Introduction
Let me begin with a discipleship question: how will you follow Jesus in prayer and dependence on God this week?
Main Points
In this lesson shaped by Calvary Boise's teaching on LOVE CHANGES EVERYTHING: Why Love Matters, Christ invites us to receive truth with humility, practice repentance, and walk in faithful obedience.
Faith and Obedience
This is a sermon series we're calling love changes everything and as you turn to first Corinthians chapter 13 you probably have heard this. Passage of Scripture if you've ever been to a wedding if you've been around Church or scripture reading at all this is one of.
- The most commonly read scriptures in those settings and you are in for I hope a refresher course on that but also as I.
- Study this may be a new way to view what 1st Corinthians chapter 13 is telling us about the radical power of the love.
- Of God so we're gonna read the entire chapter I'll read it out loud you can follow along with me and then I'd like.
- To set the course for what we're gonna look at not only this morning but also the next couple of weeks as we study.
The theme of the love of God in its power to change who we are and change the world that we live in for. God's glory and our joy starting in verse 1 it says this though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels but.
Faith and Obedience
To face now I know in part but then I shall know just as I also am known and now abide faith hope love. These three but the greatest of these is love we're gonna spend our time as we study this chapter in the Bible answering a.
- Couple questions that I think are presented as we read this and as we think about what I've already proclaimed about the power of.
- God's love to change everything and I'm gonna set the course for some things we're going to talk about over the next couple of.
- Weeks the first and what we're going to talk about this morning is answering the question why does love matter why in verse 13.
- Does it say that given faith hope and love the greatest of those three amazing qualities that we have in our relationship with God.
Why is love the greatest and as we continue we're going to come across passage of Scripture started in verse four that I hope. Will answer another question that some of you may have this morning which is what does love look like knowing full well that many.
Sin and Salvation
A question that will be answered as it says love never fails certain things are gonna pass away they come and go in your. Life and sometimes we put love in that category because we've been in relationships that have come and gone we've had our hearts broken.
- We've experienced love that did not last and what we have in this passage of Scripture is a promise from the word that the.
- Love of God doesn't fail so we're gonna examine that and hopefully heal some wounds for some of us who have experienced the opposite.
- Of that in our own lives but before we do those things we're gonna look this morning just at the first three verses to.
- Answer the question why does love matter why is love the greatest commandment given to us from God and the second like it that.
We would love him primarily and love each other as the fulfillment of our created being the law fulfilled in our love why is. It so important to answer this question we're gonna find a surprising to this topic given to us by the Apostle Paul because he.
Living the Truth in Daily Life
What the portion we say well I don't have what he has or we say well I've got so much that I don't need. This person now that was our distracted series and my friend listen to that taurine he said I actually have a story that fits.
- Very well into the same theme and I'm gonna share it with you now because it's a story that not only sets the context.
- For first Corinthians chapter 13 but it fits very well with the season of the holidays that we're in right now my friend at.
- One particular gathering for his Thanksgiving feast one year took all of his kids into the living room after the turkey had been eaten.
- Everyone was feeling full and refreshed and excited about their time together and he was inspired to let that be enough for the whole.
Holiday season he said this is what it's all about and he's right it's all about being together feasting enjoying the goodness of God. So he pulls his kids into the living room he says kids we're gonna do the holiday season a little different this year rather.
Life in the Church
Talked so much about your guyses competition and your pride and all of the ways that your church has become distracted away from the. Love of God that let's just take a break and talk about something to inspire you he's actually warning them that if they lose.
- Sight of the love of God they are walking down a path that will have a sorrowful outcome and those are the first three.
- Verses instead of us celebrating what love looks like we start as Paul starts by saying if we don't get this right there is.
- A sorrowful outcome for your life in God there's a sorrowful outcome for any church that loses the primary focus on the love of.
- God and is distracted by anything else even really good things that we're gonna look at today if we walk down a path that.
Loses its first love we will have a sorrowful outcome that will be the first lens that we're going to look at through these. First three verses love matters because there's a sorrowful outcome without it and there's three ways that Paul is going to describe this verse.
Grace and Justification
The relationship you have with your children or the relationship that any of us have in this process that we're about to embark on. In December where we exchange gifts the gift can never be greater than the giver remember that remember that with your relationships with each.
- Other remember that with your relationship with God when the gift is greater than the giver it turns into nothing now that will be.
- One lens is the sour the sorrowful outcome that happens when we replace the gift for the giver but whenever we talk about negative.
- Or whenever we use the Bible to give us a healthy caution or warning we also take an opportunity to preach the good news.
- Or the gospel because the gospel always comes alongside the warnings of Scripture and in this we have an amazing secondary thing that we're.
Going to talk about this morning which is the glorious or wonderful opportunity that God gives us in the spiritual gifts when they are. Used for his glory in loving him and loving one another so we'll look at the sorrowful outcome that is possible for every single.
Sin and Salvation
That we do it wasn't that they sang a couple of songs and did a sermon and broke for a fellowship they had a. Different style now Paul doesn't condemn one and promote the other it's just good to know that when he's talking about them speaking with.
- Tongues he's actually referencing their gathering as a church and I say that because of chapter 14 verse 26 so if you have your.
- Bible you can turn over to chapter 14 in verse 26 just to lay the context for their gathering style it says this how.
- Is it then brethren whenever you come together each of you has a psalm has a teaching has a tongue has a revelation has.
- An interpretation let all things be done for edification now you might read that in just a vacuum and think that Paul is encouraging.
Them that when they gather every person be prepared to share a portion of Scripture or to speak in tongues or to share some. Revelation that they have but that's not what Paul is saying Paul is actually using one of those sarcastic tones that has been inter.
Conclusion
We return to the opening teaching: discipleship is not just information, it is transformation through faith and obedience to Jesus. If we receive His Word and walk it out, He will shape us into people who endure and bear fruit.
Lord Jesus, help me hear Your Word, obey it with faith, and grow as Your disciple. Amen.
Conclusion
We return to the opening teaching: discipleship is not just information, it is transformation through faith and obedience to Jesus. If we receive His Word and walk it out, He will shape us into people who endure and bear fruit.
Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus, help me hear Your Word, obey it with faith, and grow as Your disciple. Amen.