INTRODUCTION
• PC VIDEO
• SLIDE #1
• Love is a verb.
• What is a verb? Here is what the dictionary tells us concerning the word.
• Verb-a word used to show that an action is taking place or to indicate the existence of a state or condition
• Words, we say a lot of them, but do they mean anything? How many times have we seen or heard of people who say they love someone, only to constantly hurt them.
• I have known men who have literally beat and cheated on their wives, yet the whole time proclaiming their love for them.
• I have known parents who claim to love their children only to spend no time with them.
• We have all seen those who claim to love God, yet the way they deal with other people really betrays their words.
• What we say really has little to do with reality if we do not SHOW our love; words without actions are empty at best.
• Last week we examined how love should be at the root of all we do. This week we will further examine the subject of love. We need to understand that love is not words, nor is it a feeling. Those things can be a part of love, but they are not the root of love. Love has everything to do with action!
• Remember the context of the passage deals with Christians who claim to love God and to love one another, yet they are lacking many actions that would indicate they really love one another.
• The passage that we will examine today deals with our love toward other people, our everyday attitudes about people. They do apply in our relationship with God, but the context deals with how we interact with each other.
• Let’s begin this morning be looking at 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
• SLIDE #2
• 1 Corinthians 13:4-7(ESV) 4Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
• Let us first begin by seeing the VERBS of love.
• SLIDE #3
SERMON
I. The verbs of love.
• The verbs of love are simply the actions and attitudes that should be present where love is present.
• In verses 4-7 we have 14 actions and attitudes of love.
• Before we get into a brief look at these issues, it is important for us to understand that Paul does not paint this picture of what love is to do on a pretty canvas.
• The picture of what we are called to do is painted on an ugly canvas of a lost world with a faulty church.
• The distressing times we face, the difficult people and situations we face can bring out the positive power and value of Christian love!
• I believe if we look at distressful times and people as opportunities to show people what real love is all about, we can change the world of those around us!
• So we need to realize that the Bible does not tell us to possess these things and do these actions only to those who love us back, to those who hug us. We are not only to exercise love toward those who love us!
• Patience and kindness are tied together.
• A patient person is one who is very slow to anger. When they are oppressed or provoked, they do not immediately go on the attack! It is a state of mind that will allow a person to bear up even when it is not easy.
• A kind person is one who is good natured and gentle.
• Imagine how much better a relationship is when we put these verbs into action!
• ENVY- This means to look at someone with an evil eye. To dislike someone because of their good fortunes. If we envy someone we will try to squelch the praise they deserve.
• BRAG- This is simple, love does not focus on ones’ own achievements, we focus on others.
• Matthew 6:1 is an example of this being violated.
• SLIDE #4
• Matthew 6:1(ESV) 1“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
• ARROGANT- Puffed up with pride. This is tied to boasting. The Corinthian church had big time problems with this issue. 1 Corinthians 4:6, 18-19, 5:2; 8:1
• RUDE- Discourteous, lack if tact, not causing others to blush with embarrassment.
• INSIST ON OWN WAY-This boils down to not being selfish, not seeking after only your will and your pleasure. Remember marriage point I believe 5.
• Make sure to set up a weekend get-away for you and your friends!
• NOT IRRITABLE- Do not fly off into a rage at the slightest issue.
• The word translated IRRITABLE literally means to sharpen as in sharpening a sword. We are not to sharpen our mind, temper, or tongue to use as a weapon against another.
• RESENTFUL- This means to put the worst possible face on the motives and conduct of others. So love calls us to put the best possible face on others do.
• NOT REJOICE AT WRONGDOING.
• REJOICE WITH THE TRUTH.- Gospel
• BEARS ALL THINGS- This means to cover, to hide or conceal. Love hides the imperfections of others, it does not tell all you know. EXCEPTION is when sin needs to be exposed so that it can be corrected.
• BELIEVE ALL THINGS- Not in a hurry to impute false motives. Even if there is a lack of evidence, love gives the benefit of the doubt until we know 2+2 is not 5. When love has no evidence it believes the best!
• HOPES ALL THINGS- Even in the face of repeated disappointments we still courageously wait, hoping for the best out of another.
