Love Does Not Boast & Is Not Arrogant

If we're not loving , it's viewed in God's eyes as that we're nothing . In that sense , in those moments we gain nothing when we do things without love . And that's because God is love . And so Paul emphasizes the absolute necessity of love in the first three verses .

But then he moves in verses four through seven , which is the section we're in right now , to the nature of love , what love is like and what it's not like , and we might call these things the 15 priorities of the Christian life or the 15 priorities of the church . They look like adjectives in our Bible , but in these verses there's actually 15 verbs .

And what's remarkable about this section on love ? Here Paul speaks about love as if it's a person , and I think there's a reason for that . Jesus is patient and kind . Jesus does not envy or boast . He is not arrogant or rude . Jesus does not insist on his own way , he is not irritable or resentful .

He does not rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth . Jesus bears all things , believes all things , hopes all things , endures all things . The risen Lord Jesus Christ never ends . I think there's a reason . Paul speaks about love , personified here as a person , because it is a person , god is love and Jesus is God incarnate .

And it's because Jesus loved God with all of his heart , mind , soul and strength , and he loved his neighbors , even his enemies as himself , and he did it sinlessly and perfectly . He was then qualified to be that perfect sacrifice , to go to the cross and to die there in our place , to take the full penalty for our sins , that we might be reconciled to God .

And then he was risen from the dead , ascended into heaven , sits at the right hand of God , the Father as our champion , interceding for us there , at the right hand of God , praying for us , having the testimony of his scarred hands and feet in glory , that all of our sins have been paid for for us who believe .

And that's important to remember as we approach the law of God , as we approach speaking about this high standard of love , because if we forget that then we might be tempted to despair . But this chapter . Hopefully it will cause us conviction , but not despair . In light of Christ , paul says in Romans 5 , 1, .

Therefore , since we've been justified by faith , we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ . And he says in Romans 8 , 1, . Therefore , there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus , and so we can live in peace , even as we continue . Each day we sin in word , thought and deed .

But for those of us who are in Christ , who have faith in Christ , we're united spiritually with Christ . We can know that God has dealt with all of our sins , and this is important so that we can be honest before God , is important so that we can be honest before God . It's almost impossible to be honest about our sins if we're not confident of God's love .

But if you're secure in God's love , that's when we are free then to be honest before him about the ways we need to grow as God's people , and so the gospel frees us in that way . So far we've looked at the fact that love is patient and kind , those two positive aspects of love . And then last week we looked at the first of five negatives love is not .

Love is not like such and such . Last week it was love does not envy . Well , this morning we're going to look at the second and third out of five negatives of what love is not . We're going to look at love does not boast and love is not arrogant . Those are sort of twins . We'll call those twins . They go together .

So we're going to look at them together . You can fill in your name in this love chapter . That's interesting . I've already put Jesus' name in there and that sounds right . But how does it sound when you say this before God , I do not boast , I am not arrogant . Westtown Church does not boast , westtown Church is not arrogant .

Each man and woman search your own heart before God this morning . But with that brief introduction , let's stand and hear God's Word . I would like to invite you to do so . If you're able , I'm going to read again up to the first part of verse 8 here in 1 Corinthians 13 . Up to the first part of verse 8 here in 1 Corinthians 13 .

This is the inspired , infallible , inerrant word of the living God . It is holy and it comes with love from God to you , verse 1 .

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels but have not love , I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal , and if I have prophetic powers and understand all mysteries and all knowledge , and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains , but have not love , I am nothing .

If I give away all I have and if I deliver up my body to be burned but have not love , I gain nothing . Love is patient and kind . Love does not envy or boast . It is not arrogant or rude . It does not insist on its own way . It is not irritable or resentful . It does not rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth .

Love bears all things , believes all things , hopes all things , endures all things . Love never ends . The grass withers and the flowers fade , but the word of the Lord endures forever . God's people said amen , you may be seated . Heavenly Father , we come now to your word and Lord Jesus .

We ask you as the good shepherd , that you and the Father would , by your Holy Spirit , feed us your sheep . We ask it in Christ's name , amen . We're going to look at this in two parts . The first section we're going to look at and it's going to be the longer of the two sections Love does not boast .

