The Greatest of These
Text: 1 Cor. 13:1-7
Introduction
1. Illustration: Rick Warren in his book The Purpose Driven Life says, "Life is all about love!" "Because God is love, the most important lesson he wants you to learn on earth is how to love. It is in loving that we are most like him, so love is the foundation of every command he has given us; ‘the whole Law can be summed up in this one command; ‘Love others as you love yourself" (123).
2. Since love is the foundation of the Christian life, it is, therefore, the foundation of Christian marriage. Without it nothing else will work.
3. But what is love?
a. Love Is The Utmost Value
b. Love Is The Firm Foundation
4. Let's stand as we read together 1 Cor. 13:1-7
Proposition: In order to have a blessed marriage we must be centered on Christ and founded on love.
Transition: Paul begins by telling us that...
I. Love Is The Utmost Value (1-3).
A. But Didn't Love
1. This is one of the great passages of Scripture. It is often quoted, and frequently read at Weddings.
2. Paul begins with, "If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal."
a. The opening sentence of this chapter is is the purpose for Paul's argument.
b. It is pretty evident that the "languages of the earth" refers to regular human speech.
c. Whether it be English, French, German, Spanish or whatever it may be, human languages, while important, are secondary when it comes to love.
d. Then Paul refers to the "tongues of angels," and this definitely is referring to that heavenly language that is a gift of the Holy Spirit.
e. This gift was one that the Corinthian's thought very highly of, and you could easily say, too highly.
f. It had become a source of pride and arrogance among them, and this is the issue that Paul is trying to deal with here.
g. There tongues were not edifying the church, and were not allowing unbelievers to respond to the Word of God.
h. That is why Paul says "of I could speak in all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn't love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal."
i. "Clanging" (alalazon) is rather clashing like the sound of heavy cymbals. The sound may be attractive and entertaining; it may even grab your attention. But if action is not motivated by love, it is only noise, "sound without soul" (The Complete Biblical Library – Romans-Corinthians, 428).
j. In other words, if I don't love others I am simply making noise!
k. However, we must indicate what we are talking about when we say love.
l. In English we have one word that defines love - love.
m. However, in Greek there are several words. There is phileo, which is a brotherly love, and eros, which is a sexual kind of love. But the word that Paul is using here is agape. It is the kind of love that God has for us.
n. Agape is a selfless and sacrificial love; a love of the mind, of the reason, of the will as well as of the heart and affections. It is the love that goes so far...
1) that it loves a person even if he does not deserve to be loved.
2) that it loves the person who is utterly unworthy of being loved.
3. Paul continues his line of reasoning by saying, "If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing."
a. In this verse Paul moves beyond the gift of tongues to three other gifts of the Spirit; prophecy, knowledge and faith.
b. Paul adds emphasis to these words by, in the Greek, using the word "all" before each of the gifts.
c. In other words, "all prophecy, all knowledge, and all faith."
d. Prophecy is a genuine gift. Understanding with supernatural insight all the mysteries that were not revealed in Old Testament times but are revealed in what is now the New Testament, receiving all kinds of supernatural knowledge, and having a gift of faith that can move mountain after mountain—all are genuine gifts of the Spirit.
e. Yet, without love, without acting in love, the person who ministers such gifts is nothing, of no value to the Lord or the local assembly of believers
(Horton, I & II Corinthians, 125).
f. What he is saying is that if you could possess the complete capacity of the gifts of the Spirit in their entirety, but did not have love, that person would be nothing in the sight of God (Fee, 632).
4. Then Paul says, "If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing."
a. Paul now increases his perspective even further, going beyond spiritual gifts to personal sacrifice.
b. First, he says, "If I gave everything I have to the poor..." Literally he is saying, "if I parcel out all my property for food to feed the poor."
c. So what he is saying is "if I sell everything I have to by food to feed the poor."
d. As with spiritual gifts, this is a good thing, even praise worthy, and something certainly within the teachings of Jesus.
e. However, if I do all of that and still do not love others all my sacrifice is worthless.
f. True love produces willingness to give sacrificially and to suffer.
g. Acts of charity and self-sacrifice can be done for the sake of an ideal or with pride as a motivation.
h. But they are of no value for the Kingdom, wrote Paul, unless they are done from the foundation of love for others (Barton, Life Application New Testament Commentary, 689).
B. Love Is Key
1. Illustration: During the 17th century, Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of England, sentenced a soldier to be shot for his crimes. The execution was to take place at the ringing of the evening curfew bell. However, the bell did not sound. The soldier's fiancé had climbed into the belfry and clung to the great clapper of the bell to prevent it from striking. When she was summoned by Cromwell to account for her actions, she wept as she showed him her bruised and bleeding hands. Cromwell's heart was touched and he said, "Your lover shall live because of your sacrifice. Curfew shall not ring tonight!"
2. Love is more important than anything else in your life.
a. 1 Thessalonians 4:9 (NLT)
But we don’t need to write to you about the importance of loving each other, for God himself has taught you to love one another.
b. Love is the utmost important thing is a relationship because it has been demonstrated to us by God.
c. Love is the utmost important thing in a relationship because God has commanded us to love each other.
d. It doesn't matter how big your house is without love.
e. It doesn't matter how cool your car is without love.
f. It doesn't matter how big his muscles are without love.
g. It doesn't matter nice her curves are without love.
h. However, love covers a multitude of sins.
