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0:58And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned but do not have love, it profits me nothing. Love is patient, love is kind, it is not jealous, love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly, it does not seek its own, it is not provoked, it does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But if there are gifts of prophecies, they will be done away with. If there are tongues, they will cease. If there is knowledge, it will be done away with. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child. When I became a man, I did away with childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, just as I have been fully known. But now faith, hope, love, abide these three, but the greatest of these is love.

2:13Pursue love. We began our study last time looking at the way Jesus loved and recognizing that his command to us is to love each other like he did. That's the new commandment. Of all the commandments, that one John picks up specifically: that we are to love like he did. And so our goal through this study is to use, come to 1 Corinthians chapter 13 and look at verses 4 through 7, where Paul gives a very clear description. Of what love is, and then illustrate that by looking at our Lord, by looking at how he loved and instances from his life to underscore these characteristics of love so that we will know more fully how he loved and loved like he did. But the end goal isn't just to love one another like he loved, that's the obedience to the commandment. But in the process, I want you to see exactly how you are loved by Christ, how you are loved by God. So as we learn to love like Jesus, we inevitably learn how we are loved by Jesus. And so I hope this will be a profitable time tonight. And I ask God to bless our time together. In Mark chapter 3, verse 23, I just want to read something.

4:05The context is Jesus has performed some miracles, and the scribes come up from Jerusalem and they say, It is only by Beelzebub that he casts out demons. It is by Satan He is casting out demons by Satan. And so Jesus calls disciples to himself. And begins speaking to them in parables, how can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. Not, it's probably not going to stand. It cannot. It's impossible. When the internal kingdom is internally divided, it cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.

5:08A house, so if a nation is divided against itself, it's not going to stand. If a house is divided, if husband and wife divided, if children, parents, that house cannot stand. It's ruined. It's over. Look at what Jesus says. But if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand. But look at these last words. He is finished. He is finished. Sometimes I think we lose our focus on what the true spiritual battle is about.

5:54True spiritual battle is about knowing the Christ of Scripture and loving like he did. And as times, dark times increase, it's very easy to have a love grow cold. If the church doesn't like, if members of the church don't like each other, that church is finished. Even if they continue to congregate, it's finished. Loving one another is not an option. It's a command because it's a command for the necessity. It's a command of necessity that without which there is no church.

6:44And so loving like Christ love isn't just a good idea. It's a command for the vitality of the church. And sometimes it's very easy to get to where you just don't particularly like being around somebody. Maybe somebody rubs you the wrong way. Maybe there's a person. Whenever there starts to grow a separation, an indifference, that's moving a church in a divided manner. And so, as we look at the context of 1 Corinthians 13, remember the church, we looked at it last time, it was a church with many divisions. Right? Many divisions. Some are of Apollo, some are of Paul, some are of Christ. There's factions, there are divisions. Some are eating first. They're not waiting for one another. In the Lord's Supper, there is this ostentatious display of spiritual gifts, each outdoing, everyone speaking without waiting in turn to hear.

7:56It's a mess. It's a mess. It's the most dysfunctional church you come to in the New Testament. Church with many divisions. And then in chapter 12 and 14 are a section that are dealing with spiritual gifts, both their uses and the misuses. And chapter 13, right in the middle of this section, we just read it. Love, pursue love, desire the gifts, but pursue love. In other words, it doesn't do any good if you're having great gifts and able to do wonderful things, but if it's not done out of a heart of love for somebody, it's not building anybody up. It's just dividing.

8:39You're nothing. It's worth nothing. If whatever you do isn't for the good of building up the community, it profits nothing. And so in chapter 13, the pride of the church and the immaturity of the church. Are touched upon. And this is Paul's message as he, in chapter 13 and really through the book, he tells them this is what love is. And your problem is you do not love because you are spiritually immature. And so the exhortation that Paul has, pursue love. Go with love. Grow up.

