All right, let's take our Bibles
and turn with me to the book of 1 Corinthians chapter 13.
1 Corinthians 13. As I said in our first message
this morning, I preached on the necessity of love. The Apostle Paul said, though
I speak with the tongues of men and of angels and have not charity
or love, I am become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. When Almighty God is formed in
a person, Christ in you, the hope, the confidence, the expectation
of glory. God who is love is formed in
a sinner. There's a new heart there, there's
a new man there, and that new man is made in glorious righteousness. That which is born of God, Christ,
sinneth not. And God who is love is inside. And there's absolutely no way
that God does not manifest Himself this way. Love. By this shall all men know that
you're my disciples. Not because you preach doctrines
of grace. Men can preach doctrines of grace
and not have love. By this shall all men know you're
my disciples. you love one another. There's
a love for God, as he's revealed in these scriptures, and there's
a love for God's people. That's the sign. How sayeth that
you love God and you hate the brethren? How? You can't do that. Though I have the gift of prophecy,
I understand all mysteries, all knowledge, all truth, I mean
all faith. Though I have all faith that
I could remove mountains, I have not charity, I'm nothing. Though
I have the gift of prophecy. I told the first group, I don't
doubt one second that all the disciples had no idea that the
betrayer was Judas. Why? Because he was doing what
they were doing. They didn't suspect him. Balaam,
read the sayings of Balaam. He was a false prophet. But you're
not going to find one thing that you disagree with. Though I have the gift, the ability,
but I don't have love. Paul said, I'm nothing. I'm nothing.
And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, give my body
to be burned, I don't have love, charity, no profit. Lord, we prophesied in your name. We cast out devils in your name.
We've done all these wonderful works in your name. I never knew
you in mercy, in grace, without love. Service now, I want us
to see what God has to say about what love is. And the way that we know what
love is, is by what it does or it doesn't do. So let's look
at this. I'm gonna start in verse four,
that's where I left off. Charity, love. Love suffereth
long and is kind. Charity envieth not, charity
vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up. Love is long enduring, long
spirited. Love is slow to be aroused, to
resentment. And it patiently bears with being
provoked from others. And it's not quick to assert
its rights. I have the right. Love is long-suffering. And it considers that others
are just like I am. I do and say things that I greatly
regret and think to myself, can't you be patient? Love is kind. It's not easily
offended. It's not ill-natured. It's not
harsh, but it's tender. and compassionate with the faults
of others. And it desires to be useful. It wants to be. It considers
the weakness of others. Again, if the Lord has shown
me something of me, I'm just like everybody else, and everybody
else is just like me. We're all prone to error. the infirmities of this flesh. What love does, being kind, it
wants the best for the objects of its affection. I want the
best for my brethren. I want that. And Lord forgive
me when I don't exhibit that. Love considers They were all
children of the dust. They were frail creatures, prone
to error and prone to mistakes. It's kind, it's courteous is
what it is. Charity envieth not. It doesn't
boil over inwardly. Not love. Now again, there's
an old man in me that does the very opposite of that. And that's
where the battle is. There's an old man that does
envy, that is moved with jealousy, but not love. Love is not zealous
to be against somebody else. I'm going to get you. I'm going
to get you. Not love. It delights in the
welfare of another. vaunteth not itself. It's not
puffed up. What does that mean? It's not
conceited. It's not arrogant, it's not proud,
it doesn't desire to win applause for itself at the expense of
another. I've seen and heard and have
done the same thing. To say things in front of others
about someone else and really wanting to just build me up. Saying, without saying it, you
wouldn't catch me doing that. Charity is not puffed up. Let me ask you this. What do
we have to be proud of? It doesn't, it does, not love. It doesn't have an air. Turn
with me to Philippians 2 verse 3. It doesn't have an air of
superiority. I'm just a little bit smarter
than you are. I'm just not loved. Philippians
chapter 2 and verse 3. Philippians 2 verse 3. Let nothing
be done through strife or vainglory but in lowliness of mind. let
each esteem other better than themselves. Now you think about
this. If every one of us had that attitude about every person
in this congregation, why? Because we loved them. Boy, what
peace there'd be, you know? I'm the low man on the totem
pole. That's love. That's love. It's not, it doesn't
vaunt up, it doesn't puff itself up. Verse 5, it doth not behave
itself unseemly. It's not rude. It's not rude. It doesn't act in a way that's
disgraceful or inappropriate. It doesn't act in a way that
is going to deserve reproach from others. It doesn't act in
a way that it would make someone ashamed, where they're embarrassed
for you. It doesn't act in an indecent
manner. It doesn't act in a way that's
just disrespectful. And the scripture says, it seeketh
not her own. It doesn't seek its own rights,
its own will. It's not selfish. It's not easily
provoked. It's not quick-tempered, not
touching. I've said it's the hardest people
For me, I'll just speak for myself, and you can go ahead and just
think it to yourself. You don't have to say anything. The hardest
people for me to be around is somebody that's high maintenance.
