SF731 - Jesus the Love of God - 1 of 4 JESUS THE GIFT THAT GIVES FOREVER (1 Corinthians 13 1-8)
1 Corinthians 13:1-8
Introduction
Give the Gift that God Gave - The Gift that Gives Forever
John 3:16 (NKJV) For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Our World desperately needs Love!
Matthew 24:12 (NASB) Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold.
Christians have the only source of true love!
God is love
1 John 4:8 (NASB) The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
Jesus is God
John 14:9 (NASB) Jesus said to him …He who has seen Me has seen the Father…
1A. The Value of Love (13:1-3)
1B. Eloquence without love is nothing (13:1)
Paul uses a hyperbole here. First, he imagines himself able to speak with the greatest possible eloquence.
His point is that being able to speak all sorts of languages with great fluency and eloquence means nothing without love.
2B. Prophecy without love is nothing (13:2a)
“To proclaim the truth of God without love is not simply to be less than you should be, it is to be nothing.” (MacArthur, 333.)
3B. Knowledge without love is nothing (13:2b)
Mystery signifies divine truth that God has hidden from men at some time.
Knowledge is all the knowable facts of the universe.
4B. Faith without love is nothing (13:2c)
This is not saving faith, but the faith of confidence and expectancy in the Lord.
Jonah is a good example of faith without love. (MacArthur, 334)
5B. Benevolence without love is nothing (13:3a)
Give (psomizo) to dole out in small quantities, and signifies a long term, systematic program of giving everything on possesses. Yet without love that is worthless.
6B. Martyrdom without love is nothing (13:3b)
“The loveless person produces nothing , is nothing, and gains nothing.” (MacArthur, 336.)
2A. The Virtue of Love (13:4-7)
1B. Love is patient
Patient; makrothumeoô; to persevere, to be patient; used almost exclusively to refer to being patient with people and not circumstances.
Patience refuses to retaliate. A lack of patience is a lack of love
God is the ultimate example of patient love.
“Robert Ingersoll, the well-known atheist of the last century, often would stop in the middle of his lectures against God and say, ‘I’ll give God five minutes to strike me dead for the things I’ve said.’ He then used the fact that he was not struck dead as proof that God did not exist. Theodore Parker said of Ingersoll’s claim, ‘And did the gentleman think he could exhaust the patience of the eternal God in five minutes?’” (MacArthur, 338)
2B. Love is kind
Kind; chreôsteuomai; to be kind, useful, serving, and gracious.
Kindness is love in the little things, it is active goodwill. God is the ultimate example.
Titus 3:4-6 (NASB) But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, 5He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, 6whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
3B. Love is not jealous
Jealous, zeôloô; to be jealous
Jealousy says, “I want what someone else has,” or worse, “I wish they did not have what they have.”
When love sees someone who is popular or successful it is glad for them.
4B. Love does not brag
Brag, perpereuomai; from perperos (vainglorious); to boast
Love and pride do not dwell in the same heart.
5B. Love is not arrogant
Arrogant; phusiooô; from phusa (bellows); to puff or blow up
1 Corinthians 4:7 (NASB) For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?
Arrogance is big-headed, love is big-hearted.
6B. Love does not act unbecomingly
Act unbecomingly; ascheômoneoô; to act unbecomingly; to act rudely
7B. Love does not seek its own.
Seek; zeôteoô; to seek:—deliberating
Stop thinking about what you will get and start thinking about how you can show the love of the Lord
8B. Love is not provoked
Provoked; paroxunoô; to sharpen,. to stimulate, to provoke, to arouse to anger.
We should only become anger when God is offended not when only we are.
9B. Love does not take into account a wrong suffered.
Account; logizomai; to reckon, to consider, to calculate or reckon.
Romans 4:8 (NASB) “Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account.”
10B. Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness
Unrighteousness; adikia; injustice, unrighteousness
Isaiah 5:20 (NASB) Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
Rejoicing in sin is wrong because it is an affront to God and because of the consequences it has on the one who sins.
11B. Love rejoices with the truth
Truth; aletheia; truth; God’s reveled truth
Righteousness is predicated on God’s truth and cannot exist apart from it. Doctrine does matter!
12B. Love bears all things
Bears; stegoô; to cover closely (so as to keep water out), generally to bear up under
By all things Paul is referring to all things acceptable to God.
Love never protects sin but is eager to protect the sinner from harm. It does not expose or exploit, gloat or condemn.
Proverbs 10:12 (NASB) Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all transgressions.
13B. Love believes all things
Believes; pisteuoô; to believe, entrust
Love is not suspicious or cynical. Love believes the best about a brother.
14B. Love hopes all things
Hopes; elpizoô; to expect, to hope (for)
“As long as God’s grace is operative human failure in never final.” (MacArthur, 354.)
15B. Love endures all things
Endures; hupomenoô; to stay behind, to await, endure
A military term used of a n army’s holding a vital position at all costs.
3A. The Victory of Love - “Love never Fails” (13:8-9)
1B. Love is the greatest virtue
2B. Love is the greatest commandment
Matthew 22:36-40 (NKJV) “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” 37Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38This is the first and great commandment. 39And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
We must love…
Ø Sacrificially; consistently; whole-heartedly
Ø Real love is not giving me what I want; real love is giving me what I need.
3B. Love is the greatest testimony
John 13:35 (NASB) “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
4B. Love is the greatest motivation
2 Corinthians 5:14 (NASB) For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died;
Ø It was love of Christ that motivated Peter to feed His sheep.
5B. Love is the greatest confirmation
1 John 3:14-15 (NASB) We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death. 15Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
Application
This Christmas Give Love! (13:12-13) - How?
You can give love by serving
Ø Teaching, helping…
Ø Visiting
You can give love through sharing
Ø Sharing your faith
You can give love by sacrificing
Ø To give to missions
You cannot give what you do not have.
You must have Christ before you can truly know love!
JESUS, THE LOVE OF GOD
Jesus, The Gift that Gives Forever - Part 1of 4
1 Corinthians 13:1-8
1A. The ______________________ of Love (13:1-3)
1B. Eloquence without love is nothing (13:1)
2B. _____________ without love is nothing (13:2)
3B. _____________ without love is nothing (13:2)
4B. _____________ without love is nothing (13:2)
5B. Benevolence without love is nothing (13:3)
6B. Martyrdom without love is nothing (13:3)
2A. The ______________________ of Love (13:4-7)
1B. Love is _____________________
2B. Love is _____________________
Titus 3:4-6
3B. Love is not ___________________
4B. Love does not _________________
5B. Love is not arrogant
1 Corinthians 4:7
6B. Love does act unbecomingly
7B. Love does not seek its ____________________.
8B. Love is not provoked
9B. Love does not take into account a wrong suffered. (Romans 4:8)
10B. Love does ________ rejoice in unrighteousness (Isaiah 5:20)
11B. Love rejoices with the ____________________
12B. Love bears all things (Proverbs 10:12)
13B. Love __________________________ all things
14B. Love hopes all things
15B. Love __________________________ all things
3A. The ______________________ of Love (13:8a)
1B. Love is the greatest ______________________
2B. Love is the greatest commandment (Matthew 22:36-40)
3B. Love is the greatest __________________ (John 13:35)
4B. Love is the greatest motivation (2 Corinthians 5:14)
5B. Love is the greatest confirmation (1 John 3:14-15)
Application
You can give love by _______________________
You can give love through ___________________
Ø Sharing your faith
You can give love by _______________________