All right, let's take our Bibles
and turn to 1 Corinthians 13. 1 Corinthians chapter 13. I'd like to deal, as I said,
with verses one through three and then second message four
to 13. And I've entitled this, The Necessity. of love. The Apostle Paul was moved by
God's Spirit to say in verse 1 of 1 Corinthians 3, though
I speak with the tongues of men and of angels and have not charity,
I am become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. The Apostle Paul was saying,
if I don't possess love, love from above, love of God, and
I preach with these tongues or tongues of men, tongues of angels,
I don't have love. I am nothing more than offensive
unintelligible noise. That's all I am. Now, the reason
he said, though I speak with the tongues of men, he had formerly
dealt with the subject of the gifts of the spirit. God had
called some men to be apostles, and he gave them Some gifts,
just back up a little bit, 1 Corinthians 12, verse 28 to 30. The apostle Paul said, God has
set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily, prophets,
thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts, healings,
helps, government, diversities of tongues, Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles?
Have all the gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do
all interpret? But covet earnestly the best
gifts, and yet show I unto you a more excellent way. Now, the
Lord, turn back to Mark 16, Mark chapter 16. The Lord is getting
ready to send His disciples out. He says in Mark 16 verse 15,
He said unto them, He told them, Go ye into all the world and
preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized
shall be saved, but he that believeth not whether he's baptized or
not, shall be damned. And these signs shall follow
them that believe. Now he's talking concerning his
apostles. He's talking to his apostles.
He said, in my name shall they cast out devils. They shall speak
with new tongues. They shall take up serpents.
And if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them.
They shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover. He gifted his apostles with some
marvelous gifts. He gave them the ability to be
able to speak in these other tongues and it actually happened. All these things. Paul the Apostle
bit by a venomous snake, shook it off, shook it in the fire
and people looked at him. But in the book of Acts, chapter
2, concerning these tongues. Now, when it says tongues, you
know it's not this unintelligible gibberish. that people, they
get around, they get this ecstasy thing and they start, you know,
saying stuff and it just doesn't make any sense. That is not what
the gift was. It was the ability to preach
in a known language, but not known to the person preaching
it. The ability to preach in a language
that he had never learned before. I've said before, I don't speak
Russian. You know, I can hear it. I say,
well, that sounds Russian to me. That sounds Spanish to me.
But I can't speak it. But the gift of tongues was that
ability to be able to preach. And the Lord gave these apostles
the ability to preach in languages to people. They were to go into
all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Well,
some of them, you know, they were going to some places that
didn't understand Galilean. Look in the book of Acts, chapter
two, verse one through 11. And when the day of Pentecost
was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place,
and suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty
wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And
there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as a fire, and it
set upon each of them, and they were all filled with the Holy
Ghost and began to speak with other tongues or languages, as
the Spirit gave them utterance, and there were dwelling at Jerusalem
Jews, devout men out of every nation under heaven. And when
this was noised abroad, the multitude came together and were confounded,
because that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and
marveled, saying one to another, behold, are not all these which
speak Galileans? And how, here we every man in
our own tongue wherein we were born. Parthians, Medes, Elamites,
dwellers in Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Persia,
Pamphylia, Egypt, parts of Libya, Cyrene, strangers of Rome, Jews,
proselytes, Cretes, Arabians. We do hear them speak in our
tongues the wonderful works of God. They said, these guys are
Galileans. How are we hearing it in our
language? They were amazed, but they were
hearing, and the Spirit of God gave them that ability to be
able to preach in languages they'd never learned before. Why? They
were to preach so that these people could hear. But look at
Hebrews 2. Hebrews 2, verses 3 and 4, the
Scripture says, Hebrews 2 verse 3 and 4, how shall we escape
if we neglect so great salvation which at the first began to be
spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him,
his apostles. His apostles learned the gospel
from the Lord. That was the sign of apostle. You had to have learned the gospel
personally. from the Lord himself. He taught
you the gospel. And also were witnesses of his
resurrection. That was the credential of being
an apostle. And it said that the Lord came
and he began to preach the kingdom of heaven. And it was confirmed
unto us, the apostle Paul was saying, by those that heard him.
