Love is Liberating

Welcome to the radio ministry of clear future and hinders our goal is to make Christ visible Clearview is a place of genuine worship with ministries for all age groups and all people. For more information, visit us at 3485 Oxford Rd. in Henderson for visit us online@clearviewbc.org now join us for this week's message by Pastor items were in our series on low first Corinthians chapter 13 all love is the greatest. This is the concluding message. The message is titled love is liberated. If you keep up with politics. I'm sure you heard the name of Congressman Sam Johnson. He has been serving in the house since 1991 from Plano, Texas, is an Air Force veteran and he was a POW in Vietnam for seven years, but he was in the infamous prison in Vietnam known as the Hanoi Hilton or Hills whole and recalling his experience.

He says this starvation, isolation and torture were constant companions. There was no news from home and the enemy work hard to make us feel alone and forgotten and he describes one of the tortured treatments that were used against him and many others, and he says this he says I could recall nothing from military survival training that explained the use of a meat hook suspended from the ceiling.

He goes on and says during a routine torture session. The Vietnamese tied a prisoner's hands and feet that bound his hands to his ankles, sometimes behind the back. Sometimes in front the ropes were tightened to the point that you couldn't breathe that either Bodo or Benton half the prisoner was hoisted up onto the hook to hang by ropes guards would return at intervals to tighten them until all feeling was gone in the prisoner's limb turn purple and swelled twice their normal size. This would go on for hours sometimes even days on end. Now Johnson went through this poor sure this malnutrition. This horrible experience that even affected his body.

Your seen enemies always stoop shouldered his right arm is mangled and not even mentioning the fact that when his plane went down his back was broken several places arm was broken I'm in so many things were wrong with him. Imagine the pain and the suffering and then being in that prison then and hoisted up in things are being done just to make your life more miserable.

After 42 months in a dark solitary cell with the rats and fills he was finally released and he remembers the sweet embrace of his wife Shirley and their three kids not contrasted to feelings here in he is in this dark prison cell. When they are putting him through shame through suffering where they are suspecting him so beat him some more so we can get some information. He is hiding something, you do no more where they are taking away hope from him. No one is coming for you might as well give up to the feeling of coming out from the prison and seeing your wife and your children and feeling their embrace no love. True love the message this morning is love is liberating.

There is no love. When the environment is hate filled is suffocating. It exposes and shames the person's suspects and doubts constantly.

It only threatens it doesn't give any hope. True love cannot function in that environment. Truelove only flourishes where there is true freedom. What does that freedom look like first Corinthians chapter 13 starting in verse four love suffers long and is kind means love is coming. Love does not envy, which means love is cheering and I encourage you if you haven't heard these messages go back and listen to them. They're all available. Love does not parade itself, is not puffed up means it's not proud and arrogant love is serving. Love does not behave rudely, does not seek its own love is maturing. If you're hateful if you toweled down to people. If you're mean to them. That's not love. Mature people treat others with respect, love does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil.

It doesn't press those buttons and the other person that you know will make them explode and then say I do that's inside of you know it allows you to disarm, knowing that you are in a safe zone. Love does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth, love is purifying and then today's message from verse seven. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three the greatest of these is love.

The problem of the Corinthian church was a problem of love. They didn't know how to love each other properly. Paul wrote this letter to them.

First Corinthians 13 to teach them how to love others don't love each other the way Christ loves us. In today's message were going to learn. Probably some of the most important lessons ever on love, you learn this morning that you are never afraid of being exposed or being shamed where there is true love. You are never suspected and doubted where there is true love. You are never hopeless where there is true love. You are never threatened.

Nobody says I'm done with you.

Where there is true love. In fact, when Christ is in our lives. Christ never exposes the never suspects he never discourages and he never threatens us.

So when Christ is in our life. That's how we begin to love other. Hopefully this will make more sense as we go further into this message. Let me ask you this question. How do you love people do you like to expose their weaknesses, their failures, their sins, do you constantly suspect and doubt the motives of the ones you love the you discourage and steal hope from the ones you love. Do you threatened them, do you give up on them. You tell them constantly. If this happens I am done because that's not true love. This morning you may be able to love people, but the God kind of love only comes when you receive Jesus in your life when he is your Savior. He gives you much more than what we receive as human beings when we are born in this world we are born in the image of God. Fallen image but still we are able to love people. We have the capacity to love people, but to love people, the Jesus Way only comes when we receive him as our Savior and the Holy Spirit pours God's love into our hearts.

Now we can even love those who are unlovable. So the question really is not.

How do you love people.

The question is, is Jesus in your life are you Christian. If not, I pray this morning as we walk through this.

Ask yourself, do I have Christ at the center of my life and some of you may not even have Christ at all in your life and you need to receive him as your Savior says begin what they've been doing in this series as many of you know we are looking at the Greek words were going to the original language. The New Testament was written in Greek were going to the original language to see what Paul meant by the words he used in the sections of the first statement is love bears all things, the Greek word for bears is still gay. It comes from the noun Stargate which means roof. The Corinthians knew what roof was in fact 700 years before Paul came to them. They graduated so to speak, from using patched roofs in a roofs made out of hay to using a roofs tiles. These fired tiles. There were huge they were 60 pounds apiece.

