Love One Another
October 25, 2015
1 Corinthians 13:1-3
Have you ever tried to love someone you don’t like? Actually, let me make this even easier or maybe more difficult because loving someone you don’t like isn’t easy!
So – let me ask you this . . . have you ever tried to like someone you don’t like? If you were to be honest, that’s not too easy either. OK, let me ask you this one – Nope, that’s it.
Sometimes it’s really difficult to find something . . . anything to say about someone which is nice. If you were to be honest, and I’m talking about being honest . . . you’re not really happy for their existence, you don’t wish anything bad for them,, but their mere existence causes you pain.
BUT, we are called to be long sufferers / patient people in the name of Jesus. That’s not a fun assignment. Here’s the good news — — you’re not alone on this mission . . . because we’re ALL called to be long sufferers in the name of Jesus.
And we are to be long sufferers because we’ve experienced the amazing, powerful love of Jesus in our lives. And because we’ve experienced His love, we are now commanded to love one another.
For the past 6 weeks we’ve looked at what it means to be a unified church, and now we’re moving deeper into the nuts and bolts. The big and small pieces which comprise a church. Today and next week, we’re looking at love.
Have you heard the story about the actor who was playing the part of Christ in the Passion Play in the Ozarks? As he carried the cross up the hill a tourist began heckling and shouting insults at him. Finally, the actor had taken all he could take. So he threw down his cross, walked over to the guy and punched him.
After the play was over, the director told him, “I know he was a pest, but I can’t condone what you did. Besides, you’re playing the part of Jesus, and Jesus never retaliated. So don’t do anything like that again.” The man promised he wouldn’t.
But the next day the heckler was back and worse than before. You could tell the actor was really trying to control himself, but it was about to get the best of him. He was clinching his fists and grinding his teeth. Finally, he looked at the heckler and said, “I’ll meet you after the resurrection!”
Sometimes it’s hard for those who profess to be Christ followers to behave like Christ followers should. We try to carry our crosses, but if someone crosses us, we tend to lose our composure and behave in the same way the rest of the world behaves.
But the Bible teaches us we are to be people who demonstrate love in all of our relationships — as difficult as that might be.
Listen to these words ~
"If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone" – Romans 12:18
"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love" – Ephesians 4:2
"Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy..." – Hebrews 12:14
I could list many other passages which remind us to love one another or to act in a certain manner. All of these scriptures are telling us the same thing. Sometimes it may be difficult, and not everybody will be as easy to love as you are, but if it’s possible, we are to live in peace with everyone.
Today we’re going to focus on the first 3 verses of 1 Corinthians 13, commonly called the love chapter. When a couple asks me to read 1 Corinthians 13 at their wedding, I always start with these verses, because these are the backbone to the rest of the chapter. Paul wrote ~
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.
2 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.
3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. – 1 Corinthians 13:1-3
Paul points out love is more important than 5 other things Christians consider very important.
In verse 1, Paul says love is more important than spiritual gifts. Understand in 1 Corinthians 12, the previous chapter, Paul was talking about spiritual gifts and ended the chapter saying, “NOW LET ME SHOW YOU SOMETHING MORE EXCELLENT!” This my friends, is what is more excellent ~
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.
Paul is telling us if God gave us the gift of speaking every human language, even the heavenly language of angels, but if we didn’t have love, then we would be nothing more than a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. What does that mean?
Back in the 1st century, there was a big gong or cymbal hanging at the entrance of most pagan temples. When people came to worship, they hit them so that the pagan gods would wake up and listen to their prayers.
Paul is telling us — even if he were so blessed that he could speak in every language, but didn’t have love, then his life was as useless as this ridiculous act of pounding on a gong to wake up non existent gods. You know what it’s like to have a child bang on pots and pans. That’s what it would be like. A lot of noise.
You see, love is more important the spiritual gift of speaking in tongues or other languages or in the language of angels.
In verse 2 Paul says love is more important than knowledge.
2 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.
Even if you know it all, and we all know people who think they know it all - - - if you know everything there is to know about nuclear science; if you know everything about medicine; if you know everything about philosophy and theology and every other kind of “ology” - if you know it all, BUT if you don’t have love, then you are nothing.
It amazes me that when people look at society and try to analyze what’s wrong with us, why we kill, abuse and hurt one another . . . experts seem to say we need more education. Education is great, but without love, what are we left with? Nothing!!
As Paul deals with a difference of opinion regarding food offered to idols, listen to what he wrote in 1 Corinthians 8:1, Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.
The word puffs up, literally means “to bear oneself loftily, swelled up, like an egotistical person spuing out arrogant ("puffed-up") thoughts. That’s what Paul means by puffed up. BUT, on the other hand he tells us love builds up. Love is to help someone stand strong; to encourage.
And the love Paul refers to is agape - sacrificial love of God. The call of Christ is to love one another and not base everything off what we think we know. So, if we have all knowledge, but no love . . . we are nothing.
