Love Never Fails

(1 Corinthians 13:4-8a)

Text: 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

English Standard Version

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;[a] 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.

Preface:

Today I am here to speak about the Human Coalition and all that entails. Talking about the Abortion is important topic of today. The vision statement of Human Coalition is

Save Babies Serve Families. (Play Video)

Human Coalition is leading by grace.

Romans 5:20 English Standard Version

20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,

The Problem is:

The world doesn’t comprehend the true definition of love.

John 13:35 says we will be known as Jesus’ if we love one another.

But churches split; the number of divorces is the same inside the church as it is outside; people in the Church don’t share their pain with each other for fear of being judged.

We don’t know how to love.

The Solution:

Many words are used for love. God defines only one for us: agape.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8a – Love…. (read again)

Suffers a long time; pain and hardship

Being loving is different than being patient – patience is short term love

· Gen 12:2-4 – God promised Abraham that he would be the father of a great nation. He was 75 years old at the time.

o Genesis 12:2-4 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”[a] 4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.

· Heb 6:15 – Abraham, after “patiently enduring ,” obtained what God promised.

o Hebrews 6:15 15 And thus Abraham,[a] having patiently waited, obtained the promise.

· Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac is born; 175 years old when Abraham died

· Abraham patiently endured for at least 25 years , but really 100. (For the promise)

o Did you hear that the Promise … Isaac the child became the beginning of the promise.

That is good preaching right there .. Amen. Look your neighbor and said you were a promise

Let continue

· Be Kind, or tender

o Even when someone is harsh towards us and cause us to suffer, we are called to be kind.

· Does not envy

· Does not parade itself and boast

· Doesn’t get puffed up with pride

o “All of these are about me!” Love is a the other person.

o Does not behave rudely

o Does not seek its own way

o Is not easily provoked

■ I’m in control. I choose to love you, and there is nothing you can do about it. Your behavior doesn’t dictate how I act toward you.

o Thinks no evil—how you view the object of your love

■ It’s often very subtle: “They don’t deserve my love,” “I don’t feel like loving them,” “I’m tired of trying.”

■ Love is wanting God’s best for them. Anything less is rooted in sin.

o Does not rejoice in iniquity

■ The root word is the same as righteousness but made the opposite:

unrighteousness.

■ In very subtle ways, we often rejoice in someone’s unrighteousness. It could be congratulating a young man after he spends the night with an attractive woman (iniquity), or wanting to be included in the gossip (iniquity), and many other subtle forms.

o Rejoices in the Truth

■ Knows what is true, is not a doormat, speaks the truth, rejoices in truth, knows that God is Truth

o Bears ALL THINGS

o Believes ALL THINGS

o Hopes ALL THINGS

o Endures ALL THINGS

■ We bear and endure because we believe God is who He says He is and that He loves us.

■ We have hope because we know what God has done for us through Christ.

■ We can bear and endure because we believe and have hope.

· This kind of love never fails. Even if the object of our love rejects us, we become more like Christ.

· This love cannot fail.

· This kind of love is not easy!

· But they will know we are His disciples if we love one another.

· Love isn’t easy, but it’s also not optional.

In the early church, many flock together because they loved each other well.

Let look at someone who is considering an abortion or had one. What is their view of the church?

Judgmental

Mean

“They don’t understand”

Hypocritical

This view of the church is even true of women who are in the church!

One-third of women in the church have had an abortion.

Application

Talk about abortion in the church with grace , compassion, and truth

Care for one another when we are caught in sin - any sin

Meet each other’s need; be generous and joyful.

Suffer long with your brother’s sisters, believe, and hope

Be kind to everyone

How to end abortion?

Work with a women’s care clinic or life-affirming pregnancy center to support women in your community through existing ministries of the church

Talk about abortion and the church’s desire not to judge people, but to love and provide for them

Act: Sign the Pro-Life Declaration at www.prolife.org

Pray: Download the Prayer App at www.prolifeapp.com

Partner with Human Coalition

Love Never Fails