Love in Action

Announcements:

Reminder of Wednesday schedule starting on Wednesday this week.

Pastor Jordan will talk about youth starting on Wednesday.

Worship:

I Know A Name

2. Mighty Name of Jesus

3. I Speak Jesus

Introduction:

The English language does little to help us understand the word “love”. While the Greek language has many different words for the word “love”, the English language does not.

For instance, I love pizza and lasagna. I also love football and my wife and kids. I love Jesus Christ and our church. I don’t love my wife like I love pizza or football. And I hope no one else can say that either this morning lol.

Today we will be in 1 Cor 13 and then Pastor Jordan and I will do an informal message on what “Love in Action” looks like in its various forms.

Let’s read our passage for this morning:

1 Corinthians 12:31–13:13 CSB

31 But desire the greater gifts. And I will show you an even better way. 1 If I speak human or angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I give away all my possessions, and if I give over my body in order to boast but do not have love, I gain nothing. 4 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. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will come to an end. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put aside childish things. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, as I am fully known. 13 Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love—but the greatest of these is love.

Body:

I Cor 12 talks about spiritual gifts and how there are many members of the body. It is interesting to note in verse 31, Paul tells us to desire the greater gifts and this is how to do it. In 1 Cor 13, he goes through some of the spiritual gifts (vv. 1-3) and says if he doesn’t have love, it doesn’t matter! He then defines what love is (vv. 4-8a).

In “The Four Loves” by C.S. Lewis

The Four Loves terms that C.S. Lewis explored are not named specifically as such in Scripture (eros and storge). But all through God’s Word we can find people who demonstrated each of them. [Like rapture isn’t in the Bible but the action is (1 Thessalonians 4:17)]

In The Four Loves, C.S. Lewis explores the nature of love. He starts with the Biblical truth that God is love, and sets out to see how our lives can reflect the different aspects of that. In his book, Lewis wrote: “Affection is responsible for nine-tenths of whatever solid and durable happiness there is in our natural lives.”

He also talks of a maturing process we will ideally go through.

First, we make the choice to show love, especially storge and phileo, to others. As we do, our hearts will align more closely with God’s.

As we become more giving in our spirits over time, more of the selfless agape love will naturally pour out of us. And that will lead to blessings for others, and for us. It is a wonderful cycle that can change the world for the better.

Types of love: Agape: giving love with nothing expected in return (Jesus reminded His disciples over and over again that we are called to show this agape to God and to other people, whether they are friends or enemies in Matt 22:37-39 & Matt 5:43-46)

Examples:

Between God and us (John 3:16; Romans 8:38-39- nothing will separate us)

Between us and the Lord Jesus (John 13:34-35 - love one another; they will know you are my disciples)

Between us and others (1 John 3:16 - he laid down his life and we should do the same)

Phileo (Philadelphia): reciprocal (same tastes, hobbies, etc.), fondness, respect, love for friends (no sexual emotion) Romans 12:10; Hebrews 13:1 - let brotherly love continue

Examples:

David and Jonathan (1 Sam 18)

Paul and Timothy (Acts 16:1-3; Acts 17:14-15)

Eros (erotic): sexual [in marriage SS 6:3] and, out of marriage, self-centered; lust [to flee outside if marriage 1 Cor 6:18-20]

Examples:

Part of the father’s instruction to his son in Prov 5:18-20 - take pleasure in the wife of your youth The King and his bride in Song of Solomon 6:3 - I am my love and he is mine

Storge (stor gay): love for family members (parent and child) Ex 20:12 - honor your father and mother Examples:

Noah and his family (Gen 6-9)

The siblings Mary, Martha and Lazarus of Bethany (Luke 10; John 11)

Love in Worship I.    The Importance of Love (13:1–3) A.   The gift of tongues is useless without it (13:1). B.   The gift of prophecy is useless without it (13:2a). C.   The gift of knowledge is useless without it (13:2b). D.   The gift of faith is useless without it (13:2c).

Matthew 17:20 CSB

“Because of your little faith,” he told them. “For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

If we don’t have love, we would move the mountain out of our way and into someone else’s.

E.   The gift of giving is useless without it (13:3).

It doesn’t matter what gift you have, it is useless without love!

Love in Serving II.   The Impeccability (highest standard) of Love (13:4–7) A.   In relation to saints (13:4a): It is patient and kind, not jealous. B.   In relation to self (13:4b–5a): It is not boastful, proud, or rude, and it never seeks its own way. C.   In relation to sin (13:5b–6): It is not irritable, nor does it keep a record of wrongs; it is never glad about injustice or unrighteousness but rejoices with the truth. D.   In relation to situations (13:7): It never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

This is what love looks like in these four areas!

Love in Leading III.  The Indestructibility of Love (13:8–12) A.   Unlike the other gifts, love is permanent (13:8). 1.   Prophecy will cease (13:8a). 2.   Tongues will cease (13:8b). 3.   Knowledge will cease (13:8c). B.   Unlike other gifts, love is complete (13:9–12): Paul offers two illustrations. 1.   The child/adult illustration (13:9–11) a.   The gifts, if used without love, may be likened to the attitudes and actions of an immature child (13:9–11a). b.   Love may be likened to the attitudes and actions of a mature adult (13:11b). 2.   The mirror/face-to-face illustration (13:12) a.   In the present, through the gifts, we see but a mirror-like reflection of God (13:12a). b.   In the future, through love, we will see God face-to-face (13:12b).

Love is permanent and helps with leading others as God has called us to do! We cannot effectively lead without love!

IV.  The Invincibility of Love (13:13) A.   Faith and hope are among God’s greatest gifts (13:13a). B.   Love is God’s greatest gift (13:13b).

Love is the greatest gift we all can and should have and in 1 Corinthians 14:1 he again tells us to pursue love first!

Conclusion:

What do they mean to our lives today?—we need to go back to the basics. 

God is love (1 John 4:8) and sets the standard for love. That means we can’t love others well until we truly embrace His love for us and learn to express our love for Him. His love is the glue that holds every relationship—every opportunity to demonstrate love—together.

God loved to the fullest (John 3:16). He made the greatest sacrifice imaginable so we could have a relationship with Him. That kind of love goes beyond any human measure, but it’s a love we’re called to imitate all the same.

So, as you think about the four loves in the Bible, focus on the true Author of love. Let Him teach you how to love Him and how to love others well.