This morning, we

continue our message series helping us to better understand and live out

unconditional love.

This series is

entitled, “Love Is” and it is based on that familiar passage found in

1 Corinthians chapter 13. 

We were created by

God with the need for love that can only be expressed through relationships.

As there are

different types of relationships, there are different types of love.  There is, however, a type of love that we are

to express toward anyone and everyone. 

In fact, the Bible teaches that if we learn how to express this type of

love toward God and others, that we will entirely fulfill all that God’s law

requires of us. 

This distinct type

of love is the love that God has for us. 

In the Greek language, it is the word agape.  It is this type of unconditional love that

we’ll be covering through this message series.

To be able to

possess and express this unconditional love, we’re going to break it down into

parts as Paul chose to do in his letter to the Corinthians.  He taught all about spiritual gifts and said

that it is not using these gifts that truly matters, but how we choose to use

them, our motive, that matters to God. 

We can do all sorts of good things for God, but if we do not do them as

an expression of God’s love, then they are pointless, useless, and meaningless.

1 Corinthians 13:1-6

1 If I speak in the

tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong

or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all

mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but

do not have love, I am nothing. 3 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.  14 Love is patient, love is

kind.   It does not envy, it does not

boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking,

it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight

in evil but rejoices with the truth.

Love does not

delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

What first comes to

my mind when I hear of delighting in evil is that stereotypical villain

laugh.  You know, the muah-ha-ha-ha

usually accompanied by the wringing of the hands.

Delighting in evil

versus rejoicing with the truth could be understood by comparing a daytime soap

opera to the family sitcoms of old. 

Delighting in evil

is that drama that leaves you on a cliffhanger watching multiple relationships

getting torn apart and scandals left open everywhere.  Rejoicing with the truth is that sitcom that

ends with all conflict revealed and resolved and the family happily ending the

day in togetherness and peace.

Delighting in evil

is that character who blackmails others and is always spinning webs of deceit

in an attempt to reveal the worst secrets in the lives of others or to simply

make good people look bad.  It’s that character

who is always causing drama, but always appearing to be the victim of

others. 

It’s the Dr. Heinz

Doofenshmirtz of Phineas and Ferb, the Stefano or Sami of Days of our Lives,

the Sheev Palpatine of Star Wars, the Wicked Witch of the West of the Wizard of

Oz, Scar of the Lion King.  They’re just

always scheming and stirring up drama wherever they are.

Rejoicing in truth

is that character who always is able to bring people together and establish

peace in the midst of conflict.  It’s the

character who exposes the truth and wisely deals with evil-doers.  It’s that character who rights wrongs,

defends the weak, and always saves the day. 

It’s the Andy Taylor

of the Andy Griffith Show, the Jessica Fletcher of Murder, She Wrote, the Ward

Cleaver of Leave it to Beaver, the Charles Ingalls of Little House on the

Prairie, and superheroes such as Batman or Superman.

Love does not

delight in evil, but it does rejoice with the truth.

Love is truthful.

Now being truthful

is easy when the truth is pleasing and flatterin