Love is patient and kind

Having set out love as the way of life, modelled on the pattern of Jesus and fulfilling the great commandment to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind, we now begin to take a closer look at Paul’s great description of the attributes of love. Love is, of course, the expression of the work of the Spirit in us. It’s no surprise therefore that we find parallels elsewhere in the New Testament.  In Galatians 5 we see the fruit of the Spirit as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Peter encourages his readers to add to your faith, goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. His reason for this is that if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Put simply: knowing a lot about Jesus is no substitute for knowing him and following him wholeheartedly.

So, if we want to walk in the way of love, to follow the more excellent way Paul talk about, what will that way look like?

Love is patient, love is kind

The first two characteristics Paul tells us about are patience and kindness. All that follows flows from these two attributes.

Patience is about we respond, how we react to people, circumstances, and events around. It is essentially passive. We respond with patience.

Kindness is about we act, it’s our active response to those same things.

It’s hard to imagine being able always to act with kindness if w fail to react with patience. I don’t know about you, but I can’t ever remember being on the receiving end of angry kindness.
Kindness and patience are therefore two key characteristics of a Christlike response to any situation. Paul, in 2 Corinthians goes so far as to say that we prove we are God’s servants when we display patience and kindness among other traits.

Patience

What does Paul mean by patience?

We live in an angry society. Road rage, trolley rage, everything we do seems to have degrees of rage associated with it. But patience isn’t just the simple opposite of anger. Patience is a good translation of the Greek word Paul uses. It means to be long suffering, long-tempered. You might even say that love has a long fuse.

The advantage of a long fuse is that you can put it out before the explosion happens. It’s always useful, for example, that if the bad guys trap you in a mine and intend to blow you up inside it, that they use a nice long fuse so tat you have time to escape the poorly tied ropes, free yourself, and blow out the fuse.

And maybe it’s not just when trapped in an old mine that you need a long, slow fuse.

To be slow to anger is to follow the example of God himself who is regularly described in the Old Testament as slow to anger and abounding in love. Is it possible that if we are to abound in love, to live out Paul’s more excellent way, then the first thing we will need is patience?

Proverbs 15:18: A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel.

Not only is patience slow to get angry, it is also slow to accuse.

Prov. 19:11 says: A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offence.

Remember how quick Adam was to blame Eve and Eve to blame the serpent? Little patience, quick to accuse and very slow to take responsibility. Slowness demands that we take the time to think and then to think again before we start to throw accusations around the place.

Thirdly, patience is slow to assume.

Have you noticed how worked up we get when we make assumptions? Assumptions lead to conclusions that often wrong and inaccurate. Patience is slow to assume. Do you assume someone doesn’t care because they don’t call? Do you assume no one has noticed because they haven’t commented? Have you assumed someone has understood just because you’ve told them? Assumption are dangerous things, especially when made quickly.

So, patience is slow, but it is also submissive.

Heb.6:15 tells us that Abraham waited patiently and in the end he saw the promise fulfilled. David said: I waited patiently for the Lord, and he answered me. (Psalm 40)

Kindness

Kindness is how we act when we’ve been patient. Kindness never flows from anger. Kindness honours others, it encourages them, it blesses. Proverbs tells us that a kind or gentle word turns away anger, and that it cheers the anxious heart; Kind words are like honey–sweet to the soul and healthy for the body

Kindness as outreach

Kindness provides opportunities to do what Steve Sjogren calls “Low risk, high grace” outreach. As we serve people with kindness we:

• Offer them a glimpse of the kindness of God at work through his people
  
• We break down the stereotype of evangelical Christians as those who simply stand in judgement.
  
• We create opportunities to share our story of how we have experienced the kindness of God through Jesus Christ. 
  
• Allow our hearts to be softened towards those whom Jesus misses most. The lost and missing no longer are objects of God’s anger and judgement but people whom he loves and to whom he wants to show mercy and grace.
  

Kindness becomes our strategy for breaking up the unploughed ground in readiness for the seed of the good news about Jesus to penetrate and take root, eventually producing fruit for the kingdom of God.

Conclusion

These first two attributes of love, patience and kindness, are crucial if we are going to make any headway with what follows. Without patience, love will fail, without patience, love will not persevere. Without kindness, envy can easily take root as we become selfish rather than generous. And so it goes on.