We'll also come back closer to the end and look a little bit more briefly at , love is not arrogant . But I want us to consider from verse 4 of 1 Corinthians 13 that love does not boast . There's various ways this can be understood . One way you can think about it is love is not a windbag . Love is not a windbag .

Now , I got quite a response from this in the first service . But I have to say , have you ever gone in to the grocery store , come home with that nice big bag of potato chips , open it up and realize you got about 20% potato chips , 80% air in that thing . Right , you know what I'm talking about . Well , love is not like that . Love is not all air .

It doesn't boast , it's not pompous , it's not filled up with self-importance . Will Ferrell in one of his movies says to a woman I'm kind of a big deal . Right , I can't commend that movie , but it is funny that line . But pompous , an inflated ego , that's what love is not .

Love isn't like that , because love doesn't sing its own praises , it doesn't walk around thinking or saying I'm kind of a big deal . A wise person knows this and we see this from the book of Proverbs , where our Lord is trying to teach us how , when we live according to the wisdom of God . We understand these things . Proverbs 27 , verse 2 , for example .

Listen , let another praise you and not your own mouth , a stranger and not your own lips . Proverbs 25 , 27, . Listen , it's not good to eat much honey . Nor is it glorious to seek one's own glory . See , it's not glorious to seek one's own glory At the heart of it . What is sinful mankind's problem ? You can sum it up like this we're glory stealers .

We want to steal God's glory . That's our natural impulse . The famous story of the Tower of Babel is a good example of that . But that's all of our problems . We want to promote our own glory rather than being about promoting the glory of God . We want to promote ourself rather than promoting God's glory , which is why we're on this earth .

Jesus in Luke , chapter 14, . He speaks about this parable , about a wedding feast , and at this wedding feast he talks about these guests showing up and they chose the places of honor . It's kind of strange , isn't it ? The guests come and they make the feast about them , and then Jesus goes through that parable .

But at the end of the parable , here's what he says , for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled , and he who humbles himself will be exalted . I want you to really hear what Jesus says , for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled by God , and he who humbles himself will be exalted by God . That's an iron law of the kingdom of God .

And so when we're being proud and arrogant and boastful , we can know God will humble us . When we see the pride and arrogance of man around us , we can know God will humble that person . It's an unbreakable rule . It's how God operates . An unbreakable rule . It's how God operates . God is patient , but he will eventually humble those who exalt themselves .

Remember Carly Simon's song You're so Vain . You walked into the party like you were walking onto a yacht . What a great opening line . Your hat strategically dipped below one eye . Your scarf was apricot . You had one eye in the mirror as you washed yourself Gavotte . I found out that was a French dance . I had no idea what that was A gavotte .

But you're so vain . You probably think this song is about you , don't you , don't you ? Yeah , love doesn't dream being the center of the party . It doesn't dream being the center of attention at church or amongst friends . It doesn't dream about being the most popular kid at school or in the group . Why is that ?

The simple reason is love is not consumed with the self . That's the simple reason . Love is concerned about the ones around . Love's concerned with promoting the glory of God . Love is concerned with serving and building up other people around .

Love is concerned about , to the degree that you can , building up unity and bringing people together , especially bringing people together in Christ . Think of the male peacock when he shoots out that train of feathers , out in a flash of brilliance , all those glorious colors , all the ladies , the turquoise and the green and the purple and the deep royal blue .

It really is a stunning thing , isn't it , to see the peacock do that . That beauty , that flash of beauty . It draws attention . Well , that's fine , because that's how God designed peacocks . But we're not peacocks , we're people , and there's a sense in which love is not like that . Love does not put itself on display .

I remember growing up I grew up in a little town of 900 , and I remember we used to have town parades . If you go to parades or you participate in parades , maybe some of you have done a float , or whatever the case may be , I love watching the Macy Day's parade , the Rose Bowl parade , all that Pretty incredible stuff . But what are parades ?

Well , in a simple way . We're just about bringing the community together , remembering , hey , we're all in this together , we're celebrating life together , have a little fun . But why do I say that ? Because sinful boasting makes a parade for itself and that does not bring people together .