• ENDURES ALL THINGS- We are able to stand up under pressure without complaint. SICK DYING SPOUSE.
• This is a cheerful, loyal strength that stands even when there has been no success.
• As you ponder these actions and attitudes that love calls us to, let us aspire to work on each one of these. Work on showing them to even those you are the most fond of!
• It is GOD’S WILL that we do these things; they are not a matter of pray except to pray for the will to do them!
• Let us look at verse 8-12 for our next observation concerning love!
• SLIDE #5
• 1 Corinthians 13:8-12(ESV) 8Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
• The next issue we want to examine is…
• SLIDE #6
II. The duration of love.
• When you look to get things in life, we want things that are durable, things that are going to last. We will pay a great price to have something that will last longer than something cheaper.
• How many of you remember the infamous Yugo cars.
• SLIDE #7
• But the Yugo's true moment of fame -- or rather notoriety -- came in 1986, when an American businessman decided to introduce it to the giant North American market. Priced at a sensational $3,990, it cost half as much as the next cheapest vehicle, and aroused a storm of interest.
• Jokes at the expense of the Yugo abound, such as: Why is the Yugo's rear window heated? To keep your hands warm when you push it.
• The built over 800,000 of them so some people wanted cheap.
• By the way, the last ones rolled off the assembly line in 2008.
• Most of us do not want Yugo’s ,we want something to last.
• The Corinthian church was investing itself in stuff that was not going to last.
• They prided themselves on possessing certain gifts at the expense of pursuing love.
• The gifts the church were priding themselves on were useful, but Paul encouraged them to pursue love.
• SLIDE #8
• 1 Corinthians 14:1(ESV) 1Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.
• Love NEVER ENDS.
• The word translated “never ends” speaks something that will not be hissed off the stage as a bad actor. It speaks of falling away like the petals falling off a dying flower. Love will NEVER do that!
• The gifts folks were pursuing would eventually end.
• As a matter of fact they would end when the New Testament was completed according to verse 10
• 10but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.
• The perfect or complete is the completed New Testament when possessed means we would not longer need the things from infancy that Paul mentions.
• The word “child” in verse 11 speaks of the first period of existence. The church was in its’ first period of existence during this time.
• What are we pursuing at the expense of loving others?
• What are you going after that will last? We are told that LOVE will NEVER end.
• We need to realize investing ourselves in others is so important.
• No matter how gifted you may be you must love others.
• Tiger Woods just had a major public apology for repeatedly cheating on his wife. Had put the same energy and effort into his relationship with his wife as he did with all the other women he would not have messed up so many lives.
• Men, love your wives and children, bringing home a check is not loving your family, it is providing for them, provide and love them!
• Some of us need to understand that love is spelled T-I-M-E. Wives love your families, it will be the best thing you can do.
• Real love is durable, it can overcome anything!
• Once again, remember that this fallen world needs to see God’s love shown all the time. Difficult times and difficult people are your testing grounds. How are you doing?
• Love NEVER ends!
• Let’s finish by looking at verse 13
• SLIDE #9
• 1 Corinthians 13:13(ESV) 13So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
• SLIDE #10
III. The position of love.
• We always like to rate things, during the Super Bowl sports radio spent so much time debating who the greatest Quarterbacks of all time were, who were the top 5 or top 10.
• It is hard to try to put things in order of importance.
• When you think about love where does it go on the list of the greatest?
• Paul lists faith, hope, and love.
• We can add so many things to that list.
• What belongs at the top of the list?
• SLIDE #11
• Matthew 22:36-40(ESV) 36“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38This is the great and first commandment. 39And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
• Love is NUMBER 1
• When we prioritize things in our lives, we need to understand that Love is the greatest, love God, love others.
• When something is the most important, then we need to make sure we are putting the proper effort into fulfilling it.
CONCLUSION
• I hope that we can understand what 1 Corinthians teaches us concerning love, I will promise you that if you are willing to realize that love is a verb, and are willing to practice the actions and attitudes of love you will never be the same.
• SLIDE #12
• Matthew 6:21(ESV) 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
• Are you finding your love for another on life support, invest yourself in the one you are struggling with and you will be amazed!
