I. Introduction
A. The Love Fruit
1. Love (Agape Love) is love of the mind, reason and will
2. Agape love is love that
a. Loves regardless of feelings – whether we feel like loving or not
b. Loves even if the person does not deserve to be loved
c. Loves the person who is utterly unworthy of being loved
3. Love is the core of the Fruit of the Spirit
a. The Holy Spirit has only one fruit
b. Love is the core
c. The rest are other aspects (characteristics of the fruit
d. Like an apple
i. In the core there are seeds (that can be planted for more fruit)
ii. The meat
iii. The juice
iv. The aroma
v. The skin
vi. The stem
4. It is love possessed by God Himself
a. For God so loved . . .
b. He gave . . ..
c. His only . . .. Son
5. Love demonstrated by Christ – no greater love than this – a man lay down his life for his friends
6. Agape love cannot be learned
7. It is a gift of God
a. Experienced only if a person knows God personally
b. Received Christ in his or her life
8. The Fruit of Love has power
9. Power to create a different approach to life
a. Power to change the unchangeable
b. Power to Heal brokenness
c. Power to reveal the invisible
d. Power to save the dying soul
B. Love Problems
1. Nobody knows how to love
a. We use it loosely
b. Generously
c. The text reveals what it means
d. It does not teach us how to love
2. We have assumed we know because we feel something for someone
a. Why?
b. Selfishness
c. It’s all about us
3. Not natural for the human (flesh) spirit
4. People
5. History with people
6. Doubt and fear
7. Expectations that are unmet
8. Miss the power to overcome by faith
9. It takes Power to Love
a. The Power to Love
b. Comes with the Power of Love
10. Amen!
II. The Power of Love
A. The Value of Love
1. Remember, the Corinthians were Greeks, and they prided themselves on their great orators, i.e. Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle were all Greeks.
2. And Paul is saying though I had their tongues,
a. Though I had the power to sway vast crowds with my oratory,
b. If I did not love, I am nothing.
3. Paul says that all of the great speeches of
a. Human language
b. Heavenly language
c. Have no value without love
4. And the reverse of that truth is
a. That the humblest person whose words are backed with love is greater than great speakers
5. Read verse 2:
a. Spiritual gifts without love
b. Faith without love
c. Equals = Nothing of value
d. The word Paul used means "worthless, meaningless, of no value".
e. Love says psychiatrist A.A. Brill, "is necessary to survival.
f. It is quite as essential for a person to have love," says a doctor, "as to have pure air and food to sustain him."
6. Verse 3: “And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.”
a. Bankrupt without love
b. Good deeds without love: I will feel better
c. No matter how much I do, I reach a dead end
d. I wanted it for me rather than for them and God.
B. The Power of Love
1. Love has Power
a. Authority
i. The right to command weakness to find its potential for strength
ii. Divine permission overcome hate
b. Ability
i. A natural capacity to love the unlovable
ii. Competence in spite of faults
2. It has the Power of Permanence -
a. The first aspect mentioned after love
b. The Power remains as long as it is used
3. Love has the Power humility
a. Power of patience – WITH PEOPLE
b. Power of kindness - GIVING
c. Cares more for others than for self
4. The Power of maturity -
a. Not jealous of what others have
b. Content
c. Doesn’t strut with an arrogant life
d. Doesn’t have a swelled head
5. The Power of Respect
a. Doesn’t force itself on others
b. Isn’t always Me first
c. Doesn’t fly off the handle
d. Power to not get even with an attitude
e. Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others
6. The Power of Assurance
a. Power to seek truth and not rumors or opinion
b. Power to put up with the temporary
c. Trusts God always
d. Never looks back
e. Keeps going to the end
III. Conclusion
A. The Choice is Yours
1. Love is not just a feeling
2. Love is a choice
3. An individual choice
4. No one can love for you, but you!
5. Even if you say you fell in love, you still made a choice
6. Get off the fence of trying” and do something!!!
B. Power of Resurrection
1. Love lifted me
2. When nothing else had the ability
3. He found me where I had fallen
4. In a horrible pit
5. Lifted me out of the miry clay
a. A difficult situation
b. Seemed impossible
6. But God did it!!!
7. His love will resurrect:
a. A bad marriage
b. A broken heart
c. A troubled mind
d. A sin sick soul
8. Yes He will!!!
9. Ask Lazarus won’t love bring you back
a. Four days after the death of His dear friend
b. Jesus made a house call on the bereaved family
c. “If only you had come earlier”
d. Jesus Wept
e. But love has a purpose
f. More than when we get an answer from the Lord
g. The greater purpose is the opportunity for God to get the glory
h. Not much glory in a one-day resurrection
i. Some would say that Lazarus just passed out
ii. Or he was misdiagnosed
iii. He was dead but not dead enough!
i. Love showed up that day
j. Love wept bitterly
k. He was smelling by now
l. Martha cautioned that it was just too late
m. It is never too late for love
10. Love stood at the entrance of the tomb
a. And gave a specific command
b. “Lazarus, come forth”
11. How powerful was that love?
12. Lazarus came out still bound in grave clothes
13. “Can’t no grave hold my body down”
14. The power of love will bring you out while you are still going through
15. Don’t wait till the battle is over, You can shout now!!
16. That same love will bring you out of sin
a. Will break the shackles from you life
b. Will lead you out of bondage
c. Will heal your body
17. The senior citizen John said,
a. 3 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
b. 2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
c. 3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
18. Amen!!!
