Without Love

Bibles turn to first Corinthians 13 and we'll look at verses one through eight this morning. And you already see one of my typos. I don't know how how those thing. Anyway, supposed to be a colon after 13 on the screen but you probably figured that out. First Corinthians 13.

Actually, I'm going to start with the last verse of chapter 12. So, last verse of chapter 12 in just a moment. That's verse 31. But after you find that, look up at the screen or read a couple passages off the screen and then we'll come back to first Corinthians 13. So, First of all, John thirteen thirty four and thirty five.

A new commandment I give unto you that you love one another as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples if you have love, one, two, another. That was Jesus talking to his disciples. Matthew 22, Matthew records this exchange with the Lord Jesus and someone. He says, someone asked Jesus, master, which is the greatest commandment in the law?

Jesus said unto him, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. Let's pray.

Dear God, thank you Lord for this day. Thank you for this opportunity to look into your word. I pray Lord that you would use it mightily in our life to draw us closer to you. Lord, that we might recognize the love that you have for us and the love that you have placed in our heart that we need to nurture and exercise as your children. In Jesus name, we do pray.

Amen. Now, first Corinthians. First Corinthians chapter 12 verse 31 and then the first eight verses of chapter 13. It says there, Paul writes, but covet earnestly the best gifts and yet, show I unto you a more excellent way. Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels and have not charity, I am become a sounding brass or a tinkling symbol.

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. 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. Now, if you have a modern translation, not the King James version, you might have the word love there in place of the word charity. It is the word agape in the Greek. It is the word for love but love that demonstrates itself in charity.

We'll come back to that in just a few minutes. But as we read through these first verses here, Paul says, though you have all these wonderful gifts, have all these wonderful abilities. You do all these wonderful things. If you don't do em in love, they're what? They're worthless.

They're vanity they're not enduring particularly in the eyes of who? In the eyes of God. See, without fuel, I could have a brand new Ferrari and it wouldn't go anywhere. It looked pretty sitting in my driveway. I could open my hood and say, look at this awesome car I've got.

But would accomplish nothing if it didn't have anything to make it go down the road. Without film, the projector is worthless. Now, today, we don't have film projectors. We have video projectors but that video projector is hooked up to a box that is hooked up via WiFi to my tablet up here without the box and the wire and this, the projector would just project a a blank screen. Lot of potential but nothing nothing on it.

Without ink, the printer can't print anything. Without electricity, the light bulb's not going to turn on. Without Windex and the spray bottles, you're not cleaning the mirror. Without a person to play the music, it's just smudges on a paper. Without love, life is meaningless, fruitless, purposeless, and joyless.

It is this love described here. Read more about in a few minutes. That gives life meaning. That gives life purpose. That gives life direction.

That brings to life joy. And fulfillment. Knowing that you are loved and others care about you, that you are important to them. Makes a profound difference in us. But loving others even more so.

Love makes a difference Without love, well, then you're like a tinkling symbol. Now, symbols sound really cool when they're used in an orchestra at the right place and at the right time. But just climbing on the thing over and over and over again, not pretty. Just an aggravating noise. So, Paul says, If you want to make a difference, if you want to bring glory to the Lord, if you want these things, purpose, and direction, and joy in your life, You also have to have love.

Because if you don't have love, then these other things lose their meaning. First Corinthians 13, Paul is in the midst of a larger argument concerning the place and use of spiritual gifts in the church. Chapters twelve, thirteen, and 14 are all about the use of spiritual gifts that God bestows upon his children by his spirit. His overarching argument is this, it doesn't matter how gifted you are. If you do not utilize your gift in a manner that benefits others.

It doesn't matter how gifted you are. If you do not, Use your gift out of a heart of what? Love. For others. Rather than a desire to exalt who?

Self. A big problem in the church of Corinth is they were gifted but they were trying not to draw attention to help others. They were drawing attention to themselves. They were arguing about who had the greatest gift. And they were hurting their testimony.

They were hurting their ministry. They were missing the vital element which is it's not about who has the greatest talent or the most wonderful gift. It's love. It's love. He said in verse 31 of chapter 12, but covet earnestly the best gifts and yet, show I unto you a more excellent way.

And in the original letter from Paul to the Corinthians, there is no chapter division. So, you go from and yet I show you a more excellent way right into the verses talking about the importance of what? Not gifts but love. If you have all the gifts but you're not using them out of a heart of love, they lose their meaning. They become vain.

The more excellent way is love. The use of any gift or talent given by God to be beneficial to humanity and bring glory to God must be exercised in love. Else, it is possessed and performed in vain. Particularly in the eyes of God. What is love?

Biblical love. What what kind of love? What kind of love was it? Is it that God has for his children? What kind of love is it that changes everything in people's lives?

