 Good morning, you know as you get older, it's always a question when I get up or my legs gonna go It's like if you sit a while It's like your legs forget how to walk and praise the Lord they worked this time Well, I have the privilege this morning of talking about the characteristics of Jesus love and that's what we see in verses four through six Turn with me if you can to set first Corinthians chapter 13 Those first three verses that are gonna be talked about later Show somebody who has gifts but has never partaken of love and You'll see from those verses. It's kind of a disaster kind of a train wreck Because what really matters is his love in us, isn't it? You know, I remember in the old days. We sang a song. They'll know we're Christians by our Love, right and that's so essential and so important, but just as Jenna said We can't love like that in and of ourselves in my flesh I'm just the opposite of all the characteristics of love that we see in chapter 13 All the characteristics that are found in Jesus. This is the character of Jesus This is who Jesus is and apart from him I can't love like love is described in verses four through six It's only as I die to my flesh and I'm Filled with his love by the Holy Spirit by his power by his grace That I can love the way that I should Let's look at chapter 13 verses four through six love suffers long and is kind Love does not envy Love does not parade itself is not puffed up Does not behave rudely does not seek its own is not provoked Thanks. No evil does not rejoice in iniquity but rejoices in truth and Even as I read that I get convicted. Do you? Man, oh God as of as we go through each one You're gonna maybe sink a little lower in your in your pew Because the truth of the matter is in and of myself. I don't have this kind of love But I'm so thankful that I can be plugged in to real love and that's through Jesus Christ The verse that Jana quoted first John 4 19 we love why Because he first loved us I've partaken of his love when I asked Jesus to be my savior When I asked Jesus to come into my heart and his Holy Spirit comes to dwell in me Then I am capable of loving as he loves as my flesh dies And I get out of the way then his Holy Spirit can shine through me the love of Jesus It's Impossible apart from him to love the way this love is talking about in 4 through 6 We can only love because of his love and when I do accept Christ 2nd Corinthians 5 17 says this therefore if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation aren't you thankful for that? Hallelujah. I'm a new creation all things have passed away all thing how many is all All things have become new Because I'm a new creation in him and he enables me to love with his love The description of his love here is in sharp contrast to everything the Corinthians were That's why he gave them chapter 13 to show them. It's kind of like a litmus test How are you faring in these things? How is your life in these things? How are you doing and as we go through those things? I pray that it won't be something that puts you down and makes you feel bad about yourself But say you know what I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me I can be this picture of love as I die to me and let his life shine through me And I'll tell you what your family is gonna reap from this You're gonna go home and let God's love shine through you to that family Especially when you go home in the house as a rat Everybody's been doing stuff while you're gone To come to go home with the very first thing that it says in verse 4 love suffers long and is kind Isn't it interesting that he linked those two things together? Because honey when I ain't suffering long I ain't kind in that the truth Yeah, when when they make me mad when I get impatient when I get upset Kindness is the last thing that I think about and you know what what you think in your heart is what comes out of the mouth Isn't that the truth? It's not what you put in there It's what's in the heart and it comes forth from the mouth and usually it's not a kind word These Corinthian trick Christians had a hard time with this also Why in the world did love get so warped in us? because of sin because of Satan He wants to rob us of all likeness of the character of Jesus But you know what I thank God that his holy spirit is in me and his holy spirit gives me desire To be like him. It's not in my flesh But as I yield myself to him he gives me the desire. Oh Lord I want to yield myself to you so that you can be that light through me so that you can show that love through me Therefore we're gonna look at the first one love suffers long is patient That's just the opposite of human nature, isn't it? We're impatient This is the first quality that love displays when wronged love is patient And I might add silent Usually when we're wrong, we want to strike back. Don't we we want to get that person back You know sometimes I've shared this with some of you before but my husband is of an age That he's having a hard time hearing and he's having a hard time remembering things and I remember one morning I was doing my devotions. I was sitting in bed and reading the Word of God and the Holy Spirit was convicting me But I wasn't listening, you know, you can not listen when the Holy Spirit speaking He speaks in a still small voice and if I don't have my spiritual ears on I can't hear that small voice And I'm sitting there thinking what's his problem? He can't hear. He can't remember. It's pathetic And I have to deal with it. It's so sad that I have to deal