First Corinthians 13, the Apostle
Paul ended chapter 12, the last verse in chapter 12, he said, covet earnestly the
best gifts and yet show I unto you a more excellent way. He spent that last chapter telling
us about the different physical gifts that God gives to his people. Everything we have is a gift,
isn't it? Everything we have is a gift. And he gives different
gifts to different people, but he said there's a gift that trumps
every physical gift that can be given. And it's love. That's what it is. Every physical
gift that can be given. Love, love for Christ our God,
true love for Christ our God. And love for his people, the
family of God. That's the subject of chapter
13. Every time we see the word charity,
that word means love. That's what it is, love. Verse
one says, though I speak with the tongues of men, Though I
knew every language on earth, every single language on earth.
Though I could communicate with every nationality of people on
earth. Though I speak with the tongues
of men and of angels. He said, though I could speak
the language that angels speak. Paul was caught up into the third
heaven. And he said, I heard things that
are not possible for a man's mouth to utter. I heard words
and I heard a language that is so far above any man's language. That's what he said. But he said,
even if I could speak that language, I heard it. I can't describe
it to you. But even if I could speak that
language, if I did not have love in my heart, And I'm not talking
about that selfish love that we all know. Every love that
a human being knows on this earth is a selfish love. And if you
really think about it, that's what it is. I love my children. And do you know why? It's because
they're my children. That's why. I love children. But I love my children, and it's
because they're my children. And I love the warm weather,
and the reason is because it makes me feel good. It's all
a selfish, that's not the love of God. That's not true love. Love for self is not true love. And the love that God can only
give That love, verse one, though I speak with the tongues of men
and of angels and have not charity, there's the word, love, I am
become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. He's saying, though I
could speak in all these languages, languages of angels, if I didn't
have the love that God gives, all I would be is an annoying
noise. You clang a cymbal long enough,
it's cool once. It's interesting once. You clang
it long enough, oh man, this is getting on my nerves. Same
thing, same thing. And he's saying, I would not
be of any use to God. That's all I would be is that
clanging symbol. I wouldn't be of any use to God
and no use to his people. Now I saw something in this.
How many times have we looked at first Corinthians 13? I saw something in this. Our
God is telling us something very weighty and serious right here.
This is what he said. Though I speak with the tongues
of men." Now our Lord said, go preach the gospel unto all the
world. Isn't that what he said? And Paul is saying, if I could
preach the gospel to all the world, if I could literally preach
the gospel to all the world, if I did not have true heartfelt
love for the God that I serve, And for the people I preach to,
it wouldn't do a bit of good. It would not do a bit of good.
A man cannot preach the gospel. And I tell you what I'm, I'm
getting at in all this. Men know a lot of things. Oh,
he knows, he knows all five points that Calvin brought out. He knows
all of them. You ever heard of the three R's?
Yeah. Yeah. I heard of those. A man cannot preach the gospel
and a man cannot witness the gospel until God first puts that
love in the heart of that man. He's just useless. He is useless. Until that true God-given love
is there, he is unusable. That's something. That's what
Paul is saying. And though I have the gift of
prophecy, even if I could predict the future and understand all
mysteries, even if I understood all the mysteries of the scripture,
I preach things that I don't understand. I do it all the time. Sorry. Can't help it. I cannot understand God. Who can find out God? Really? I got God figured out. Oh man. I preach things that I don't
understand. I understand what He has revealed
to me. But I believe what I preach.
And the reason I believe it is because God said it and I believe
Him. I believe him, but Paul is saying,
even if I understood every mystery of scripture, what does 666 mean
in revelation? Who knows? And if a man says
he does, he doesn't. But he's saying, even if I understood
every deep mystery of the scripture. And he goes on to say, even if
I had all knowledge. And though I have all faith so
that I could remove mountains, if I don't have love, I am nothing."
That's what he said, I'm nothing. If a man is going to preach and
if a sinner is going to believe, neither one of them need a doctorate
in theology, neither one of them. The apostles were always under
the gun. People were coming up to them
going, where are your letters? You didn't go to school for this? No. Peter said, no, I was a fisherman. You mean you didn't go to college
and Gamaliel didn't sit you down and teach you all this stuff?
No, I just caught fish all day. That's all I did. People asked
me, what did you do before God called you to preach? I was a
guitar teacher. What? But does not the scripture say
they shall all be taught of God? So if a man's going to preach
and if a sinner's going to believe, neither one of them need a doctorate
in theology. What they both must have is love
in their heart for God Almighty. And I say that on purpose. Everybody
believes they love God. I'd love to ask for a show of
hands of whoever does not love God. But God Almighty, I mean God
Almighty, the One who is Almighty, we're about to, Lord willing,
hear about that God. We must have a love for God Almighty. Now let me show you a few scriptures.
