The Pathway of Love
Love is the Theme • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Text: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13
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.
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.
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.
ETS: The Apostle Paul discusses the need for real love in the believer’s life.
ESS: Walking in the pathway of real love is an absolute necessity for each and every believer in Jesus Christ.
OSS: Believers will repent of not walking in the pathway of real love.
PQ: What must I do in order to walk in the pathway of real love?
UW: steps
INTRODUCTION:
I. I MUST RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF WALKING IN TRUE LOVE (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).
I. I MUST RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF WALKING IN TRUE LOVE (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).
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. Without love, talk becomes empty. (1 Corinthians 13:1).
A. Without love, talk becomes empty. (1 Corinthians 13:1).
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.
1 Corinthians 13:1 (SBLGNT) Ἐὰν ταῖς γλώσσαις τῶν ἀνθρώπων λαλῶ καὶ τῶν ἀγγέλων, ἀγάπην δὲ μὴ ἔχω, γέγονα χαλκὸς ἠχῶν ἢ κύμβαλον ἀλαλάζον.
1. What kind of talk?
a. Worldly talk (Men)
b. Heavenly talk (Angels)
2. The analogy:
a. “Sounding brass”= χαλκὸς ἠχῶν= echoing brass (like a gong)
b. “Clanging cymbal” = κυμβαλον ἀλαλαζον = a cymbal, (a hollow basin of brass, producing when struck together a musical sound)
B. Without love, life becomes worthless. (1 Corinthians 13:2).
B. Without love, life becomes worthless. (1 Corinthians 13:2).
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.
1 Corinthians 13:2 (SBLGNT) “καὶ ἐὰν ἔχω προφητείαν καὶ εἰδῶ τὰ μυστήρια πάντα καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γνῶσιν, καὶ ἐὰν ἔχω πᾶσαν τὴν πίστιν ὥστε ὄρη μεθιστάναι, ἀγάπην δὲ μὴ ἔχω, οὐθέν εἰμι.”
1. Great ability or giftedness does not produce a worthwhile life.
a. Note the giftedness discussed:
1) Prophecy: the ability to communicate the message of God.
2) Understanding of great mysteries
3) Great knowledge (knowing all things)
(1 Cor. 8:1)
Now regarding your question about food that has been offered to idols. Yes, we know that “we all have knowledge” about this issue. But while knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church.
4) Ultimate faith
b. Note the verdict:
1) “οὐθέν εἰμι.”= “I am (already) nothing”
C. Without love, good works avail nothing (1 Cor. 13:3)
C. Without love, good works avail nothing (1 Cor. 13:3)
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.
(1 Corinthians 13: 3). καὶ ἐὰν ψωμίσω πάντα τὰ ὑπάρχοντά μου, καὶ ἐὰν παραδῶ τὸ σῶμά μου, ἵνα καυθήσομαι, ἀγάπην δὲ μὴ ἔχω, οὐδὲν ὠφελοῦμαι.
1. Self-sacrifice, by itself accomplishes nothing.
a. Notice the self sacrificial acts discussed:
1) Expending all possessions to feed the poor.
2) Sacrifice of own life for religion
II. I MUST REMEMBER THE CHARACTERISTICS OF REAL LOVE (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).
II. I MUST REMEMBER THE CHARACTERISTICS OF REAL LOVE (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).
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.
8 Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever!
4 Ἡ ἀγάπη μακροθυμεῖ, χρηστεύεται ἡ ἀγάπη, οὐ ζηλοῖ ⸂ἡ ἀγάπη⸃, οὐ περπερεύεται, οὐ φυσιοῦται,
5 οὐκ ἀσχημονεῖ, οὐ ζητεῖ τὰ ἑαυτῆς, οὐ παροξύνεται, οὐ λογίζεται τὸ κακόν,
6 οὐ χαίρει ἐπὶ τῇ ἀδικίᾳ, συγχαίρει δὲ τῇ ἀληθείᾳ·
7 πάντα στέγει, πάντα πιστεύει, πάντα ἐλπίζει, πάντα ὑπομένει.