with it Now I'm reading the Bible. I'm having my devotions And I'm sitting there and I'll tell you what pride was just oozing out of me I'm just thinking he's just lame. I just wish he would get with it. Oh Lord, let me pray Lord Lord Make him hear just make him remember and then it won't be so difficult for me Because the problem is when he asked me a question I give him the answer and then he says the question all over again, and I'm like, what's your problem? I just answered you and then he'll ask me the question again Now usually we're in two different rooms. You know how that is We actually need to have a baby monitor so we could talk through the baby monitor But anyway, we're in two different rooms and he asked the question again and the second time I am still patient and nice and kind But the third time that's the changer. That's when I say what is your problem? And he says you don't have to be so mean Or then I ask him about somebody, you know, we both taught High school at the same high school and I ask him. Oh remember so-and-so. No The other day I saw a picture on Facebook of one of our former teachers a guy who was single at the time He came to our Bible study in our home for several months And I saw something exciting that was happening in his life He had a new baby in his life. He didn't have it his wife did but I'm telling honey Look at this. Look at David. He has a new baby. He said who I Said David remember David David that taught at the school when we were teaching there. No You know David that came to our house for months and had Bible study the single guy that wanted to make Christian films remember No You want to slam him up against the wall, you know, well, like I said, I'm sitting in bed thinking How amazing that I can hear how amazing that I can remember and The Lord that day didn't swap me. He just left me alone So the next day I'm having my devotions the same thought came up. It's amazing how it can reoccur. I Just can't believe his hearing and his not knowing not remembering. What is his problem and just like that the Lord said I Could take that from you just like that. I Have allowed you to hear and I've allowed you to remember for a purpose and that's the purpose of Your husband, you ever have one of those Holy Spirit swats Let me tell you in the south we say he took me to the woodshed He gave it to me and then he showed me oh Yeah, you can hear and you can remember but look at this stinking pride in your life And what does it say about pride? Pride comes before a fall and I'm thinking oh god, please I'm sure I'm gonna get all Alzheimer's tomorrow because of that when unjustly treated Love refuses to get angry or resentful when It suffers wounds and injury. It does not strike back And that's our reaction isn't it? Hey, you treat me right? I'll treat you right We heard this recently in this political campaign. They didn't treat me fairly So I'm not gonna treat them fairly you see that's not God's way is it? Jesus what a picture. I want you to turn with me to Isaiah 53 Isaiah 53 if you have your Bibles This is a picture of our Jesus verse 7 He was oppressed and he was afflicted yet. He opened not his mouth He was led as a as a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheet before its shearers is silent So he opened not his mouth He was reviled and he did not revile back Wow, what a picture of God's love God's love all these things that he went through and Yet he kept his mouth shut. I Have a friend who is the pastor's wife of a church It's a little church a little struggling church and recently a couple of ladies Isn't it interesting that in the Bible when you read the book of Acts? It's always the devout women of the city that come against Paul if you notice that the devout women the religious ones and In this particular church this Pastor's wife is really going through it because of two ladies two ladies that don't like things the way they are and Instead of praying about it or going to the leadership and and say I have a problem They've started talking Talking around in the church gossiping you know it says in God's word that God hates those who spread strife amongst the brethren and You know the Lord said to my friend just keep your mouth shut Just let me handle it. That's hard, isn't it? It's hard when somebody's talking against you when somebody's saying mean things and the Lord says just be quiet Just be quiet Just be still and know that I am God and you know that be still literally means let your hands drop Because typically when somebody's coming against us we want to get our hands in the fight Don't we want to get our hands in the pie we want to do something we want to change it and Jesus said can you just trust me? Can you just let go and let God you know when my daughter was murdered? My husband's first reaction in this flesh was I want to kill him and he knew how to do it He's a black belt in some different kinds of karate. I don't even know what they are But he knew how to kill and he said to me I'm gonna take him out in the desert and I'm gonna do this and I'm gonna do that and I'm thinking oh, Jesus Oh, Jesus Well as he was praying that morning the Holy Spirit spoke to his heart and that very verse came to his mind be still and Know that I am God that very verse Literally like I said means let your hands drop and he said his hands were gonna be the weapons and God said let your hands drop Give it up. Give it to me. Trust me. He also turned turned with me to Romans 12 And you'll be there very familiar with this passage Romans 12 