Capturing Love's Attention

Repeated don't watch it, don't look at it and read it with soon secret have nothing to do with it.

Imagine applying that standard to our lives, how many movies we have to walk out of how many TV shows could watch comedy songs. Could you listen to on your favorite videos.

Frankly, when we understand the pull statement reflects such a high standard that the American church is so abandoned that if we saw somebody attempting to apply high standard. We think they were out of touch with reality, the websites that you visit the way you spend your money about your feelings toward other people. Do you ever take delight in something bad happening to someone else. This is wisdom for the heart with Stephen Devi Stevens in a series about love from first Corinthians 13 called true love. In today's lesson Morgan will learn what true love delights. Today's message is entitled capturing loves attention. Stay with us. It has been said that a person's true character is revealed in what makes him laugh and and what makes him weep. Probably a lot of truth to that. What is it that causes you to rejoice take take 5 to 10 seconds here and think about the last time you laughed, what was it about. Was it a joke. So many told of the office was at the sum seen on television was a something you read, what puts wind into your sales when you get really excited about when he bumps into you.

You're going to talk about this, whatever it happens to me, it might be you know the weather.

It might be some current Amanda might be the upcoming game next Sunday between Peyton Manning and and Tom Brady. What you get excited about take another five seconds or so and and try to recall when the last time it was when you were really sad, brought about what was it that upset you two for the believer we ought to be challenged with the question, what is it that captivates our interest when we get excited about what is it brings a laugh or tear to her face. What captures our emotions. True love is not interested in the gutter true love does not live off salacious news. It does not long for the latest juicy bit have sin or sacrilege. Let me have it given to me quick what Paul does next. In first Corinthians 13. It will turn there if you haven't already.

As he describes genuine lofty godlike agape.

This is this is a love that imitates Christ, he will reveal to us what captures true loves attention. Notice verse 6 We Find Our Pl. tonight. Love. Speaking of agape, does not rejoice in this sin, unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth. You can translate this love does not delight in anything wrong off-color, dirty, sinful, to delight in wrong what is that mean to delight in wrongdoing, to delight in sin is to respond to sin in the least to three different ways women give them to you. First, to delight in sin is to enjoy sinful actions in others it was easy for all of us to say. Of course I don't delight in sin in church tonight I have a love for Christ. I have a love for holiness. I want nothing more than righteousness to win the day and then go home and watch a program that promotes and encourages and describes evil in such a way that you find yourself cheering on you land on the side of the one in sin.

Here's here's the problem we are so exposed that I think were doled were blunted, but sin is sin.

We we desensitize ourselves by our exposure to things that laugh at or promote fornication and immoral things that exalt money, materialism and crime. Here's the challenge of agape. How's this for a radical challenge when we allow ourselves to be entertained by things promoting sin. We are rejoicing in unrighteousness.

Whether we like to admit it or not, we read that again when we allow ourselves to be entertained by things promoting the sin we are rejoicing in unrighteousness. Let me tell you how far we've come in the wrong direction. Paul wrote to the Ephesians in chapter 5 verse eight walk as children of light for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness and use it.

Why don't do that will work for participate is the same word that we we know very readily as we talk about Christian Fellowship. It's the word point in the don't have any coin. Anita with the deeds of darkness, it simply means to come alongside it means to have a part in don't participate or even come alongside deeds of darkness is what Paul was saying is honest infrastructure for it is disgraceful. So this is disgraceful even to talk of the sinful things which are done in secret, Paul refers to these secret needs as shameful. Here in this text the same word is translated filthy and Titus 111. Imagine this is a standard for genuine love don't have anything to do with shameful deeds done by disobedience in secret known repeated don't watch it, don't look at. I don't read it has anything to do with sin in the secret have nothing to do with it. Imagine applying that standard to our lives, how many movies we have to walk out of how many TV shows could watch comedy songs.

Could you listen to on your favorite radio station. Many videos on YouTube.

Could you look at how long would you be able to listen to talk radio on Monday morning. The average Christian would never consider that they are happy about sin I am not rejoicing in unrighteousness. Frankly, when we understand the Paul statement reflects such a high standard that the American church has so abandoned that if we saw somebody attempting to apply that text and that high standard. We think they were out of touch with reality.

We we think they're a Pharisee we we think they're a pretty good you really want to love God with genuine love and you will love one another with genuine love pulses you won't allow any attachment are willing pleasure in sinful things so to rejoice in unrighteousness is to take delight in the sinful actions of others. Secondly, to delight in sin is to applaud sinful behavior in others kind of obvious right sin. Sin is offensive to God. We we should never applaud or prove of anything that is offensive or greediest to God. Listen when we delight in sin. We cherish and participate in sin, we are delighting in that which offends our heavenly father. It brought about the death of his son.

It dishonors and grieves the Holy Spirit. When we enjoy sin and justify sin applaud sin and approve of sin either in our life or the lives of others.

We prove insensitivity and an utter lack of true love for God. According to Paul, the approval of sin is the final evidence of cultures corruption and irreversible condition. Romans one. Paul catalogs a downward digression of a culture and the refusal to accept the creative handiwork of God. We talked about that earlier today.

