What's Love Got to Do With it?

1 Corinthians 12:27–13:13 NIV

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? Now eagerly desire the greater gifts. And yet I will show you the most excellent way. 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. 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. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 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. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 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. 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. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Introduction:

20 - https://www.ignitermedia.com/products/185986-as-one-we-are-the-church

What’s Love God to Do with it.

21 - Spiritual Gifts Can Be Troublesome.

Things that can divide.

-Someone has acted selfishly

-Differences of opinions, perspectives, preferences, priviliges, relational alignments, political alignments, racial alignments

-Sin

-Difficulty of communicating

- On the one hand - You have groups of Christians that have gone so far to say if you don't have the gift of tongues you are not saved. A sense that someone is not a great spiritual person if they don't have these gifts with the wow factor. On the other hand we have cessasionists who believe these gifts ended after the 12 Apostles died, that they "ceased" at that time

- My journey from funcional cessationist to Non-Cessationalist. - Refer to Lori Jo that all these gifts are operational today. - But I remember that it was the loving presentation of Scripture that changed my mind.

- I notice the arguments against cessasionism here in this passage.

1. The Tongues of Angels - Not just known human languages.

2. Certain gifts are listed as ones that will cease, but when will the cease? We get a specific answer, When perfection comes or in other words the New Heaven and New Earth - vs.10

3. 1 Corinthians 1:7 has Paul desiring that the Corinthians have all the Spiritual Gifts as they eagerly wait till Christ's return

4. Paul admits that our knowledge and Prophecy is partial - so Yeah we can get it wrong form time to time. This does not mean we stop listening all together. We move at the pace of love.

“The Corinthians, however, seem to have lost hold of the future temporal orientation of Paul’s preaching. They have moved into a frame of reference that thinks only in spatial categories of ‘above’ and ‘below.’ They believe that their spiritual gifts give them immediate access to the divine world, and they are not thinking at all about the future event of God’s judgment and transformation of the world (cf. 15:20–28). In their frame of reference, therefore, revelatory spiritual gifts have assumed ultimate significance, because they provide the open, ‘hot line’ links to heavenly reality. Paul wants to relativize these gifts by situating them within the unfolding epic narrative of God’s redemption of the world: they have a role to play for now, but the time of their usefulness will pass” (Richard B. Hays, First Corinthians, Interpretation [Louisville, KY: John Knox Press, 1989], 230, Logos).

We must accept that every gift we receive has a shelf life. Therefore, we must exercise our gifts with the intention of building up the body and honoring the Lord. Though the gifts are temporary, their effects have eternal consequence. Because of this, we have to exercise our gifts in love. Unlike our gifts, love lasts forever.

Paul Gives us the Most Excellent way to use our gifts.

22 - Love Makes an Everlasting Impact.

Craig Blomberg points out in his commentary in the NIV Commentary series that Lewis Smedes had suggested putting the name of Jesus in place of Love in this passage. With Jesus being perfect, and the perfect expression of love, his overturning the tables in the temple and calling out religious hypocrites must be included in the the definition as well. Tough love is included.

23 - Spiritual Gifts expressed without love . . .

• Do not reflect who God is

• Do not have a KINGDOM impact

- Network Ministries

24 - It’s What you do.

1. Worship vs Evangelism is Love to Spiritual Gifts.

2. Evangelism/Gifts will end, Worship/Love will not.

“The Corinthian mirror was made of highly polished metal and, even at its best, gave but an imperfect reflection. It has been suggested that what this phrase means is that we see as through a window made with horn. That was the material used for making windows in those days, and all that could be seen through them was a dim and shadowy outline. In fact, the Rabbis had a saying that it was through such a window that Moses saw God. In this life, Paul feels that we see only the reflections of God and are left with much that is mystery and riddle. We see that reflection in God’s world, for the work of anyone’s hands tells us something about the one who has done that work. We see it in the gospel, and we see it in Jesus Christ” (William Barclay, The Letter to the Corinthians, The New Daily Study Bible, 2nd ed. [Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 1975], 147, Logos).

25 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2lXNuSqpzM

26 - Using our Spiritual Gifts With Love.

My thought in public speaking - What gets rid of the nervousness, and my advice.

- Not picturing people naked or in their underwear.

- No, the thought is loving people with the message. - Even if it is a hard truth, I want to love people with this hard truth.

- A gave this advice to a teenager who was nervous about singing in front of the congregation. I said think of the message of the song. It is a great message, how can you love people with your singing. She mentioned that before she sang that she wanted to love the congregation with this song.

27 - 31

1 Corinthians 14:1–5 NIV

Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy. For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit. But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort. Anyone who speaks in a tongue edifies themselves, but the one who prophesies edifies the church. I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be edified.

32

Conclusion:

So What’s Love Got to Do with it?

Everything: The Believer Who Loves God will love the Body of Christ by Building her up with their gifts, and Glorify God. The Believer who uses her gifts will do it in Love. How are you using your gifts in love.