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I’m whole persuaded that the greatest need of the Church

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of the Lord Jesus Christ today is a fresh outpouring

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and filling of faith and of hope and of love.

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When we are filled with faith, hope and love,

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we will shine like lights in this world

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and people who are in darkness

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will be drawn to the shining light.

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Welcome to, Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith.

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I’m David Pick and glad you could be with us today.

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Colin, where have you seen this play out?

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Well, all around me.

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In the church that I’m privileged to serve as Senior Pastor,

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the initiatives that Christian believers take

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that express the love of Christ in people’s hearts,

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people who go and serve in prison

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and seek to help people who are coming out of prison,

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people who drop everything and will drive to areas

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where there has been a natural disaster

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and will help with disaster relief,

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young mother who started a club after school

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for children that don’t have a place to go.

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It is wonderful to see how God’s people reflect the love of Christ

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by taking initiatives that shine like lights

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in the darkness of the world that is around us.

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Of course, this is why we’re all wanting to grow in love

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so that a reflection of the love of Christ

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may actually become visible to other people who are around us.

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So today we’re looking into the first book of Corinthians,

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chapter 13.

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As we begin our message, love is our greatest need.

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Here’s Colin.

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Last week, we saw that we must grow in love

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because love is our distinct calling.

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Jesus said, a new commandment

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I give to you that you must love one another,

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just as I have loved you, you must love one another.

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By this, Jesus said, by this, by you loving one another,

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all people will know that you are my disciples.

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So this is the distinctive mark,

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the distinctive calling of the disciples

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of the Lord, Jesus Christ.

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And our world, of course,

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is becoming increasingly angry and divided,

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and the natural response to more anger

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and hostility in the world,

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well, it’s gonna be more anger and hostility

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in churches, as well,

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but Jesus calls us to something different.

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Here’s our distinct calling.

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By this, by the fact that you love one another,

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people will know, Jesus says,

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that you are my disciples.

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And our Lord does not present this as an option.

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It’s a commandment,

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a new commandment, I give to you, Jesus says.

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So, love is our distinct calling,

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and as the world becomes harsher and harsher,

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our calling will become all the more distinct.

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That’s why I’m wholly persuaded that the greatest need

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of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ today

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is a fresh outpouring and filling

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of faith, and of hope, and of love.

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When we are filled with faith, hope, and love,

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we will shine like lights in this world,

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and people who are in darkness

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will be drawn to the shining light.

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Now, 1 Corinthians in chapter 13,

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gives us three reasons for pursuing love.

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We looked at the first of these last week.

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Love is essential for effective ministry.

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In the first three verses of this marvelous chapter,

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Paul identifies six gifts

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that are given to Christian believers.

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He speaks to us about eloquent speech,

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about spiritual experiences,

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about brilliant minds, about outstanding achievements,

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unusual generosity, and courageous commitment.

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These are all marvelous gifts from the hand of God.

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But we saw last time that every gift

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brings its own unique temptation.

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And Paul warns us that it is possible

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to engage in ministry without love

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and that if we exercise our gifts without love,

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then we will gain nothing.

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And we noticed how remarkable it is

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that Paul offers himself of all people as the example.

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He speaks in the first person.

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This great apostle says,

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if I do not have love,

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then all of my speaking and all of my spiritual experience,

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nothing more than a repulsive noise,

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and if I do not have love,

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then despite all of my knowledge

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and all of my grasp of theology

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and all of my work of planting churches,

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despite all that, I am nothing, he says.

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And if I do not have love,

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then despite all I have given,

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all I have sacrificed, all I have suffered,

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I will gain nothing.

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And if that was true for the Apostle Paul,

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how much more is it true for me and for you?

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We all need to grow in love

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because love is essential for effective ministry.

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So I’m inviting you to join me in asking God

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that we will grow in love this year,

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that we will pursue this as a priority together.

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If you’re married,

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ask God that this year you will grow in love for your spouse,

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that your love will be deepened,

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that your love will be refreshed

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and that your love will be renewed.

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Now you provide for another person,

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you work, you maintain a home,

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but always remember it’s possible to do these things

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with very little love.

