1 Corinthians 13

MAP

Mr X: How would rate Grace Church on the spiritual scale?

Jesus: Love!

Joel: Pursue love

PREAMBLE

INTRODUCTION (Relevance Persuasion | Resonate)

How would you rate Grace Church on the spirit-filled scale?

(A) Google maps. One star - not Spirit-filled. five star - totally filled with the Spirit.

“won’t ask to show hands”.

Do rate us on google maps.

(L) The number you have in your head.. significant.

Not expecting all 5 stars. But you should want to be in a Spirit-filled church.

Regulars:

New comers:

How can we become a more Spirit-filled church?

(L) Of course, how you rate will depend on your definition of Spirit-filled.

(A) Singapore. University. CU. Two main CUs. Caricature: Word CU and Spirit CU.

Word CU - main focus on the bible. Understanding Jesus.

Spirit CU - main focus on worship. Emotions and expression.

Spirit CU “You need to be more Spiritual”

Word CU -> “We are very Spiritual. Word and Spirit hand in hand”

Both claim to be Spirit-filled..

you may be aware of this dichotomy. A word church vs a spirit church.

Who is right?

What does it mean to be a Spirit-filled church?

best thing. not speculate

Let’s see what God is saying

CONTEXT (Orientate | Situate)

Presenting issue last week: CC prided themselves as a Spiritual Church.

Issue runs from C12-14.

“I’m more spiritual. More Spiritual gift than you” Levelling up. MMORPG, accumulating skills.

lvl 6 - Tongues! Healing! Prophecy! Administrating!

Paul “Stop!!!” “All wrong!” “Wrong test!” “Not gifts but confession”

1 Corinthians 12:3 “Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.”

Filled with the Spirit: Confess and mean “ Jesus is LORD!”

(L) Today, goes one step further. More excellent way. “More Spirit-filled” 1 Corinthians 12:31 “I will show you a still more excellent way.”

Q: What does it mean to be a Spirit-filled church? Ans? Love. As simple as that. A church that Loves.

ARGUMENT (Texture | Unity | Coherence | Development)

WITHOUT LOVE, YOU ARE NOT SPIRITUAL (NOTHING) (v1-3)

1 Corinthians 12:31–13:3 “And I will show you a still more excellent way. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.”

notice tone?

Crescendo. More and more exaggerated. Hyperbole.

Even if you “level up” to max level. level 30 ultimate skill. Not love? Nothing. Not spirutal.

Tongues

Speak 59 languages. (A) Guinness work record. Hyper polyglot. 60th language - Angelic tongue -> No love? produce nothing. (A) Bang on Cajon.

(L) more!

Knowledge and faith

Amass all prophetic powers. Know all the theological books inside out. Strong faith to remove mountains. -> No love? You are nothing.

(A) eat big theological books for breakfast. Hugely spiritual!? NO!

Eat theological books for breakfast. Big Tome. “WAH so spiritual!” NO!

(L) more!

Ultimate sacrifice

Give everything up, presumably to others. Even your own body. But not done out of love? You gain nothing.

Give up your life! “So Spiritual! no!”

^-without love. You are nothing. Not Spiritual at all.

Aside: Tongues.

Last week - Andrew mentioned: Tongues = Human languages. Tongues are intelligible languages. can be understood.

(A) popular within Pentecostal movements: Tongues: unintelligible. cannot be understand.

Reason? v1. Tongue of angels.

While, I do have many friends who are Pentecostals and I sincerely believe are genuine Christians.

I’m not personally convinced. two reasons.

first, hyperbolic language. Not affirming something you can or should do.

Tone/sense - increasingly extreme. to understand ALL mysteries and knowledge (not really possible). remove mountains. (not really possible)

“Even if you can speak the language of Angels, (Not saying that you can) but even if!”

Second, history of the church just doesn’t seem to support it.

(A) Speaking in Tongues: A Critical Historical Examination, Volume 1

Tongues: always human languages.

Historical record -> “Tongues” early stages of the pentecostal movement. Thought is was Human languages. Sent missionaries overseas without language training. Only then realise that they were not understood.

