Text:
1Corinthians 13:1-3:
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
1John 4:8:
He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
Theme:
I Am In Love
Introduction:
- Love has and will always be an intensely debated and embraced topic amongst mankind.
- Man and woman have engaged in conversations decorated with the words “I Love You” since the beginning of time.
- Adam cried out to the same effect even in King James English when he said in Genesis 2:23, “…This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh…..”
- Romeo and Juliet tickled the literary hearts of people for centuries with their undying love that led to their death.
- Now brothers are still swimming the pools of women’s eyes by saying as Stevie Wonder says, “These Three Words”….I LOVE YOU
- We all have different understandings of LOVE due to different factors….
- Experience à What has happened in your life
- Background à What you have been taught and how you have been directed
- Communication à How feelings are communicated directly affects how they are experienced
- Personality à Last but not least, different folks act differently when they love or are in love
- What is LOVE? à The world has always provided definitions of LOVE for us to feast on and live by.
- Psychologists describe love as one’s intense affinity for a person, place, thing or idea…a step beyond “like”
- Sociologists describe love as the emotional, physical, and/or intellectual intimacy between two individuals.
- Luther Vandross describes love as an empty “chair”
- Christopher Cross describes love as “Sailin’”
- India Irie describes love as “The Truth”
- Natalie Cole describes love as “Inseparable”
- The Temptations described love as “My Promise”
- Chaka Khan describes love as “My Funny Valentine”
- The Commodores described love as “Easy” and “Sweet”
- Even movies define it! The movie “Captain Corelli’s Mandolin” (2001) describes love as “What’s left after all the fireworks are gone”
- Man and woman have engaged in conversations decorated with the words “I Love You” since the beginning of time.
- But what does God’s Word teach us about love?
- After having reflected on the world’s descriptions and definitions of love, let us look at what God says!
- The First Letter of Corinthians was written by the Apostle Paul to the church in Corinth.
- Paul’s focus in this letter was Christian Conduct.
- Our first portion of text is the first three verses of the so-called “Love Chapter” in First Corinthians.
- The First Epistle of John is the fourth of the general epistles and was written by the Apostle John in his later years.
- The purpose of the epistle is to declare the Word of Life to those to whom he writes, in order that they might be united in fellowship with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ.
- He shows that the means of union with God are,
- By Christ, through his atoning work and his advocacy
- By man, through our holiness, obedience, purity, faith, and love
- Our second portion of text is the short but powerful 8th verse of the 4th chapter of First John that says, “God is Love”
- From these passages of scripture we are directed to a foundational understanding of what LOVE truly is!!
Body:
- LOVE is in an EXPRESSION
- Between Man and woman à Eros à Ephesians 5:33, “Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.”
- Between two people (not sexual) à Filios à Leviticus 19:18, “Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.”
- From God to man à Agape à John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
- The value of expressing LOVE is that it CHANGES LIFE!
- 1John 3:14, “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.”
- Living is life more abundantly through LOVE.
- John 10:10, “….I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
- Love makes living true LIFE
- 1Peter 1:22, “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:”
- Living is life more abundantly through LOVE.
- 1John 3:14, “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.”
- What is LOVE?
- Love is a term used arbitrarily… without true meaning or power
- Romans 10:2, “For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.”
- The question is really WHO IS LOVE è The answer is GOD IS LOVE!
- 1John 4:8, “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.”
- LOVE is the primary nature of God
- God embodies love
- 1John 4:8, “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.”
- Whatever love man has comes from God
- All TRUE LOVE derives from Him
- 1John 4:19, “We love him, because he first loved us.”
- Therefore, man’s love must be untainted
- Romans 12:9, “Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.”
- If it ain’t perfect, it ain’t love!!!
- Matthew 5:48, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”
- We see the example of GOD as PERFECT LOVE in the Love Chapter of 1Corinthians 13:
- “Charity suffereth long”
- Love endures. Love suffers. Love puts up with it. Love keeps pressing.
- “and is kind”
- Love is kind and not hindering, harmful, or hurtful
- “charity envieth not”
- Since God is love, and I can do all things through Him, I have no need of anything besides Love. I don’t envy what others have. I have confidence that what I have is ENOUGH!
- “charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up”
- Love is humble and doesn’t impose itself on others. Love doesn’t have to defend or argue itself…it speaks for itself!
- “Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil”
- Love is predictable! With love there are justifiable expectations that one MUST have. Don’t settle. If it does not ACT LIKE Love, then it is NOT Love.
- “Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth”
- Love doesn’t like what is not of itself. Love yearns for truth on the inward parts as David said. Either come correct or don’t come at all!
- “Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things”
- You can’t pick and choose the things that you want or don’t want in Love. It is the Love me or Leave me dichotomy.
- If it is LOVE, this takes no thought or effort. But, if it isn’t LOVE, this is work and not happily accepted.
- “Charity never faileth:”
- Absolute statement that summarizes all of the others. Love won’t fail!!! People fail, but Love never fails!!
- If the people fail, then the Love does not exist between the two EVEN if one may individually still have it.
- If the “love” fails, then IT WASN’T LOVE!!
- “Charity suffereth long”
- Love is a term used arbitrarily… without true meaning or power
- What does it mean to be IN LOVE?
- In the secular sense, IN LOVE means the symbiotic, complimentary exchange of love with someone else.
- Proverbs 18:22, “Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.”
- 2Corinthians 6:14, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?”
- In relationships, we know that we should be IN LOVE or not together at all.
- In the spiritual sense, IN LOVE means to have a oneness IN GOD with someone else.
- As a foundation à A basic requirement IN GOD
- Philippians 2:2, “Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.”
- As a blessed gift à Sought, developed, and built with spiritual maturity!
- A play on words in King James English, but a spiritual truth in God’s Word
- Ephesians 5:2, “And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.”
- Colossians 2:2, “That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;”
- As believers, we need to be IN LOVE or we are not IN GOD at all!
- A play on words in King James English, but a spiritual truth in God’s Word
- As a foundation à A basic requirement IN GOD
- In the secular sense, IN LOVE means the symbiotic, complimentary exchange of love with someone else.
Conclusion:
- From this understanding, I now know that I am IN LOVE!!!!!
- I have PERFECT LOVE!!
- 1John 4:18, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.”
- This Love that I have makes me BOLD!
- Hebrews 4:16, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
- I am IN LOVE!!!
- 1John 4:16, “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.”
- I am IN LOVE à I have God in me
- I am IN LOVE à I walk in Love
- I am IN LOVE à I am knit together with my fellow man in Love
- I am IN LOVE à There is a oneness sealed by God
- I am IN LOVE à When I see you, I see God
- I am IN LOVE à When I see God, I see you
- I am IN LOVE à He’s all around me, all in me, all over me, and all under me
- I am IN LOVE à I am IN GOD
- 1John 4:16, “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.”
- I have PERFECT LOVE!!
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