So get to work on your patience, manage your anger, seek God’s help to extend your patience and kindness so that he is honoured and kingdom grows through you.

After all Jesus said that if we bear much fruit then the Father is glorified, and who doesn’t want to glorify the Father?

Love is Crucial

If love is the “Killer App” then it makes sense that it is central, crucial to becoming a whole-hearted follower of Jesus Christ. He loved, and he called those who follow him to love like he did.

The opening verses of chapter 13 have a regular refrain to them that goes like this: If I do not have love, then I do not have anything. I have nothing to offer, nothing to gain, and I am in fact nothing at all. Love makes me who I am in Christ. Tongues, prophecy and miracles count for nothing. Self-sacrifice has no value. Love is the most excellent way.

The clanging cymbal and noisy gong would be familiar aspects of pagan worship rituals. Is Paul saying that without love supernatural gifts are little more use than pagan worship?

But what is love?

There are three Greek words typically translated love. In classical literature, Two are used as synonyms but in the NT they are used to mean two different things. One is used to describe the general love shared by people. Family love, societal love. It’s the word which often provides us with part of a word like anglophile, or hydrophile and Philadelphia (lit. brotherly love). The other word came to be used in the NT to describe God’s love for us and our love for God. It’s used here in 1Cor.13 for the “way of love” of which Paul speaks. If you hear preachers talk about agape love, this is what they are talking about.

The Corinthian question

Perhaps the critical question that was being asked by the Christians in Corinth was the kind of question we still ask today. We might be more subtle about it, but I suspect we still want to know the answer to the same question.

This is the question: What the best indicator of my spirituality?

Perhaps the question is even more subtle: What’s the least I need to do or demonstrate in order to show that I’m sufficiently spiritual to be accepted into heaven?

Now we would never say that out loud, but our human tendency to do the minimum required gives away our deep seated values. When we walk this path we are using Jesus to get to heaven and little else. He is not the way of life, he’s simply providing safe passage. In Corinth this leads them to a wrong emphasis on spiritual gifts as the key to spirituality. Whether it was tongues or prophecy, faith or altruism or even self-sacrifice, what we do for God was the heart of their search not who we are in Christ.

Wrong emphases:

Create selfish behaviour
Mislead us
Make the less important the most important
Rob us of possibilities.

Because we are always measuring ourselves against the wrong criteria we end up in the wrong place with God and with each other. In Corinth, tongues, prophecy, self-sacrifice, even faith had superseded love as the ultimate prize.

Are we in danger of the same thing happening to us? Perhaps not over these issues, but what about other things?

Things like busyness: “I’m so busy doing God’s work, that must make me spiritual”

Zeal: “I’m so committed to making sure we’re always teaching unequivocal truth, that must make me spiritual”.

Evangelism: “I’m always telling people how to get right with God, that must make me spiritual”

Worship: “I know all the words to the songs in the latest Spring Harvest book, that must surely make me spiritual”

The truth is that none of these are the true sign of spirituality. Only love is that sign. That’s why it’s crucial.

The way of love and the grace of God

John Ortberg wrote: Living in grace, remembering grace, keeps love alive.

Grace is key to understanding the way of love because it is by grace that we are saved, by grace that we are made alive and by grace that we are loved. We deserve none of these things. Because of rebellion towards God we do not deserve the live (in the day that you eat of its fruit you shall surely die, Gen. 2, 3). We are under judgement for sin.

Because we’ve rejected God’s way, we do not deserve to be loved let alone rescued.

But we are all three. Loved, saved and alive.

Grace makes no sense to our rule dominated, law driven lives. But to God it makes perfect sense. It was the only way we were going to be set free. And so God did for us what we could not do for ourselves and gives to us what we cannot get for ourselves.

The way of love is the sign of true spirituality because it’s the way of grace and that’s the way of God.

Conclusion

The things the Corinthian church prized as signs of true spirituality were no signs at all. But we are not the Corinthian church. But are we better? What do we prize of a sign of spirituality that is in fact nothing of the sort? Do we prize more highly a spiritual gift or ministry.

What would church look like of we prized most highly the way of love as the sign of true, deep, life-transformed spirituality? What would that church look like?

