Like most good books the Bible has a theme. If I were to ask you what the theme of the Bible is how would you respond?
I agree there are many themes that could apply to the Word of God, but I would offer you this morning that the main theme is Love. The word "love" appears in the Bible in its various forms a different number of times depending on the translation. Here are some counts from different versions:
King James Version (KJV): 310 times, the New International Version also known as the NIV: 551 times, in the English Standard Version or ESVas you may know it: 684 times, the translation that I preach from, the New King James Version : 361 times, in the New American Standard Version you see it: 348 times and in the New Living Translation a whopping : 898 times.
So, it’s pretty easy to see that this word love, that often times we use too loosley is a pretty big deal to God. And with that said this morning our text will be a very familiar piece of scripture to many of you. It will come from Pauls letter to the Church at Corinth, and is found in 1 Corinthians 13:4-13. If you would please turn there and in a moment as you are able would you please stand for the reading of God’s Holy Word.
But before we look at our text, do you know why Paul was writing this letter to the Church? It was because why he was in Ephesus he had heard of troubles in the church. And Paul being Paul could not let that go.
(slide 2) Listen to some of the troubles that were happening:
• Some were becoming more loyal to the pastor than God.
• He urged them to avoid law suits.
• To flee from sexual immorality.
• To dress inoffenslivey for public worship.
• To respect the spirtual gifts of others.
• To conduct meetings in a fiting and orderly way.
• And to resist efforts to deny the resurrection.
As you listend to those, it sounds like Paul could be writing to the church today, doesn’t it? And people say the Bible is outdated. (scoff)
But most importantly Pauls letter to the Church deals with Love. So, if you have found our text and again it is 1st Corinthians 13:4-13, would you as you are able please stand for the reading of God’s Holy Word.
(slide 3-4) Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke 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 in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. 13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Wow that is a lot of love going on there. So let’s break that all down shall we?
Some of you probably know that the word for love here is an agape type of love. It is a greek word use throughout the New Testament. It is believed by some that the New Testament writers used this to give it a Christian connotation or meaning.
One of the best ways to think about this love is not in the greek way of thinking, but rather a type of love that put the interest of others first. And stop and think about it for a minute, that is exactly what Jesus did when He left heaven and came to earth. This is a type of love that is given to those who do not deserve it.
That is what Paul is saying right off when he speaks Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;
A great way to think about this is that the love Paul is speaking of is not necessairly dealing with circumstances but more to do with paitience with people, even with the people that are hard to love.
(slide 5) If you will turn back in your Bible to Luke 15:2. Here we find Jesus old pals the Pharisees and Scribes. The words here are meant to discredit Jesus. It says: And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.”
(slide 6) But if you look at it in the context of the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin and the progidal son, we see the reason Jesus was here. It is here that we discover His love was not just for the righteous but also for those demed unloveable. All of these stories were menat to teach us at the very heart of God is love, and that it continues to reach out for the lost and those who do not deserve it.
That is why Paul says that this type of love is kind. We cannot say we love someone when we treat them with unkindness. We cannot genuinley love someone when our mind is telling us they are unloveable. We can’t even truly love our sppouse and children untill we realize the way God loves us. That is what Paul is saying in verse 5, that our love must be tactifull and polite. And that goes for all of us. As you know I am very involved in politics and don’t mind sharing my opinion publicly in person or on social media. And from time to time I may come off a little harsh, but let me assure you that is never my intention.
(slide7) Verse six is actually something many of us struggle with. Here Paul is telling us not to rejoice when someone stumbles and falls. Sadly there are many people today that take pleasure when someone messes up and makes a mistake. We should think of it like this; rather than being glad about their bad, those who love have a way of excusing the faults of others, just like Jesus does with us.
As Christians we need to be carefull with verse sevan. Where it says believes all things, now, can be quite tricky, and Satan will use this to trip you up. Since God is love, and God is perfect we need to remind ourselves that He is not gullible. Since He loves us with everything about Him, He expects us to love the same.
And here is the tricky part. He loves the Homosexual so we love the Homosexual, he loves the teenager who is having sex outside the walls of marriage, so we love them also. He loves the thief, so we love the thief. But like God we do not accept or overlook the sin.
(slide 8) Now even though He loves them, they are still accountable for that sin. So as ambassadors of Christ we love them, we tell them of God’s love for them, but we never judge them, God will do that. We do not overlook their sin at all, but we still love them and in a loving way we show them God’s love and His impending judgment.
Another thing that verse seven can help us with, is that it can keep us from becoming discouraged. It is because of God’s never ending and unfailing love for us that we can keep moving forward. With His love being assured we know that what ever it is we are going through is not going to last forever, that there is a brighter day ahead.
Because of time I want to skip ahead to verse 13 where Paul writes: And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
(slide9) You see Paul knew that there were, or rather there are somethings that are going to last forever. Things like faith, hope and love.
An why all of them are important Paul knew and is reminding us today that yes we must have faith, and it is that faith that gives us a hope, but not any hope, it is a hope we are assured of. And we can be assured of this also, that our God full of love knows you and desires a relationship with you, but most of all He loves you. He laways has and He always will. It is my prayer that we can learn to love like Jesus.
Pray as led.