verses 17 through 21 listen to this Repay no one evil for evil have regard for good things in the sight of all men if it is possible as Much as depends on you Live peaceably with all men Beloved do not avenge yourselves But rather give place to wrath for it is written Vengeance is mine. I will repay says the Lord Therefore if your enemy is hungry feed him if he's thirsty give him a drink for and so doing you will keep coals of fire on His head do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good And that's what the the Lord spoke to my husband that day. Also. He said Justin your vengeance is Imperfect and impure and incomplete But my vengeance is perfect pure and complete Now I want you to pray for him I want you to bless him as it says in Matthew 5 43 and 44 pray for him and bless him Do you know how hard it is to pray for your enemy? Somebody who has hurt you deeply someone who has hurt your family member your daughter But you know what? That's God's way Letting God take care of it and oh God I don't want that root of bitterness to grow in my heart that root of bitterness that the Bible says defiles many And it's just like Jemma said it's not so much that person that's gonna be hurt by your root of bitterness It's you you're gonna be hurt by that and then you in turn are going to hurt others Love suffers long Number two love is kind The opposite of kind of course is unkind and a lot of times Discontentment leads to unkindness when we're upset with our situation when we can't change things a lot of times That kindness goes out the window To be kind to a person who has done wrong is a triumph of grace You know the day that we went into the courtroom with that young man Because of God's work in my husband's heart. He could say to that man. I Forgive you That's not possible in our flesh But when we're dwelling in Jesus love in his power in his grace He was able to say to that man. I forgive you why because God has forgiven me for so much I can't withhold forgiveness from you and that's what God would have us do the love of God is not only patient But it's kind It showed the greatest kindness was Jesus that he showed to Judas Judas He knew Jesus Judas was going to betray him, you know a lot of times We don't know people that might betray us, but Jesus knew it all and yet he treated Judas with kindness The greatest thing he could do was show God's love and his kindness to that person who hurt him Proverbs 31 26 says this she opens her mouth With kindness with wisdom and own her tongue is the law of kindness. You know what? I'm with Jenna I had five daughters and so many times kindness didn't come forth for my lips It really didn't but you know what? I thank God that I can go to him and ask for forgiveness and one of the greatest things I did for my children was to go to them and say please forgive me Forgive me for letting my tongue speak to you in the way that I did I'll never forget one time my daughter went to hairdresser and the lady made her hair three different colors and When I picked her I was like I paid money for that. I was so upset with her I said you just look like a mangy old dog. Oh My goodness and then as I'm driving home and my anger and my bluster the Holy Spirit got a hold of me Aren't you glad the Holy Spirit gets a hold of you? You know Psalm 139 says he knows the words before they come out and I think God why didn't you stop them? But as I was driving the Holy Spirit convicted me and I turned to her and I said I'm so sorry I said those words. She said mom you really hurt me and I said I'm so sorry You know the sad thing is we can't take those words back. Can we I heard about the little boy that yelled at a sister and his daddy said Son come here. I want to talk to you and he said here I want I want you to take this tube of toothpaste and I want you to squeeze all the toothpaste out Well, the son thought that was just hip hip hooray Daddy never told me to squeeze all the toothpaste out of the tube So he squeezed it out and when he was done his father looked at him and he said son now I want you to put all the toothpaste back in the tube Well daddy that's impossible He said that's what your words are like you can't take them back I remember hearing Ruth Graham Billy Graham's wife she was on a radio program with her daughter Gigi and The man the person that was interviewing her asked her the question said Ruth Did you ever do anything to hurt your children that you felt bad about? She said oh, yes many times. I did things and said things and she said but you know what? I'd do at night. I'd go and I'd pray over my children and I say oh God I just pray that you would just cover cover my sin cover my shortcomings Her daughter sitting there listening to her. She turned to her mom. She said mom. You never did anything wrong She said see God answers prayer Amen Turn with me to Ephesians chapter 4. This is such I just think Ephesians chapter 4 and 5 are just the greatest Chapters ever you might want to spend some time in them, but look at chapter 4 and verse 29 It says let know how many is no Let no corrupt word Proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification that it may impart grace To the hearer. How do you want to be remembered? You want to be remembered for your words? Her words imparted grace to me. Oh But it's only by the grace of God that my words can be those kinds of words Instead of the corrupt words that want to come forth from my mouth Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth and then look at verse 30 and do not grieve