8 Ἡ ἀγάπη οὐδέποτε ⸀πίπτει. εἴτε δὲ προφητεῖαι, καταργηθήσονται· εἴτε γλῶσσαι, παύσονται· εἴτε γνῶσις, καταργηθήσεται. (1 Corinthians 13:4–8, SBLGNT)
A. I must seek to live out the positive characteristics of love. (1 Corinthians 13:4,7)
A. I must seek to live out the positive characteristics of love. (1 Corinthians 13:4,7)
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud
Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
1. PATIENT (μακροθυμεῖ) (1 Cor. 13:4)
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud
2. KIND ( χρηστεύεται ) (1 Cor. 13:4)
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud
3. HOPEFUL (ἐλπίζει,) (1 Cor. 13:7)
Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
4. BELIEVES (πάντα πιστεύει) (1 Cor. 13:7)
Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
5. PERSEVERES (πάντα στέγει) (1 Cor. 13:7)
Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
6. ENDURES (πάντα ὑπομένει) (1 Cor. 13:7)
Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
7. Eternal (1 Cor. 13:8)
Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever!
B. I must seek to avoid the negative characteristics of love. (1 Corinthians 13:4-6)
B. I must seek to avoid the negative characteristics of love. (1 Corinthians 13:4-6)
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.
1. NOT ENVIOUS [ οὐ ζηλοῖ ] (1 Cor. 13:4)
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud
2. NOT SELF-CENTERED [οὐ περπερεύεται] (1 Cor. 13:4)
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud
3. NOT CONCEITED [οὐ φυσιοῦται,] (1 Cor. 13:4)
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud
4. NOT RUDE [οὐκ ἀσχημονεῖ] (1 Cor. 13:5)
or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.
5. NOT SELFISH [οὐ ζητεῖ τὰ ἑαυτῆς] (1 Cor. 13:5)
or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.
6. NOT QUICK TEMPERED [οὐ παροξύνεται] (1 Cor. 13:5)
or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.
7. NOT SUSPICIOUS [οὐ λογίζεται τὸ κακόν] (1 Cor. 13:5)
or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.
8. DOES NOT GIVE AFFIRMATION TO EVIL (1 Cor. 13:6)
It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.
III. I MUST SEEK TO GROW TOWARD MATURITY IN THE PRACTICE OF LOVE. (1 Corinthians 13:9-13)
III. I MUST SEEK TO GROW TOWARD MATURITY IN THE PRACTICE OF LOVE. (1 Corinthians 13:9-13)
(FOCUS ON 1 Corinthians 13:11).
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.
ὅτε ἤμην νήπιος, ἐλάλουν ὡς νήπιος, ἐφρόνουν ὡς νήπιος, ἐλογιζόμην ὡς νήπιος· ὅτε γέγονα ἀνήρ, κατήργηκα τὰ τοῦ νηπίου.
A. If I am to have a maturing love, I must recognize the problems of emotional and spiritual immaturity. (1 Cor. 13:11)
A. If I am to have a maturing love, I must recognize the problems of emotional and spiritual immaturity. (1 Cor. 13:11)
When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.
1. Speaking (ἐλαλουν) like a child( νηπιος)
a. How does a child speak?
1) He says whatever comes to mind.
2) He is the center of his conversations.
2. Thinking ( ἐφρόνουν = to feel, to think) like a child.
a. What does a child think about?
1) What he wants.
2) How to get what he wants.
3. Reasoning (ἐλογιζόμην) = to reckon or account, to reason) like a child.
a. How does a child reason things out?
1) Simple Cause-Effect Reasoning:
a) If I cry loud enough I will get what I want.
2) Simple feelings-Based Morality:
a) If it makes me feel good- It is good; If it does not, it is not.
3) Simple Selfish Desire Fulfillment:
a) I will only play with you if you do what I want.
B. If I am to have a maturing love, I must repent of following the path of immaturity. (1 Cor. 13:11)
B. If I am to have a maturing love, I must repent of following the path of immaturity. (1 Cor. 13:11)
When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.
1. Accept the fact that I am no longer to behave in childish ways.
a. Behaving in childishly has devastating consequences:
1) It destroys relationships.
2) It disrupts spiritual effectiveness.
2. Turn away from childishness and behave in a mature fashion.
(1 Cor. 14:20).
20 Dear brothers and sisters, don’t be childish in your understanding of these things. Be innocent as babies when it comes to evil, but be mature in understanding matters of this kind.
(1 Cor. 3:1-2)
1 Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in Christ.
2 I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready,
CONCLUSION:
