Right first Corinthians 13 really famous chapter obviously and for those of you
that don't know we've been going through the book of Corinthians chapter by
chapter as a Bible study on a Sunday evening we're now up to obviously
chapter 13 and it starts in verse 1 with though I speak with the tongues of men
and of angels and have not charity I am become a sounding brass or a tinkling
symbol right and we finished the last chapter didn't we the Paul saying in
first Corinthians 12 31 but covet earnestly the best gifts and yet show I
unto you a more excellent way and some would then call charity the best gift
I've heard this before and it's never it's never called a gift it's not a gift
because it's something that that we need to follow after says first Corinthians
14 1 it's a more excellent way so if you just jump forward to first Corinthians
41 it says follow after charity and desire spiritual gifts but rather that
you may prophesy so it's separate to spiritual gifts isn't it because it is
something that we can follow after ourselves yeah we can pray for gifts we
can we can covet them but with charity we all have the ability we need to
follow after charity and we will see that with a few other passages in a bit
and above all else it's a more excellent way it's a more excellent way
so what is charity what is charity charity in a general sense love
benevolence goodwill that disposition of heart which inclines men to think
favorably of their fellow men and to do them good in a theological sense it
includes supreme love to God and universal goodwill to men right every
single false version or false perversion renders this as love every single
one and you know people love that don't they love they love you know not no pun
intended here they love to use the false versions at weddings a lot of the time
you you know I remember going to a wedding where the family members said
they prefer to use a different version because they wanted this passage to say
love in it okay and there are many there are you know many ways this is used and
why why do they go for love instead well let's see what what how love is
described an affection of the mind excited by beauty and worth of any kind
or by the qualities of an object which communicate pleasure central or
intellectual it is opposed to hatred love between the sex is a compound
affection consisting of esteem benevolence and animal desire love is
excited by pleasing qualities of any kind as by kindness benevolence charity
and by the qualities which render social intercourse agreeable in a latter case
love is ardent friendship or a strong attachment springing from goodwill and
honesty and the pleasure derived from the company's civilities and kindness of
others so basically love is a lot of the time more responsive isn't it and it's a
lot more open to interpretation and therefore they love using love because
we could just change that as in how love seems to apply in our modern day and as
we know nowadays love with these sorts of passages will be used for things like
mushy feelings won't it feeling good you know that the mushy feeling you get from
someone that sort of lovey feeling love as well people would say well follow
after love and in their mind they mean making people feel good about themselves
making people feel good which a lot of the time in essence is flattery isn't it
okay now just quickly on the flattery thing because we mentioned it a couple
of times over the last few weeks okay giving someone genuine genuine
compliments isn't flattery genuine but it's when it's not genuine it's when
it's constant it's when the people that are just constantly telling you things
you know basically trying to please you with things which aren't necessarily and
you know when it's what I think you know deep down when it's flattering when it's
not the problem with flattery is it makes you feel good and it makes you feel
good and you kind of like it but you know another part of flattery is is it
puffs people up so when you're around and I've noticed this over many years
with people when you're around flatterers you get puffed up you get
puffed up because they make you feel good and flatters around other people if
you're starting to feel yourself getting a bit arrogant a bit confident and you're
thinking this person's always giving me compliments there's a problem there
because really they're setting you up pride goes before destruction doesn't it
and hold to spit before a fall it's not a good thing to have someone constantly
flattering you but let's not go off on that tangent too much okay but the love
that we see today is maybe an acceptance of sin isn't it you're so unloving
because you don't accept sin because you don't call sin what it is and how abused
is this passage and similar by the liberal Christians massively isn't it
you're so unloving you hear it a lot you know you're so full of anger you're not
loving well there is a difference isn't there and obviously love can apply this
there is a charity kind of love as well but preaching hard on sin is loving in
the charity kind isn't it because you're getting you know that's not a nice thing
and for churches and you talk to preachers around around the world it's
not always it's not a nice it's not they enjoy preaching on the sin that they see
and feel is going on in a church they're worried about will go on but it's it's
for the good of the church isn't it and we all of us here have heard preaching
obviously around mainly from the States preaching on sin and like I've said many
times a lot easier when you're the other side of the ponders they call it isn't
it to deal with and it could be hard sometimes and and sometimes you feel a
bit oh that's a bit harsh and it's on me and you know don't get me wrong I'm not
I'm not the hardest preacher out there and I don't think I preach particularly
hard anyway and that'll probably come with time but but we we need to have we
need to our sin to be pointed out we need we need to know about sin and we
need to be given the warnings and we need it to hit home sometimes don't we
and we need to show our strength of character to be able to deal with that
and not just start getting annoyed grumbling start flicking through our
Bibles and switching off or not you know not wanting to say anything to the
preacher afterwards or anything else and you know and that happens and that
happens around churches but preaching hard telling people the truth is
charitable that is charitable it's not for any other reason than to help people
and we're gonna see in a minute about preaching without that and people like
to hide behind the word love I was at a church and I'm not just talking about
this sort of TV preacher liberal preacher I'm talking about the the
so-called independent fundamental Baptist Church pastor who says constantly
