Stability of Love 1

Title: LOVE IS… THE STABILITY OF LOVE pt 1

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 whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love

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

4. Description of God’s love- is submissive, not possessive, not competitive, is positive

5. This passage of scripture is a mirror for us to look into to can see how we compare to walking in the agape love of God

a. Do I pass the love test? Or does this reveal that I need to mature more in this part of my life?

6. Tonight we will deal with verses 8-12 and take questions at the end

V. THE STABILITY OF LOVE

A. Spiritual gifts will stop

1. What are the gifts of the Spirit?

a. Gifts that do

1) Faith- divine knowing

2) Healing-

3) Working of miracles- Elymas blinded

b. Gifts that reveal

1) Word of wisdom- deals with future

2) Word of knowledge- deals with present or past

3) Discerning of spirits-

c. Gifts that say

1) Tongues

2) Interpretation of tongues

3) Prophecy

2. Why do we have spiritual gifts?

a. They are the Holy Spirit revealing Himself through a person, a manifestation (uncovering)

b. Examples in the New Testament

1) While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them

2) Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery

3) & 21 Agabus prophecies famine & Paul’s imprisonment in Jerusalem

4) Elymas blinded

5) discerning of Spirits with fortune telling girl

6) Ananias & Sapphira- word of knowledge

B. When will they stop?

* v10 When perfection comes prophecy, tongues and knowledge (the partial) will end 8-10

1. What is the perfection that is coming? (that which is perfect)

a. Is it the Bible?

1) Teleios- brought to its end, finished, wanting nothing necessary to completeness

a. This word is in a neuter form so people say it can’t be talking about Jesus

2) So they conclude that it must be talking about the New Testament Canon being completed

a) This also takes on the assumption that prophecy, tongues & knowledge were used to complete scripture

b) These things are not equal to scripture but should be tested by scripture

· If anyone speaks in a tongue, it should be by two or at the most three, and each in turn, and one must interpret; 28 but if there is no interpreter, he must keep silent in the church; and let him speak to himself and to God. 29 Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others pass judgment

· Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world

· no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus is accursed". The person speaking utterances (by the Holy Spirit) is also to be judged on the basis of his Christological confession

b. Is it talking about the coming of the kingdom of God in its fullness?

1) The root of the word is telos- termination, the last in any succession or series, the end to which all things relate, the aim, purpose, maturity

2) Its in a neuter form because its about the Kingdom not just Jesus’ return

a) But the person who endures to the end will be saved

b) You are attaining the goal of your faith – the salvation of your souls

c) For we have become partners with Christ, if in fact we hold our initial confidence firm until the end

d) You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. Make sure that you are not alarmed, for this must happen, but the end is still to come

e) But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase.

f) so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ

· We are supposed to be operating in Spiritual Gifts until the end (the revelation or return of Jesus Christ)

c. It is the full Kingdom of God

1) We don’t need prophecy in heaven because it will all be fulfilled

2) We don’t need tongues in heaven because they are a sign for unbelievers

3) We don’t need knowledge in heaven because we will know everything

a) Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him

4) v9-12 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known

5) Now (partial) 12

a) We see in a mirror dimly

· Corinth was famous for its mirrors. It was made of highly polished metal, but even at its best, it gave an imperfect reflection

b) Our knowledge is partial, we don’t get it all

· We are like children (we don’t understand, we don’t see the big picture)

6) Then (perfection) when is that day?

a) Face to face

· Our current understanding and relationship with God is distorted, not that the mirror reflects poorly, but rather that it is “indirect,” (the nature of looking in a mirror) compared to the relationship we will enjoy with him in the future when we see him “face to face”

b) Our knowledge will be full, we will understand it all

B. Love never fails, never ends

1. Fails means to fall from a high position

a. It was also used on rare occasions to depict a warrior who fell in battle

b. It was used to depict falling into ruin, destruction, misfortune, or disappointment

2. It is simply the truth that human beings often fail each other

a. All of us have felt let down by someone at some point along the way

b. And if we’re honest we’ve been guilty of letting others down as well

3. But agape love, God’s love, never disappoints, never fails, and never lets anyone down

a. It is a love that can always be depended on and is always reliable

1) It has our best in mind

b. We may feel like God has let us down at times because of his decisions

1) It’s only because we are looking at things from our perspective… dim, partially

2) Like a child who doesn’t understand the parents decision because they don’t have the experience or perspective

c. This love is constant, unchanging, and unbendable

d. It is a love we will always find to be reliable and true, a love we can depend on

e. It never fails to be there

4. This Love never comes to an end

a. God’s love never stops

b. You can’t do anything to make God stop loving you

c. God will love people throughout eternity

Cncl: 1. Spiritual gifts aren’t effective without love

2. Spiritual gifts won’t last as long as love

3. God’s love is dependable and unchangeable

4. He loves you

Questions