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If you have children,

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ask God to renew your love for your children.

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I mean, you work tirelessly for them.

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You provide for them a home,

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the best education you possibly can,

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but you know, it’s possible to do all of these things

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with very little love.

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If you’re employed,

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ask God that you will grow in love for your colleagues.

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You know, it’s possible to be very efficient,

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very effective at work, but to remain detached,

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and actually to show very little love

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to the people who are around you.

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Think about your neighbors and your friends,

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some of whom will not know the Lord Jesus Christ.

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Ask God that you will grow in love for them.

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You don’t want to be a noisy gong

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and a clanging cymbal when you speak to them.

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And then think about someone with whom you deeply disagree.

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Think now about someone with whom

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you might easily end up in conflict.

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Who is it that comes to your mind?

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Ask God that you will grow in love for that person.

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Ask him that you will grow in love for him or for her.

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And then ask Christ that you will grow

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in love for his church.

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Remember that Christ loves the Church.

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The Church is the bride of Christ

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and He loves her with all of our many

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blemishes and imperfections.

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Ask him that you may grow in love for his Church too.

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And then ask Christ that you will grow in love

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and then ask Christ that you will grow

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in love for a lost world.

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God so loved the world.

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Ask God to deepen your compassion

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for the needs of other people around you

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and then to move you to take initiative

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and to greater endeavour.

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Love is the fountain of all effective ministry

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and effective ministry is impossible without love.

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So, grow in love.

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You’re listening to Open the Bible

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with Pastor Colin Smith

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and we’ve gotta pause our message for a moment.

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The message is called Love is Our Greatest Need

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and we began by looking at reasons

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why we should be growing in love.

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The first is why it’s essential for ministry

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and in a moment we’ll look at a couple of other reasons.

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If you ever miss one of the broadcasts

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or if you want to go back and listen again,

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the easiest way to do that

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is to come online to our website,

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www.openthebible.org.uk

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There you’ll find all the messages

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which have already gone out on air.

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Some people find it’s easier

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to follow Pastor Colin’s teaching in a podcast format

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and those are available on all the major podcast sites.

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Just search for Open the Bible UK

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and subscribe to receive regular updates.

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Getting back to the message now.

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We’re in I Corinthians and chapter 13, here’s Colin.

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Today we’re coming to the second and the third reason

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for pursuing love here in I Corinthians, in chapter 13.

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Why should we grow in love?

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Well, the Apostle Paul makes very clear here

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that love will equip us for life.

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Paul identifies six ways

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in which growing in love will change you

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and equip you for life.

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Let’s look at these wonderful words beginning at verse four.

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Love is patient and kind.

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Now it would be very easy to misread these verses

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and to feel completely and utterly overwhelmed

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by a sense of your own failure

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when you get to the end of them.

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And the good news is that if you have felt overwhelmed

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by a sense of your own failure in reading these verses,

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it is very likely

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that you have not understood them correctly.

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Let me give you an illustration.

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Think with me for a moment about baking a cake.

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The first thing that you need to do

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is to get the ingredients.

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You need the butter and the flour

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and the eggs and the sugar.

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So you get all your ingredients out

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on the counter and you mix them together

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and then you put them into the oven.

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But without the ingredients

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you can’t bake the cake.

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Now, when you read these verses

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it may sound like a list of ingredients.

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Love is patient.

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Love is kind.

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Love does not envy.

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It is not irritable.

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It does not insist on its own way.

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And so, you see, someone might read this

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and say well now this is very clear.

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If I’m to have love, I need to have the ingredients.

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I have to be patient.

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I have to be kind.

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I have to get rid of all envy.

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I have to stop being irritable.

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I have to quit insisting on my own way.

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But here’s the problem.

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I don’t have the ingredients.

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I’m not very patient.

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I’m not very kind.

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I struggle with envy.

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Too often I’m irritable.

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And, in all honesty, I really like

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getting my own way.

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I don’t have the ingredients.

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So then how can I grow in love?

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Well, now, thank God these verses

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these verses are not

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telling us what we need to have

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in order to grow in love.

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What these verses are telling us

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is what love will do for us.

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It’s telling us what love will give to us.

