Known by Love (Part 2)

Jesus & Paul • Sermon • Submitted 8 days ago • Presented 11 days ago

0 ratings

· 1 view

Jesus says love identifies His disciples. Paul expands this defining mark into a full vision of Christian maturity, showing that without love, even faith and gifts fall short.

Notes

Transcript

Love: The Measure of Christian Maturity (Part 2)

Texts: John 13:34–35; 1 Corinthians 13

0. Re-Entry Opening (60–90 seconds)

Bridge line to re-gather the room:

“Last week we laid the foundation. Today we build the formation.”

“Jesus tells us what marks disciples. Paul tells us what makes disciples mature.”

Simple setup:

“If love is the identifying mark, then Paul asks: what does mature love actually look like—and how does it grow in us?”

I. RECAP (Point 1) — Jesus: Love Identifies His Disciples

John 13:34–35 NLT

34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

Recap in 3 movements:

Jesus gives the mark: “By this everyone will know…”

Jesus raises the standard: “As I have loved you”

Love isn’t invisible: it becomes the public evidence of discipleship

Recap line:

“Jesus doesn’t say the world will know us by our opinions—He says they’ll know us by our love.”

Transition:

“But if Jesus gives the command, we still need the shape. What does that love become over time?”

II. RECAP (Point 2) — Paul: Jesus’ Command Becomes a Vision of Maturity

Thesis recap:

Jesus gives the destination (love as the mark)

Paul maps the terrain (love as maturity)

Recap line:

“Paul isn’t correcting Jesus—he’s applying Jesus to real churches, real conflicts, and real people.”

Slight shift for Part 2 (important): Last week was identity (“love identifies disciples”). This week is evaluation (“love reveals maturity”).

Pivot sentence:

“Today Paul is going to evaluate everything we brag about—gifts, knowledge, sacrifice—and ask one question: Is it producing love?”

III. Paul’s Central Claim: Love Is the Measure of Everything

1 Corinthians 13:1–3 NLT

1 If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. 3 If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.

A. Paul’s shocking argument: impressive can still be immature

Paul lists the things people naturally admire:

Powerful speech (“languages of earth and angels”)

Deep knowledge (“secret plans… all knowledge”)

Mountain-moving faith

Radical sacrifice (generosity + suffering)

Then Paul drops the verdict:

Without love: noise (v.1)

Without love: nothing (v.2)

Without love: no gain (v.3)

Key line:

“Without love… I am nothing.”

Pastoral application line:

“You can be spiritually gifted and still emotionally immature.”

B. Supporting Scripture: faith’s true expression

Galatians 5:6 NLT

6 For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love.

“What is important is faith expressing itself in love.”

Tie-in explanation (tight, cohesive):

Paul is doubling down: religious markers don’t prove maturity

The proof is love-shaped faith

One-liner:

“Faith that never turns into love is faith that never matured.”

C. Supporting Scripture: stability vs childish instability

Ephesians 4:13–15 NLT

13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. 15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.

Structure it like this:

The Goal: “mature in the Lord… the full and complete standard of Christ” (v.13)

The Problem: “tossed and blown about” (v.14)

The Path: “speak the truth in love… growing… like Christ” (v.15)

Cultural connection (what you already wrote):

“Our world is constantly ‘tossed’—trend to trend, outrage to outrage, movement to movement.”

“Paul says maturity isn’t found in the latest wave—it’s found in truth anchored by love.”

D. Resolution verse: love is the bond that holds maturity together

Colossians 3:14 NLT

14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.

“Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together…”

Preaching image:

Love is not one virtue among many

Love is the thread that ties all virtues into one life

Transition:

“Now Paul moves from evaluation (what matters most) to definition (what mature love looks like).”

IV. Paul Defines What Mature Love Actually Looks Like

1 Corinthians 13:4–7 NLT

4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

A. Clarify the text (say it plainly)

Not a wedding poem

A spiritual maturity diagnostic

Diagnostic setup line:

“This isn’t describing a personality. It’s describing Christ formed in a person.”

B. Give the congregation handles: love has a shape

You can structure verses 4–7 into 3 categories:

1) Love’s posture (internal):

Patient

Kind

Not jealous / not proud

2) Love’s restraint (reactive):

Not rude

Not demanding its own way

Not irritable

Keeps no record of wrongs

3) Love’s loyalty (endurance):

Rejoices with truth

Never gives up

Endures through every circumstance

Punch line:

“Most of love is restraint. That’s why love is a maturity issue.”

C. Supporting Scripture: the mindset behind love

Philippians 2:1–5 NLT

1 Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? 2 Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. 3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. 5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

Love grows where humility grows

Unity comes from shared mind, not shared preference

Tight link:

“1 Corinthians 13 tells us what love looks like. Philippians 2 tells us what love thinks like—the mind of Christ.”

D. Supporting Scripture: love must be genuine and honoring

Romans 12:9–10 NLT

9 Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. 10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.

“Don’t pretend” → authenticity

“Take delight in honoring” → preference reversal

One-liner:

“Mature love doesn’t just avoid harm—it actively honors.”

E. Supporting Scripture: growing love strengthens holiness

1 Thessalonians 3:12–13 NLT

12 And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows. 13 May he, as a result, make your hearts strong, blameless, and holy as you stand before God our Father when our Lord Jesus comes again with all his holy people. Amen.

Love “grow and overflow”

Results: hearts made strong, blameless, holy

Strong summary:

“According to Paul, love growth is holiness growth.”

Transition:

“Now Paul lifts their eyes again: why is love this important? Because love is the only thing that lasts forever.”

V. Love as the Goal of All Spiritual Growth

1 Corinthians 13:8–13 NLT

8 Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! 9 Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! 10 But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless. 11 When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. 12 Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. 13 Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

A. Define “eschatological” (conversational)

“Eschatological means evaluating today by what will still matter when God’s work is complete.”

B. What lasts vs what passes (vv. 8–10)

Gifts are temporary

Knowledge is partial

Love endures

Memorable line:

“Gifts serve the journey. Love survives the destination.”

C. Maturity is moving from partial to formed (v. 11)

Childishness = incomplete formation

Maturity = love shaped into Christlikeness

Supporting Scripture: 1 Timothy 1:5

1 Timothy 1:5 NLT

5 The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith.

“The aim… is love…”

Bridge line:

“Paul isn’t asking how much you know—he’s asking what kind of person your faith is forming.”

D. Love is formed by the Spirit, not manufactured (v. 12)

Romans 5:5

Spirit pours love into the heart

One-liner:

“Love isn’t willpower. Love is Spirit-power.”

E. The direction is Christlikeness (v. 13)

2 Corinthians 3:18 NLT

18 So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.

“more and more like Him”

Landing line:

“The most mature person in the room is not the most gifted—it’s the most like Jesus.”