That begins to separate people as we begin to promote ourself in an ugly manner , it begins to separate people . Love makes no parade . Have you noticed in sports today the trend ? I see it , it bothers me . I was in a lot of sports when I was younger , too much so . I thought I was too into it , to be honest with you .

But from the professionals to the college players , now to the high school , and you even see it down in junior high , some , have you noticed , a team can be down 40 points with one minute to go in the football game and a guy makes a sack and he gets up and does the chicken victory dance .

You know about 10 or 15 yards down the field and I'm thinking to myself what is he doing ? Look at how great I am . Do you see that I'm a nothing wrong with passion ? Nothing wrong with sports has passion . But there's there comes a place where it's kind of ugly .

One of the things I used to love about Walter Payton . I'm showing my age a little bit there , but I saw him play here in Tampa once , but whenever he'd score a touchdown he just dropped the ball . There's just a certain class he had and you see other sports figures like that Lou Holtz .

He used to tell his players when they scored a touchdown , act like you've been there before . He didn't want all that . Look , I'm the greatest thing going on . Excitement's . Fine , you want excitement in sports . It's part of it . But there's a line there and I think we've lost that line between excitement and arrogance and boasting .

What does that have to do with 1 Corinthians 13 ? Act like all good things come from above , from God , because they do Everything good that you and I are able to do , anything that we're able to do well , any contributions you and I are able to make to encourage other people or to be a part .

It all comes from God , it all comes from God and our natural instinct is to want to take that glory and rob God of His glory . Love doesn't beat its chest . It doesn't do an arrogant , boastful chicken victory dance in front of the opponents . It gives thanks to God , it gives glory to God . But that doesn't just happen in sports does it ?

It happens in the local church , and that's what happened in Corinth . His people were boasting . 1 Corinthians , chapter 4 , the seventh verse . Listen to what Paul says to the Corinthians , for who sees anything different in you ? What do you have that you did not receive ? That's what he's saying . What do you have that you did not receive from God ?

And if you then received it , why do you boast as if you did not receive from God ? And if you then received it , why do you boast as if you did not receive it ? I like how Leon Morris puts it . He says love is concerned to give itself , not to assert itself .

In other words , love is concerned to give itself to others , not to assert or exalt itself above others . That's , I think , a good way to think about it . Think about the Lord Jesus , christ , the King of heaven . If anybody had the right to boast , it would be Christ . We see the beauty of Christ . We see the beauty of Christ .

We see how Jesus is the king , and yet he's about to die , on that Maundy Thursday , the night before his death . You would think if he was ever going to begin to focus on himself , it would be then . And yet he turns and takes the job of the lowest slave in the household , which is washing the feet . That's the lowest slave on the rung .

That was their job and that's what Christ did with his disciples . And he even washed Judas' feet when he knew Judas was going to betray him . That's what love is like . Jesus' opponents came at him in John , chapter 8 . And here's what they asked him who do you make yourself out to be ? Jesus answered them if I glorify myself , my glory is nothing .

Here's this very son of God . If I glorify myself , my glory is nothing . It's my father who glorifies me , of whom you say he is our God , but you've not known him , the apostle Paul .

Once a persecutor of the church got converted , the risen Lord Jesus showed up and revealed himself to Paul , who converted him to know the Lord , and then he made him an apostle . But Paul came to understand that his life and his gifts and his hard work and even his sufferings were not about him , but they were about glorifying God .

We're all trying to learn that lesson in life . He tells these same Corinthians in 2 Corinthians , the 12th chapter , that God had given this painful thorn in the flesh . He allowed Satan to harass Paul . The Lord did and he put this thorn in Paul's flesh .

We're not sure quite what that thorn in his flesh was , but we know that it hurt and it was painful because he pleaded with God three times take it away , please take this away . But what does God say to Paul ? My grace is sufficient for you , for my power is made perfect in weakness .

Paul then says , therefore , I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may rest upon me . It's an interesting spiritual lesson , isn't it what Paul says there ? Paul's feeling his weakness .