Love is: "The Killer App"

Tim Sanders, once of Yahoo, wrote a book called "Love is the killer app" His basic point was that looking after No.1 is not the best way to get ahead. The Bible has a lot to say about love. God’s relationship with humanity is predicated upon his love for us. Love, according to the apostle Paul is the only debt that should remain outstanding and the first characteristic of the fruit of the Spirit in our lives (Rom.13 Gal.5).  The writer to the Hebrews (10:24) exhorts us to consider how we can stir one another up to love and good works, and Peter (1:22 & 4:8) twice tells his readers to love one another deeply. Returning to Paul, love surpasses knowledge because knowledge puffs up but love builds up (1Cor.8:1) and is the fulfilment of the law (Rom.13 again). In the end, Paul has one way to describe love:

 And now I will show you the most excellent way

Corinth

Corinth was an important city for both the Greek and Roman Empires. It had a reputation as one of the most culturally diverse cities of its time. It’s location made it important as a trade route, offering an easier land route across Greece rather than the more treacherous sea route around the coast. The Corinthian games were second only to the Olympic Games of Athens.

Cultural and religious diversity produced a society measured by the the philosophy you followed, the teacher with whom you associated yourself or the religion you adopted. The problems and challenges that the church in Corinth faced are a reflection of the issues that probably existed within Corinthian culture.

The Letter

1 Corinthians is essentially a letter to a church made up of people who are struggling to get along and set aside their social/ cultural background. Chapter 13 sets out the value of a single virtue, love. With their Roman and Greek philosophical culture, the corinthians would be well used to this kind of narrative. What would have taken them by surprise is the earthy practical nature of Paul’s argument when compared to the ethereal propositions of philosophical debate and discussion.

Putting Chapter 13 in it’s context

In chapter 12 Paul has made his case for a theological framework for correctly understanding the nature and purpose of a diversity of spiritual gifts. In chapter 14, Paul will taken up this line of discussion again. Chapter 13 is a digression with a purpose. If, as is generally agreed, the Corinthian Christians had become fixated on tongues as the only true sign of spirituality, and ranking themselves according to their gifts, Paul is correcting their misunderstanding by pointing out that all gifts are equal in that they all come from God, given in accordance with his plan and for use in the whole body. No one gift is greater than another, no one person therefore is greater than another. But if the gifts are equal, what is their purpose? Paul’s answer is that they are intended to build up the whole body. If that’s the case, then how do you use them to do that?

Chapters 12 & 14 set out the 'how' for correctly using the gifts. Chapter 13 is Paul’s answer to the question: What’s my motivation? How ever you use the gifts it must be in the context of love, of seeking to build each other up rather than promote oneself. “The more excellent way” is not an alternative to gifts, but the true context for them. Love becomes the proper framework in which to explore, exercise and eagerly desire the gifts of the Spirit. Love defines and directs the Christian life.

1Cor.13 and the NT

Where the Sermon on the Mount is an exposition of the Ten Commandments, the Law from God, 1Cor.13 is “a description of that law fulfilled” 

Just Love p11

RT Kendal Just Love identifies three key attributes of 1Cor.13

• Demonstration of love
  
• Description of love
  
• Direction love gives to life
  

For John Wesley, 1Cor. 13 was about the necessity of love, the nature of love and the duration of love.

What Paul doesn’t offer is a sentimentalised view of love. This isn’t in praise of an unattainable virtue, but a realistic expression of a better way to live. The best way to live.

The best way to live

The Corinthian church had some big questions. Among those questions was the issue of spirituality. What is true spirituality? Is it in hidden in special knowledge, is it rooted in which apostle baptised you? Is it in spiritual gifts or patterns of worship, styles of dress? Does it have any bearing on lifestyle or is this physical life irrelevant?

Love is the way to live, to learn, to lead, to laugh and to let things be.

Have you ever wondered how to describe the fullness of life Jesus promised? It’s the way of love Paul describes.

Corinth was a city dedicated to Venus (Aphrodite), the goddess of love. But Paul’s way of love was very different to the normal expressions of love in this city. Love was not naturally linked to self-denial and self-sacrifice, it was purely physical, a matter of pleasure, of self-fulfilment for many Corinthians.