talks about how loving they are and we you know we just want to show love it's
all love but really they only love themselves really they're trying to
show themselves to be basically more loving than God more loving than Jesus
Christ they laid well we wouldn't say that because we're too loving what are
you talking about because the Bible says that and it's something we have to be
aware of isn't it so in verse 1 it says though I speak with the tongues of men
of angels and have not charity I am become a sounding brass for tinkling
symbol so remember here the charity is a giving isn't it it's it's goodwill it's
thinking of others it's a giving out to others not trying to tickle tickle
there there there is not trying to make them feel good sometimes it will make
someone feel sometimes people need to feel good don't they sometimes people
need to be exalted but not all the time okay and charity is is about what's best
for them okay he says here and speak with the tongues of men and of angels so
obviously we looked at this last week that's the languages of men but what
about and of angels so again you might have the the charismatic pointing to
this talking about the tongues of angels that's what they're talking about here
well angels means messengers doesn't it so it could be heavenly or not so
basically tongues of angels is basically the language of God and what's the
language of God this isn't it you can speak with the tongues of men you can
speak with the tongues of God and if you have not charity if you're preaching
this Bible if you're talking this Bible and it's not for the good of anyone else
you're like sounding brass or a tinkling symbol okay sounding brass a
tinkling symbol is basically I think a loud dull noise or a quiet repetitive
sound and you could be speaking like we say the languages of the world you know
the Word of God but without charity it's profit it's profitless isn't it and just
on that there is nowhere in the Bible by the way where angels from heaven speak
with another language okay some sort of new language that's some heavenly thing
again I don't think anyone here is probably gonna be conned by that sort of
doctrine right verse 2 and though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all
mysteries and all knowledge and though I have all faith so that I could remove
mountains and have not charity I am nothing okay so even if you were the
best preacher you understand understood every mystery and knowledge in the Bible
without that charity without it being for the edifying of the church without
that thinking of other people is saying here you're nothing absolutely nothing
and you might think well that's a bit extreme you know the best person he said
the gift of prophecy understand all mysteries and all knowledge and though I
have all faith and he's giving an extreme here but regardless there are
there are people that are articulate there are people that they could
probably write a lovely beginning middle end to a sermon and there are there are
preachers we know aren't there out there and they don't really have charity do
you think some of the TV preachers the most famous ones do you think they
really have charity no way do they but they sound good and they tickle some
ears and people think wow that guy can preach he can really preach but he
doesn't have check he's not preaching for others he's preaching for his own
business he's preached for himself he's preached for money and he's preaching
lies okay but you could be a safe Christian and you could preach well but
without charity you're nothing he says here as well he says and though I have
all faith so that I could remove mountains and have not charity I am
nothing and we spoke about last week I think it was about people with great
faith and there are aren't there there are people with great faith that can
really make a difference around you difference to your lives a difference to
the church he's talking about removing mountains turn to mark 11 and in Matthew
17 20 he says and Jesus said unto them because of your unbelief a verily I
sent you if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed you shall say unto this
mountain remove hence to yonder place and it shall remove and nothing shall be
impossible unto you and in mark 11 23 mark 11 23 we see for very I sound to
you that whosoever shall sound to this mountain be thou removed and be thou
cast into the sea and shall not doubt in his heart but shall believe that those
things which he says shall come to pass he shall have whatsoever he saith
therefore I sound to you what things so ever you desire when you pray believe
that you receive them and you shall have them and when you stand praying forgive
if he have alt against any that your father also which is in heaven may
forgive you your trespasses but if you do not forgive neither will your father
which is in heaven forgive your trespasses so you can have a lot of
faith can't you but when you pray and it says here to have that lot of praise
it's saying you know when you pray believe that you receive them and you
shall have them and there are people that are like that people that just have
great faith but without charity and notice there the reason I read the rest
of that is because you could see that with forgiveness can't you there's a
certain amount of charity that comes with forgiveness isn't there and again
if you have alt against any you know you need to basically forgive so that your
father which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses but if you do not
forgive neither will your father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses I
think that's going to be a block with your prayer life and that's just an
obvious example there but but again there are people with faith and it's
it's they've got their own personal faith but they're not helping other
people they're not doing anything for other people they're nothing it's
pointless it's not what you know like we said last week it's all about the body
isn't it's about the church okay verse 3 says and though I bestow all my goods to
feed the poor and though I give my body to be burned and have not charity it
profiteth me nothing what a great verse because bestowing all your goods which
basically giving away your goods all your goods to feed the poor is that not
charity that's apparently charity by the world standards isn't it giving your
body to be burned wow that's an extreme version of charity isn't it but giving
away all your goods to feed the poor there are actually could be many
motivations can there for that there could be many motivations we've all seen
anyone that's been on Facebook seen the old Facebook charity giving the pictures
and videos when you're giving money to the homeless person and I really angered
me today you know story on someone's profile because just when I was giving
