A More Excellent Way

1 Corinthians 13 NASB95

If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.

INTRO: How many of you like check-lists? I like them because if I can check things off, then I feel productive or useful.

But everything is not meant for the check-list. Like, it’s a bad idea (fellas) to put “Spend time with the wife” on a checklist to be accomplished. It is something that needs to happen, but it’s not the same as changing the batteries in the smoke detectors.

This is important to note within the context of the church as well. We ought not approach our worship and ministry in the same manner as we do yard work- just a task to be completed.

As we’ve learned, the Corinthian church had its fair share of challenges. When it came to being unified and working together to bring glory to God, well, they had some room to grow. Much of this letter has been addressing these things; correcting and admonishing the church to engage according to God’s design. I hope that you have found our study relevant and applicable.

We have come to a section of Scripture that has been ripped from its context in a number of sermons, songs, weddings, and teen-talks. We, however are going to take chapter 13 in stride so that we can best see the original intent and apply this teaching effectively to our own lives.

If you were here the past weeks, we’ve been studying Spiritual Gifts. While the title of this message isn’t “Pt. 3”, nevertheless we are continuing to look at using our gifts within the church in order to bring honor to God and to bring man to know the truth of the Gospel.

I told you last week that 12:31 was a transitional verse, leading us into our passage for today. It is transitional because it is corrective- just as Paul had corrected the church regarding partaking of the Lord’s Supper, this correction follows the explanation of Spiritual Gifts. If you remember, the folks in Corinth were very focused on certain spiritual gifts- they wanted to have the gift of tongues in particular. Now, Paul already explained the nature of the gifts and the design of them within the church, - the actions so to speak. But now he turns to deal with their hearts…

This is why he introduces this teaching with the words, “a more excellent way”. Love floods the conversation in chapter 13, which is why we often think of it as ‘the love chapter’.

But before we jump in, to talk about love, we must spend just a moment to understand what love is. Do you know what love is? Forrest Gump, though admittedly not a smart man, attested that he knew what love is. Yet, our definition might differ slightly from his.

We are not talking about philia (friendship) love or eros (romantic) love. In fact, one young man who shall remain nameless asked if I was going to be talking about love and fireplaces again. No- you’ll have to go to the archives for that one.

Rather, today we are talking about Christian love. The Greek word is Agape, which describes a sacrificial love.

Love is not an emotion, otherwise we would not be commanded to love. Love, then might be described as the selfless decision to align with God’s perfect nature in our relationships. It the intentional, committed act of valuing and honoring another based upon God’s worthiness, not how deserving the individual may be… that is - unconditional. It is honest and just. It is that which binds our hearts together.

If you remember, the Church in Corinth was filled with folks who didn’t even like one another, which makes this teaching all the more intriguing. How can a sick church be healed? Only by adopting a more excellent way… the way of Christian love.

If you picked up a bulletin, I encourage you to make use of the sermon guide as we learn together this “more excellent way”.

Christian Love is a more excellent way because:

Love Enriches our Spiritual Gifts (1-3)

Paul uses negative examples to make his point here. Let’s read 1-3 again (READ)

Paul essentially takes the most desirous gifts mentioned in chapter 12 and says that they are useless or even distracting if they are exercised without love.

Let’s take just a minute and think through this:

You could be the most gifted communicator on the earth, but if you are not using that gift in love, then your words are empty and your message is just noise.

Are you talking just to hear yourself, like many politicians, or are you communicating in love in order to reach your neighbor?

You could be intelligent and have a way of describing and teaching that surpasses all your peers, but without love are exercised in vain.

Are you simply sharing knowledge, or do you have genuine love and concern for the recipient?

You could go on the mission field and be a martyr for the Christian faith, but if you did not have love, then your boldness was no benefit.

Will your close family and friends be able to say that you were like Christ or would they just say that you were bold and full of faith?

You see, love is the thing that makes us like Christ. The Pharisees of the NT had all kinds of knowledge, but they lacked love and missed the point of God’s Word. But we see in John 3:16 that God so loved the world that He gave us Christ!

It was in love that Jesus laid down his life for unworthy sinners like you and me.

The more excellent way is using our spiritual gifts in love for God and brother so that what we do really matters.

Our programs- VBS, Youth Group, Seniors ministry, widow care, etc. should be accomplished by you using your gifts, motivated by love, not obligation or guilt.

Do you love God enough to serve Him without being applauded by someone?

Do you love your neighbor enough to engage in ministry that helps them grow in Christ?

