The Necessity of Divine Love

1 If I speak human or angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing.

31 But desire the greater gifts. And I will show you an even better way.

LOVE: THE SUPERIOR WAY

1 If I speak human or angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing.

13 If I speak human or angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing.

3 And if I give away all my possessions, and if I give over my body in order to boast but do not have love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant,

4 Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant, 5 is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs. 6 Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

5 is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs. 6 Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8 Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part,

10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will come to an end. 11 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 put aside childish things.

12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, as I am fully known. 13 Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love—but the greatest of these is love.

Introduction:

750 Engaging Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers and Writers 395: Love

Mother Teresa of Calcutta, India, was the keynote speaker at the 1994 National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C. The scene was unforgettable: On either side of the podium sat President Clinton, Vice President Gore, and other dignitaries. Aids rolled the frail, eighty-three-year-old Mother Teresa to the podium in a wheelchair and had to help her stand to her feet. She stood on a special platform, and even with that the four-foot-six-inch woman could hardly reach the microphone.

Nevertheless her words sent shock waves through the auditorium. She rebuked America and its leaders for the policy of abortion.

“Mother Teresa said that America has become a selfish nation,” writes Philip Yancey, “in danger of losing the proper meaning of love: ‘giving until it hurts …’ ”

Mother Teresa said, “If we accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill each other?…Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love but to use any violence to get what they want.”

Mother Teresa pleaded with pregnant women who don’t want their children: “Please don’t kill the child,” she said. “I want the child. Please give me the child. I want it. I will care for it.”

Mother Teresa of Calcutta, India, was the keynote speaker at the 1994 National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C. The scene was unforgettable: On either side of the podium sat President Clinton, Vice President Gore, and other dignitaries. Aids rolled the frail, eighty-three-year-old Mother Teresa to the podium in a wheelchair and had to help her stand to her feet. She stood on a special platform, and even with that the four-foot-six-inch woman could hardly reach the microphone.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta, India, was the keynote speaker at the 1994 National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C. The scene was unforgettable: On either side of the podium sat President Clinton, Vice President Gore, and other dignitaries. Aids rolled the frail, eighty-three-year-old Mother Teresa to the podium in a wheelchair and had to help her stand to her feet. She stood on a special platform, and even with that the four-foot-six-inch woman could hardly reach the microphone.

Nevertheless her words sent shock waves through the auditorium. She rebuked America and its leaders for the policy of abortion.

“Mother Teresa said that America has become a selfish nation,” writes Philip Yancey, “in danger of losing the proper meaning of love: ‘giving until it hurts …’ ”

Mother Teresa said, “If we accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill each other?…Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love but to use any violence to get what they want.”

Mother Teresa pleaded with pregnant women who don’t want their children: “Please don’t kill the child,” she said. “I want the child. Please give me the child. I want it. I will care for it.”

We have forgotten in many ways what it means to live a life of love as the bible defines it. Love is not an emotion, but an action.

Paul, in his letter to the Corinthian believers, is addressing the greatest need they have. This need is not more flashy spiritual gifts but love from God for one another. Without this, Paul is arguing that all of the spiritual gifts are worthless.

Jesus put love your neighbor as yourself right after Love the Lord your God. So to love one another is the second most important command in all of scripture. The scripture lists 14 characteristics in of Christian love:

Patience - a slowness to repay offenses. This is reflective of God’s forbearance and patience. God does not immediately punish those who offend him and neither should we. It is not the ignoring of offenses, but it is a slow and careful process that addresses offenses.

Kindness - The way we treat others - are we kind?

Love is not Envious - Resentment toward others for what they may achieve or possess.

Love is not Boastful - Bragging without giving proper credit or elevating our achievements as if we accomplished them on our own.

Love is not Proud or Arrogant - Extreme self-confidence or arrogance toward God and others. The extreme of this is false pride or self-abasement carried too far. Many Christians can become guilty of this to the point of self-hatred and a refusal to receive any recognition or appreciation, thus robbing themselves and others of the blessing of expressing gratitude.