Transition: Not only is love the ultimate value, it is also...
II. Love Is The Firm Foundation (4-7).
A. Love Is...
1. Paul has told us of the importance of love, but this begs the question...what is love? How do we define it? What does it mean to love another person?
2. Paul answers those questions and then some. He says, "Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged."
a. First Paul talks about what love is. He says loves is patient and kind.
b. To be patient means (1) “be patient with, wait for someone” or (2) “endure, persevere, or suffer long” (The Complete Biblical Library Greek-English Dictionary – Lambda-Omicron).
c. Love is patient with people who provoke or injure us. It does not allow resentment to arise, even when wrongs go un-righted.
d. It goes the second mile, turns the other cheek, endures insult, bears with those who disagree or mock.
e. It reflects the patience of God with sinners: It cannot be short-tempered with those for whom Christ died (Horton, 126-127).
f. Love does not stop with a mere patience that puts up with those who heap abuse.
g. It is actively kind, returns good for evil, seeks out what it can do for others, puts itself in the service of others, encourages others to speak and minister (Horton, 127).
h. Now after giving two positive examples of what love is, he expresses what love is not. First he says "love is not jealous."
i. Love does not allow us to be in competition with others or rivalry with others. It's not about having the upper hand, winning the argument, or getting it your way.
j. On the contrary, it says how do I best serve the other person to whom Christ gave his life to save?
k. Next Paul says that love is not boastful or proud. The one suggests self-centered actions that call undue attention to yourself, while the other literally means "to be puffed up" and carries with it the idea of arrogance.
l. Love is never rude, never behaves disgracefully or shamefully.
m. Jesus was a perfect gentleman. His love is always considerate, polite, and gentle; never coarse or vulgar.
n. Love never needlessly embarrasses, injures, or humiliates another but is always courteous. Positively, it seeks the well-being of the other person (Horton, 127).
o. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not self-seeking, never selfish, grasping, or greedy. God so loved that He gave (John 3:16).
p. The same divine love will make us more concerned about giving than getting. It seeks the good of others. It does not demand its own way but accepts God-given leadership (Horton,127).
q. Love is not irritable. Love is not angered or irritated no matter what the circumstances. Any irritability that arises comes from a different source. But love keeps the victory even when everything seems to go wrong (Horton, 127).
r. Love keeps no record of being wronged. It is not keep a record of evil done to it, but instead takes no notice of it. It is forgiving and never holds a grudge. It never reminds others of hurtful words or injuries said or done in the past. There is no limit to its forgiveness. Love takes the one who has wronged it into its heart, forgetting the past (Horton, 127).
3. Paul then continues saying, "It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out."
a. Love does not delight in evil, nor in the downfall or misfortunes of others.
b. Love never says "I told you so" or "It serves your right."
c. Nor does it dig up the sins of the past or desire to expose or gossip about the faults of others.
d. Love wants to see sins forgiven and rejoices when the truth of the gospel is advanced (Horton, 128).
4. Paul concludes his description of love by saying, "Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance."
a. Love always protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres.
b. It never gives up, it bears up.
c. It is obedient, faithful, trustful, and buoyant.
d. It keeps pressing on with faith and confident hope.
e. It sees where help is needed and gets under the load without being asked or begged.
f. It provides sincere encouragement for others. If these things seem difficult to attain, let us remember that we can look to God to pour His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit.
g. We may need to repent for our lack of love. Then His love will bring us to the goal (Horton, 128).
B. True Love
1. Illustration: On December 2001, the "Leaning Tower of Pisa" was finally reopened to the public, after having been closed for almost a dozen years. During that time, engineers completed a 25 million dollar renovation project designed to stabilize the tower. They removed 110 tons of dirt, and reduced its famous lean by about sixteen inches. Why was this necessary? Because the tower has been tilting further and further away from vertical for hundreds of years, to the point that the top of the 185-foot tower was seventeen feet further south than the bottom, and Italian authorities were concerned that if nothing was done, it would soon collapse. What was the problem? Bad design? Poor workmanship? An inferior grade of marble?
No. The problem was what was underneath. The sandy soil on which the city of Pisa was built was just not stable enough to support a monument of this size. The tower had no firm foundation.
2. In order to having lasting relationships we must build upon the firm foundation of love.
a. Matthew 7:26-27 (NLT)
But anyone who hears my teaching and ignores it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 27 When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”
b. Just like a building built on sand, our relationship are in trouble if we do not build them on the firm foundation of love.
c. My Mom used to say, "When the bills come in the door love flies out the window!" While Mom had a valid point, without love you don't have a window!
d. Love will hold you together when the storms of life come crashing in around you.
e. Love will sustain you when the trials of life seem to exhaust you.
f. Love will give you endurance when you feel like you can't go another step.
g. Love will encourage you when you the darkness of depression is all around you.
h. Love will be the glue that holds you together.
i. Love will be the fuel that keeps you running.
j. Without it you cannot succeed.
Transition: There are three things that last; faith, hope, and love, but the greatest of these is love.
Conclusion
1. Since love is the foundation of the Christian life, it is, therefore, the foundation of Christian marriage. Without it nothing else will work.
2. What is love?
a. Love Is The Utmost Value
b. Love Is The Firm Foundation
3. On your wedding day you made a vow to do certain things until death do you part. But first on the list was love...are you keeping that promise?