What kind of love does God expect from us who are his children? It is a love for others in contrast to a love for who? Self. Thank you. It is a love for others in contrast to a love for self.

There are a lot of people today saying, oh, you gotta love yourself. We don't have a problem loving ourself. We care for ourself. We think a lot of ourself. We want things to go well for us.

We love ourselves. Our problem is loving others. The love of God is a love for others. It is truly caring for others. The word implies highly valuing something.

It means truly caring for others, highly valuing them even at times above who? Above yourself This love is extraordinary and it's life altering. Both to the one who love is loved and to the one who what? And to the one who loves. It is life altering.

It is natural to care for self and fulfilling one's own desires and pleasures but it is divine to place the care of others and their needs and desires first. It is this love which is transfer transformational and from above. It is this love that is different. It is this love that should be evident in the lives of who? God's children and should be the motivating factor behind what we do.

It is this love that is the subject of first Corinthians chapter 13. I read an article just this past week. Maybe you saw it. About a 14 year old girl who ended her life. She lived in New Jersey.

She was being bullied and harassed inside and outside of school by her peers. Why would she do such a thing? It is hard to imagine and I can't imagine being that parent today. And experiencing that horrific loss. But why would she do it?

I suspect she did not feel loved. I suspect that was a factor. And what happened to her She did not feel love then she did not see hope. And she did not feel love. She didn't experience the joy that life is meant to bring.

And so she ended it. Now, I wouldn't pretend to know about her situation, her mental, or emotional state but few who are loved and feel loved choose to end their life. It is likely sadly that she didn't know the love of Christ. If only someone had showed her such love. Maybe she would still be here.

If only someone had introduced her to the savior's love. Maybe she would still be here. Too many in our world today are growing up in a godless and loveless society. They're told that love for self and gratifying one's own wants and desires is the greatest virtue. And of course, this causes all kind of conflicts.

When everybody's just out for who? Themselves. And it also causes a lot of emptiness in the heart of one who either does not feel loved or does not know how to love. And we're living in a world today where that problem is rampant. And it is seen and how many young people we have lost in the past couple of years who have taken their own life.

Love is important. Love is key. A love of self this idea of that everything has to center around me. That's not from God, that's from who? That's from Satan.

It follows his example. And it will end. With his end. Instead, we need to learn the love of God. We need to experience the love of God.

We need to practice the love of God. As we read earlier in Matthew, love for God and love for others is that which all the commandments hang up on. It is the starting point and the vote motivation behind godly actions. Without love, law keeping is empty, fruitless, and frustrating. Let me read that.

Say that again. Without love, law keeping, rule keeping is empty, fruitless, and frustrating. And indeed it is. If the only reason is out of duty, if the only reason is to please someone you figure is going to punish you if it's not out of a heart of love, it's frustrating. Without love, having all the greatest gifts and showing them off is vain.

And it's only irritating. To other people. If it's not done out of heart of what? A heart of love. What is true love like?

How can we show it to others? What evidence does it produce in the lives of those who possess it? And these are good questions. We use the word love a lot but it means something different I think. To a lot of people in the world which we live today than it does to us and than it does to who?

Than it does to God. Love is more than just a missy feeling, a romantic feeling. It is something more vital and lasting. God's love, agape love, the word used here in Greek is translated charity because they, the translators recognize that this love produces charity towards others. It evidences self in charitable acts.

That is doing something for somebody else that they have not what? Earned. That's the love of God. That's charity. Doing something loving, kind, compassionate, nice for someone else that they have not earned.

And this is how this love works its way out into our life. And thus, the translators used the word charity here instead of love. This love was first demonstrated by our father in heaven and our savior Jesus Christ but God commended his love, agape, same word but God commended his love toward us and that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Amen. God's love was demonstrated in his what?

In his charitable actions towards humanity. As he gave his only begotten son and as the son gave himself a sacrifice for us on the cross. In first Corinthians thirteen four through eight, it describes this kind of love further. So, we might see how it can impact our life and be seen in our life as well. Verse four, charity suffereth long and is kind.

Charity envieth not. Charity vaunteth not itself is not puffed up. Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth. Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth.

Charity never faileth. These these other gifts, they're temporary but not but not what? Not love. No. That's not temporary.

That's forever. Let's look at the description here. We'll take a few minutes to define a few of these terms and talk about how they can be seen in our life. Love is patient or long suffering. Meaning, true love reveals itself in producing people who suffer long.

Who patiently endure the shortcomings and weaknesses and frailties of the object of that love. Let me read that again. This kind of love produces people who suffer long, patiently enduring the shortcomings, weaknesses, frailties of the objects of that love. If you really love another person, then you're going to have to learn to suffer long with their shortcomings and their weaknesses and their frailties because we all have them. We all have them.

We are far from perfect. We all fail sometimes. We all have idiosyncrasies that are irritating. But true love is patient. True love suffers long with the object of that love.

