What is Love?
Notes
Transcript
Welcome
This morning Pastor Dennis mentioned the benefit of living in HI. Prof liking no snow in TX, blessing of being here dodging the storm.
Days like this can help us to focus on a subject we are not always able to
Introduction
Big day for love. Many have their anniversary, or at least an anniversary.
Naomi and I 1st date
This passage common at weddings, but what is this passage really talking about?
1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 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 gave up childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. 13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Normally in weddings as Ive already mentioned, but there is something missing in that. This does apply to marriage, but this passage needs to be looked at within its proper context.
1 Cor 12 talks about spiritual gifts and the members of the church being parts of the same body.
1 Cor 14 talks about the order of gifts and orderly worship. One of the issues was chaotic worship.
So now with a little more context, lets look a little bit deeper into this text
1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
1 Corinthians (5) Worship in Community (11:2–14:40)
In 12:1–14:40 Paul gives an extended discussion of the things pertaining to the Spirit in a reprise and expansion of previous themes. All believers are “spiritual” (12:1–3), and the manifestations of the Spirit are given for the common good (12:7). The body of Christ is composed of individually gifted members (12:12–31). The controlling principle for the exercise of spiritual gifts is the more excellent way of love (13:1–13). Paul makes an extended case for prophecy over uninterpreted tongues since only the former edifies the church (14:1–19) and provides opportunity for the conversion of unbelievers (14:20–25). Those who are truly “spiritual” will acknowledge and live by the principle of doing all things decently and in order for the edification of all (14:26–40).
This passage is in particular talking about worship. There were issues of conflict within the body of the church and in-particular within their worship. There was competition over spiritual gifts, which is a misuse of the gifts. Regardless of how we see the Spiritual Gifts today, this gives us great insight. This shows us that love is the foundation of worship and ministry.
Love is Foundational
He is bringing these gifts to an extreme.
Speaking in tongues
all the languages
language of angels
prophesy
know and understand all mysteries
have all knowledge
Faith
to remove mountains
But with out love these are nothing. If they are seen as something to have over another. The gifts are worthless
Tongues - sound like noisy gong/ clanging cymbals
stuff on ships
these cymbals are used in authentic worship, but may be pointing to pagan worship
This would mean it is empty worship
Prophesy and faith
I am nothing
Application: Love, true love from God must be the foundation
Illustration: Myself with academic pursuit.
4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
So What Is Love?
Love is Fellowship
Vrs 4-8 gives a solid, albeit extended definition of love.
Love is patient and kind
This starts with 2 aspects that Paul lists elsewhere as fruits of the spirit. They need to be clothed in these things.
Moves to a list of negatives
It is not
envious
boastful
arrogant
rude
insistent on its own way
irritable
resentful
It is rejoices in truth, not in the harm of brothers/sisters
This passage is clearly a reprimand for the behavior of the Corinthians
We see what love isn’t, so what is it?
Love:
Bears all things
believes all things
hopes all things
pursues all things
1 Corinthians (2) What Love Does and Does Not Do (13:4–7)
Thiselton translates, “Love never tires of support, never loses faith, never exhausts hope, never gives up.”
Love is fellowship, caring for each other, wanting whats best for the other more than for yourself. Now this is true in marriage too, but it should extend to the whole fellowship.
We hear in our culture today, fell out of love, so we know that love is temporary and something that can end, right?
No quite the opposite.
8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 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 gave up childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. 13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Application: Readjust how we act to each other
Illustration:
Love is Forever
Love never ends
All the spiritual gifts have an end
The time for the original appearance of the gifts is over
Any spiritual gifts then or now have a purpose, and in the new heaven and new earth this purpose will pass away. When the perfect comes, Kingdom of God, these will end.
Mature in these things
Mirror, reflections of the kingdom, we see a reflection, but one day we will be in his presence
13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Faith and hope are important, but these will end
Faith, without sight will one day be no need
Hope, will one day be fulfilled
But God is love, this has always and will always be true this will never end.
So, What is Love
Love is Foundational
Love is Fellowship
Love is Forever
Application:
Shift our priority from what we want to what is best for each other
Focus on the needs of others
Demonstrate love in the way we treat each other
Our gifts and skills should remind us of the gift of the gospel being made into one body
Illustration: Watch