1 00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:07,060 You are listening to a sermon from Pastor Colin Smith of Open the Bible. 2 00:00:07,060 –> 00:00:15,180 To contact us, call us at 1-877-Open-365 or visit our website openthebible.org. 3 00:00:15,180 –> 00:00:19,120 Let’s get to the message, here is Pastor Colin. 4 00:00:19,120 –> 00:00:24,379 Well, please open your Bible at First Corinthians and Chapter 13. 5 00:00:24,379 –> 00:00:27,219 Our series is entitled Growing in Love. 6 00:00:27,360 –> 00:00:32,700 We’re spending two weeks looking at why we must grow in love and then, God willing 7 00:00:32,700 –> 00:00:38,160 we’re going to spend two weeks looking at how we can grow in love. 8 00:00:38,160 –> 00:00:44,020 Last week we saw that we must grow in love because love is our distinct calling. 9 00:00:44,520 –> 00:00:45,360 Jesus said, 10 00:01:05,540 –> 00:01:09,260 So this is the distinctive mark, the distinctive calling 11 00:01:09,260 –> 00:01:13,239 of the disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ 12 00:01:13,239 –> 00:01:14,860 and our world, of course, 13 00:01:14,860 –> 00:01:18,120 is becoming increasingly angry and divided 14 00:01:18,120 –> 00:01:21,480 and the natural response to more anger 15 00:01:21,480 –> 00:01:23,919 and hostility in the world, 16 00:01:23,919 –> 00:01:26,300 well it’s gonna be more anger and hostility 17 00:01:26,300 –> 00:01:28,559 in churches as well. 18 00:01:28,559 –> 00:01:31,440 But Jesus calls us to something different. 19 00:01:31,440 –> 00:01:33,199 Here’s our distinct calling. 20 00:01:33,199 –> 00:01:38,059 By this, by the fact that you love one another, 21 00:01:38,059 –> 00:01:40,839 people will know, Jesus says, 22 00:01:40,839 –> 00:01:44,599 that you are my disciples. 23 00:01:44,599 –> 00:01:48,760 And our Lord does not present this as an option. 24 00:01:49,599 –> 00:01:52,099 It’s a commandment, 25 00:01:52,099 –> 00:01:56,239 a new commandment I give to you, Jesus says. 26 00:01:56,239 –> 00:01:59,739 So love is our distinct calling 27 00:01:59,739 –> 00:02:03,559 and as the world becomes harsher and harsher, 28 00:02:03,559 –> 00:02:08,559 our calling will become all the more distinct. 29 00:02:08,600 –> 00:02:11,279 That’s why I’m wholly persuaded 30 00:02:11,279 –> 00:02:13,179 that the greatest need of the church 31 00:02:13,179 –> 00:02:15,000 of the Lord Jesus Christ today 32 00:02:15,000 –> 00:02:18,320 is a fresh outpouring and filling 33 00:02:18,320 –> 00:02:22,740 of faith and of hope and of love. 34 00:02:22,740 –> 00:02:24,919 When we are filled with faith, hope and love, 35 00:02:24,919 –> 00:02:27,520 we will shine like lights in this world 36 00:02:27,520 –> 00:02:29,839 and people who are in darkness 37 00:02:29,839 –> 00:02:33,080 will be drawn to the shining light. 38 00:02:34,600 –> 00:02:37,399 Now, 1 Corinthians in chapter 13 39 00:02:37,419 –> 00:02:42,419 gives us three reasons for pursuing love. 40 00:02:42,600 –> 00:02:45,440 We looked at the first of these last week. 41 00:02:45,440 –> 00:02:50,440 Love is essential for effective ministry. 42 00:02:50,919 –> 00:02:53,779 In the first three verses of this marvelous chapter, 43 00:02:53,779 –> 00:02:57,240 Paul identifies six gifts 44 00:02:57,240 –> 00:03:00,360 that are given to Christian believers. 45 00:03:00,360 –> 00:03:03,199 He speaks to us about eloquent speech, 46 00:03:03,199 –> 00:03:05,919 about spiritual experiences, 47 00:03:05,919 –> 00:03:07,679 about brilliant minds, 48 00:03:07,679 –> 00:03:09,839 about outstanding achievements, 49 00:03:09,839 –> 00:03:14,839 unusual generosity and courageous commitment. 50 00:03:15,339 –> 00:03:20,300 These are all marvelous gifts from the hand of God. 51 00:03:20,300 –> 00:03:23,960 But we saw last time that every gift 52 00:03:23,960 –> 00:03:27,759 brings its own unique temptation. 53 00:03:27,759 –> 00:03:30,360 And Paul warns us that it is possible 54 00:03:30,360 –> 00:03:34,800 to engage in ministry without love. 55 00:03:34,899 –> 00:03:37,919 And that if we exercise our gifts without love, 56 00:03:37,919 –> 00:03:40,520 then we will gain nothing. 57 00:03:41,800 –> 00:03:44,139 And we noticed how remarkable it is 58 00:03:44,139 –> 00:03:49,139 that Paul offers himself of all people as the example. 59 00:03:49,740 –> 00:03:51,639 He speaks in the first person. 60 00:03:52,520 –> 00:03:56,740 This great apostle says, 61 00:03:56,740 –> 00:03:59,839 “‘If I do not have love, 62 00:04:00,699 –> 00:04:02,160 then all of my speaking 63 00:04:02,160 –> 00:04:04,779 and all of my spiritual experience, 64 00:04:04,779 –> 00:04:07,360 nothing more than are a pulse of noise. 65 00:04:08,320 –> 00:04:10,839 And if I do not have love, 66 00:04:10,839 –> 00:04:12,759 then despite all of my knowledge 67 00:04:12,759 –> 00:04:15,240 and all of my grasp of theology 68 00:04:15,240 –> 00:04:17,980 and all of my work of planting churches, 69 00:04:17,980 –> 00:04:19,760 despite all that I am nothing.” 70 00:04:19,760 –> 00:04:20,640 He says, 71 00:04:21,779 –> 00:04:24,359 “‘And if I do not have love, 72 00:04:24,359 –> 00:04:26,339 then despite all I have given, 73 00:04:26,339 –> 00:04:29,500 all I have sacrificed, all I have suffered, 74 00:04:29,500 –> 00:04:32,359 I will gain nothing.’ 