You just got to walk on eggshells around them. You don't even know
what to say. Love is not easily provoked. If I'm easily provoked, it's
just because I'm just easily offended. High maintenance. If I love somebody, I'm not going
to make them walk on eggshells around me. It's not easily provoked. Seeketh not, I'm sorry, thinketh
no evil. Seeketh not her own, not easily
provoked. Thinketh no evil. You know there's not a person
that doesn't have thoughts go through their mind that are not
evil. We're going to say it's not that. But what it does when
it says it thinketh no evil, it doesn't spotlight and bring
out the weaknesses of others. It doesn't bring out... Turn
to Philippians 4.8 while I'm talking. It doesn't bring out,
it doesn't dwell upon. Philippians 4a doesn't dwell
upon the weaknesses of others. Philippians 4a says this, finally
brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest,
whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things
are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, If there
be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. What it means to think no evil,
that is, it doesn't think the worst of somebody else. It doesn't think or dwell upon
or want to talk about. Somebody might say, did you hear
something? I'd rather not. Don't tell me. Don't tell me. I had this happen
to me and I was, it just flew in the face of my flesh, but
I'm thankful that I did say it. Not to say, okay, look at me,
I'm not saying that, but I'm so thankful because I'm so prone
to not do this. Someone said to me the other
day, I shouldn't tell you this, and I said, well then don't.
Whatever it is, please don't. It's going to be on my mind,
and that's all I'm going to think about, and I'd rather not. Please,
thank you. And I think, boy, if I could just do that all the
time, because Mark, I don't do it very often, believe me. It
thinketh no evil. It's going to put the best twist
on somebody. It doesn't want to talk about
or bring up or maul over somebody's weaknesses. Verse 6. It rejoiceth
not in iniquity. It doesn't rejoice when others
fall or stumble or fail. And it's not glad when things
go wrong in someone else's life. And it's not quick to point out
that you're glad they deserve that. Oh, listen. If I got what
I deserved, Believe me, I'd be in a worse mess than I find myself. It doesn't rejoice in others'
stumblings. That's the only thing because
we are so prone. Love doesn't do that. We're so
prone to think when something happens to somebody else, I'm
glad. I told you this, and this came
back to my mind, but this happened to me years and years and years
ago. I was in the 11th grade, and I see about, you know, you
read, hear about these bullies. Well, I was the victim of one
of them, and something happened to that bully, and he died. He died. And buddy, I remember
thinking, Good. Good. Buddy, that was a bad attitude. He never did anything that I
wouldn't have done if I'd have had the opportunity. That's what
I'd have done. Love rejoiceth not in iniquity,
when something happens to somebody else, but it rejoiceth in the
truth. It rejoices in the truth of God's
mercy toward his people, His grace and compassion. I'm so
thankful. I'm thankful that the Lord gave
me a heart. I'm so thankful that I can look out here and see some
people that I'm convinced God's done a work of grace in. I'm
so thankful it rejoiceth in the truth in brethren that are together
and that love one another. And they're found to be thankful
for each other and God keeping us. That's love. That's love. Love, verse 7, beareth all things. What does that mean, beareth
all things? It beareth in silence. It beareth in silence the faults
or troubles and covers. Now that's what the word beareth. It beareth all things. It covers. Conceals. Turn to 1 Peter 4.8. When I say it bears or conceals,
I like that, what we looked at a few minutes ago. It's not wanting
to hear. 1 Peter 4.8. Above all things, Have fervent charity, love among
yourselves, for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. Whenever I perform a wedding, I say a lot of the same things
to each one, but I think, and I got them from Brother Henry,
I didn't come up with them. But one of the things that I
heard him say, and I thought this is so true, I'm talking
to the man and the woman here. I'm getting ready to tell them,
