Sermon for 2/1/98
I Corinthians 13:1-3
To Love is To Live
HoHum:
A. The sappy songs of the 80’s. We need more love. Misunderstandings about love. We love our parents, we love our dog, we love sports, we love music, we love baseball, we love apple pie, we love Chevrolet.
B. The four loves - in Greek.
1. Storge
a. Family love. When we say that we love our family.
B. In the church we should also have this kind of love. We are brothers and sisters.
2. Philia
a. Friend love.
B. Philadelphia- City of brotherly love.
C. Jesus had this love for John, Lazarus.
3. Eros
a. Sexual love, love between a man and a woman.
B. Romance, and desires for touching, etc.
C. Eros also can reflect man’s desire for heavenly things. We see no wrong in our lover. All is flowers and candy. We see the same things in God.
4. Agape
a. This love is demonstrated by God’s love for us.
B. 1 John 4:8, 16- He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
C. As leaven, yeast transforms dough, the love of God transforms us to love him and to love others in this way.
D. Christ is the leaven in our lives.
E. Once we are born-again, our human instincts, once fallen, must conform to Christian modes of expression.
F. Without the love of God in our lives, all of the natural loves can be corrupted. We can love our family above all else which causes problems. We love our families to the exclusion of others. We can love our friends and anyone outside our circle of friends do not receive love. The love between a man and woman has often been corrupted. This love in our culture is the highest love. We look at our mates for love, but we cannot truly love our mates until we love God.
G. All of the natural loves can become very self centered. My family does great things for me so I will love them. My friends provide me with self-esteem and I feel part of a group, so that is why I love my friends. My mate gives me satisfaction and she provides so much for me, so I love her.
H. Grace has bridged the gap between man and God. God has shown us what true love is. It has nothing to do with the big “I.”
I. With this love the world will know that we are Christians. Spiros Zodhiates said, “Two years ago, an acquaintance of mine and his missionary friend witnessed of Christ to an entertainer whom they met in the city. Just the other day, my friend met him again. The entertainer could not remember what they had told him so long ago, but he said, “Oh, yes, I remember. You were the two people who were in love with God.” The world may forget what we say, but they will not forget how we live.
WBTU:
A. This is the love we are discussing Agape. Godly love.
B. We must remember problems in Corinthian Church. They were using their gifts to build themselves us. They were doing these things for their own egos and for their own recognition. They did not do these things for love for God or love for others.
C. A neurotic sickly girl, suffering from insomnia, consulted a physician. After examining her and finding no physical cause, he bluntly said, “You have ingrown feelings.” She looked puzzled, so he made it plainer. “You think too much about yourself. What you need to do is to get away from yourself, get out among others, think of their troubles, and work to relieve them.” “Do you mean that I am selfish?” she asked. “Not exactly selfish,” the doctor said, “but you are self-centered.” The girl went home, thought over carefully what the wise physician had said, took his advice, and soon was restored to health.
D. We should not seek self-centered religion. Jesus will satisfy all your needs? This is true, but God does not save us for satisfaction of our egos but for the accomplishment of His eternal purposes.
E. So many times love in this world is self-centered. Christianity is not about this. How can I find happiness? This is not the question if we are Christians. What is good for my fellow man?
F. God-centered religion, we look to God as Almighty, to whom belongs absolute dominion over our human egos. We are not concerned about ourselves but about God and about our fellow man. This is agape.
Thesis: Today we are going to study 1 Corinthians 13:1-3. Today’s topic is to live without love is litter (a waste).
For instances:
I. To live without love in our language.
A. Vs. 1
B. The Corinthians loved to speak in tongues. Many of them had the gift of speaking supernaturally in foreign languages. Gift of tongues really has not passed if we understand that this gift needs to be learned. Corinthians also probably spoke in ecstatic utterances, or the unknown tongue. Tongues of angels. Heathen religions did this.
C. Speaking can be a self-gratifying experience. How do we speak to the world, unbelievers, to each other? Agape.
D. Love seeks the sinner, not to condone or enjoy his sin, but to win him to Christ. Not to impress him.
E. Love is much greater than the most exalted heavenly gift.
F. Corinthians were using this divine gift for their own self-glorifying. Not a blessing to others. Selfishness is a manifestation of natural self and not a product of grace.
G. If we are doing this just to impress others, we are just making noise.
H. If Corinthians were possess with real love for fellow man as the outflow and overflow of God’s love in their hearts, they would not be so intrigued by mere self-gratifying noise, but would speak thoughtfully that they might edify the church.
II. To live without love in our lips.
A. Vs. 2a
B. Corinthians were also proud of prophecy. Loved to tell others what the Lord had shown or revealed to them. Proud of being a gifted preacher.
C. It is all right to share the good message. However, the Corinthians had the problem that everyone thought their message was more important. There is no one more blind than he who thinks he has a message from God for everyone but himself. Usually these people are interested in telling other people off, by denouncing their faults. This person builds up their own self- esteem to the detriment of others.
