Bible Study 1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Introduction

Our last time together we discussed spiritual gifts. That they are just that, gifts. Meaning that we should not become prideful because our gifts are not of us, but given to us by the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, we discovered that there are no gifts more important than the other. All are needed to see out the work of the Lord in the local church.

Moreover, we do not all have the same gifts for good reason, there are many gifts needed to accomplish His will. And we discover that when someone is not engaged in the church as one should the church suffers for lack of the gift being manifest to meet the needs of the body of Christ.

In that vain tonight we discover the greatest gift offered in the Lord.

The Most excellent quality of life: Love, not gifts

Turn in your Bibles tonight to 1 Corinthians 13.

1 Corinthians 13:1–13 NKJV

1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. 4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. 13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

I song that I have heard in my life time is “What the World Needs Now is Love Sweet Love”, written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, composer and song writer. Jackie Deshannon sang in 1965 and I was only three years old at that time. It was Dione Warwick that made the song popular.

What the World Needs Now

What the world needs now Is love, sweet love It's the only thing that there's just too little of What the world needs now Is love, sweet love No, not just for some, but for everyone Look, we don't need another mountain There are oceans and rivers Enough to cross, enough to last Until the end of time What the world needs now Is love, sweet love It's the only thing that there's just too little of What the world needs now Is love, sweet love No, not just for some, but for everyone

Oh dear church, that song will preach because as we look at verse 13:

1 Corinthians 13:13 “13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

The First & Second Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians (King James Version) D. The Most Excellent Quality of Life: Love, Not Gifts, 13:1–13

there is no question, what the world needs more than anything else is love. If people loved each other, really loved each other, there would be no more war, crime, abuse, injustice, poverty, hunger, starvation, homelessness, deprivation, or immorality. Love is the one ingredient that could revolutionize society. Love is the greatest quality of human life. Love is the supreme quality, the most excellent way for a man to live.

We want to talk tonight about a greater gift offered in Jesus Christ over any other gift you bestow.

1. The Great Importance of Love (vv. 1-3)

1 Corinthians 13:1–3 “1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.”

How many remember our Easter study Sunday night with J.D. Graer?

We were confronted with the question: do You love Jesus for...& you fill in that requirement OR do you love Jesus regardless?

Let’s reverse tonight that thought and understand that the gifts we receive are for an end purpose. Our gifts are not for us and us alone, but to be used as an agent of God’s love.

Love is our greatest gift.

Our greatest contribution in this life is to both posess and share the love of Christ in us with each other.

Firstly Paul states that we can have a great gift of exhortation, gifts of speaking with eloquence, but if it is not bathed in love that is comes across as a “clanging symbol or sounding brass.” For any of you that have been around the band room of new students, a cymbal that is not muffled correctly or a new trumpet player or baritone that has not played long or they are not warmed up their mouthpiece can have horrid sounds. They are not pleasant to the ear.

You have heard the statement, “they do not care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

Ill. Baptizing my Uncle Gene this Sunday at 10:15 am at Heritage Baptist Church. Tell story of Kenneth Loomis & Terry Wilson.

If we exercise gifts of exhortation and what do I mean by that, if you do what I do and preach, you are a Sunday School teacher, if you do devotions via social media or texting, but if you do not love, it will not have meaning, but moreover it will be meaningless.

What is the particular real danger Paul is addressing here. Realize they have had some pride issues over gifts. We can only assume they became a little pious or arrogant as their gifts caused them to rank higher in the church. Oh listen, if we ever come across as we are better, our ministries will fail.

Paul continues and writes:

gifts of prophecy, knowledge, faith, “so that I could move mountains”-”but have not love, I am nothing.”

gifts of evangelism, you may have a way of sharing your faith, you may have a way of stirring the soul of people, but if you want it to have a lasting affect, show love, real love.

Faith for the Curious-revealed a manner of reaching people that was interactive and love motivated. Many times in our past we are we oriented and task oriented to giving this presentation and not allowing time to build relationship.

Have you ever really noticed the Great Commission:

Matthew 28:19–20 NKJV

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

It does not say to make salvation.

Giving without Love profits nothing.

Believe it or not, there can be dangers to our giving:

The First & Second Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians (King James Version) D. The Most Excellent Quality of Life: Love, Not Gifts, 13:1–13

→ giving out of duty

→ giving with contempt because one is forced to give

→ giving with an air of superiority because one has and the needy do not have

→ giving with a rebuke because one feels the needy are just irresponsible and ought to make their own way in life

→ giving unsacrificially

Sacrificial deeds without love are fruitless.

Can you think of a time when something done “in the name of God” lacked love?

Ill. Street Preacher at the National Championship Auburn Vs. Oregon in Phoenix, AZ

Why do you think love is more important than even faith and sacrifice?

2. The Great Acts of Love (vv. 4-7)

1 Corinthians 13:4–7 “4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

These verses were shared at our wedding. These words were reflected upon in our time of marital counseling. And, rightfully so. When any two individuals come together to live together and they come from different, but even similar backgrounds they will discover where they are different. And some issues will have to be worked with.