you know, the scriptures declare husbands love your wives as Christ
loved the church and gave himself. One of the things that I bring
out when I say this, I said, you know, she may burn the spaghetti, but nobody else has to know that. She doesn't need to be the butt
end of a joke. It's going to be embarrassing
to her. But love covers, or conceals with silence, all the things
found in others to be stumbling, stumblings, failings. It does
not maliciously disclose them. Proverbs 10.12 says, hatred stirreth
up strifes, but love covereth all sins. It doesn't take notice
of them. It hides them. It's not something
that's made public. Love is defensive. It beareth all things. It believeth
all things. It isn't suspicious. But it gives credit to what men
say in their defense. Again, quoting Brother Henry,
he said, you always take a man, take a woman at what they confess. Because you don't know their
heart. The Lord sees the heart, men
see on the outside. This thing of saying, well I
tell you what buddy, You're not exhibiting characteristic
of a believer. Well, I can tell you this, there's
a lot of times I can guarantee you, you could have said the
same thing about me. It believeth all things. It puts
the most favorable construction on one's situation. If you haven't walked in that
person's shoes, you don't know what you do. That's what I'm
saying. You'd never catch me doing that. Always be ready to defend one's
character. Whenever you start looking at
another one, and you start making judgments. Who art thou that
judges another's servant? Pray for them. Encourage them. Call them up. Give them a word
of encouragement. beareth all things, believeth
all things, hopeth all things. It desires and trusts that the
best would work out for whoever you're with, talking to, talking
about, especially for the brethren. I mean, we desire that the best
would work out. Lord, have mercy. Have mercy. Lord, forgive us. Forgive us our debts as we forgive.
I want the best. I want it to be the best, to
work out. I mean, I've seen some brethren,
and I've been in these situations where things are the most desperate.
And you pray, Lord, help me. Lord, I'm in a dire strait. Like last week, we're looking
at David. Lord, I'm cast down. You know
what a believer wants for another believer? All men, but especially
the household of faith. Oh, I pray the best. And whatever
the Lord pleases to do, that's what the Lord's going to do.
But I desire that. I hope. And it endureth all things. It endures for the glory of God
and for the good of the body. It endures trials and sorrows
and disappointments and hurt feelings and offenses. Love sustains
without complaint the assaults and the persecution and the sufferings
from others. And admits when others say things
that are cruel and unkind. And it's been done to us and
we've done it. We've done it. When somebody
says something, it just hurts. It hurt. It hurt. Love endures the pain, the hurt. When the Lord was reviled, what
did He do? He reviled not again. Why? His meat was to do the will of
Him that sent Him and to finish the work. He did it for God's
glory and our good. They nailed Him to the cross.
He endured that. I lay down my life for the sheep. What a believer will say when something happens, and it's
cruel, it's hard, and probably true. I'm sure it's true. Somebody said, you know something
about me? I think you don't know the half of it. A believer will
say, I needed that. I needed to be reminded of the
sustaining grace of Almighty God. Lord, help me to wait on
you. Lord, help me. I don't want to come back. I
want to have a right. Love does that. Love does that. Again, I admit the battle. Verse
8. Never faileth. Charity is permanent. It endures to the end. God's
people, called by God's grace, they live and they die in the
faith. They die. A believer will die
by the grace of God, loving God and the brethren to whom he's
been knit Charity never faileth. We struggle in this body of sin,
longing to be free from the body of death. That's what Paul said,
O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body
of this death? And one day, by the grace of God, we're going
to be free from this body of death. But love that is of God. The Lord said, love not the world. I'm talking about true love from
above. Love that is brought in the heart.
Love of God and love for His people. It's going to endure. Why? God's going to keep it.
