Intro:

1. Ministry of Intrusion. last week it was about someone hurting

2. This week about the ministry with a brother or sister

3. How do you intrude when you have been wronged

4. I Corinthians 14:1 - “Pursue Love”

a. How important is Love?

b. Christian Love is different, it is unconditional (agape)

c. Love is ALL important

- I John 4:7-8 - Not love, not know God

- I John 3:14 - Pass from death to life, no love abides in death

- I John 2:9-11 - Walking in Light is Walking in Love

-Without Love, many feel isolated and in the dark in church, even though others are only a couple of feet away

-But if express love, there is light, and it exposes ourselves

d. So we must pursue Love

5. How are we to pursue love in the Ministry of Intrusion:

6. I Cor 13 (positive statements about love:)

A. If you truly love someone, you will “suffer long”

B. There are many ways to be patien in the ministry of intrusion

1. Luk 17:3-4 - Forgive when someone is trying to change

a. What does it mean to repent? (2 Cor. 7:10) - “I’m sorry”

b. Some NEED to return and say I’m sorry

c. If say so without love, words are noisy gong or clanging cymbal

d. What’s wrong with saying I’m sorry? (Angels will rejoice)

e. If someone says sorry, NO GRUDGE, FORGIVE

2. God is gracious and Patient with us, we should be with others

C. Matthew 18:21ff

1. Slave with 10,000 Talents (Ten Million Dollars is silver content)

2. Fellow slave with 100 denarii, threw in prison

3. We should be as patient with others as God is with us.

D. How patient are you with others when intruded on?

A. Anything of truth should be cause for rejoicing, this is love

B. ILL: When I told Mom about Hot Rodding in the Gremlin instead of fishing.

-She had her suspicions already

-She way glad I finally told her the truth

-She didn’t jump all over my case for it

C. The problem is that we often don’t rejoice in the truth

1. A brother is truthful with you and opening up, leaving self vulnerable, do you rejoice or get defensive?

2. Prov. 18:2 - “A fool does not delight in understanding, but only in revealing his mind”

3. (Prov. 17:9 - He who covers a transgression seeks love, he who repeats a matter separates intimate friendships)

4. As they say in the South when your wrong about something,“SHUT MY MOUTH”

D. Even when the Truth hurts, there are good things on the other side of the hurt

A. Is there a difference between Love & Kindness?

-Is it possible to love someone and not be kind to them?

-People do it every day

B. Example: Jeremiah 38:7-13, The Ethiopian Eunuch

1. Love motivated him to go get Jeremiah out

2. Kindness led him to get the rags for his arms

3. Kindness is that extra thoughtful step of tenderness

4. Kindness is what melts hearts, mends relationships, changes lives

C. 2 Cor. 2:7-8

1. Forgive, COMFORT, REAFFIRM YOUR LOVE

2. We need to practice more comforting and affirmation (affirmative kindness)

3. When this is done, there is not doubt your are loved, (feel secure)

4. It’s okay when I reveal my fault, hurt, etc. Walking in Light, see all, its okay

5. Prov. 17:17 - A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity

6. There is power in affirming your love for others

D. ILL: You are My Sunshine

E. Affirmative Kindness can bring back those you are about to lose

1. Are you pursuing love in the ministry of instrusion?

2. Are you Patient, and Kind, Rejoice in the Truth?

3. We don’t know each other

-We get our jabs in at ones we don’t particularly like

-We don’t receive it well when we are intruded on

-We don’t intrude

-We don’t practice Patience, Kindness or Rejoice in the Truth

5. If Love is missing, we are walking in darkness

6. Here we are in a room, some of us feel isolated, others are total strangers

7. We don’t express the love and affirmation, so we are in darkness

8. I’m afraid nothing will change, prove me wrong!