Superiority of Love

Title: THE SUPERIORITY OF LOVE 1-3

Text:

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to the flames, but do not have love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love

they will know you are my disciples by your love one for another

Intro: 1. One of the most famous passages in the Bible

2. Follows chapter 12 which is all about Spiritual gifts/manifestations

a. 12:31 Now eagerly desire the greater gifts and yet I will show you a more excellent way

b. 13:13 The greatest of these is love

3. Love is the greatest gift of them all

a. Love is about our motivation

b. For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died (controls us, moves us, urges us on)

c. So don’t make judgments about anyone ahead of time—before the Lord returns. For he will bring our darkest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. Then God will give to each one whatever praise is due

d. Jesus taught that it was about our motives

1) Don’t commit adultery – don’t lust

2) Eye for an eye – love your neighbor

3) One mile – two miles

e. For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it divides the soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart

4. Why is love superior to the other gifts?

I. SPIRITUALITY WITHOUT LOVE IS ANNOYING

* v1 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal

A. Super spiritual

1. The Corinthians were all about speaking in tongues

a. Chapter 14 tells us how that should function in the church

1) v2 speaks to God not to men

2) v4 edifies himself

3) v6-11 no one understands you- praying over food (16)

4) v12 seek gifts that edify others or the body

5) v19 I’d rather speak 5 words in English than 10,000 in tongues

6) v26 In the assembly let all things be done for edification of the body

7) v27 Two, at the most three messages in tongues & interpretation

b. There’s a difference between the prayer language and the gift of tongues

1) One speaks to God, one speaks to men v2

2) One needs to be interpreted and one doesn’t

3) The languages of people or angels

2. When you come to church its not about you, it’s about others

a. If everyone just speaks in tongues it doesn’t help anyone but you

B. Resounding gong or clanging cymbal

1. Without love, speaking in tongues is only noise

2. Corinth was a wicked city

a. To play the Corinthian meant to live a life of lustful debauchery

b. In all the theater shows a Corinthian was always portrayed as a drunk

c. Above the city stood the hill of the Acropolis. It was a fortress and also the temple of Aphrodite (the goddess of love). In its height it housed 1,000 sacred prostitutes who came down into the city to ply their trade

d. It became a proverb that, “Not every man can afford a journey to Corinth.”

3. A characteristic of heathen worship, especially the worship of Dionysus and Cybele, was the clanging of cymbals and the blowing of trumpets

a. They believed the banging of drums and cymbals brought them to a state of spiritual ecstasy

b. The nonstop noise was a nuisance to most of those in the city

c. Later the nonstop noise became a word used to describe a person who talks all the time

4. Have you ever been around a person who talked so much that you didn’t even listen to them anymore?

a. They always have to one up your story

b. They always have a better way of doing things

c. They say a lot and claim a lot, but who don’t have a life to match their many words

d. A lot of empty, shallow, clanging, noise that becomes irritating to all who hear them

5. Without love Christianity is no different than all the other annoying religions

a. It’s a lot of talk with little action

b. Clanging cymbal was a loud clashing of cymbal, much like the clashing cymbals played by the Jewish people just before they went to war! The clashing of those cymbals was a call to arms! It sounded the signal that it was time to fight!

c. A Christian preaching without love is just like that

d. What do you think when I show these pictures of Westboro Baptist Church?

C. Without love people won’t receive the message

1. The gift is still good but it will not be received without love

2. The tongue of the wise makes knowledge acceptable

* Spirituality without love is annoying

II. KNOWLEDGE WITHOUT LOVE IS ARROGANT

* v2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing

A. Prophecy, knowledge and faith are nothing without love

1. Without “love” prophecy, knowledge, and faith, are not what they seem

2. We all have knowledge. Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies

a. Smart people that don’t care about others are arrogant

b. Believe others are there to serve their needs

3. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’

a. You can do a lot of “churchy” stuff without knowing God

4. What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? v20 Faith without works is dead

a. Faith that doesn’t lead to actions/helping others is worthless

B. I am nothing- It’s about me

1. The motivation of their knowledge, prophesy, faith is to look good in the eyes of others

2. Baby that would be a alcoholic, banker, preacher- $1 on the coffee table- politician

a All done to be seen by others and make themselves look good

3. Why do we do what we do?

a. Why do we serve? greet, usher, teach? to help others or help ourselves

b. Incomplete understanding of grace

c. If most of us were honest we hope that God will reward our service by keeping us safe, healing us and blessing us

4. The worst youth sponsors were ones who needed the students more than the students needed them

5. You can’t lead people if you need people

6. Am I seeking the approval of men or of God. If I am still trying to please men, I am not a servant of Christ

C. Without love people don’t care what we know

1. People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care

* Knowledge without love is arrogant

III. GIVING WITHOUT LOVE IS MANIPULATION

* v3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to the flames, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

A. Giving and sacrifice are nothing without love

1. Give away everything you possess to help the poor

a. This is what Jesus asked the rich younger ruler to do

2. Surrender my body to the flames

a. Martyrdom- burned at the stake

b. Slavery- being branded

3. Neither one count if the motivation is wrong

4. Martha was serving Jesus by exercising her gift of hospitality, but by getting upset with Mary she really revealed she was doing it for her own sake (hard work acknowledged)

5. The elder brother of the prodigal son, revealed his true motivation- I’ve been slaving for you all these years and you never did anything for me like this (get what’s coming to him)

6. If I’m really doing it for Jesus, I don’t need man’s approval

B. I gain nothing- it about what it can do for me

1. Some believe this verse should read- “Surrender my body to the flames that I might boast”

2. There was a common belief that the blood of martyrdom would wash away their sins

3. Muslim terrorist kill themselves in jihad hoping for a ticket to heaven

4. You can’t earn your way into heaven- I gain nothing

C. Without love giving usually looks like manipulation

1. This is politics at it’s best- donations for favors, bribes

2. Doing favors for other (giving your body) expecting favors in return

3. “When you put on a luncheon or a banquet,” he said, “don’t invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. For they will invite you back, and that will be your only reward. 13 Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. 14 Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you.”

4. "Eat and drink!" he'll say to you, but his heart won't be with you

a. Act like they are for you when they really aren’t

* Giving without love is manipulation

Cncl: 1. One day we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ

2. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ. 12 Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. 13 But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. 14 If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. 15 But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames

a. What we have done above ground (wood, hay, straw) will be burned up

b. What we have done below ground (gold, silver, jewels) will survive

3. (3x) your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you

4. Spirituality without love is annoying, knowledge without love is arrogant, giving without love is manipulation

5. At some point our motivation must be a love for Jesus

Altr: 1. Salvation

2. Why do you do what you do? give? serve?