The Better Way.
First Corinthians Series
February 22nd, 2026 CCCAG
Text: 1 Corinthians 13:1–13 (CSB)
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Introduction-
When I was newer in the faith, I was recruited to serve on the usher and greeter team. This was a pretty big church, so the ushers also had the task of walking through the building to make sure people, teens and kids especially, were not wandering through the building and ending up in places they shouldn’t get into.
One time I was at church during a special service where we had a pretty famous guest speaker, and a worship leader associated with some major revivals in the area. Both of them were excellent. In particular, the worship leader was a gifted musician on the keyboard, and had a unique and powerful worship presence on the stage.
From the congregational perspective, both were powerful men of God.
As I rounded a corner, I saw the worship leader pulling one of his background singers out into the hallway, and began to very cruelly and with strong profanity tear her apart for missing a cue, and in his mind, ruining the entire worship set. They saw me and another usher coming, , and went back into the sanctuary, praising God, speaking in tongues, and riling everyone up.
As a very young Christian, it was my first hard example of how a person can seem so spiritual, speak in tongues and encourage others to speak in tongues, give prophecy and lead others toward worship of God.
But still not have the character of Christ within them.
Hypocrisy in the church is one of the most effective attacks that the kingdom of darkness uses to ruin our impact in the world.
I will say- we are all capable of not always showing the character and love of Christ. I think I was Billy Graham who once said, “We are all just dirt….having a spiritual experience.
And sometimes that dirt side shows more than it should.
One of the ways that it does is when spirituality becomes only performative- speaking in tongues, giving prophesy, miraculous “healings”
When our spirituality is tied to performance it can darken what the Holy Spirit is trying to do in the lives of believers-
To cultivate the character and nature of Jesus Christ in the lives of the believers.
Why is this important?
Many of you are following the chronological bible reading plan for this year, so as of today you’d be finishing the book of Leviticus.
If that is you- you made it! The second half of Exodus and Leviticus are hard books to read because of the details in the Levitical law that are mind-numbing to our modern way of thinking.
But what those books show us in relation to what we are talking about this morning is this-
Outside of three men- Moses, Joshua, and Caleb
No amount of miraculous occurrences, signs, and wonders every changed one single heart in the millions of people that witnessed them.
Not one.
Keep in mind these people all witnessed
-10 plagues of Egypt
-A sea parting with walls of water on each side, and the ground dry so they could walk through.
-God coming down on Sinai
-Pillars of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night- every day.
water from rock
-Bread from dew
-Flocks of quail just happened to come into the camp, every night, enough to feed several million people, for 40 years.
Yet with all of those miraculous signs, they still struggle with disbelief and rebellion.
That’s why God The HOLY SPIRIT, when HE was moving on Paul’s heart to write this letter to the Corinthian church, chose to put the important attribute that should define Christians the middle of 2 chapters talking about the gifts of the Spirit.
That thing is love.
Let’s read about it in 1 Cor 13
1st Corinthians 13 (read carefully)
13 If I speak human or angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I give away all my possessions, and if I give over my body in order to boast but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant, 5 is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs. 6 Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will come to an end.
11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put aside childish things. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, as I am fully known. 13 Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love—but the greatest of these is love.
Prayer
As we have read throughout this book of the bible, even with all of the mess that Paul had to address- The church at Corinth was not weak.
Paul opens the letter by saying they were not lacking in any spiritual gift (1 Corinthians 1:7).
They spoke in tongues.
They prophesied.
They moved in revelation.
They had knowledge.
They operated in power.
And yet, the church was fractured.
Divided.
Competitive.
Immature.
Lawsuits among believers.
Sexual immorality tolerated.
Even Communion was abused.
Spiritual gifts weaponized.
They were spiritually active—but relationally immature.
I mentioned this a moment ago but it bears repeating
Right between Chapter 12 (gifts of the Spirit and the body of Christ) and Chapter 14 (the orderly use of tongues and prophecy), Under the power and guidance of the HOLY SPIRIT Paul plants Chapter 13.
That placement is not accidental.
Chapter 12: “You are the body.”
Chapter 13: “Without love, you are nothing.”
Chapter 14: “Here’s how gifts operate correctly.”
Paul is saying something unmistakable:
Spiritual gifts are not the proof of spiritual maturity. Love is. X10
Here is the truth- the truth I saw as an usher in my first church-
You can move in power and still in many ways be a spiritual infant.
And that is dangerous.
Paul shows us
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I. Without Love, I Am Noise (vv. 1–2)
“If I speak human or angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.”
Notice Paul begins with the most celebrated gift in Corinth—tongues.
I’d say it’s also the most emphasized gift in our fellowship.
