“Understanding Love”
1 Corinthians 13
OPENING JOKE: Illustration “Love-letter lament”
Dearest Jimmy,
No words could ever express the great unhappiness I’ve felt since breaking our engagement. Please say you’ll take me back. No one could ever take your place in my heart, so please forgive me. I love you, I love you, I love you!
Yours forever, Marie.
P.S. Congratulations on winning the state lottery.
INTRODUCTION: How many of you today are in love? (You married people better get your hands up!)
How many of you are not in love today, but you have been in love sometime in your life (You married people better get your hands down on that one!)
[Taken from comedy act by Mark Lowry]
Monday is the day that we celebrate “Love”
Yes, it’s Valentine’s Day, the one day out of the whole year we all are expected to be just a little more mushy, a little more loving and a little more sentimental
Illustration: “Charlie Brown Can’t Explain Love” Once asked to explain love by Peppermint Patty, Charlie Brown answered, “You can’t explain love”. She insisted that he try, so Charlie Brown said, “Well, let’s say I see a pretty girl…” “Wait Chuck” replied Peppermint Patty, “Why does she have to be pretty, why can’t she be full of freckles with a big nose?” Charlie Brown said, “OK, let’s say I see a girl walk by with a great big nose and freckles…” to which she again said, “Wait, I didn’t say, ‘a great big nose’” Finally Charlie Brown said, “NOT ONLY CAN I NOT EXPLAIN LOVE, I CAN’T EVEN TALK ABOUT IT!”
Love is not always easy to explain, or even to understand
More songs have been written about “love” than any other topic in history, as well as some of the best and worst poetry
But the greatest exposition of love ever written is found in Paul’s first letter to the church at Corinth
***There has been no song ever sung, no poem ever spoke and no book ever written which so apply describes ‘Godly Love’ than in these few verses
I. THE PRIORITY OF LOVE (v.1-3)
a. QUESTION: How important is love?
i. I have heard of Christians who say we don’t have to love everyone
ii. They will often site obscure passages to prove their point
iii. But our passage for today gives us the truth about what our love for others should be
b. This passage says our love for others is more important than:
i. Spiritual gifts (v.1 “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.”)
ii. Wisdom (v.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, but have not love, I am nothing”)
iii. Sacrifice (v.3 “And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.”)
c. These verses are telling us that love takes priority over everything else
i. In very simple terms Paul explains here that anything we do, absent of love, is useless
ii. This goes for the physical family as well as the church family
iii. Basically he is saying this:
1. It is impossible to be a good parent without love
2. It is impossible to be a good Sunday School teacher without love
3. It is impossible to be a good sibling, cousin, aunt, uncle or even friend without love
iv. Love is the priority for all relationships
d. Jesus affirmed Love’s priority in the Gospels
i. After being asked what is the greatest of all commandments He said:
ii. Luke 10:27 “…You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ’your neighbor as yourself.”
iii. Jesus basically said that love is second to none
e. Love is a choice we all have to make
i. People often say, “I just can’t help falling in love”
ii. But this isn’t really true
1. Because we choose what we love
2. Before you argue, listen to my reasoning
a. I do not choose to like pizza, funny movies and the color red – I just like them
b. And I didn’t choose to like my wife Jennifer – When I met her, I just did
c. BUT I DID CHOOSE TO LOVE HER – I chose to put her in the most important part of my heart, and it was easy because I liked her
3. What becomes hard is when we have to ‘choose to love’ those around us who we don’t really like
iii. Quote: Love has to be such a priority in our lives that we not only choose to love people we like, but to love people we don’t like – that’s why I say love is a choice
II. THE PICTURE OF LOVE (v.4-7)
a. QUESTION: What does love look like?
