V_Day Devo 1 cor 13_4_8

Text: 1 Corinthians 13:4-8(a)

Title: A superior way

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.

Intro: Sappy love Quotes – “I wish I could turn back the clock. I’d find you sooner and love you longer.”

Valentines day was yesterday, it’s a day set apart for couples to display their love or affection (Don’t Miss or), for one another. You may enjoy a nice romantic evening together, a meal, a movie (Chocolate or the Notebook), and you may even exchange gifts with one another or Valentine’s Day cards.

As kids in school we all would give valentines to each other and when you gave one to that special someone you would write “Will you be my valentine?” Perhaps you would sign it “Your Valentine.”

St. Valentine was a priest possibly a bishop in Rome during the 3rd Century, who ministered to Christians there who were being persecuted. Legend has it that he may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons, where they were often beaten and tortured. According to one legend, an imprisoned Valentine actually sent the first “valentine” greeting himself after he fell in love with a young girl–possibly his jailor’s daughter–who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter signed “From your Valentine,” an expression that is still in use today.

It's interesting that love stories often end with someone dying. We see this in the story of Valentine, we see this movies we watch..

Titanic

Pearl Harbor (Danny)

Romeo and Juliet

The greatest love story ever told involves death….. God in the flesh dying on a cross to pay the ransom for the sin of the world.

But, the ending is not tragic but hopeful…. He rose from the dead validating that He had conquered death for anyone who would call on His name.

Orientate the Scripture: This scripture is easily taken out of context, Paul writes to Church at Corinth and is gently rebuking them of their sins. He teaches them a better way to live a life in accord to the greatest Spiritual gift given. “Love”

Gifts with out grace is nothing!

CPS: Without Jesus in your heart you can not love, you can only show affection.

Jesus gives us the ability to love when He pours out His love into our hearts by the giving of His Holy Spirit.

Are we displaying the love of Jesus in how we inter act with others, especially our spouses?

Love is patient and kind (v 4).

Love rises above petty things and is generous in the way it treats others.

It is easy to “love” when people are lovable.

Are people always loveable? No.

Do you ever get agitated with others, how about your spouse?

Illustration: Spouse has a hard day at work comes home and it seems they are taking out their frustration on you.

Application: This is an opportunity to love them by showing them kindness and patience.

Love not only patiently bears with wrongs, but it positively acts in deeds of kindness.

Love never simmers with jealousy (v. 4).

Envy is a terrible sin; Cain envied his brother and killed him!

How can we envy our spouse?

Illustration: Perhaps your spouse gets a promotion at work and he/she (easy for men) is making more money than you

Your spouse gets to go out to eat each day because of their line of work and you don’t.

One retires early… you want to but you can’t

Application: be careful of envy… we can allow the sparks of envy to burn and then come to a full flame and consume us?

Love does not envy it rejoices with one another.

Love is not boastful or proud (v. 4).

Pride is = outward displays of self-importance

Do you see yourself as more important than your spouse?

Application: Love creates an even playing field.

We are to boast in nothing but the Cross of Christ Jesus…. We see on the cross how our goodness… our self-importance hung Him there.

It’s as if we wielded the hammer ourselves.

Love is not boastful or proud but love walks in humility.

Love is not rude or self-seeking (v. 5).

There is a graciousness about the person who acts from Christian love, a charm that the world cannot give.

True love seeks only the good of others; it is unselfish.

Application: Can you see this love displayed in Christ’s life? Yes!

Can we see this love displayed in our lives?

Love is not provoked, nor does it harbor evil thoughts (v. 5).

Christian love shows no irritation, as the flesh too often does.

Love does not keep an account books of the evil things people do, or the hurts received from them.

Illustration: If you know your spouse well…. You know what buttons to push to get them fired up…

Don’t push that button

Illustration: Don’t hold things over their heads….. You remember 4 years ago when you said this or you did this?

Application: love is never glad when evil shines through in others, especially your spouse

But love is always glad when others are walking in the truth.

Love gives victory (v. 7)

Through Christ’s love in us, we can bear up under anything,

Illustration: Disagreements….. Sickness ….. Even death

have faith, and continue in hope.

“It gives us power to endure in anything”

Love always leads to victory!

Conclusion: Often times we see marital relationships fail… but we know love never fails… Vs. 8.

Why is that? Because God never fails.

God is love…

“I wish I could turn back the clock. I’d find you sooner and love you longer.”

If you are not a Blood Bought Born Again Believer you have no hope…. The hope you think you have is going to fail you…… Your relationships will ultimately fail.

Because without the vertical relationship…. All of our horizontal relationships are tainted.

Some say love is not enough…. Those have never experienced the Love which is from God.

Love for God… Love from God… allows us to move past affection which grows old…. but love never fails.