“The Greatest of These”
February 16, 2003 (1Corinthians 13:1-13)
ILL: Ole and Olga lived on a farm in Iowa. Olga was starved for affection. Ole never gave her any signs of love, and Olga’s need to be appreciated went unfulfilled. At her wit’s end, Olga blurted out, "Ole, why don’t you ever tell me that you love me?" Ole stoically responded, "Olga, when we were married I told you that I loved you, and if I ever change my mind, I’ll let you know."
That is not enough. Daily we need to express our love for one another just as God does for us daily in His Son, Jesus Christ. Love is new each day.
--James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988), p. 323.
ILL: A man in his middle years was on a Caribbean cruise. On the first day out he noticed an attractive woman about his age who smiled at him in a friendly way as he passed her on the deck, which pleased him. That night he managed to get seated at the same table with her for dinner. As the conversation developed, he commented that he had seen her on the deck that day and he had appreciated her friendly smile. When she heard this she smiled and commented, "Well, the reason I smiled was that when I saw you I was immediately struck by your strong resemblance to my third husband."
At this he perked up his ears and said, "Oh, how many times have you been married?"
She looked down at her plate, smiled demurely, and answered, "Twice."
--James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) p. 290.
ILL: There once was a very popular song, "Love Is a Many Splendored Thing." The experience of some is that love is a many splintered thing.
Robert C. Shannon, 1000 Windows, (Cincinnati, Ohio: Standard Publishing Company, 1997).
ILL: Husbands who kiss their wives every morning before leaving for work usually live five years longer than those who do not. A kissing husband has fewer automobile accidents, loses up to 50 percent less time from work because of illness, and earns 20-30 percent more than a nonkissing husband. No statistics were available for benefits to kissing wives. Perhaps along with special rates for nonsmokers and nondrinkers, there’ll soon be a special policy for kissers.
--James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988), p. 340.
The Corinthian church had an abundance of spiritual gifts operating in the church. They were like kids with new toys. Although they had the spiritual gifts to do the work of the ministry, they did not have the spiritual grace of love in which to perform the ministry. The result was a decadent church. The gifts of the Spirit without the grace of love are like holiday trinkets: they are only useful when in season.
Spiritual gifts seasoned with love are highly effective, but gifts without love are showy and shallow.
BI – “Love is the greatest quality we can possess because it best resembles the character of God in His relationship with us.”
Let me share two things with you about the greatest quality that we can possess.
I. The Deficiency of Love – (13:1-3)
In these verses Paul makes it clear that the absence or the deficiency of love is a dangerous thing. We can have the most sought after spiritual gifts in the church. We can be loaded with talent to the gill. We can be humanly endowed with every attribute respected and desired. But, if we don’t possess the simple attribute of love all of the other is useless! Paul broke it down in four categories. In his manner of speaking, he said one could be a:
A. Gifted Communicator – “tongue of men and of angels”
Paul was a master of the languages. Just how many, I do not know, but I have read that he had master over eight languages. That is quite an accomplishment. The idea here is being able to communicate with men and angels. That’s quite a span. Paul communication skills were out of this world. And yet, Paul said that was nothing if he did not possess love for those with whom he communicated.
B. Glorious Prophet – “understand all mysteries and have all knowledge”
Don’t you marvel over some of the modern day Elijah’s who seem to have an inside track to God? They understand things that we just cannot. They unfold some of the great mysteries of life and the Bible itself.
Some of you have read the Left Behind Series by Tim LaHaye. Even though these are supposed to be Christian fiction, they are very realistic. It’s as if God has given them a preview of the movie before it comes to town.
In the Old Testament and the early church, the gift of prophecy was the ability to foretell future events which had not been written at that time. That was one aspect of the gift of prophecy. The other aspect of the gift was to be able to forthtell what God had spoken in His Word.
After the completion of the Word of God, some of the mysterious slipped off the scene. The gift of prophecy today is the ability to forthtell instead of foretell.
Paul said that a man could have the supernatural ability to tell the future as God tells it to him, and the ability to speak clearly about the mysteries of the Bible, but if he did not possess the quality of love, his ability as a prophet was equal to zero.
