The One Thing Greater Than Your Gifts | Pastor Jordan Humbarger | Engedi Church

Amen. Amen. All right, why don't you guys go ahead and have a seat. Give God thanks. Awesome. Now you middle schoolers, you guys got your own special thing. You can stay if you want. It's good to have you guys here with us. If we haven't had the chance to meet, my name's Jordan. I serve as one of the pastors here. It really is my privilege to welcome you, whether you call this home or maybe you're checking us out for the first time. Really grateful to have you, if you are. And I want you to know we got some other folks joining us. Our En Gedi Espanol campus is meeting this morning. En Gedi GR is joining us online as well. We have our online community, so we are church in multiple locations. Grateful to be worshiping Jesus beyond these four walls. And we are continuing a series of talks called In Sync, where we are looking at the book of 1 Corinthians and how God calls us as the body of Christ to be in sync with one another. And then when we are, when we are in sync with one another, we are in step with His Spirit so He can continue to do what He wants to do through us, through His people. And over the past two weeks, we were in chapter 12 of Corinthians, talking about the gifts of the Spirit, how God has given you some very incredible, beautiful, unique things in your heart, in your life, that other people don't have. That's a gift to this body. And so grateful for those of you who exercise those gifts to build us up, to build this church up, the body of Christ. If you didn't check out those teachings, you gotta, because it leads into the conversation we have today. And that is, in the church of Corinth, they exercise God's gifts that He had given them. I mean, it was, these gatherings there in Corinth were electric. The singing sounded angelic.

I mean, the preaching was bold and fiery, full of the power of the Spirit and conviction. It was encouraging. It felt like the pastor was talking right to you. I mean, there were healings and miracles going out, words from the Lord to the people. I mean, it was incredible. You can read it, the kind of gifts that they were exercising. But after then they left church, they were suing each other for trivial things. They were sleeping with their in-laws, and they were forgetting the poor, neglecting them, and having their own little separate sections within the church, fighting over a church hierarchy. They were impressive, but very immature. They had all the talent, but, man, were they toxic in their heart. Do you know a Christian, maybe, who's, like, gifted, and everybody's gotta know about it? Like, everybody's gotta know their gift? I mean, they're just, you know, an impressive person. Like, wow, that's an amazing Christian. But they are just insufferable to be around. They're the walking Christian karaoke. They gotta let everybody know their gifts. It kind of reminds me of the gym bro personality. You ever meet these dudes? The gym bros were like, the gym is their personality. Hey, man, you want to go out to eat? I'm counting my macros. I can't. All right, man. Hey, you want to grab coffee sometime? This morning I got a leg and glute hamstring workout. Later I'm going to do a shoulder workout, little man. Get my trapezius medial head, the maximus decimus meridius gladiator muscle. You don't know nothing about it.

It's just a personality. All right, man. Sorry. Cool, dude. These people, they just love to just boast about what they have. Those people, for whatever reason, I always hear people always have the gift of discernment. I'm like, what do you mean by that? Really, they're just being a critical spirit. It's fault finding and gossiping. Did you hear about so-and-so? The Lord gave me discernment for them. We need to pray. No, that's called gossip. You just stop. That was this church, okay? They had the power, but they did not look like the person of Jesus Christ. Had the gifts, not the fruit. And we need to heed the warning of the word of God today so we don't end up like them, climbing all the way up this spiritual ladder only to find out it's the wrong one. So let's go to the end of chapter 12, verses 29 through 31, where Paul gives this transitionary bridge statement leading into the conversation he's going to focus on. And he mentions these gifts that have been given to their church. He goes, are all apostles, are all prophets, are all teachers, do all work miracles, do all have the gift of healing, do all speak in tongues, and do all interpret? These are rhetorical questions. The answer is no. Verse 31, now eagerly desire the greater gifts, because they sure loved greatness there in Corinth, and yet I will show you the most excellent way. Now, to them, they know what that word means. It means the surpassing measure and manner, the tippy top, the peak, the pinnacle.