The Holy Spirit of God by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all how much is all? bitterness wrath anger clamor and Evil speaking be put away from you with malice and be kind to one or not one another Tender hearted and forgiving one another Even as God in Christ forgave you. I looked up that one verse in Amplified and this is what it said let no foul Polluting language nor evil word ever come out of your mouth But only speech that is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others that it may be a blessing and give grace God's favor to those who hear it. Oh What a good reminder we need to have a little index card and put that a lot of places in our house Whoops don't want to do that put a put a cork on the mouth Okay, back to second Corinthians. I mean first Corinthians 13 He says love Envy's not whoa Have you ever been jealous? I Bet every person in here could raise their hands Because the truth of the matter is that's part of our flesh, isn't it that jealousy that envy it just jumps on you They call it the green-eyed monster and that is absolutely the truth. It is a monster in your life I remember one time I was teaching at the Christian school and every year We would go up to camp and this one year a bunch of my friends were the ones putting people where they would go at the camp And they put me in the dormitory with all the kids with the bunk beds that had plastic on them That's that made noises every time you move and honey when I sleep I move a lot and also the bathrooms really far from those bunk beds and I need one at night I'm telling you what I was so mad at my friends. I say what is the deal here? They put me in there and I'm the oldest one at the school and you know what they put themselves in a nice Place that was just the teachers What's the deal with that and so I'm going up the mountain on the bus with all the kids throwing Skittles at each other and all kinds of mess Would you believe one kid through a skittle from the back of the bus and it hit the bus driver in the eye? Holy moly. Anyway, that's beside the point, but When you're old, you know how that is you ramble Anyway all the way up there the Holy Spirit was doing a work in my heart. This is jealousy Lord, I didn't think I was jealous. Well, yes, you are. I'm just letting you see you are jealous so I get up to the camp and I kind of had it worked out with God and Sure enough I go look at the list and for the afternoon activities and they had me in the Domitory in case some of the girls came back so I could shoe them out What am I going to do in the Domitare where there's nowhere to sit but a bunk bed and you're sitting like this hunched up The other teachers were out with the kids at the lake and walking around and seeing the beauty of God's creation And the only beauty I could see was non-existent in that Domitory and I thought they're doing me in it's a conspiracy What's the deal? I? Got mad again. I mean that happened all the two days that we were there Constantly even the last night. I was so excited kids came to Christ. We were praising God Oh, it was just glorious and we were having a campfire and kids were standing up and giving testimonies glory Hallelujah shouting time and then the enemy had me look around Where are those other teachers? Why aren't they here with us? Oh? I know where they are. They're at the senior party and I wasn't invited That green-eyed monster jumped on me again It's there. It's in us It waits for the moment to spring forth Conviction of the Holy Spirit. Let me tell you what now I want you to look at Galatians chapter 5 and I want you to see what's there because it'll be an eye-opener to you Because sometimes we just think oh, that's no big deal. Well, it is it's Galatians 5 and verse 20 and 21 it's talking about the works of the flesh and It starts talking about idolatry sorcery hatred intentions jealousies Outburst of wrath. Let me tell you sometimes outburst of wrath can come because you're jealous Selfish ambitions dissensions heresies in Why does God keep bringing it up? Because it's an issue in the heart and when that heart is not changed when God's love doesn't take root in our hearts We're going to envy We will begrudge somebody who we think has it better than we do their home their job Their children their husband, maybe maybe you're single. I want a husband like she has a husband What's so good about her? Why did she get that and I didn't are you maybe you're looking at somebody else's husband? Oh, I want that one Hey God knows exactly what we need and husbands are tools of death So you better not wish for some other husband. That's right He's giving you the tool that he knows you need that other one might be a buzz saw you don't want him In that just like our nature we look over she has it so much better It's like standing in your front yard and you look over in your neighbor's grass is greener than yours How come his grass is so green? But I'll tell you the truth if you ever walk over in his yard and look back at yours Yours looks green at a distance too I say it's green where you're watering it, right? You say God knows what you need He gives you the husband. He gives you the home. He gives you the work He gives you all these things that you need because you see he's not seeking to make you comfortable He's seeking to make you eternal That's his plan. That's his plan. He's given you what you have because he wants you to turn to him To look to him to keep your eyes on him and not on the things of this world Not on the things that you might envy that you might be jealous about I have five daughters That's five opportunities for jealousy Oh my goodness They all get jealous isn't it amazing when you get back together with your kids and they're grown And they're still in their little positions as little kids Oh my word And uh, I'll say something nice about one kid Well One of them had one day said to me mom. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry. I said that I'm just jealous She admitted it. That's a work of the holy spirit, isn't it? I can't even talk about my dog to some of them. They get jealous of my dog Jealousy was the seed of the first murder Cain and abel Cain was jealous that god accepted able sacrifice It appears in all of our hearts. It's something that we need to let the holy spirit deal with in us And change us. It's grievous to the lord and I'll admit it's hard to overcome But god can do it in his grace and his strength Number the next one is love does not parade itself No airs Never rude never ill mannered It does not show off. It does not boast or brag. It's not proud and conceited Does not seek to win the praise and the applause of others if you think about Jesus. He never showed off, did he? Let me tell you he had about as much to crow about as anybody But he never did He laid aside his glory and humbled himself turn with me to Philippians chapter two Philippians two And look at verses one through eight Therefore if there's any consolation in christ any comfort of love any fellowship of the spirit any affection and mercy Fulfill my joy by being like-minded Having the same love which is god's love being of one accord of one mind Let nothing be done Through selfish ambition or conceit But in loneliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself Let each of you look out not only for his own interest But also for the interests of others Let this mind be in you Which was also in christ jesus who being in the form of god did not consider it robbery to be equal with god But made himself listen to this Made himself of no reputation Taking the form of a bond servant and coming in the likeness of men And being found in appearance as a man He humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death Even the death of the cross that's jesus Jesus was willing to leave all the glory and adoration of heaven and become a man Like us he humbled himself and even when he got here He didn't try to make himself of any reputation Took the form of a bond server. Remember the last night that jesus was on this earth with his disciples They were having the lord supper and what did jesus do right before they celebrated the the Passover? He washed their feet What an act of servanthood that he would wash their feet and you can imagine those feet I'll work at walking through the streets and sandals and how dirty and gross Men's feet are gross our feet are gross my feet are gross I think that's one of the grossest part on us But he chose that To show his servanthood To be an example to those disciples And do you know that when they left after celebrating the Passover they left on their way to the Garden of Gethsemane? And what were the disciples doing? They were arguing who is the greatest I don't think they got the picture. Do you? Arguing about who is the greatest it says the rivalry among the disciples as to which would be consider the greatest You know that word that rivalry word in the greek literally means the love of victory And that's what it is when I I want to show that i'm better You see we got a little bird inside and it sees one song me me me me That's why when you get a group picture, who do you look for? You you you you Yeah, if it's a good picture of you you go. This is a great group picture If it's a bad picture of you you go delete delete delete. What do we take all the time selfies? Hello It's all about me. It's all about self Jesus said he who is greatest among you let him be as the younger or he who governs as he who serves The younger was of no count no big deal We want to hear from the old guys the wise guys The guys that have prominence. No, jesus said be as the younger The one that nobody even cares about be as that one Proverbs 8 13 says to fear the lord is to hate evil and the evil way To hate pride and arrogance You know these are things that god hates. He hates evil. He hates the evil way. He hates pride And he hates arrogance pride is a conceited sense of our superiority I'm better than she is. You know, we're always looking for somebody we think is less You go into a gym to work out. Who's fatter than me? Gotta be somebody in here fatter than me I I'll never forget we had two short men a short man in our church really short And he hated the faith that the fact that he was short And one time another man came one sunday morning and this man looked at that other one and said I think he's shorter And it made him really happy And we went to visit the new guy And he said, you know, I saw a guy in your church this shorter than me It was really kind of refreshing to see somebody shorter We went to visit the other dude and he says, you know what that new guy that came sunday, he's shorter than me It's all about comparison, isn't it? But god hates that pride. He says he resists the proud but gives grace to the humble And he also says in james humble thyself in the sight of the lord and he will lift you up Now when you go to the next verse it says love is not puffed up Never arrogant but humble giving itself no airs Jesus never showed vanity or conceit or looked down at others