Paul now moves on to tell us that love is more important than faith. Can you believe that? He doesn’t say faith isn’t important. He just says love is more important.
The Bible tells us FAITH is so important that it’s impossible to please God without it. And I hope you all have faith. But what is your faith? What do you believe with certainty?
Do you believe Jesus Christ is the only Son of God? That He came into our world and lived a sinless life - and He died, was buried and on the third day rose again?
Do you believe He is now at the right hand of the Father, and is preparing a place for us, and one day He will come again? Do you believe in the power of the Holy Spirit?
If you believe all those things, then FANTASTIC! I commend you for your faith. BUT, the Bible teaches - - - if you believe all the right stuff, if you have all the right theology - - even if you have so much faith you could move a mountain or heal someone - - - -
BUT if you don’t have love, then you’re nothing. Because even faith is of no value unless it is backed up by love. Friends . . . brothers and sisters in Christ . . . do you get this? This is so vital to being the church God is calling us to be.
In the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10, the priest and the Levite had faith. There was no denying their faith . . . the problem was they were legalists with no love. So they didn’t help the man in need, walked on the other side of the road and left him to die. What good was their faith - when it was not backed up with love?
In Galatians 5:6 Paul wrote ~ The only thing that counts is faith working through love. Can your faith, can your relationship with Christ compel you to love one another?
Now Paul moves into verse 3 and tells us love is more important than generosity.
He said ~ 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Notice he doesn’t say, “If I give 10%.” It’s not about giving a small amount. And that’s part of the key. Paul says ‘if I give away . . . how much? ALL I have.’ If I give everything, if I empty my checking account, if I give all my retirement funds, if I sell my house, if I cash in my insurance policies, if I sit on the corner with nothing left but what I’m wearing, and I’ve practiced amazing generosity, that the world will take notice, BUT . . . if I don’t have love, if I don’t do it in love, then I gain nothing, nada, zilch, zippo!
You see, generosity is not enough. Are you a generous person? Great!! There are a lot of worthwhile causes for us to give to.
Why do you give? Do you give because you hear a sermon on giving? Do you give because you feel guilty if you don’t? Do you give because you want to impress others? Do you give because you’re afraid God will get you if you don’t? Do you give because you think you’ll get more if you give?
Those are wrong reasons. If the only reason I give is to receive or to benefit myself, then love is absent, and giving is empty. The motive for giving should always be based on love, love and blessedness and love I have received from God and want to give back to God and love for God’s people.
Finally, Paul says love is more important than accomplishments and being a martyr -
3 . . . and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Paul’s talking about real persecution and martyrdom. He’s talking about being so faithful and so committed to God that you end up dying because of your faith. How deep is your faith? How deep is your commitment? Are you willing to lay down your life for God, if it came to that?
But Paul is saying even if you go to church every time the church doors are open, if you stand on the street corner and preach Christ, if you go to a foreign country risking your life for Christ and you read your Bible and pray and do all the things you’re supposed to do . . . BUT if there’s no love behind any of that, then Paul is right . . . you gain nothing!
Love is more important than spiritual gifts, more important than knowledge, more important than faith, more important than generosity, and more important than being a martyr for Jesus.
I have listened to people in our church and in our community; I’ve spoken to pastors all over the country and it’s an epidemic, it’s contagious, and you don’t want to get it . . . you really don’t.
It’s lovelessness . . . bitterness . . . unrighteousness . . . unholy . . . unjustified . . . unmerciful . . . self-righteous . . . arrogant . . . condescending . . . pathetic lovelessness. And can I tell you something? Of all places – it’s invaded the church.
It’s here, it’s there, it’s everywhere. It’s everywhere you and I are . . . yet we reject Christ so we can puff ourselves up.
I prayed with someone this week who was distraught because a long time Christ follower was so mean, so angry, so bitter — — there was no kindness, no gentleness, no patience, no grace, no placing another before themselves, definitely no love — — — none of that . . . all in the name of Jesus! REALLY?!?!?
I know we hurt, I know life doesn’t go the way we want it to. I get that! I’ve experienced it and will experience more of it.
BUT - - - -
How can we do that to one another? I don’t get it! I don’t have all the answers, frankly, most of the time I don’t think I have any answers. Why do we do this to one another? Why do we put one another down to puff ourselves up with our opinions, our judgements — basing nothing, absolutely nothing on love?
It’s all about what I prefer as opposed to the call of Christ! We’d rather have the right way to do things than the love of Christ in our hearts. We’d rather know it all, than know the One who is above all.
I want each person to stop and look at themselves and to consider what’s most important to them. It must start with love! It’s not about your knowledge, your skill, your wisdom, your generosity, your gifts . . . it’s not about that. Those are added blessings if used for the glory of God . . . otherwise they are deter others from meeting the One true God of all.
My friends, this church is all about love. Wherever you go, may you love one another, may you love the world around you . . . whether they are the same as you or totally different . . . may you demonstrate the love, grace and joy of Christ!
