Sermon Tone Analysis

#. *The danger of familiarity*

As we come to look at 1 Cor 13, we come to what one writer calls ‘a magnificent song of Christian love’.

And it is.

And if you’ve ever been to a wedding there’s a good chance this was used.

I’ve used at many weddings I’ve taken.

If you have ever seen anything of Princess Diana’s funeral, this chapter was read out.

It is one of the classic Bible passages.

But there’s a danger in that – we may be so familiar with it, we lose the impact of it, and the challenge of it.

And rather than read it again – let’s listen to a song Graham Kendrick sings about this chapter, to try to make it somewhat fresher in our minds and hearts.

*Play song*

            Let’s pray!

 

#.

*Context*

Whenever we come to read parts of the Bible we need to read them in context, and this is certainly the case here.

Remember the context of 1 Corinthians – Paul is addressing a church which is divided, split over personalities, arguing about spiritual gifts and true spirituality, acting in arrogance, condoning sin.

Not good signs.

The basic problem – they are seeking their own good rather than the good of the other person, and the good of the whole church.

In chapter 12 you may recall Paul has talked about spiritual gifts – how they are a great blessing from the Lord, and are all important in their diversity for the good of the body.

But the question becomes – how will these gifts be used?

The Corinthians are using them a very self-centred, unchristian, and ultimately destructive way for the church as a community, as the body of Christ.

Paul writes in 12:31 – I will show you a better way to use them, in fact the most excellent way – and that is the way of love.

#.

*The necessity of love (13:1-3)*

And so ch 13 becomes that chapter on the way of love.

But Paul doesn’t just suddenly think – oh, a chapter on love would be a nice break.

No, it’s specifically addressed to the Corinthian problems as we shall see, and is critical to Paul’s understanding of what true spirituality is all about.

Vv1-3 open the chapter and remind us of the necessity of love.

READ 1-3.

a)      Paul starts in v1 with tongues – one of the key issues confronting the church in Corinth.

Even if I was the best speaker in Corinth, humanly speaking, and knew all the tricks of the trade, and could speak in angelic tongues as well, if I didn’t base it all on love then I’m a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

We might say he is just noise, interference, nothing melodic – just a lot of noise.

Without love I offend other people, but with love I build them up.

b)      But it’s not just tongues.

In v2 he picks up other examples of the spiritual gifts he has just mentioned in ch 12 – prophecy, knowledge, faith – same principle – if I can fathom all mysteries – that is the deep, secret things of God now revealed, if I had all knowledge, those truths long known, if I have a powerful, miraculous faith that can move mountains – but don’t have love – then I am nothing.

I am nothing.

I am useless for God’s glory.

As far as God is concerned if I don’t have love there is nothing of any real value in my ministry.

The Corinthians thought those sorts of gifts were so impressive.

Paul says without love the person with such gifts is nothing.

Nothing wrong with the gifts – the problem is with the person.

However greatly gifted you or I are, without love you and I are nothing.

c)      And not just gifts; but self-sacrificial acts of religion in v3.

Even if I give away all my possessions to feed the poor; or give my body to the flames in some form of martyrdom, if I do it without love I gain nothing.

They may be good acts in themselves - we are commanded to care for the poor, and they will be helped - but without love it doesn’t do me any good.

God rejects it, rejects me.

Whatever personal sacrifices you or I make, without love they count for nothing.

Challenging isn’t it?

In God’s eyes what counts as true spirituality is love.

What really matters to God is not what gifts I have – after all he gives them to me – but how I exercise them, in love.

Whatever gift I have is useless to me without love.

Our calling as the body of Christ is to love one another as God in Christ has loved us.

A Christian community without love, as one writer put it, is worse than nothing.

The Corinthians thought they were truly spiritual because they had wonderful gifts, Paul says they are unspiritual because they don’t have love.

They are not exercising their gifts in the right way – the way of love.

Love is the only context in which gifts and actions become significant.

We need to ask – what religious acts are we doing that we think are so great, are spiritually significant, but were done without love?

It feels so empty – because it is so empty.

Empty of love.

What then does such love look like?

Paul tells them in vv4-7 – the character of love.

#.

*The character of love (13:4-7)*

And it is a marvelous description of love.

And no doubt you could find other ways of expressing love, or want to add to what Paul says.

It’s certainly not a complete description of true love.

But remember he uses this definition for a reason – to counter the actions and attitudes of the Corinthian Christians.

And I think it is worth spending a little time looking at each item in Paul’s description, because I think, if you are like me, there will be points at which our actions and attitudes are challenged, and which we need to repent and ask God’s forgiveness, and seek his changing power.

For as you look at this list you see that love is not just a feeling, or a felling that comes and go, so that I can move in and out of love, as so many songs and movies suggest it is, but love is action, it is dynamic, it is effective.

Each of the descriptive words in these verses is a verb, not an adjective – it is a doing word.

Love is active, or it is not love.

a)      V4 starts with the 2 positives.

i)                    Love is patient, or as a doing word - waits patiently.

Love is prepared to wait.

Love means I won’t rush in before the right time, I won’t blunder in just to be seen, I won’t blurt out just to be heard – that’s not serving the other person.

I won’t have a short fuse, but I will wait until the other is ready (esp with warning or rebuke).

Love means I will be slow to anger, and long-suffering.

It is love modelled on God’s love - God is long-suffering, holding back his wrath and anger and just punishment for our sin.

ii)                   And also like God’s love, love is kind.

As God shows his love in his kind mercy and compassion towards us in Christ.

God so loved the world that he gave his only Son – God’s love shows in kindness and giving to us.

And this is the model for how we should be towards all others.

Love shows kindness - pure and unselfish concern for the well-being of the other.

It’s what the last few chapters have been talking about isn’t it – in fact the whole book.

b)      Then Paul lists a number of verbs showing what love is *not*, which are exactly what the Corinthians *were* doing.

i) so love – does not burn with envy.

We know from chapter 3 about the divisions in the church at Corinth.

They were full of jealousy, rivalry and strife.

And maybe that’s us – perhaps we resent the success, blessings or gifts of others; we’re not happy with our own place or opportunities; we compete for honour or recognition.

That’s not love.

Love doesn’t seek competition or rivalry or getting more followers.

Love asks instead - how best do I serve those for whom Christ died, whatever my own desires?

ii) and love does not brag.

Love doesn’t boast – precisely what the Corinthians were doing – look at me I’m so great because I have this gift or that gift.

They wanted the gift of tongues so they would look good.

Look at how wonderfully God is using me.

Love is never self-centred like that.

Love never intentionally calls attention to oneself, but rather seeks the good of the whole community.

iii) and love is not proud.

Love is not inflated with its own importance: not puffed up or arrogant or conceited.

Love never feels superior, never looks down on others.

But that’s what the Corinthians were – back in 8:1 the same word is used as Paul says knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.

Love never cultivates attention-seeking behaviour, love doesn’t parade my gifts or spirituality.

But the Corinthians did – they were so arrogant and sure about themselves, even though so much of their life together was unholy and unloving and so unchristian.