Preached by Roger Parlour, 01/08/2012

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Lance and Korban get Engaged!

The Most Excellent Way – Outline

Roger Parlour preaches an amazing sermon about love.

June 9, 1980 Miami, Florida a women name Judith is found murdered
- After her death they found her diary in which she continuously cried out for love. While she was surrounded by people she still was like an island, consumed with loneliness. If an alien came to Earth and walked around for a few weeks how would they describe love?
- They would probably say it is about: sexuality, friendships, infatuation, pleasure, and material gifts
• Our society does not understand true love

1 Corinthians 12:31-13:7
- Paul understood the importance of love
- Your life and heart have to match what you are talking about
- Do not be the obnoxious gong

• Have a love for you bible talk
• Parents and spouse must have love to back up what they are saying; you cannot speak through anger and still be loving
- Without love we amount to nothing before God or people and will achieve nothing
- Love is the most excellent way

1 Corinthians 13:4-7
- Truth of what love is
- Pride brings insecurity, anger, lack of openness, and independence

• We cannot be an island and be loving at the same time

Point 1. Not Self-Seeking

John 13:1-5
- Jesus showed the full extent of his love knowing he was going to be betrayed
- If you were dying in a few days would you be washing feet or getting your feet washed?

Are you washing?
- Are you a true servant of God therefore a servant of people

• Roommates, spouse, parent
- We see the results of what people like set up crew and the teachers do but we do not see everything
- At church is your heart to give or get

• Attitude of giving means fellowshipping and getting in others’ lives not running out the door after church ends
Hebrews 10 spur one another on

• When you give you will get
• Pray up and decide to give
- You will be more evangelistic if you pray up and decide to give

John 13:2
Excuses Jesus could have given
- He was eating
- Knew he was going to be betrayed
- Has all the power and could have made somebody else wash feet
• Knowing he would be betrayed he still served

What is your heart in loving and serving you enemies?
- Unconditional love=loving when it is not deserved or warranted
• Jesus loved even when the love was not returned to him

Do you love the fallaways?
- Love is challenging when it involves hurt, pain, and suffering

• Those things will come and should be talked about; be open

Love those who are hard to love

- Ask yourself who in your life is hard to love

Matthew 18:21-35
- Peter was told to forgive 77 times
- Forgive continuously

• Not forgiving is distressing and stressful to others

- The person who hurt us is the servant who owed a few dollars. We are the ones who have hurt God and
are the servant who owed millions (wicked servant)
- Do you recognize the seriousness of your sin?
- Forgiveness is not forgetting but treating them like it never happened; not only saying I am sorry but
forgiving them in your heart

Point 2. Rejoice in the Truth

1 Corinthians 13:6
- Rejoice in the truth

Ezekiel 13:10-16
- Building fenses is to keep the good in and the bad out
- The truth will build strong fortresses in others

What are you building in other people? Are you building?
• Strong fortresses or flimsy
• Your work will be tested

(Jeremiah 8:10-12 People dress wounds like they are not serious. That is what we do when we do not
tell each other the truth)
- Cannot preach peace peace when there is no peace

• Have to say the tough things with gentleness, kindness, tact, and belief in the other person-Love
• Truth must be said even if you say it in the wrong way. Get advice on how to speak the truth in love

John 13:4, John 13:12
- Jesus got up
- He set the example and washed the feet of others which is what we all should do
• Love, live, and give

CHALLENGE
Pray up and love in God’s way not the world’s
-This is how people will know we are disciples
-Must give people hope

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