Ill. Two best friends in high school invariably will have struggles initially living together as roommates off at college. Different habits, different definitions of clean, parents always put their dishes away or made their bed or hung up their towels, the toilet paper is turned over/under.

Love:

suffers long-be patient with people

Have people read:

Proverbs 10:12 “12 Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins.”

Proverbs 17:9 “9 He who covers a transgression seeks love, But he who repeats a matter separates friends.”

1 Thessalonians 5:14 “14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all.”

kind

Ephesians 4:32 “32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”

Do you have a short memory?

does not envy

Galatians 5:26 “26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”

Are you truly happy for others in their success or do you find you are competing with them?

does not parade itself

You do not flaunt your successes? Are you guilty of flaunting your blessings in front of others? We are not brag, or be boastful or seek recognition or honor, or the applause of others. On the contrary love seeks to give recognition, give applause, give honor and applaud others.

Romans 12:3 “3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.”

Philippians 2:3 “3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.”

not puffed up-not acting conceited, prideful, arrogant. Love is modest and humble and recognizes and honors others.

Matthew 18:4 “4 Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

Luke 14:10 “10 But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you.”

1 Peter 5:5 “5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.””

does not behave rudely

doe snot seek its own

is not provoked

thinks no evil.

I believe you get it. People that love act different than the world.

Love does not rejoice in iniquity

-Are you the first one to tell someone’s failure? Are you one that gets excited in someone else’s downfall?

Listen, love does not get excited about another person's downfall.

Matthew 7:3 “3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?”

Romans 15:1 “1 We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves.”

Galatians 6:1 “1 Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.”

3. The Great Permanence of Love (vv. 8-12)

1 Corinthians 13:8–12 “8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.”

The First & Second Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians (King James Version) D. The Most Excellent Quality of Life: Love, Not Gifts, 13:1–13

Love never fails, never ceases, and never vanishes. Love endures and lasts forever. But not so with spiritual gifts: the spiritual gifts shall cease to be and shall vanish. When? When we stand in eternity before God. Spiritual gifts are only temporary; they are not permanent; therefore, they are far inferior to love. Spiritual gifts are only temporary tools for us to use in reaching and ministering to a lost and needy world.

Spiritual gifts are temporary, love is eternal.

b. Love is perfect and complete. We know nothing perfectly, and we can proclaim and predict the truth only with partial certainty. No person knows all the truth. However, a day of perfection is coming, and when it comes, only that which is perfect will stand and endure.

The point is this: love is perfect; therefore, love shall endure and be the primary trait between believers in eternity. Therefore, love is far superior to the gifts.

You may not know complete truth as it comes to sharing with someone but love is an universal language. Love speaks volumes.

c. Love is mature—maturity of behavior. While on earth, all that man is and possesses—his abilities, knowledge, and being—all are as a child. Man is just immature and imperfect, no matter what area of his life is being considered. However, the day of maturity is coming, the day when he shall set aside all the childhood understanding and thoughts and become a mature man, a perfected man. When will that day come? It will come when love is perfected between God and man and between man and man. Love is the great gift and quality existing upon earth today that shall endure throughout eternity; therefore, love is far superior to the gifts and abilities of men.

d. Love is being face-to-face with God—a perfect consciousness and knowledge of God. Our present relationship with the Lord is comparable to the reflection we see through a dark mirror. We can faintly see the figure, but it is not fully distinct nor clear. Therefore, we only see God and the truth in part and we only know God and the truth in part. However, the day is coming when we shall know God even as He knows us—perfectly.

→ When is that day coming? The day love is perfected between God and man.

→ What will bring the day about? Love—God’s perfect love for man.

It is love that will be perfected and that will bring the day of perfection to reality for man. It is love that will bring us into a face to face relationship with God and into a perfect knowledge of truth. Therefore, love is far superior to the spiritual gifts.

Leadership Ministries Worldwide, The First & Second Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians, The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible (Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 1996), 167.

4. The Great Supremacy of Love (v. 13)

Faith and hope are great qualities, but the greatest is love.

6 reasons love is superior.

Faith focuses on the revelation of God. Love focuses on God Himself.

Hope focuses on being eternally with God. Love focuses on God Himself.

Love-does not originate in the nature of man, but in the nature of God.

True love is a gift of God. A man or woman can only know true love as they know God.

Faith and hope grow people, but love reaches and grows people far more than any other gift or quality

The First & Second Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians (King James Version) D. The Most Excellent Quality of Life: Love, Not Gifts, 13:1–13

A person can believe in God, yet feel he is above others. He can act prideful, arrogant, and superspiritual. He may hope for an eternity to be with God and with other believers, yet he can be cold and distant. But love—true love—has no weaknesses or dangers. Love never fails, never comes short. But remember: love is not indulgence and license. Love involves control and discipline as well as care and giving, selflessness and sacrifice.

Spiritual gifts are like scaffolding around a building. Love is the building that remains.

How does seeing love as eternal change the way you prioritize it?