that homeless guy a hundred quid you know someone came along and tripped up
on the floor and no one helped him up or you know something like that I was
walking this old lady across the road this car didn't nearly start just come
on you so obvious but anyway stuff like that's really annoying but there are
there are many motivations aren't there giving to be seen to give giving to be
seen to give is a big motivation to tell others some people will give and it
might not be to tell them in some state you know status on whatever it is but it
might be just be able to go home and tell her at whatever friend and be able
to tell people about what they've done how great they are giving to be seen as
we said might just be to be seen by the passerby in the street might be that you
don't even sound the trumpet you know in the modern version of that on some form
of social media it might be just that that person in the street sees you
giving if it's in the street that is it might be to to embarrass someone else
maybe to embarrass the person you're with embarrass the other passerby or
whatever it is there could be another motivation to giving maybe it's just
that you really like that hobo maybe you're just looking at that guy you're
thinking I you know I'd really like to be friends with that guy he's gonna
really like me when I give him some money we'll have a little chat and and
there are not there there are many and I'm sure there are many other many other
versions and and that doesn't mean you have charity because you give money to
feed the poor because you do things for people as well and and again it's might
not be giving away all your goods but there are many motivations for doing
stuff people look at people doing things helping giving and just saying what a
charitable person but there are many motivations there are many motivations
for that and again I'm sure you could think of a hundred different motivations
now what about giving my body to be burned how do you do that without
charity hey well what about so we call it martyrdom don't we what about to be
a name I bet they'll probably be martyrs for that history that wanted to make a
name for themselves now bear in mind as a saved Christian you know where you're
going don't you you know where you're going is it that much of a ordeal to die
early and go to heaven okay I'm not saying I'm just about to jump into the
fire myself but what I am saying is that for some maybe they have a strong faith
and maybe maybe it's not about doing it for others to fight for a cause some
people can get really obsessed with the cause it's got nothing to do with the
Word of God as well can't they you can get get really into a certain cause and
right now there are people that could have been tempted to really go on into
that cause of the you know with the COVID stuff and anti this and it's easy
to get pulled into that but it's not really of God is it that's not the fight
we're pulled towards or called towards sorry like I said to go to heaven early
stubbornness there are people that just refuse to back there some people aren't
there I mean I don't know I've had some stubborn children as well and you know
that you got to break them because there are people that I think even with the
risk of getting burned alive maybe just really don't I'm not gonna say it you
know I'm not gonna say you know say whatever it is and I don't know there's
just some motivations that you could probably think of a lot more but without
the goodwill to others again it doesn't profit you anything being a martyr
doesn't profit you anything if it's not for the good of other people yeah be
being bestowing all your goods to feed the poor if it's just to be able to tell
everyone you've done that what's it profited and as we know a lot of the
time with homeless people it's not profiting them anything when you're
giving them a load of money and I'm not just talking about homeless so our poor
people they're genuinely poor people that can do with help but a lot of the
time you know you start thinking of not if a man does not work neither shall he
eat and and a lot of the time it's going on drugs and alcohol but that's another
topic okay verse four charity suffereth long and is kind charity envieth not
charity vaunteth not itself is not puffed up so genuine goodwill that
charitable goodwill to others should result in you being more patient
shouldn't it should result in you being more patient what about kind so you
suffer with long that's being patient with people kind now again you know we
can look at kindness and think yeah I'm pretty kind to people I got so winning
I'm kind at church but I actually so some of this a while back when the
church we were at they stopped singing and all the COVID stuff and and I just
said to my family I'm just going to preach a sermon at home because there's
no way you could you know it's like online I think at the time and and it
was something that I really wanted to get on to was my point with my family it
was actually I think it's second Peter isn't it but it was actually about the
brotherly kindness and what I was saying to my family was was and it was
specially to my kids was if you can't be kind to each other if you can't be kind
to yourselves at home then are you really going to have that charity that
real charity towards others because again like we're seeing here their
motivations people can appear to be really charitable but it's just to be
seen to be charitable at church so if you can't to your own brothers and
sisters if you can't your own wife or your wife to your own husband or to your
own kids or whatever it is then you get it's not real I know it's not real
charity in public is it it's not it can't be so with that that's something
we need to get in our heads I think if we really want to be that that that
kind that charity should produce that giving to others that kindness if we're
not doing it at home I I call it a fake so if you're not being kind to your
spouse if you're not being kind to your kids if kids you're not being kind to
your brothers and sisters if you're not doing that home and then you're coming
to church trying to show our charitable you are you a fake 100% you're faking it
be like it starts surely it starts with your actual brothers sisters husbands
wives and and and it is something that that that I think can be a problem it
can be a problem for us all got it because they're the people that know you
most they're the people you're most at home with you yourself you know and you
don't the act comes off a bit but if I think that's a good benchmark don't you
think that's a good rather than the public face we all have a public face
what you're doing at home are you kind to the people you're meant to be calm
with are you kind to you to your family and then obviously your brothers and
