The Greatest of these is Love - Sunday Message

The Greatest of these is Love

By Pastor Gary Wayne

Text: Revelation 3:14-22, Corinthians 13:4-8a, 13

This chapter was not written to be quoted at marriage ceremonies. That’s not wrong, because it does apply to marriage, but the context of chapter 12-14 has to do with the Holy Spirit working through us with spiritual gifting.

And as important as the different manifestations of Holy Spirit are in the church, Paul is emphasizing the need for love to be at the center of how and where we operate our spiritual gifting.

Ministry HAS to flow from love. Not education. Not experience. Not gifting. But from being exposed to the Father’s love.

What is the Greek word for this kind of love? Agape – a supernatural God love that can only come from being exposed to God Himself.

Cathy Rapp has Quilting glasses that have red lenses to help you view the different values of contrasting color to pick the material that will best complement each other.

When I began to go salmon snagging, I discovered the importance of having Polaroid glasses – they cut the glare of the light so you can see through the water to see what is actually there.
Because of our human nature, there is usually a glare that prevents us from seeing what is really there.

God wants to give us new lenses to see life from His perspective.
We NEED His lenses to see people as He sees them.

Eharmony has an algorithm that can match you up with a compatible person.
Now think about people who got married before eharmony was available.
Sometimes their reason can be: “if I had have just found the right person, we wouldn’t be having all these problems.”

Our society has bought into the way of thinking that compatibility is finding the right person to fit you.

But the truth is compatibility is learning on your part to become the right person.

Illustration of a triangle with God at the top and the husband and wife at the opposing bottom parts of the triangle. As they move closer to God and who He made them to be, the closer they are to each other.

When I stop working on myself, my issues get in the way.
I need God’s lenses to see myself, and my spouse from His perspective.

Now for those of us – like me – who are thinking, I’m glad P. Gary is addressing this, so and so really needs this message.

Revelation 3:14-22

I want to note that ver.20 is written to people who already know Jesus.
There is a fellowship that He wants to have with us that require me to open the door to Him.

The people in this church thought everything was going well, but in ver.17, Jesus said they were wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.
They NEEDED to Him to come into their Christian life and make some changes that come from fellowship with Him.

V.18 says they need their eyes to be anointed with eye salve that they can see.

I think lukewarm-ness is equivalent to apathy and lethargy. (Which can often be found in a marriage.)
The Laodicean church had a sight problem. They thought they could see, but Jesus said they needed Him to give them sight.

They were blind to spiritual realities. They were focused on earthly comforts and prosperity. Laodicea was well known for its production of eye salve to treat a number of eye problems.

Jesus offers salve that can cure spiritual blindness.
If we apply this to our spiritual eyes, we can see our personal areas of lukewarm-ness, repent and have spiritual vision restored.

Paul talks about the need for “the eyes of your understanding being enlightened…” Eph 1:18