Why do you think the move from patched roof to tiled roofs because of fire hazard and all it takes is one house over here to catch fire.

Next thing you know, the wind takes it to the next in matter of seconds the entire cities are burned so they moved to this 700 years before Christ.

They were using tiled fired tiled roofs. There were durable they were very protective. They protected those who were living in the house from the elements. I would imagine what would happen right now.

If we would remove the roof, not today's a good day was four days ago when we had up our mini blizzard. Imagine sitting in this place and is 22° or it's raining or snowing. When Paul says love bears all he's really saying love always covers. Keep in mind the word was now beginning to be used to convey the idea of covering of sheltering of protecting of keeping out of keeping in your the roof not only keeps the elements out but also keep some elements in, for example, a fireplace, imagine a fireplace. There is no roof so he just keeps escaping. The point is this love does not find pleasure in exposing others to harshness. Love does not get joy in watching the other person squirm in fear or shame. The Corinthians love to do that to each other you know why because I was part of the culture, very competitive, very status seeking, so this was okay if he's your enemy, or he is ahead of you exposes weakness so you can move ahead. The problem was they got saved, but this still had this behavior of exposing each other, their fears, their weaknesses, their shame. The point is this, do you cover people, or do you love to expose them. Now I'm not suggesting that somebody is doing something illegal or something wrong that you say oh it's okay, let's cover because of what I am suggesting this morning is what Peter also said in first Peter chapter 4 verse eight he said, above all things have fervent love for one another because love will cover a multitude of sin.

The second statement. Love believes all things, the Greek word for believes is spinster UA, which has the idea of trust in others again in the Corinthian culture was very competitive very status seeking, you never know who's going to stab you in the back so don't.

He's his low shifty over there. Don't trust him. Don't trust anyone trust your own family. You never know what little duty and unfortunately, this mindset got into the church. Seven.

Paul tells them love believes all things, he was really saying. Love does not live in the zone of perpetual suspicion, but is willing to trust others of this is the house the way I would draw it would be like this. Imagine this is the ground here is the foundation love always trusts, trust is the foundation of any relationship if I stop trusting you. I can love you anymore. Let me ask you this morning. Here's the point. If you constantly operate at some kind of a KGB agent always frisking people always looking over your shoulder, always questioning the motives of this and that, in the other. I will tell you this morning you will never be able to love people, your relationships will always be short-lived, sporadic and seasonal. Nothing ever last too long. Why is a broker trust is the broker trust goes, the broker trust is always seasonally keep moving.

By the way please get used to the idea that people will fail you.

Anybody knew that you know that people value people will do things to you. They will break your trust that is part of life and I know this is a tough message with some of you because you've gone through a relationship when someone really broke your trust. I do understand the folks you think God wants to to live in this suspicion zone forever.

You know this is only one life is only one chance you get of this life. Why in the world. Would you like to live always distrusting people trust is the foundation of all relationship without it there is no love. Let's move on to number three. Love covers all love always trusts, love hopes all things, the Greek word for hopes is LPN say which has the idea of expectation and wish is always looking forward with whole something is coming. This is not all there is to it. You can do better you will be better now. People often misunderstand trust in whole or faith and hope they are related but they are not the same. They are related in the sense that I listen very carefully this morning because I'm gonna go a little deep because they're both looking at something that is invisible and unprovable fate and hope they're both looking at something that is invisible, unprovable, but they are distinct.

How do you know that because Paul says now abide faith, hope, love, these three but the grace is there's a difference. What is the difference.

The difference is this faith is what you can see, but you're standing on it. Faith is the substance of things hoped for you. There's a foundation to this building. You can see it but is there. This is faith substance something you're standing on and see it is there. What is whole whole is what you can see, but you're looking for. If faith is the foundation that you cannot see but you're standing on it. Hope is the window through which you are looking for something that hasn't come yet. Love always looks for looks for something better looks for a better you. Looks for what God has in store for you.

You take away hope this becomes a prison cell.

Oh we got the covering all yes yes we protect our will be always protect our kids are always always covering them were all with all we have trust you trust not, I can give anything to her.

Here, but if you don't have the windows looking out. There's something better coming in our marriage in our children's life in the church in the community. This becomes a prison cell and love begins to die. I give you this illustration in the past few years the Robertson family from West Monroe, Louisiana has become part of his world-famous young alum talk about the commander of all yes I know now they came from some very humble background and went through some very difficult times. If you read the other books, all that they went through in their life is only by the grace of God debated but Willie Robertson in the first book duck Cmdr. family in the opening chapter. The prologue actually listen to what he says listen carefully the dinner table is where I learned to follow my dreams. This is where dad told us he was going to start the commander and where I told my family. I was getting married and heading off to college, our hopes and aspirations were never shot down as you hear that our hopes and aspirations.

