1 Corinthians Chapter 13:12-13

All those questions that you have that in this life really can't be answered, one day will be. God, why'd you do this? And God, why'd you do that? God, the platypus, what was up with that, man? I mean, is that just to throw the evolutionist off?

I mean, one day all those things will be answered. Welcome to Cross the Bridge with David McGhee. David is the Senior Pastor of the Bridge in Kernersville, North Carolina. While we may not understand all things right now, one day in God's presence, we will.

Till then, we trust Him and love others. David McGhee helps us to do that today as he continues in 1 Corinthians chapter 13. Before we join Pastor David, we want to let you know about an outreach opportunity that could bring hope to countless prisoners.

This month, Cross the Bridge is teaming with men and women like yourself. In order to provide Pastor David's devotional book, Cross the Bridge Every Day, to inmates. When you call today and help support the ministry with a gift of $25 or more, we'll send you a book and also provide one to a prisoner in need. To take part in this important outreach, call 877-458-5508. That's 877-458-5508.

Or go online to crossthebridge.com. Now here's David McGhee with part 2 of his teaching, Love Looks Around. Chapter 13 is talking about love. It's probably one of the more well-known chapters in the Bible. And even people who don't believe in God or believe that the Bible is God's word recognize the literary value of this chapter. Which I find very interesting since it's inspired by God Himself.

Today we're going to pick it up. Verse 12 says, For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am none. Let me read this to you in the New Living Translation. This verse says, Now we see things imperfectly, as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity.

And all that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. He uses the word mirror. When we see the word mirror, we think of our mirrors nowadays, and that was not a mirror 2,000 years ago. The mirrors that we use, they weren't used until about 1200 AD or so.

Back 2,000 years ago, it was a piece of metal that had been polished. So obviously it wasn't real clear. It was dimly. But one day we'll see clearly. Now friend, we have to recognize that, again, we don't know it all. God knows it all.

You and I don't know it all. We see dimly. We don't see the big picture. As a matter of fact, that's one of the prayers that we should pray. God, give me the big picture.

Show me. Help me to step back from this situation or this instance and see the big picture, because I see dimly. And praise God that we can look forward to the day when we will no longer see dimly.

That's the life lesson here. One day in God's presence, we will know and understand everything. One day in God's presence, we will know and understand everything.

That's really something to look forward to, isn't it? I mean, I read a lot. I love learning about various subjects and stuff. And you know, when you read, and we should all be reading Bibles and reading stuff so that we can continue to learn, continue to grow. But to think that one day we're going to know everything.

How cool is that? I mean, all those questions that you have that in this life really can't be answered, one day will be. God, why'd you do this? And God, why'd you do that? God, what was the thing with the timing of this thing? And you know, God, the platypus, what was up with that, man? I mean, is that just to throw the evolutionist off or what?

I mean, let's put a bill on him, you know. One day, all those things will be answered. You know, pastors, ministers, we get to minister and serve people in positions where they're weak and vulnerable. And it's so important that somebody be driven by the Spirit of God in that moment.

Because there's some folks in the ministry that, I don't know, maybe they get into it for the wrong reasons, I don't know. I got an email a couple weeks ago and somebody's, I believe, I'll get this right, that somebody's son, young son, had died. And the mother said, well, you know, he knows the Lord.

I take joy that I'm going to get to see him again. And that weak and vulnerable moment, a pastor said, oh no, you won't recognize him in heaven. Now, even if that was good theology, it's a poor ministry. But let's chat about that because the person said, well, what verse would you base that we will know each other? And that's a misapplication of the Scripture talking about that when we're in heaven, we won't be married, we won't be given in marriage, which is true. It's what the Word of God says. But it says now that, you know, that God knows every hair on our head. In Matthew chapter 10, verse 30, it says, and the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid, you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.

So the hairs on your head are numbered. God knows you that intimately. Now, I understand as life goes on, that job gets a little easier, but that's okay. But God knows you that intimately. And this verse says, as intimately as you are known, you will know him. And the Bible very plainly points out that you won't know less when you get to heaven, you'll know more. And if I recognize you now, I'm going to recognize you more fully later. To say that we won't recognize family members is to say that we're going to be walking around ignorant, more ignorant than we are now.