He had every opportunity to look down at so many but he didn't do it And we need to humble ourselves in the sight of the lord The next one love does not behave itself rudely or ill mannered It's not rude. You know, we see so much in our world today. Don't we rude? People are just rude. You go to take your kid to the school and the lady in front of you stops her car and will not go And there you are and your kid's gonna be late because Mama, who knows who you are up there has to watch her child walk from the car to the door And it's just a few feet, but she says and stays and checks her cell phone and you're like go lady Well, she's rude But I can respond in a rude way give her that ugly look as you pass her, you know Does not behave itself rudely. How do I treat others? How do I treat others? Am I courteous putting others before myself? You know, it's interesting thing when that me me bird is in control of me That plate comes with pieces of cake What do you do? I got to get the biggest one Before anybody else gets it Or you get in line you want to go to the head you want to go to the front does not behave rudely Next verse says love does not seek its own It's not selfish, but self forgetful Not grasping for your rights. I have my right. I have my right to be first I have my right to be angry They did this to me You know, it's interesting when you get upset when somebody hurts you What do you want to do you want to run to somebody and tell them what so and so did to you? Isn't that the way we operate? I want to say about him I remember that happened to me one time a coach called and she said my daughter just really didn't want to play basketball And I said ma'am that's not true. She has asthma. She's going through a hard time with her asthma right now That's why and this woman just insisted. She just didn't want to play bad enough I got off that phone. You don't touch mama's babies. You know what I mean? I was so mad I could spit nails and I'm thinking who can I call Who can I call who can I call to complain about that woman to tell them what I think of that coach And just like that, but I'm so glad the holy spirits at work and me because I am bad news The holy spirit said you better talk to me You don't run over here and run over there You talk to me and I sat down and I said, okay lord as an act of obedience I'm going to talk to you, but I don't really want to talk to you. I want to talk to a person with skin on them So I can lambast her But I sat there and as I spoke to the lord, he spoke to me He started changing my heart and then I was cooling down and I had it You know it was working the holy spirit was doing a work and the holy spirit said call barney That's weird. That's not that's not me. That's god because I would never call barney Well barney was our neighbor he wouldn't saved And as I'm dialing the number because I knew it was the lord as I'm dialing the number I'm thinking what am I going to say when I call barney And I remembered that barney had cancer and he had had some tests So I thought I'll ask him about the test. So as he answered I said barney, how did the test come out? He said you're not going to believe this now barney wasn't a christian But we were praying for him and he knew it. He said the test came back negative I do not have cancer. I said, oh praise the lord barney. God healed you. He said, I know that's what's a Fellow teacher said to me that god healed me. I said he did barney. We were praying for you. God healed you I was so excited. I got off that phone. Oh glory. Hallelujah. I'm jumping up and down. I'm excited and I thought oh god You're so sneaky You know when I get my eyes back on you then you're able to bless me and cause me to think about Other than attacking that lady God is so faithful, isn't he? Says delight in the lord and he'll give you the desires of your heart And that's a sneaky verse too because when you delight in the lord, he changes your desires. Isn't that great? Okay, we got a hurry. We're almost done Okay, so love does not seek its own. It's not selfish, but self forgetful And you know in isaia 40 God's proclaiming who he is It's an awesome chapter And then he says this he says why do you say My way is hidden from the lord and the justice do me Escapes the notice of my god. Let me tell you something honey. Nothing escapes the notice of your god He knows all about it. He knows everything you're going through and he says so many places He hears your cry when you cry out to him And he's a faithful god. He's a good god. He loves you and he has good things in store for you You just have to keep your eyes on him and trust him. He knows your way and he cares That's the most awesome thing. He loves us with his love Love is not easily provoked not bad tempered Some people say i'm german. I can't help it. I just say what I think Well, you better keep that trap shut When I say what I think many times I'm demonstrating a lack of love This this love is not irritable or touchy I'm in that time Oh Jesus never was vindictive or tried to retaliate. He was never thin skinned or offended We can be easily offended. Can't we paul said this I take pleasure listen to this not in vacations and and Unlimited tv channels He said I take pleasure in reproaches Wow That's when somebody insults you and comes against you. I take pleasure in needs I take pleasure in persecutions In distresses for christ's sake for when I am weak Then I am strong in verse nine of that same scripture in uh second corinthians 12 It says my grace is sufficient for you For my