Go with me to 1 John 4. 1 John 4 verse 7 says, Beloved, let us love one another,
for love is of God. And everyone that loveth is born
of God and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not
God, for God is love. If a sinner has true love in
his heart, love for God, love for his glory, love for his word,
and love for his people, And I'm going to repeat it. Love
for family and love for friends is a selfish love. That's not
the love he's talking about. Love for God. Love for His glory. Love for His word. Love for His
people. If a sinner has that love, then
it means God is inside that sinner. That's what it means. Inside
the heart of that sinner. And the reason is because God
is love. If God has caused us to really love God, love his
holiness, then God is there because God is love. Now turn with me
over to John 13, the gospel of John chapter 13. John 13, 35 says, by this shall
all men know that you are my disciples if you are well versed
in doctrine. That's how people will know.
If you can sit there and spout it off and spout it, if you understand
every doctrine of every religion everywhere. By this shall all men know that
you are my disciples if you live a holier life than most." If you have love one to another,
love one to another. Look at chapter 15, John 15 verse
12. This is my commandment. that
you love one another as I have loved you. How has he loved us? How has he loved us? Go with
me to Romans 5. Romans 5 verse 8 says, but God commended his love toward
us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. And that's what he's saying.
I want you to love each other. What he's saying is you're all sinners. And when we expect each other
to be more than that, we're going to be disappointed. That's what
we are. And he said, I want you to love
each other as I have loved you. When we were yet sinners, Christ
died for us. Love has an object. Love has an object. Love, true
love, knows who it loves. Right? You know who you love. All of the love of God, God is
love. All of the love of God points
to, looks to, and is found in Jesus Christ. Every ounce of
that love is in Jesus Christ. God loves us because of Christ. And we love God because of Christ. That's why. We love each other
because of Christ. That's why. Verse three, go with
me back to the text. First Corinthians 13. Verse three says, and though I bestow all my goods
to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned,
Paul is saying, Even if I lived a life that most would consider
to be a life of a saint, you know, a martyr, a man take all
his money and give it to the poor, a life of a saint, a life
that's more pure, a life that is more clean. A life that is
working to earn God's approval. If God has not put a burning
love for Christ and for his people in this heart right here, everything
I'm doing doesn't profit me one bit. And as a matter of fact, it usually
produces the opposite effect. That's what usually happens.
When men and women believe that they have the ability to increase
their holiness, When they believe that, that they have the ability
to change what they're doing and be more favorable to God,
increase their holiness. When Christ is not their purity
and sanctification and all those kinds of things, and when he's
not the object of all their holiness, and when they believe they can
increase it on their own. Usually all they are increasing
is self-righteousness and pride. Usually that's all we're increasing.
It just increases our arrogance. That's all it does. And the reason
is because when sinners believe that, they believe they're obeying
God and you're not. I'm doing it right and you're
doing it wrong. And pride makes them want to tell you about it.
which makes them confrontational. And if we want to get to the
root of God's law, here's the root of God's law. I'm going
to just listen. Don't, don't turn. You can just
listen. This is Matthew 22. Our Lord verse 34 right here
says, when the Pharisees heard that he had put the Sadducees
to silence, they were gathered together. Then one of them, which
was a lawyer, asked the Lord a question, tempting him and
saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
What's the, all those commandments you gave, what's the greatest
one? Jesus saith 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." Love. Love. Paul is telling us it does not
matter what a man knows in his head. That's the confusing part. Well, he's got all that stuff
up in his head. I'm sure he does. I'm sure he does. He might be
able to quote half the Bible from memory. He might be able
to. He might know that man is totally
depraved. I mean, head to toe, top to bottom,
in and out, nothing but sin. He might know that. He might
know that God chose a people. He might know that. He might
know that Christ only died for those people. He might know that,
but until God takes every bit of that, everything that's right
here in the front of his mind that he's so ready to fight you
with, until God drops that right down here into this heart, right down into this heart, It's all useless. It's all useless. Salvation is roughly 18 inches. The distance it takes to get
from the head to the heart. That's salvation. I have known
the gospel from a child. I knew the gospel from a child.
I knew it. I knew it. I knew it. I knew
it. One day I loved it. I go to church because I have
to go, because my parents make me go, and yes, I believe it's
the truth. One day I needed it. I always
knew it. One day I needed it. I always
believed it. One day I started living on it.
One day I couldn't do without it. Take everything else, but
don't take that. Salvation is roughly 18 inches.
Solomon said, out of the heart are the issues of life. Once
something is in the heart, it humbles a man. I mean, it takes
pride out of everything. You have a man fall in love with
a woman and he needs that woman. I'm telling you, pride goes out
the window. He becomes a beggar. You know, big tough man, fighting
with everybody and all. Little bitty woman. I can't live
without you." So Paul said, covet that love,
covet that. It's one of the greatest gifts
God could give a sinner. Now go with me back to the text.
We're here, 1 Corinthians 13. I'm running out of time. We'll
see how far we get in this, okay? But let me ask you this question.