I suspect that many of the things Paul has to say about love are exact opposites of how life was being done in the city and reflected in the church at Corinth. Think about it for a moment, there were law suits but love, Paul says, keeps no record of wrongs; relationship problems, but love perseveres; issues with pride, but love is not proud, doesn’t envy or boast and isn’t self-seeking.
Paul’s picture must have been quite a challenge.

Love is no optional extra that you add on to faith, doctrine and practice.

What’s the contrast?

What’s the contrast to the way of love? If love is the most excellent way, or the more excellent way, then what are the alternatives?

The selfish way. Me first others second
The self promotional way
The suspicious way
Form, image, reputation before heart
The secret knowledge way
The right doctrine way
The best gift way

The duration of this way

How long does this way of life go on? Put simply, it will go on way past all the alternatives. One day tongues will be irrelevant, prophecy not required, knowledge unnecessary. But love will last forever. Not sentimentally as we’ve already said, but as an eternal context for life lived to the full.

Conclusion

This then is the lifestyle to which we aspire. A lifestyle not determined nor defined by what gifts we have, what connections we have or what things we have learnt. Defined rather by how we have lived towards others. 

Have we loved them as Jesus has loved us?

Covenant 2009

Introduction

In both Old and New Testaments the concept of covenant takes a central role. Through covenant, God established a relationship with his people. Early in their history Baptists sought to express their relationship with God and with each other in terms of a covenanted relationship. They promised to walk together as disciples and to watch over each other in prayer.

As we gather today we will renew our commitment to do the same. A commitment to love God wholeheartedly and to love others as we want to be loved.

• We are called to be a worshipping community, offering all to God in prayer.
  
• We are called to be a missionary community, making known the redeeming love of God.
  
• We are called to be a sacrificial community, generously giving from all that God has given us.
  
• We are called to be an inclusive community, sharing the hospitality of God’s Kingdom with all.
  
• We are called to be a prophetic community, challenging powers that oppress and corrupt
  

As a Gospel people, let us covenant together before God and each other:

The covenant we share

As part of our covenant together we share a common vision to build a great church that honours and glorifies God; built on biblical principles; teaching biblical truth; influencing its community; where personal relationships are deep.

We share a common purpose to love people into a deep and growing relationship with God through Jesus Christ, and we share a common mission to know God and to make God known.
We share a common desire: to share God’s heart for the marginalised and oppressed.

All this is expressed through our life together as we gather for worship, ministry and mission.

We are: A people called and set apart by God, who gather together to worship him, serve each other and reach out to the world. We do not do this alone, but together as the community of faith.

Together we commit ourselves to:

Serve the mission of the church: By inviting others to join the journey of faith; by engaging in evangelism

Safeguard the unity of the church:By loving one another; by refusing to gossip; by engaging with and submitting to the decision-making processes of the church

Support the integrity of the church: By developing a servant heart; by living a life that honours Jesus Christ; by believing the statement of faith

Share the responsibility of the church: By giving regular financial support to the church; by attending regularly; by using my gifts to serve.

We pray our covenant prayer together

Covenant prayer

Heavenly Father,
We come today to covenant with you and with each other:

to watch over each other and to walk together before you in ways known and still to be made known.

We give ourselves again to you and to each other

to be bound together in fellowship, and to work together in the unity of the Spirit for the sake of God’s mission.

In our congregation, in local partnerships, in our association and in the wider Union,

we commit all that we have and are to fulfil God’s purposes of love.

Pour your Spirit upon us. Help us so to walk in your ways that the promises we make this day, and the life that we live together, may become an offering of love, our duty and delight truly glorifying to you – Father Son and Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Wesley’s prayer (adapted and slightly modernised)

I am no longer my own, but yours O God.
Put me to what you will, rank me with whom you will.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be employed for you or laid aside for you,
exalted for you or brought low for you.
Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and heartily yield all things to your pleasure and disposal.
And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
you art mine, and I am yours.
So be it.
And the covenant which I have made on earth,
let it be ratified in heaven.
Amen.

Christ has many services to be done. Some are easy, others are difficult. Some bring honour, others bring reproach. Some are suitable to our natural inclinations and temporal interests, others are contrary to both... Yet the power to do all these things is given to us in Christ, who strengthens us.