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It’s telling us what we will receive

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when we have love.

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So, please now forget

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the picture of baking the cake

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because that’s not the right way

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to understand these verses.

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And think about a different picture.

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Think about a tree that is

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bearing beautiful fruit

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and now hear these words again.

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Love is patient.

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Love is kind.

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Love does not envy.

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Love is not irritable.

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Love does not insist on its own way.

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You see, this is telling us

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that if you have love you will have

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all of this good fruit growing in your life.

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If you have love and you’re growing in love,

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you will have patience.

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You’ll grow in kindness.

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The more you have love, the more you’ll find

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that you’re not envying

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and not irritable

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and not insisting on your own way.

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The good fruit that love brings

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will flourish in your life as you grow in love.

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Paul is telling us why it is

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that love is the supreme gift.

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Why is this the thing we should be going after?

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Why is it so valuable?

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That’s what the whole chapter is about.

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In these verses he’s telling us

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that love is of supreme value

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because of the marvelous fruit

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that it will bear in your life.

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So I want you to try and take the hope and encouragement

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that is in these wonderful verses that are before us today.

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Some people are going to try your patience.

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I mean, this is just a normal part of life.

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It happens to all of us.

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But when someone tries your patience,

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you’re going to be tempted to be harsh in return.

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But what this is telling us is

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that if you have love,

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you’re going to be patient.

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And if you have love,

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you’re going to be kind.

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In other words, love will actually restrain the impulse

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of your flesh to respond in anger when someone hurts you.

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Love is going to lead you to trust God

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for that person’s repentance.

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And you’ll wait for it patiently

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even if there isn’t any sign of it on the horizon.

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And what are you going to do

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while you’re waiting to see that repentance?

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Well, you’re going to be kind.

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This is how God has loved us.

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It is his kindness that leads us to repentance.

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Love will produce the good fruit of patience

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and of kindness in you.

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They are the fruits of growing in love.

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And then there’s more because that’s just the beginning.

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Look at what he says,

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love does not envy.

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Now again, try and get this settled in your mind.

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This is not saying,

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oh, if you’re going to grow in love,

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if you are going to grow in love,

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well, you have to get rid of all envy.

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No, it’s the other way around.

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It’s saying, if you grow in love,

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you will be delivered from the destructive power of envy.

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And this is really good news

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because somewhere in your life

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you’re going to experience someone being given something

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that you feel should have been given to you.

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You’ll feel that someone else was shown favour,

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that should have been shown to you,

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and that they did not deserve what they received.

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But what we’re learning here is that when that happens

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it’s love that will deliver you

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from the self-destructive power of envy,

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and therefore the more you grow in love,

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the more content you’re going to become.

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Love, in other words, is God’s antidote to envy.

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Love will release you

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from the self-destructive power of bearing a grudge.

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It will enable you to rejoice

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when God gives to someone else

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something that he did not give to you.

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The more you love, the more content you will be.

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And then the apostle goes further.

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He says love does not boast.

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It is not arrogant.

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And here, of course,

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love is dealing with the opposite temptation.

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Envy focuses on what my neighbour has, and I do not.

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Pride, of course, focuses on what I have or what I’ve done

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and my neighbour has not.

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Pride wants other people to see who I am

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and what I have done,

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and love is God’s antidote to pride.

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Love does not boast.

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It is not arrogant.

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Love is going to produce the good fruit

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of humility in your life.

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The more you love, the more humble you will be.

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And then notice what Paul says next.

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Love is not rude, it does not insist on its own way.

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And it’s interesting looking at different ways

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00:18:46,339 –> 00:18:49,099

in which this phrase, rude,

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00:18:49,099 –> 00:18:53,339

is translated in other versions of the Bible.

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The most literal translation

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is that love does not act unbecomingly.

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The old King James Version of the Bible says,

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love does not behave itself unseemly.

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Another way that we might say that

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is love does not behave inappropriately.

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00:19:17,979 –> 00:19:21,640

Now, one writer catches the meaning

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of this very important phrase well

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when he says that,

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love considers the fitness and the propriety of things.

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00:19:32,300 –> 00:19:37,300

It is careful of what would touch painful feelings.

