32:12.940 And Lord, we pray that the way we live together 00:32:12.940 --> 00:32:16.899 would present an attractive picture 00:32:16.899 --> 00:32:21.299 of the difference that Jesus makes in people's lives. 00:32:21.879 --> 00:32:24.200 Lord, so often people won't read their Bibles, 00:32:24.339 --> 00:32:27.579 but they will read our lives and our stories. 00:32:28.480 --> 00:32:30.039 Lord, by Your grace, 00:32:30.039 --> 00:32:34.000 may our stories be full of patience and kindness, 00:32:34.539 --> 00:32:36.899 because we want people to know 00:32:36.899 --> 00:32:39.519 a God who is patient and kind, 00:32:40.019 --> 00:32:42.599 a Jesus who is patient and kind. 00:32:43.379 --> 00:32:46.480 So we pray for our good and for Your glory. 00:32:47.180 --> 00:32:47.599 Amen. 00:32:51.599 --> 00:32:54.059 Now, we will finish our closing hymn. 00:32:54.619 --> 00:32:55.500 Again, we will listen. 00:32:55.619 --> 00:32:56.720 Folks at home, you can sing. 00:32:57.159 --> 00:32:59.139 It's, Oh, How Good It Is. 00:32:59.140 --> 00:33:17.000 Oh, How Good It Is 00:33:17.000 --> 00:33:20.780 When the family of God 00:33:20.780 --> 00:33:24.680 Well together in spirit 00:33:24.680 --> 00:33:27.660 In faith and unity 00:33:27.660 --> 00:33:32.480 Where the bonds of peace 00:33:32.480 --> 00:33:36.140 Of acceptance and love 00:33:36.140 --> 00:33:39.860 Are the fruits of His presence 00:33:39.860 --> 00:33:43.960 Here among us 00:33:43.960 --> 00:33:47.820 So with one voice 00:33:47.820 --> 00:33:51.880 We'll sing to the Lord 00:33:51.880 --> 00:33:55.460 And with one heart 00:33:55.460 --> 00:33:59.360 We'll lift out His word 00:33:59.360 --> 00:34:03.480 Till the whole world sees 00:34:03.480 --> 00:34:07.200 The Redeemer has come 00:34:07.200 --> 00:34:10.980 For He dwells in the presence 00:34:10.980 --> 00:34:14.700 Of His people 00:34:14.699 --> 00:34:26.899 Oh, how good it is 00:34:26.899 --> 00:34:30.679 On this journey we share 00:34:30.679 --> 00:34:34.239 To rejoice with the happy 00:34:34.239 --> 00:34:38.619 And weep with those who mourn 00:34:39.319 --> 00:34:40.279 For the weeks 00:34:40.279 --> 00:34:43.259 For the weak 00:34:43.259 --> 00:34:44.019 For the heavy 00:34:44.019 --> 00:34:44.420 The afflicted 00:34:44.420 --> 00:34:44.920 The afflicted 00:34:44.920 --> 00:34:46.440 What do we want 00:34:46.440 --> 00:34:46.759 For the weak 00:34:46.759 --> 00:34:47.380 When we Christ 00:34:47.380 --> 00:34:47.659 When we offer 00:34:47.659 --> 00:34:48.119 For the wise 00:34:48.119 --> 00:35:04.880 For the ye 00:35:04.880 --> 00:35:08.880 We'll live out His Word 00:35:09.480 --> 00:35:12.880 Till the whole world sees 00:35:13.440 --> 00:35:17.300 The Redeemer has come 00:35:17.300 --> 00:35:23.880 For He dwells in the presence of His people 00:35:23.880 --> 00:35:35.880 Oh, how good it is 00:35:36.700 --> 00:35:40.119 To embrace His command 00:35:40.119 --> 00:35:44.019 To prefer one another 00:35:44.019 --> 00:35:48.119 Forgive as He forgives 00:35:48.119 --> 00:35:52.019 When we live as one 00:35:52.019 --> 00:35:56.000 We all share in the love 00:35:56.000 --> 00:35:57.420 Of the Son 00:35:57.420 --> 00:36:02.679 With the Father and the Spirit 00:36:02.679 --> 00:36:07.340 So with one voice 00:36:07.340 --> 00:36:10.940 We all sing to the Lord 00:36:10.940 --> 00:36:14.019 And with one heart 00:36:14.599 --> 00:36:18.480 We all lay out His Word 00:36:18.480 --> 00:36:22.280 Till the whole world sees 00:36:22.280 --> 00:36:26.159 The Redeemer has come 00:36:26.159 --> 00:36:29.760 For He dwells in the presence 00:36:29.760 --> 00:36:33.179 Of His people 00:36:33.179 --> 00:36:50.299 We stand together 00:36:50.300 --> 00:36:54.360 I'm going to read the benediction 00:36:54.360 --> 00:36:56.280 That comes from the end of 2 Corinthians 13 00:36:56.280 --> 00:36:57.160 But I want to read a verse 00:36:57.160 --> 00:36:57.780 Just a couple 00:36:57.780 --> 00:36:59.420 Before that 00:36:59.420 --> 00:37:01.320 Speaks to our theme 00:37:01.320 --> 00:37:02.039 Finally 00:37:02.039 --> 00:37:03.720 Brothers and sisters 00:37:03.720 --> 00:37:04.500 Rejoice 00:37:04.500 --> 00:37:07.320 Strive for full restoration 00:37:07.320 --> 00:37:09.220 Encourage one another 00:37:09.220 --> 00:37:11.160 Be of one mind 00:37:11.160 --> 00:37:13.039 Live in peace 00:37:13.039 --> 00:37:15.460 And the God of love and peace 00:37:15.460 --> 00:37:16.440 Will be with you 00:37:16.440 --> 00:37:18.039 And now 00:37:18.039 --> 00:37:19.519 May the grace 00:37:19.519 --> 00:37:21.260 Of the Lord Jesus Christ 00:37:21.260 --> 00:37:23.280 And the love of God 00:37:23.280 --> 00:37:25.740 And the fellowship of the Holy Spirit 00:37:25.740 --> 00:37:27.220 Be with you all 00:37:27.220 --> 00:37:28.119 Amen 00:37:28.119 --> 00:37:28.259 Amen