God could have taken it away , but he specifically did not take it away so that God could show how great he was , even through Paul's weaknesses , and in fact I think even especially through Paul's weaknesses . I think , as we think about boasting , we can think about how big is God compared to people ? Boasters care an awful lot about what other people think .

They think a lot about what other people think . Is God big in our vision and people relatively small compared to God ? Or are people big in our vision and what they think relative to God ? Have we made God small ? Who's big and who's small ? And by small I don't mean insignificant , I just mean relative to God .

Do you know that God delights to use your weaknesses as well as your spiritual gifts and talents and strengths ? Why ? Because when he does things through our weaknesses , he uses our strengths too . But when he uses our weaknesses , there's no doubt who gets the glory . He especially loves to use the weaknesses of his people .

Paul boasted in the cross of Christ more than anything . He came to learn it . He had to learn it . He had to learn it by the grace of God . It wasn't natural for Paul . God taught Paul how to boast in the cross of Christ , galatians 6.14, . Here's what Paul writes far be it for me to boast except in the cross of Christ . Galatians 6.14, .

Here's what Paul writes far be it for me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ , by which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world . He doesn't mean by that nothing matters in the world . What he means is I'm living for heavenly things . He had this heavenly mindedness centered in the cross . Now things .

He had this heavenly mindedness centered in the cross now . He wasn't in the grip of the world any longer . And so it's the cross of Jesus Christ where the love of Jesus and the God , the Father for undeserving and boastful and arrogant sinners that's where it's on full display is in the cross . Who's Jesus dying for up there ?

Well , he's dying for boasters and arrogant people and sinners , of course . And so we see Jesus there . He's bleeding and he's dying and he's absorbing into His body and into His soul the wrath of God for our sins , for our sins . Why ? That our sins could be forgiven , that we could then come to understand that love does not boast .

Some people say well , if you can do it , it's not bragging . Yes , it is . Yes , it is , it is . Love doesn't promote itself . We see that in Christ . It gives itself for the good of others and the glory of God . That's the difference .

Jeremiah , the prophet who suffered mightily , chapter nine listen let not the wise boast of their wisdom , or the strong boast of their strength , or the rich boast of the riches , but let the one who boasts boast about this that they have the understanding to know me that I am the Lord who exercises kindness , justice and righteousness on the earth , for in these I

delight . If we want to boast of anything , let's boast . We know God . Let's boast about Him is the point . Here's how Paul puts it in the first chapter of 1 Corinthians . Listen chapter 1 , verse 26 . For consider your calling brothers . Not many of you were wise according to worldly standards , not many were powerful , not many were of noble birth .

But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise . God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong . God chose what is low and despised in the world , even things that are not to bring to nothing , things that are so that no human being might boast in the presence of God and because of him .

You are in Christ Jesus , who became to us wisdom from God , righteousness and sanctification and redemption , so that , as it is written , let the one who boasts boast in the Lord , boast in the Lord . The Corinthians had a pride problem , you and I . God's grace has to deal with our pride , our boasting . Jesus had to deal with the Pharisees .

You see what they were about . They would tithe . They would tithe . They would give alms to the poor , they would go about their Sabbath keeping , they would pray . But why does Jesus point that out ? He says , but you know what their motives were in all , that they wanted to be seen and praised by men . And why did they do that .

They wanted to be praised by men because they were empty inside , and so they're trying to fill this hole in their hearts that can only be filled by the saving love of God . But they try to stuff it full with the praise of men to feed their own prideful self-righteousness , and Christ condemned it in them .

The only thing that can fill that hole in us , the praise of other people , can't do it . We all need encouragement . That's not the point . But the point is that can't fill that hole . Only God can fill that hole , and he does it through faith in Jesus Christ . And then he comes and he lives in us and he dwells in us .

So the Pharisees they were self-centered , they were applause seeking . They would blow their own trumpet and Christ wouldn't have it . The Holy Spirit teaches us otherwise . What does the Holy Spirit himself do ?

He's always making much of Christ , and so when the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in us , we begin to make much of Christ by the grace of the Holy Spirit in us . Ji Packer used to say the Holy Spirit has a spotlight ministry . The point of a spotlight is not to draw attention to itself , it's to draw attention to the sign .

