The Truth About Love (Part 1)

Let me tell you about biblical self giving love self giving love demands something of ourselves, not from the other person's self giving love is more concerned about the giving than receiving self giving love has no room for pride and self conceit now under the level with you if you hear me talk about self giving love in this amount on the tribe. If you tried naturally to get a fair one because it is an impossibility that Dr. Michael you sent and this is leading the way.

Dr. Yousef is the author of more than 40 life-changing books, including his latest, saving Christianity as we move toward Valentine's Day Dr. Yousef guide you into first Corinthians 13. That way you can see, and you can experience in your relationships, the truth about love and biting God's power and your relationships will actually experience self giving love. Listen with me now is Dr. Michael Yousef begins a leading the way message he's called supernatural love perhaps is no word in the English language that has been more tortured and more twisted perhaps is not another word in the English language that has been more distorted and deformed perhaps is not a word in English language and has been more moderate and misunderstood, misconstrued and misinterpreted. Even perverted like the word love and the truth is that on a daily basis, at least in my life, as I look on a continuous basis.

I see the truth about love seem to come to get deeper and deeper every day. Being read in the avalanche of selfishness and confusion. I don't think I have to tell you this but you I'm telling you the office whenever Hollywood uses the term love in the movies. 99% of the times I was going to a non-9.9% all rechargeable, just in case there's a 1% somewhat.

99% of the times. It is used in terms of selfish ends. And so when the guy says to the gal I love you I need you. I can't live without you. What is he say he is saying I love me and I want you to love me is like the wife.

The point of the pastor was talking about the problem she's having with her husband and she began to talk about some of the problems in the troubles and he said you know finally said look, if you can summarize it in a sentence. What would it be she's a very simple, we both love with the same person him. Another problem is that we see this all around us, but the danger is that we getting used to it, but you know what I can tell you the believers are not immune to this kind of confusion. They are not immune to this type of distortion. This distortion of the real meaning of love because if we keep feeding on this stuff sooner or later we got a big interview. Love is distorted as sooner or later we're going to believe that if God really loves me, then he should do what I asked him to do. Sooner or later.

This type of distortion is gone, the premier Christian homes and even Christian churches. Sooner or later this distorted unselfish view of love is going to premier in every aspect of our lives today. In fact, today there are very few people who really understand who you really really comprehend what biblical love is all about what sacrificial love is all about the really really that many people today think love is is just having that kind of warm affection and or or even romance or desire for public confused fact I remember many years ago and is a really many years ago, a young woman came to me and she said you not been dating this guy and and he told me last week is if you do not marry me.

I'm going to kill myself. She's carrying this huge guilt while couple of years that I'm not a curious guy by nature but couple years later I saw her and and I just couldn't help but man is a $1 million. He did not marry him and and him did he kill himself.

She said no he's married and has a kid. This type of threat is not love that is pure selfishness. Let me tell you about biblical self giving love self giving love demands something of ourselves, not from the other person self giving love is more concerned about the giving than receiving self giving love is more about sacrificing off self for others self giving love is more about the will, rather than the feelings self giving love puts the welfare of others ahead of ours self giving love has no room for pride and self conceit. Now I'm in the level with you if you hear me talk about self giving love in the seminar and I'm gonna try if you try it. Naturally you fail. Why because it is an impossibility because you cannot sustain it in the long run the best of our natural effort to love selflessly will only go so far only supernaturally can we love the self sacrificing love is or how I get that material. The apostle Peter tells us in second Peter because you don't have to generated second Peter chapter 1 verse four, you know what he said that everyone who is in Christ Jesus. Not maybe all possibly know he said you are partakers of the divine nature that you are already a partaker of the supernatural and because the very Jesus whom we claim to know as the Savior and Lord of our lives has already promised to pour his love into our hearts. The Bible said in John 13 verse one is the Bible said about Jesus in when he loved his own. He loved them to perfection was happening that he loved them to the degree and major that he loved them to the limitless of love and if there is one thing that you distinguish the believers from the nonbelievers is not because we try harder.

None on the stent. If there's one thing that distinguishes between those who know Jesus Christ and love Jesus Christ and those who do not.

