Love Does Not Boast

MELVIN M. NEWLAND, MINISTER
CENTRAL CHRISTIAN, BROWNSVILLE, TX

A. As most of you realize, & you husbands better remember, this Friday is a very special day. It is Valentine’s Day, & we are in the midst of a series of sermons from 1 Corinthians 13, the "Love Chapter" of the Bible.

ILL. A group of young adults were discussing the subject, "How do you say `I love you’ to someone?"

In answer to that, one wife shared how her husband had "popped the question." While she was with a group of her girlfriends, he had shown up unexpectedly, wearing his best suit. And in front of everyone, he took her hand, kneeled down before her, & asked her to marry him!

One young lady said that her father had shown his love whenever her mother was having a particularly difficult week by waiting until she was out of the house, & then cleaning it as best he could in order to surprise her.

One young man told of his mother writing loving & encouraging notes on the bananas she put in his school lunch box. And another related how her father had sold his prized shotgun in order to pay for her college textbooks one semester.

SUM. You can say "I love you" in a lot of different ways, can’t you? In reality, love is shown more by what you do than by what you say.

B. Now with that in mind, remember that last week we learned that love is kind. And this morning we’ll look at another facet of love.

In 1 Corinthians 13:4 Paul says that "Love does not boast, it is not proud." In fact, God often humbled people before He made them great.

ILL. Before Joseph became the Prime Minister of Egypt, he had to spend time as a slave & be cast into an Egyptian prison.

ILL. Before Moses, who grew up in the palace of Pharaoh, ever became the great deliverer & leader of Israel, he had to spend years as a shepherd in the fields of Midian, a very humbling experience.


ILL. Before Saul of Tarsus became the great apostle to the Gentiles & write most of the N.T., he had to be humbled on the Damascus Road by the blinding flash of light from heaven, & the voice of the resurrected Lord.

C. Paul says that humility is a very important part of our love relationship. And yet, humility is often disparaged today. We are much more concerned with feeling good about ourselves, & being proud of ourselves, & boasting about our accomplishments.

ILL. Politicians brag about what they have done, & assure you that if you will vote for them again that they will accomplish even more.

ILL. Advertisers say, "I know that this product is expensive, but you deserve the best today. So go ahead & buy it."

PROP. No, we’re not a very humble people, & learning the lessons of humility does not come easy for us. Yet, if we’re going to have the kind of relationship with one another that God wants us to have, then we need to understand why Paul says, "Love does not boast, it is not proud." And then begin to develop Godly humility in our lives.

I. PROBLEMS CREATED BY PRIDE

Let’s begin by seeing some of the problems that are created by pride.

A. The first problem is that pride often produces misunderstandings. Have you ever met someone who knows it all? It doesn’t make any difference what the topic is, they can wax eloquent forever. And they never really listen to anybody else because they already know all the answers.

ILL.