It is willing to wait if need be. To be recognized. And even loved in return. It is willing to endure hardship in care of the one loved. And is patient in waiting for things to change.

Love is patient. In regards to God, he indeed suffers long with us and waits patiently for our response of faith. Second Peter three nine says, he is long suffering to usward, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. Repentance there is being used as synonymous with salvation. God is patient.

Patiently waiting for people to come to him in faith. He is long suffering. Why is he long suffering with humanity? Why hasn't he just destroyed us all? Because he's a god of why?

He's a god of love. That's right. He also forbears much with his weak and selfish children. Not only did he wait for me to come to him and be saved but he he is patient with me every day and suffers long with my shortcomings. And yours.

Love is patient and long suffering. Love is kind, gentle, and good. True love expresses itself in kind words and deeds towards others. Even when they do not deserve it. It is gentle with those who are fragile.

It is good to them that are difficult. It doesn't overcome evil with evil. It overcomes evil with what? With good. Romans 12.

For marriage to last and be joyful and a fulfilling one. These two aspects of love are vital. You have to love the person. You have to choose to highly value them. Put up with their long suffer long with their issues Be kind because they need it even when they don't deserve it.

That is the love of God. That is the kind of love that he has shown toward us and that's the kind of love that makes a difference. In the world and in our relationships. Love does not envy. Those who truly love others rejoice when others are blessed.

True, those that truly love others, they they get excited. At the blessings of others. Those who think more about self get what? Get jealous over the blessings of others. These two are not compatible, love, and jealousy.

If you love, you're thankful for what happens to others, the good in their life. You don't get bent out of shape because they got something you didn't. Or they have something you don't Instead, if you love them, you're what? You're happy for them. If you love yourself, you complain and you gripe and you get depressed because it's life just isn't fair.

And I'm afraid the latter is more common in humanity than it's more common to love self and gripe and complain, is it not? But the love of God rejoices in the good fortune of others. Number four, love is not boastful, proud, or arrogant. In other words, where in other words, one who truly loves another does not have to exalt who? They don't have to exalt themselves.

They don't have to go on and on about their abilities and on and on about their successes and how gifted they are and what they can do. Instead, they're humble One who loves others by nature is humble rather than proud. They value others better than themselves and so rather than exalting self, they try to edify and exalt who? Others. So, they don't have to be bragging.

And they're not proud in their heart. Because their heart is full to of too full of love to want to exalt and boast in self. Philippians should say Philippians two, not one. Philippians two three to five says this, let nothing be done through strife or vainglory but in loneliness of mind, let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things but every man also on the things of others.

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus and what mind was that? It was a it was a heart, a mind of love and therefore, humility. Because of his love, he humbled himself and he came to Earth and he took my place. Amen. He didn't deserve that.

Right. I didn't deserve that but because he loved me He put me first. True love puts others first. Forget self. It builds others.

Love is not rude, inappropriate, or insensitive. In other words, when one is acting out of a heart of love, you will be sensitive the feelings and concerns of others. You'll not treat them with disrespect or in an insensitive manner but take the utmost care to treat them properly with care and compassion. Love is not rude. Love is not crude.

Love is not disrespectful. If you care about somebody, you'll be considerate. If you love God and you care about his glory, you'll be considerate Of what God wants. You'll you'll serve him and and worship him and like he wants. Rather than maybe like you want.

I'm sorry. I think it's somewhat of a plague on on in churches and in worship today. That it's become all about what makes me feel good. But worship's not about me. It's about who?

It's about him. Right. And my worship should reflect the holiness and love of God. Not simply what makes me feel good. Because then that's not really worship.

That's entertainment. I can go some other world. I can do other things to find entertainment. When I'm at church, in other aspects of my life, I need to be worship ing who? Worshiping God.

Why? Because I love him and I respect him. And the same thing should bleed through in our relationship with others If we love them, we'll we'll respect them. We'll show them that respect and consideration. Love is not self seeking.

Loving person by definition is not seeking their own way or what is always best for them but considers what is best for the object of their love. Actions taken in love have no selfish, disingenuous motive hidden behind them. Love truly wants what is best. For the one who is loved. This kind of love casts off all those selfish motivations.

Simply does things for others because they want to. Serves God because I want to. As God died for me because he wanted to. Nobody forced his hand. He did it because he loved me.

And if this love is in our heart, it will evidence itself in our life as we do for others simply because we want to, because we love them, and not just myself. It's not self seeking. Love is not easily provoked and thinketh no evil. One who loves another as long suffering implies is not short-tempered, irritable, or grumpy toward the one loved. If you're grumpy all the time, that's a problem.

You shouldn't be grumpy all the time. With the person that you want? Love. Because if you love them, you wouldn't be so short-tempered. If you love them, you wouldn't be so easily irritated.

