1 Corinthians 13

I send out the text message to everyone. Almost they're perfect. Well, good morning. Good morning. Good morning. Welcome to Coffee and devotions is where every day you and I get together. We have a little bit of coffee. We get into God's word and we grow in our love for the Lord together and this year 2022 We'll make it from we'll make it from the book of Acts to the book of fire Lehman. I don't know why my computer is all sudden talking back to me. Well, why don't we have some coffee? We'll pray and we'll get the Lord's word. Let's pray. Father, thank you so much for this day. Thank you for your word. We pray now that as we read your word that you would care for us, that you would watch over us that you indeed would bless us. When we pray that you would teach us to love in Jesus's name, Amen. All right, here we go. We're at first Corinthians chapter 13. By the way, one of you is very nice. I'm not going to mention your name online because you would be embarrassed if you didn't do this to get accolades, but someone was watching and they saw that I have lost my glasses, which are still not found, but came and gave me a super giant print Bible. So I can read from the pulpit and so I can read during coffee and devotion. So you who gave this to me, thank you very, very much. Why don't we go ahead and we'll turn to First Corinthians chapter 13. Actually, I'm gonna start with one verse before that. First Corinthians 12. The very last verse But earnestly desire the best gifts and yet I show you a more excellent way. Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love. I have become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal. And though I had the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge and though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains, but I have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I have my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind. Love does not Indi love does not parade itself, it is not puffed up, love does not behave rudely does not seek his own, is not provoked, thinks no evil, does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 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. For we know in part and we prophesy in part but when that which is perfect has come, then that which is impart will be done away. 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. 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 and now abide, faith, hope, love these three. But the greatest of these is love. Well, we need to ask ourselves a What is this about? Be what's the best verse to summarize this and see, what do we call the do in response to these words? So a What's this about? Well, Paul has just been going through this section on church unity in chapter 12, where he has been showing that in the church, people have different gifts and and each gift is important. We are all members individually of one corporate body and the head of that body is Christ. But all these gifts, all these amazing apostolic gifts, could end up actually ripping apart the church. Right? There's people talking in tongues, there's people prophesying, there's people with healing gifts. There's all these different things. that are going on in the first century church. And he says, but there's a better gift. There's a gift that you need to pursue above all else. And that gift is love. Right that gift is love what is going to be the bond that unites all the members individually to one another? Is love. See, because you could be the best prophet in the world. But if you have not love, you're nothing more than a clanging cymbal. If you have the gift of healings, and you're able to lay your hands on people, but you still hate them in your heart, you're no good. The point is that the Holy Spirit is getting out here is that what is this about? Those prophecies are going to cease. Those tongues are going to stop but what is never going to stop is love. And that is where we find the church today. And that's where we strive for. Because those prophecies have ceased. The tongues have stopped. But love still remains. And we are striving for this part. I can't wait for this part. I think this is still something that we're waiting for. But when that which is perfect has come and that which in part will be done away with when I was a child I spoke as a child understood as a child I thought as a child but when I became a man I put away childish things. Now we see in the mirror dimly, but then face to face, if I know in part but then I shall know just as I am. I can't wait for glorification when we love perfectly because when all the prophecies are done when all the the tongues are finished, when even Christ returns, even when the Perugia happens even when we are reunited with the Lord even when our bodies are resurrected, faith, hope and love. Right there. Those are the ones that abide but when Christ returns when our King returns, faith and hope go away with Have you ever thought about that? Faith is believing in something we eagerly anticipate. Right hope is an eager expectation. Of what has been promised and we we have faith that it's going to come. But when all the promises have been accomplished, when all the prophecies have been fulfilled, when all these things have happened even into eternity, what remains love. We're gonna love God forever. We're gonna love him and we're gonna love the other saints perfectly forever. love abides forever. Because God is love. It gets abused. You know people want to use that idea of God is love and and that's a whole nother sermon for another day. People will try to use that and abuse that. Say whatever they want that God loves them and loves their sin and that's not true. Right. Paul's been dealing with sin a lot here but point being true biblical love. True Christian love. True God loving Shemitah you know with all your heart, mind, soul and strength type love. I've got to endure forever. It's never gonna go away. I'd argue just increases more and more. Because we're in love God more and more. Because we're never going to get tired of them. Always Learning more about him. And the next day is going to be sweeter than the first. Let's pray. Father, we pray that we would learn to love and now for it's what you have created us to do and eternity. We pray that we would be filled with faith and hope and that we would use the gifts that you have given us now for your glory. Because we love you and because we love others. God please teach us to love as you have loved. Let us walk in your footsteps and follow in your ways. Thank you for who you are and all you have done in Jesus's name. Amen. Well, may God bless you today. May you walk in the love of Jesus Christ. May you love Him with all your heart, mind, soul and strength and may you love your neighbor as yourself. I'll see you tomorrow. Bye Transcribed by https://otter.ai