Þ A man could be a gifted communicator – have command of the languages. A man could be a glorious prophet – have special skill of understanding the deep things of God. Thirdly, a man could have:
C. God-ward Confidence – “faith to remove mountains”
He might possess the faith necessary to accomplish the impossible. He might fit into the Hall of Faith in Hebrews chapter eleven. God might use him to do things that we cannot even dream of doing. He may be able to see unbelievable things happen, but if he does not have the quality of love to mix with his faith, it is nothing. Nothing from nothing leaves nothing.
Þ A man could be a gifted communicator – have command of the languages. A man could be a glorious prophet – have special skill of understanding the deep things of God. Thirdly, a man could have God-ward Confidence – “faith to remove mountains.” Fourth, a man could have:
D. Global Compassion – “bestow all my goods to feed the poor”
This is a good gesture, but if it is not motivated by the quality of love, it is nothing. Someone said, “Life minus love equals zero,” “Love is a tender plant: when properly nourished, it becomes sturdy and enduring, but neglected it will wither and die,” “Love is like the five loaves and two fishes: It doesn’t start to multiply until you give it away.”
Þ The Deficiency of love – God’s gracious gifts are totally powerless without the grace of love.
II. The Demonstration of Love – (4-13)
A. Negative Demonstration –
1. It is not jealous.
2. It is not boastful.
He that falls in love with himself will have no rivals.
Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)
3. It is not rude.
4. It is not self-seeking
5. It is not provoked.
6. It does not harbor evil thoughts.
Love looks through a telescope; envy, through a microscope.
Josh Billings (1818-1885)
Love does not keep a ledger of the sins and failures of others.
n Croft M. Pentz, The Complete Book of Zingers (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1990).
Faults are thick where love is thin.
A love that will not bear all, care for all, share all, is not love at all.
B. Positive Demonstration –
What does love look like? It has hands to help others. It has feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like.
Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430)
1. Love Enriches –
Love thinks of the other person instead of self. Its only desire is to do what is best for the other person. It is not selfish. It seeks to make the other person’s life a better one, not by control but by sacrifice.
Someone said, “Love puts the fun in together ... the sad in apart ... the hope in tomorrow ... the joy in a heart.”
2. Love Edifies –
Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. The purpose of spiritual gifts in the church is to edify the church. You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.
Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth. (1 Corinthians 8:1 KJV)
But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. (1 Corinthians 12:7 KJV)
But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort. (1 Corinthians 14:3 KJV)
Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church. (1 Corinthians 14:12 KJV)
Love is the key. Joy is love singing. Peace is love resting. Long-suffering is love enduring. Kindness is love’s touch. Goodness is love’s character. Faithfulness is love’s habit. Gentleness is love’s self-forgetfulness. Self-control is love holding the reins.
Donald Grey Barnhouse
3. Love Endures –
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. (1 Corinthians 13:8 KJV)
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. (1 Corinthians 13:13 KJV)
Riches take wings, comforts vanish, hope withers away, but love stays with us. God is love.
Lew Wallace (1827-1905)
Love is what makes two people sit in the middle of a bench when there’s plenty of room at both ends.
Love is something so divine,
Description would but make it less;
’Tis what I feel, but can’t define,
’Tis what I know, but can’t express.
Beilby Porteus (1731-1808)
Love is the filling from one’s own,
Another’s cup,
Love is the daily laying down
And taking Up;
A choosing of the stony path
Through each new day,
That other fret may tread with ease
A smoother way.
Love is not blind, but looks abroad
Through other’s eyes;
And asks not, "Must I give?"
But "May I sacrifice?"
Love hides its grief, that other hearts
And lips may sing;
And burdened walks, that other lives
May buoyant wing.
Hast thou a love like this?
Within thy soul?
’Twill crown thy lift with bliss
When thou dost reach the goal.
--James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988), p. 329.
BI – “Love is the greatest quality we can possess because it best resembles the character of God in His relationship with us.”
Conclusion: Do you resemble God in your relationships with others? Whether you do are depends on whether or not you possess the quality of love.
