A Church Without Love?

Introduction

Love - What is Love?

“Baby, don’t hurt me, don’t hurt me, no more.”

Our tendency is to think of love within the partner/marriage relationship

Our main thought in this regard is two forms of “love” - romantic and sexual

Jeff Leeman - defines cultural love as, “a voyage, a trip of self-discovery, self-realization and pushing off what constrains.”

stating earlier, that love combining the cultural effects of the romantic era(19th century), the sexual revolution and todays identity politics have come to be the “idea of love as self-discovery, self-expression and self-realization.”

as one comment in an article of love says, “The conception of love is something really objective(subjective?) and deeply personal for everyone.”

In other words, in our day love has become about me

That’s odd!?

So we need to see or be reminded of what love is according to God and His word

Let’s read 1 Cor 13

Quick context:

Troubled church

big on spiritual gifts

So he says two things in this regard:

A. Without love their works and service for God are empty vs 1-3

He uses hyperbole( exaggeration), I believe to make his point

Even if we are the most versatile and spiritual speakers, even if we know and believe much, even if we give up everything for God but no love - it’s all empty

B. These will all pass away but not love vs 8-13

vs 8 - love never ends

The reason for these gifts is because we live in a state of partial knowing and transformation and God uses these gifts through the Spirit to transform His people

But eventually we will be face to face with Christ in the complete Kingdom of God, being made whole, and will no longer need these means of revelation and transformation and so they will no longer exist but even in eternity love will be, perfectly

So It’s important for us to understand and grow in it.

I. Sees and Understands Others (vs 4a)

ie. patient and kind

We must see and understand people according to God in order to live this out

I. Image of God

In olden days, kings would sometimes set up a monument in a conquered land saying, “this is

my image/likeness”. The monument didn’t necessarily look like the king – so what do you think

the point was in leaving it there?

It was a physical reminder to the nation that even though the king wasn’t visibly present, he still

ruled in that land. Every time the people passed the monument, they would be reminded of that

fact and be motivated to live accordingly under his rule.

People will often refer to personality traits or other characteristics to explain the image concept.

While these are somewhat valid, it would be better to have them look at the context of the

Genesis passage.

God is looking for someone who can rule the earth on his behalf and to care for this creation

in a manner reflective of his holy and creative character. As people who are made in the image

of God, we are God’s visible representatives on earth. Instead of merely creating a stone

monument, God created a living, walking, talking image to represent him. Every time we look

at another person we are to be reminded that God exists and rules over creation.

B. Fallen

We have rejected his rule ie Roman 1; Gen 3

So we don’t reflect him

That image however is now restored in believers

but it’s a slow process of transformation for it to show in us

This then is why we need patience and kindness

II. Sets Aside Self (vs 4b-5)

This understanding should lead us to set aside our self

This doesn’t mean that we don’t care about ourselves at all

“Love your neighbor as yourself”

Ephesians 5:28–29 ESV

In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church,

However, love according to God chooses to put aside our comfort, wants and desires to love others

Neither building ourselves up to put others down vs 4b

Nor seeking to knocking others down vs 5

Either way it’s pride

Rather we are called to humility

not, not knowing what we are good at and being confident in that but is rather not using them for our glory but rather God’s and for the benefit of others

And really humility is about seeing God as the ultimate authority and his purposes greater than ours

III. Rejoices in True Truth (vs 6)

A. Absolute Truth

Unrighteousness: failure to adhere to moral principles, commands or laws

laws, commands are God’s picture of what it means to be truly human

Rom 1 - suppress the truth by their unrighteousness

-worshipped created things

-therefore God gave them over to their choice of sin

In other words, we have all chosen our own way apart from God

It is a false life, according to how God has established things

Love cannot find joy in this -

In fact, it should really break our hearts, as it does God, that people are missing God’s life and being truly human.

B. Authenticity and Integrity

-no falsehood

truth: conformity to reality or actuality, often with the implication of dependability

We often think of this as a list of statements

so paired together with unrighteousness

It is really not living a false life

true love rejoices when this is reality

true love rejoices in lives redeemed and tranformed into God’s ways

true love seeks to help others find and live that life in Christ

IV. Doesn’t Give Up and Walk Away (vs 7)

This all describes God’s love towards us as human beings and particularly as believers and followers of Christ

Elevation worship - Why?

“Why you love me like you love me I’ll never know.”

“You’re love doesn’t look like Hollywood, You don’t walk out when it’s over.”

“You’re not the kind to cut and run.”

Ie. the story of Israel,

Daniel - God as faithful king in the midst of exile - never leaves Israel - working through Daniel

Paul points out this is the same love we are to have

For each other

Colossians 3:12–14 ESV

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

For our enemies

Luke 6:27–31 NASB95

“But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. “Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. “Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back. “Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.

If someone mistreats/hates us - don’t walk away

This is not about just putting ourselves out for continual abuse but rather to not be easily pushed away by others disrespect and dishonoring

In fact Jesus says, a glass of water to a thirsty enemy will bring God’s love into the equation

All this because God has not written us off

If we aren’t to write off our enemies, we aren’t to write off anyone

Those who don’t agree, those who don’t live like we do, those who are disenfrachised

We are to believe that Christ and His love through us can redeem and change anyone.

Conclusion