All You Need Is Love

1 Cor 13:4-7 NRSV - Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8(a) Love never ends.

The title of today’s message is, “All You Need Is Love”.

How many of you believe that? Could be true.

I said last week that love is a verb, it’s an action. Don’t just tell me you love me, show me.

And I told you how God showed his love for us. He gave his Son to die for our sins.

But there’s another love we need to talk about, that’s the love we have for each other. After all Jesus tells us in John 13:35 “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.””

So what does that look like? In this thirteenth chapter of 1 Cor, Paul begins by telling us we can do a lot of things but if we don’t have love when we do them it’s not love. So let’s see what he says

“If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.” There was a song that said, “talking loud and saying nothing”. You talk a good game but do you really love me? You’re saying a lot of words, but do you truly love me? Paul goes on to say…

“And if I have prophetic powers” God can speak through me all day and all night

“and understand all mysteries” I can break down the Word like no one you’ve ever heard or seen

“and all knowledge” - I have all the letters in the alphabet behind my name

“and if I have all faith, so as to move mountains” - I believe with all my heart God can do any and everything

“but do not have love, I am nothing” Wow having or being able to do all those things does not mean a hill of beans without love.

But wait there’s more.

“If I give away all my possessions” - You can give away everything you have, but it doesn’t mean you’re showing love. People give for all sorts of reasons,

they give for the accolades

they need the tax break

they want to see their name on a building

they want attention

it could be guilt that makes them give or

remorse or

restitution - they’re trying to right a wrong

“and if I hand over my body so that I may boast” - some people think to be self-deprecating, to put themselves down to make others feel or seem big or more important is love. It’s not.

Doing those things doesn’t mean you’re expressing love.

Now, let’s see what love is, what does love for your brother or sister look like?

Love is patient (suffers long) - it doesn’t get frustrated and lash out or leave as we go through the trials, tribulations, and changes that are life.

Changes in our bodies

Changes in our circumstances

Changes in our surroundings

Changes in how we think

Changes in what we desire

Life is full of changes, can you love through them?

Love is kind - it doesn’t make you the punchline of its jokes.

Love is not envious - it doesn’t get upset when you receive a promotion and they didn’t. When you have success, when you get a new house, a new car, have a baby, publish a book or get an opportunity they didn’t.

Love is not boastful (vaunted not itself) - the person showing love doesn’t brag about what they have or have done. It’s one thing to testify, it’s another to boast.

Love is not arrogant (not puffed up) - because here’s the thing, you have what you have, you did what you did, you accomplished what you accomplished, only by the grace of God. So put your chest back and take your sign down it was God’s grace and mercy that brought you to where you are.

Love is not rude (does not behave unseemly) - you’ve seen those people who dismiss, talk over, or ignore others because they feel they are beneath them. The ones who feel entitled on the road, like where they have to get to is more important than where you’re going, so they create road rage situations or worse yet, cause accidents.

Love does not insist on its own way (seeketh not her own) - it doesn’t create a my way or the highway environment.

Love is not irritable (not easily provoked) - have you ever been around someone who made you feel like you were irritating them just by saying good morning? Maybe you were the one irritated because they said good morning. That’s not love. Pray about it and ask the Lord to help you fix it. Ask him to help you change how you receive, deal with and approach that individual.

Love is not resentful (thinketh no evil) - you’re not hostile, belligerent, or bitter toward others.

Love does not rejoice in wrong doing (rejoiceth not in iniquity - another word for iniquity is sin) - you don’t celebrate bad behavior. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but while children are a gift from God, when you get pregnant and you’re not married, that is not a cause for celebration, it was because of sin. When you received something because you lied—that is not something that should be congratulated or a behavior that should be reinforced, it was because of sin. When you have to cheat to win, that is not something that should be encouraged, that is sin.

Love rejoices in truth - the truth may sting for a little while but in the end you’ll learn to appreciate it and you’ll be better for knowing. The truth shall set you free. Truth also has a name and his name is Jesus.

Love bears all things - that’s the for better, for worse; for richer, for poorer; in sickness and in health part of the marriage vows. Love stays when sex is behind you. Love stays when as my former first lady said when the figure eight turns into the letter A.