Furthermore, the chapter they plunge in a moral and sexual even see in their bisexuality in a homosexual lusts. There filled Paul wrote in verse 20 with all kinds of unrighteousness, wickedness, greed and evil at the end of the paragraph he writes this without understanding. They are untrustworthy they are. Here's the word on the loving, unloving, although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice any list all the sins of their those who practice such things are worthy of death. As they not only do the same but also give hearty approval to those who practice them. In other words, Paul talks about those who not only practice sexual immorality, both heterosexual and homosexual, but they go one more step further in giving party approval to those who practice them.

Can you imagine what this means today about our culture, hearty approval of sexual deviancy to the degree that the school system. Now this country public school system not only allows but encourages children as he did last year to hold a moment of silence in honor of the homosexual and lesbian community is now an annual event. When I found out about last year I got up and encouraged her kids to on that particular day Karen a talk as much as they possibly could.

Can you imagine what this says that about our leaders in this election year, presidential candidates, who in this election year made it clear that homosexual couples should have every right and privilege of married couples and they are scrambling to make sure they are on the record of approving of what God disapproves of John the apostle who wrote during the days when the Roman Empire glorified sexual experimentation. In fact, you want to just go back and read history where the elite Roman citizens considered bisexuality balance, heterosexuality was considered prudish which is becoming all the more popular Arctic you now watch a television show where a woman, a bisexual woman is choosing her lover from among a group of young men and young women who are all vying for her attention. She's gonna make her choice, John was writing to Christians you lived in a like ours. In fact, is was far worse but were catching up in the first century believers lived under the leadership of men like Nero, who publicly married men and women lived when the foundation of the home and virtue was literally being dismantled and dissolved repeated serial divorce and adultery. John wrote to this generation little children make sure no one deceives you the one who practices righteousness is righteous, the one who practices sin of the keyword is practice who loves it follows after longs for it once it who practices sin is of the devil for the devil has sinned from the beginning. First John 346. This is not necessarily the politically correct message for our culture today, but it is the truth. When a culture arrives at the point where Isaiah said people will call evil things, good and good things evil. Isaiah 52.

John wrote don't be deceived. The standard of God's holiness is not shifted right is still right and wrong is still wrong. According to the inspired record of God's truth to applaud unrighteousness does not make unrighteousness right to denigrate and scoff at purity doesn't make purity wrong. If we love God and we love others. We will not practice sin will waive sin under anybody's nose will offer them a bite of sin. We will keep center on the house will pack it in their lunch practice stored on the computer. We will confess sin be grieved over sin fleas sin and hate sin. If anything the church needs to be revived today in its holy aversion to sin fact, according the first 2013. You can't really love God without a disdain for sin because you don't rejoice in it, publicizing ever heard of a man proposing to his girlfriend sweetheart. When one of them want you to marry me because I love you and three other girls. I hope you don't mind if I keep seeing them know true love decides to abandon any other affection like that it will have a disdain for any affection.

It would possibly get in the way of affection for the beloved super posting here, you can have true love for God and your three favorite sins to its him or them. John says don't be deceived into thinking God will happily go along with our unrepentant sin. If we love him we will not rejoice in unrighteousness, because we will recognize. It grieves God.

Paul describes true love he says true love isn't captivated by sin it doesn't rejoice in sin. In other words, it doesn't enjoy sinful things secondly doesn't applaud sinful behavior.

One more. Thirdly, it doesn't delight in repeating sinful deeds, agree with one commentary on this text as this man wrote one of the most common forms of rejoicing in sin is gossip and unite is enough to even your meddling in. I am gossips would do little harm though he writes if they did not have so many eager listeners. This sin which many Christians treat lightly is wicked not only because it unfairly reveals the weaknesses or sins of others and therefore hurts rather than helps, but because the heart of gossip is rejoicing in evil. The essence of gossip is gloating over the shortcomings, or sins of others, which makes gossip, then sin itself. See, we would say we don't rejoice in evil, what is it about our nature that loves to hear stuff that starts with the words. Have you heard that you just lean in closer. Though I haven't have you heard and in and it's never followed up with. He's reading his Bible through the whole year he started praying on the way to work. She's a great mom if you heard the latest answer to one of her prayers to hear us as a travel to strange trait.

Barclay wrote of human nature that we prefer to hear the misfortune of others rather than the good fortune. If we truly love each other than Paul is coming right down to where we live in a phrase that I when I first looked at it. I thought writing that much trouble with this one, but when you look at what it means.

It means we will not take pleasure in the faults and failures of others. In fact, Peter love covers a multitude of what sins I gossip does what uncovers a multitude of sins.

