Friday, June 16, 2006
"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, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things" (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).
IDEA: Love must be expressed in actions or it doesn’t exist.
PURPOSE: To help listeners understand that love must show itself in actions.
Are you talented?
Are you gifted?
I. Love resembles a talent.
Is a talent “outward” or “inward”?
Love and talent are not merely states of mind or feelings. They are activities.
If love and talents aren’t expressed, would it be fair to say they don’t exist?
Just before he died, Oscar Hammerstein penned some words that he gave to Mary Martin:
A bell is not a bell until you ring it.
A song is not a song until you sing it.
Love in your heart is not put there to stay.
Love is not love until you give it away!
Do you agree?
II. Love must be directed toward individuals in specific ways.
“Loving everyone in general may be an excuse for loving no one in particular” (John Stott).
We are not impressed with the love of other people when we don’t see it any more than we are impressed with a talent that doesn’t show itself in action.
We may feel it difficult to do this for others, but we know how splendid it is when this kind of love is directed toward us.