Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:1 - 13; Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; 1 John 4:7
Theme: Love - Agape Love
Title: The Greatest of All - AGAPE LOVE
INTRO:
Grace and peace from God our Father, Son and Holy Spirit!
I want to talk to you today about love - "agape" love in particular.
There is a great deal of conversation about love today; especially at this time of year. I mean how can you not think about love around St. Valentine's Day? Love is all around. Love is in the air. Love songs on being played on the radio almost nonstop.
Love is being expressed through roses. Love being is expressed through chocolate candy. Love is expressed through a big stuffed teddy bear. Love is a quiet dinner for two out at your favorite restaurant. Love is giving and sharing. Love is sharing with the one you find irresistible, with your children and with your friends.
But, what really is love? What does it mean to love someone? It can be rather confusing. In our language this one word has a lot of different meanings. We can say we love a lot of things and even people but each time we use it we don't always mean the same thing. For example:
We say we love a car but is it the same kind of love we have for our spouse, our children or our close friends?
We say we love our job but is it the same kind of love we have for our spouse, our children or our close friends?
We say we love a certain food but again is it the same kind of love we have for our spouse, our children or our friends?
We say we love to watch this T. V. program, go to this event or listen to this kind of music but again is it the same love that we have for our spouse, our children, or our friends?
And when we tell someone that we love them what do we really mean?
+ Is it the same love we have for everyone else or is this love towards this person different; unique all to its own?
What do we mean when we say we love our children and grandchildren?
What do we mean when we say we love our friends, our co-workers or even our pet(s)?
What do we mean when we say we love our LORD? Is that love deeper, richer and more special and unique than other loves?
This one word we use "LOVE" can get all complicated and tricky. This one little word can carry a multitude of different emotions and meanings. For the ancient Greeks it wasn't quite as tricky.
- If they were wanting to express love in a passionate, a romantic or sensual manner they would use the word "EROS" (???? éros).
- If they were speaking of a friendship type of love they would use the word "PHILEO" (fil-eh'-o).
- If they were wanting to talk about love among family members or refer to a type of love that shows loyalty they would use the word "STORGE" (stor ge).
Those were the common Greek words used for love - EROS, PHILEO and STORGE. And when you used either of them then the person hearing the different words knew exactly what type of love you were meaning.
The Apostle Paul doesn't use any of those words here in this chapter. In fact, Paul and the other writers of the New Testament chose for the most part to use another word when they spoke about "love" in a Christian context. They used the word "agape". Because it was not used in everyday common speech the Early Church adopted this word and greatly enlarge its meaning.
Agape love became to mean a love that is not based on emotion, affection or even approval. Agape love was viewed as unconditional love.
In other words, agape love is love that love comes as a free gift.
- It doesn't come because someone deserves it or someone demands it. -You cannot buy agape love nor can you earn agape love.
It is freely given. Agape love is a decision of one person towards another person to act in the highest regard for that person's best interests whether they feel like it or not. Agape love is very much like grace.
Agape love is a love that comes from the center core of a person's heart.
It is the type of love that is displayed when a person gets up from the dinner table, grabs a towel and begins to wash His disciple's feet.
It is that love that is able to withstand a betrayal, then a beating and finally carry a cross to a hill called Calvary.
It is the love that is able to look down from the cross and speak words of caring, forgiveness and mercy.
Agape love is in essence - God love. It is the way God loves us and the way that God calls us to love others. It's the love that God breathed in us so that we could experience Him and all of creation in their fullness.
Let's look this morning at what our friend the Apostle Paul wants to share with us about Agape Love:
I. Agape Love is the Greatest - verses 1-3
Paul wants everyone who is reading his letter to understand that Agape - God type love - Jesus type love is greater than anything else under the sun. There is nothing greater in creation than agape love - both receiving agape love and giving agape love.
Agape love is greater than being able to speak in tongues, being able to prophesy, being able to sacrifice everything a person owned or even being able to give one's life.
Agape love may lead us to experience all those things but none of those things are greater in and of themselves or even as a collection than Agape Love. Everything on this earth pales in comparison to Agape Love.
Paul's letter was sent to the people who lived in and around the city of Corinth. Historians tell us that the people of Corinth had at one time been labeled as one of the most immoral cities in the ancient world. From around 400 - 150 B. C. the city of ancient Corinth would have made such places like modern day Paris, Las Vegas and Amsterdam look quite mundane and tame. However, by the time Paul is writing his letter ( ca. 55 AD) that reputation had been buried in the dust.
