Download Study Materials
Love (3 things)
- 1st – The gifts mean nothing without love … vs. 1-3 (3 examples)
- 1st – Without love – our gifts are irritating…
- If – for example – I had the gift of ‘unknown tongues’ – one of the Spiritual gifts…
- With the ability to speak in another earthly language – one I never learned…
- Even if I had the ability to speak in the language of the angels (perhaps Hebrew)…
- Potentially a gift that could be used to powerfully encourage God’s people…
- But my motive was not love – then I am no better than a child banging on a cymbal
- I end up just looking to draw attention to myself – not build up the church…
- I have been in churches where everyone tries to speak in tongues at once…
- Rather than seeking to bless the church – each is just looking to get attention…
- The end result is not a strengthened church – it’s just a lot of irritating noise!
- If we use the gift God has given to us for selfish reasons – we abuse our gift…
- We take something meant to be a blessing – and make it useless and annoying!
- If – for example – I had the gift of ‘unknown tongues’ – one of the Spiritual gifts…
- 2nd – Without love – our gifts are worthless…
- If I had the gift of prophecy – or knowledge – or faith…
- If I had the gift of a prophet and could foretell the future…
- If God gave me the gift of knowledge – I understood everything – nothing hidden…
- If I had the faith to say to a mountain – be cast into the sea – Matthew 17:20…
- But my motive was not love – then I am nothing – all my knowledge/faith is useless!
- Some of the most arrogant people I have every met – are the best educated…
- They think they have all the answers – and tend to look down on everyone else…
- Those who have been given power – politicians – seem to think they own the world!
- I Corinthians 8:1 – “Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.”
- Knowledge and power can be very dangerous if not used correctly…
- Rather than using our knowledge and power to bless and help others…
- Un-tempered by love – we only become arrogant and prideful – worthless!
- If I had the gift of prophecy – or knowledge – or faith…
- 3rd – Without love our gifts are empty…
- If I gave everything I had – every last peso – to the poor…
- There have been many who have given vast amounts of wealth to the poor…
- But the question is why do we give – to bless God / or be seen by men…
- Matthew 6:3-4 – “When you give… give your gifts in secret…”
- When an offering plate comes around do we make a show of our gift…
- Do we want our name up on a plaque so everyone knows what we have done…
- If you give – do it in such a way that no one knows – only our Father in heaven…
- If we give to get the attention of men – the gift means nothing!
- If I gave my very life – burned alive – as a martyr for Jesus…
- There have been many – estimated 70 million – who have died for their faith in Jesus
- Certainly there is no greater love we can give to God – than to lay down our life…
- John 15:13 – “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life…”
- But even if we ‘give our bodies to be burned’ – just to impress others – it is empty!
- If I gave everything I had – every last peso – to the poor…
- It is all about love…
- When I was a child I used to like to help people – not because I wanted to do good…
- But because I liked to receive their praise – ‘what a good boy you are’…
- I knew my motivation was wrong – I was doing the right thing for the wrong reasons!
- Without love to guide the gifts – without love as the glue to hold the body together…
- We are destined to be torn apart by our selfishness – seeking our own glory…
- It is all about Love – if we don’t have love our gifts are irritating / worthless / empty
- 1st – Without love – our gifts are irritating…
- 2nd – The definition of love… vs. 4-8
- 4 different kinds of Love…
- We have only one word in our language for love – the Greek (NT language) has 4!
- We love God – we our family – we love letson – same word / different meanings…
- The Bible separates these meaning by 4 different words…
- 1st – Eros – sexual love – the only one of the 4 kinds of love never mentioned in the Bible
- 2nd – Storge – family love – Romans 12:10 – the love of a sibling / parent / relative
- 4 different kinds of Love…
- 3rd – Phileo – brotherly love / friendship – used 25 times in the NT
- 4th – Agape – perfect love – sacrificial love – used over 200 times in the NT!
- It is most often used to describe God’s Love – I John 4:8 – “God is love [agape]…”
And as we walk daily in that Love – we will bring unity to God’s Church!
Description of Agape… (14 things)
1st – Patient – Love is not is a rush – does not expect us to change in a day…
If you are walking in love you are going to put up with others…
Even the really hard cases – those who are not easy to love…
Just as God was very patient with us – waiting for us to believe and receive Jesus!
2nd – Kind – Love is no harsh – does not use biting words – is not mean…
3rd – Does not envy – Love is not jealous – does not envy the gifts that other people have
4th – Does not boast – Love does not look for the praises of men…
When you are walking in love you do not look to get recognition from others…
Instead love looks to be rewarded by God – seeking the praises of God!