Christ formed in a believer. He's there. The gifts of God,
thanks be unto Him, are without repentance. So the scripture
says, whether there be prophecies, they shall fail. Whether there
be tongues, They shall cease, whether there be knowledge, it
shall vanish away, whether there be prophecies. Well, not only the gift to be
able to speak, but the prophecies in them, they're going to be
fulfilled. All prophecies are going to be filled. They're going to come to an end.
Whether there be tongues, The gifts of tongues that the Lord
gave His apostles to be able to preach in languages that they
had never learned before, it shall cease. I heard Brother
Don Fortner say this one time, he said, tongues, you know, I
know people are doing this right now, but he said, we've got the
Scriptures. They had the gifts of tongues to preach in languages
that they had never learned before. Because the Lord had told them,
you go into all the world and preach the gospel. Now, not only
did he commission them, but he gifted them and gave them what
they needed. They need to be able to preach
in languages, the Medes, the Parthians, the Elamites, those
from Mesopotamia. How do you preach in a language
that you don't know? God gifted them. But whether
there be tongues, they're going to cease. Whether there be knowledge,
it's going to vanish away. The knowledge that we now possess,
clouded knowledge, vague knowledge, that's going to vanish away because
the apostle proved it in these next two verses. Verse 9 and
10, for we know her because we know in part, and we prophesy
in part. But when that which is perfect
come, then that which is in part shall be done away. But when
we're with Him, when we know Him, see Him as He is, what we're
doing and what we're going through and what we know, that's going
to pass away. When the complete and perfect
is brought to pass and seen, when the incomplete is complete,
Then everything else that was before the complete, the incomplete,
you know, is going to be done away with. And continuing to
explain what he's talking about, he says in verse 11, he said,
when I was a child, he's giving an example, what he's saying,
when that which is perfect has come. When we see Him, can I
say it like that, when we're with Him, and that which is in
part, shall be done away. We know him now by faith, but
in that day by sight. He said, when I was a child,
I spake as a child. I understood as a child. I thought
as a child. But when I became a man, I put
away childish things. The walk, the talk, the thinking
that we have right now. The apostle, under the inspiration
of God's Spirit, likens that to children. We're like little
kids. We walk like children, we talk
like children, we act like children. But when that which is perfect, when that glorious day is seen,
when our Lord, Trump of God, sounds, this mortality, change
whether we're in the grave or here when the Lord comes back
and we meet the Lord in the air after those that died in the
faith, see Him, whatever is going to happen. I'm going to tell
you something. Our sight of Him will be perfect and no more by
faith. When that which is perfect has
come, our imperfection Our imperfection of knowledge, our imperfection
of faith, our gifts, talents, you know, are all going to be
put away. Paul says in verse 12, for now we see through a glass
darkly. We just see in a riddle. But then face to face, now I
know in part, but then shall I know even as also I am known. We see like children. That's what he said. We see like
children through a glass dark plane. We see in a way that it's
just too wonderful for us to perceive. We just, we know it,
but we don't get it perfectly. It's just a riddle to us. But
then face to face, he said, I know now in part, I think about these
scriptures and I think as I read how much I don't know. How much I don't know. I heard
Brother Henry say about an old preacher named A.D. Mews. Brother Henry loved it, appreciated
it. He said, Brother A.D. Musial, faithful, faithful preacher,
said one time, he said, you took everything that I know about
the Lord. He said, there'd be more knowledge
or something of a peanut rolling around inside a boxcar. He said,
that would be more than what I know concerning the Lord. I read these glorious truths,
you that know them, is that not so, as John Newton said, with
you? I read these glorious truths
and I think, Lord, like Queen Sheba, half of it, I don't know
half of it. I don't know, I just don't know.
But there's a time coming, I'm telling you. He said, Paul said,
I know in part, But then I will know even as also I am known." How much do we not know right
now? All the glorious truths that
we've been taught for years and years and years. And a believer
said, I just know in part. I just see through a glass darkly.