So I’m personally not convinced. Modern phenomena is angel languages.

Not saying that whatever is done at pentecostal churches in necessarily a bad thing. But I don’t think it is speaking in tongues biblically.

You may have different view. That’s fine. Don’t want to be a stumbling issue. feel free to speak.

(Pause)

(L) whatever you view. doesn’t change Paul’s point. Without love, you are not Spiritual.

(L) Why is Paul so extreme? Why so exaggerated? Not immediately intuitive

(A) Spiritual equation: __Gifted___ = Spiritual

more gifted = more spiritual

Miracle = Spiritual

Tongues + Miracles = More spiritual

Tongues + Miracles + Amazing worship = more spiritual

Tongues + miracles + Amazing worship + Theological expertise = Super Spiritual

(A) Walk into church.

Wheelchair get up.

Swollen leg. healed.

Terminal cancer. Gone.

Spirit is really moving! right?

Paul says “no!” all of that.… -> nothing.

all of that, without love -> nothing.

But if there is love. Even without Tongues + Miracles = Spirit-filled.

Love = spiritual

^- Jesus also warns. Matt 7. “Lord Lord, prohesied. Mighty works in your name.” Super Spiritual. Jesus “I never knew you.”

V - reflect while preparing. Don’t perform miracles. But put lots of effort into preaching and teaching.

Let’s say, this is the world’s best sermon. Life-changing. Goes viral.

But at some level, not driven by love… it is nothing.

Without love, you are not Spiritual.

(L) What is love?

2. LOVE IS....

1 Corinthians 13:4–7 “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

famous words. wedding. furneral.

Slow down. Consider what each term means.

Love: the quality of warm regard for and interest in another. outward in nature. other centred.

Love is patient: to bear up under provocation without complaint, forebearing.

Think about… God is patient with us. Bearing with us. Sin. Doubt. Disregard. He loves us, so he is patient with us

Love is kind: Treat well.

Think about… God treats us well. Far better than we deserve

Love does not envy: to have intense negative feelings over another’s achievements or success

Think about… Paul gives up his rights for others. For others to do well.

Love does not boast: heap praise on oneself

Think about… Paul was never seeking the approval of man.

Love is not arrogant: cognitively thinking higher of yourself than you ought.

Love is not rude: acting in a disgraceful dishonorable manner

Love does not insist on own way: demanding my rights, my own way.

Think about… when you’ve done so.

Love is not irritable: not carried away by emotions of anger, or easily provoked

Think about… Jesus. not irritable with his disciples. those who were slow to get him.

Love is not resentful: does not keep a record of wrongdoing.

store up. bottle up anger.

Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but with the truth: Moral component to love. Love discerns what is right and wrong, and rejoices in the truth.

Not love is love.

Not affirming people in their wrong.

But to love is to not rejoice at evil. but celebrates when someone is in the truth

love appropriately applied to good and evil.

Love bears all things: bear with difficulties. endure all things.

Love believes all things: trusting in God in all times

Love hopes all things: placing hope in God in the fuure

Love endures all things: never gives up, never quits, never dies.

Love: the quality of warm regard for and interest in another. outward in nature. other centred.

V Pause think. Have you been loving? Is there a particular aspect of love to grow in?

person. church. familly. outsider.

personally: resentful. Bearing with others.

Reflect on what God has done.Jesus. Paul’s example. Learn to love.

(L) No surprise. Wedding. Furnerals. beautiful description… but also in the context.

^- Spirit-filled church? Not primarily about gifts… but Love. Does the church love? Do the people love one another?

It is a rebuke to the CC, because they were not loving.

(A) Love is patient… but you Tom are not.

Love is kind… but you ____ are not.

Love does not insist on own way… ___ remember the time when you..

It is a rebuke. This is not what they were like....

But it is to describe what

^- But so important. It is to describe what a Spirit-filled church is like… A church should love.

C12-14.

Pattern in Corinthians. centre portion. theological heart.

A spirit-filled church is a church that loves. And this is what love is...

(pause)

But why is love so important?