9:26Love each other. Whatever giftings, whatever talent, whatever you have, you use it in a way to edify, build up others. Otherwise, it is nothing, it is worth nothing, it is loud, it is noisome, and you are destroying the church that you're professing to love. That's the context. We began looking specifically at verses 4 through 7 last time. Love is patient, love is kind, and it is not jealous, love does not brag, and it is not arrogant, and does not act unbecomingly, it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

10:20That's what love is. We began looking at verse 4 last time, and I want to just pick up where we are. Remember, love is patient. We looked at that last time. Anyone remember what is the? It's a verb, right? There's actually seven positive verbs in this list, and there are eight negative verbs, eight negatives. But they're all active verbs. We translate them as adjectives or nouns, but they're really all verbs. It's striking as you look at it. Love is something that is in motion. When I say there's a river out there, your mind immediately thinks of something that's flowing, right?

11:12Love is the same way. It's action. It's action. None of these descriptions are stated, they are fluid. Love is like a river. It is doing something. It is going somewhere. That is what love is. It's action. All of these are verbs. And so, love is patient. Do you remember how I translated love is patient? Waiting, yes, it's waiting. Love is waiting. Waiting on so many levels. That's what love is. It's waiting for people. It's waiting on so many levels.

11:55So we're going to look at the next one. Love is kind. Love is kind. I don't know. We're probably just going to do two more tonight. I was hoping to do more. But then I got to looking at them, and I'm hoping that we will finish two. Love is kind. It too is a verb. It's a verb, and it's a present verb. It's something that's happening now. It's kind. It involves two people. It's middle voice, so it involves a person doing it and the person receiving. It is being kind, would be the way you'd probably translate it. Love is being kind. It's not just kind, it's not just kindness, it's being kind. It's being merciful. It's functioning in a helpful manner. That's what love is: functioning in a helpful manner, kindness in action, showing kindness. You get the idea. I would boil it down to one word, and that is love is helping. I'm to translate this and try to catch the sense of the verb. It's helping. When somebody comes alongside to help, what are they doing? They are taking into consideration the situation, and they're there to be of some benefit, to help for the good of the individual. They're there to help. They're not there to tear down or to cause difficulties.

13:30There to ease the burden, lighten the load, help, add something practical, something needful. That's what it is. It's helpful. It's empathy for a person's situation, and then doing something that helps them helps the situation. That's what kindness is, right? Kindness really is helpful, whether it's a word spoken. Sometimes that's what kindness is. Sometimes it's slow in response, slow in getting it. That could be very helpful in a situation. Sometimes it's great help. Sometimes it's small, but it's always something to lighten, benefit, help. It's kindness. That's what kindness is. Helping.

14:23And boy, you really do not see anybody that fits this more than our Lord. You remember the first time Jesus did a miracle? It was in Cana of Galilee. He remember what his first miracle was? Water into wine. Water into wine. Do you remember the context? Where was that? It was a wedding, and they ran out. Let me just read to this. We want to see our Lord. That's why we're doing this. We want to take time to see him. We want to press on to know him. And I want you to see the motivation behind what he does here. On the third day, there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there, and both Jesus and his disciples were invited to the wedding. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, They have no wine. And he said to her, Woman, what does that have to do with us? My hour has not yet come. His mother said to the servants, whatever he says to you, do it. Now, there were six stone water pots set there for the Jewish custom of purification, containing 20 or 30 gallons each. So here's the situation: they're out of wine, public embarrassment. They ran out. They're not able to meet the custom, the need, satisfy guests. It's interesting to see that this is what moves him to act. There's a need, maybe public shame of his friends.

16:08Jesus said to them, Fill the water pots with water. So they filled them up to the brim. And he said to them, Draw some out now and take it to the head waiter. So they took it to him. When the head waiter tasted the water, which had become wine, and did not know where it came from. But the servants who had drawn the water knew, the head waiter called the bride, groom, and said, Every man serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then he serves the poorer wine. But you have kept the good wine until now. This beginning of his signs, Jesus did in Cana of Galilee and manifested his glory, and his disciples believed in him. He was moved out of a desire. Number one, he loved the wedding, he went to the wedding, he celebrated in the wedding.

17:02But he was moved out of the so that his friends, so that those hosts would not be publicly embarrassed. Why this? Just says something about him. Let me take you to a real dark episode in human history and show you where somebody did the exact opposite. You remember Noah? You remember the flood? You remember the whole flood episode. Afterward, Noah and his family come out, a whole new world. And Noah began farming, and he planted a vineyard. He drank of the wine and became drunk and uncovered himself in his tent. Ham. The father of Cana saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brothers outside.