In 146 B. C. the Romans (under Lucius Mummius) captured the city and promptly proceeded to kill all the men and sell all the women and children into slavery. After the city was vacate the Roman soldiers set it ablaze. In a matter of a few hours the city was rendered to a pile of ashes and ruin. The great city of Corinth was dead.
Corinth stayed empty for over a hundred years. It stood as a testimony of Rome's Iron Fist. Then in 44 B. C. Julius Cesar decided to rebuild the city in honor of himself. He began to establish the new city of Corinth as an important administrative and trading city for the Roman Empire. He brought together a mixture of Romans, Greeks and Jews to repopulate the city. That is the Corinth that Paul was doing his best to share the Good News of Jesus.
What the average Corinthian was passionate about at the time Paul was their spirituality/religion. They were especially interested in being a part of one of the so-called mystery religions. The mystery religions promoted the idea that they could help a person connect personally and intimately with the supernatural.
Many of the Corinthians had grown tired of merely worshipping this god or that goddess. They were weary of the meaningless rituals that the different temples promoted. The whole worship thing had gotten rather dull and monotonous. You were suppose to come to the temple, lay down some flowers, present a sacrifice, put a few coins in a bucket, sing a song or pray and pray and go home. Nothing happened that really stirred your emotions. Nothing stirred your soul. Nothing out the ordinary took place.
The Corinthians wanted to come to a temple and feel the presence of a god/goddesses. They wanted to connect and feel something. They wanted to be able to speak a supernatural language, experience a supernatural vision or dream. They wanted to fall into a mystical trance. They wanted to be moved by powerful spiritual forces. They wanted to be able to channel something supernatural or have an out of the body experience.
They really didn't care all too much about rules, regulations or rituals. They didn't even care about the name or names of the gods or goddesses. All they cared about was having "an experience". This was one reason why so many of the Corinthians were giving the Apostle Paul a chance to share with them about Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
At first, they thought this man named Paul was bringing them a new mystery religion. After all, the Apostle Paul spoke about the ability to be One with the God of All Creation. Paul spoke about serving a God who loved humanity so much that He had come in flesh to live on earth among humans. Paul had talked about the ability to experience a New Birth and be able to have the very Spirit of the LORD in one's heart and life.
On the surface it looked very much like Christianity was just another new mystery religion that was coming to the area around Corinth.
-One could be "in Christ" - be at One with the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY
-One could experience a New Birth - from the Spirit above
-One could partake of the mystical body and blood of Christ in the Lord's Supper.
-One could experience the supernatural experience of languages, of healing, of being so moved by the Spirit that one would give everything away and even be brave enough to go to their death for their faith in Jesus.
1 Corinthians 13 is part of Paul's corrective teaching to such thinking. Paul is grateful for such spiritual fertile ground where people are passionate about connecting with God and where they want to have something more than dull and boring worship. However, he wants the people of Corinth to understand that the goal of following Jesus is more than mere connection; it is transformation.
Earlier in chapter 12 and then later in chapter 14 the Apostle takes great pains in sharing what it really means to connect with the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY. Paul wants the Corinthians to understand that connection is more than possessing a particular spiritual gift or having a mystical experience. To connect with the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY is to allow God to transform a person into a genuine human being.
And part of being a genuine human being is to learn how to love agape style. Paul wants his Corinthian brothers and sisters in Christ to understand that a major part of following Jesus is to love. But to love differently than Eros, Phileo or Storge. Those loves have their place but Christian love surpasses those loves.
Paul wants his friends to understand that where the mystery religions wanted to focus on things like speaking in tongues, miracles, sacrifice or even martyrdom, Christianity seeks to focus on Agape Love.
- Agape love far surpasses the ability to speak in a heavenly language or being able to speak words of prophesy.
- Agape love transforms us to become genuine human beings reflecting God's glory and honor.
-Agape love transforms us to be the people God created us to be on this earth.
In saying all of this, the Apostle is not down grading any of those spiritual gifts spoken of in verses 1 -3. Paul is not saying that any of them are unworthy or useless. Not is not Paul's message.
What Paul is saying is that when it comes down to what is most important is receiving and sharing God's Agape Love. What is most important is living a life in which one loves people whether or not they have some special gift. It is living a life of being able to love like Jesus. It is living a life of being like our Heavenly Father.
Agape Love is Garden of Eden type of love. It is the type of love that Adam and Eve shared with God, with one another and with all of creation. Agape love is Heaven love. It is the love that we all will experience in its fullness when we live forever on the New Heaven and New Earth.