strength is made perfect in weakness And you know what when I read through these verses I see what i'm not And I come to the lord and I say god i'm weak I'm so weak, but I thank you that your grace is sufficient Oh lord jesus give me your strength Next verse thinks no evil. He doesn't keep a record of wrongs suffered with a view of getting even You better just destroy that little black book Where you have all those wrongs suffered by that person Does not cherish the memory list of injustices Love has amazing power to forget and forgive Abraham Lincoln said this he never forgot a kindness But had no room in his mind for the memory of a wrong Wow does not uh This person is saying I choose as an act of my will to forget. Do you know that god chooses to forget your sin? He looks at you. He sees the blood of jesus covering your sin and it says he forgives And he forgets and he removes that sin as if it never happened as far as the east is from the west You know, he could remember it. Of course he could he's god, but he chooses to forget He chooses to let it be out of the way and gone and i'm thankful for that Lastly it says He rejoices not iniquity, but rejoices in truth, you know, sometimes when somebody's hurt us when they get there just Done in we go I was waiting for that. I knew that would happen to them Rejoice is not any iniquity, but it rejoices in truth never glad When somebody gets there just do or when somebody goes wrong Not delight in exposing the weakness of others jannah talked about that love covers a multitude of sin Oh lord, I pray for them. You know a lot we hear a lot today A lot of people failing a lot of christians a lot of Marriage is breaking up men going astray just like she mentioned to us But oh that should never make us rejoice. We should always say oh father forgive them and and strengthen them and bring them back to yourself Because not but for the grace of god there go I and really believe that Listen, we're all capable of anything aren't we we are and we don't have any room to judge anybody else I let let god take care of that Be broken hearted yearn to cover to protect Versus gloating and gossiping about the person who's in sin I love matthew five. It says this blessed are the poor in spirit. You know what that means emptied of self emptied of self blessed are those who mourn over their sin that's saying I'm a sinner. I'm nothing. I need god I need him because I'm a sinner because I can't love as jesus loves The next one says blessed are the meek and the meek says I surrender my rights I give up my rights to you And then it says the blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness You know when you realize that you are emptied of self. You're nothing. I have nothing apart from him I'm a sinner and I depend completely on the righteousness of jesus. I have no rights I give those rights to him When that happens you've been emptied of self And when you're emptied of self Then you're going to be hungry for the right things You're going to be hungry for the righteousness of jesus and the righteousness of jesus is a picture of verses four through six That love that only god can do that love that comes because of the righteousness of jesus And then after we're hungry and we've partaken of his righteousness We've partaken of his life in us. It says we become merciful pure in heart And peacemakers isn't that what you want to be? I want to be that jesus said this in matthew 11 28 come to me All who labor and are heavy laden i can labor wanting to be right wanting to be good But in and of myself i can't i have to come to him come to me All who labor and are heavy laden i will give you rest Have you ever decided one day i'm going to be patient? I did one day i went to a retreat and i got convicted and i went in homes I'm going to be patient this week. I'm going to be patient. That's all there is to it I'm going to have that fruit of the spirit patience, but see i was going to do it myself Well, guess what that was the day my daughter and her little friend who were three years old Took all the puzzles out of our puzzle cabinets and dumped them into one pound And i found that and i wanted to kill two three-year-olds And i'm down there sorting that they ran upstairs and then all of a sudden i listened it was totally quiet Oh my goodness. What are they doing now? I ran up there. They had gone out in the garage and somebody Left the paint can Half open and they had taken paint brushes and they were painting each other And they were painting the walls and the door to the garage and I'm telling you what forget patience These children are gonna get it I was so angry so upset and I thought I can't do it lord and he says that's exactly right You need to come to me Come to me all who labor At trying to be nice All who labor at having a kind tongue All who labor in struggling with envy and jealousy when you see your neighbor's new car all who labor At not behaving rudely not giving them a piece of your mind All who labor come to him I will give you rest Take my yoke upon you for I am gentle and lowly in heart Learn from me and you will find rest for your soul That's what we need in it Resting in him Oh lord, love others with your love through me. Let's pray How we thank you how we praise you and magnify you jesus For all your word that teaches us what love is all about But oh god, we know In and of ourselves. We're insufficient But our sufficiency is in you And we thank you god For your sufficiency and us We thank you for all your blessings to us in jesus name. Amen