Living in Chapter 13 and Loving It (Part 4 of 4)
Eternally Improving Your Love Rating
1 Cor. 13:8:13
Feb. 25, 2007 FBC, Chester Mike Fogerson, Pastor
Introduction:
A Ancient mirrors were not precise, nor did they give perfect reflections.
1 Science was not there to produce the mirrors we have today.
a Corinth made the best mirrors (polished metal). Equivalent of Amish & furniture, Chicago & pizza, or Louisiana & good cooking.
b Paul used the ancient mirror to illustrate the fact that right now we only see a dim reflection of God.
aa We haven’t seen Him face to face, we don’t know Him as intimately as He knows us.
bb We have a complete (perfect) revelation of God in His Word (which is to say He’s told us all He wanted to tell us), but our understanding of that revelation is partial this side of the second coming, or this side of eternity.
2 In a dim mirror you can’t really notice all the details or subtleties of a true reflection.
a Hair is "fairly" decent, makeup is halfway straight, trim your mustache or beard semi-evenly.
b You hit the high spots.
B Paul has pointed out several high spots in the mirror of Chapter 13.
1 v. 1-3: loving bankruptcy (you can have tongues, prophecy, generosity, but without love, nothing).
2 v. 4-7: rebuild a bad love report (patient/takes its time, kind/plays nice, humble/over itself, courteous/gives up seat, forgiving/long fuse & short memory, endures/isn’t going anywhere).
3 In our final lesson in the "Living in Chapter 13 & Loving It" series we’ll study how Paul told believers that there were certain characteristics that they should have seen in their mirrors (essence of the text in a sentence).
a Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part; 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. 13 But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Cor 13:8-13 (NASB)
b Believers can practice things in the temporal that will affect their eternity (essence of the sermon in a sentence).
C I pray you’ll decide to try to make the person you see in the mirror look more like Jesus (objective).
1 Who will commit to reading 1 Cor. 13 one time a week for the next three months? (Probing question)
2 Let’s look at two things that can help us make the person in the mirror look more like Jesus (transitional sentence).
3 Pray
I The first thing that can help us make the person in the mirror look more like Jesus is to acknowledge that right now will not last past right now. Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part; 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.
A Paul’s audience were holding on to the temporal like it would last forever.
1 He (Paul) exposed what the people in Corinth held dear for what it really was (done away, cease, temporary).
a "Prophecy...will be done away..."
aa The prophet was a ministry of honor (respected like a doctor or professor). God spoke though them.
bb When a prophet died, the people couldn’t wait for the next one to rise up!
cc Paul says prophecy will be done away. TRUE!
dd My Bible is full of prophecies that have been completed, done away! Their work’s done.
ee They fuel my faith now, but they’re completed, that prophecy has been done away.
b "Tongues, they will cease..."
aa The gift of tongues was sought, bragged about at Corinth. Paul said, "They’ll stop."
bb From about the 3rd century to 1905 they were silent, then a resumption of tongues.
cc "Tongues die." Latin, Koina Greek, our English is vastly different from what the colonist spoke.
c "Knowledge, it will de done away."
aa You can go to a rummage sale & buy a whole set of encyclopedias for $10 that cost hundreds when they were new. Why? Knowledge is done away with.
bb A high school student today knows more than Sir Isaac Newton knew.
cc Horse buggy, steam engine, internal combustion engine, abacus, Apple, Windows Vista.
2 Paul picked out the things that folks held dear at the time, but he could have gone further.
a Money, fame, fortune...same story. They’ll all cease.
b He’s not saying these things are bad or sinful in themselves, they just won’t last.
B Can you tell me one thing in this world that’s going to last?
1 The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever. 1 John 2:17 (NASB) John didn’t say the world was bad or wrong, just passing away.
a There is so much beauty in this world.
aa Works of art, forests, landmarks, buildings, bridges...won’t last.
bb (IL) Show a picture of an abandoned church building & ask, "Do you think the folks who built this church thought one day it would be abandoned?" It will not last.
b For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 The world is passing away... 1 John 2:16-17a (NASB)
2 If you can hold it in your hand, measure it with a yardstick or bank book, hear it with your ears, touch it with your hands, taste it with your mouth, it WILL pass away.
