Love is Purifying

Welcome to the radio ministry at Cleveland church in Henderson. Margo 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@clearviewb.org now join us for this week's message by Pastor Otto were in a series called love is the greatest sometime back I was watching a basketball game between two college rival teams. Please don't ask me which what I was going for.

Nonetheless, a player on the rival team traveled to the third step and when he did, and of course he knew he wasn't supposed to do that. He knew it wasn't right and he the coach called them out. It was critical time of the game and he dropped his head. He made his way back to the seat when he did something happen. Which happens a lot. The whole stadium.

The home crowd just cheered United. Unfortunately we cheered exist see him sitting doll slumped over because he knew better, he wouldn't have done that and I thought about it, we weren't cheering for our player who made a basket. We weren't cheering for our team that made a good play. We were actually cheering for a player on the opposite team who made a mistake and cost his team possession. We were cheering over someone's failure. But sadly this happens not just in sports but it also happens in real life is not people who get up and cheer.

But in our hearts. There's something there.

There's some ugliness there. The Bible calls it sin that cheers over the failures. The miss fortunes in the wrong actions of others. This morning, we can expose that to the word of God and also find healing but an answer to why we do what we do and what can we do to change it. The message is called love is purifying.

If you have your Bibles with you turned to first Corinthians 13.

This is a series been going through for several weeks and this morning to come to the sections.

Let's all stand together starting in verse four love suffers long and is kind love does not envy mom does not parade itself, is not puffed up.

Love does not behave rudely, does not seek its own love is maturing when you talk down to people when you mistreat them. That's not love but I tell my love some flowers I pay the bills. That doesn't mean anything because true love is mature love is not provoked, it thinks no evil and this morning we come to verse six love does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth. What does that really mean means love is purifying. It purges that ugliness inside of us that wants to rejoice when something bad happens. Someone else will see what that means and in the weeks ahead. It bears all things, it believes all things, in hopes all things, it endures all things. Love never fails. And now abide faith, hope and love. What is faith. Faith is what you believe about God. Faith is what you believe about life, about salvation, what is hope.

Hope is knowing that God will work all things together for good.

There is a new heaven and a new earth coming. There's a better day coming hope is important, but if you put faith, hope and love is love that is the most important love the Corinthian church was fraught which Marge was infected with many of the worst sins you can imagine, you know this if you been in the series with us. It was damaging the unity of this church they can love each other properly. Paul wrote first Corinthians to confront these sins in the church body part of my responsibility as a pastor is to preach the word and to confront that sin in your life is to deal with that sin in your life.

But that's just part Paul went on to help them and say what this is what you need to do this is what you can find healing for your sin and part of my responsibility is also to give that solution we been looking at different sins and the Corinthian church.

Now we come to another one, which was rejoicing in iniquity will try to understand what that really means the before we do that, let me just briefly tell you what that means.

It means this feeling joy and cheering over the sins over the failures and over the miss fortunes of others. Would you agree this morning at least agree to this, that sin is deeper and uglier and more heinous than we pretend it is just because you do not face the consequences of those sins does not mean that it's okay, you know, the only difference between me and you and and the guy in the prison is one decision by the same sin is in us that same dark ugliness is sitting in the most pretty handsome nicest person sitting in this place.

It's in you. It's called sin. Are you saved question asked every week. Sometimes people ask me why do you talk about being saved is that it is that a Baptist thing to say it's a biblical thing. What are you being saved from your being saved not only from hell.

You are being saved not only from the devil.

You're being saved not only from life. Would you like to know what you are also being saved from yourself because inside of every one of us is sin.

Frankly, I don't know why people don't rush down the Odyssey. I need to be saved because I want to live with this thing inside of me. It is there. No one has to teach you that you're born with it. That's why Jesus came to die to help you find forgiveness and a new life so you can be born again.

That is, salvation. To this morning as we walked to this message. If you are a Christian, let the Holy Spirit hurt your heart cleanse your heart from this ugliness of rejoicing over someone's failure. But if you are not saved.