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It is attentive to the courtesies of life.

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Now, the point here is that it’s very easy

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to get so taken up with yourself and your own world

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and what you’re trying to get across

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and what you’re saying or whatever

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that you speak in a way that is insensitive

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and that causes hurt or offense to another person.

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You didn’t intend to do that.

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It’s just that you didn’t think.

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You were so taken up with yourself

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that you didn’t think about how your words

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00:20:16,119 –> 00:20:18,380

would actually affect another person,

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00:20:18,380 –> 00:20:21,079

how your words would land on them.

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00:20:22,400 –> 00:20:26,319

Now, this verse is telling us that love

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is God’s antidote to putting your foot in it.

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We all know the person who’s like a bull in a China shop

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and no one wants to be like that person,

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unaware of him or herself,

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unaware of his or her own impact on other people.

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00:20:50,939 –> 00:20:53,540

And what we’re learning here, and it’s very important,

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is that love will equip you

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00:20:57,739 –> 00:21:02,739

to be able to discern how to come across,

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what to say, how to say it, and when to say it.

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Another way that we might say this today

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is love will help you to grow in emotional intelligence.

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It will equip you for sustaining healthy relationships.

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That’s what’s being meant by this remarkable phrase

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in the statement of the apostle Paul.

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Growing in love will enable you to behave

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and to speak appropriately.

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You’ll learn tact.

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You’ll have greater self-awareness.

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And the reason that you’ll grow in these things

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is that you are more aware of the needs of others

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and you’re less taken up with yourself.

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You’ve been listening to Pastor Colin Smith

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00:21:59,000 –> 00:22:00,380

on Open The Bible

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00:22:00,380 –> 00:22:02,500

and the first part of our message called

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Love is Our Greatest Need.

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It’s part of a series

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00:22:05,719 –> 00:22:08,180

called Growing In Faith, Hope, and Love,

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00:22:08,180 –> 00:22:09,859

and if you’ve missed any of the series

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00:22:09,859 –> 00:22:11,900

or if you’d like to go back and listen again,

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00:22:11,900 –> 00:22:14,619

you can do that by coming online to our website,

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00:22:14,660 –> 00:22:17,239

openthebible.org.uk.

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00:22:17,239 –> 00:22:18,920

There, you’ll find all the broadcasts

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00:22:18,920 –> 00:22:21,060

which have already gone out on air.

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00:22:21,060 –> 00:22:22,780

You’ll also find them as a podcast

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00:22:22,780 –> 00:22:23,900

if that’s a better way for you

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00:22:23,900 –> 00:22:25,880

to follow Pastor Colin’s teaching.

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00:22:25,880 –> 00:22:28,800

Those are available on all the major podcast sites.

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00:22:28,800 –> 00:22:30,900

Search for Open The Bible UK

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00:22:30,900 –> 00:22:33,760

and subscribe to receive regular updates.

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00:22:33,760 –> 00:22:36,420

You can also follow a link on our website

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00:22:36,420 –> 00:22:38,219

to find the podcasts.

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00:22:38,219 –> 00:22:40,819

Also on our website and available as a podcast

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00:22:40,819 –> 00:22:42,319

is Open The Bible Daily,

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00:22:42,520 –> 00:22:44,099

and that’s a series of short

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00:22:44,099 –> 00:22:46,520

two to three minute daily reflections

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based on Pastor Colin’s teaching

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00:22:48,599 –> 00:22:50,719

and read in the UK by Sue MacLeish.

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00:22:50,719 –> 00:22:52,239

There’s a fresh one every day.

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00:22:52,239 –> 00:22:55,819

Many Christians find it’s a great way to start the day.

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00:22:55,819 –> 00:22:58,380

Whether you listen to Open The Bible on the radio,

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00:22:58,380 –> 00:23:00,680

on our website or as a podcast,

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00:23:00,680 –> 00:23:02,400

it’s your generosity that keeps

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00:23:02,400 –> 00:23:04,939

Pastor Colin’s messages available.

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00:23:04,939 –> 00:23:07,239

So thank you for supporting the Ministry.