I don't know why it is that when we get old we like to say work, our hopes and aspirations were never shot down, never debated only encouraged we might have been eating fried baloney at the time because that was all we could afford, but there was hope.

There was hope that one day we would be feasting on a big fat ribeye steak. The point is this. The windows were open the doors were open, light came in love always hopes his home is looking forward to where you guys are this morning but tell you this, we've heard a lot of messages growing up we've we have our favorite preachers.

We have our favorite commentaries. We have our favorite shows.

We have all the biblical stuff. What breaks my heart many years ago I said God why is it that it's still not working. Sometimes I think were giving out Lotta for ideas than the word of God the Word of God will never fail. This is really this is the truth that Paul is telling them. Love always covers love always trust love always hopes it doesn't shoot down the hopes and aspirations of those who would love me ask you are you a whole giver or are you a hope stealer before the final statement. Love endures all things. The Greek word for endures is who Paul Monet who pulmonary which has the idea of being patient. It has the idea of remaining it has the idea of enduring it has the idea of standing firm. Now when I say standing firm. I'm not talking about being unreasonable standing firm here in this context is not about my way or the highway.

Pick here when you're saying standing firm is saying always there, you know, if we didn't have these walls here. Everything will happen I mean by the laws of physics holding will collapse right. If you go through to ancient archaeological side. The one thing is always standing is on the walls.

You need this supports the rest of the roof is important. The foundation is critical.

The windows bring light and hope. But the walls they are what protects you from the elements. In other words, love does not give up doesn't run out when things get tough, you know, in a culture like Corinthians when things didn't work out with one person and what you do go to the next. If they heart you have. This is something wrong to you, move on, go to the next one. If they don't work out, move on to the next one. Keep going. You don't need them.

Listen to what Paul said, first printed in chapter 1 verse 12. Now I say this, that each of you says I am of Paul or I am of Apollo's or I am of Cephas or I am of Christ. You know what was happening in their church. If Paul made them angry with Apollo's now oh Apollo's are different. Where would Peter now where would Jesus move on and find someone better. You don't need them in your life you can survive without them. Paul says to them. Love always endures.

It takes it and it takes it and keeps taking it now. Please don't misunderstand me to clarify. There are times when you have to cut relationships because of abuse.

There may be physical abuse or maybe sexual abuse. There may be emotional, mental abuse, I'm not talking about abusive situations or please go ahead and take that category out, but many times what I'm referring to is when you love other people you should be willing to bear with their faults and their failures without pointing them out without shoving them in their face.

When you love somebody, be prepared to be heard.

It will hurt you is the nature of being a human. If someone told me this years ago hurting people hurt people when someone is hurt. Just what they want to do. They want to hurt whoever is closest to them and if you happen to be close to him gets welding or do they heart you if you can only remember it is not about you, what they did to you what they said to you how they talk to you how that turned on you is not about you there hurting and Dewar take Hubble to be healed. If you don't stick around this morning. Are you willing to endure. Are you willing to look over the failures in the hangups of those who are hurting in the doing things and saying things to you again not talk about abusive situations.

Are you willing to cut others some slack is part of true love. How can you have this kind of love my few fiber are in this message here and say okay from here on. Always cover always trust always hope always be there.

I will take is one person doing one thing wrong to you and the house will collapse or turn into a prison you have to insert something here. You have to replace the word love with Jesus. Jesus always covers he will never expose you.

He will never shame you, that's who is Jesus always trusts you know can imagine working with those disciples and he said I'm giving you the keys of the kingdom boys. Jesus always looks for when Peter failed him. He didn't say Peter I can trust you is a well Peter when you get your act together from lead them the need you as I know you get together.

Jesus always is there.

What is about to say about him.

Would you say I'll never leave you.

I'm always there. You need Jesus in your life to have this kind of if you do have Christ in your life. Think of yourself as a prison warden got four keys to four cells in your life cell number one is exposure. This is where you have inmates who are who are afraid that one day you can expose them or you already doing that today you need to set them free and tell them that you will always cover them.

Cell number two are inmates who are living there because you have put them in a suspicion sale today going have to sell set them free and say you will doubt them. Cell number three pessimism will you will have to set some inmates free and tell them that you see a bright day in the future. Cell number four are those that you have threatened, you have to set them free and tell them you not leaving you one give up on them because love never fails this morning.

The question that I'm asking myself, I get it. But is this happening in my life are people in my life living in freedom or have I changed them up because today I need to set them free. As love is liberating. Thank you so much for joining us for the conclusion of our series. Love is the greatest in today's message we learned that true love is liberating. It doesn't bind people, but it gives them freedom to be what God has called them to be. For more information about this series, please visit our website@clearviewbc.org and for today's sermon notes as well as all the sermon notes from the series, please visit my blog site@avedonshaw.com