The Love Chapter

PRAY

We’re coming off of Valentine’s Day this past weekend…

So it’s fitting that we are studying the love chapter tonight! Even though you have probably heard verses from 1 Cor 13 at every wedding you have been to, it’s no actually about romantic love! (Although these principles should certainly be applied in that area of your life!)

Remember that Paul has been addressing things causing division in the church in Corinth. This talk about love is included in the larger narrative about that, specifically as it relates to spiritual gifts. So what Paul describes isn’t romantic love, but just love for others in general! The way Christians are supposed to treat others. And Paul makes a big deal about love. YUGE! Let’s read.

1 Cor 13

Everything God’s people do is to be done in love.

Love is the most important

No matter what we do, if we don’t do it in love, it is empty!

Without love, our actions area empty. No true effect. This reminds me of a story I heard on a podcast once…

Youth Group Chronicles story about the pastor using a muzzle loader and kid playing dead

The gun had no bullets, so even though it made a lot of noise, it was really empty of making a lasting effect.

These amazing gifts, that Paul just said to desire, he now says are worthless without love.

walk through 1-3

Why is love so important?

1 John 4:7–11 ESV

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

So all that we do should be motivated by love! Following the example given to us by God in Jesus!

So what is motivating you? Paul is saying this to the Corinthians because it seems several of them were motivated by ambition, by pride, by power, by popularity. Not by love. Not by seeking to serve and care for and minister to others.

But we must be driven by love! So what does that look like?

What is Love?

(Lady don’t hurt me)

Paul basically says that love thinks first of others, even at risk to yourself.

If you were to ask Kristen should would tell you that these verses basically describe me. Kristen, am I ever irritable or resentful?

walk through 4-7

This reminds me of something else Paul wrote, I think it’s a good summary of what Paul says here…

Philippians 2:3 ESV

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

He says this telling us to love like Jesus! The reason he says this is because the only way we can live this way is through Jesus! And even then… I think I have disobeyed most of this today!

But we need to look at this list and ask if this describes our relationships with others. Maybe there are some difficult relationships we have that we need to think specifically about if we behave this way. Maybe your parents or siblings.

You need to live this way Christian! You need to get used to it, because!

Love is eternal

Heaven will be filled with love forever! These other spiritual gifts that Paul talked about will go away one day, but love will never. These other gifts are for a different time. They won’t be necessary in Heaven.

My mom started wearing glasses when she was a little girl. She’s had them for around 50 years. A couple weeks ago she had cataracts surgery. It gave her perfect 20/20 vision. She doesn’t need to wear those glasses anymore. Her blurry vision was made clear, so her glasses can be done away with!

These other gifts serve to help make things clearer for the church, for Christians. But a day is coming when we won’t need them anymore because it will all be clear, right in front of us!

So these verses are the source of a lot of debate! There are a lot of different opinions about what Paul is saying here. Dividing lines for different denominations of Christianity even!..

walk through 8-13.

Perfect love is found only in Christ. Love that is everything listed in this chapter. He made the greatest sacrifice for his people so that all who believe in Him could be saved…