5th – Is not proud – Love does not think it is better than others…
God does not pick us because we are so amazing – He chooses the foolish…
I Corinthians 1:26 – “Not many wise, not many mighty…”
Love operated in humility – the opposite of pride – putting others first!
6th – Is not rude – Love is not obnoxious…
If you are walking down the road – and you make people want to walk the other way
Then you are not walking in love – love draws other people to you!
7th – Does not seek its own – Love looks out for the needs of others first…
8th – Is not irritated – Love does not have a short fuse – easily frustrated…
Love goes with the flow – flexible – not easily agitated…
Like when neighbors blare obnoxious music at ridiculous hours of the night…
9th – Keeps no record of wrongs – Love does not keep tack of mistakes…
We like to keep track of what people have done to us – we remember…
But Love throws that list our the door – a fresh start – a clean slate!
10th – Does not rejoice in sin / but rejoices in the truth…
When you see someone getting what they deserve – we want justice…
But Love does not look for vengeance – it rejoices in seeing God bless others!
11th – Covers mistakes – Love is willing to forget past sins…
I Peter 4:8 – “Love will cover a multitude of sins…”
Love does not talk about the sins of others – instead protecting their reputation
12th – Never believes all things / hopes all things…
Many of us tend to be pessimistic – expecting the worst outcome…
Love sees the best in people at all times – hoping God will work everything out!
13th – Endures all things – no matter what – Love does not give up…
14th – Never fails – It is here we begin to really understand that God is Love…
Anyone / anything else we depend on in life will eventually fail us…
If we depend on people – no matter how well meaning – they are still sinners…
If we depend on governments / organizations – all have the same flaw – sinners…
The only one who can never – will never fail us – is Jesus!
The fruit of the Spirit is Love…
Galatians 5:22 – “But the fruit of the Spirit is love…”
It is impossible for us to have his kind of love in our own strength – 14 things…
It is only as we look to Jesus – are receive the Grace of God – we can have this Love…
As we are full of the Spirit of God – the fruit from our lives will be the Love of God!
3rd – The greatest of all gifts is Love… vs. 8-13
The gifts will not last forever… vs. 8-12 (3 examples)
1st – Right now we each have a ‘part’ to play in the Body of Christ…
We each have our gifts that God has given to us so we all fit together as one body…
But when Jesus comes – ‘THE perfect’ one – we will no longer need our gifts…
The gifts are only meant for here on earth – in the church – to build us up in Christ
When we get to heaven the gifts God gave to the church will loose their purpose…
Those who had the gift of prophecy will be unemployed – no longer needed…
Those who had the gift of tongues will stop speaking – only one language…
There will be no need for healing – no more sickness – Revelation 21:4
There is no need for Apostles/Pastors – because we have Jesus to lead and teach us!
There are those who say the gifts of the Spirit were only for the very 1st church…
The Word of God was not complete (NT) – God gave the gifts to validate the church…
They argue that ‘THE perfect’ that was to come was God’s completed word…
Once we have the perfect Word (NT) – we no longer had need for the gifts…
But ‘THE perfect’ that is to come is obviously Jesus in the context – (rapture)…
And according to Acts 2:38-39 – the gift of the Spirit is for every generation!
2nd – When I was a child vs. being an adult
When I was a child – I spoke / understood / and thought like a child…
When we were kids we playing pakering / or lantay lantay
But you don’t expect adults to run around playing those same games…
When we grow up we put away childish things – we have more responsibility…
It is the same with our walk with Christ – right now we need the ‘gifts’ to help us…
But once we are in heaven – we can put away the ‘things of our youth’…
3rd – When I look in a mirror vs. face to face…
Ancient mirrors were much different from the ones we have today…
They were made of polished metal – the reflection would be distorted and dark…
Our understanding of Jesus now is like that mirror – dark and distorted…
Our sinful flesh / and the limits of our understanding keep us from seeing clearly…
But when we get to heaven – see Jesus face to face – we will see perfectly!
Then we will understand everything – just as Jesus understands everything now!
These three remain…
Of all the gifts – only three are eternal – faith / Hope / Love…
Faith – focuses on the past – looking at what God has done for us…
Hope – focuses on the future – the amazing promises that God has given to us…
The Greatest of all is Love…
Love – focuses on the hear and now – what we need today…
It is Love that held Jesus to the cross – so that we could have eternal life!
It is God’s Love that gives us faith – gives us hope – gives us life…
Leave a Reply