And the Holy Spirit , you'll notice , is always shining the light on Christ . Wherever you see Christ exalted and lifted up , you know the Holy Spirit's at work . And what was Christ always about Honoring the Father and what was the Father always about Honoring the Son .

And you see , even within the person of the Trinity , how they were all honoring and lifting up and shining the light on one another . God is love and we see this self-giving even within the Trinity itself .

The first question of the classic Westminster Shorter Catechism what a great document that is In the 1640s the very first question gets to the biblical , a biblical summary of why you and I are even on this earth . What is the chief end of man which we , the way we would put it , what is the primary purpose of people ? Why are we here ?

The answer according to the Bible , the primary purpose is that we would glorify God and enjoy Him forever . That's it , that's our purpose . But what does the boaster do ? He has his own catechism . My primary purpose is to glorify myself and to gain applause forever . That's the boaster . It's about him or her .

So love does not boast . But I want you to see . Secondly , it's not arrogant . Love is not arrogant . It's not arrogant . It's also sometimes translated puffed up . Love is not puffed up . Boasting is just one manifestation of arrogance . Arrogance is actually the broader term . Boasting is one manifestation , one of the ways that arrogance comes out .

But this word for arrogant or puffed up , it's used seven times in the New Testament . Six of those times are in 1 Corinthians . The Corinthians had a pride problem . It was one of their great sins . Colossians 2.18 is the other place you'll see it . But I've always said no one stands at the base of Mount Everest and brags about the size of their bicep .

But that's what we're doing . We boast in the presence of God . Anytime we're boasting or we're arrogant , it's in the presence of God because God is everywhere .

And so , as you see the foolishness of it , you know if we're boasting or become arrogant , you know that we've just lost a true sense of the presence of God , because if we could really grab hold of His presence spiritually , we would not be doing that Back in . Let's look at several of these examples where Paul says that they're puffed up or arrogant .

Within 1 Corinthians itself , back in chapter 4 , the sixth verse , there's an example . Paul points out that they had this party spirit . They had this party spirit . You remember Some were following Paul . Some said , oh no , I follow Apollo . Some said , oh no , I follow Cephas , which is another name for the apostle Peter . Some said , oh no , we follow Jesus .

We have the right answer . And they were all . They had this party spirit . But Paul , it's interesting when he points out their sin there , with that party spirit , he says listen , do you notice that me and Apollos , we work together . But when we work together , we work together in view of the judgment of God .

We're not about the business of judging other people , because we're concerned about the judgment of God . When you have a party spirit , you know people have lost any sense that they too will give an account to God . Because what is a party spirit ? It's people trying to exalt their own group up over another group . Oh , our group's better than your group .

No , our group's better than your group . We're wiser than you . No , we're wiser . And that's what was going on in the Corinthian church . We're more spiritual because we follow him . No , we're more spiritual because we follow him . And Paul's saying you've lost . Everyone's going to give an account . Quit judging one another .

We're all going to stand before God's judgment , and so one way to battle boasting and arrogance is . Remember that we'll all give an account to God . But later in that same chapter , chapter 4 and verses 18 and 19, . And then , in the beginning of chapter 5 , we see something else . We see three more uses of this word arrogant or puffed up .

And in the Corinthian church , paul's basically telling them you know , you got some empty talkers , you got some big talkers in the church , as they say in Texas all what is it ? All hat no cattle . And that's what they had in the Corinthian church . Spiritually , they were all hat no cattle . And Paul's trying to point out to them you're just being arrogant .

You're being arrogant . You've forgotten the purpose of God's church , which is to glorify God in all places , at all times , amongst all peoples . And of course we grow in that . Yes , but that's the purpose . And they had lost sight of the purpose . And it was evidenced by the way that they were talking arrogantly amongst themselves .

It was evident clearly in the fact that they had incest going on in the church . They had lawsuits going on , one member against another member . They had people that were involved with prostitution . Now why is that arrogant ? It's arrogant because you see the same thing in churches today . That will not do any discipline . Why ?