b. Love IS:
i. Patience (v.4 Love suffers long…)
1. Our modern, ‘throw away society’ encourages us to get rid of people in our lives who are difficult
2. This is why marriages are no longer ‘from death do us part’, but are now, ‘from now until I get tired of you’
3. True love puts up with people who it might be easier to just do away with
ii. Kindness (v.4 …and is kind)
1. Some of us claim Christian love, but we sure can’t claim Christian kindness
2. When people describe you, does it include the words, “mean” or “hard to get along with”
3. Are you genuinely kind to others?
iii. Trust (v.7 …believes all things…)
1. It is very hard to love when there is no trust
2. But trust is reciprocal
3. That means we must be both ‘trusting’ and ‘trustworthy’
iv. Hope (v.7 …hopes all things…)
1. This means that we look at people in a positive, rather than a negative light
2. Example: When we see someone is having trouble in their marriage, we don’t say, “Boy, I know that isn’t going to last”
3. But we say, “I am going to pray in the hope of God, who can do all things, to help that troubled family”
v. Endurance (v.7 “…endures all things”)
1. Sometimes life seems to have more struggles than is fair
2. And the people who are supposed to share our burdens, just seem to be putting more on us
3. Just remember when you talk to a couple who have been in a marriage ‘forty’ ‘fifty’ and even ‘sixty’ years, that they have learned one thing above all else about love:
4. Love endures all things
c. Love IS NOT:
i. Jealousness (v.4 “…love does not envy…”)
ii. Boastfulness (v.4 ‘…love does not parade itself…)
iii. Arrogance (v.4 ‘…is not puffed up…)
iv. Self centeredness (v.5 “…does not seek its own…”)
v. Bitterness (v.5 “…thinks no evil…” Lit. ‘takes no account of evil’)
d. Ask yourself, “In my relationships, am I really showing Godly love?”
i. Is my love for others displayed by patience, kindness, trust, hope and endurance?
ii. Or am I a jealous, boastful, arrogant, self centered and bitter person?
III. THE PROMISE OF LOVE
a. Read the first sentence 1st Corinthians 13:8 “Love never fails.”
i. And we know this is true because scriptures says in 1 John 4:8 that “God is love”
ii. And we know that God cannot fail
b. Could you all repeat the promise of love with me?
i. “Love never fails” – repeat after each phrase –
ii. “God is love”
iii. “Love never fails”
iv. “Everything else can fail”
v. “At times everything else will fail”
vi. “Even I can fail”
vii. “But love never fails”
c. That is the wonderful promise that we have
i. That God is love
ii. And He will never fail us
CONCLUSION: The love described in 1 Corinthians 13 is a PERFECT love—the kind of love you only see coming from God. I mean, have you ever known a human being who is ALWAYS patient, ALWAYS kind, NEVER envies, and is NEVER rude or self-seeking?
I haven’t and that’s because this text from 1 Corinthians sets a standard no human being could ever meet—ON THEIR OWN.
In fact the only way I think this text makes sense is to put Jesus’ name in place of the word “love” and say,
“Jesus is patient. Jesus is kind. Jesus does not envy. He does not boast. He is not proud. He is not rude. He is not self-seeking. He is not easily angered. He keeps no record of wrongs. Jesus does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. Jesus always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Jesus never fails.”
So the only way that we will ever experience this perfect love is by tapping into the greatest source of love there is: “The Love of God”
His is a love that will never pass away
His is a love that will never cease
His is a love that will never fail
Some of you today are seeking love from a person thinking that is going to fill your life with joy
But only the never failing love of God can boast such a promise
And if you have never experienced His love in your life and you are feeling Him pull at your heart today, I invite you to come and experience his transforming love on your heart
(Let us pray)
Paul’s description of love is short but powerful
And it is important that we never forget that the same love God wants us to have for each other, He already has for us
Quote: “There is nothing you can to do make God love you more! There is nothing you can do to make God love you less! His love is Unconditional, Impartial, Everlasting, Infinite, Perfect!” Richard C. Halverson
He loved us enough to give us a sacrifice to pay for our sin debt
That sacrifice was His Son Jesus – and God tells everyone who believes on His Son in faith that they can inherit eternal life
Today, if you are here, and you have never allowed Christ to become the sacrifice for your sins, I encourage you to take that step of faith
[Repeat John 3:16 with your name in place of ‘whosoever’]
If you will believe and repent, God will save you…