sisters in Christ if you can't show kindness to them that was my point is
if you can't show brotherly kindness how on earth you really going to show that
charity to others and then he says charity envieth not if you really want
the best for people you're not going to envy them are you if you really want
the best for people how on earth you know how on earth you ever being them
and and envy is a it's a big deal I think because there's a bit of a
crossover with you know again I think our society I don't want to blame on
society but again it does encourage it to a degree doesn't it a lot of
covetousness we're encouraged to cover what people have and to envy them for
what they have and people I just think with that you may be a bit more
desensitized to it of how wicked it really is but we can I'm sure we can all
do it Proverbs 14 30 says a sound heart is a life of the flesh but envy the
rottenness of of the bones the rottenness of the bones and and it's
this I think it's a serious deal because it just eats you up I've known really
envious people over over years and and I've had some old friends that were they
just couldn't get away why does he have that this the anger it builds in them
it's just and it just wrecks their lives you know it really does just wrecks
people's lives and that envy we just need to get rid of that and and and you
get rid of that by having real charity don't you why are you envying someone
you want them to be you want them to do well you want them to have things and
again if it starts it starts at home and brothers and sisters kids here that
starts at home if you're why does he get that why does she get that you know
that that's envy and that will ruin you that will ruin you over years just cut
that out want your brothers and sisters to enjoy things want your husbands your
wives to have good things to be happy want your brothers and sisters in Christ
to be successful to do well and and yeah then you're not gonna have that
rottenness of the bones okay so he says vaunteth not itself vaunteth is boasting
and I was thinking about this earlier so here's the thing yeah because a lot of
people do boast and if you want to be thought of as the most charitable maybe
this is a good incentive don't boast yeah if you want to boast of yourself as
the most charitable person then don't boast yeah and people might look at
because again it's not charity when you're constantly vaunting yourself up
and again it's there's a tendency for many people can do this can't know we
can all do that we can all try and just lift ourselves up a little bit and and
that's you're out of charity and the truth is you're trying to lift yourself
up but someone who's got who's spiritually aware and there's maybe read
this chapter is looking at you thinking not much charity there because you
lifted yourself up that's the truth and he's not puffed up what's puffed up full
of yourself you know big-headed is the image you see there and again you know
you're not going to be full of it full of yourself if you're full of charity
for other people okay so verse 5 does not behave itself
unseemly sinketh not seeketh not her own is not easily provoked thinketh no evil
so unseemly is indecently or unbecomingly okay so we shouldn't behave
indecently and unbecomingly again if we if if we're if we want to if we want to
be in that charity we want to be in that goodwill to others and and again I would
say think how you really are at home yeah so the public face the church face
you know we all very perfect at church aren't we if only all our kids were but
you know we all try our best but what about when you're at home are you
behaving yourself unseemly towards your spouses towards your kids kids towards
your parents even it when you're on your own you can you can do that can't you
people that live on their own seeketh not her own okay so basically selfish
and you know again there are many selfish people we can all be selfish
can't we we can all be selfish but we should you know that's not the sign of
someone that said what the Bible calls a charitable person that's not someone
full of charity the selfishness we should be thinking of others everything
should be about others not so sorry here it says is not easily provoked so that's
not incited or made angry and sensed easily so when you're full of that
giving to others full of love for others that charity for others then you
shouldn't be easily provoked should you flying off the handle at anything you
know live it again starts at home doesn't it or maybe at work places where
you're comfortable around other people you shouldn't be easily provoked and and
again this is a benchmark that we're looking to get towards and thinketh no
evil and and I think that's I think that's just having evil intentions
because we are still we are still capable of that aren't we and I think if
you're really thinking about other people and you've got that charity
towards other people those little flashes that do go in people's minds and
evil thoughts and everything else you would hope wouldn't be wouldn't be going
in your head would they verse 6 is rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth
in the truth okay so obviously someone with charity shouldn't rejoice in
injustice yeah unrighteousness crime I think that's pretty obvious but here's
how many people can can't they through TV YouTube clips rejoicing in iniquity
rejoicing in in sin on in certain TV or whatever series and violent stuff and
enjoying it and loving it and and loving the kind of even even like some of the
stuff it's just that people's expense a wind-up stuff yeah there could be a
music stuff that's harmless but love it isn't you just rejoicing in sin aren't
you rejoicing in iniquity and you do feel a bit I know I feel guilty you
feel a bit dirty when you watch that sort of stuff and and and we shouldn't
be we should be rejoicing in it and if you're not rejoicing it while you're
watching it but rejoices rejoiceth in the truth what's the truth well first see
this isn't it this is the truth this word of God and we should be rejoicing
in the Bible shouldn't we rejoicing in it but that's in the whole Bible do we
rejoice in the whole Bible yeah to men men rejoicing for example in this
chapter right now or are we women rejoicing in maybe the bits we're
reading earlier about you know why wives keep silence in the church didn't him I
didn't see many women yeah I didn't see much rejoicing there but we should
shouldn't we we should just rejoice at every bit of that truth and of course
there Christians around the world that don't want to rejoice in the obvious
stuff the Leviticus 2013 and do we rejoice in the truth yeah I'm not saying
you should be cheering at every single verse and every single hard truth in the
Bible we should have joined that and there are husbands rejoicing rejoicing