Fundamental Truth #8- “Speaking in tongues is the initial physical evidence of the Holy Spirit baptism.”
So you and I are in the same general tribe as the church in Corinth. We believe in this. In fact, I have to attest to this fundamental truth specifically every year when I renew my ministry credentials.
So this isn’t a esoteric thought experience, this is what we believe.
Paul is very specific about it when he says
“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels…”
He is escalating this thought because he is not talking about just the languages of this earth- he goes right into high supernatural languages.
The languages that God’s angels speak- the language of the KINGDOM of GOD.
Maximum spiritual expression that we can have this side of eternity.
But….but after lifting up our thinking to God’s Kingdom, a caveat is given-
If you do not have love…
It’s just Noise.
Not “less effective.”
Not “limited.”
Noise.
For those of you that remember dialup modems- that screech and electronic noise you heard- that is what tongues sound like to both God and humanity when you don’t have the very nature and character of Jesus Christ inside you.
And that nature, is Love.
But not just any kind of love.
The New Testament was written in Greek, and in the Greek language there are specific words for the specific kind of love being referred to:
Philéo — Affectionate friendship love
Storge — Familial, instinctive love
Éros — Romantic, passionate love
Then the word for love that we are focused on today
Agápe — Sacrificial, covenantal, self-giving love. John 3:16,
In fact in John 21 when Peter saw Jesus post resurrection, Jesus asks him three times if Peter loved him. For our eyes, it looks weird, like Jesus is punishing or mocking Peter here.
Let me explain, and use the Greek word and meaning instead of the generic word of love-
1st Time- Jesus asks- Peter, do you Agape me- do you love me with the intensity I love you, sacrificing myself to save you?
Peter’s answer- “Lord, phileo or love you as a friend”
2nd time- same exchange- Jesus says apage, Peter says phileo.
3rd time. Jesus uses Peter’s word- “Do you phileo me?” Peter now sees what Jesus is doing- Instead of directing confronting Peter about denying HIM, Jesus shows why he denied him- Peter didn’t agape him.
This is critical for us to understand
Because when the trials, temptations, and persecutions come, phileo, storge, or eros love for God will not protect your spirit.
Agape will.
That is the take away for us living in this time.
Do you love God to the point of sacrifice?
Or do you prefer the safety of performance religiosity.
I want to be very clear here. I love revival. I love the Holy Spirit moving.
However, in our Pentecostal heritage, we also sometimes mistake volume for holiness or spectacle for God’s power.
I believe the gift are important. I agree with Pauls’s statement in chapter 14 when he says, “I speak in tongues more than all of you, but I’d rather speak 5 words to the church that are understood than 10,000 in a tongue that isn’t.”
Paul is saying:
You can sound spiritual and still be indistinguishable from pagan chaos.
But the bible doesn’t leave it just with tongues, it further escalates the argument-
“If I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can move mountains…”
This is astonishing language. He is saying if my faith operated at 100% so that I knew
All mysteries.
All knowledge.
Mountain-moving faith.
And without love?
“I am nothing.”
Nothing
Notice what he doesn’t say.
He doesn’t say:
• I accomplish nothing.
• I help no one.
He says:
“I am nothing.”
Here is the truth underscoring this entire subject.
Performance based religion is not Christianity. Pause
Because if you don’t have the love that comes from the infilling and outpouring of the Holy Spirit-
You can preach powerfully and still be empty inside.
You can prophesy accurately and still lack Christlikeness.
You can have faith for miracles and still lack the character of Jesus.
That’s terrifying to think about, and that is sobering.
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II. What Is Agape?
Agape is covenantal, self-giving, volitional love.
It is not a feeling.
It is a decision of the will empowered by the HOLY SPIRIT that seeks the good of another without self-benefit. Repeat
Agape does not originate in human emotion. It originates in God’s nature.
(1 John 4:8) “God is love.”
That is agape.
Agape is what drove Jesus.
Jesus did not die because He felt warm affection.
He chose to lay down His life for those who rejected Him.
Agape says:
“I will seek your good even when it costs me.”
Agape is not weak.
Agape is strength under control.
Agape is love when you don’t feel it.
Agape is obedience when you’d rather withdraw.
Agape is covenant loyalty in the absence of applause.
This is why spiritual gifts without agape are dangerous.
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III. What Love Looks Like (vv. 4–7)
Paul now defines agape not with poetry but with verbs.
Fifteen descriptions.
Almost all actions that show us Apape is love in motion- it’s a choice to show Jesus to others despite them showing hell to us.
This isn’t romantic sentiment.
This is sanctified behavior. Let’s look at a few of the descriptions
Love is patient.
Literally: long-suffering.
It absorbs wrong without exploding.