Discuss: How does love or lack of love impact our use spiritual gifts? What good is serving out of obligation or guilt or pride?

But love isn’t just an enrichment to our gifting. When we speak of love, we have to remember that love is not to be silo’d off as separate from other parts of life. That brings us to Paul’s assertion that

Love Instructs our Character (4-7)

Again, Paul is speaking to a church to correct their path. With divisions, lawsuits, scandals, envy, etc. going on, this teaching reminds us of Paul’s statement in

1 Corinthians 8:1 NASB95

Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies.

Love builds up or edifies the church. So, looking at this from the point of view of the Corinthians, our character, if it is instructed by love, will in fact build up God’s church.

Paul walks through practically how this works:

Love is patient (remember how some of them didn’t want to wait on others before taking the Lord’s Supper?)

Love is kind and not jealous (as opposed to envying others for their gifts or roles)

Love is not boastful (we are all sinners saved by grace!!)

Love does not act unbecomingly (IOW to honor / respect others people)

Love doesn not seek its own (not selfishly pushing others down to climb to the top)

Love doesn’t score-keep all the times another has offended them (Yikes!)

Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices in truth (You don’t have to lie to someone or join someone’s delusion in order to love them… in fact it’s quite the opposite! Do you remember how the Corinthians boasted in their sexual sin (Ch. 5)?)

Love bears, believes, hopes, and endures all things (IOW- Love covers a multitude of sins… in fact Jesus even told us to love our enemies. Love looks to build up, restore, to live like Christ.)

All of this instruction is to align us with God’s character. We, the body of Christ, are called to become like Him. To be unified in Him.

Jesus said that the OT Law and Prophets could be summed up in the command to LOVE God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and the LOVE our neighbor as ourselves.

Just as Jesus instructed us to love, so Paul reminds the Corinthian church that Love must instruct our character if we are to live out the call on our life.

So, let me ask- do you love God enough to live consistently with His values?

Do you love your neighbor enough to live genuinely in community?

Discuss: Read the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23 and compare to Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. What do you notice?

Love is a more excellent way because it enriches our gifts and instructs our character. But finally, Paul points us to how

Love Informs our Perspective (8-13)

It is real easy to get caught up in the now. I know many who are so clouded by what’s going on that they cannot see past their circumstance. That’s why we get road rage when there are bikers in our way, it’s why we get discouraged when someone ignores us, it’s why we are fearful of the future.

But love, Paul says, helps us to see things differently. Let’s read 8-13 again (READ)

I want to pull out a few truths for us as a church this morning:

One day Jesus will return. And when He does and we’re all hanging out in eternity, I won’t be needing the gift of teaching or preaching. There will be no need for the evangelistic gifts nor for the gifts of healing… but LOVE will still be the mark of God’s people.

In Corinth, the folks were so worried about which visible spiritual gift they had because they wanted people to know they were special. But Paul helps us to see that the true and enduring mark of the Christ-follower is that we will love like Jesus.

John 13:35 NASB95

“By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

We are all a work in progress. I don’t have all the answers and neither do you. As we mature in Christ, we are to recognize the big picture of the church.

We are here for a reason. Like we learned last week, we are called to engage in this body even though we are not perfect, in order that we might be a reflection of Christ that brings the watching world to know Him.

3. What lies ahead is worth it. Folks, I cannot imagine what it will be like to see Christ face-to-face, but I believe that one day each of us will do so. And, for those who have trusted Him as Lord and Savior, we will behold His face and know Him more perfectly than we could ever imagine in this life.

As the bride and body of Christ, we should anticipate the future in God’s Kingdom, knowing we are already citizens of heaven.

Yes, love is a more excellent way.

I’ll ask again: Do you love Christ enough to anticipate His return?

Do you love your neighbor enough to reflect Christ’s love to him?

Discuss: How does Christ’s return give more significance to love?

As we bring our time together to a close, I want to challenge you and encourage you.

This message is intended for the church- a gathered body of believers who are committed to Christ and to one another. If we wish to be effective and faithful in our mission, we must not only be engaged, but we must be engaged in the love that binds us together.

This morning I want to encourage you- perhaps you’ve been visiting and have never taken the step to join the membership here. Will you commit to Christ’s body here at LRBC. Or perhaps you are a member, but you’ve not engaged beyond attendance. Will you take the next step and allow God to use your gifts and love to further His Kingdom?

Here’s how you can respond- Take a welcome card from the pew in front of you, fill it out and leave it in the pew or come forward as we sing and myself or one of our leaders will talk you through your next step.

[PRAY]