But if you love self, then, every little thing just kind of grates on you. You see, but true love isn't short-tempered. It's not grumpy. Love can take a lot. Love can forgive a lot.

And it does not keep in mind a list of wrongs done. Which is owed for or which reason ill treatment is justified. It doesn't keep a list of wrongs in mind of things that were done as reasons to get back, as grudges to be held. True love lets those things what? It lets them go.

Every now and then, my wife does something that bothers me. I think it's probably she does it one out of for every 10 things I do. But you know something I have tried at times to hold on to that grudge and I can't do it. I just, it's not that I don't want to do it. I don't want to do it but I can't do it.

It just It doesn't stick. I forget it. It goes bye bye. In two days from now, it's gone. Why?

Because I love her. And as I said, there's probably many many more things I do that she lets go of probably every day. And I am so thankful that she loves me. Love lets things go. If you really love somebody, it's easy to do.

If you don't, it's hard. Love is not easily provoked. You think of no evil. Love does not rejoice in iniquity but in the truth. Meaning that those who love God and love others love the propagation of truth and they love the doing of righteous deeds and not the other way around.

Love does not rejoice when sin wins. Love does not rejoice when sin overcomes others or when unrighteousness is practiced. I'm afraid that when we take sin lightly, we are demonstrating that our love for God is what? Is weak. When we say sin lightly or laugh at it or condone it or justify it in our life or the lives of others, we demonstrate a lack of love for both them and God.

When we act as though no, that doesn't, that evil, that bad thing, that sin committed against God isn't important. When we condone it, We demonstrate a lack of love for God but we also demonstrate a lack of love for others when we lead them to believe that sin is just a what? A little thing. This is not little. If you love God, you'll hate what?

You'll hate sin. Now, sadly, doesn't mean you'll never do it. But when you do it, it will what? It will bother you. When others do it, it will bother you.

If it doesn't bother you, then there's a problem with your love for who? With your love for God. Because what bothers him should bother who? Should bother you. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things, it never fails.

Thus, love can bear up under the heaviest of weights unlike my back. Love can carry a whole lot like a a paralyzed spouse or a difficult one. I suspect one I'm thinking of isn't too much of a difficult one but I know that Allen Joe's daughter, Sandy, carries a lot of weight with Scott, her husband who's been paralyzed since what? He was 20? He's a good guy.

But how do you carry that kind of weight through life? Love. Love carries that kind of weight through life. What do we say when we get married and sickness and in health and wealth or in poverty. That that's true love can do that.

True love enables its possessor to continue to believe and trust in the Lord and righteousness and goodness even when things in life are going sideways. Love gives hope in the darkest hours and true love likes God's love for us is enduring, sturdy, unfailing, and unending. Turn if you would to Romans eight, just back a few pages. Romans chapter eight. Now that I'm done with my first point, I'll go to my second.

No, I'm just kidding. This is the conclusion and I know Al is over there smirking because he thinks my conclusion's going to be twenty minutes long but it's not. Romans eight verse 35. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword?

As it is written for thy sake, we are killed all the day long. We are accounted sheep to slaughter. Nay, in all these things, we are more than conquerors to him that loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God. Which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

God's love is unfailing. God's love is never ending. And that's the kind of love that he has put here in the heart of his children. And it's the kind of love that we need to nurture. And it's the kind of love that we need to exercise.

And it's the kind of love that the world needs desperately to what? To see. Amen. In us. Finally, the love of God is a choice.

It is much more than a feeling but a commitment we make to place another's happiness and well-being above our own. It is the love he demonstrated toward us by sending his son to die in our place. Not because we earned it or could ever repay it but because he chose to value us above the pain and suffering. That he endured to buy us back, to redeem us from sin. Choose to love others like our savior does.

Husbands, love your wives even as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it. Choose to love today and tomorrow those whom you have made commitments regardless of their failures. Choose the love of Christ. Receive it by faith today and be saved. And then practice it every day.

Of your life. As he gives you grace and strength to do so. Give a hymn of invitation and just a moment. If you're here today and you've never trusted Christ as savior, you need to know that God loves you. He demonstrated it when he sent his son to die in your place.

He wants you to be saved today if you'll come. I'll meet you down here and share with you how you can experience the love of Christ and be saved by his grace today and Christian, if there's something the Lord is working in your heart about, don't push it away. Deal with him. Today. Let's pray.

Dear God, thank you Lord for your love. Thank you Lord for your goodness mercy, your grace, your compassion, your patience, with us. Lord, help us to be able to show that same compassion, and love, and graciousness, mercy, and kindness to others. Lord, spread your heart, your love in our heart Lord, help it to grow and to be seen. Forgive us of our selfishness.

Help us to be more like Jesus and if there's one here today that's not trusted Christ, I pray. They'll come as we sing today. In Jesus name, amen. If you take