Church Strong Love Strong 2
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Last week we looked at fact that we live in a world where it is very easy to be conformed to the world’s way of thinking. In fact it really is the “natural” thing to do. To be church strong we must be able to not go with the flow but to swim against the tide so to speak. And we saw this
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And 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, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And 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, but have not love, I am nothing.
Love is the Motivation for the Gifts!
Love is the Motivation for the Gifts!
The Passion Translation says this
1 If I were to speak with eloquence in earth’s many languages, and in the heavenly tongues of angels, yet I didn’t express myself with love, my words would be reduced to the hollow sound of nothing more than a clanging cymbal.
2 And if I were to have the gift of prophecy with a profound understanding of God’s hidden secrets, and if I possessed unending supernatural knowledge, and if I had the greatest gift of faith that could move mountains, but have never learned to love, then I am nothing.
The Power we receive from the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is to be wtitnesses of Jesus and Jesus came because God loved us unconditionally. So it actually makes sense that without love, the gifts are useless!
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
Even Good Things Mean Nothing Without Love!
Even Good Things Mean Nothing Without Love!
All the service to the less fortunate, all the visitation we do to people has to be because of our love for others.
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
The Fruit of the Spirit is Proof of God’s Love in Us!
The Fruit of the Spirit is Proof of God’s Love in Us!
Look at these verses in The Passion,
4 Love is large and incredibly patient. Love is gentle and consistently kind to all. It refuses to be jealous when blessing comes to someone else. Love does not brag about one’s achievements nor inflate its own importance. 5 Love does not traffic in shame and disrespect, nor selfishly seek its own honor. Love is not easily irritated or quick to take offense. 6 Love joyfully celebrates honesty and finds no delight in what is wrong. 7 Love is a safe place of shelter, for it never stops believing the best for others. Love never takes failure as defeat, for it never gives up.
We definitely cannot do anything without the power of the God kind of love flowing in and through us.
8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
Love Never Ever Fails!
Love Never Ever Fails!
It’s the unfailing love of God that we are saved by and which gives us peace of mind.
11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
We Only Know a Small Part of God’s Love!
We Only Know a Small Part of God’s Love!
Never ever think that we know all about loving others. If we do that, we make ourselves proud and that automatically cancels out love. We become hypocritical.
1 Corinthians 13:13 (CEV)
13 For now there are faith, hope, and love. But of these three, the greatest is love.
The Greatest is Love!
The Greatest is Love!
Love lasts forever! We won’t need faith and hope when we are in heaven with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit because we are there! But Jesus said in 1 John 4:16
16 We 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.
So God is love and for the rest of eternity we will be in the Kingdom of God who is love! The power of Love!