3 Right now will not last past right now.
V. 11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. (Transitional sentence)
II The second thing that can help us make the person in the mirror look more like Jesus is to continue to mature in the things that matter. But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.
A Paul gave three things that lasted beyond the moment:
1 And now abide...FAITH
a In v. 2 he taught about the gift of faith, but here in v. 13 it is a saving faith that starts NOW. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. Eph 2:8-9 (NASB)
b Having faith, trust, & confidence in God and in Christ begins now, but I’m going to still trust, have confidence in Him when I get home.
2 And now abide...HOPE
a I desire heaven & I expect to get there though Jesus!
b For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it. Romans 8:24-25 (NASB)
c My hope will be fulfilled in heaven, but I have high hopes.
d Hope is a compound emotion of desire for something & expectation of getting it.
aa We can’t enjoy all of heaven at one time (are not & will not be omnipresent).
bb We hope to talk to Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Elijah, David...
3 And now abide...LOVE. The greatest of these is love!
a What’s so great about love? The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 1 John 4:8 (NASB) God IS love
aa But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 (NASB) His ultimate demonstration of His love was made manifest when His only Son laid down Himself, His life, and laid on Calvary’s cross.
bb When we "get" God’s love for us, we fall in love with Him.
cc We love, because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19 (NASB) We love God’s people BECAUSE He first loved us.
b Because God is love, the most important lesson He wants us to learn on earth is how to love!
aa For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love...14 For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." Gal 5:14 (NASB)
bb We look most like Him when we are loving other folks.
B (IL) When a piece of metal is put in contact with a magnet, the metal becomes a magnet, as long as you leave the two side by side, they are both magnets.
1 When we stay (abide in) by Jesus, we become a magnet & we attract people to Him.
a People will be attracted to you, & you’ll draw them to Jesus.
b If you’re patient, kind, humble, courteous, forgiving, persevere...people are going to be attracted to you!
2 By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother. 1 John 3:10 (NASB)
a It’s a contradiction of terms to describe someone as an unforgiving, impatient, unkind, haughty, uncourteous Christian.
b If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. 1 John 4:20 (NASB)
Conclusion
A Paul told believers that there were certain characteristics that they should have seen in their mirrors (essence of the text in a sentence).
1 Believers can practice things in the temporal that will affect their eternity (essence of the sermon in a sentence).
2 We’ve looked at two things that can help us make the person in the mirror look more like Jesus:
a Right now does not last beyond right now.
b Mature in the things that matter!
B I pray you’ll decide to try to make the person you see in the mirror look more like Jesus (objective).
1 Choice #1: You embracing, pursuing, the "it" of right now like you can take it with you.
2 Choice #2: You can grow in faith, hope, & most importantly, love (faith & hope are built on love).
C Who will commit to reading 1 Cor. 13 one time a week for the next three months? (Probing question)
1 Legend tells of a wealthy merchant traveling through the Mediterranean in search of the Apostle Paul, & happens upon Timothy.
a Timothy arranged for a visit between the two, Paul is in prison at Rome.
b The man enters the cell & is shocked to see a rather old, physically frail man (yet Paul had such sincerity & magnetism)
aa Talked for hours!
bb The merchant left the cell, took Timothy aside, & asked, "What is the secret of this man’s power? I’ve never seen anything like it!"
c "Did you not guess?" replied Timothy, "Paul is in love."
aa "In love?" the merchant said in bewilderment.
bb "Yes, he’s in love with Jesus Christ."
cc "Is that all?" asked the merchant
dd Smiling, Timothy replied, "Sir, that is everything."
2 We love because He first loved us.
3 Who will commit to reading 1 Cor. 13 one time a week for the next three months? (Probing question)
a Evangelistic appeal
b I pray you’ll decide to try to make the person you see in the mirror look more like Jesus (objective).
c Pray
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