“Summer Love Series - The Things We Do For Love pt. 2”
Pastor Jim Lowe III
Sunday Morning, 9:30am Stream 07/20/25 (3rd Sunday Message)
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{All scriptures are NIV84 unless stated}
Message Title:
“Summer Love Series - The Things We Do For Love pt. 2”
Love…
the thing scripture tells us is the most important.
Scripture tells us that we have either everything… or nothing without it.
Jesus said they will know you are my disciples… if you love.
but not just love.
that you love how he loved us.
There is a song:
They Will Know We Are Christians By Our Love.
I’ve said before that it doesn’t matter if you TELL people you’re a believer. It doesn’t matter how often people see you pray.
It doesn’t matter how man scriptures you know.
Love Is What Defines Who You Are!
That’s why we have been breaking down what ALL of that looks like. We’ve been talking about what love is,
and what we’re actually responsible for.
The love we are required to give.
We’ve been in Corinthians talking about the biblical definition of love. Because we’re responsible for it.
We’ve talked about: patience kindness envy
pride and boasting.
Let’s continue the study today. What else does it say about love?
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
5 It is not rude, 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. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love Is Not Rude!
Do some of us have a problem with being rude? We might call it telling the truth.
saying what needs to be said.
sending a message in a terrible envelope.
We might say it isn’t us.
But do we say things like this? “No offense, but…”
“I’m just being honest…” “Not to be rude…but”
We might think we don’t have to deal with being rude… but lets ask your friend.
let’s ask your family.
let’s ask your spouse or S.O. Do we deal with rudeness?
Maybe a little more than we think.
But let’s see in the bible someone who was overly rude.
1 Samuel 25:1
Now Samuel died, and all Israel assembled and mourned for him; and they buried him at his home in Ramah. Then David moved down into the Desert of Maon.
David at this time was being sought by Saul. David was in hiding.
But WHILE hiding, David would protect people in the area from raiders.
1 Samuel 23 talks about Philistine raiders that would kill, destroy and steal from the Israelites. David would offer protection for them.
BECAUSE of this protection…
people were sympathetic to his cause.
He was already popular…which was why Saul wanted him dead. But he was a favorite among many people.
they would give David’s group supplies when they needed them.
But David is about to meet a character…
1 Samuel 25:2
2 A certain man in Maon, who had property there at Carmel, was very wealthy. He had a thousand goats and three thousand sheep, which he was shearing in Carmel.
This man was very wealthy.
1 Samuel 25:3
3 His name was Nabal and his wife’s name was Abigail. She was an intelligent and beautiful woman, but her husband, a Calebite, was surly and mean in his dealings.
The man’s name is Nabal. his wife is Abigal.
SHE is intelligent and beautiful. but he…
a Calebite - from a wealthy tribe
but was surly and mean in his dealings. (NIV) cruel and mean (NCV)
harsh and EVIL in his doings (NKJV) he was cold and mean…
he was dishonest and a cheat when dealing with others. he was not a good man…
but he was successful… And David had a request for him.
1 Samuel 25:4-8
4 While David was in the desert, he heard that Nabal was cutting the wool from his sheep. 5 So he sent ten young men and told them, “Go to Nabal at Carmel, and greet him for me. 6 Say to Nabal, ‘May you and your family and all who belong to you have good health! 7 I have heard that you are cutting the wool from your sheep. When your shepherds were with us, we did not harm them. All the time your shepherds were at Carmel, we stole nothing from them. 8 Ask your servants,
and they will tell you. We come at a happy time, so be kind to my young men. Please give anything you can find for them and for your son David.’ ”
So look at David’s message to Nabal.
David To Nabal:
-
He Wished Him and His Family Good Health
-
He Had Been Protecting Nabal’s Shepherds and Possessions From Bandits
-
David Needs Supplies
-
He Appealed to Him as a “Son”
This was a nice letter.
David is very humble and asking for help. Nabal is VERY wealthy.
David helped him…he can help back.
What does Nabal say?
1 Samuel 25:9-11
9 When David’s men arrived, they gave Nabal this message in David’s name. Then they waited. 10 Nabal answered David’s servants, “Who is this David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants are breaking away from their masters these days. 11 Why should I take my bread and water, and the meat I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men coming from who knows where?”
Nabal returns the message to David.
And he disrespected him and his people who are you men?
who is David?
He must be a slave who ran away from his master.
I have supplies…
but they are for MY servants.
You can’t have it.
Nabal is being proud, boastful, rude AND self-seeking in one verse alone. Look how often he talks about himself!
In verse 11 specifically:
Verse 11:
11 Why should I take my bread and water, and the meat I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men coming from who knows where?”