The truth is we delight in gossip because of our corrupt hearts because it makes us all feel a little better a little more superior than this other person who fell or failed with what devastating results in anonymous author wrote these words, I have no respect for justice I maim without killing I break hearts and ruin lives. I am cunning and malicious and gather strength. The older I am alive my victims are helpless they can protect themselves against me because I have no name, no face to track me down is impossible. The harder you try, the more elusive I become, I topple governments direct friendships. I ruined careers cause sleepless nights I make innocent people cry. I make headlines I make headaches even my name hisses. I am called gossip and I am nobody's friend. True love is a refusal to rejoice in unrighteousness. It doesn't enjoy sinful or unfortunate actions in others it doesn't applaud sinful or unfortunate behavior in others it doesn't delight in repeating sinful or unfortunate news of others may quickly flip the coin over as Paul does hear this one. Text will get through this verse tonight. He says love, on the other hand, rejoices with what the truth the truth if you put these two concepts together you could translate verse six love does not delight in anything that's wrong, it delights in everything that is right. Leon Morris paraphrases love is happy wherever the truth is the apostle Paul referred to the truth in a variety of ways. He referred to the truth of God. Romans 37. He said Christ is the minister of truth.

Second, written 67.

He refers to the truth of the gospel.

Galatians 25 were told. The unbeliever suppresses the truth of creation. Romans 118. The unbeliever exchanges the truth for Allied nature is to be revered and worshiped. Romans 125 Paul challenges the believer to submit to the truth even when it's uncomfortable. Galatians chapter 4 verse six, where Paul writes, listen to this. If I become your enemy by telling you the truth. In other words, when Paul writes here in first 2013 that love is rejoicing with the truth he sees love as deeply concerned with the advancement of the gospel and everything related to the pure and holy reputation of Jesus Christ. If you truly love someone, you got a desire than that. They walk with Christ and that they honor Christ according to the truth of Christ.

Very practical way that the guy details his girlfriend. If you love me you will give yourself to me doesn't really love her because he's asking her to abandon the truth guy who says, I love God, but I really don't care about sharing the gospel with anybody is deceived. That's like saying listen, I love my wife and children, but I really don't ever want to talk about and I don't ever want them to come up in conversation, please my wife and my children are private matter which is for me Cuando initiation pictures tell you how old they are, until he was going on in their lives to truly love the truth is to walk in the truth talk about the truth and be interested in the truth rather than to be captivated with stuff like that.

The apostle John wrote to a friend named Gaius. Just listen and notice how often the word truth comes up, fry, rejoice greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth she true love is grieved when people follow after lies in the rejoices when they follow after the truth when they follow after Christ when they seek to surrender the spirit of God, the one who truly loves them will encourage them onward and forward true love pursues and longs for, and applies lives for the truth. Let me close by reading a letter written by a woman in her 50s. She has chosen to walk in the truth of God's word and genuinely love her husband. Despite unique challenges every day.

This woman rejects decisions that would be unrighteous and she chooses to walk in the truth. She writes I met him when I was 19, married him a 20 we were separated when I turned 22 because he was arrested and convicted of a violent crime. He had failed himself, his family, his wife and his future. But he was my husband. I was sad. I was disappointed, mad and frightened, but I stayed with him through weeks of trials is years in jail and now decades in prison why I believe in the covenant of marriage and in God before whom we stood as we took our valves. I am now 50. He is 55. I see them for hours every weekend I talk to him on the phone twice a week for 20 minutes are not deceived or a martyr. I'm not uneducated or desperate, wife. I work have a mortgage, a nine-year-old car to dogs and bills just like everyone else. It's hard sometimes to imagine that I'm only one wife of over 2 million men behind bars not made many friends at the prison. This is a decision made somewhere in here I think I'm supposed to say I believe my husband is innocent that the system didn't work that were victims of whatever but that isn't the point. Yes, I get angry at the situation.

I grieve the loss of many of the normal things others have done.

Like having children and vacations abroad. This is not the life I would've expected for myself 30 years ago and it isn't one I recommend to others. But it is my life at 50 I have come to the conclusion it is not the life I have that defines me. It is the way I choose to live that life. I choose to live it being faithful while you are not going to find this woman story in one of these you know it's it's never going to happen. It isn't anywhere near as exciting as when Jen told Brett. I and a guy who flees it rehab thing that struck thing in the world is not captivated by demonstrations we as the followers of Jesus Christ should be captivated by true love and how do you know if you are, you won't applaud or pursue or repeat anything having to do with sin, you will applaud and pursue everything having to do that is true. Thanks for listening today. I hope this lesson on what true love delights in was helpful to you. This is wisdom for the hearts with pastor and author Stephen Davey.

Today's lesson was called capturing loves attention. We have one more lesson to go in this series and will bring you that next time before we go today. I hope you'll be as encouraged as we were to hear from Gloria, who lives in Virginia. She wrote to say it is truly impossible for me to express how abundantly blessed I am from your ministry. I try to tune in every morning and it dishearten's me when my routine has to change and I missed the broadcast.

It is sheer joy to tune in mornings as I commute to work. I also share your teachings with others and I thank the Lord for allowing you to speak directly to Manny on a daily basis as you possess a remarkable gift of explaining God's word will thanks Gloria and Gloria I want you and everyone to know that when your routine changes and you miss our broadcast on the radio. There are two ways that you can go back and listen each day's lesson as well as the complete archive of Stephen's 35 years of Bible teaching are posted to our website wisdom online.org you can also install the wisdom international app to your phone or tablet. It's all on the app as well. Thanks for listening and join us next time. For more with