Love is not Rude - A disrespect for others and their likes or dislikes. A surly disposition.

Love is not Self-Absorbed or Self-Seeking - Choosing others before ourselves. Putting others interests ahead of our own.

Love is not Irritable - Slow to show anger. Patient.

Love Refuses to Hold a Grudge - Forgiveness is offered time and time again.

Love Does not Rejoice in Evil - They are not happy about the failings of others. They do not rejoice in sin. Rather love rejoices in the truth.

Love Protects - It is not unwise in the unveiling of sin or offenses. It does not engage in or enjoy gossip.

Love Believes all Things - Gives the benefit of the doubt. Constant Suspicion toward others is a sign of lack of love. However, love does not give the benefit when there is no doubt.

Love Hopes - Optimism that does not give up on those who may fail

Love Endures - As God’s love for us endures - so should our love for one another.

Practical Applications for loving others:

Practical

I. Love Invests Time

When someone is hurting, love can be expressed in investing time with another person. We are too fast paced today, we don’t know how to slow down and actually spend time with others. When someone is hurting love listens and gives time.

1. Love

II. Love Builds Trust

When someone is hurting, love can be expressed in investing time with another person. We are too fast paced today, we don’t know how to slow down and actually spend time with others. When someone is hurting love listens and gives time.

2. Love Listens Up

Trust can only be earned with the investment of time. When we follow through on our commitments to one another we build a bank of trust. When we break our word we make huge withdrawals from that bank. Faithfulness builds trust.

III. Love Speaks Truth

The truth, given in love, is not always cheerfully recieved, if it is received at all. We have to wrap the truth in love, otherwise we simply become modern day religious versions of the Pharisees in the New Testament. Yet, our world rejects today the idea of absolute truth. The answer to this is not to subject the Christian faith to the whims of human philosophy, but to remain steadfast in speaking the truth. If we only tell each other what we want to hear we will not grow.

, “But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ.”

Conclusion:

J. Allan Peterson, in The Myth of the Greener Grass, writes:

Newspaper columnist and minister George Crane tells of a wife who came into his office full of hatred toward her husband. “I do not only want to get rid of him; I want to get even. Before I divorce him, I want to hurt him as much as he has me.”

Dr. Crane suggested an ingenious plan. “Go home and act as if you really loved your husband. Tell him how much he means to you. Praise him for every decent trait. Go out of your way to be as kind, considerate, and generous as possible. Spare no efforts to please him, to enjoy him. Make him believe you love him. After you’ve convinced him of your undying love and that you cannot live without him, then drop the bomb. Tell him that you’re getting a divorce. That will really hurt him.”

With revenge in her eyes, she smiled and exclaimed, “Beautiful, beautiful. Will he ever be surprised!”

And she did it with enthusiasm. Acting “as if.” For two months she showed love, kindness, listening, giving, reinforcing, sharing.

When she didn’t return, Crane called. “Are you ready now to go through with the divorce?”

“Divorce!” she exclaimed. “Never! I discovered I really do love him.” Her actions had changed her feelings. Motion resulted in emotion. The ability to love is established not so much by fervent promise as often repeated deeds.

Holman New Testament Commentary: I & II Corinthians Applications

• We must refocus our priorities, setting love of others as a higher standard than effective service, and as a higher standard than spiritual gifts.

• Our love for others must be demonstrated in the way we treat them.

• Our spiritual gifts should remind us that we await the perfect realization of the blessings of the gospel

Holman New Testament Commentary: I & II Corinthians VIII. Issues for Discussion

What intrinsic value do gifts of the Spirit have? Can a gift benefit the church even if it does not benefit the person who demonstrates it? How does love relate to the value of spiritual gifts?

2. How would you describe love? Does your definition look anything like Paul’s? Was Paul’s definition meant to be exhaustive?

3. Does Paul’s definition of love look more like something you feel or something you do? If you did the things in his definition, would that qualify as love? Why or why not?