18:08But Shem and Japeth took a garment and laid it upon both their shoulders and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father. And their faces were turned away so that they did not see their father's nakedness. When Noah awoke from his wine, he knew what his youngest son had done to him, so he said, Cursed be Canaan, a servant of servant he shall be to his brothers. He also said, Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem, and let Canaan be his servant. May God enlarge Japheth and let him dwell in the tents of Shem, and Canaan be his servant. What happened there? Well, Scripture isn't really all that clear, except that Ham didn't cover the shame, but he went out to make sport of it. In some way, he brought attention to the shame instead of covering it, instead of covering it.

19:17What a difference. You see the difference in helping Jesus was moved. First miracle. Take you to another miracle of Jesus's in Mark chapter 6 5,000. Let me just read to you a portion of this in verse 33. Okay, so his disciples come back and he says, Let's go to a secluded place. They're very busy. For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. And they went away in a boat to a secluded place by themselves. And the people saw them going, and many recognized them and ran there together on foot from all the cities and got there ahead of them. When Jesus went ashore, he saw a large crowd and he felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. You see, he's about to do one of the most remarkable miracles recorded in Scripture. But what's moving? He's moved with compassion, empathy. He sees a situation and he is moved to help. That's what love is. It's kindness and action. He's going to use his power. He is going to direct that power out of concern for the well-being of others to help the situation that there is. Men, he felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.

21:08When it was already quite late, his disciples came to him and said, This place is desolate and is already quite late. Send them away that they may go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat. He is compassion for them. They need teaching. And now they need food. But he answered, You give them something to eat. And they said to him, Shall we go and spend 200 denarii on bread and give them something to eat? And he said to them, How many loaves do you have? Go look. And when they found out, they said, five and two fish. And he commanded them all to sit down by groups on the green grass. They sat in groups of hundreds and fifties. And he took the five loaves and the two fish. And looking up toward heaven, he blessed the food and broke the loaves. And he kept giving them to the disciples to set before them. It's a remarkable. He took the five loaves, the two fish, looking up into heaven, he blessed the food and broke, and he kept giving. He kept giving. Matter is being created. Little fish. And he breaks bread. He breaks and he gives and he gives and he keeps giving. There's the miracle over and over. He is using his strength. He is using his. Ability to help, to help, and they pick up five, you know, twelve-full baskets of the broken pieces into the fish.

22:46But that's what kindness is: helping, and salvation is just that. It's God's helping hand. Let me read to you Titus 3. Listen to this. I'll just read the context so you get: remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men. For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lust and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. So that's the backdrop.

23:46What happens next? But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appear, when the kindness of God, he doesn't come down and expose All of man's sin puts it out before the parades it out. He saved us. The kindness, he doesn't do what Ham does. He does more what Shem and Japeth did. When the kindness, there's that word, the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared. He saved us not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to his mercy by the washing of regeneration. That's what a foul, stinky, dirty people need. A washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace, we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. How does these foul people become heirs of the Most High?

25:05Somebody needs to help them out because they're not going to get there. And then the kindness of our Lord appears. Kindness of God our Savior. Let's take a moment just to maybe discuss this one. Love is helping. Ham exposed his father's shame, whereas Shim and Japeth covered his shame. How might we do the same for others? Talk to me. We tend to be a people often that if we're not careful, we kind of can get into the gossip, right? Or, wow, that person's fallen down. Did you hear what really happened? Or let me tell you what. And somehow we get this sick sense of being interested and preoccupied with knowing more details about other people's failures or shame, right? Happens all the time in conversation, right?

26:24How might we, instead of exposing shame, how might we be like Shem and Japeth in our day-to-day conversations? Question, okay, in the back, yes. I'm sorry? My father was a person that's a family job. He's changed. And I think that that's something that I have to deal with, you know, talking to him on a daily basis and not. Very good. Abusive situation. Someone has wronged you. And yet that person is forgiven by God. And not bringing it back up and keep bringing it back up and throwing it into a person's face over and over is a real good way to cover someone else's shame, right? Move on. What else? Yes? I think low level is just don't participate in gossip.

27:50Just change the subject, shut it down, and then if you feel led to approach that person in private and say, hey, I heard this, is there something I can do to help? Do not participate in gossip. Yeah. It's not helpful to, you're not loving a person by getting the details publicized where they don't need to be publicized or giving more details that need to, right, and kind of aggravating the situation. That's not helping. Helping is covering, not participating when it goes in a sinful direction. Right?