in husbands love your wives the command to love your wives are we rejoicing in
that or sometimes are we finding that hard a wives rejoicing in submitting to
their husbands and that's something you know and that's the truth isn't it
because it's all the truth it's a word of truth we should be rejoicing in that
rejoicing in the whole Bible not just the bits that suit us not just our
favorite verse that make us feel good verse 7 says bear with all things
believeth all things hopeth all things endureth all things I think it's
probably likely linked closely to the verse above so but rejoices rejoiceth in
the truth and then bear with all things believeth all things hopeth all things
endureth all things I think they're all things in the Word of God but I might be
I might be reading that wrong but you know if you're rejoicing in the truth
then you're gonna put up so bear with all things you get to put up with the
hard parts of the Christian life aren't you you're gonna you're gonna you're
gonna believe the truth you're gonna believe all things aren't you and that's
not everything in the world every little lie someone tells you I think it's from
the Word of God hoping in the truth you're gonna hope all things the
promises of the Word of God endureth all things enduring the tribulations that
promise they're going to come when you live righteously in Christ Jesus yeah
verse 8 says charity never faileth but whether there be prophecies they shall
fail whether there be tongues they shall cease whether there be knowledge it
shall vanish away right so turn a second Peter chapter 1 and this is what the
passage I was I was looking at before but and we went through this the other
day as well with a natural progression in second Peter chapter 1 and from from
verse 5 it says and beside this giving all diligence so obviously working hard
for this and I won't really preach that whole sermon but just quickly add to
your faith virtue and we're saying that's basically a the morality of God
so you get saved you add to your faith virtue add to virtue knowledge and the
knowledge comes from the Word of God and like we said without without having that
that right the right moral values of God it's really you're not going to get the
knowledge from the Word of God aren't you because you'd end up giving up
within within a few pages especially some of those hard bits and and to
knowledge temperance and we said that was a self-control and you can't have
the self-control without the knowledge of what to be self-controlled with and a
temperance patience and you can't have the patience without the self-control
and a patience godliness and that was then you know you start to behave like
you should with the patience and then from godliness after the godliness comes
a brotherly kindness but the brotherly kindness comes before the charity like
I was just saying earlier so from the godliness comes a brotherly kindness and
to brotherly kindness charity and that charity is the icing on the cake charity
is the icing on the cake 1st Peter 4 8 you don't have to turn there you can if
you like it says and above all things have fervent charity among yourselves
for charity shall cover the multitude of sins and like I said before it's not
soul winning shall cover the multitude of sins charity shall cover the
multitude of sins okay and and it's because once you have that charity again
it almost it will help you with so much of that sinful life but but you know at
the end of the day if you have someone here they got some sin in you know
obviously not blatant horrific sin but they might we're all sinful we have sin
in our lives but when there's charity it just it just makes up for so much of
that yeah because you're giving to others you you're doing things for other
people right so the next part from there so charity never faileth and as we see
it's the icing on the cake it's the end of that list of first first Peter sorry
second Peter chapter 1 verse 5 to 8 but the next part of this verse first
Corinthians verse 8 says but whether there be prophecies they shall fail
whether they be tongues they shall cease whether there be knowledge it shall
vanish away and it goes on to say for we know in part and we prophesy in part
but when that which is perfect is come then that which is in part shall be done
away now many people believe that this was basically talking about the writing
of the Bible anyone heard that before yeah a couple not many yeah one or two
so I've heard this preach quite a bit and I kind of just took this as to be
true until I really studied this out that that basically suddenly in the
middle of this chapter like the charity chapter as some would call the love
chapter then suddenly just slap bang in the middle there's this sort of sudden
oh by the way it's all about the the Word of God here these for this few
section just shoved in there and when that which is perfect it's talking about
the completion of the New Testament and then the spiritual gifts end and they
try and use this as a proof of cessationism and I've heard that preach
okay but the content it's not that's completely out of context isn't it so
it's in the middle of a chapter obviously about charity and where it
says here charity never faileth but whether there be prophecies they shall
fail whether there be tongues they shall cease whether they be knowledge it shall
vanish away and they try and use that to say those spiritual gifts now cease and
then they talk about the part being what we know in part is a not fully
completed you know group of scriptures to make a New Testament but it's a load
of nonsense because it it's just it's just in contrast to charity so if the
prophecies were talking about specific work of the Holy Spirit why would they
fail what the Holy Spirit failed that doesn't make any sense but notice the
word whether whether meaning which of the two so here it's saying charity
never faileth but whether so which of the two about charity or prophecies
whether there be prophecies which of the two so without charity the prophecy will
fail the tongues will cease and the knowledge will vanish away it's without
charity well how yeah so for example if I'm preaching but I'm not thinking about
benefiting the church could I not preach a sermon that fails surely I could
preach it so even with the Word of God it's going out sure I mean I do I'm sure
I have already preached sermons that fail and whether with or without the
charity but especially without the charity okay the whole point of the
preaching the whole point of the prophecy is to edify the church isn't
it and without charity without without that wanting to edify the church is it
really going to because that make it there must be a temptation with many
preachers around the world I'm talking about saved men of God to start