Love believes all things - it believes the best, rather than the worst. It will believe until there’s proof not to. Love will tell you you can when everyone else says you can’t, even you.

Love hopes all things - hope springs eternal. Hope doesn’t give up, it doesn’t give in.

Love endures all things - in marriage and in friendship there can be a lot that can happen.

You’re not going to always be happy with one another, but you stay.

You won’t always agree, but you stay.

You won’t always want to do the same things, but you stay.

You won’t always like the same things, but you stay.

Your spouse, your friend may hurt your feelings—give them the opportunity to repent and apologize. And here’s something to remember...if you’re the one who did the hurting, you don’t get to decide when the one you hurt gets over it. The one who did the hurt, doesn’t get to say, it wasn’t that bad. The one who did the hurt doesn’t get to be angry about the reaction of the one they hurt. But when you truly love, you will endure.

Now here’s a caveat, this does not include intentional physical, verbal, or emotional abuse. You don’t stay in a situation where someone is intentionally hurting you and even if it’s unintentional. Get yourself to a place of safety. You can forgive, in fact you should forgive, but forgiveness doesn’t mean they get to remain in your life. Exercise wisdom in all things.

And if you’re the person doing the hurting, get some help. Figure out what you’re angry about and work through it, get over it and get on with life. But don’t turn on the one you say you love. Love does not hurt.

Love never ends - while death may do you part, love never ends, it doesn’t die, just because the person did. But here’s something else to remember, if you still have breath in your body, if you still have a heartbeat, don’t stop living because the person you love died. You still have things to do, you still have people who love you and God is not through with you yet. Go through your grief, but you have to keep living.

When love is complete,

it provides,

it nurtures,

it encourages,

it cheers,

it sacrifices,

it celebrates with you,

it celebrates you,

it talks to you more than it talks about you

it gives, it gives, it gives and

it receives

When love is complete, when love is unconditional, yes, all you need is love.

Jesus expressed his love for us when he gave his life on an old rugged cross over two thousand years ago. It was a sacrifice that was complete, it was final, and it was for all.

He was wounded, because of our transgressions

He was bruised for our sins

He suffered pain, so we could be healed

He sacrificed his life so we could have the opportunity for salvation.

He experienced death, so we could experience eternal life.

He left so the Holy Spirit could come dwell in us. So he could be our comforter, our guide, our conscious. That, “something told me”.

That’s what true love looks like. That’s what true love feels like.

We all want to find that person that we can feel true love for, with, and from, but there is place that only God can fill. No amount of money, time, gifts, or compliments can take the place of the almighty God.

As good of a provider as he may be, your husband can’t be your God.

As wonderful of a cook as she may be, your wife can’t be your God.

As loving as they may be, your children can’t be your God.

As well as they may listen, your friend can’t be your God.

As understanding as they may be, your boss can’t be your God.

There is one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all, and no one and nothing can take his place.

If you want that God to be the Lord and Savior of your life, all it takes is a prayer.

Father God, I confess I’m a sinner. I ask for forgiveness now. I believe that Jesus is your Son, that he lived a sinless life, died for my sins, and ascended back to heaven where he sits at your right hand interceding for me. Jesus I give you my life, come into my heart. In your name I pray. Amen

Whether you prayed that prayer for the first time or again we welcome you and we love with the love of the Lord. Now find yourself a Bible believing, Bible teaching church where you can not only experience the love of God, but you can give the love of God.

It will take practice, you won’t always get it right, and it won’t be the same for everyone. Keep trying, don’t give up, don’t give in. Don’t get frustrated and lose heart. Practice makes perfect. Yes we’re talking about practice.

I want to leave you with this prayer that Paul prayed in Ephesians chapter 3 beginning at the 16th verse

Eph 3:16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

All you need, is love.

For our online viewers, God bless you and have a wonderful week.

Let us prepare for communion. We’re given our instructions in 1 Cor 11:23-34

23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:

24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.

27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.

28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.

29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.

30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.

31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.

32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

33 Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another.

34 And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.