I don't buy it. You can't stretch this verse in any form or fashion and get that to say that. No, that's going to be part of the joy in heaven, is to see family members and to see friends who've gone on before us. And to see people that, you know, I don't know what your testimony is, what your past is. There's going to be a lot of people come up to me going, what are you doing here?

I made it. Hallelujah. Praise God. So we're going to know more in heaven, not less. We're going to understand more in heaven, not less. Let's also understand, this also means that we know far less than perhaps we think we know now.

But we really do see dimly. Remember that. Next time you're looking at a situation, next time you're looking at a person, and we so quickly assume that we know everything about the situation, about the person.

One of the things I've communicated to staff and people who counsel here over and over again, that if you're doing marriage counseling, you need both people there. Because it's interesting how very different the stories are. Getting one side of the story. Well, it's viewing dimly.

Even getting both sides of the story, there's stuff that's left out. You're viewing dimly. It's amazing how God can bring clarity. You know, I pray, and sometimes people are like, well, how can I pray for you, Pastor David? Two of the things I'm always asking prayer for is wisdom and discernment. Wisdom and discernment. If you're wondering how you can pray for me, pray for me to have wisdom and discernment. God in His Word says if you lack wisdom, ask Him.

He'll give it to you. And it's amazing. And keep in mind, you know, when God gives you supernatural, spiritual wisdom and discernment, it's like you're looking at a situation, all of a sudden the clouds just roll away and you see it very clearly in a moment. It's God. That doesn't mean that you necessarily sense anything or feel anything, but all of a sudden the situation becomes very clear. That's God giving clarity.

And it's also a beautiful picture of how much we will know when we're face to face. What an amazing moment that will be when we look into the eyes of the one who died to save our soul. It reminds me of that instant in time when Peter denied the Lord. And it's interesting because after he denied the Lord, it says in one of the gospels that at that moment, he and Jesus locked eyes.

That's that moment of grace, of repentance. And seeing as long as you look into his eyes, gaze into his eyes, if you will, here for the first time, when you gaze into his eyes there, it's gonna be incredible because it's gonna be a reunion. You're already greeting him whom you already know. Man, but for those who wait and don't meet him here, and that's the first introduction, as you realize that the person that you've been rejecting, the person of Jesus Christ, the minister of Jesus Christ, the gospel of Jesus Christ, whom you've been rejecting all your life, as you gaze on his eyes for the first time, you who have rejected him and pushed him away, in that moment, God will honor your request. And I'll say, depart from me. I didn't know you.

You're listening to Cross the Bridge with David McGee. We'll be back to the teaching in just a moment. This month, we're focusing on prison ministry, and I have the chance to sit down with Pastor David. Pastor, we know that sharing the Word of God is always important to you. And why is it so important to get God's Word into the prisons as well? Our prison system is built around trying to change the lives of people who've made bad decisions. And yet, you can't change a life without changing the heart. And that's where God's Word and God's Spirit are so powerful. They can change a life.

They can change a heart. We can share the Word of God with somebody. You can help send us into the prisons to share the plan of salvation, see that prisoner get saved, and then begin to disciple him and teach him the Word of God so that when he gets out, he is different than when he came in.

Thank you for sharing, Pastor. If you're listening and agree with David about our need to help those in prison, we would love to hear from you. You can call 877-458-5508. That's 877-458-5508. And when you give $25 or more, we'll send you a copy of Cross the Bridge every day. Not only that, but we'll match your gift by sending another copy of David's devotional to an inmate in need. Also, your gift of $200 or more will provide a case of 10 books that will be used to help change lives for eternity. Again, that number is 877-458-5508.

Or go online to crossthebridge.com. Now let's return to Pastor David's teaching. Verse 13. What an incredible verse. And now abide faith, hope, love.

These three. But the greatest of these is love. Faith, hope, and love. These things are great.

They're awesome. They're part of our spiritual heritage. When we receive Jesus, we receive faith, hope, and love. These are things that the world really is wandering around trying to find. And when we find Jesus, we find faith, hope, and love.

And they're great. It says that love is the greatest of these three. What does that tell us? That all three of these things are great. Faith, hope, and love. And you cannot really experience true faith, true hope, true love outside of a relationship with God.

Think of life without these things. Think of your life before you met Jesus, if you know him now. When you were walking around without faith, without hope, without love. Without faith, unfaithful. Without hope, hopeless. Without love, unloved and unloving. I don't want to live like that. And God doesn't want you to live like that. But when you choose to reject God, you choose to reject faith, hope, and love. When you choose to accept him, you choose to accept faith, hope, and love.