Well, how was it confirmed? Verse 4, God also bearing them
witness, both with signs, wonders, divers miracles, and gifts of
the Holy Ghost according to His own will. So here's the truth
of it. The Spirit of God had moved upon
some men and gave them some gifts. and to be able to preach in languages
and heal and they preached and it was a sign, a confirmation
that they were of the Lord. They were sent of the Lord. So
Paul now having explained that, that God had given them, now
we're back in verse 1 of chapter 13, he says, Though I speak with
the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become
as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. Though I speak in the
languages of all men. Paul said, I speak in tongues
more than any of you. Paul wasn't bragging, he was
just telling a fact. God gave him the ability to speak
in languages. He said, I speak more than any
of you. But he said, though I have The
gift, though I speak with the tongues of men, that amazing
gift, that God-given ability to preach the gospel in languages
foreign to the preacher, languages that are understood by men but
not taught. Though I speak with the tongues
of men, every dialect, our angels, being able to speak in a language
of heavenly creatures, I mean, and who can tell what language
they speak, but the Apostle Paul is saying, if I could, if I was
able to communicate in all human and heavenly ways, yet I have
not charity, I have not love, the love of God that's shed abroad,
given from heaven, unto people of God's choosing. If I don't
have love, I am nothing more than just sounding brass, tinkling,
just noise. I'm no more personally worth
anything concerning true worship before God and for the good of
God's people than just noisy sound, just dropping, opening
up a cabinet and a whole cabinet full of pots just fall out, just
noise. What kind of prophet was that?
Paul said that's about what it is. It's just, men do things
like this and they call it worship. All they're doing is making noise. Oh, the importance, the necessity
of love, love. The Spirit of God moved upon
this man to teach that those that are born of God, God gives
them love in their heart and the lack of that love. Love for God as He's revealed
in these scriptures. And love for men, loved and taught
of God in evidence, the regenerating power of Almighty God. He said,
without that, that's the key, that's the key of it. He said,
all these gifts and stuff, I mean, without love, 1 John 4a, he that
loveth not, he that loveth not God, loves not God's people,
knoweth not God. For God is love. He doesn't love
the God of this Bible. those regenerated by sovereign
grace according to this Bible. He doesn't know the Lord. Love
is that evidence. It's, you know, any man that
doesn't preach the gospel of God's grace and God's love in
Christ, sovereign grace, that gospel that gives all the glory,
not to the creature, but to the creator. Not any honor to men,
but all the honor to the Lord. He hasn't been called, he hasn't
been sent of God. Love is the very essence of God's
nature. The just God, who is a savior,
who has satisfied himself in the person of his blessed son
for a people, of God's choosing. It's His nature to love because
God is love. God is love. It is God's nature
to show mercy. Moses said, show me your glory.
I will have mercy on whom I'll have mercy. I'll have compassion
and to forgive. It's God's nature So everyone
born of God has love. Love is God. God is love. It has God in the
person of the Lord Jesus Christ formed in them. That new man
we talk about, the sinneth not, that's Christ in you. The hope
of glory. It's God Almighty inside a believer,
that one made new in the Lord Jesus Christ, and it is evidenced
by love. Love for God, love for God's
people. That's why the Lord told his
disciples in John 13, 35, by this. And I'm telling you, what
an important word, by this. That's a singular thing by this. Somebody said, well, I believe
the doctrines of grace. I've said this before. Demons,
you know, they're aware. They believe that there are doctrines
of grace. If I can say it, they know God
chose the people. They know that Christ died for
His elect. They've heard, you know, they
know that. You know, I believe in the doctrines
of grace. Well, that's just not good enough. Scripture doesn't
say, He that believeth in the doctrines of grace. I believe
the doctrines of grace. I love them and preach them.
But it's the truth of Christ. We believe in Him. We believe
in God the Father who elected, God the Son who redeemed, God
the Spirit that regenerated, keeps and teaches. By this, Shall
all men know that you're my disciples? You have love one for another.
God's love for His people, it never started. And it never will
cease. Jeremiah 31.3, The Lord hath
appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an
everlasting love. Therefore, with loving kindness
have I drawn thee. God's love is his gift to his
people. Romans 5, 5, it says, and hope,
or confidence, expectation, maketh not ashamed because the love
of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which
is given unto us. So the Apostle Paul preaching,
though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and I don't
have love, I'm just sounding brass and tinkling cymbals. Verse
two, and though I have the gift of prophecy, and I understand
all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith,
so that I could remove mountains and have not charity, I am become
nothing. Though I have the gift of prophecy,
preaching. Balaam was a false prophet. And you can go back and read
some messages that Balaam preached, and you're not going to find
one thing wrong with them. But obviously he was a false
prophet because God said he was. He could preach. He had obviously
that ability. He knew the right things to say. But the love of God was not there.
I don't doubt for one second that Judas had some ability to preach. He
heard some words and obviously the disciples never questioned
him. Even at the last supper, when
the Lord said, one of you is going to betray me. Do you think
the other eleven looked around and said, I tell you, I know
who it is. That's been real obvious for a long time. No, what did
they say? What is it I? They never suspected
Judas. though I have the gift of prophecy,
and understand all mysteries and knowledge, though I have
all faith." Now, obviously, the apostle here is speaking of those
degrees or things like I was talking about with Judas. There's
some things that I'm sure he believed, and I'm sure that he
had that ability to speak or something. He said, if I have
these gifts that appear to be, but I don't have love, though
I can preach, many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, we
prophesied in your name. Men stand up that have some,
at least outwardly, some gifts. We prophesied in your name. We
cast out devils in your name. We've done many marvelous works
in your name. And the Lord said, I will say
unto them, I never knew you. And the reason is based on these
scriptures, love was not there. Love for God and love for God's
people. Though I have these gifts, I
understand mysteries and knowledge, I have faith. so that I could
remove mountains and have not love. I am nothing. There's no love shed abroad.
