Paul's
Epistles - 1 Corinthians
Part
26 – Love
Pastor Bruce A. Shields
House
of Faith Church | www.PS127.org
| www.TruthDigest.org
INTRODUCTION
Paul's
letter to the church in Corinth, was addressing the things he had heard about
them, including incest, adultery, over-spiritualized behaviors, wandering away
from the Word of God, and an overall pride about them.
Paul
has corrected the Corinthian Churches view about the division; Christ is head
of the church, no one else. He also let them know that the power comes from
God, and they should be humble, not conceited and over-spiritual.
He
warned them not to go beyond what is written.
He
addressed their pseudo-faith and spiritual activity of abstaining from intimate
relations with their spouses, explaining this was the root of their immoral
behavior.
He
also warned them against lawsuits with other believers, saying the only reason
they could not come to terms together inside the church was because of their
pride and arrogance.
He
instructed them to be content in their situations, so as to quench the immoral
behavior that was coming from discontent, and selfish ambition. Paul warned
about becoming a stumbling block to other believers if we have certain
knowledge that they do not possess.
Paul
explained again about Christian Liberties, and about God's Will, and last week
explained Communion.
This
week we will see Paul talking about Spiritual Gifts. Why, because the Church in
Corinth was behaving badly, selfishly, sinfully, and Paul was trying to correct
their path.
Committing
a sin is one thing, however, living in that sin is another, Paul explained this
to us a few chapters back when he talked about Israel and how those who died in
their sin never saw the Promised Land.
This
week we will look at Paul explaining how the Spiritual Gifts are great, but
there is one thing greater, love.
SCRIPTURE
REFERENCE I Corinthians 13
If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not
proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always
perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child,
I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see
face to face. Now I know
in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Basically, Paul explains to the church in Corinth that the gifts
are great, and they are for the strengthening and edification of the church;
for uplifting and encouraging, however, you could have all the gifts, and do
all things, but if it is not done in love, it was for nothing.
I.
THE "MORE
EXCELLENT WAY"
a.
After explaining
the Spiritual Gifts, Paul says this is a more excellent way
b.
The church in
Corinth was abusing the gifts
i.
They may have been trying to show off with them to
entice new members
1.
i.e. performing healings, miracles, speaking in tongues
2.
Whether these things were real or not was not the
question, but HOW they were being used.
3.
If they were being used to manipulate, entice, capture
people into the faith, then they were for the wrong reason.
ii.
Jesus warns about
this in Matthew 7:22 "Many will say to
me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name
drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’"
iii.
The Corinth church had the same problem.
1.
The Holy Spirit was working there, but they were
abusing or taking advantage of His power.
2.
We do not know exactly HOW they were, the
scripture doesn't say, but we do know they were, or else Paul would not be
correcting them on the proper use and purpose of the Spiritual Gifts.
c.
Why is
Love the more excellent way?
i.
1 John 4:7-9 "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from
God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because
God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent
his one and only Son into the world that we might live through
him."
1.
God is Love
2.
Everyone who loves
has been born of God and knows God
3.
Whoever does not
love, does not know God
4.
God showed His love
by sending His Son
5.
Love is an Action!
ii.
What is the
Greatest Command?
1.
Matthew 28:36-40 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the
Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all
your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and
greatest commandment.39 And
the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the
Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
iii.
Anyone who says they are a "born again" "believer"
or "follower of Christ", a
"Christian", yet does not
have actions of love towards God, or others, does NOT know God.
II.
WHAT LOVE IS AND IS
NOT
a.
Paul says
i.
I could speak in the tongues of men (known languages)
or of angels (spiritual) but if I don't have love, I am nothing more than a
clanging cymbal.
ii.
I could have the gift of prophecy and fathom ALL mysteries
and knowledge, and have faith to move mountains, but if I do not have love,
I AM nothing.
iii.
I could give everything I possess to the poor and give
my body over to hardships that I may boast for the Lord, but do not have love, I
gain nothing.
iv.
Who is the one with nothing here? The giver...not the
receiver. It never says God's Spirit fails, or miracles did not happen...This
is why sometimes we see real healings and miracles, then a week later that TV
evangelist is in the news for illegal things. God's Spirit didn't fail, the
person did!
v.
But I am doing all
these great things for the Lord!
1.