It should be that selfless love again. John 1334 and 35 Jesus speaking a new commandment I give to you love one another as I have loved you, so you love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, what is this preaching is much as I love preaching going to church being a church member Christian activities. No by this all men will know that you modify what is a distinguishing mark. What is a trademark that that sets you aside that sits me aside if you love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples. What did Jesus say he is saying let that self sacrificial love be supreme. Mark your sick supreme trademark to a claim of my just be my disciple make a bold statement whenever you see a self sacrificing person who's got love in action you are witnessing an obedient child of God.

Whenever you see a loveless person you are seeing a disobedient child of God. I wanted to hit me right you know the extreme importance that I place on right doctrine, biblical doctrine you know of the extreme importance that I place on biblical theology on on on biblical truth, but right biblical doctrine is no substitute for love, did you get that right college or important. As you know I would die for, is no substitute for love church activities and no substitute for love church membership. No substitute for love and a believer has absolutely no excuse for not loving like Jesus to know why I say that because Romans 55 says that you not supposed to manufacture this love because if you try to manufacture morning I can make it and you my packet for little while but can't sustain it.

Romans 55 says you can't manufacture it. You only share what you already have. If you look literally, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given to us is if you don't manufacture.

Love you only share what you've got. You cannot manufacture self giving love you cannot do it.

You cannot produce it no matter how hard you might try you can only share that which God has already poured in your heart. A person without Christ. Whenever he or she tries harder, I'm going to be self sector as I know, that's Christian thing and I know this is the right thing to do and I'm going to try them. I do it in short bursts and I do it for little while but you can keep it going. You know why you know why because when they are constantly have to work at it when you constantly have to manufacture it when you constantly have to sweat it out sooner or later you gonna get exhausted and you going to give up his eyes, not working. I've tried have given it my best. Listen to me. Love is not going will not be manufactured only share because Christ exported into your heart already according to first Corinthians 14 one we ought to pursue love, according to Colossians 314 where to put all love.

According to first Thessalonians 312 we are to increase and abound more and more in love. According to second Corinthians 88 we ought to be sincere in love. According to Philippians 22 we are to be unified in love and according to first Peter 48 we are to be fervent in love and according to Hebrews 1024 we are to encourage one another to love and that is why when you come to the great love manifesto first Corinthians 13 the apostle Paul actually does what Hebrew scholars would say an exaggeration in the Hebrew language known as hyperbole.

He really does he. He goes to an extreme, just to make his point. Turn with me please the first Corinthians 13.

If I speak with tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and knowledge, and if I have faith that can move mountains, but have not love on nothing if I give all my possessions to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Free things in those three verses that the apostle Paul once every believer to understand and protect the heart and to practice first to say that eloquence is no substitute for love. Secondly, is saying expertise is no substitute for love and thirdly, he is saying extravagance is no substitute for love, eloquence is no substitute for love in other Corinthians at that time will Paul writing to them. They were bragging all over the place about that very can speak in tongues that they can speak in different languages but to have loveless hearts and that's what Paul addresses him and addresses this problem.

He said you know if I speak in every known language in the world.

Now that's not even impressive enough if I speak like the angels speak or how the angel speak when the angels appear to people struck me is what the angel said to me. Fear not, what these are awesome creatures when when they come in the flesh and and then when they spoke to Joseph since I fear not. Why, because when they speak if you want to go back as a Warhol what what what what says and Paul said if I have this kind of power that when I speak of is a world with this guy and he is incredible, and they are all struck with the eloquence of his words that he is speaking with the power of angels. He said if I've got all that and have no love means nothing.

I'm just going to sound like a bunch of noise but I wanted to hear me right the best of witnessing the best of our evangelistic techniques. The best of our teaching and preaching the best of our instructing of our children the best of our programs.

The best of our abilities if they are not motivated by love.

According to the word of God's nothing they going to come out like a bunch of noise during the time of the apostle Paul. The people in the in the town of Corinth. They celebrated pagan festivals and celebrated the gods and the goddesses particularly simple and Ann Butkus and Donna since when the celebrated best regards in the rituals of that celebration.