75 00:04:32,359 –> 00:04:35,500 And if that was true for the Apostle Paul, 76 00:04:36,380 –> 00:04:40,920 how much more is it true for me and for you? 77 00:04:41,940 –> 00:04:45,540 We all need to grow in love 78 00:04:45,540 –> 00:04:50,540 because love is essential for effective ministry. 79 00:04:52,299 –> 00:04:56,380 So I’m inviting you to join me in asking God 80 00:04:56,380 –> 00:04:59,859 that we will grow in love this year. 81 00:04:59,859 –> 00:05:04,200 That we will pursue this as a priority together. 82 00:05:04,200 –> 00:05:07,579 If you’re married, ask God 83 00:05:07,579 –> 00:05:11,700 that this year, you will grow in love for your spouse, 84 00:05:11,700 –> 00:05:13,660 that your love will be deepened, 85 00:05:13,660 –> 00:05:15,260 that your love will be refreshed, 86 00:05:15,260 –> 00:05:17,700 and that your love will be renewed. 87 00:05:17,700 –> 00:05:21,480 Now you provide for another person. 88 00:05:21,480 –> 00:05:24,980 You work, you maintain a home. 89 00:05:25,000 –> 00:05:27,760 But always remember, it’s possible to do these things 90 00:05:27,760 –> 00:05:29,579 with very little love. 91 00:05:30,739 –> 00:05:31,959 If you’ve children, 92 00:05:32,940 –> 00:05:37,019 ask God to renew your love for your children. 93 00:05:37,019 –> 00:05:40,059 I mean, you work tirelessly for them. 94 00:05:40,059 –> 00:05:42,140 You provide for them a home, 95 00:05:42,140 –> 00:05:44,380 the best education you possibly can. 96 00:05:44,380 –> 00:05:46,700 But you know it’s possible to do all of these things 97 00:05:46,700 –> 00:05:48,679 with very little love. 98 00:05:49,880 –> 00:05:51,260 If you’re employed, 99 00:05:52,260 –> 00:05:54,940 ask God that you will grow in love 100 00:05:54,940 –> 00:05:57,100 for your colleagues. 101 00:05:57,100 –> 00:05:59,059 You know, it’s possible to be very efficient, 102 00:05:59,059 –> 00:06:00,339 very effective at work, 103 00:06:00,339 –> 00:06:02,459 but to remain detached 104 00:06:03,500 –> 00:06:05,320 and actually to show very little love 105 00:06:05,320 –> 00:06:07,019 to the people that are around you. 106 00:06:08,500 –> 00:06:10,519 Think about your neighbors and your friends, 107 00:06:10,519 –> 00:06:14,399 some of whom will not know the Lord Jesus Christ. 108 00:06:14,399 –> 00:06:17,739 Ask God that you will grow in love for them. 109 00:06:18,619 –> 00:06:20,820 You don’t want to be a noisy gong 110 00:06:20,820 –> 00:06:24,160 and a clanging cymbal when you speak to them. 111 00:06:25,839 –> 00:06:29,119 And then think about someone with whom you deeply disagree, 112 00:06:29,119 –> 00:06:31,619 think now about someone 113 00:06:31,619 –> 00:06:35,959 with whom you might easily end up in conflict. 114 00:06:35,959 –> 00:06:37,899 Who is it that comes to your mind? 115 00:06:38,980 –> 00:06:43,160 Ask God that you will grow in love for that person. 116 00:06:44,000 –> 00:06:49,000 Ask Him that you will grow in love for him or for her. 117 00:06:51,760 –> 00:06:54,660 And then ask Christ that you will grow in love 118 00:06:54,660 –> 00:06:55,720 for His church. 119 00:06:57,220 –> 00:07:01,040 Remember that Christ loves the church. 120 00:07:02,140 –> 00:07:04,019 The church is the bride of Christ 121 00:07:04,019 –> 00:07:05,260 and He loves her 122 00:07:05,260 –> 00:07:09,000 with all of our many blemishes and imperfections. 123 00:07:09,000 –> 00:07:14,000 Ask Him that you may grow in love for His church too. 124 00:07:16,920 –> 00:07:18,299 And then ask Christ 125 00:07:18,299 –> 00:07:21,679 that you will grow in love for a lost world. 126 00:07:21,679 –> 00:07:24,880 God so loved the world. 127 00:07:26,480 –> 00:07:28,980 Ask God to deepen your compassion 128 00:07:28,980 –> 00:07:31,820 for the needs of other people around you 129 00:07:31,820 –> 00:07:34,140 and then to move you, 130 00:07:34,140 –> 00:07:38,940 to take initiative and to greater endeavor. 131 00:07:40,059 –> 00:07:42,820 Love is the fountain 132 00:07:42,820 –> 00:07:45,660 of all effective ministry. 133 00:07:45,700 –> 00:07:50,500 And effective ministry is impossible without love. 134 00:07:50,500 –> 00:07:54,200 So grow in love. 135 00:07:56,799 –> 00:07:59,940 Now that’s the first answer 136 00:07:59,940 –> 00:08:02,540 to the question, why grow in love 137 00:08:02,540 –> 00:08:05,779 and we looked at it together last week. 138 00:08:05,779 –> 00:08:07,320 Today we’re coming to the second 139 00:08:07,320 –> 00:08:10,019 and the third reason for pursuing love 140 00:08:10,019 –> 00:08:12,940 here in first Corinthians and chapter 13. 141 00:08:12,940 –> 00:08:15,019 Why should we grow in love? 142 00:08:16,040 –> 00:08:18,299 Well the apostle Paul makes very clear here 143 00:08:18,299 –> 00:08:22,440 that love will equip us for life. 144 00:08:23,880 –> 00:08:28,059 Paul identifies six ways in which growing 145 00:08:28,059 –> 00:08:33,059 in love will change you and equip you for life. 146 00:08:33,140 –> 00:08:37,179 Let’s look at these wonderful words beginning at verse four. 147 00:08:37,179 –> 00:08:40,539 Love is patient 148 00:08:40,539 –> 00:08:41,820 and kind. 149 00:08:42,260 –> 00:08:47,260 Now, it would be very easy to misread these verses 150 00:08:47,700 –> 00:08:51,979 and to feel completely and utterly overwhelmed 151 00:08:51,979 –> 00:08:54,219 by a sense of your own failure 152 00:08:54,219 –> 00:08:56,460 when you get to the end of them. 153 00:08:56,460 –> 00:09:01,460 And the good news is that if you have felt overwhelmed 154 00:09:02,679 –> 00:09:07,020 by a sense of your own failure in reading these verses, 155 00:09:07,059 –> 00:09:11,780 it is very likely that you have not understood them 156 00:09:11,780 –> 00:09:12,619 correctly. 