Sermon Tone Analysis

*Prayer*

Heavenly father be with us this evening and guide us through this lesson.

Let the words that come from my mouth be your words and your thoughts.

Let the Agape Love of Christ indwell us.

Let the Love of Christ come upon us.

Let us see that through this lesson that it is your love that we should strive to exemplify and trust in.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

* *

* *

* *

*Introduction*

The Book of 1 Corinthians was written about 55 A.D. while Paul was on his third missionary journey.

The authorship is not in question as it was written by Paul the Apostle, as the book states in its opening.

The city of Corinth was found in southern Greece, in the Roman province of Achaia.

The church in Corinth was founded by Paul during his second Missionary journey, with the help of Priscilla and Aquila.

Who were two Jewish believers that he stayed with and worked for as they were in the same trade that he knew.

Corinth was a beehive of the Roman culture.

It was unable to separate this culture from its new religion.

They were unable to separate themselves from the world around them.

This is the reason that the book is more a correction of behavior then doctrine.

This became extremely evident with the use of sign gifts.

The church was caught up in the use of them and not the love that should be behind them.

Paul shows the Corinthian church that they are missing something in their practice of Christianity.

They have become caught up in the sign gifts and there practice.

They were missing an element that was needed, Love.

Agape love.

We will see that we can do many things in our lives but they will all amount to nothing if we do them without love.

Pure loves that is void of selfishness, a perfect love that was demonstrated by Christ.

*/What is Love/*

Love is a complex word.

As we look at 1 Corinthians 13 we see an example of

Love but not a definition.

It shows us what true love does and does not do.

Many times this verse is said at weddings as the bride and the groom are getting ready to start a new life together.

Most probably do not realize what they are hearing.

Paul is giving us an example of total love.

Today we see love so distorted and sometimes perverted.

We hear the word love so much that we become desensitized to what love is.

From television to movies we see love as erotic not as pure holy love that Christ exemplified.

The Greeks also had trouble with love.

They were caught up in the worldliness of the day.

There love was also distorted.

So much in fact in the Greek there are three words that mean Love in the Greek.

I will examine these three meanings and how they display a different Meaning of the Love.

•     Eros

This is the Love that most people are acquainted with.

It is the most sexual of the meanings of Love.

It is represented in the mythical Cupid and Aphrodite’s.

In today’s language it would be the word Sex.

We are bombarded with this type of love in our lives.

One only needs to turn on the television to see this kind of love.

Our children are surrounded by this in movies, music and more.

Hence the word Erotic comes from this root word.

An interesting note is that this meaning of love is never used in the New Testament.

The Love that Christ gives us is a pure love.

It is not a sexual love but a devoted love.

•     Phileos

This is the love found between friends.

We get such words as Philadelphia and philanthropist from this meaning of love.

We can see this as a brotherly type love.

This can be seen as a love we have for a friend or a pet.

But Christ wanted us to love one another not as a friend but as he loved the Church.

Christ died for the church what have we done?

•     Agape

This is a divine love, pure love.

This is the type of love that God has shown to us and expects from us.

When Christ was scourged and beaten and placed upon the cross he showed us this Kind of love.

This Love goes far beyond the others.

This is the Love that should drive us as Christians.

It should be the center of our lives.

Christ commands us to Love one another as he loved the Church.

This is the love that will be the topic of this message.

* *

*1 Corinthians 13:1-13*

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; 7bears 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.

*The three phases of Love.*

Paul again is speaking of Agape love here.

Agape love is a special love that is offered to Christians and should be practiced by them.

I will now look at the three phases of agape Love.

In order for one to know divine Love they must know love in its fullness.

Love is alive it is always changing, but it always honors God.

This is the perfect love that was shown to us by Christ.

*Love is Essential - It’s Value*

In the King James Version you will see the word Charity in the place of love.

Charity in facts means love.

This was a carry over from the Latin Vulgate and the Wycliffe bible that the King James was derived from.

In today’s world Charity has a much different meaning.

What do you think of when you hear the word Charity?

Do you think of giving things to others?

Maybe some old clothes or giving a gift to a charitable institution.

It gives it an idea that we have to do something.

But Agape love goes far beyond this meaning of today’s charity.