Matthew 7:22 "Many will say to
me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name
drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’"
vi.
Love is an action that is done for the CORRECT
reason.
vii.
The church in Corinth was using the gifts to
profit
1.
Either financially, prestigiously or to gain the
admiration or authoritative power that man so often seeks.
viii.
But all things must
be done in Love for the RIGHT reason, or it does not count!
b.
Love IS
i.
patient - allowing time for repentance, forgiving
others, understanding
ii.
kind
iii.
rejoicing in truth
iv.
always protects
v.
always trusts
vi.
always hopes
vii.
always perseveres
viii.
never failing
c.
Love is NOT
i.
envious
ii.
boastful
iii.
proud
iv.
dishonoring others
v.
self-seeking
vi.
easily angered
vii.
a record keeper of all wrongs
viii.
delighted by evil
III.
ON WHAT FOUNDATION
DO YOU ACT?
a.
The Spiritual Gifts
are NOT going to last forever!
i.
vs 8-10 "But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge,
it will pass away.9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears."
1. When "completeness comes", we will be before the
Lord and these "gifts" will no longer be needed. We will be complete
again, as it was in the beginning before sin.
ii.
vs 11-12 "When I was a child, I talked like a child,
I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the
ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror;
then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even
as I am fully known."
1. While on earth, we behave as children, not fully
understanding all that our Father in heaven asks. We must rely and trust in
Him, like children.
2.
Jesus said in Matthew
18:3 “Truly I
tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."
3.
We will be fully mature spiritually when we
receive our new bodies, sinless and stand before the Lord on Judgment.
iii.
What remains
forever?
1.
Faith, Hope and
Love.
2.
But the greatest of
these is Love!
b.
On which foundation
are you building?
i.
THE ROCK
1.
All the Law and the
Prophets hang on these two commandments. Love
God with all your Heart, Soul and Mind, and Love your neighbor as yourself.
2.
God is Love
3.
Love is shown through ACTION (I Corinthians 13)
a.
How do we show God love (the action)
i.
Heart - From the overflow of the heart your mouth
will speak...fill your heart with His Word! (action)
ii.
Soul - Jesus said in John
14:15 "If you love me, keep
my commands" We can do this by submitting our Soul (who we ARE), or
our "will" to Him.
iii.
Mind - Changing the way we think! Allowing
God's Holy Spirit to do a work in us, making us NEW creatures, NEW creations,
allowing the old to "pass away".
We demolish arguments and
every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take
captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5
4.
This is "The Rock"
ii.
THE SAND
1.
Anything that you do (whether casting out demons in the
name of Jesus, performing miracles, healings, speaking in tongues, prophesying,
having all the knowledge and wisdom, ANYTHING YOU DO...even in the NAME OF
CHRIST), that is done for the wrong reason, is building on sand, not the rock.
2.
What are the wrong reasons?
a.
Anything that I Corinthians 13 says love IS NOT!
i.
envious
ii.
boastful
iii.
proud
iv.
dishonoring others
v.
self-seeking
vi.
easily angered
vii.
a record keeper of all wrongs
viii.
delighted by evil
c.
But I'm doing "good things" in Jesus' name,
that's still good, right?
i.
NO! Scripture says if it is not done for the right
reason (Love), it is for NOTHING!
ii.
Why, because you are not building on the right
foundation!
1. I Corinthians
3:10-15 "By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building
on it. But each one should build with care. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the
one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold,
silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will
be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s
work. 14 If what has been built survives, the builder will
receive a reward. 15 If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss
but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the
flames."
iii.
You
MUST build (Do things) on the right foundation!
iv.
The ROCK (Jesus Christ)
Love!
CONCLUSION
Love is the rock, anything else is sand.
Matthew 7:24-27
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into
practice is like a wise man who built his house on the
rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the
winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its
foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and
does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on
sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the
winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
If
we do things for the right reasons, in Love, and build upon the Rock, when life
hits those people who have the "correct" foundation, they will come
through the storm.
If
we do things for the wrong reasons, when the storms come, those people will
suffer great loss because their belief, hope, faith were built upon sand.
Why
do so many run from Christianity, or Church?
Because
they were told or taught something that was not done in or for love, it was
built upon the sand, and something happens, the storm comes, and they suffer
great loss, and blame the very one whom they should be running to, rather than
away from!
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