157 00:09:14,020 –> 00:09:15,619 Let me give you an illustration. 158 00:09:16,780 –> 00:09:20,099 Think with me for a moment about baking a cake. 159 00:09:21,500 –> 00:09:22,880 The first thing that you need to do 160 00:09:22,880 –> 00:09:25,020 is to get the ingredients. 161 00:09:25,020 –> 00:09:26,460 You need the butter and the flour 162 00:09:26,460 –> 00:09:27,679 and the eggs and the sugar. 163 00:09:27,679 –> 00:09:31,539 So you get all your ingredients out on the counter 164 00:09:31,539 –> 00:09:33,020 and you mix them together 165 00:09:33,020 –> 00:09:36,380 and then you put them into the oven. 166 00:09:36,419 –> 00:09:41,419 But without the ingredients, you can’t bake the cake. 167 00:09:42,900 –> 00:09:45,179 Now, when you read these verses, 168 00:09:45,179 –> 00:09:49,280 it may sound like a list of ingredients. 169 00:09:50,179 –> 00:09:51,840 Love is patient. 170 00:09:51,840 –> 00:09:53,539 Love is kind. 171 00:09:53,539 –> 00:09:55,539 Love does not envy. 172 00:09:55,539 –> 00:09:57,460 It is not irritable. 173 00:09:57,460 –> 00:10:00,419 It does not insist on its own way. 174 00:10:00,419 –> 00:10:02,820 And so, you see, someone might read this and say, 175 00:10:02,880 –> 00:10:05,219 well, no, this is very clear. 176 00:10:05,219 –> 00:10:07,739 If I’m to have love, 177 00:10:07,739 –> 00:10:09,260 I need to have the ingredients. 178 00:10:09,260 –> 00:10:10,820 I have to be patient. 179 00:10:10,820 –> 00:10:12,739 I have to be kind. 180 00:10:12,739 –> 00:10:14,619 I have to get rid of all envy. 181 00:10:14,619 –> 00:10:16,979 I have to stop being irritable. 182 00:10:16,979 –> 00:10:20,099 I have to quit insisting on my own way. 183 00:10:20,099 –> 00:10:21,140 But here’s the problem. 184 00:10:21,140 –> 00:10:23,159 I don’t have the ingredients. 185 00:10:25,340 –> 00:10:26,500 I’m not very patient. 186 00:10:27,539 –> 00:10:28,940 I’m not very kind. 187 00:10:30,299 –> 00:10:31,880 I struggle with envy, 188 00:10:32,880 –> 00:10:35,780 too often I’m irritable. 189 00:10:35,780 –> 00:10:39,099 And in all honesty, I really like getting my own way. 190 00:10:40,419 –> 00:10:42,440 I don’t have the ingredients. 191 00:10:43,739 –> 00:10:47,440 So then how can I grow in love? 192 00:10:49,380 –> 00:10:52,059 Well now, thank God, 193 00:10:52,059 –> 00:10:55,000 these verses are not telling us 194 00:10:55,000 –> 00:10:59,460 what we need to have in order to grow in love. 195 00:10:59,500 –> 00:11:02,580 What these verses are telling us 196 00:11:02,580 –> 00:11:05,280 is what love will do for us. 197 00:11:05,280 –> 00:11:08,679 It’s telling us what love will give to us. 198 00:11:08,679 –> 00:11:13,559 It’s telling us what we will receive when we have love. 199 00:11:14,380 –> 00:11:18,679 So please now forget the picture of baking the cake, 200 00:11:18,679 –> 00:11:21,520 because that’s not the right way to understand these verses. 201 00:11:21,520 –> 00:11:23,119 And think about a different picture. 202 00:11:23,119 –> 00:11:27,960 Think about a tree that is bearing beautiful fruit. 203 00:11:27,960 –> 00:11:30,359 And now hear these words again. 204 00:11:30,359 –> 00:11:33,200 Love is patient. 205 00:11:34,039 –> 00:11:36,440 Love is kind. 206 00:11:37,979 –> 00:11:40,679 Love does not envy. 207 00:11:41,760 –> 00:11:44,400 Love is not irritable. 208 00:11:45,320 –> 00:11:49,260 Love does not insist on its own way. 209 00:11:50,200 –> 00:11:52,400 You see, this is telling us 210 00:11:52,400 –> 00:11:54,119 that if you have love, 211 00:11:54,119 –> 00:11:57,880 you will have all of this good fruit growing in your life. 212 00:11:57,880 –> 00:12:00,979 If you have love and you’re growing in love, 213 00:12:00,979 –> 00:12:03,580 you will have patience. 214 00:12:03,580 –> 00:12:05,599 You’ll grow in kindness. 215 00:12:06,599 –> 00:12:07,780 The more you have love, 216 00:12:07,780 –> 00:12:11,859 the more you’ll find that you’re not envying 217 00:12:11,859 –> 00:12:16,400 and not irritable and not insisting on your own way. 218 00:12:16,400 –> 00:12:20,719 The good fruit that love brings 219 00:12:20,719 –> 00:12:25,719 will flourish in your life as you grow in love. 220 00:12:26,359 –> 00:12:30,179 Paul is telling us why it is 221 00:12:30,179 –> 00:12:32,640 that love is the supreme gift. 222 00:12:32,640 –> 00:12:35,119 Why is this the thing we should be going after? 223 00:12:35,119 –> 00:12:36,659 Why is it so valuable? 224 00:12:36,659 –> 00:12:38,640 That’s what the whole chapter is about. 225 00:12:38,640 –> 00:12:40,919 And in these verses, he’s telling us 226 00:12:40,919 –> 00:12:43,260 that love is of supreme value 227 00:12:43,260 –> 00:12:45,039 because of the marvelous fruit 228 00:12:45,039 –> 00:12:47,760 that it will bear in your life. 229 00:12:48,880 –> 00:12:50,919 So I want you to try and take the hope 230 00:12:50,919 –> 00:12:54,479 and encouragement that is in these wonderful verses 231 00:12:54,479 –> 00:12:56,900 that are before us today. 232 00:12:56,900 –> 00:12:59,859 Some people are going to try your patience. 