Where is the Love?

1 Corinthians 13:1-13
Apr 15, 2012

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1 Corinthians 13:1-13 (ESV)

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 13:1-13 (ESV)

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.

1 Corinthians 13:1-13 (ESV)

8 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.

1 Corinthians 13:1-13 (ESV)

13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

If God x-rays our hearts, does He see love?

1 Corinthians 13 vv. 4-8

Characteristics of love

vv. 1-3
Love is the greatest virtue of all.

v. 13
Love is the greatest virtue of all.

1 Corinthians 13:1-13 (ESV)

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.

Speaking in tongues Prophecy, knowledge, faith Generosity, sacrifice

Observation 1: Paul is contrasting spiritual gifts with the virtue of love.

1 Cor. 13
LOVE

1 Cor. 12
Spiritual gifts & ministry in the church

1 Cor. 14
Spiritual gifts & ministry in the church

In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul addresses the attitude necessary in all ministry in the church. - Dr. John MacArthur

Speaking in tongues Prophecy, knowledge, faith Generosity, sacrifice

Observation 2: It is possible to practice spiritual gifts but not doing it out of love.

1 Corinthians 13:1-13 (ESV)

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.

How?
Showing off Not genuinely caring for other people's welfare Doing it out of duty or begrudgingly Practicing it without sensitivity Doing something in expectation of getting something in return

Speaking in tongues Prophecy, knowledge, faith Generosity, sacrifice

Observation 3: Love others with your spiritual gifts.

Paul is not saying that we need not exercise our spiritual gifts. He is teaching us to love in the midst of exercising our spiritual gifts.

Application
1) Who do you need to love more?

If God x-rays our hearts, does He see love?

1 Corinthians 13 vv. 4-8

Characteristics of love

vv. 1-3
Love is the greatest virtue of all.

v. 13
Love is the greatest virtue of all.

1 Corinthians 13:1-13 (ESV)

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.

Characteristics of Love...
is patient is kind does not envy does not boast is not arrogant is not rude does not insist on its own way is not irritable

is not resentful does not rejoice at wrongdoing rejoices with the truth bears all things believes all things hopes all things endures all things never ends

Love is action, not abstraction. - Dr. John MacArthur

Application 1) Who do you need to love more? 2) Which among the characteristics of love is God prompting you to act upon?

Characteristics of Love...
is patient is kind does not envy does not boast is not arrogant is not rude does not insist on its own way is not irritable

is not resentful does not rejoice at wrongdoing rejoices with the truth bears all things believes all things hopes all things endures all things never ends

1 Corinthians 13 vv. 4-8

Characteristics of love

vv. 1-3
Love is the greatest virtue of all.

v. 13
Love is the greatest virtue of all.

If God x-rays our hearts, does He see love?

1 Corinthians 13 vv. 4-8

Characteristics of love

vv. 8-12
vv. 1-3
Love is the greatest virtue of all.

v. 13
Love is the greatest virtue of all.

1 Corinthians 13 vv. 4-8

Characteristics of love

vv. 8-12
Explanation of the permanence of love

vv. 1-3
Love is the greatest virtue of all.

v. 13
Love is the greatest virtue of all.

1 Corinthians 13:1-13 (ESV)

8 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.

The gifts of prophecy, tongues, and knowledge will pass away.

But love never ends! We will need to love forever!

When will the gifts of prophecy, tongues, and knowledge pass away?

1 Corinthians 13:1-13 (ESV)

8 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.

The perfect must be the eternal state, when we in glory see God face to face and have full knowledge in the eternal new heavens and new earth. Just as a child grows to full understanding, believers will come to perfect knowledge and no such gifts will be necessary. - Dr. John MacArthur

Love never ends! We will be loving God and each other forever.

1 Corinthians 13 vv. 4-8

Characteristics of love

vv. 8-12
Explanation of the permanence of love

vv. 1-3
Love is the greatest virtue of all.

v. 13
Love is the greatest virtue of all.

If God x-rays our hearts, does He see love?

1 Corinthians 13 vv. 4-8

Characteristics of love

vv. 8-12
Explanation of the permanence of love

vv. 1-3
Love is the greatest virtue of all.

v. 13
Love is the greatest virtue of all.

1 Corinthians 13:1-13 (ESV)

13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

The objects of faith and hope will be fulfilled and perfectly realized in heaven, but love, the God-like virtue, is everlasting. - Dr. John MacArthur

Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?

Jesus replied: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. Matthew 22:37-38

We will be loving God and each other forever.

1 Corinthians 13 vv. 4-8

Characteristics of love

vv. 8-12
Explanation of the permanence of love

vv. 1-3
Love is the greatest virtue of all.

v. 13
Love is the greatest virtue of all.

Application
1) Who do you need to love more? 2) Which among the characteristics of love is God prompting you to act upon? 3) What loving action would you like to do for God? 4) What loving action would you like to do for the person in #1 above?

Where is the Love?

If God x-rays our hearts, does He see love?

Where is the Love?

1 Corinthians 13:1-13
Apr 15, 2012

See you at the CAFE Hub...

CAFEHub http://ChristianAgapeFellowship.com/