It's interesting, Paul says, well, love is more important. It's interesting, isn't it? Because we're told in the Bible that if we have faith, we can move mountains.

That's pretty amazing. I mean, think if we all took an outing up to Mount Pilate, as it was called in Mayberry, with Andy Griffith. But think if we all went up there, got around there, and I said, hey, guys, I've got great faith. God has led me to pray this prayer. We're going to move Pilate Mountain. And we pray, and the mountain moves.

It'd be pretty awesome, wouldn't it? This chapter says, well, if you don't have love, that's nothing. That's nothing. That's a pretty amazing statement. So if you have faith, that's great. And if you have love, I mean, if you have hope, that's great. It'll see you through situations that could cause anxiety in your family members or friends because they don't know how this is all going to work out.

I'm not anxious about anything happening in the Middle East. It gives me great hope. So having hope is great. But having love, that's the greatest.

This is interesting. What do we typically think of of the strongest Christian that we know? Do we think they have great faith and have the faith to do whatever? And faith will give us incredible things. Faith will fill us with the ability to do things beyond our natural abilities. But that's not the greatest thing. Being righteous and sanctified, not messing up, in other words. Is that the greatest thing? Being able to put anybody else down for their lack of spirituality, is that the greatest thing?

No. It's love. And let's understand, when we talk about faith, we're talking about belief, and we'll look at the definition in Hebrews in just a minute. We're talking about hope. We're not talking about, we define hope as, gee, I hope it works out. That's not Biblical hope.

Hope is the assurance that it will work out. You're just not sure when. I'm hoping Jesus is coming back. Not in a sense of, well, maybe he will, maybe he won't.

No, no, I know he's coming back. But that's where my hope lies. Not that all of a sudden all the governments in the world will begin to get it right.

If that's your hope, your hopes will be dashed. And again, it's interesting, all these things are great, but love is the greatest. Then we have the greatest of the great.

In the Gospel of John, chapter 15, verse 13. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. See, these three things are great. Faith, hope, love. Love is the greatest of those three. Then the greatest love is that a person would lay down their life for their friends.

It's the greatest of the great. Now, you and I will probably not be called upon to be crucified in the physical sense, to have our hands and our feet nailed to a cross. But we will be asked to lay down our lives for one another. In small fashions. Being able to serve one another, give to one another, pray for one another, prefer one another.

We went through all those one anothers, which was an interesting study. And that shows the greatest love. And again, this is the ultimate sign of somebody being a real follower of Jesus Christ.

Not that they're hollering and pointing fingers and that they're loving. Again, faith and hope are great. Faith, it's a strong thing, we all need it. Hebrews chapter 11 gives us the hall of fame of faith. It's a great chapter to learn about faith.

Gives us a definition. Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen. It gives us assurance about things we cannot see. Now, gang, this isn't just about heaven.

This is walking in this life to be able to see things in the supernatural you can't see in the physical. This facility here is a great example. When we came over here the first time, and this place had been in for sale for a while. The price was higher than what I wanted to pay, and I just didn't think it was the time. So I waited. Price came down, and I came over here. And honestly, from the moment I walked in here, I saw us having church in here. Now, I don't mean the first time I came in here, y'all are already in here singing worship. That's not what I mean.

Physically, you couldn't see that. But then later on as we made movements, torch, the facility, even before we had closed the deal, we came over here in this area. Some of you were here singing worship songs. And again, I saw us having church in this place.

It's interesting because the real estate agents got real nervous. They were like, hey, this is not a done deal now. You guys are coming. It is a done deal. It's done in the spiritual.

It's gonna come down to the physical. Amen? So faith, and there's one definition, and yes, some people go way too far with this definition, but there's a place where calling those things is not as though they were. It's faith. You can look at somebody and say, man, they don't know any Jesus, but I can just see them knowing Jesus.

I can just see them worshiping God. You look at some situation in your life, I don't know how God's gonna come through, but I know he's gonna come through. It's faith. It's powerful.

It's powerful. It's always good in Bible study to look at different versions of the Bible. Now, you wanna be careful when you do this because some versions, I believe, are more accurate than others. But in the New Living Translation, which is one I go to, and I understand if you read the New Living Translation, those little notes, footnotes at the bottom, those are not without error because there's some stuff in those footnotes that are very questionable. But New Living Translation says, three things will last forever, faith, hope, and love, and the greatest of these are the love.