233 00:12:59,859 –> 00:13:02,359 I mean, this is just a normal part of life. 234 00:13:02,359 –> 00:13:03,760 It happens to all of us. 235 00:13:03,760 –> 00:13:06,179 But when someone tries your patience, 236 00:13:06,179 –> 00:13:10,679 you’re going to be tempted to be harsh in return. 237 00:13:11,840 –> 00:13:14,479 But what this is telling us is 238 00:13:14,479 –> 00:13:19,479 that if you have love, you’re going to be patient. 239 00:13:20,460 –> 00:13:25,080 And if you have love, you’re going to be kind. 240 00:13:26,159 –> 00:13:29,979 In other words, love will actually restrain 241 00:13:29,979 –> 00:13:32,219 the impulse of your flesh 242 00:13:32,219 –> 00:13:36,159 to respond in anger when someone hurts you. 243 00:13:36,159 –> 00:13:38,900 Love is going to lead you to trust God 244 00:13:38,900 –> 00:13:41,200 for that person’s repentance. 245 00:13:42,119 –> 00:13:43,900 And you’ll wait for it patiently 246 00:13:43,900 –> 00:13:46,780 even if there isn’t any sign of it on the horizon. 247 00:13:46,820 –> 00:13:49,559 So, and what are you going to do 248 00:13:49,559 –> 00:13:52,159 while you’re waiting to see that repentance? 249 00:13:53,080 –> 00:13:54,580 You’re going to be kind. 250 00:13:55,940 –> 00:13:57,960 This is how God has loved us. 251 00:13:58,960 –> 00:14:03,960 It is his kindness that leads us to repentance. 252 00:14:06,299 –> 00:14:09,659 Love will produce the good fruit 253 00:14:09,659 –> 00:14:13,099 of patience and of kindness in you. 254 00:14:13,140 –> 00:14:17,760 They are the fruits of growing in love. 255 00:14:20,179 –> 00:14:22,739 And then there’s more because that’s just the beginning. 256 00:14:22,739 –> 00:14:24,719 Look at what he says. 257 00:14:24,719 –> 00:14:27,200 Love does not envy. 258 00:14:28,099 –> 00:14:30,700 Now again, try and get this settled in your mind. 259 00:14:30,700 –> 00:14:32,140 This is not saying, 260 00:14:32,140 –> 00:14:34,580 oh, if you’re going to grow in love, 261 00:14:34,580 –> 00:14:37,039 well, you have to get rid of all envy. 262 00:14:37,039 –> 00:14:38,460 No, it’s the other way around. 263 00:14:38,460 –> 00:14:41,340 It’s saying, if you grow in love, 264 00:14:41,380 –> 00:14:45,880 you will be delivered from the destructive power of envy. 265 00:14:47,140 –> 00:14:48,840 And this is really good news 266 00:14:50,020 –> 00:14:53,380 because somewhere in your life you’re going to experience 267 00:14:53,380 –> 00:14:55,340 someone being given something 268 00:14:55,340 –> 00:14:59,020 that you feel should have been given to you. 269 00:14:59,020 –> 00:15:02,900 You will feel that someone else was shown favor 270 00:15:02,900 –> 00:15:05,700 that should have been shown to you 271 00:15:05,700 –> 00:15:10,700 and that they did not deserve what they received. 272 00:15:11,500 –> 00:15:16,099 But what we’re learning here is that when that happens 273 00:15:16,099 –> 00:15:19,820 it’s love that will deliver you 274 00:15:19,820 –> 00:15:23,659 from the self-destructive power of envy, 275 00:15:23,659 –> 00:15:26,380 and therefore the more you grow in love 276 00:15:27,299 –> 00:15:31,219 the more content you’re going to become. 277 00:15:32,500 –> 00:15:37,380 Love in other words is God’s antidote to envy. 278 00:15:38,219 –> 00:15:39,580 Love will release you 279 00:15:39,619 –> 00:15:42,640 from the self-destructive power of bearing a grudge, 280 00:15:43,479 –> 00:15:45,539 it will enable you to rejoice 281 00:15:45,539 –> 00:15:47,580 when God gives to someone else 282 00:15:47,580 –> 00:15:49,979 something that he did not give to you. 283 00:15:51,020 –> 00:15:55,859 The more you love, the more content you will be. 284 00:15:57,479 –> 00:15:59,760 And then the apostle goes further, he says, 285 00:15:59,760 –> 00:16:04,760 love does not boast, it is not arrogant. 286 00:16:04,820 –> 00:16:08,159 Arrogant, and here, of course, 287 00:16:08,159 –> 00:16:11,919 love is dealing with the opposite temptation. 288 00:16:11,919 –> 00:16:16,880 Envy focuses on what my neighbor has and I do not. 289 00:16:16,880 –> 00:16:20,020 Pride, of course, focuses on what I have 290 00:16:20,020 –> 00:16:24,400 or what I’ve done and my neighbor has not. 291 00:16:24,400 –> 00:16:27,260 Pride wants other people to see who I am 292 00:16:27,260 –> 00:16:32,260 and what I have done, and love is God’s antidote to pride. 293 00:16:32,299 –> 00:16:37,299 Antidote to pride, love does not boast, it is not arrogant. 294 00:16:40,380 –> 00:16:43,659 Love is going to produce the good fruit 295 00:16:43,659 –> 00:16:46,979 of humility in your life. 296 00:16:46,979 –> 00:16:51,979 The more you love, the more humble you will be. 297 00:16:54,539 –> 00:16:57,219 And then notice what Paul says next. 298 00:16:57,219 –> 00:17:02,219 Love is not rude, it does not insist on charity. 299 00:17:02,299 –> 00:17:06,260 It does not persist on its own way. 300 00:17:07,339 –> 00:17:10,199 That’s interesting looking at different ways 301 00:17:10,199 –> 00:17:14,260 in which this phrase rude is translated 302 00:17:14,260 –> 00:17:17,020 in other versions of the Bible. 303 00:17:17,020 –> 00:17:19,619 The most literal translation is 304 00:17:19,619 –> 00:17:24,119 that love does not act unbecomingly. 305 00:17:26,060 –> 00:17:29,140 The old King James version 306 00:17:29,140 –> 00:17:30,500 of the Bible says, 307 00:17:31,479 –> 00:17:33,020 it presents itself unseemly. 