28:31I have found too that speak up, please. I found too that showing scripture that gives them the right directions when discernment or dissensions are starting to boil, and you see it in conversation or bad things are being talked about by people in the congregation. Then you give them scripture to take time to talk to them and give them scriptures that's what God hates. That's what God hates. So if you go to Proverbs 6, where he has God has a hate list, and one of those are stirring dissensions. Discerning distensions. Yes.

29:14Yes. So write it down for them. Right. I find that's not going along with it and also giving them directions so they'll stop. Good. Now, how do we do this? Now, here's the flip side of this. How do we do this without compromising truth? I mean, there's a way to cover shame. There's a worldly way to cover shame, and what is that? Lie. Blame others. Excuse or redefine sin, or redefine shame. Oh, that's not shameful. The Bible says it's shameful.

29:55So how do we cover shame? Without compromising truth. So that it's helpful. Remember, love is helping. If somebody's caught in sin, the loving thing to do is expose it, right? But in a, or it could be, exposing it, right? In the right setting, right? I'm going to say, in my personal life, I see it as the Holy Spirit convicts me. And others, when I say, others will love me and help me. And the Holy Spirit does it, I mean, because the Holy Spirit exposes it. I know it's there, and I'm a shame already, but the Holy Spirit is so good about your godly friends, I see when they express their love by helping me. Good.

31:03Yes, yes. And sometimes he uses people in that. Yes, very good. Yes. I think you kind of said it when you're asking yourself, I mean, when you're contemplating bringing up something to the person, what you should be asking is, will this be helpful? You know, is it moving in the right direction, or will it be hurtful for that person? Is my participation, is my speech, going to help this situation, bring biblical resolution? To this situation, if it is going to aggravate that, it's a good thing to stay silent. So, good. That was sir. Is there anything else you're going to say? Good. Yes? My dad always said that gossip is telling information to someone who is neither part of the problem nor the solution. Very good. So, I mean, there are times when you do need to get help from people who are able to help. Right. But not spreading it to general knowledge. So, your father's a wise man. What did he say again? It's giving information to people. Gossip is giving information to people who are neither part of the problem nor the solution. To people who are neither part of the problem nor part of the solution. I think that's good. Good.

32:17What are some ways that this manifestation of love can be expressed in the context of the local church? And I'm talking helping, helping. Now, it's with views of the shame, covering the shame. That's obviously the big element that Christ came to do, but also just looking, he met practical needs, didn't he? So, what are some ways that this manifestation of love, love is helping, kindness in action, can be expressed in the context of the local church?

32:51Meal train, yes. Meal train, practical help, that's a good way to help, yes. Way to meet the way of the media, special guests. Going out of your way to meet people that are new, you don't know, need to be connected. Yes. Welcoming guests, showing hospitality. That's probably very helpful, right? We want everybody who comes to these doors to feel welcome. And it's all of our responsibility. But it's helping. It's helping church life. Yes. Yes, sir. During this time, particularly, but not only during this time of COVID, we show our love to people in the church by being caring about people, meaning there are people who have been picked, who are facing difficult times because of sickness or other situations, financially. There are many people without work today, and sometimes we forget how encouraging is to receive a call from one member of the family.

34:15Yes. Yes. Very good. Yes, ma'am. I think often discretion and gentleness need to be a part. Discretion and gentleness. We want to help someone maybe who got actually got fired from their job because they made a mistake or did something wrong. We don't need to announce that to everybody. So-and-so doesn't tell me he got fired because he did not. Send a prayer list and put this on the prayer list. So-and-so got fired. Do you know why he got fired? Pray for him, right?

34:54Exactly. Discretion, yes. Well, good. Okay, well, let's go to the next. Love is patient, love is kind, and it is not jealous. It is not jealous. Let's look at that one: not jealous. So, this is the first of one of the negative statements. Now, again, love is not jealous. It's a verb. Did I tell you that already? All of these are verbs. Love is, and it's active. It's an active verb. So it's present. Love is not being jealous, envious. Well, the word communicates a strong desire for something.