I like that. Three things will last forever. Faith will last forever. Hope will last forever. Love will last forever. And then the Amplified, this verse says, and so faith, hope, love, abide, faith, conviction, and belief, respecting man's relationship to God and divine things, hope, joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation, love, true affection for God and man, growing out of God's love for and in us, these three, but the greatest of these is love. Now you know why they call it the Amplified.

That's a great version to go to sometimes. So your love is greater than your faith, or should be. Your love is greater than your hope. Your love is greater than your discernment. Your love is greater than your righteousness. Your love is greater than your sanctification.

Sanctification is, and in the Hebrew, it's something being cleaned up, set apart for special use. Now we define that as becoming more and more like Christ, and it is, and we should be on that journey. But see, you can actually become selfish about your sanctification. You can think, well, I'm gonna quit doing that so people think better of me. That's the wrong motivation. You understand that in the true sense, your sanctification being set apart, you becoming more and more like Jesus isn't even for you? Oh, you get the benefit, you get the blessing, but you know what it's really for? To draw others to Jesus, that you might be alike to the world. And these three things aren't in competition in this sense.

If you're competitive, that's what you get. Well, faith, hope, and love are in a race, and love won, you know? Well, no. In the greatest spiritual sense, these three things are working together. Because if you're full of love, full of faith, full of hope, you will be a spiritual dynamo that will change the world and build the kingdom. Let your faith, your hope, and your love help change the world. You know, we got faith, we got hope, we got love. These are three powerful things. And don't sit there and go, well, okay, I don't want, I don't want faith and hope, I need love.

No, you need all three. And one leads to the other. Now, let me ask you a question. How do we build these things? How do we build faith and hope and love? We sit here and go, yes, those are good to have.

We should have those, and yes, we should even have more of those than I presently have. But how do you get more of these things? How do you get more faith? How do you achieve more faith? Can you just come forward and us put a little Holy Spirit pixie dust on you so you have more faith? Well, it'd be great if it worked like that.

No. What happens is you face situations and people that require you to walk in more faith. You face situations and people that require you to walk in more faith. More challenges, more trials.

I think we should all pray that God builds our faith, but let's understand how God plans to do that. He plans to do it with trials and challenges. So there's challenges that come down the way. Don't think of those challenges. It's an opportunity to build your faith.

It changes the way you look at life. Friend, do you know for sure that your sins have been forgiven? You can know right now. I want to lead you in a short, simple prayer simply telling God you're sorry and asking Him to help you to live for Him. Please pray this prayer with me out loud right now. Dear Jesus, I believe You died for me, that I could be forgiven. And I believe You were raised from the dead, that I could have a new life. And I've done wrong things. I have sinned.

And I'm sorry. Please forgive me of all those things. Please give me the power to live for You all of my days. In Jesus' name.

Amen. Friend, if you prayed that prayer, according to the Bible, you've been forgiven. You've been born again. So congratulations, friend.

You just made the greatest decision that you will ever make. God bless you. If you prayed that prayer with David for the first time, we would love to hear from you. You can call us toll-free at 877-458-5508 to receive our First Steps package with helpful resources to help you begin your walk with Christ. God is using Cross the Bridge to impact lives across our country, including the lives of those currently serving time in our nation's prisons. While materials provided by Muslim organizations continue to increase within our prisons, our distribution of Pastor David's book, Cross the Bridge Every Day, has been making a significant impact for Jesus with prisoners. And you can help continue that outreach by calling today. When you call today with a gift of $25 or more, we will send you David McGee's devotional book and then match your gift by sending a copy to a prisoner in need. And if you're able to give a gift of $200 or more, we will send a case of 10 books to inmates who are without hope. Help us reach those in prison. Call today at 877-458-5508.

That's 877-458-5508. Or go online to crossthebridge.com. Also, if you're not able to make it to your home church this Sunday, why not join us for our live stream at 9 and 1130 Eastern. Just visit crossthebridge.com and click on our live stream link. There you can watch Pastor David teach from his home church, The Bridge, in Kernersville, North Carolina. Again, that website is crossthebridge.com. Thanks again for listening. We hope you'll join us next time as we continue to cross the bridge.