308 00:17:33,020 –> 00:17:35,380 Another way that we might say that is 309 00:17:35,380 –> 00:17:39,020 love does not behave inappropriately. 310 00:17:42,400 –> 00:17:45,359 Now, one writer catches the meaning 311 00:17:45,359 –> 00:17:47,800 of this very important phrase well 312 00:17:47,800 –> 00:17:50,400 when he says that, 313 00:17:50,400 –> 00:17:53,739 love considers the fitness and the propriety 314 00:17:53,739 –> 00:17:55,819 of things, 315 00:17:55,819 –> 00:17:59,380 it is careful of what would touch 316 00:17:59,380 –> 00:18:02,359 painful feelings. 317 00:18:02,359 –> 00:18:06,300 It is attentive to the cortices 318 00:18:06,300 –> 00:18:08,859 of life. 319 00:18:08,859 –> 00:18:11,380 Now, the point here is that it’s very easy 320 00:18:11,380 –> 00:18:14,560 to get so taken up with yourself 321 00:18:14,560 –> 00:18:16,180 and your own world and what you’re 322 00:18:16,180 –> 00:18:17,520 trying to get across and what you’re 323 00:18:17,520 –> 00:18:18,819 saying or whatever 324 00:18:18,819 –> 00:18:20,939 that you speak in a way that is 325 00:18:20,939 –> 00:18:22,800 insensitive 326 00:18:22,800 –> 00:18:25,900 and that causes hurt or offense 327 00:18:25,900 –> 00:18:28,020 to another person. 328 00:18:28,040 –> 00:18:30,680 You didn’t intend to do that. 329 00:18:30,680 –> 00:18:33,699 It’s just that you didn’t think 330 00:18:33,699 –> 00:18:35,979 you were so taken up with yourself 331 00:18:35,979 –> 00:18:38,640 that you didn’t think about 332 00:18:38,640 –> 00:18:40,640 how your words would actually 333 00:18:40,640 –> 00:18:42,540 affect another person, how your 334 00:18:42,540 –> 00:18:45,520 words would land on them. 335 00:18:46,079 –> 00:18:48,540 Now, this verse is telling us 336 00:18:48,540 –> 00:18:51,119 that love is God’s 337 00:18:51,119 –> 00:18:54,319 antidote to putting your foot in it. 338 00:18:54,780 –> 00:18:58,239 We all know the person 339 00:18:58,239 –> 00:19:01,359 who’s like a bull in a China shop. 340 00:19:01,359 –> 00:19:05,439 And no one wants to be like that person, 341 00:19:05,439 –> 00:19:09,479 unaware of him or herself, 342 00:19:09,479 –> 00:19:12,800 unaware of his or her own 343 00:19:12,800 –> 00:19:15,839 impact on other people. 344 00:19:16,040 –> 00:19:17,500 And what we’re learning here, 345 00:19:17,500 –> 00:19:18,579 and it’s very important, 346 00:19:18,579 –> 00:19:22,780 is that love will equip you 347 00:19:22,780 –> 00:19:27,780 to be able to discern how to come across, 348 00:19:28,219 –> 00:19:31,839 what to say, how to say it, 349 00:19:31,839 –> 00:19:35,359 and when to say it. 350 00:19:35,359 –> 00:19:38,780 Another way that we might see this today is 351 00:19:38,780 –> 00:19:43,780 love will help you to grow in emotional intelligence. 352 00:19:45,000 –> 00:19:50,000 It will equip you for sustaining healthy relationships. 353 00:19:51,000 –> 00:19:54,640 That’s what’s being meant by this remarkable phrase 354 00:19:54,640 –> 00:19:56,780 and this statement of the apostle Paul. 355 00:19:57,719 –> 00:20:00,859 Growing in love will enable you to behave 356 00:20:00,859 –> 00:20:03,819 and to speak appropriately. 357 00:20:03,819 –> 00:20:06,199 You’ll learn tact. 358 00:20:06,199 –> 00:20:09,760 You’ll have greater self-awareness. 359 00:20:09,760 –> 00:20:12,000 And the reason that you’ll grow in these things 360 00:20:12,000 –> 00:20:17,000 is that you are more aware of the needs of others 361 00:20:17,400 –> 00:20:21,219 and you’re less taken up with yourself. 362 00:20:23,380 –> 00:20:25,619 Then Paul goes even further, 363 00:20:25,619 –> 00:20:30,619 and he tells us that love is not irritable or resentful. 364 00:20:31,439 –> 00:20:33,839 Or again, as the old King James translates it, 365 00:20:33,839 –> 00:20:38,839 “‘It is not easily provoked and it thinks no evil.’” 366 00:20:41,300 –> 00:20:44,800 That’s a literal translation of the phrase 367 00:20:44,880 –> 00:20:46,839 is not resentful. 368 00:20:46,839 –> 00:20:50,439 Love does not reckon evil. 369 00:20:50,439 –> 00:20:53,119 It thinks no evil. 370 00:20:54,760 –> 00:20:57,500 Now when you’re provoked, 371 00:20:58,920 –> 00:21:03,920 it is very easy and natural to think the worst 372 00:21:05,199 –> 00:21:06,939 of the person who provoked you. 373 00:21:07,880 –> 00:21:12,880 A suspicious heart always assumes the worst. 374 00:21:13,319 –> 00:21:16,319 He said that to hurt me. 375 00:21:18,959 –> 00:21:21,939 But a loving heart thinks the best. 376 00:21:23,359 –> 00:21:28,219 A loving heart puts the best possible construction 377 00:21:29,640 –> 00:21:32,300 on difficult things that happen in life. 378 00:21:34,040 –> 00:21:35,680 Love will say, you know what? 379 00:21:35,680 –> 00:21:40,599 That was really hurtful but I don’t think it was malice. 380 00:21:41,260 –> 00:21:44,479 It may just have been that it was thoughtless. 381 00:21:44,479 –> 00:21:47,979 You see that’s putting the best construction 382 00:21:47,979 –> 00:21:49,959 rather than the worst construction. 383 00:21:49,959 –> 00:21:54,400 Thinking the best rather than thinking the worst. 384 00:21:55,319 –> 00:22:00,319 Love is God’s antidote to a suspicious heart. 385 00:22:01,780 –> 00:22:04,420 It will deliver you from feeling 386 00:22:04,420 –> 00:22:06,939 that people are conspiring against you. 387 00:22:08,599 –> 00:22:10,300 Love really will equip you for life. 388 00:22:10,319 –> 00:22:13,359 It will do all of these things. 