I know in a riddle. I see and talk and act like a
child. Apostle Paul says in verse 13,
and now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three. But the
greatest of these is charity. is that divine gift. Faith is
a gift. It's a gift. It's a gift that
is given in regenerating grace and power to do this. To believe God. To believe God. Hebrews, turn with me. I'll wrap
this up. Hebrews 11. What does the scripture say about
the faith of Abraham? Hebrews 11a. By faith, Abraham
when he was called to go out into a place which he should
after receive for inheritance, obeyed. And he went out, now
listen to this, not knowing whether he went. Where are you going
Abraham? I'm leaving. Where are you going? I don't know. I don't know. That doesn't make sense. What it does to me, this is what
the Lord has called me to do. The Lord called him to go out
to a place and he didn't know where he was going. It was a
promise. And he believed God. He believed God. What's going
to happen tomorrow? I don't know. Don't you think
you ought to make plans? Well, I can make all the plans
I can think I can, but I can tell you this. I know that one
that rules in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of
the earth is going to work all things out for my good and His
glory. I know that. That's all you got? That's all I got. That's all
I got. Faith. Faith believes God. James 2.23 says, And the scripture
was fulfilled, which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed
unto him for righteousness, and he was called the friend of God. So the Apostle Paul says, God
has given us love, love for one another. We love the Lord because
the Lord first loved us. And we love each other. and all
those characteristics of love. It doesn't puff itself up. It
sees the best in others and wants the best of others. It hides
the faults of others. It covers, conceals, it endures
all things. Faith. We believe God. And faith is this way. It sees through a glass darkly,
but it sees. Faith speaks like a child. I know this. I'll drive home.
I'll do it today. I'll drive home, and I'll think,
I wish I'd said so and so. But I think, I know what I said
was so. But it's just so, to me, weak. It's weak. Faith, but faith,
the scripture says, now abided faith, hope, and charity. these
three, but the greatest is charity. But I can tell you this. Faith
is going to end. It's coming to an end. We will
have it until the moment we leave this world. We'll die in the
faith. I've said I've watched believers
die. I've watched them die. And I've spoken with them, and
you have too. And they had the same doubts
And the same, you know, as we have right now. And I'm convinced
the moment the Lord takes them to themselves, they see. They see. They see Him face to face. And
they're known as they are known. I can't even enter into that.
Now abideth faith. Now abideth hope. What is hope? Well, it is expectation,
and it's assurance, and it's confidence. But I want you to
look at 1 Timothy 1. I really am coming to the end
of this, believe me. 1 Timothy 1. What is hope? Well, what does
God say hope is? 1 Timothy 1. Paul, an apostle
of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and Lord Jesus
Christ, which is, is in italics, so I'm just going to read it
just like it is. Our hope. What is hope? Confidence. It's our Lord who is the object
of our faith. The object of our hope. Hope is that trust, assurance,
faith that our Lord, who is our hope, has entered glory for us. He's entered glory. Hebrews 6.19. I'm going to show you this. Hebrews
6.19. Here's our confidence. What is
my confidence of glory? It's my hope, Christ himself. Hebrews 6, 19 says this, which hope, well,
let me just read 18, 19. That by two immutable things
in which it's impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong
consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope
set before us. The hope set before us, holding
on to Christ. Which hope we have as an anchor
of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that
within the veil." Who entered it within the veil? Our hope.
He's the anchor of our soul. I'm so glad I don't have to put
my anchor and my will in my decision. What is that? But Him who loved
me and gave Himself for me, Him who robed me in His righteousness,
He is my hope. He's my hope. He's my hope of
glory. He's entering into the veil for
me. And He who has loved me and gave Himself for me is entering.
He's coming back. Now abideth faith. Faith is going
to give way to sight. Hope, confidence, it's going
to give way to fulfillment. Fruition. Oh, but love. Faith and hope
will give way. But love, the scripture says,
these three, the greatest of these three is love. These three that have that have
been set forth for a believer, faith, confidence, expectation,
but love. It's going to endure forever.
It'll become more glorious than what we see right now. In the
coming time, we're not going to act like kids anymore. We're
not going to think like kids. We're not going to see like kids.
So we're going to see him as he is and be with him and love
him. We love Him. We say right now
with Peter, Peter, lovest thou me more than
these? And after three times, Peter said, Lord, you know all
things. A believer loves the Lord right now. But I'm going
to tell you something, we love like a child. We love like a
child. But we love. And we pray, Lord,
that I might see You and know You, be with You, and love you
as I ought to love you. Love never fails. Love endures.
I pray God bless it to our heart for Christ's sake and our good.
Amen. Amen. Okay.