Hey, don't wait another moment.

Why would you want to live with that ugliness in your heart. What were doing in the series. Time is very short were looking at the words in Greek, not often do that but we are trying to understand what did Paul really write in the Bible when he was describing love in the Greek what is it mean when he says love does not rejoice in iniquity. First, the word rejoice is Kari which carries the idea of being glad it has the idea of fall rejoicing. Love does not is not glad to rejoices or cheers in iniquity. No one is iniquity. Iniquity is is like two words epi, which is upon audit keel which is wrongdoing which is injury wrong action.

It carries the idea of someone's loss together. It really means. Love does not rejoice in iniquity means love does not get joy because of someone else's injury sin wrong action or some kind of loss when the world was happening in the Corinthian church where they actually rejoicing over someone's loss. Yes no if you been in the series.

You know with the Corinthians were like their culture was very competitive. They were status seeking kind of people.

The American school of classical studies in Athens did some digs years ago in Corinth. I've been to Corinth last month we were there, they found 1500 override the sun appears he can remember. 1500 inscriptions were people were bragging about themselves. Between the years 44 BC and 276 A.D. can imagine 1500 signs all over this community that says I am great and I hope you remember that everywhere. There were signs like this. They match them in marble installs on the walls talking about how great they were different people. This was a culture where bragging was an art. It was totally acceptable not only to brag about yourself, but also secretly and sometimes even openly wish for someone to fall. Unfortunately, this way of thinking and the culture had also infiltrated the church.

But this kind of spirit had come into the church body where Christians were happy when someone missed when someone messed up when somebody's kid went off the deep end when somebody's marriage was in trouble. They were actually feel joyful and Paul says love does not get joy out of someone's injury, someone's wrong action someone send someone's loss on us and we are thinking what kind of degenerate people were living in Corinth looking to hardhearted people would actually cheer when someone falls into sin or something bad happens to us. Would you like to know what kind of people do that us kind of people. Oh no no no no, I'm not like that. Not me always feel for people when something bad happens that he looked the other day something happened to so and so I went over there and give him a call. Or I told him I'm bringing some meals. I help them whatever the need, I feel bad when something bad happens to someone or something someone is hurting sure were sad when something bad happens to children are children or something bad happens to our best friend or or someone we like someone were not threatened by someone who is helpless. We feel sorry for them. But here's the question.

How about when something bad happens to those we don't like very much. How do you respond I'm referring to what goes through our minds when we hear that someone we envied just received it. Bad news from the doctor, I'm referring to what flashes in the secret chambers of our hearts when we hear that someone who seems to be ahead of us in life is going through a divorce. What part comes through your mind. I'm referring to our first reaction when someone who always seem so strong always so self-sufficient man. They always seem to win next thing you know something happens.

They had a wreck in the posted on Facebook and is a hey all I have is a rough. They had a wreck. What is the first part that passes through your mind but people you don't like I'm referring to people you are threatened by now we know MacCallum we don't have the guts to do that and say I heard you had a wreck man I was so excited were having a party and you dishonor you know you would never, we would never ever ever. We are to decent. We are too polite to ever publicize this. What I'm referring to is that feeling of satisfaction.

The feeling of amusement is what would be called loading glee that comes into our hearts something like this as now I feel better.

They was going real bad until I saw them going. I feel good now every schism like maybe I'll teach him a lesson or two. Maybe I'll knock them down a notch or two.

