What is love?
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13
I. Introduction
According to the Book of Acts (18:1-17), about 54 CE the apostle Paul founded a church in the capital city of the Roman province of Achaia - Corinth. It was a large and prospering urban center with an ethnically, culturally, and religiously diverse population. Paul wrote this letter from Ephesus where he was doing his ministry. Obviously, somebody from the church in Corinth wrote to Paul and told him what was going on. Paul replied with his firm belief and faith to the Corinthians. This letter is a letter of exhortation and pastoral counsel. What is love?
In chapter 13, Paul spoke about the gift of love, and there are three sections in this chapter.
II. Major Issues
1. The Indispensability of Love (Verses 1-3), first three verses are about the indispensability of love. It involves the sacrifice in action, not only saying some good words; it requires the true hearts to give others’ love, not only showing off your knowledge and it means appreciation to share God’s love, not only giving away things or left over to those who are needed. There are many many examples of God’s indispensability of love to us. Let me read this true story (A picture of God’s wings”)
2. The Ingredients of Love (Verses 4-7). Paul’s description of love’s way matches both his understand of God’s love as disclosed in Christ. He told us the Ingredients of Love which includes positive characteristics of love what love does do and the negative characteristics of love what love does not do. “Love is patient and kind.” (Example of my mother: In our May’s Newsletter, I wrote, “the older I become, the more I realize how much sacrifice my mother has done ). “Love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude.” (Example of my American mother, Jessie Scott Williams who loved me through her deeds. For 2 years she provide me room and food without any charge. She took me to the church every Sunday, then we would go out for our lunch. When I thanked her, she responded, “I thank God for sending you into my life as I am no longer alone. )
3. From verse 8 to verse 13, Paul led us to understand The Immortality of Love (Verses 8-13). Once again we know God’s love never ends and never fail. Love is essential to our salvation, therefore we should follow Paul’s advise how to love others. I believe that Christianity involves more than just duties to be performed, obligations to be met, and rituals to be practiced, it involved that heart of love. Have you every thought, “there is no way I could never thank my mother enough for what she has done for me.” How do you thank God enough for Jesus Christ? God wants us not for what we do but for how much love we put into what we do. (example of Praise Lord!)
III. Conclusion
What is love? Remember these three: the dispensability of love, the ingredient of love and the immortality of love. Keep Paul’s words, “Knowledge puffs up and love builds up” (I Corinthians 8:1b). Let us learn from mothers how to love others as they loved us. Happy Mother’s Day! In the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