preaching to edify themselves and preaching topics as subjects to make
themselves sound good to make themselves sound clever or to make themselves you
know sound a certain way maybe to mimic whatever their favorite preacher is or
whatever else and people can do that can't there there be some charlatans as
well that managed to basically just copy their favorite preacher come and then
eventually they've been exposed haven't they because they basically just
parroted something someone else has said and it can be for years people get away
with that but without the charity the prophecy will fail won't it same with
the languages so I could be fluent in a load of languages or fluent in a few
languages but but without the charity I'm probably likely to stop using them
aren't I if you know if it's in terms of for the church and eventually I'll
probably lose the ability because if you don't speak them yeah it's different
when it's your native language when you learn languages when you you might have
a gift and a knack for learning languages but I know I've learned to a
degree certain languages and now you know it's be hard for me to pick up yeah
I'll pick it up much quicker than I had from scratch but without it without the
charity without the giving to others because if you have that gift it should
be for others and one obvious way is to preach the gospel isn't it to people of
other languages okay knowledge without charity vanishes away it's a kind of use
it or lose it it's no good sitting at home having a load of knowledge if
you're not using it and how many of us how many of us have learned something
gone out soul-winning and used it I know I have anyone else had that before when
you learn some sort of you know doctor or some sort of false doctrine and just
a good way of answering it and it's like the next week you've got someone
asked you that question Wow and and that's that's using the
knowledge because you use it with charity you're going out and soul
winning aren't you and you're going out and trying to get people saved and then
it's useful and then that a lot of the time when you've had to use it it kind
of cements it doesn't it but if you're you could learn all sorts of things if
you never use it you're just learning information it's not gonna stay is it
and it's gonna probably vanish away and it does does it could be quite
frustrating sometimes you could have studied out a chapter in the Bible and
then someone asks you about it and unless you've really got that gift for
just you know for being able to just go straight to it sometimes I can't remember
what that was I can't remember what what conclusion I came up with that and that
does happen but yeah useless knowledge goes doesn't it okay verse 9 says for we
know in part and we prophesy in part but then when that which is perfect is come
then that which is in part shall be done away okay so I think he's saying here
Paul saying that we have some knowledge and some and some preaching but when
charity comes and it will be complete yeah and he's not necessarily saying he
doesn't have any charity but he's basically giving giving the the
illustration of someone without well we know in part we prophesy in part but
when that which is perfect is come then that which is in part should be done
away now turn to Colossians chapter 3
and verse 14 and above all these things put on charity which is the bond of
perfectness so Colossians 3 14 and above all these things put on charity which is
a bond of perfectness and he said but when that which is perfect is come then
that which is in part should be done away I think he's just talking about the
charity here and again here it's the icing on the cake isn't it but it does
make the cake you know you probably all had had cakes and they're meant to have
icing on them you have it without the icing it's not the same cake is it I'm
dry old nasty cake shove the icing on and it's lovely it all works well
together and in the same way it's the same with charity doesn't it just it's
like that icing on the cake with your with your outward Christian life and be
able to help other people and do things for others and like we said same as
knowledge or preaching without the charity so without the charity you could
preach it all well but if it's not really to edify it's not you're not
looking for other people it's not the same is it and that's the same amongst
each other obviously so if you're you know again it's easy to say that and I'm
standing up here you know behind a pulpit bit but we all preach we all
preach the Word of God we pretty like we said before with the gospel you preach
to each other you preach to your families preach to friends you preach
amongst each other you're preaching that Word of God and if it's not to uplift
other people if it's just to make yourself look clever if it's just to
make yourself sound knowledgeable if it's just to show the latest thing that
you've learned or you're pretending you learned because you actually heard it in
a sermon somewhere that you hoping no one else has listened to if you and I'm
not saying anyone does that but I reckon I would be surprised you know we all
sinners and we all do crazy stuff and the truth is if people if you're doing
that then then it's it's profitless isn't it and and and it's you know
that's not that's that's what is in part without that that perfection of the
charity okay turn of 1st Timothy chapter 1 1st Timothy chapter 1 and verse 5 says
now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart and of a
good conscience and of faith unfeigned from which some having swerved have
turned aside unto vain jangling desiring to be teachers of the law understanding
neither what they say nor whereof they affirm okay so the end of the commandment
is charity and I think it's in a way which comes out of a pure heart and of a
good conscience and of faith unfeigned I think the end of the commandment is
charity and so it's the end of the commandment it's the icing on the cake
and then what do these people do here from which some having swerved so they
swerve the charity and have turned aside unto vain jangling and vain jangling sort
of empty noise yeah this is sort of empty noise and it says in verse 7
desiring to be teachers of the law understanding neither what they say nor
whereof they affirm and people could do that can't they that's something that
that you know again when you're preaching you want to make sure that you
don't you don't get tempted to do that sort of thing swerving the charity and
we all need to make sure we don't do that as well swerve the charity and then
turn aside to basically the empty noise trying to sound clever trying to come up
with the cleverest little or the most obscure verse or anything else well what
was the point the pointless discussions and disputings the pointless you know