389 00:22:13,359 –> 00:22:16,500 It is God’s remarkable gift. 390 00:22:16,500 –> 00:22:19,719 The antidote to the suspicious heart. 391 00:22:20,660 –> 00:22:23,119 And then notice what he says next. 392 00:22:23,119 –> 00:22:26,359 Love does not rejoice in wrongdoing 393 00:22:26,359 –> 00:22:30,000 but rejoices in the truth. 394 00:22:30,000 –> 00:22:32,199 Now we’ve just seen from what Paul said 395 00:22:32,199 –> 00:22:34,280 that love will always make 396 00:22:34,280 –> 00:22:37,439 the most generous judgement possible. 397 00:22:37,439 –> 00:22:41,439 It will always put the best possible construction on things 398 00:22:41,439 –> 00:22:46,020 but that does not mean that love is blind. 399 00:22:46,020 –> 00:22:49,400 Love can tell the difference between what is wrong 400 00:22:49,400 –> 00:22:52,900 and what is right or true. 401 00:22:52,900 –> 00:22:54,859 And you see that in Philippians chapter one 402 00:22:54,859 –> 00:22:58,160 in verses nine and 10, where Paul is praying 403 00:22:58,160 –> 00:23:00,439 that the Philippians will grow in love. 404 00:23:00,439 –> 00:23:02,520 This was one of his great prayers 405 00:23:02,520 –> 00:23:05,079 repeated again and again in the New Testament. 406 00:23:05,079 –> 00:23:08,439 He says there, it is my prayer that your love 407 00:23:08,439 –> 00:23:13,439 may abound more and more with knowledge and discernment 408 00:23:14,739 –> 00:23:18,359 so that you may approve what is excellent 409 00:23:18,359 –> 00:23:22,760 and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ. 410 00:23:22,760 –> 00:23:24,640 See as you grow in love 411 00:23:24,640 –> 00:23:26,560 this is one of the wonderful fruits 412 00:23:26,560 –> 00:23:28,160 that will develop in your life. 413 00:23:28,160 –> 00:23:31,420 The more you love the more you will be able to discern, 414 00:23:32,319 –> 00:23:37,239 the more you will be able to tell what is good and true 415 00:23:37,239 –> 00:23:40,500 and you’ll be drawn to it 416 00:23:40,500 –> 00:23:42,619 and you’ll find joy in it. 417 00:23:42,619 –> 00:23:47,619 Grow in love and you will grow in discernment. 418 00:23:50,380 –> 00:23:52,760 And as if that was not enough, 419 00:23:52,760 –> 00:23:54,780 Paul then says in verse seven, 420 00:23:54,780 –> 00:23:57,619 love bears all things, 421 00:23:58,140 –> 00:24:02,760 believes all things, hopes all things, 422 00:24:02,760 –> 00:24:06,079 endures all things. 423 00:24:06,079 –> 00:24:09,000 Grow in love and you will be able 424 00:24:09,000 –> 00:24:11,140 to bear the burdens that you carry. 425 00:24:12,040 –> 00:24:14,319 Grow in love and you will be able 426 00:24:14,319 –> 00:24:17,680 to form relationships of trust. 427 00:24:17,680 –> 00:24:21,479 Grow in love and you will always have a lively hope 428 00:24:21,479 –> 00:24:25,420 no matter how dark the circumstances that you may face. 429 00:24:25,420 –> 00:24:28,719 Grow in love and you will always be able 430 00:24:28,719 –> 00:24:33,640 to endure however hard things become. 431 00:24:33,640 –> 00:24:38,640 Love will equip you for life. 432 00:24:39,619 –> 00:24:43,180 It will equip you for life. 433 00:24:43,180 –> 00:24:48,180 Grow in love and you will have more patience and kindness. 434 00:24:48,199 –> 00:24:50,959 Grow in love and you will be delivered 435 00:24:50,959 –> 00:24:53,479 from the power of envy. 436 00:24:53,520 –> 00:24:56,640 Grow in love and you will grow in humility. 437 00:24:56,640 –> 00:25:01,640 Grow in love and you will develop emotional intelligence. 438 00:25:02,400 –> 00:25:05,000 Grow in love and you’ll put the best construction 439 00:25:05,000 –> 00:25:07,880 on the words and actions of others. 440 00:25:07,880 –> 00:25:11,479 Grow in love and you will grow in discernment.” 441 00:25:11,479 –> 00:25:14,140 Do you see this is the most amazing gift? 442 00:25:15,479 –> 00:25:18,020 It is the gift of supreme value. 443 00:25:19,020 –> 00:25:23,959 So the apostle is saying to us, seek to grow in love. 444 00:25:27,619 –> 00:25:31,619 Now, Philip Rykin makes the point, 445 00:25:31,619 –> 00:25:33,420 I think very helpfully, 446 00:25:34,719 –> 00:25:37,020 that if you want to see how much you need 447 00:25:37,020 –> 00:25:40,660 to grow in love then all you need to do 448 00:25:40,660 –> 00:25:44,839 is to put your name in the place of love 449 00:25:44,839 –> 00:25:47,479 in verses four through seven. 450 00:25:48,540 –> 00:25:52,319 I’ve done that and it’s really challenging. 451 00:25:53,180 –> 00:25:56,099 So you put your name in as I read it with mine. 452 00:25:57,540 –> 00:26:00,020 Colin is patient and kind. 453 00:26:01,500 –> 00:26:04,859 Colin does not envy or boast. 454 00:26:04,859 –> 00:26:06,939 He’s not arrogant, not rude, 455 00:26:08,020 –> 00:26:10,099 he doesn’t insist on his own way. 456 00:26:11,979 –> 00:26:14,760 He’s not irritable or resentful. 457 00:26:14,760 –> 00:26:16,459 He doesn’t rejoice in wrongdoing 458 00:26:16,479 –> 00:26:19,219 but rejoices in the truth, Colin. 459 00:26:19,219 –> 00:26:21,540 Bears all things, believes all things, 460 00:26:21,540 –> 00:26:25,040 hopes all things, endures all things. 