The Germans have a word for this is called schadenfreude. Schadenfreude of it, which is a combination of two word Chardon means damage. Freud are Ms. Joy is damage. Joy. It's a psychological category. The visit had gone or not. Maybelle wonder what goes through the it's all of us is damage. Joy. Which means when someone goes to damage. You have a tinge of pleasure that comes into your heart. It is very hard to understand but it's all of us and it lurks there it sits there deep in the recesses of our hearts. Again I mother ask you to raise your hand and ever admit this in public. Has this feeling ever come on you. Here's the thing. If you are human. It has, the sooner you can acknowledge it and say well yeah the better. If you pretend it's not there you will be able to deal with it. You know how hard it was to preach this message because it's easy for me to feel sympathetic, and sorry for someone I love her. Someone I'm not threatened by his very hard but if somebody on threatened by somebody I don't like Rick somebody who has rubbed me the wrong way. Now if you don't deal with it, you won't be able to love others the way God loves you. Is that what you mean I love my children I love my church family I love my friends. I love all these people well true is like this. Think about water. If you asked somebody for a glass of clean water. The regular glass of clean water, but it is in a dirty container water is clean but the container is dirty. What's gonna do to the water is contaminated. Of course the water. The love inside of you is pure. It's clean.

But if your heart has this little tiny germ sitting in there it will contaminate that even when you love your little children, your spouse, your church family, your friends is contaminated love and by the way, it will give the devil foothold in your life if you don't deal with this. The devil will always have a beachhead in your life, you can always attack he may not bring you adultery him and I bring you murder he may not bring you lying. But if he knows that you have a moment of sheer amusement when somebody falls. He said no. I can work with that now the place to begin. How do you do with this is to recognize the source of this Chardon Freud, where does it come from.

No one has to teach it to you if you're a human being you're born with a sin nature. This is not just a Corinthian problem. Folks, this is a human problem. The Bible talks about this in fact in the oldest book in the Bible, the book of Job. Listen to what Job says in Job chapter 31 verse 29.

He says there's listen very carefully if I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me the oldest book. This man is saying if I was ever happy over the destruction of someone who hurt me or who did myself up when evil found like I went when something bad happened to him. Job says. Indeed, I have not allowed my mouth to sin, Job calls this behavior.

Sin and listen this level for moment have somebody hurt you but has someone rubbed you the wrong way someone not your favorite person right now. How do you respond when you hear something bad about what part goes through your mind some 17 five. He says he was glad and calamity will not go unpunished when you are happy at someone's loss. God says I will punish you. Proverbs 24 verse 17 listen very carefully this one do not rejoice when your enemy falls and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles last the Lord see it and it displays him and he turned away his wrath from him. If I may add that he'll put it on you.

You want your enemy. Fall and you say that what goes around comes on board. They what they needed that you never broadcasted you feel in your heart. God says I want to take my anger that is on him. Now it's on you buddy if he were truly being honest this morning. All of us, including myself.

We have some repenting to do a man were not done yet appalled and stop here. He says it is not enough not to feel happy at the misfortunes of others. He goes one step further and says love rejoices in the truth, the word for rejoice is so current member.

The first one is Kari so Kari goes one step further. It has the idea of to celebrate it has the idea to applaud. It has the idea of to congratulate somebody love does not get happy when someone is hurting someone you don't like falls or sins or something bad happened to them but it celebrates it. Applause means it is not enough to say I'm happy for you have to actually go up and make contact with the other person. It rejoices in the truth know what is the truth. The truth is on the tail, which is complicated is not gospel truth is not the truth is in Jesus is the way truth in life.

Truth here is something the best I can do is tell you it is something objective something very objective and the other person that is good but is righteous that is praiseworthy giving example sometime back. Someone invited me to go watch a basketball game. One of the players on the rival team made an amazing play in somebody near me, turned and said it doesn't matter which team you are rooting for body was as one good play in what he was saying was even of that play makes us lose that still were congratulating, even if that person looks better than us because objectively it is good. It is righteous. It is praiseworthy. It is were congratulating you see love not only refuses to be happy at the misfortunes and the mistakes of one's enemies. But it acknowledges and applauds the good it sees in the other person without any regard to how it's going to impact yourself. You say how can you do this you can do it. You cannot do it unless you understand how God loves us.

How does God love us on the drug simple symbol up here.

What is that it is the crossing LC is across unless you get the symbol and understand what it means.

This angler work if I end the message here and go okay now so don't feel bad I don't feel good when something that be nice to people to work is not the last.