debates with each other or even on the door you can vain vainly jangle on the
door can't you when you're trying to get people saved and you're with your soul
winning partner and it comes up and if you should have just not let it derail
but instead time to show some knowledge it happens doesn't it people do that and
and we want to make sure we don't do that we don't want to swerve swerve the
charity the chat it's all about the other people that's how it should be
shouldn't it should all be about what we could do for others it's all about how
we profit someone else and the sad thing is there are people that want to be here
it's saying they desire to be teachers of the law they want to be teachers they
want to teach people but they don't understand what they say in that nor
whereof they affirm because they don't have the charity so yeah they can preach
a little bit yeah they could copy the sermon yeah they can listen to some
stuff and rehash what someone else has said but it's very different isn't it
and it's got to be and and you know that's that's you know that for me that
that is it should be constantly my prayer when preach it should be anyone
else that ever preaches from behind this pulpit in this church is is how can this
benefit how's this going to edify and obviously preaching the whole counsel of
God but that's what it's got to be about not about yourself but without the
charity so without the charity what happens well they don't understand what
they say or affirm do they they don't really understand it according to here
understanding neither what they say nor whereof they affirm and to affirm is
basically to assert positively to tell with confidence so there are people that
assert potlights positively they're basically saying this is truth but they
don't actually understand and a lot of people do that don't they I it's been
one of my pet hates for years people that pretend to know something a hundred
percent when they don't it's really annoying and because I've been lured
into it I've talked about this before people that are just a hundred percent
they're right there's no doubt they're wrong and then I start to believe them
and trust them when they're telling me to do this a certain way telling me to
do this on a job or something else and they actually don't have a clue what
they're talking about that's really annoying okay okay he said he said here
as well and he obviously he said in verse 4 that charity vaunteth not
herself is not puffed up and that obviously goes hand in hand with that
doesn't it okay back to verse 11 of 1st Corinthians he says when I was a child I
spake as a child I understood as a child I thought as a child but when I became a
man I put away childish things okay so he's obviously expanding on verse 10 so
we saw in verse 10 he said but when that which is perfect is come then that which
is in part shall be done away and this is an illustration and because we do we
become complete as an adult in fact that's what you're training a child
towards is adulthood isn't it and it's something we need to remember a lot of
the time as parents because often we're kind of training our kids as kids and
really eventually you're training them to be a successful adult so when we were
children we spoke differently didn't we we all spoke differently understood
differently thought differently I think most of us can remember back to that as
children you're not always going to think and speak and act the same way if
a man speaks like a little boy it's a bit odd isn't it a little bit odd same
if a woman still understood like a child she would find life pretty difficult
wouldn't she and if I thought like my son's I don't know if I thought my like
my son well firstly we probably would have had a snack break in the middle of
this sermon at least one and then probably during that snack break we
probably would have started doing cartwheels and playing top Trump's and
stuff and completely forgotten the service of what I was meant to be doing
so obviously we have to progress on from that don't we and we as adults need to
put away childish things yeah there's a you know obviously a secondary thing
there he's obviously given that example about charity and but he say about being
complete with charity but he's saying I put away childish things so we need to
be moving on and we should be progressing and obviously as as you
know you know this is this account spiritually as well as a spiritual babe
in Christ that's what we all have been and some maybe are you know and again it
depends and it's not an insult is it if you're if you're new to faith or or
maybe not new to faith but really new to read your Bible and living the Christian
life as a Bible says then you're a spiritual babe that's not an insult
that's just the way things are now we when we were first saved those of you
that don't consider yourself spiritual babes we spoke differently didn't we
didn't we we understood differently didn't we and we thought differently but
charity should be the sign of spiritual maturity so we could think we've got it
right yeah we're on our soul win I read my Bible you know I do I go to church
regularly it's a charity that I think is a sign of spiritual maturity or that
at least is the icing on the cake that's when you know you've matured and I'm not
saying you're gonna have it all the time but we shall follow after it desire it
seek it because we want to be mature don't risk Christians we want to put
away the childish things put away the way we were before and and yeah in the
same way like we say as adults as adults we need to do that anyway and we you
know it and I'm not saying you can't have you know obviously we all want to
have fun in life but we shouldn't be coming across childish should we we
shouldn't be as adults coming across as childish and people thinking how
immature and everything else and and of course people call you that if you're
just having fun as well and I'm not saying that but we should we should put
away childish things because we should be maturing in the same way you know
Christian walk we should be putting away childish things yeah we should be
maturing second Timothy 2 22 says flee also youthful lusts but follow
righteousness faith charity peace with them that call on the Lord out of the
pure heart so in second Timothy 2 22 he's confirming that isn't he to flee
the youthful lust it's not just I think the sinful things either he's still
gonna Timothy here flee youthful lusts that's a desires that come with with
being young but follow righteousness faith charity peace with them that call
on the Lord out of a pure heart right verse 12 for now we see through a glass
darkly but then face to face now I know in part but then shall I know even as
also I am known so without charity it's like looking in a dull mirror okay it's