35:46Love is not desirous. Desiring. Love is not desiring. But the idea that the word itself can have a positive sense. Sense, zealous. Zealous. Love is not zealous. It could be a translation in a positive sense. That's if you're zealous for something good. But in a negative sense, the word is speaking about being envious of someone. So what is in this context? It's certainly in the negative. It's talking about it is not jealous. And jealousy is that intense negative feeling over another person's accomplishments, success, possessions, giftings, whatever it may be. But it's this inner negative feeling. When somebody has good news, or when somebody succeeds, or when somebody, whatever, has something, it gets something, is recognized.

37:07And then instead of being happy, there's this, I wish that was me. That's what he's talking about here. Love isn't experiencing negative feelings when other people are blessed or succeed. You know the feeling? You know what I'm talking about? I would put it down as love is not coveting. If I put it into a verb, that's the idea. It's a strong desire, coveting. I want something that you have, whether it's an accolade, whether it's a possession, whether it's a relationship, I want what you have, or I want your affection. I cannot have your affection. It's coveting whatever it is. By the way, just a word on dating. I know none of you guys, that young group is out and doing all kinds of things, so maybe you could pass that on. But once you give your life to Christ, your love really isn't yours to give anyway, so just give it to him and let him do what he wants with it. But love is not coveting, it's not desiring something that belongs to somebody else. As you look through Jesus' life, he did not covet. He did not get these intense negative feelings over somebody else's success. He certainly did not covet satanic glory.

38:44You remember when being tempted, and he, the devil, led him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to him, I will give you all this domain and its glory, for it has been handed over. Over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if you worship before me, it shall all be yours. What's Jesus say right after that? Shall worship thee. No way.

39:15Shall worship the Lord your God and serve him only. He's like, Those kingdoms that you have, he might be lying. Anyway, but whatever domain he is given, and Jesus is like, no interest in coveting that. Jesus did not seek his own glory. See this in John 5. I do not seek my own will, but the will of him who sent me. There is another who testifies of me, and I know that the testimony which he gives about me is true. The testimony which I receive is not from man. I'm not interested in the testimony of man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. He's like, yes, I have a glory. Yes, there are things. The works that I do testify who I am. John the Baptist testified who I am. Scriptures testify. Everything's testifying who I am. And the reason I'm letting you know these things is so that you may be saved. So that you will look to me and be saved. He's not out there intending. Desiring his own glory.

40:37Jesus also did not covet God's glory. Listen to Philippians 2. Have this attitude in yourselves, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although he existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped. He had the glory of God existing in the form of God, and yet it's not something he's grasping. The glory, look what he says in John 17. The glory which you have given to me, speaking to his Father, I have given to them.

41:18Now, there's a guy that's not protecting his glory. The glory that the Father, and boy, that's a deep thought, the glory which you have given to me, I have given to them. Jesus has given his glory to us. It's a whole nother sermon. But he certainly did not covet. So let's talk about these for just a moment. We'll run out of time here. Exodus 20, 17. Let me just read that to you. Just to set the conversation.

41:55Exodus 20, 17. You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor. Is it possible to love someone and at the same time covet something they have? No, you cannot be, right? Right? Coveting is going in the complete opposite direction. What's the opposite of coveting? Helping. Giving, right? Helping, giving, coming out. It's the opposite direction. It's instead of I want what you have, I want to give something to you to help you. And maybe if you've got great news, I want to celebrate that with you. I want to share your joy. Not, well, you know.

43:01How might the members of the Corinthian church have been envious of each other? Spiritual gifts. Spiritual gifts. Yes, that was what those chapters, that's Paul spends a long time about this. Like, you guys are all speaking at once. How is that love? At least listen to each other. Let someone talk. Let them finish their thought. But right now, you're just. And if somebody comes in, guess what? They're going to think you're mad. They're going to think. You are a lot more like the Apollo worship that's going on right over at the temple here than the church of the living God. Yes, Jonathan.

43:39Going in a different direction, do you mind talking a little bit about how this jives with when God says he's a jealous God? Very good question. Let's go to another slide on that. All right, let me just say what Exodus 25 and other texts declare God to be a jealous God, right? And yet, 1 Corinthians declare that love is not jealous. How do we reconcile these thoughts? The origin of the jealousy. God's jealousy originates from a deep-seated love of that which is his. Our jealousy originates from a sinful place, coveting what is not ours.