This was like the greatest of the great. They're like, oh, you're telling me there's something greater than healing and miracles? There's something greater than the prophetic word? Oh, my goodness, what is it? Paul, tell us. We want it. Please, we want it. We want to be great for Jesus. We want greatness, Paul. Please tell us. He goes, all right, I'll tell you. Chapter 13, verses 1 through 3, if I speak in the tongues, the men are of angels. And they're like, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, we do that. But don't have love. I am only a resounding gong or clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing, nothing. The gifts aren't less effective without love, they're empty, nothing. If you're a note taker, this is the title of my teaching and direction we're headed and that is, the one thing greater than your gifts, the one thing greater than whatever God has uniquely given you to steward and to share to the body of Christ. Let's pray and invite Holy Spirit to teach us. Father, thanks so much for your word, thanks that you love your children and you're a good father who has a good plan for us and God, we want to live out that calling, your will, your will, Lord, and so through your word, would you help us to do that? Would you instruct us? Would you challenge us in the areas of our heart we need to be challenged? Would you encourage us in the areas we need to be lifted up in?

Most of all, we want to hear your voice, Holy Spirit, and give us the grace to say yes and obey whatever it is you speak to us today. We pray this in Jesus' mighty name, in church you say, amen, amen. So we saw here at the beginning of chapter 13, Paul kind of lists out here the most impressive Christian resume. This was what the people were all stoked about. This would be what we think in our mind is a super Christian. They got a PhD in theology and they speak the prophetic word of God. They can preach the house down. They got faith to move mountains. They got vision to see where this can go. They have a sacrificial work ethic. They know how to grind. They know how to get stuff done. They pray in tongues and pray for hours a day. You know what he says about this super Christian? The one we'd want to listen to their podcast, or I want to go to that person's church. Hey, sign the book. Please sign my book. Take a selfie with me. You know that kind of person? He's, oh, that's the best pastor. I wish we had that pastor. You know what he says about that person? When they exercise all those gifts without love, they are nada for my quesadilla pronouncing friends in the room. That's Spanish for nothing. They're nothing. Nothing. Zip.

Zero. Zilch. Nothing. Makes no difference, he says. You think you're something? He says, I got news for you from the Holy Ghost himself. You're nothing. Identifying with their gifts, it's terrifying. It's kind of like, you know, imagine a car with a thousand horsepower. I mean, it's got all the power, but it ain't got no steering wheel. That thing's going to crash. He says, that's your lives. You're full of the power of the Holy Spirit, but you look nothing like the person of Jesus Christ. He says, it's dangerous. That's the first thing I want to address to you today that we see in the text. The danger of doing without love. The danger of doing without love. Doing the things God has called you to do. He has clearly called you to do it. Clearly gifted you in this area. Clearly given you this to steward. And yet, if you do it without love, there is a great danger in it. He warns us of that in the text. Now, I do want to clarify, Paul does affirm the gifts, okay? The gifts are good. We talked about that for two weeks. All right? Gifts are good. It's just what's guiding the gifts is what matters, is you can have them, but use them

in the wrong way. And so, at the beginning of the book of 1 Corinthians chapter one, you can go there if you want. I want to give you a couple quick references. In chapter one, verse four, seven, and ten, he makes reference on why he is even writing this letter. And he says, in verse four of chapter one, I thank God for you. He says, I'm so thankful for you. Why? Because you are not lacking in any spiritual gift. He goes, man, you're full of the power of the Holy Spirit. Your gatherings are electric. Man, they are an encounter with God's presence, an encounter with his power. You guys have that. Thank God for that, he says. But I got this against you, brothers and sisters. Verse ten. I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. I mean, this is like a fist slammed down. I need you to listen. I need you to hear this. This is of grave importance. Would there be no divisions among you that you would be perfectly united in mind and thought? And he keeps this theme all throughout because they were a powerful church, but a loveless church. And he says, that's dangerous. It's dangerous to be full of divine power, but to be divisive in person. And it makes an attempt to build up the very kingdom of God, only for it to collapse in the end.

