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Love Is

Love Is Timeless

 — Cliff Herring

Message Notes

 

Corinthians 13:1-13

The Absolute Necessity of Love: Selfless (vss. 1-3)
The Character of Love: Relentless (vss. 4-7)
The Permanence of Love: Timeless (vss. 8-13)

 

1 Corinthians 13:8-13  (NLT)
8Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! 9Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! 10But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless.11When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. 12Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. 13Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

 

Love is Permanent - Gifts are Temporary

 

 

Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever!  -1 Corinthians 13:8 NLT

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away1 Corinthians 13:8 NIV

 

1 John 4:16-17
16We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love, live in God, and God lives in them. 17And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.

 

“For the Christian, love is life and both are eternal. Love is the supreme characteristic of the life God gives, because love is the supreme characteristic of God Himself.”
– John MacArthur 

 

Love is Complete - Gifts are Partial

 

1 Corinthians 13:9-10  NLT
 9Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! 10But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless.

 

Psalm 40:5 NLT
O Lord my God, you have performed many wonders for us. Your plans for us are too numerous to list. You have no equal. If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds, I would never come to the end of them.  

 

Psalm 139:1-6 NLT
1O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. 2You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. 3You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. 4You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. 5You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. 6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!  

 

“God knows us perfectly, but we can know Him now only imperfectly”
- Christian Author

 

Love is Advanced - Gifts are Elementary

 

1 Corinthians 13:11-12 NLT
11When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. 12Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. 

 

“Our present vision of God as great as it is , is as nothing compared to the real thing that is yet to be; it like the difference between seeing a reflected image in a mirror and seeing a person face to face.” In our culture the comparable metaphor would be the difference between seeing a photograph and seeing someone in person. As good as a picture is, it is simply not the real thing.“
– Gordon Fee

 

Love is Eternal

 

1 Corinthians 13:13 NLT
Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

 

Romans 5:1-2 NLT
1Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. 2Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently (hope) and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.

 

Matthew 22:36-40 NLT
36“Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” 37Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

 

John 13:34-35 NLT
34So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.

 

 

Love is Relentless

 — Dale Beaver

Message Notes

Corinthians 13:1-13

The Absolute Necessity of Love: Selfless (vss. 1-3)

The Character of Love: Relentless (vss. 4-7)

The Permanence of Love: Timeless (vss. 8-13)

 

Leviticus 19:18
Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against a fellow Israelite, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.

 

Mark 12:29-31
29Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. 30And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ 31The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

 

James 2:8
Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

 

1 Corinthians 13:1-8
1If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. 3If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing. 4Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

 

Love is difficult to define but not difficult to discern.

 

1 Corinthians 13:4a
Love is patient and kind.

 

Thessalonians 5:14
Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone.

 

In the second century, the spectacle of Christian love was so stunning for pagans that they called ‘Christians’ not christiani but chrestinai—“those made up of kindness.” 
-Theological Lexicon of the N.T.

 

Romans 2:4
Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?

 

Your behavior indicates the intention of your love.

 

1 Corinthians 13:4b-6
4bLove is not jealous or boastful or proud 5or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.

 

Philippians 2:3-4
3Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

 

The person full of Christian love joins in rejoicing on the side of behavior that reflects the gospel—for every victory gained, every forgiveness offered, every act of kindness. One is not gladdened when someone else falls…..including those with whom one disagrees. 
-Gordon Fee (1 Corinthians)

 

Love is Relentless

 

1 Corinthians:13:7
Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

 

Paul does not mean that love always believes the best about everything and everyone, but that love never ceases to have faith; it never loses hope. It endures. 
-Gordon Fee (1 Corinthians)

 

Romans 8:38-39
38And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

Love Is…..                                            Love Is Not….

Patient                                                    Jealous

Kind                                                        Boastful

Glad when truth wins                          Proud

Persistent                                               Rude

Faithful                                                    Selfish

Always hopeful                                       Irritable

Enduring                                                  Resentful

Forever                                                     Happy about injustice

 

 

Love Is Selfless

 — Dale Beaver

Message Notes

Love is Selfless

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

The Absolute Necessity of Love: Selfless (vss. 1-3)

The Character of Love: Relentless (vss. 4-7)

The Permanence of Love: Timeless (vss. 8-13)
 

1 Corinthians 12:29-31
29Are we all apostles? Are we all prophets? Are we all teachers? Do we all have the power to do miracles? 30Do we all have the gift of healing? Do we all have the ability to speak in unknown languages? Do we all have the ability to interpret unknown languages? Of course not! 31So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts. But now let me show you a way of life that is best of all.


1 Corinthians 13:1-8

1If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. 3If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing. 4Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. 8Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever!
 

“It is hard to escape the implication that what is involved here are two opposing views as to what it means to be ‘spiritual.’ For the Corinthians it meant ‘tongues, wisdom, knowledge’ (and pride), but without a commensurate concern for truly Christian behavior.”  F.F. Bruce (1-2 Corinthians)
 

1 Corinthians 13:1
If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.


Romans 5:8
But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.


 “Like bronzes that have been struck sound with a great racket and will not stop until someone puts a hand on them, so these orators when asked the smallest thing produce a marathon distance speech.” Plato


Without love, your spiritual gift is just annoying.


1 Corinthians 13:2
If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing.


Matthew 17:20
“You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.”
 

Without love, your spiritual gift is just showing off.
 

Anything multiplied by zero is still zero.


1 Corinthians 13:3
If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.


2 Corinthians 12:30
If I must boast, I would rather boast about the things that show how weak I am.


2 Corinthians 12:9-10
9Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 10That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
 

Without love, your spiritual gift is in an empty competition.