Valentine’s Day:
Humor: I want to see something cheap!
Lead-in: On February 14th we celebrate “Valentine’s Day.”
A day that reminds us to show special love and attention to that special someone in our life. Indeed, we do need reminding from time to time not to take our loved ones for granted.
Happy Valentine’s Day to my wife, I love you!
Now, please allow me to say, “Happy Valentine’s Day to y’all!”
Also, if no one else has told you, may I say, “I love you.”? Our church loves you.” But most importantly, “God loves you!”
But, to love, to really love, is a challenging task for all humanity.
Now, don’t misunderstand.
To love self is a breeze, a piece of cake. We come forth from the womb loving ourselves, watching out for our best interests, and caring for “little ole me.”
Mash your finger with a hammer, or by slamming it in a door and see who you kiss first!
The real difficulty for us is to love others, to love the way Christ would have us to; to love the way He commands us to; to love the way He loves us.
Humor: Someone wrote years ago:
“To live above with Saints we love,
that will be glory,
but to live below with Saints we know,
now that’s another story.”
Humor: In the book "Children’s Letters to God," The New Collection, a little girl named Nan writes this letter: Dear God, I bet it is very hard for you to love all the people in the whole world. There are only four people in our family, and I have trouble loving them!
This morning we begin a new series of sermons: "What this World needs is Love… God’s Love”
Quote: The world does not understand theology or dogma, but it understands love and sympathy. - Dwight L. Moody
NOTE: You can easily remember this message by remembering the date, February 13th. We will read in Chapter 13, 13 verses, verse 13.
Please stan, now read with me 1 Corinthians 13:13
(13) And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity
Prayer
Today, I would like to speak to us on the topic of “Love.”
Consider how “Love is the Greatest.”
Now in that great Love chapter of the Bible: 1 Corinthians 13 KJV
Notice the first 13 verses: 1-13
(1) Though I (Christian life personified) speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. (2) And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. (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.
(4) Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, (5) Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; (6) Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; (7) Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
(8) Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. (9) For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. (10) But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. (11) When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. (12) For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
(13) And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
LOVE: The type of love I’m referring to is God’s Love.
The Greek word is “Agape.”
To distinguish “LOVE” from the common use of “Love” it was translated as Charity in this chapter. Charity is God’s love actively working in us, demonstrating goodwill toward our fellow man. It is pluralistic, as is reflected by many qualities.
AGAPA, God’s Love is mentioned in some form some 29 times in the NT. 9 times here in 1 Corinthians and 27 times in 1 John 4.
Charity or love is first towards God. Then, God’s love within us is to others. It is a determination to give to the recipient of our love what they need when it is within our power to do so. Love then is an act of one's will.
Summary of Chapter:
• Verses 1-3, Show us we are nothing without love.
• Verses 4-7, Show us how to identify Love.
Today, we will focus on verses 8-13
I would like to share with you some ways in which Love is the Greatest.
Love is never easy. But it is necessary.
• Love is what provided our salvation.
• Love is the motivating force in our Christian life.
• Love is the glue that holds all of us together in the body of Christ.
• Love is that which compels us to work together and use our differences to make us stronger rather than to tear us apart.
• Love causes us to focus on one another and our world rather than on ourselves and the fulfillment of our desires.
Reasons why “LOVE is the Greatest.”
I. LOVE IS THE GREATEST because it is DEPENDABLE (VS. 8)
"Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away."
Illustration: Valentine’s Day is considered the “Most Romantic” day of the year and one of the most successful days for retailers. We are compelled to buy our sweetheart “flowers, chocolates, jewelry, etc. But the gifts we give and receive will soon lose their attraction.
Flowers will die, chocolates will vanish through consumption, and jewelry will eventually be locked away, tossed in a drawer, hocked, or given away.
Those gifts bring joy for only a brief while, but many times the joy is short-lived.
God’s LOVE is the only thing on which we can depend.
The Bible says, “Prophecies will fail,” and they will be fulfilled. Then the thrill is gone. Much like all the hype of a great sporting event or taking a trip. Once there, then what?
The Bible says, “Tongues shall cease.” Biblical tongues were languages used by the Holy Spirit to interpret the Gospel, now no longer in use. We do have computers to do this.
The Bible says, “Knowledge shall vanish (fade) away.” God has raised up teachers, prophets, preachers, and evangelists to give forth His word so that His knowledge will be shared. But people come and go, and when they go, unless their words have been recorded, then their knowledge goes with them. Even in the changing times, knowledge may change. Words we speak today will become archaic eventually.
The only thing we can count on is LOVE!
Charity never faileth.
Love will never end, but something else will end with spiritual gifts.
Paul is using these three gifts to communicate that all the gifts of the Spirit are temporary empowerment for service to the body of Christ. None of them will be necessary when we are in the presence of Jesus. But love is permanent.
The world needs this type of Love! The Church needs this type of Love!
Recap: LOVE IS THE GREATEST because it is Dependable!