What he's trying to address here is, it does no good to be empowered by the gifts of the Spirit, but then not surrender to the love of the Spirit. It doesn't really do the good you think it's doing when you have the gifts, but not the fruit. And the first fruit of the Spirit is love. It ought to guide all the things God has given you. Because if you don't have this... If you just have the gifts and not the fruit or the love of the Spirit leading you, you begin to twist the things God has given you for your own selfish gain. These gifts that were meant to edify others you use to elevate yourself. These gifts that were meant to strengthen the body of Christ are then used for your own selfish gain and make you more self-absorbed. These gifts that were meant to build up other people you now have used as this thing to build up a hierarchy in your mind that you deserve more attention, that you're somehow better than them, you're more important than they are. He says, that's a problem, church. Can I help demonstrate this? Let me go get something real quick. He says, you want to know what your life sounds like? When you quote all those Bible verses and show how right you are to that person and you tell them how correct you are and yet you do it with a lack of kindness, this is what it sounds like. Hey, well done. Well done, he says. Oh yeah, you can pray in the gift of tongues, you can interpret your tongues but you use your English to curse people out, to slander and to gossip. Well done. Oh yeah, you got the gift of healing, God has used you to heal other people and yet you have a wake and trail of people behind you that are wounded because of your explosive anger. Oh, people admire you, they talk about you, they love how good of a leader you are,

the vision you have, the future for this company and business and where you can take it but you can't even see the people in front of you to love. It's almost like a mockery of an applause. He says, you're nothing. It reminds me of this image of this monkey. You ever seen that with the little symbols? This is what some of our lives look like. We look like this monkey with the little symbol clappers. That's what we look like when we're using the gifts without the love of God. There we go. Gives me time to put this back, too. You just enjoy that right there. You say, no, pastor, that's not me, that's the person next to me. No, surely not. Paul's trying to address something here. I want to address it here, too. Don't confuse, don't get confused with spiritual activity, with spiritual intimacy. Two very different things. Your life can be full of noise to the outside world and yet not be near God. You can lead Bible studies and still not be being led by the Lord. But you can be full of noise to the outside world and yet not be near God. You can lead Bible studies and still not be being led by the Lord. You can lead Bible studies and still not be being led by the Lord. You can serve here at church on Sunday, and I hope you do. I pray you would use your gifts to build up the body of Christ. But you do it just to be seen. And not really to see other people who need the gift and love that you have to give and bring. You can do it in all the wrong ways. You can be used by God and yet be unknown by God. That is the sad reality, church.

You can do things in the name of Jesus but not in the way of Jesus. And Jesus warns us of this in Matthew 7, verses 21-23. He says, Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not, what, prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not perform many miracles in your name? And what does he say to these people? Then I will tell them plainly, I never knew you away from me, you evildoer. How terrifying is that? That you could be used with the most captivating gifts of the Holy Spirit and yet have a cold, dead heart inside. Used by God but unknown to him. Terrifying, church. It is a scary reality to be a tool used in God's hand but not a child, he knows. I pray that would not be so with you and I. For we see the story of how that plays out with the disciple Judas. We saw Judas was empowered by the Holy Spirit, empowered by Jesus himself to perform healings, to preach the gospel, to set people free from sins, to even drive out demons. And yet the very one who was driving out demons couldn't drive the devil out of his very own soul. It is a terrifying reality, church, to be used by God and yet not to know him. But I'm so thankful that we see, even in the horrifying example of Judas, the danger of using the gifts without love. There's another example we have, with a person full of wisdom, full of the Spirit of God,

full of the voice of God, full of everything that is God because he was God incarnate himself, Jesus Christ. And even though he had every gift given, every gift he could exercise, he laid them down as a servant of all. And he filled his life with love for one another. And he didn't use these things, his miraculous powers, to build the status of his own, but he used it to save sinners like you and I. He didn't use it for his own ego to build and elevate himself, he used it so he could rescue the enemies of God, which Romans declares are you and I. Jesus Christ demonstrated the love of God on the cross. dying for us he showed it wasn't just miracles that you need it's me he says you can look in the gospels he did miracles and people flee and still leave there are simply signs pointing to the greatest miracle and that's divine love has come down for you and i and has taken upon our sins on the cross so our lives could be transformed that's the greatest thing right there the love of christ that's what transforms can i talk to you about that divine love let's keep this going let me talk to you about the description of divine love we see that continued here in our text the description of divine love it's in verses 4 through 8 of first corinthians 13 it goes love is patient love is kind does not envy it does not boast it is not proud it does not dishonor others it's not self-seeking it's not easily angered it keeps no records of wrongs love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth it always protects always trusts always hopes always perseveres love never fails any of you hear this at your wedding before say it in your vows you got maybe you got it on your walls at your house maybe in your bathroom you know right above the toilet you know the bible verse love is or something like that this is my mom this is my mom written all over the text my mom's house is full of bible verse pictures everywhere i mean every room you go it doesn't matter where you're at there is one you can't miss them and i remember i started counting them what they were saying and i saw a theme i said mom you know how many blessed signs you have in this house no honey how many i said 13 you got 13 different blessing signs i don't think anybody can enter my mom's house and leave without being blessed let me just tell you all right i mean it's cute this verse is cute but i i have unfortunate news for us this this verse is