44:37A holiness. God is holy. God is jealous for what is good and what is right because it is good and it is right to be zealous for what is good and for what is right. Our inclinations, when we are zealous for what somebody else has, when we are jealous, we are coveting. We are wanting, we are zealous for our own sake. So, yeah, God is holy. And yeah, good. Any other thoughts on that? Right. I am a jealous God.

45:22I am a jealous God. It's not good for you to have other gods before me. And I am jealous for that, not just for my own sake, but for your sake. It is good not to have any other gods before me. Marianne. I'm getting better, but sometimes I think that I'm jealous that maybe God loves that person more than he loves me. Oh, the favor. When you start seeing God's favor on somebody else, they seem to be doing having other gifts, greater sphere of influence. Welcome to Corinth, right?

46:14And what is your responsibility when you start thinking? What do we do? How do we, let me see if, okay, yeah, what do we do in a situation like that when you feel that intense negative. And that's a big one. And I think that really fundamentally comes down to an issue that's deep with us. It's God's favor. We want his favor. And then when we see evidences of his favor on others and not on ourselves, we can very easily fall prey to, oh, God doesn't love me. God doesn't. And then that turns into, thanks for reminding me that God doesn't love me. Right?

47:02What do we do? You said it. Repent. First thing, yes. You're not loving that person when you go down that road. You're not loving that person, number one. You're not believing God. And maybe you need to start there. What else needs to be said than the cross? What else that He publicly is exposed for our sin? How much more can the Father express his love? And the question is: I think that one of the first places we've got to repent is: forgive me for not believing what you did on the cross. Forgive me for not trying to make you make another expression of love that exceeds the cross. There isn't one. So we Start by repentance of our unbelief, and then we continue to repent for not loving that person. You're called to love that person. And many times I think we feel like, well, that person should love me, and we're holding out in the church. Well, you're not loving me. And you'll hear this. Well, that person isn't loving me. I have needs. This person, you know what? Even the person with needs needs to love the people around them, right?

48:32Yes. I was just going to give a really practical example that the Lord has said in our life. Just like in the context of the church, a lot of people know our history. We had three miscarriages before we had Vivian and Palia. And, you know, in our own simple hearts, anytime we heard a pregnancy announcement, it's just crushing, you know, because you think, why, Lord? Why isn't this happening? And there can be that struggle of jealousy. And the Lord was so faithful to convict me, personally, convict me of that and to help me work through that, through sanctification, but also in that just being able to basically using the means of serving that person that maybe you're struggling with. So, like, I don't know, for example, maybe I would want to make something for their baby or just something that would help me to serve them.

49:36Right. And so I just that's a very good, very good. Had several miscarriages. You hear somebody getting pregnant, and then all of a sudden you're like, God, why? Why? And a very good practical thing to do something to help, an expression of love, even though you're grieving. It's good to grieve. By the way, I think we try to fix the thing that sometimes is given for our. It's good to mourn over things that are out of order. It's good to be depressed when there's something to be depressed about.

50:09And it's to move you to look to solution and look to the God who saves. And boy, you know, you see that. And as you go through the phases of life, there will be it seems like wherever you're wanting, whatever phase in life, when somebody else starts getting it, you start getting upset, you know. My kid's an honor student at Sam Houston, right? Well, my kid beat up your honor student at, you know, I mean, that's what happens, right? And that's where we go.

50:49Very good example. Thank you for sharing that. Well, we're out of time. It is, Jesus. Jesus obviously coveted God's glory, but I want to leave you with this thought just real quick. Jealousy is a killer. You remember Cain envied Abel, what happened? Death. Jacob's son envied Joseph. What happened? They put him out to die, didn't they? What is the opposite of coveting? Loving, right? Loving. Yeah, loving, giving, loving, giving, helpful. And we already talked. We better land the plane.

51:47Heavenly Father, we do give you thanks for this evening. We give you thanks for your example of love. We give you thanks for your descriptions of love. So, Father, you've made it clear for us of what you expect from us when we are dealing with others. Help us to really love you. Help us to really believe how we are loved. And then help us reflect that love and show that love, especially to other members within this church, especially there. And help our whole lives to be characterized in all of our relationships by the love that. You had for every person, even your enemies. Father, teach us. Go with us now. Bless the weak, we pray. In Jesus' name, amen.