The Apostle then goes on to give us a taste of what all that means in verses 4 -7
II. Agape Love is ... verse 4 - 7
Wow! There is so much packed into these few verses. It is amazing how much of what Paul says here about the positive aspects of love reflect back on the LORD and equally how much the negative aspects of what love is not reflect back on what a life absent of God really looks like.
The Apostle Paul tells us that true love - unconditional love - agape love - the love that the LORD God has for us and the LOVE God created us to enjoy, experience and share is a love that is:
• Patient - It is able to bear with others in and through all circumstances
• Kind - It is a love that has at its core gentleness and understanding
• Rejoices in truth - It celebrates truth, honesty and integrity
• Bears up under all problems and doesn't give up or throw people away
• Believes and Trusts
• Hopes - It is optimistic, positive and cheerful
• Understands the faults of others
• Everlasting and Perseveres - It is 2nd Mile Love
Wow!
Try to process all of that in a mere 10 - 15 minutes. Each one of those ideas deserves at least 10 minutes each. Paul's little chapter here is not just a one day chapter. What Paul has to say here deserves a lifelong attention. It deserves to be read, meditated on and the place under the guidance of the Holy Spirit to become a reality in our lives.
Wouldn't our world be a better place if this type of love - Agape Love really did live in the air - really did exist in marriages, relationships, in the home, in the work place and even in the Church?
Patience, kindness, truthfulness, protection, hope, trust, gentleness and perseverance. Those are some amazing qualities of this Agape Love. This Love is the Love that Jesus displayed for all to see while he was here on this earth. This Love is the Love that Jesus says that we can experience and share through His Holy Spirit. This Love is the Love that we can live out on a day to day basis watching it grow deeper and richer in our lives and in the lives of others.
Alongside of all of this the Apostle Paul takes the time to then weed out some of the things that love is not:
Love isn’t:
All about Competition and making sure that we win or that we are more important than another person. It isn't about having the most or seeking to do anything to enjoy the most popularity. It isn't about thinking that we have to be the center of attention. It isn't solely about us - the self.
In other words Love is not about:
+ Being Envious. Proud, Boastful or Rude
Love is not
+ Selfish - having an "I" mentality.
+ Being Short-tempered - it not about getting easily upset or offended by others - walking around with a chip on our shoulders.
+ About evil and accepting sin.
Agape love means that we share the truth. In other words, when we see people doing wrong and causing harm either to themselves or to others we speak up in love. We don't become cowards but we are bold in sharing the truth in love.
Of course all of this is a rather tall order. It's not easy to say the least.
It is easier for us dedicate our lives in being right more than to practice agape love. It is easier for us focus on what is all wrong around us than it is for us to practice agape love. It is easier for us to focus on making a set of rules and principles demanding everyone follow them than it is for us to practice agape love.
But then in verses 8 - 13 Paul brings home the reality and seriousness of it all.
III. Love never fails - verses 8 - 13
There is an everlasting quality to agape love. There is something about agape love that will outlast any other thing. Agape Love comes from the very heart of the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY - from the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
The Apostle Paul takes great pains for us to understand this as he goes once again in v. 8 - 10 and reminds us how permanent agape love is and how temporary other things really are in this life.
We all have read or witnessed the effects of great movements of God. In Martin Luther's day the Church underwent a great transformation and all kinds of prophesies and miracles happened. In John Wesley's time there were all kinds of reports of people falling under the power of the Holy Spirit, experiencing dreams and visions. And in our time there have been all kinds of reports of people speaking in different languages, having the gift of prophesy, being able to sacrifice great things for the LORD and experiencing all kinds of favor and blessings.
But after awhile all of those things have slowly fade away. The people who were so passionate about serving the LORD back in the 16th century have been replaced by those who are rather lukewarm in their spiritual walk. The Holiness people back in the 18th and 19th century who were so passionate about making sure that there was a church/mission near every city in our nation have today been replaced by those who are not bothered with church closures today.
And over the last 40 years or more we all have seen or read about this revival or that revival happening all over the world. Some of them have been quite spectacular. Some have seen thousands of people come to Jesus. Some have witnessed people being freed from demonic possession, addictions and the enslavement of sin.
But in time each one of them have waned. Each one of them have watched their fervent fires extinguish quite a bit. Churches all over the world have bounced up in attendance only to experience a few years later their doors being closed.
Paul says it will be that way. It's natural for movements to wane. The LORD sends His Holy Spirit wherever the Holy Spirit is wanted, invited and received.
Paul also tells us how to keep that Spirit - how to keep that Revival going - it is through receiving and sharing Agape Love.