4 times he talks about himself in one sentence.
The English Septuagint is one of the oldest translations.
Verse 11 (English Septuagint)
11 Should I take my bread and my wine and my meat that I have sacrificed for my sheep shearers, as well as the sheep, and will I give them to men whom I do not know from where they came?”
8 times in one sentence! This man is a piece of work!
full of himself!
What does David say in return? So he has been rude.
How?
Nabal to David:
-
Dishonored David’s Name
-
Dishonored David’s Family Name
-
Related Him To A Slave and Saul His Master
-
Disrespected David’s Men and the Protection They Gave
This will not go over well.
1 Samuel 25:12-13
12 David’s men turned around and went back. When they arrived, they reported every word. 13 David said to his men, “Put on your swords!” So they put on their swords, and David put on his. About four hundred men went up with David, while two hundred stayed with the supplies.
Put on your swords!
David is about to go straighten the guy out.
Let’s quickly finish the story.
Nabal’s servants find out David is coming. they tell Abigail, the intelligent one.
She grabs tons of supplies a WHOLE lot of things. She met David and his men on the road.
David is furious.
“Nabal has repaid evil for good.”
David swears to kill EVERY male there.
Abigail throws herself at his feet.
don’t be mad…my husband IS wicked.
Do you know what his name means?
Nabal means “fool.”
She then tells him she is on his side and prays for his success.
David says thank you.
you saved lives today. And David remembered her.
Abigail goes home and tells Nabal what happened the next day.
Nabal has a heart attack finding out what was gonna happen.
10 days later the Lord kills him.
When David hears it.
he thanks God for upholding his cause against Nabal. and he THEN asks his intelligent wife Abigail…
to be HIS wife.
Something we can learn from this…
You Are Responsible For How You Treat One Another!
You can create enemies out of friends based on how you treat them. This situation is proven in multiple scriptures.
Proverbs 15:1
A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
Proverbs 21:23
23 He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity.
Ephesians 4:29
29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
Let’s talk about the next one.
Love Is Not Self-Seeking
The things love is not all deal with self. Envy, Boasting, Pride, Rudeness.
All of these things deal with “I.”
Love is meant to be a consideration of others. Being humble.
Being Self-Seeking Is When You Think Of Yourself More Than Others
Everyone has to examine themselves… including Jesus’ disciples
Matthew 20:20-21
20 Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. 21 “What is it you want?” he asked. She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”
So wait…
James and John want to be at what they assume are the highest positions in heaven. and they have their mother beg Jesus for it.
Instead of Jesus just finding favor with them…
they want the highest honor. they want status.
How do we know?
Look at what happens.
Verse 22-23
22 “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” “We can,” they answered. 23 Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.”
Jesus is like are you willing to go through everything I’m going to? “Yep.”
They have NO idea what Jesus is going to have to do. but they assume they are worthy of this status.
sometimes we have to ask ourselves:
What Is Our Heart Posture?
WHY do we do the things we do?
what is our true attitude towards the Lord? is it one of humility or expectation?
We Should Ask Ourselves How Often Do We Consider Others?
There were 12 disciples!
why did these 2 deserve more than the rest?
They are thinking of themselves.
and not considering anyone else.
And this won’t go over well.
Verse 24
24 When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers.
Of course!
They were secretly trying to make back deals for their promotion later!
But Jesus would pull them together to explain where their hearts SHOULD be.
Matthew 20:25-28
25 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
If you want to be anything…
you have to be nothing first.
We Have To Have A Spirit Of Humility
Proverbs 11:2
2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.
We have to lose the pride we carry.
All of these things bundle together.
Pride, boasting…being self-seeking…even being rude.
These things are the opposite of humility. It makes US the center.
There is a problem with not being humble.
The Problem With Lacking Humility
Nabal only considered himself.
he had no desire to even look at David. even when David was taking care of him!
Being focused on ourselves keeps us from God. Nabal couldn’t see where he was wrong.
All he cared about was himself.
And being so focused on himself and rude…
was about to make an enemy out of someone. and ACTUALLY caused his death in the end.
Nabal’s lack of humility actually lead to his death!
The Problem With Lacking Humility
We see this from how he treated Nabal.
James 3:13-18
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. 17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.
Today we’ve talked about 2 traits that do NOT define love. Being rude and being self-seeking.
The bible tells us to stop looking at ourselves. Stop trying to help yourself and help others.
Philippians 2:3
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.
The bible tells us that as long as we’re seeking us… we’re not seeking him.
We have to make sure that if we are seeking anything… we spend more time seeking his face
than seeking his hand for ourselves.