It gives people space to grow.
It does not demand instant transformation.
Love is kind.
Kindness is active goodness.
Let me just throw in this caution because of the culture we live in within western Wisconsin- we are Minnesota Nice.
There is a difference between kindness and being nice.
Being nice comes from a place that says, “I want this person to like me, or at least know I’m a good person.”
Kindnesss says- “I love that person enough to seek their maximum good even if it means to disagree with a behavior to risk losing their affection.”
Example- I know it’s more worldly, but it’s also very Wisconsin.
Two people out having adult beverages. One is drinking way too fast, and way too much while the other person sips.
The guy drinking too much grabs his keys, falls off his barstool, stumbles toward the door to drive home.
If I’m nice, I let him go- I don’t want him to be angry if I try to stop him from driving. It would embarrass him in public.
If I’m kind, I grab his keys out of his hand, and am willing to get into a fight to keep him from doing something stupid.
Kindness is about others, and their wellbeing. It’s the more courageous of the two words.
Love does not envy.
In Corinth, people were jealous of others’ gifts.
Love does not resent another’s anointing, it celebrates it and thanks God.
Love is not boastful, is not arrogant.
The Corinthians used gifts to elevate themselves.
Agape does not platform self.
Love is not rude.
Literally: it does not behave disgracefully.
There is a way to talk to people that elevates and does not tear down. Our culture right now is still stuck in who can get the best zinger in, or the roughest insult. This does follow us into the church.
But, it shouldn’t. This is something that God has really had to work on in my own life, because my second language is sarcasm to expose stupidity.
But, you won’t win a single person to Christ that way, so I’ve learned to try and temper that a bit. That’s why agape love disciplines tone.
Love is not self-seeking.
In many ways, this is the key to how we view the spiritual gifts
This is crucial.
Your gifts are not for you.
The Spirit does not empower you so you can build your identity.
Gifts are distributed “for the common good” (1 Corinthians 12:7).
They exist for the body.
Agape seeks kingdom advancement, not personal prominence.
Love keeps no record of wrongs.
The Greek word for “Record of Wrongs” is an accounting term.
It does not keep a ledger.
In a divided church, grievances were stockpiled.
But if we experience Agape, we should release all emotional debt and those who sin against us.
Love rejoices in the truth.
It does not celebrate sin.
It does not enable unrighteousness.
Agape is not tolerance of evil.
Agape celebrates alignment with God.
Love bears all things.
Believes all things.
Hopes all things.
Endures all things.
Agape makes us resilient and durable for Kingdom work.
Agape is the goal, not the gifts. In fact, the bible tell us
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IV. The Temporary Nature of Gifts (vv. 8–12)
Temporary.
Prophecy—will end.
Tongues—will cease.
Knowledge—will end.
Why?
Because gifts operate in partial knowledge.
They are tools for the in-between time.
We see “as in a mirror.”
This was speaking directly to the church at Corinth because one of Corinth’s chief exports were polished bronze mirrors.
It was the highest technology of their time, but didn’t really produce a good reflection like modern mirrors.
That’s our present reality.
Spiritual gifts help us navigate partial sight.
But when the Perfect comes—Christ revealed face to face—partial tools disappear.
You won’t need prophecy in eternity.
You won’t need tongues in eternity.
You won’t need words of knowledge in eternity.
But you will love perfectly and be loved perfectly forever.
Paul finishes delivers the final verdict about the way the Corinthian church was using the gifts.
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V. Maturity: From Childish to Grown (v. 11)
11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put aside childish things.
This is the diagnosis of Corinth.
They were gifted—but childish.
Paul then concludes
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VI. The Final Ranking (v. 13)
“Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love—but the greatest of these is love.”
Faith will become sight.
Hope will become fulfillment.
Love continues forever.
Why so much emphasis on Apape Love?
Because Agape love reflects God most clearly.
Anyone can operate in a gift for a moment.
Only a transformed heart reflects agape consistently.
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Conclusion: Final principles as we close
Your gift is not for you.
It is for the body.
For the local church.
For the Kingdom of God.
So the question is not:
Do you speak in tongues?
Do you prophesy?
Do you have faith?
The question is:
Are you patient?
Are you kind?
Are you free of envy?
Do you keep records of wrong?
Do you rejoice in truth?
Because the most supernatural thing in the world
is not speaking in tongues.
It is loving like Christ.
And that is the more excellent way.
All rise
“Before we pray — I want you to ask the Holy Spirit one question.”
Pause.
“Is my gift governed by love?”
“Holy Spirit…
Make our gifts louder in heaven because our love is deeper on earth.
Purify our motives.
Mature our hearts.
Teach us the more excellent way.”