Look at Matthew 5.13. Matthew 5.13. The Lord teaching said, you're the
salt of the earth. But if the salt hath lost its
savor, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good
for nothing, but to be cast out, to be trodden under foot of men. It doesn't matter what it appears. If the love of God is not shed
abroad in a man's heart, if he does not have love bestowed by
God. He's nothing. In verse 3, and though I bestow
all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to
be burned, I have not charity. It profiteth me nothing. Though I've got a soup kitchen,
and we have an organization for unwed mothers, We have all of
these marvelous things. I give everything I've got. My
body's burned. There are people that will die
for what they believe. They'll be martyrs for that faith,
but if that one thing, the love of God, A man can do all of these,
outwardly speaking, marvelous things, attempting to buy or
purchase his own works by so-called good sacrifices. He might be
trying to buy himself a place in heaven. And sincere. I watched
a woman last night, she was talking about, it doesn't matter the
denomination, but she was talking about how she has decided that
she's going overseas to this place, and she said, I have given
my life to be a mother of souls. And that's my calling. I'm a
mother of souls. Now, that all sounds, you know,
somebody might hear that and say, what a, man, what dedication. What a, I mean, and she's willing.
She's willing to go. But without a knowledge and a
love for God, in this book, a man can do everything, give everything
he owns till he has absolutely nothing, destitute. Give his
body to be burned out of fear of going to hell and being separated
from God and fearful of God's punishment. I don't want to face
God in judgment And not knowing, so I'm going to do all these
things, but if there's no love, Paul said all these efforts,
all of this is nothing more, just talking about Judas a while
ago, nothing more than a kiss of Judas. It's an outward show. Judas came and kissed the Lord.
Someone said he kissed the door of heaven and missed it. Why? He didn't love Him. He had
no love for Him. But in closing, let me ask you
this for this morning. How is this love obtained and
what is the evidence of possessing it? I'll deal more fully with
that second one in that second message, but how is it obtained? It is obtained one way. It's
not worked up Romans 5, 1-5, I read one of these verses, the
last one, but I'm gonna read Romans 5, 1-5, and here's how
it's obtained. Romans 5, verses 1-5, therefore,
being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our
Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access by faith, into
this grace wherein we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory
of God. And not only so, but we glory
in tribulations also, knowing that tribulations worketh patience,
and patience experience, and experience hope, and hope maketh
not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our
hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us. How is love obtained. God gives it. Not on our merit. Who merited
the love of God? It was by grace that you're saved. In regenerating grace, love is
there. God puts within the heart of
a vessel of His mercy, love. Love is poured in, 2 Peter 1,
3, according as His divine power hath given unto us all things
that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him
that hath called us to glory and virtue. And that evidence
of possessing the love of God. I read that passage a while ago,
you know, by this shall all men know You're my disciples, you
have love. One for another. Look at 1 John
4, 19-21. 1 John chapter 4. Verse 19-21. We love Him because
He first loved us. If any sinner, saved by the grace
of God, which he does, loves the Lord, he does. It's because
God loved him first. God set his affection on him
first. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar. For he that loveth
not his brother, whom he hath seen, the heart of the second
message. Our love for God known through
our love for the brethren. He is a liar. He that loveth
not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom
he hath not seen? And this commandment we have
from him that he who loveth God loveth his brother also. What did the Lord say? You can't
love God and hate or be hateful to, hateful toward your brethren. You can't do it. It won't happen. I'm not going to say we'll never
do something, but I'm telling you, a brother is not going to
just continue in that. The Spirit of God will chasten
him and correct him. How can we say we love God and
hate those, God that we've not seen and hate those that we do
see? It's more contradictory than
for a man to say, I love the Lord, and be hateful toward his
brethren. Hates his brethren. He's a liar.
He declares that he loves God, and he doesn't. So John 13 that
we just read a while ago, I'll read this, and
I will close. By this shall all men know that
you're my disciples if you have love one to another." Men that
know God don't love merely doctrine. They don't love merely religious
speech. They love God's people because
they love the Lord. Almighty God has set forth that
love for the brethren is the sign of life. I pray that God
teach us something in this blessed chapter here concerning love.
Lord, help me. Lord, teach me. Lord, forgive
me. That I might know truly in my
heart the experience of that love. for his sake and our good. Amen.