3. BECAUSE ONLY LOVE LASTS (v8-13)

1 Corinthians 13:8–13 “Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.

The thing about Spiritual gifts -> just for this age

Spiritual gifts remind us that we are not yet in the New Creation. Jesus is not yet back.

Think about it.

Prophecy - more next week. Some level, insight or predictive. NC -> No need!

Tongues - > NC. Different lang, judgment in Babel. Gen 11. NC -> no need

Knowledge -> NC -> all will be know.

Healing -> NC definitely out of job.

(L) to not understand that… mark of immaturity. Spiritual immaturity.

1 Corinthians 13:11–12 “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 gave up childish ways.

child appropriate things:

(A) A few new moms. lovely. Babies, stay alive. eat drink sleep. poo. Don’t expect to reason like an adult.

Grow up. No longer as dependent as a baby.

——>> need better explanation here.

Child - this age. Spiritual gifts.

Grown up - new age. No more spiritual gifts.

to think that you’ve grown up because you have lots of Spiritual gifts is to miss the point.

It is to reverse the order: Being a child = grown up. Grown up = being a child.

tongues, prophecy, miracles = in between activity.

do not love.. immature

(L) But not love. Love lasts.

1 Corinthians 13:12 “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.”

Description of us finally see God f2f. Final day. we will know him and he will know us.

Take it to mean - love will continue. between us to God. God to us. We will love him. He will love us.

Love lasts. It’s the greatest.

Faith will turn to sight

Hope will be realised

Love will continue and last.

SEE each other in the NC.

Oh how’s your this gift. or that gift. great insight in to personal life. prophetic. God is there.

How’s your chinese.… Oh wait. understand.

Love! still can love…

Q: Why love so important? Only love will last into the NC. Tongues, prophecy is an in beween activity.

MAIN POINT (Summarise | Wordsmith | 5 Syllable | Alliterate)

Q?: Spirit-filled church -> not gifts. Not languages. Not miracles… Love. Love one another.

REINFORCEMENT (Amp | Hearts Burning | STAR)

Theme verse. Makes sense. Father love Son. Son love Father. Spirit? about the same thing.

(A) Christians unhelpful think. Father and Son doing the loving. Spirit.. all about making sunday services great again. Dealing with the boring stuff. Spice things up with gifts.

Small view of the Spirit. Unhelpful view. Dangerous view.

Pitting the Spirit against the Father and the Son.

No! Paul say. All about the same thing.

Spirit-filled church is a church that loves.

More. this is also to describe what the true worship of God is like/

C8 - Shema - Love God. heart soul and mind.

C13 - Love God.. Love your neighbour.

Summing up the law. Love God. Love Neighbour.

If they do genuinely want to worship God. love him. love one another.

so let us…

You shall love the God with all your heart soul and mind

You shall love your neighbour as yourself.

Love one another. we embody the values that will last till eternity.

still be loving one another in the new creation.

Patient. Kind. not boast. No be irritable. Rejoice in truth.

IT WILL BE WONDERFUL.

LAND (Worldview | Us)

(A) WORD CU vs SPIRIT CU.

Spirit CU “You need more Spirit. Worship experience”

Word CU “Word and Spirit go hand in hand”

Reality is: both can be without the Spirit if not done in love.

Spirit-filled church -> love

I was part of the Word CU. Great Teaching. Did love one another.

Rate GC now after this passage?

five star? one star?

Can’t pin point right away.. Takes time to experience if people love one another.

But I’ve been around from the beginning of CW site. There is room to grow. But I think we do love one another.

encourage us that we are a spirit-filled church. as we grow in love.

Final encouragement. more!

1 Corinthians 14:1 “Pursue love!”

In church. Families. Outside.

^Not a personality type. extrovert. Introverted. Detailed. Big picture. Adventurous or risk-adverse.

Loving extrovert. Unloving introvert.

Everyone is able to love.

Practicing what we will be doing for all eternity.

so filled with the Spirit. Love. Outflow. People arrive. tell we’re different.

Cross cultural. Cross social. Love.

(A) friend. good advice. Is there one small step I can do today. To reflect God’s love.

One tiny step.

we all can do. Not all of us can play the piano.… PA.… preach… Tongues. but we can all love.