not written as you know a couple's romance this is a communal rebuke this is a rebuke he's saying this because they are not this he's getting them to see you remember that surpassing measure that greatest way the most excellent way he goes this is it and you're not doing this that's why there's eight negatives of the description of love here it's presenting a mirror to this church that this is what you need to be looking like you got it all wrong you're focused on the wrong thing he says and and in the greek these are verbs these are action-oriented habitual ongoing doings not just feelings all right love is not just a feeling okay oh i just feel like i love you okay well show me uh it's describing here that christian love christ's love is shown not just sentimental you can't just claim you love somebody you got to show it you ever meet those people you know you're you're in a big argument wherever and they just said well i love you well you got a funny way of showing it let me just tell you you know it's not sentimental it's not measured in the emotions you claim well i just feel like i love you well the actions display it that's what we see here these are all actions of love actions we assume because we feel that emotion that they experience it but that may not be the case and what i love about this uh description is is it finds its fullness in jesus christ jesus fulfilled all these before it was even you know written down with ink and pen by the apostle paul inspired by the holy spirit it was lived out through flesh and blood in jesus christ and he lived out every single one of them he was patient till his to his non-listening disciples over and over again he was kind to those who spoke ill words of him he wasn't self-seeking but he sought the father's will for you and i he rejoiced with truth and preached boldly the kingdom of god for sinners like you and i he lived this stuff out he didn't keep a record of wrongs against us but he nailed it to the cross that he would die on once and for all jesus lived this list out it is love that ought to be shown shown in our lives god could have wrote up in the sky if he wanted you know because he put all the stars in sky he could arrange some you know move some around to say this is god i love you little heart he could have done that but what did he do he sent his son jesus christ to show us the love of god he made it real he demonstrated it he proved it by the giving of his son jesus christ by taking upon our sins being a sin offering for you and i he showed it love must be shown it's not just sentimental and these these corinthians weren't getting it they thought love is a secondary thing i need to use my gifts i need to i need to do something great with my life he says you want to know what

greatness is verse 13 he ends the conversation and chapter with it these things these three things remain faith hope they're important and love the greatest is love corinthian church and getty church church of america you want to do something great with your life be loving like jesus christ make sure everything you do is empowered and equipped by his love that's the most powerful impact you can make in your marriage and with your kids no you don't need a better job a higher elevation in your work greater opportunities you need to be more loving like jesus christ that's the greatest thing you could do The greatest act of service you can bring to your family, to your work, to your people, to yourself, to be more loving like Jesus Christ, to show his love. Christ's love is the greatest gift we can give. Jesus tells us that. He says, you wanna be the greatest of all? He tells his disciples, they're like, Jesus, yeah, yeah, yeah, we wanna be on your right and left. He goes, you wanna be great? Come here, listen in. Be a servant of all. That's how you know you're great. Show love. Show servant sacrificial love. That's greatness right there. There's a short film called Dying Out Loud with the story of Stan, who was a Christian who moved all the way to Turkey to witness to these Muslims. And he was empowered by the Holy Spirit with the gift of healing there. And so these Muslims are coming up, you know, sick, diseased, real physical ailments and issues,

you're not being able to hear, just real things. And we have real record of them being healed miraculously. The Spirit was using them to heal these Muslims as he was testifying of Jesus. And you wanna know what was happening after they got healed? They go, thanks, and then they leave. Oh, time to continue on my merry way. Time to stay in my own religion that I'm in still. They got healed by his gift, and then they left. And it wasn't until later on that Stan ends up getting stage four cancer, and he begins to suffer. And through his suffering, he continued to love and pursue these Muslims, and they hear about that he has cancer, and even in his sickness, in his dying moments, he is loving and caring for them. And they're dumbfounded. They're like, how can this be? How is he not terrified to die? Why does he care more about us than his very own life? This isn't making sense to us. And then eventually Stan dies, and these Muslims that had experienced this power, this miraculous power, the Spirit through him, end up giving their lives to Jesus Christ, why? Not because of the healing, but because of the love of Jesus Christ they experienced through him. That's the greatest gift you can give, church. The greatest thing, the greatest pursuit you can have, giving the love of Jesus Christ.

Some of us, we keep downplaying it. The love of Jesus Christ is the greatest thing you can bring and give, the greatest type of identity you can adopt. Some of us, we think in our lives, I just wanna be a great something, fill in the blank. A great such and such. I'll tell you what, if all I'm ever known for is being a good and gifted pastor or preacher, I have failed at what matters most. We have failed at what matters most. If all you have is good, gifted, great something next to it. It is if our families, our spouses, our kids, those closest to us that we had the sacred privilege to share and do life with would say, I saw Christ loving them. I experienced Christ loving them. They made the love of Jesus Christ real to me and felt to me and it changed my story. That is the testimony we ought to hear. That is gonna be the story of ages we will share in heaven of Christ's love, of his glory and what his love can do. Not what we achieved but what he did at the cross. Show that love. That's the greatest thing you can do. That's what he's gonna measure you by when you stand before him on the throne. So where's the spirit convicting you

to show the love of Christ? We're in this list and boy, this list is a doozy. There's probably plenty of it. It's convicting. We're in this list, verses four through eight. Is there something you know? Holy Spirit's highlighting in your heart right now. Yeah, God, you got a grip on me in that one. I need to lay this part down. I'm not loving like that. Help me, Lord. Help me, Lord. Come on, if there's one thing you walk away with today, I pray it would be that. I pray it would be a humble spirit of looking at this list and saying, Lord, would you do this in me? Would you do this in me? Well, let me help you in case if we want us to get past that part. Verse five, love does not dishonor others. It's not self-seeking. It's not easily angered and keeps no record of wrongs. Love is not self-seeking. Let's put that into practice. You could be a part of TREAD to help you have a not self-seeking love. You can sign up, head to our website, gettychurch.com slash TREAD and let's show the community let's show up and show them we care

about the needs of the broken, the most vulnerable around the world and we're gonna declare, we're gonna run for Jesus. We're gonna declare his love by participating and being generous. Come on, that's one way you can practice. Let's do it. Let's show up and do it. Let's show the love of Christ. I'll give you another way if you're like, I'm not into running. Okay, we got an Ngeti Jail ministry you can be a part of. We go to Ottawa County and Kent County Jail to reach the most broken, the institutionalized and we go and we get to preach the gospel to them and help engage in a moment of worship for them and pray over them and talk with them. And I was just talking with Cam, one of our security team members and he jumped into this. He was like, I don't have any experience. I've never been to jail, but he's been there. And he says, man, God is moving in my heart and moving in these men. Go there and love on him and pray for him. And it's so cool to see what God is doing because he's showing the love of Christ. God shows up. Get connected. Go to our info kiosk in the lobby.

Get connected with that. Come on, there's something you can do. There's a way you can show the love of Christ, church. Maybe you need to forgive somebody. It's to keep no record of wrongs. That's not to say you just let abuse go on by, you just ignore when they do wrong, but it's keep no record of wrongs. It's the way you view people. Don't just let the list define who they are. God has said who they are. Worthy of dying for, for the giving of his son. You know, maybe you got a group chat and you're just firing away all this gossip and slander about this person. They don't know who they're messing with. I'll tell you what, I didn't always follow Jesus. I'm gonna go BC on them before Christ. They must forgot I'm gonna live on the west side of heaven. They don't know what kind of G I can be. They better, you know, we're typing. Well, I'm just venting. No, you are resenting that person. You need some help in this moment, all right? You pray for this person. Stop with the gossip. Come on, we're screenshotting offenses, archiving, got a list of archived reasons why they did us dirty. How about we do what Jesus did with us?

Bury those mistakes down deep into the ground, into that tomb, and come up to new life and forgive them like Christ did us. How about we throw their sins as far as the east is from the west, just like Christ did with us. How about we throw those sins into the sea of forgetfulness, just like Christ did us. How about we nail them to the cross, just like Jesus did once and for all with our sins. How about we try that for once? Maybe you're in a place where it's not forgiving others. You gotta forgive yourself. And you got a list and record of wrongs you have against yourself. And you replay in your head over and over all the ways you've messed up. There's no way God could forgive me. No way God could use me. No way the Lord could redeem a situation like this. I've messed up one too many times. I am stuck in this addictive cycle. I'm stuck in this dysfunctional mess. There's no way I can get through. I'm tuning out even of the words this pastor's saying right now. I'm not even listening, I'm done. My mind is distracted by all the things I keep messing up. I don't even need to listen. This isn't even for me.

But I tell you what, God is not replaying all your mistakes. He is looking at you through the lens of redemption. And he is offering you grace and mercy in your times of need. And if you don't listen to him, he's offering you grace and mercy in your times of need. And if you would humble yourself and go to him, you can experience the power of his loving forgiveness. And it will set you free on the inside. And you'll finally be able to get some traction and victory when you yield yourself to him. When you surrender and get honest and get the help you need, you'll be able to experience the help of the Holy Spirit in your life and quit being so prideful. And just say, God, I need you. And I'm telling you, in that desperation, you'll experience his divine power. He loves you, church, and he forgives you through his precious blood. You know, my words fall short in moments like these. And I wish I could preach with more fire and boldness to get right into your heart, but I'm failing it. And so what I'm gonna do is just give us a moment to respond to Holy Spirit through a time of song. Josiah, if you wanna come out and get ready, we're just gonna listen to the Lord's redemptive voice, his loving voice over us. And I just want you to receive it. It's true.

Receive it. You can't earn it. Nothing you can do to deserve it. He has freely given it to you to receive. All you gotta do is take it. Just say, yes, Lord, I receive this. Even though I don't feel it, supply the feeling and supply the faith in me so I can receive it. So I can receive it. Go ahead, Josiah. ♪ Oh, that rugged cross, my salvation ♪ ♪ Where your love poured out over me ♪ ♪ Now my soul cries out hallelujah ♪ ♪ Praise and honor unto thee ♪ ♪ Oh, that rugged cross, my salvation ♪ ♪ Where your love poured out over me ♪ ♪ Now my soul cries out hallelujah ♪ ♪ Praise and honor unto thee ♪ ♪ And now my debt is paid, it is paid in full ♪ ♪ By the precious blood that my father shed ♪ ♪ Jesus spilled, now the curse of sin has no hold on me ♪ ♪ Who the son sets free, oh, is free indeed ♪ ♪ Indeed, now my debt is paid ♪ ♪ It is paid in full by the precious blood ♪ ♪ That my Jesus spilled, now the curse of sin ♪ ♪ Has no hold on me, whom the Son sets free ♪ ♪ Oh, it's free indeed. ♪ Lord, thanks for your love, that you show it improved at the cross. Your precious blood wipes away our debt.

Even though it's a debt we can never pay, you paid it with your blood. Thanks, Lord. Would we walk out of here today with a newfound assurance of your love. Overwhelm us with the love of God, Holy Spirit. Pour it into our hearts and make it real, I pray. In Jesus' name, amen. Well, hey, I wanna continue ending the playing here with the third part, and that was, so we can end the text here, and that is the destination of love. So we know there's a danger of doing without love. There's a description of what love ought to look like in your life, but there's also a destination for it. Why are we loving like this continually? Why do we pursue this? Why does it matter? Why does it matter? Well, Paul tells us at the end of chapter 13, verses eight through 13, he says, but where there are prophecies, they will cease. Where there are tongues, they will be stilled. And where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child. I thought like a child. I reasoned like a child.

But when I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only in a mirror dimly. Then we shall see face to face. Now I know I'm part, then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain, faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love. What Paul is getting at here with the focal point being verse 10, is he's saying, you know, someday, Christ is gonna come back and complete the work he began. And it's either gonna happen at his second coming, or when you die and enter into eternity, from this life to the next. That completeness will be experienced. Either one of those two things. And he's saying, you guys are building your identities and lives around things that aren't gonna last in eternity. You're building your identity around things that won't matter in eternity. He's like, just stop doing it. Get your eyes fixed and focused on the thing that matters most. Faith, hope, and love. And the greatest is love, he says. Get your eyes fixed on that. Because one day you're gonna, he says, stand face to face, he said.