like looking a dull mirror and face to face is is point blank isn't it and
that's as clear as you're going to be as clearly as you can get now he says here
he says basically so he said for now we see through a glass darkly but then face
to face now I know in part but then shall I know even as also I am known so
without charity the knowledge is in part yeah we've seen that I think that's
pretty clear with charity I think you really start to see clearly perhaps also
yourself too when you really have that charity that icing on the cake that that
maturity spiritually you kind of see who you really are don't you because there
are many less mature Christians that maybe think that they're really sinless
or think that they're you know that something they're not and with the
charity I think we really see clearly we see a lot more clearly we see ourselves
more clearly too that's how I see that verse 13 says and now abide of faith
hope charity these three but the greatest of these is charity so when
we're complete we have faith hope charity the greatest is charity now turn
a second Thessalonians chapter 1
okay I'm from verse 1 Paul and Sylvanus and Timotheus unto the Church of the
Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ grace unto you a peace
from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ we are bound to thank God always
for you brethren as it is meet because that your faith groweth exceedingly and
the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth so that we
ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in
all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure so have a look at verse
three again there he says we are bound to thank God always for you brethren as
it is meet because at your faith growth exceedingly and the charity of every
one of you all toward each other aboundeth so they're thanking God for
them because their faith has grown and the faith has growed exceedingly and
then with that the charity abounds doesn't it so as we grow our charity
should abound and I mean that you know they're thanking for that because then
then look what the result is so the charity of every one of you all toward
each other aboundeth in verse four so that we ourselves glory in you in the
Church of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and
tribulations that you endure so when I when the charity aboundeth okay then it
results in them glorying to the other churches for their patience and faith in
persecution and tribulation so basically growing in faith coincides
with charity the result is patience and faith in hard times that's not a bad
bad goal is it because we're all gonna have if you you want to grow as a
Christian you're gonna have hard times you're gonna have tribulations you're
gonna have hard times you're gonna have persecutions you have problems and if
you can grow and you can end up and you can put put that charity put that
charity onto your faith and genuine charity and like I said you can test
that at home if you're showing charity to those at home you're sure you've got
charity in your mind when you're alone at home because I'm not saying everyone
lives in with families and other things then the the eventual result is that
you're going to be patient and you're going to keep your faith in the hard
times and isn't that a great thing to be able to do because we're all gonna get
it we're all gonna get the hard times we're growing as a church or our soul
winning we're over 300 salvations we're in the first few months we're and
whether it's to do with the church or in your own lives and all of us have
probably had stuff already it wouldn't it be nice to be able to deal with that
much better than we probably all of us do we could all improve can't we and
when we get there when we get the charity right and that's what will
happen but like I said I think that charity starts at home and if you you
can look at yourself and go look yeah no I am displaying all these things look at
this chapter go over this chapter because it's not just all the mushy
chapter oh the charity chapter the one at the weddings the one that well you
know it's not really quite you know hardcore enough this chapter no this
chapter is is what will will improve your your Christian life if you take it
seriously won't it this chapter is what what can change lives and and this
chapter I think I think it might be in in chapter 14 and I haven't got this in
my notes but I think in chapter 14 he talks about quitting like men and then
talks about charity afterwards and it goes hand in hand so I think we can if
anyone wants to find out that would be great but I think we I saw it's not
actually it's chapter 16 and I think we can call we we can we we can look if
anyone gets it let me know um verse 13 what she stand fast in the faith quit
you like men be strong let all your things be done with charity so it's not
oh well it's a bit soft and a bit soppy being full of charity no it's not it's
actually quit you like men be strong and put on charity resist the flesh resist
the want to try and be too tough or you know being nasty to people or be you
know and put on the charity and that's a real sign of manliness if we can do that
and like I said that starts at home doesn't it that starts with our spouses
that starts women with it with your husband's wives are to love their
husbands as well you know and and it's not just a submittance love your
husbands but husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church I mum mums and
it talks about women loving your children love them you know and and with
that should come that charity and that wanting to give to others and then with
that we're gonna we're gonna the result is going to be that we deal with with
persecution and tribulation so much better and it's going to be that the
icing on the cake with our Christian life with that let's pray well though I
thank you for your word thank you that fit for that amazing chapter and again
that can't be written by men that is an absolutely amazing chapter and so deep
so profound and teach this so much and we just pray that you help us or every
single one of us needs help with with this area of our lives and we'll need
continue help with that to be able to put on that charity to be able to show
that charity to others to want to be charitable to others and help us all
with that help us not to just kind of discard that now and then go go back to
our back to our old ways of thinking and just to think how you want us to think
and to to put other people first and ultimately to put you first we thank you
for thank you for this church thank you for the people here thank you for for
for everything you've blessed us with we pray that you help us to have a good
week now that we all have this week with charity at the center of it and and to
all meet back here next week in Jesus name we pray amen