What is love? What is love? The Apostle Paul
told us how important it is. And now, in these next verses,
he's going to tell us what it is. Verse 4 says, Love suffereth
long. Love suffers long. When this
flesh gets to the place where it says, I am not putting up
with that anymore. The love that God puts in a heart
says, I will. It's patient, it's patient. Verse
four says, charity suffereth long and is kind. Love is giving. Love is tender and compassionate. Verse four says, charity envious
not. It doesn't want what's best for
me. It wants what's best for you. And as silly as this is, I thought
about it. Uh, Friday we were heading up to Ashland and I,
uh, we stopped at a gas station. Everybody got ice cream. All
right. Isabella got a plain old plain
ice cream. I got a Twix ice cream. Mine
had caramel in it. As soon as she saw mine, I took
a bite out of mine. As soon as she saw mine, she didn't want
hers anymore. She wanted mine. And I wanted
mine. But you know what I did? Here, you can have it. It doesn't want
what's best for me. It wants what's best for you.
The word envieth actually means hate. It means to boil with anger. That's the opposite of love.
Verse four says charity vaunteth not itself is not puffed up.
It's not proud and it's not conceited and arrogant. That's not the
communication that two people have who love each other. Verse
five says love does not behave itself unseemly. It's not rude. Love seeks not her own. It's
it's not selfish. Love is not easily provoked. That means it doesn't have a
short fuse. Verse 5 says, Love thinketh no
evil. It does not dwell on the worst
in another. It just doesn't dwell on the
worst. Verse 6 says, Rejoiceth not in
iniquity. It's not happy when it sees the
one it loves fall into sin. This wicked heart that I have,
and we all have, if it doesn't like somebody, it wants to see
them fall. It does. You've seen movies where
there's a competition, you know, and the two people who are competing
have to watch each other compete. And while one's competing, the
other one says, I hope he falls and breaks his neck. That's what
goes on in this heart right here. And that's not love. Love does
not want to see the one it loves fail. And spiritually it does
not want to see the one it loves fall into sin, not at all. Verse
6, rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in truth. Love
beareth all things, love believeth all things, love hopeth all things,
love endureth all things. Verse 8 says love will never
fail. Now we have just described our
Lord Jesus Christ. That's not me. That is not me. If you want to see how I live
my daily life, don't read 1 Corinthians 13. That's Christ. Every bit of it
is Christ. We began this by reading 1 John
4, which said, God is love. Well, Christ is God. Right? Christ is God, the highest
God. So verse 1 says, though I speak
with the tongues of men and of angels, if I don't have Christ,
I'm just a sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. Though I have
the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge,
and though I have all faith so I could remove mountains, if
I don't have Christ, I'm nothing. Though I bestow all my goods
to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned,
if I don't have Christ, it profits me nothing. People are running
homeless shelters and soup kitchens, and I am grateful for that. I
am grateful for their kindness, but that is not going to save
their soul. Salvation is in Christ. He that hath the Son hath life,
and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. Verse 4
says, Christ suffered long. He suffered long. Peter wrote,
the long suffering of the Lord is salvation. It is salvation. He suffered long through this
life on earth. He suffered while they nailed
him and hung him on a wooden cross. He suffered in the tomb
being separated from God. Why did he do all that? You know
what the answer is? Love. That's why, love. Verse four says, Christ is kind. He gave, he gave, he gave himself. He gave it all. Verse four says,
Christ envied not. He never hated us. Isn't that
something? Verse four, he did not vaunt
himself, he didn't puff himself up. You know what he did? He
was already as high as anything can get and he humbled himself. That's what he did, he humbled
himself. He made himself to be the servant
of men. Because of that, God his father
hath highly exalted him. But he didn't lift himself up.
God lifted him up. God his father. Verse five says
Christ did not behave unseemly as rude and as hateful and as
mocking as we were. He never gave it to us in return.
Never. He never said an eye for an eye.
Verse 5 says, Christ did not seek his own. Let me see if we
can enter into this for just a second. Thank God. Christ did
not seek his own. He sought his own. Thank God. Verse 5 says, he was
not easily provoked. Verse 5 says, he didn't think
any evil. Father, forgive them. They know
not what they do. Thank God Christ did not, verse
six, rejoice in our iniquity. He rejoiced in God's truth, in
God's word, his promise, his covenant. He said, they shall
know the truth and the truth will make him free. That's what
he said. How did he make us free? How did he make us free? Verse
seven says, he bore all things. Every sin that so easily beset
us, He laid it on Himself, didn't He? Verse 7 says, He believed
all things. There was no faith. Without faith,
it's impossible to please Him. And there was no faith in us.
So He did it for us. His faithfulness, that's our
salvation. Verse 7 says, Christ hoped all
things. Christ endured all things. Christ
never failed. He never failed. Hearing that,
what does that put right here? When we really enter into that,
when God gives us the ability by His Spirit to enter in to
how wicked and wrong and bad and hateful and sinful we are,
and how good and kind and loving and holy and pure He is, seeing
what He did for that, what does that put right here for Him? For his word, for his people.
The answer is love. Love. True love. Where Christ is, there is love. And I'm going to go ahead and
stop. There's just other stuff that
I don't have time to say. So we're going to stop. You're
dismissed.