Pastor Tim Chesterton (St. Margaret's Anglican Church Edmonton, Alberta) shares this wonderful quote from Dr. Haddon Robinson concerning this:
"Love is that thing which, if a church has it, it doesn't really need much else, and if it doesn't have it, whatever else it has doesn't really matter very much."
And by love Dr. Robinson means "Agape" love. For as the Apostle Paul says so clearly in this chapter:
"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. "
In other words Paul began to understand the more he allowed the Holy Spirit to transform his heart and his mind the more it became clear to him that the most important thing in this life was "agape love" - Agape love for God, agape love for others and for all of creation.
For the Apostle Paul the most important things are the most important things. And one of the most important things in this life and in the life to come is LOVE - AGAPE LOVE. Eros love will pass away. Phileo love will pass away. Storge love will pass away. Languages will pass away. Sacrifices will pass away. Prophesy will pass away. But what will last forever and ever is love - agape love.
And when we allow God's agape love to fill us, motivate us and be our core - then we will never have to worry about what will happen to us, our families and even the Church of Jesus Christ. When agape love rules in the heart of the Church then the Church advances, it experiences victory and it transforms the lives of those around it and in it.
But when we start allowing things like impatience, competition, selfishness, rudeness, arrogance, greed, resentment, apathy and lukewarmness to come in and find a home then we begin the slow slide towards backsliding and spiritual death. For where agape love is there is the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. Where agape love does not rule then there is a spirit of lukewarmness and apathy.
When agape love is put on the shelf the marriage suffers, the home suffers, the office suffers and most of all the cause of Christ suffers.
Jesus says -
John 13:35 (NIV)
35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
All around the world churches have taken great amounts of time and energy to develop their church's mission statements. Some are excellent:
+Westover Hills (San Antonio, TX): Making New, Making Great
+The City Church (Kirkland, WA): To show you who Jesus is
+Biltmore Baptist (Arden, NC): Making disciples of Christ
+Fellowship Church (Grapevine, TX): To Reach Up, Reach Out, and Reach In
+Celebration Church (Jacksonville, FL): Leading people to experience a God-First Life
+Christ Church of the Valley (Peoria, AZ): To WIN people to Jesus Christ, TRAIN believers to become disciples, and SEND disciples out to impact the world
Others have been more than excellent:
City of Grace (Phoenix, AZ): Loving people to life
Spanish River Church (Boca Raton, FL): Loving God, loving people, and making disciples of Jesus everywhere we go
Highpoint Church (Memphis, TN): Love God, Love People, & Make Disciples
I wonder what it would be if all churches just decided to be "AGAPE STATIONS" "AGAPE Community Church". Places that preach, teach, worship and live Agape Love.
My favorite image of Jesus is that of a Shepherd. I think it is because a Shepherd is a person who develops a deep and loving relationship with his/her sheep. Maybe it's because over the years I have seen pictures of Jesus as a Shepherd holding small lambs, white lambs, spotted lambs and black lambs. Maybe it's because I have seen pictures of Jesus sitting with His sheep, rescuing His sheep and walking with His Sheep. Maybe it's because when I think of Jesus as the Good Shepherd I automatically think of love - agape love.
Maybe it's because it is the Shepherd who not only watches over His flock but loves each and every sheep of that flock - the obedient ones, the mischievous ones, the ones that try the hardest to please and those who are a little rebellious. For to love them all it takes agape love.
Maybe it's because I grew up in a church that did a pretty good job as a Sheep fold - each person belonged no matter their past, present or even future. Each person was loved regardless if they had money or not. Each person was loved no matter if they were a believer or not. Each person was considered that - a person created in the image of Jesus and worthy of time, attention and love.
This morning Paul wants to remind us what is most important - it isn't some program or title or even a building. It's not having the most or being the most popular. It's having agape love - it's sharing agape love and its living out agape love each and every day.
This morning, as we close the Good Shepherd invites all of us to His Table - to receive the symbols that speak of Agape Love - the Love of Forgiveness, Acceptance, Grace and Oneness.
Today, as we partake of the Lord's Supper let us allow God's Agape love to enter into our hearts. Let us allow the LORD to forgive us of our sins, to take away any thing that presents itself as a barrier between Our Lord. Let us receive the symbols of His body and blood as a witness that we desire God's mercy, grace and love.
And let us pray that the Holy Spirit will lead us today, tomorrow and forever more as ambassadors of AGAPE LOVE - people who have received God's Agape Love and who live out a life of Agape Love - doing our best to be who God has called us to be in Christ Jesus.
Apostle's Creed/The Table/Prayer/Blessing