Because they're more worried about what people think rather than what God thinks . And God expects leaders , when people are wayward , to lovingly discipline folks and sometimes discipline hurts and it's painful but it needs to be done . And when it's not done , you know your leaders are arrogant because they care more about what people think than what God thinks .

God is very clear that discipline is a form of love . Our culture is trying to teach you that . It's not well , it is . And of course , when we discipline , I could tell you stories I wish we had time to go into stories this morning on on how I've seen people excommunicated and repent and come back . You know , love disciplines to the glory of God .

You see , the world thinks licentiousness is love . Paul's saying you're letting all this go on in your church and I'm going to tell you what the problem is . You think that's loving and gracious . It's arrogant because it's not pleasing to God and that's what you need to be concerned about . You see , that's what he was hitting on .

I want to say this as lovingly as I can , and I do say this with a pastor's heart . If you're a person that thinks you only need to come to church once or twice a month . You need to know that's arrogant , because what you're doing is you're saying I know most of God's people . They probably need to go every week .

But you know , I kind of got it down , I'm fine , once a month's good . And I just want to encourage you , god's not going to bless that . You could be so much more blessed by being obedient to God . He will fill you with more joy and it will honor him . And I say that in love to you . It's very important to honor God in worship .

And in the eighth chapter , the first verse , paul says that knowledge disconnected from love puffs up . The point isn't remain ignorant . That's not what he's saying . What he's saying is knowledge , when it gets disconnected from love , becomes arrogant .

And Paul was trying to tell them in verse 2 here if anyone imagines he knows something he does not yet know as he ought to know , you know the NLT , the New Living Translation says they know all . The answers is how they put it . Well then , in verse 3 , but if anyone loves God , he's known by God . Paul says If anyone loves God , he's known by God .

Now I want you to slow down and think about this for a sec . You would think Paul would have said but if anyone loves God , he knows , like he ought to know . But Paul didn't say that . He said but if anyone loves God , he's known by God . In other words , the person who truly loves God has been humbled in a particular way .

This is what Paul is getting at . What he means is the one who loves God has come to see that what's so important is not so much what he or she knows about God , but what's really important is that he or she is known by God in this intimate , loving and saving way through Jesus Christ .

Here's another way to put it People who know the saving love of God are amazed , and they're amazed because they can't believe , as deeply sinful as they are , that God would love them , and they're amazed at the love of God . You see , the Pharisees were self-righteous . They had no sense of their desperate need for Jesus Christ .

But people that know God and are known by God come to just be amazed . God would love me and they're humbled . Remember Chris Tomlin's song Indescribable , incomparable , unchangeable . You see the depths of my heart and you love me the same . You are amazing . God Isn't God good ? He sees you at your best and at your very worst . And his love for his children .

He loves you just as much at your most vile and worst as he does when you're at your best . The love of God is a holy thing , it's a marvelous thing , it's beautiful .

Napoleon the French he always wanted people to go to public worship , but he didn't think he needed to go because he was not like other men . And that's the spirit we see with the Pharisees in Luke 18 , who prayed thank you God , I'm not like other men . You don't want to be that .

You don't want to be that person that says well , thank you God , I don't need to go and receive your grace and your word and be with your people and get that special blessing and worship each week . I'll just . I need you less than other people . You don't want to be that . That's a pharisaical spirit .

I think one of the reasons God made me a pastor and I really mean this . I need to be here . I need to be here bad . We need the love and grace of God and we need to hear it often . And we need to be with other people . We live in a world that hates God .

We need to be with other people who love God and be encouraged , and I want to encourage you to do that . God will bless you . He will bless you . Look at Jesus , how his humble love serves others . He's got love took nails through his hands and feet . Love has a crown of thorns on his head .

Love shed his blood not just for his friends but for his enemies , so that you and I could be forgiven of all of our sins , including our boasting , including all of our arrogance . Thank God for Christ that we could be just . Through faith we get that gift of forgiveness and eternal life and we're reconciled with God forever .

In that moment , love doesn't boast and love is not arrogant . That's because Jesus does not boast and love is not arrogant . That's because Jesus does not boast and Jesus is not arrogant . And when his spirit dwells within us by faith , then we begin to grow to be more and more like Christ himself , even as we're secure in his love . God is good .