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00:23:07,239 –> 00:23:09,500

If that’s something you’ve thought about doing

435

00:23:09,500 –> 00:23:12,219

and you’re able to set up a new direct debit

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00:23:12,219 –> 00:23:13,859

to the work have Open The Bible

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00:23:13,859 –> 00:23:16,719

in the amount of five pounds per month or more

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00:23:16,719 –> 00:23:19,699

or a single donation of 50 pounds,

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00:23:19,699 –> 00:23:20,979

we’d love to say thank you

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00:23:20,979 –> 00:23:23,599

by sending you a copy of Gerry Bridges’ book,

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00:23:23,599 –> 00:23:25,400

Respectable Sins.

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00:23:25,400 –> 00:23:28,119

Colin, how is this book helpful for you?

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00:23:28,119 –> 00:23:31,099

Well, I found it helpful in my own life in three ways.

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00:23:31,099 –> 00:23:33,699

I mean, the first is that Gerry Bridges

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00:23:33,699 –> 00:23:36,699

identifies some of these sins that can

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00:23:36,699 –> 00:23:40,819

easily hide in our hearts as Christian believers.

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00:23:40,959 –> 00:23:44,020

You know, you can’t fight against what you don’t see.

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00:23:44,020 –> 00:23:46,540

You can’t confess what you don’t see.

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00:23:46,540 –> 00:23:48,060

So the first thing is to be able to

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00:23:48,060 –> 00:23:49,979

see what might be lurking there,

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00:23:49,979 –> 00:23:52,739

and that’s the great value of this book.

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00:23:52,739 –> 00:23:54,579

So when you’re able to identify

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00:23:54,579 –> 00:23:57,420

what you need to be fighting against more strongly,

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00:23:57,420 –> 00:23:59,520

then the next thing to do is to confess it,

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00:23:59,520 –> 00:24:01,819

to seek the cleansing of the blood of Christ,

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00:24:01,819 –> 00:24:04,739

and then to begin to fight against it.

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00:24:04,739 –> 00:24:07,839

Gerry Bridges has a chapter in here

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00:24:07,839 –> 00:24:10,680

that is absolutely worth its weight in gold,

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00:24:10,719 –> 00:24:13,699

it’s certainly well worth getting the whole book for,

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00:24:13,699 –> 00:24:17,160

Directions for Dealing with Sins.

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00:24:17,160 –> 00:24:19,199

How are you going to deal with the sins

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00:24:19,199 –> 00:24:21,280

that lurk in your heart and in your life?

463

00:24:21,280 –> 00:24:23,939

He gives seven very practical directions

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00:24:23,939 –> 00:24:25,439

that’s worth its weight in gold.

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00:24:25,439 –> 00:24:27,099

So this is a treasure.

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00:24:27,099 –> 00:24:29,760

It really helps us to move forward

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00:24:29,760 –> 00:24:32,199

so we don’t just become an older version

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00:24:32,199 –> 00:24:34,040

of the person we were before,

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00:24:34,040 –> 00:24:36,199

but actually become someone who’s more and more

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00:24:36,199 –> 00:24:37,640

like the Lord Jesus Christ,

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00:24:37,640 –> 00:24:39,959

which is what every Christian really wants.

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00:24:39,959 –> 00:24:42,640

So Jerry Bridges’ book, Respectable Sins,

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00:24:42,640 –> 00:24:44,479

is our gift to you if you’re able to

474

00:24:44,479 –> 00:24:46,839

set up a new direct debit to the work

475

00:24:46,839 –> 00:24:48,619

of Open the Bible this month

476

00:24:48,619 –> 00:24:51,579

in the amount of £5 per month or more

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00:24:51,579 –> 00:24:54,599

or a single donation of £50.

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00:24:54,599 –> 00:24:56,839

Full terms and conditions on our website,

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00:24:56,839 –> 00:24:59,739

openthebible.org.uk.

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00:25:00,599 –> 00:25:03,219

For Open the Bible and for Pastor Colin Smith,

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00:25:03,219 –> 00:25:06,060

I’m David Pick, and I hope you’ll join us again next time.

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Verdict

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Why is Love greater than Faith and Hope?

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Find out next time on Open the Bible.