D. Ancient Greek philosopher said, “A fool cannot hold his tongue.”
E. Maybe the Corinthians were going after foretelling. This is a thing that produces quick recognition and results. Announce that I am going to speak on “End of the World” and folk will flock to the doors. Announce a subject like “God’s Requirements for a Clean Life,” and few will come. Main job of a prophet.
F. Philippians 2:3- Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.
G. Jerome, the Church historian, relates of the Apostle John that, when he became old he used to go among the churches and assemblies, everywhere repeating the words, “Little children, love one another.” His disciples, wearied by the constant repetition, asked him why he always said this. “Because,” he replied, “it is the Lord’s commandment; and if it only be fulfilled, it is enough.” John knew that the greatest truth was most apt to be forgotten because it was taken for granted. This is one of the greatest calamities in the Christian Church and one that causes divisions.
III. To Live Without Love in our Learning
A. And understand all mysteries and all knowledge.
B. Mysteries- the ability to know the commonly unknowable. Much like professors at a college.
C. Full of pride. Whatever was hidden from comprehension of others was know to these people. A know it all.
D. “I understand all mysteries; there is no secret I do not Know!” People would think that we were crazy.
E. Trying to impress others with knowledge. Sounds good and impressive but what good is it. Much like preachers who use big words. What good is it.
F. No human has all knowledge. These people look down there noses at the intellectually inferior.
G. Knowledge without love makes the young conceited and the aged dictatorial. Knowledge should be wedded to love.
H. Love without knowledge; knowledge without love.
I. When we come before God we realize that we are nothing, not that we are clever and smart.
J. Knowledge without love never converted anybody, never attracted anybody, never comforted anybody. All real happiness in life is attainable by love, not be knowledge and wisdom.
K. Chuck Swindoll and the professor.
IV. To live without love in our license.
A. License- what license?
1. Matthew 17:20- If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, “move from here to there,” and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.
2. Matthew 21:21- Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, “be removed and be cast into the sea,” and it will be done. And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.
3. John 14:12- Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.
B. We can do great things in faith. These people at Corinth were saying that they could do the impossible. Paul was making the saying of Jesus literal. We know that Jesus meant that all obstacles would be removed in the face of faith, but Paul is exaggerating for the sake of emphasis.
C. All things in God’s purposes and that are necessary would be provided for those with faith.
D. People at Corinth were boasting about their power in faith. Loveless power is scary. Story of the Samaritan city that would not receive Jesus. Luke 9:54- And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?” But he turned and rebuked them and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.
E. Dogmatism, narrow interpretation, unlovely lives.
F. Faith may make a thing possible, but only love can make it worth doing. Nothing- these people are bankrupt in the important things.
V. To Live without Love in what we leave to others.
A. Vs. 3a
B. If we have the wrong motives in giving should we not give. A man once came to his preacher greatly troubled because he said that in all his good deeds he detected some mixture of selfish motives. “Should I stop doing these things,” he asked in perplexity, “Since I find some self-gratification in all of them” The wise preacher assured him that while we are in the flesh we shall always suffer the humiliation of knowing that nothing about us is perfect, even our motives.
C. We need to purify our motives constantly. Think about why we do things. If it for our own pride, or for the good of the kingdom of God.
D. Outwardness does not always reveal inwardness.
E. Boss Hog.
F. Ananias and Sapphira.
G. It is wrong to do things for the sake of creating a good impression rather than to do them out of love.
H. To give because we believe that in this way we shall enjoy more of God’s blessing and God Himself is loveless charity. We should do it out of the joy of salvation.
VI. To live without love in the taking of our life.
A. Vs. 3b
B. Paul is getting ridiculous about this, but he is trying to make a point.
C. Martyrdom. Taking our life for pride. We want to be remembered for our faith. Socrates. Most martyrs names are not remembered.
D. People who give great sacrifices just to be paid back later. Mothers.
E. Sacrifices made without love may profit others, but they do not profit the man himself.
F. It is all litter.
Conclusion:
A. An official of a Mission Board, who knew that it takes more than desire to make a missionary, was appointed to examine a candidate. He told the young man to come to his house at 6 in the morning. The young man went at 6 in the morning to be examined, and the examiner kept him sitting in the room until ten. Then he went down to him and said abruptly, “Can you spell? Can you spell God?” “Yes, sir,” came the answer calmly. “Can you write your name? Do you know what your name is?” “Yes, sir,” again he replied. He put him through a series of questions of that kind, and then went to the Missionary Board and said, “He will do. I tried his patience for four hours, and he did not break down: I then insulted him, and he did not lose his temper. He will do.” That is the way to prove Christianity. If a man answers all abuses with patience, a fortitude, a gentleness that cannot be violated, depend upon it, Christ’s love has conquered his heart, and the Christianity that has made him what he is vindicated by the very quality of his character. Such a Christian causes men to say, “Well, after all, you’ve got to say something for a religion that produces a man like that.”
B. A Brahman, hearing the 13th chapter of 1 Corinthians for the first time, exclaimed, “Who can live up to that?” It is impossible without the grace and enablement of the Holy Spirit.
C. These verses speak of the fruit of Christianity, not the way to moral betterment.
D. Romans 3:23-24- For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
E. We must accept such love and salvation from God before we can truly love others.