461 00:26:28,000 –> 00:26:31,439 You try doing it and like me, 462 00:26:31,439 –> 00:26:33,439 you will find yourself saying, 463 00:26:33,439 –> 00:26:37,479 I have such a long way to go. 464 00:26:41,020 –> 00:26:43,140 But here’s the good news. 465 00:26:43,839 –> 00:26:47,420 This may not be a description of the love 466 00:26:47,420 –> 00:26:49,160 that right now you have. 467 00:26:51,119 –> 00:26:53,280 But it is a marvelous description 468 00:26:53,280 –> 00:26:55,439 of the love that right now you receive. 469 00:26:56,760 –> 00:26:59,920 Put the name of the Lord Jesus Christ 470 00:26:59,920 –> 00:27:01,560 into these verses. 471 00:27:01,560 –> 00:27:04,959 And you have a perfect portrait 472 00:27:04,959 –> 00:27:06,439 of our wonderful savior. 473 00:27:07,540 –> 00:27:11,619 Jesus is patient and kind. 474 00:27:12,500 –> 00:27:16,579 Jesus does not envy or boast. 475 00:27:17,420 –> 00:27:20,780 Jesus is not arrogant or rude. 476 00:27:20,780 –> 00:27:23,040 He does not insist on His own way. 477 00:27:23,040 –> 00:27:25,900 He’s not irritable, he’s not resentful. 478 00:27:25,900 –> 00:27:28,180 He does not rejoice in wrongdoing, 479 00:27:28,180 –> 00:27:29,939 but rejoices with the truth. 480 00:27:29,939 –> 00:27:32,660 Jesus bears all things, 481 00:27:32,660 –> 00:27:34,459 believes all things, 482 00:27:34,459 –> 00:27:36,119 hopes all things, 483 00:27:36,119 –> 00:27:37,859 endures all things. 484 00:27:37,859 –> 00:27:41,060 Jesus never fails. 485 00:27:42,420 –> 00:27:45,939 And friends, this is the love with which we are loved. 486 00:27:46,859 –> 00:27:50,699 God’s love surrounds you in Jesus Christ, 487 00:27:50,699 –> 00:27:52,060 and this is the love 488 00:27:53,099 –> 00:27:56,079 that is poured out into our hearts 489 00:27:56,079 –> 00:28:00,020 by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. 490 00:28:00,020 –> 00:28:02,979 The reason we can grow in love 491 00:28:04,339 –> 00:28:07,699 is that God first loved us. 492 00:28:07,699 –> 00:28:09,859 You are right now loved 493 00:28:09,859 –> 00:28:12,400 with an everlasting love, 494 00:28:12,400 –> 00:28:15,060 and the more you believe that 495 00:28:15,060 –> 00:28:18,219 the more you will be able to grow in love too. 496 00:28:22,140 –> 00:28:24,140 Now, next week, God willing, 497 00:28:24,140 –> 00:28:26,579 we’re going to look at the how. 498 00:28:26,579 –> 00:28:29,060 How can we grow in love? 499 00:28:29,979 –> 00:28:33,020 But the why always has to come before the how. 500 00:28:33,020 –> 00:28:34,459 Who’s interested in the how 501 00:28:34,459 –> 00:28:37,660 unless we’ve been persuaded by the why? 502 00:28:37,680 –> 00:28:40,000 That’s why we’ve taken these two weeks 503 00:28:40,000 –> 00:28:42,260 in 1 Corinthians and chapter 13 504 00:28:42,260 –> 00:28:46,140 that’s all about why we should pursue 505 00:28:46,140 –> 00:28:49,219 this marvelous gift of love. 506 00:28:50,699 –> 00:28:52,400 And I want in these last moments then 507 00:28:52,400 –> 00:28:54,660 to point to the third reason 508 00:28:54,660 –> 00:28:56,660 that Paul gives us in this chapter, 509 00:28:56,660 –> 00:28:58,140 and it’s in the later verses, 510 00:28:58,140 –> 00:28:59,099 runs right through them, 511 00:28:59,099 –> 00:29:01,500 but I will just focus on the last verse 512 00:29:01,500 –> 00:29:03,300 of this wonderful chapter 513 00:29:03,380 –> 00:29:08,380 where he points out that love will endure forever. 514 00:29:09,140 –> 00:29:14,140 So now faith, hope, and love abide these three 515 00:29:15,859 –> 00:29:20,260 but the greatest of these is love. 516 00:29:23,300 –> 00:29:27,380 When believers are filled with faith, hope and love 517 00:29:28,420 –> 00:29:30,719 they shine like lights in the world. 518 00:29:31,560 –> 00:29:35,000 When the world is marked by increasing fear, 519 00:29:35,819 –> 00:29:38,599 people who have a strong faith 520 00:29:38,599 –> 00:29:40,359 are going to just shine like lights. 521 00:29:41,920 –> 00:29:45,800 When the world is marked by increasing exasperation 522 00:29:45,800 –> 00:29:50,339 and despair, well, people who have living hope 523 00:29:50,339 –> 00:29:52,560 are just going to shine like lights. 524 00:29:53,739 –> 00:29:57,900 When the world is marked by increasing anger and hostility 525 00:29:58,880 –> 00:30:01,479 well, people who are growing in love 526 00:30:01,479 –> 00:30:04,520 are just going to shine like lights. 527 00:30:05,680 –> 00:30:08,079 And that is why I am absolutely convinced 528 00:30:08,079 –> 00:30:10,160 that the greatest need of the church today 529 00:30:10,160 –> 00:30:12,040 is a fresh out pouring, 530 00:30:12,040 –> 00:30:17,040 a growing in faith, hope, and love. 531 00:30:17,079 –> 00:30:19,040 Everyone wants to be loved. 532 00:30:19,900 –> 00:30:21,579 Everyone wants to have hope. 533 00:30:21,579 –> 00:30:24,359 Everyone wants to have something or someone 534 00:30:24,359 –> 00:30:25,819 to believe in. 535 00:30:26,780 –> 00:30:29,099 Everyone is looking for faith, hope, and love, 536 00:30:29,099 –> 00:30:30,900 that’s the reality. 537 00:30:30,900 –> 00:30:35,900 And we have found these in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 538 00:30:38,739 –> 00:30:43,719 Now, Paul says that faith, hope, and love remain. 539 00:30:45,939 –> 00:30:47,900 That’s why these are the things to go after. 540 00:30:47,900 –> 00:30:49,939 They’re the things of enduring value. 541 00:30:49,939 –> 00:30:52,260 Everything else passes away. 542 00:30:53,060 –> 00:30:56,939 But these gifts have lasting value. 