II. LOVE IS THE GREATEST because it COMPLETES (Vs. 9-10)
"For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. (10) But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. (11) When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things."
• No one knows everything.
• No one does everything perfectly.
• No one has all the answers.
But, LOVE completes us!
Paul said: “When I was a child”
I talked like a child, my conversation was about childish things, selfish things (I, my, mine), incomplete sentences, garbled speech, small vocabulary, unable to communicate what was going on inside. Many Christians are still Children!
Humor: Some Christians are like these two sisters:
Two young sisters were playing at home one day. The older of the two became irritated with her younger sister and said to her, "You’re getting uglier and uglier every day." Later that same day or the next day, their grandma came by for a visit. Without knowing what the older sister had said, grandma commented to the younger, "You’re getting to look more like your big sister all the time."
I thought as a child: Thought as a child, the world revolves around me, think about toys, pleasure, food, and comfort (changing my diaper; cleaning up the mess that I made for myself), in very concrete terms.
As far as Paul was concerned, the Corinthians were spiritual children.
III. LOVE IS THE GREATEST because it ILLUMINATES (v. 12)
"For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known."
God’s love cast light on things!
Paul said, for now, we see through a glass, darkly;
Note: Mirrors back then are not the accurate reflections that we have today. They were pieces of smooth stone, pottery, water, or other smooth reflective surfaces. It may have been tough to know exactly what you were looking at.
What is it that we can’t see clearly? It is God.
Sometimes it’s hard to see the character and the working of God in the situations and circumstances of life. It’s sometimes hard to see what God is doing.
What is it that we will fully know?
• Is it the whys of all those things that happened that we didn’t understand? Will all the pieces finally fit together into a beautiful picture?
• I think it is God that we will fully know. Right now, God fully knows us. He knows all our weaknesses, our dreams, our goals, our potential, and our sin.
• One day, we will fully understand God. Right now, we do not.
NOTE: If we knew God, we wouldn’t worry, we wouldn’t fear, and we wouldn’t sin.
Paul said, but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known
Then, Face to face!
• One day, we will stand in the presence of Jesus, and then we will know God.
• One day, we will know His love, His power, and His wisdom.
• Once we see Jesus, we will also finally get to see what a mature Christian looks like.
• Standing in front of Jesus will make all our spiritual antics look so childish, and our spiritual pride will melt away.
What does the world need? Love… God’s Love!
Recap:
LOVE IS THE GREATEST because it is Dependable.
LOVE IS THE GREATEST because it Completes.
LOVE IS THE GREATEST because it Illuminates.
IV. LOVE IS THE GREATEST because it is ETERNAL (vs. 13)
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
FAITH!
• Faith, O how we need Faith!
• Faith to save us!
• Faith to lead us!
• Faith to help us walk this journey of life!
HOPE.
• Hope, O How we need Hope!
• Hope to keep us trusting.
• Hope to keep us moving forward!
• Hope to keep us looking upward!
LOVE
• And how we need Love!
• Love to motivate us!
• Love to Illuminate us!
• Love to Complete us!
Paul said, “Now, NOW, abide these three, but the greatest of these is LOVE!
But one day, we will no longer need Faith or Hope.
• One day, we will see with our eyes.
• One day, we will hear with our ears.
• One day, we will touch with our hands!
• One day, we will walk on the streets of gold.
• One day, we will drink the crystal-clear water of life!
• One day, we will finally be able to behold the ONE who died for us!
Then we will need no Faith!
Then we will need no Hope!
But not so with LOVE, for Love is Eternal!
© 02/2020 Loyd C Taylor, Sr.
For God is LOVE, and God is eternal!
Once we reach eternity, there will be no more need for faith or hope.
• For in Eternity, everything that we believed by faith in will then become reality!
• Yes, in Eternity, everything that we hoped for will be realized.
CONCLUSION:
What does the world need? Love… God’s Love!
Love is eternal like God because it is a part of His nature.
See 1 John 4:7-8 KJV
(7) Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. (8) He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 1 John 4:7-8
Love emanates from Him.
Paul ends the great Love chapter of the Bible with these words… (V13)
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
BUT THE GREATEST OF THESE IS LOVE, GOD’S LOVE.
GOD’S LOVE
God’s love is like an island
In life’s ocean vast and wide
A peaceful, quiet shelter
From the restless, rising tide
God’s love is like an anchor
When the angry billows roll —
A mooring in the storms of life,
A stronghold for the soul
God’s love is like a harbor
Where our souls can find sweet rest
From the struggle and the tension
Of life’s fast and futile quest
God’s love is like a beacon
Burning bright with faith and prayer
And through the changing scenes of life
We can find a haven there!
—Helen Steiner Rice
What the world needs is Love… God’s Love!
Disclaimer: This sermon is a collection of several sources and I claim no originality to all, only as I have tried to tailor it to develop the sermon. I have sought to acknowledge credit to whom credit is due. I hope it will bless you.