You can do it this inside is so strong, so powerful it will not allow you to do it unless you get this if you notice how Paul began his letter first went in chapter 1 verse 18. He says for the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing. What is cross cross is God coming and dying for us. But if you're lost, what a dumb thing to do for God. The powerful God to come in this world and let us kill him I was a waste of time because stayed up there and be happy, but he came down here and got killed. But to those who are being saved it is the power of God unless you get the cross.

You cannot understand love you cannot understand that it's not just God died in our hands. This is God who gave his life for us to bring out the best in us even though we were nailing him to the tree you see in the Corinthian culture it was acceptable to climb on others. It was acceptable to wish for their failures even rejoice in their misfortunes to the contrary, Jesus gave his life on the cross for the very ones who were nailing him is this thing that saves you is this thing that changes your perspective on life that someone will die for me even if I'm hurting him. It goes completely contrary to the world is foolishness by the what did Jesus do on the cross as they were crucifying him.

And as they were tearing his garments. What did Jesus say father forgive them for they know not what they do.

While even then he wished the best for them. How do you love others only when the Holy Spirit of God comes into your life you are able to do the impossible folks. This does not take any power, right, this is natural for me to hate your guts and be happy.

When's you fall as natural I would never say it but I feel it I will never share it. This takes supernatural power, and the only way it can happen in with is when my life is based around this. Not only that he died on the cross but I died with him that I am crucified with Christ are no longer live, but Christ lives in me that now I can actually go across the and shake hands. The very person who has hurt me and genuinely say hey I'm so happy I heard your kids made the honor roll. I heard y'all had a wedding in the family.

I'm so happy for you. I heard heard the got a good report from the doctor, I'm so happy for y'all. And really, I know I must been a tough time and that person is walking by going I thought he hated me. I thought she didn't like me to the cross. Now you can love people who are unlovable you can actually rejoice in the truth. You see the Holy Spirit of God purifies our hearts. So now we can love people the way God loves us several years ago somebody had hurt me somebody had did something wrong to me had broken my trust had gone behind my back and said things about me that was right there. One thing one way to my face.

Another way behind my back has ever happened to you and I'm sure it has never happened to you. Just me but anyways that happened to me and it hurt me. It bothered me. Now I was still serving out still preaching. I was still loving people, but it was a burden on my heart and one day a very mature person came into my life. God brought the person into my life. Went out for breakfast one morning and he said he's asking a question.

Sure, who's hurt you; certainly is a pastoral answer you. No one can hurt me.

I'm I'm invincible is a look.

This is a safe zone. Nothing goes out here just me and you talking you don't have to give me a name can you at least tell me, have someone hurt you.

One year sometime back this happen and this person broke my trust in the did this in this but I don't feel like I need to go tell everybody and justify my side. But it hurts. It bothers me. It angers me, and I hate it. He asked me a question, he said would you like to be set free measure running to do is is very simple is biblical. Pray for this person because at all sure I pray for him every day. I pray God will convict him bring them to their knees and help them realize what they've done is so wrong it is and I want you to pray for God to heard him or deal with. I want you to pray that God will bless. He's going tell you when you start doing that. The first couple of days you'll feel like vomiting because it will not feel good to actually pray for God's blessing God's protection.

God's riches in this person's life that God will use them in his kingdom is very hard to do but keep on doing don't stop after the first week and when you go to the second week, you will realize that you're actually praying and you putting your heart and your soul into that prayer and somewhere in the third week you wake up one day and realize you're free. I do believe I did. And sure enough it was hard but somewhere in the third because I'll begin my prayer not praying God, would you bless. Would you encourage would you use this person today, and God is in every way cover them with your love could almost hear the chains coming off. I was being set free in what it did not only help me in my relationship with this person. It also help me in my relationships with people I love you see a contaminated container cannot funnel true love. Thank you so much for joining us today. Love is purifying. Let the Holy Spirit of God, cleanse your heart from any bitterness any hurt feelings you may have toward someone so that God's love can flow through you unhindered and uncontaminated.

For more information visit us online@clearviewbea.org and for today's sermon notes my blog site@avedonshow.com