The people always, spoke with ecstatic Nordson and they had the smashing gongs and they have clanging symbols easy. Paul is not making stuff. Are they already know what's going on.

They see the pagan festival in the see how the rituals take place in the trumpets always blowing any saying to the Corinthians that you're familiar with all this you familiar with this language and therefore speaking eloquently speaking another another language speaking, even with angelic language. All that can be only a bunch of noise like you see happen at your pagan festivals in the rituals that takes place bunch of noise if they are not done enough eloquence is no substitute for love.

Secondly expertise is no substitute for love know we often asked the question. You know what this make a person tick.

Now it really saying as well as his motive was her motivation. What is what's her motivation is really doing several years ago the Lord taught me not to ask the question of others, but to ask it of myself. What's my motive often agonize in my spirit for a long time when I'm facing a major decision on my agonizing and my spirit was my motive. My wife would testify to you about this agonizing that I go through in the question that I asked myself what is motivating me and if I get some convoluted motives as most of us probably do. I go back to the Lord and agonize some more and I waited until the Lord clarifies my motive why do I do this so why do I do that because honestly I believe deeply in my heart that if my motive is self-interest. If my motive is self-promotion. If my motive is to take advantage of any kind in the long run. I will not be effective for the Lord in the long run. My effectiveness for the Lord is going to be on the cards you see anybody can start right and you can keep going for a little while. I am more concerned about finishing right and are starting right. My concern is the long view. Just because I'm gifted in some area does not mean that I exercise that gift in an unloving way and expect things to happen but we had that might happen for a little while. Anybody can have a to come will parade you know that is not a big deal here is the short period of time. I wanted to have me right on going to tell you whatever area of giftedness that you have and we all have at least one area of giftedness unless it is done and executed in love in the long run it will not produce fruit.

Paul said, even if I have faith that can move mountains, even if I have faith that performs miracles, even if I have faith that I could doing the spectacular all the time without love. According to the apostle Paul.

All of that will amount to nothing. Eloquence is no substitute for love expertise is no substitute for love. Thirdly, extravagance is no substitute for love. The company probably no more extravagance and emptying your bank account your home, your car, your stocks and bonds and all your net worth in the tech everything you become homeless and just give it all away. He's a given everything to start about everything and basically this is that he gave everything. What if I give it all away.

I said now that's not even my body, which I still got left. I develop as a preventive I got my butt and I let my body burn now is not good enough to be substitute for love know the problem is listen to me carefully. The problem is that so many people confuse sacrificing things with sacrificial love. They really do in our culture. There are so many people who confuse sacrificing things with sacrificial love what I say that because giving things can be a way to ease one's gifts with this good guilt about guilt doesn't matter, but I want to tell you something, and it took me a long time to really understand this, the greatest gift that you can give someone is yourself man that many of us would find it a lot easier to just pay for things by things for kids by things fall wife by things, but what they want that is you is you. You know, throughout history, there been so many groups and some individuals read it in history who have tried to practice self-denial.

This try to practice self humiliation to try to practice self affliction even still today but without love.

All of these things are anything but selflessness.

Why, because the real focus of these what I consider him to be pagan practices. The focus is not God and the focus is not on others. The focus itself. Giving that is not done out of love for God and for others is of little value.

As far as God is concerned. Paul said if I deliver my body to be burned have not love, it profits me nothing you know your people say all die for you die if I die for you now you know what's harder than dying for someone is living for someone is dying to self.

It's much harder to live for Jesus to die. It's much harder to live for somebody else than to die much harder to guide your ideas in your opinion and you way passionate challenged to live and love for Christ. You are listening to leading the way with Dr. Michael you sent. Now we all know that not everyone who listens to this program or this station may know Christ in a personal way supports you and if you'd like to talk with someone about means to live and live for Christ. We would like to have that conversation just start by visiting LTW.org/GSS you'll fill out a short form and you can begin a confidential conversation at your own convenience either electronically or by phone. LTW.org/Jesus Dr. USF passionately proclaims uncompromising truth around the world through radio and television, and satellite radio, and satellite TV and the Internet and other technologies that reach people rightly they live and play and work millions of people all over the world are being introduced to the supernatural love only available through Jesus Christ.

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