543 00:30:58,900 –> 00:31:02,739 Lord, let me grow in faith, hope, and love 544 00:31:02,739 –> 00:31:05,300 all the days of my life. 545 00:31:08,140 –> 00:31:11,000 But then notice that Paul says, 546 00:31:11,000 –> 00:31:14,939 the greatest of these is love. 547 00:31:16,400 –> 00:31:19,880 Why is love the greatest? 548 00:31:20,579 –> 00:31:21,739 Two reasons. 549 00:31:23,420 –> 00:31:26,640 First, that God himself is love. 550 00:31:28,079 –> 00:31:30,119 Bishop Ryle says it like this, 551 00:31:31,260 –> 00:31:34,380 God has no need of faith 552 00:31:34,380 –> 00:31:36,579 because He is dependent on no one. 553 00:31:38,060 –> 00:31:40,959 God has no need of hope 554 00:31:40,959 –> 00:31:43,880 because to Him, all things are certain, 555 00:31:43,880 –> 00:31:46,280 past, present, and future. 556 00:31:47,319 –> 00:31:48,920 But God is love. 557 00:31:49,959 –> 00:31:53,380 And the more His people grow in love, 558 00:31:53,380 –> 00:31:56,400 the more like their Father in heaven they become. 559 00:31:59,160 –> 00:32:01,260 And then there’s a second reason 560 00:32:02,560 –> 00:32:04,660 why love is the greatest. 561 00:32:05,859 –> 00:32:10,859 And that is that faith and hope are gifts for a time, 562 00:32:11,560 –> 00:32:14,780 but love wll endure forever. 563 00:32:14,859 –> 00:32:15,699 Forever. 564 00:32:16,939 –> 00:32:21,939 One day, your faith is going to give way to sight. 565 00:32:23,520 –> 00:32:25,579 You won’t need faith when you see 566 00:32:25,579 –> 00:32:27,939 the Lord Jesus Christ face-to-face. 567 00:32:27,939 –> 00:32:29,479 What a day that’s going to be! 568 00:32:29,479 –> 00:32:33,839 You’ve loved him, trusted him all these years. 569 00:32:35,099 –> 00:32:38,260 And when you see him, you no longer need to trust him. 570 00:32:38,260 –> 00:32:41,660 You see him, your faith is turned to sight 571 00:32:41,660 –> 00:32:44,219 and you’re in the joy of his immediate presence, 572 00:32:44,319 –> 00:32:47,260 and that will be your blessing forever and forever. 573 00:32:49,060 –> 00:32:53,640 And one day, your hope will be completely realized. 574 00:32:53,640 –> 00:32:55,500 See, as long as we are here in this world, 575 00:32:55,500 –> 00:32:57,979 we’re always looking forward. 576 00:32:59,540 –> 00:33:03,780 Hope says, one day, one day, 577 00:33:03,780 –> 00:33:07,859 one day, the Earth will be filled with the glory of God 578 00:33:07,859 –> 00:33:09,640 as the waters cover the sea. 579 00:33:09,640 –> 00:33:12,920 One day, all wars will cease. 580 00:33:13,739 –> 00:33:17,099 One day, there’s going to be a new heaven and a new Earth, 581 00:33:17,099 –> 00:33:22,099 and one day, God will wipe away all tears from our eyes. 582 00:33:22,660 –> 00:33:25,020 You live with this hope, 583 00:33:25,020 –> 00:33:29,619 this confidence in all that God has promised, 584 00:33:29,619 –> 00:33:31,380 but a time will come 585 00:33:31,380 –> 00:33:33,500 when instead of saying one day, 586 00:33:33,500 –> 00:33:35,239 you’re gonna say today 587 00:33:36,140 –> 00:33:38,219 because you’ve entered into it. 588 00:33:39,219 –> 00:33:43,020 And when you enter into that eternal day, 589 00:33:43,020 –> 00:33:45,959 all your faith will be vindicated, 590 00:33:45,959 –> 00:33:49,459 all your hope will be wonderfully realized, 591 00:33:50,760 –> 00:33:54,400 but your love which has made perfect 592 00:33:56,000 –> 00:33:57,400 will endure forever. 593 00:33:59,800 –> 00:34:00,619 Let’s pray. 594 00:34:02,660 –> 00:34:06,520 Father, settle in our hearts 595 00:34:08,620 –> 00:34:11,959 a steady conviction and determination 596 00:34:14,179 –> 00:34:17,179 that with all of our might strengthened 597 00:34:17,179 –> 00:34:20,179 by the presence and power of your Holy Spirit, 598 00:34:22,199 –> 00:34:26,340 we will seek to grow in faith, 599 00:34:27,179 –> 00:34:30,419 in hope and in love 600 00:34:32,139 –> 00:34:34,500 in this year that lies ahead of us. 601 00:34:35,320 –> 00:34:38,719 For your praise, glory and honor. 602 00:34:40,840 –> 00:34:44,399 Thank you that you do not demand of us 603 00:34:44,399 –> 00:34:45,659 what we do not have, 604 00:34:47,159 –> 00:34:48,860 but you give to us 605 00:34:50,100 –> 00:34:51,560 what we most need 606 00:34:52,899 –> 00:34:55,560 in your everlasting love 607 00:34:56,699 –> 00:35:00,239 that surrounds us even now. 608 00:35:01,540 –> 00:35:03,260 Therefore, by your mercy 609 00:35:04,060 –> 00:35:05,899 and by your grace, 610 00:35:05,899 –> 00:35:09,040 strengthen us in this pursuit 611 00:35:09,040 –> 00:35:13,360 and grant that your love shed abroad in our hearts 612 00:35:13,360 –> 00:35:18,239 may bear its beautiful fruit in our lives 613 00:35:18,239 –> 00:35:22,379 in increasing measure this year 614 00:35:22,379 –> 00:35:24,820 and until faith is turned to sight 615 00:35:24,820 –> 00:35:26,479 and then our love is made perfect 616 00:35:26,479 –> 00:35:29,760 and we enter into your presence forever. 617 00:35:30,399 –> 00:35:33,679 Hear our prayers, for these things we ask, 618 00:35:33,679 –> 00:35:34,979 in Jesus’ name, Amen. 619 00:35:38,520 –> 00:35:39,760 You’ve been listening to a sermon 620 00:35:39,760 –> 00:35:42,159 with pastor Colin Smith of Open the Bible, 621 00:35:42,159 –> 00:35:47,159 to contact us, call us at 1-877-Open365 622 00:35:47,459 –> 00:35:51,340 or visit our website, OpenTheBible.org.