And you will know fully the truth, as you have already fully known. He says, you'll see it. You'll see, oh, you were wrong on some things. You'll know the truth then, because you're gonna stand face to face with the truth. And the truth is a person, Jesus Christ. He says, you're gonna stand face to face with it. So stop building your identity around your possessions, the platform you have, the appearance you have, the achievements and accolades on your resume. Those are all good, earthly goals, but in the end, those identities fall short when you step into eternity. He says, faith is gonna become sight. Hope will be realized, but love remains. Heaven is a world full of love. Because love is the prismatic attribute of God. It is the thing in which all other attributes of him find their center and foundation. It is love. The Apostle John in chapter, in 1 John 4, verse 8, says God is love. He defines God is love. He is the essence of his divine nature. And so if we're gonna be like him and reveal him in the earth to people who don't know him, we gotta be like him, and he is love. And so you gotta be most loving beyond all other things.

Because all other things don't have the same power that his divine love has. Come on, it was at the cross. The cross, his great divine love showed there that God transforms our lives. He says, live that out. That's where the real power is, in love. In his definition of love. But these Christians, they weren't getting it. That's why he says in verse 11, when I was a child, I talked like a child. I thought like a child. I reasoned like a child. He says, but then when I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Why is he mentioning this? Because the key differentiator between being spiritually mature, spiritual maturity, and spiritual infancy is what? Love. Not your knowledge, not your experience and history and resume of being a Christian. You could be a Christian 40 years of your life but not be loving and look nothing like Jesus. He says it's love that determines whether you have spiritual maturity or you still have spiritual infancy. And this isn't the first time he mentions childish ways. He talks about this. in chapter 3 verses 1 through 3. Let's jump to it. When the people were trying

to follow after Apollo, Sir Paul, or Peter, oh I want to be with this leader because he's more spiritual. I want to be under this church because they get it better right. They're way more biblical. Look, look, you guys, I can't address you as spiritual people. You're not spiritually mature like you think you are, he says. But as people, as what? Of the flesh, as infants in Christ. On the outside, you got the appearance, but on the inside, you're a baby. I feed you with milk, not solid food, for you are not ready for it. And even now you are still not ready. He said, come on, how long has it been? For you're still of the flesh, still of the things of this world. For while there is jealousy, strife, and quarreling among you. Come on, that's what children do. You ever try to argue with a child? Don't work. You can't. There's no argument. I mean, you can lay out the facts. I mean, you can, I mean, a lawyer would even be impressed with that argument. Yep, case closed. You're good. Not to a child, nope, you're wrong. You can't argue with a kid. That's what I'm learning. I'm like, I tell my kids, you can't eat chips and queso and popsicles and Chipotle every night. Oh, you're the worst. You don't even know anything. Like, what are you talking about? There is no arguing with kids, all right. They just have to be right. That's what he's getting at here. Like, man, you guys are arguing over dumb things, arguing to be right. And can I tell you something? You can be right and wrong at the same time. Did you know that? I love how Paul puts it like this. In verse 12, in verse 13, he goes, we see only in a mirror dimly and then we'll see face to face. He goes, I only know in part and then I shall know fully even as I'm fully known. You know what he's admitting here? You know who's saying this? Paul said, we see through a mirror dimly. In Corinth, there was bronze working and so mirrors were made of bronze and so it wasn't very clear the image you could see in the mirror. You could kind of see yourself but not real well. And he says, I only see in part. Paul, the guy who wrote a majority of the New Testament scriptures, who calls himself in Philippians a Pharisee of Pharisees, a guy who had solid theology, a guy who was taken up to the heavens and saw a revelation, he says in 2nd Corinthians 12, he can't even explain to you and I. That guy says, yeah, I see maybe

