Love Wins! - 1 Cor 13

Title: Love Wins!
Verse: 1 Corinthians 13
Date: August 18, 2024

BIBLE READING

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; 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.

INTRODUCTION

I grew up in an abusive home. As a result, I did not have a lot of confidence. I ended up working for a publishing company in the United States. My supervisor was an encourager. He cared about me. He encouraged me and mentored me.
He developed skills in me. Skills I still use today, even right now as I write this sermon. Roger showed some of the qualities of love. That’s the kind of person he was. Those actions had a big impact on me. They helped to form me into the person I am today. 

This may seem like a little thing. But little things sometimes mean a lot. They can have a big impact.

Today we are going to look at how God describes love. 

Love is not just a quality, but an action. Paul describes love in 1 Corinthians 13. Love is more than a feeling—it’s the way we need to live our lives every day. Let’s see how God describes love and how we can show it to others.

LOVE IS PATIENT AND KIND

Imagine a school where everyone is in a hurry, and no one takes the time to help anyone else. One day, a new student, who didn’t know anyone and was having a hard time fitting in, dropped all his books in the hallway. Everyone walked by, too busy to help—except for one girl who stopped, smiled, and helped him pick everything up. That small act of kindness made a big difference in the new student’s day.

Love is patient and kind. It means being willing to wait and not get angry when things don’t go our way. It means helping others, even when it’s not convenient. 
God’s love is like that, and He wants us to show that kind of love to others.

1 Corinthians 13:4 
"Love suffers long and is kind."

Ephesians 4:32 
"And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you."

Colossians 3:12 
"Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering."

Patience and kindness are qualities God shows to us, continually. We fall down so many times in the way we conduct our life. We often let God down by our attitudes and actions toward others. But God encourages us to just get back up again and do better. He forgives us, cleans us up, and encourages us.

Proverbs 24:16 
"For a just man falls seven times, and rises up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief."

LOVE IS UNSELFISH

In a small town, Robert was known for his selfless nature. One winter, a severe snowstorm hit, and an elderly widow, Mrs. Johnson, ran out of firewood. Though Robert had just enough for his own family, he couldn’t ignore her need. Early the next morning, Robert bundled up and walked through the deep snow to Mrs. Johnson’s house, bringing half of his firewood. When she saw him, she asked, “What about your family?” “We’ll manage,” Robert replied with a smile. “You need to stay warm.” Though Robert’s family had to ration their firewood, they got through the storm, Thankful they had been able to help someone in need. When the town heard of Robert’s act, they came together to provide his family with more firewood, ensuring they stayed warm for the rest of the winter.

Love is not selfish. Love doesn’t think only about what’s best for us but considers what’s best for others. Jesus showed us this kind of love by giving His life for us. 
He wants us to follow His example by putting others before ourselves.

1 Corinthians 13:5 
"Love does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil."

Philippians 2:3-4 
"Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others."

John 15:13 
"Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends."

LOVE NEVER GIVES UP

A young couple Ahmed and Amina lived in a small village. Ahmed was a farmer and Amina took care of the home. They faced big challenges. They were deeply in love and dreamed of a better future, but their lives were marked by poverty and frequent hardships. One winter a severe flood hit their village, destroying their crops and home. Ahmed lost his source of income, and they were left with nothing. Despite the dire situation, Amina and Ahmed supported each other with unwavering love and hope.

Each night, as the floodwaters receded, Amina and Ahmed would walk through the village, offering whatever small help they could to their neighbors. They would share their meager supplies and comfort those who had lost everything. Months passed, and rebuilding was slow. Many villagers had given up hope, but Amina and Ahmed continued their efforts. They repaired their home with the little they could salvage, and Ahmed began planting new crops with whatever seeds he could find.
Their love for each other and their commitment to their community never wavered.

Slowly, their efforts began to pay off. The crops started to grow, and the village began to rebuild. Through their resilience and selflessness, Amina and Ahmed became a beacon of hope for others. In time, their farm flourished again, and their village regained its strength. Amina and Ahmed’s love had not only survived but had inspired their entire community to persevere.

Love never gives up. It keeps going, even when things are tough. God’s love for us is like that—it’s strong and never-ending. He wants us to love others with that same determination and faithfulness.

1 Corinthians 13:7 
"Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."

Galatians 6:9 
"And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart."

1 Peter 4:8 
"And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins."

SUMMARY

So, in summary, first of all, love is patient and kind. We can apply this wherever we go. Because God has given us his love we are carriers of God’s love.

Romans 5:5
"Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us."

We are able to be patient, no matter what the provocation. Because God has been patient with us. We can be kind as well. God is kind both to Christians and those who are not yet Christians. He is patient with them as with us. He causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.

Matthew 5:44-45
“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”

We can be unselfish. Sometimes our poverty can make us so concerned about ourselves, that we forget to be generous to those around us. But God blesses generosity.

Proverbs 22:9
"He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor."

Finally, love never gives up. We love our children no matter how far away they may have drifted. We never give up on loving them.

CONCLUSION

There was a woman and her teenage daughter, who lived in a large city, in a small apartment. The daughter ran away from home, wanting to see what life in the big city was like. The mother was distraught, she knew how hard and dangerous life could be for her daughter.

She went to the store and got an envelope full of pictures of the daughter. Then she went to the big city and one by one, went to each of the public restrooms. In each restroom, on the mirror, she taped a picture of her daughter.

One day the daughter visited one of these restrooms, and noticed her picture on the mirror. She took it down, and turned it over. 

On the back, she read “No matter where you are. No matter what you have done. No matter what has happened in your life. Please come home.”

This is what God says to each of  us. “I love you. I have loved you since even before you were born. No matter what your life is like, please come home. I will give you rest for your soul.”

PRAYER

Let us pray:

“Dear Lord God, thank you for your amazing love for us. Thank you that you gave your love inside us. Please forgive us for our sins and draw us back into relationship with you. As you have loved us, help us to love others with that same patient, kind, generous and persistent love, with which you love us.
In Jesus name, Amen.”