dimly at best. I only know in part. If he's willing to be humble enough, come on, so should we. We don't got it all right either. He kind of promises, you think you're convinced right on something you're actually wrong on. I mean, I just know it. I'm gonna stand before the Lord one day with something I was passionate about and Jesus is just gonna be like, yeah, you know that thing you were real fired up about? Surprise! You were wrong, Jordan. I just, I know it. That's gonna happen. I'm just ready to eat the humble pie. I just know it. He's like, that's us. Come on, our spiritual maturity isn't measured by how much doctrine you know, it's measured by how much love you show. Doesn't matter how long you've been a Christian, how many scripture verses you could quote, Pharisees could do that too. Theology is important, don't hear me wrong. It's critical you understand your Christology of Jesus, who he is and what he's done. No, no, you got to get that, okay? But it's not something to flex at other people. It does no good if you are smart and snooty, you know? It does no good if you're a good theologian, but you're a jerk to everybody about it. Don't matter if you give biblical wisdom, but you do it in a way that is unkind. I mean, that's just not helpful. Arguing like kids. Truth without love just becomes a weapon, not a witness. It was meant to be, to set people free. You end up wounding them instead of setting them free. And I love the story of R.C. Sproul and Billy Graham that modeled this. Both of them were incredible preachers of God's Word, and R.C. was at this gathering where people were asking questions. And they're like, hey, what do you think about Billy Graham? You know, R.C., you're a Calvinist and Billy Graham's an Arminian, and I'm not gonna unpack that. That's just theology about free will. Do we have free will or not? What that looks like for salvation. Anyways, they're totally different ends of the spectrum, and they ask R.C., R.C., are you gonna see Billy Graham in heaven? And you know what R.C. says? He goes, no. And everybody was shocked. Oh, Billy Graham, the guy who led over three million people to Jesus? Are you serious, R.C.? I mean, you could hear a pin drop in the room. He goes, nope, I'm not gonna see him in heaven because he's gonna be so close to the throne in comparison to I, I won't be

able to see him. And what a beautiful picture of loving humility in a moment of great divide and difference within that church. And that is the way and heart we ought to walk in. The gift of wisdom and knowledge R.C. had. And what does he do with it? Lays it down in love. Come on, that's how we ought to exercise our gifts. That's what reveals Jesus Christ most. Through our love, our love. Because one day you're gonna stand before the throne of God face to face just like our scripture said in verse 12. You'll stand face to face. face what is in part will disappear you'll stand face to face and you'll have to give an account of your life you'll have to give an account for if you receive the love of jesus christ and if you gave the love of jesus christ to others and god's going to measure your life take account of your life because of it and that that face-to-face imagery is is intimacy it's it's a picture of exodus 33 where it says god spoke to moses face to face like a friend do you have that church do you have that type of relationship with god because if you don't you can't have it and i pray you would have it today you would receive it today so that way when you stand face to face before him one day his face would not be a stranger to you but it would be familiar that when you stand face to face before him you'd see him as a heavenly father who loves you and embraces you and not a divine judge who sentences you i pray you would receive him now you would seek him now before one day you see his face and you can have that because of what jesus christ has done for you jesus christ lived a sinless perfect life on your behalf he experienced the punishment wrath and justice of god so you could experience the life and righteousness that he has and it's a free gift of god given to you by faith all you got to do is receive it come on salvation through christ is the greatest gift we can receive and the lord jesus is offering it to you right now can i pray with you if you feel comfortable would you bow your heads with me this just gives you a personal moment between you and the lord and if you're here maybe listening online or in this space with us in person if you'd say i don't have a relationship with jesus i don't know i don't know what it's going to be like when i stand before him one day but i'm telling you what you can have confidence right now knowing what it will be like you can hear well done good and faithful servant you don't have to hear depart from me i never knew you because jesus christ has paid it all he made the way possible he didn't go 99 and you got to finish the one he did it 100 for you

he finished the work so you could have salvation you could have his spirit living in you and your life could be transformed to be made new and all you have to do is receive him and so if there's anybody in here and you would say i want to make jesus lord and savior i want to receive that gift the new life he offers if that's you all i want you to do is just slip up your hand and say yeah that's me i want to receive jesus i want to know what it's going to be be like when i stand before him face face i want to have confidence i want to know he loves me i want to be forgiven of my sins i want to be a child of god today just slip up your hand say yeah that's me pray for me yeah i'm gonna pray and help you get just some some language to your heart heavenly father thank you for sending your son jesus to die on the cross for our sins for raising him to new life so we could have new life in you forgive me of my sins and make me brand new help me to follow you lord i receive you now as my lord as my savior and as my friend from this day forward in jesus mighty name and church you'd say amen amen come on can we celebrate new life for those who prayed that prayer heaven rejoices and we we would love to resource you so if you prayed that prayer you know you just slip up your hand and one of our ushers will give you a resource okay it's our our way of making an investment into your spiritual journey and uh be sure to fill out a connect card let us know you put your trust in jesus so pastor brian can send you an encouraging message and help you walk out this spiritual journey together why don't you stand up on your feet church and let's continue to worship as we end this gathering