Reclaiming the True Meaning of Love
Summary
### Summary
Good morning, Summit Heights. Today, we continue our series, "The Summer of Love," which aims to reclaim the true meaning of love. The original Summer of Love in 1967 promoted love without commitment, but we know that true love requires commitment. Our modern use of the word "love" can be confusing because we use it in so many different contexts, from loving a salad to loving Jesus. To better understand love, we can look at the ancient Greeks, who had multiple words for different types of love.
The Greeks had words like "eros" for carnal love, "philia" for friendship love, "storge" for family love, and "pragma" for mature love. However, the most important type of love for us as Christians is "agape" love, which is self-sacrificing and others-focused. This is the love that Paul talks about in 1 Corinthians 13, often called the "love chapter."
Paul wrote 1 Corinthians to address specific issues in the Corinthian church, a church he had planted and nurtured. The Corinthians were struggling with sub-Christian behavior, particularly in their worship practices. Wealthy members would arrive early and consume all the food and wine, leaving nothing for the poorer members who arrived later. This behavior was not loving and was causing division within the church.
Paul begins 1 Corinthians 13 by emphasizing that without love, all spiritual gifts and actions are meaningless. He uses the metaphor of a dinner party where a cake is served without sugar, making it worthless. Similarly, without love, our actions and spiritual gifts are worthless. Love is the key ingredient that gives value to everything we do.
Paul then describes what love is and what it is not. Love is patient and kind, enduring difficult circumstances and showing mercy. It is not envious, boastful, arrogant, or rude. Love does not insist on its own way and is not irritable or resentful. It does not keep a record of wrongs but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.
Paul uses a poetic device called a chiasm to emphasize that love is both enduring and hopeful. We endure present difficulties because we have hope in the future return of Jesus, who will right all wrongs and renew the cosmos. Love is eternal because God is eternal, and God is love. When Jesus returns, there will be no more need for spiritual gifts like prophecy or knowledge because we will be fully known and fully loved.
Paul concludes by saying that faith, hope, and love abide, but the greatest of these is love. Faith and hope are temporal, but love is eternal. We are called to start living in this eternal love now, reflecting the character of Jesus in our lives.
As we come to the Lord's table today, let us receive His love and be transformed by it. Let us confess our sins and be forgiven, so we can love God and our neighbors fully. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with us always. Amen.
### Key Takeaways
1. The Importance of Love in Christian Life: Without love, all our actions and spiritual gifts are meaningless. Love is the key ingredient that gives value to everything we do. Just as a cake without sugar is worthless, so are our actions without love. This emphasizes the necessity of love in our daily lives and spiritual practices. [29:59]
2. Characteristics of True Love: Love is patient and kind, enduring difficult circumstances and showing mercy. It is not envious, boastful, arrogant, or rude. Love does not insist on its own way and is not irritable or resentful. It does not keep a record of wrongs but rejoices with the truth. These characteristics help us understand what true love looks like in action. [31:03]
3. Endurance and Hope in Love: Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. This poetic structure emphasizes that love is both enduring and hopeful. We endure present difficulties because we have hope in the future return of Jesus, who will right all wrongs and renew the cosmos. [38:25]
4. Eternal Nature of Love: Love is eternal because God is eternal, and God is love. When Jesus returns, there will be no more need for spiritual gifts like prophecy or knowledge because we will be fully known and fully loved. This eternal perspective encourages us to start living in this eternal love now, reflecting the character of Jesus in our lives. [41:28]
5. Invitation to Experience God's Love: God knows us fully and loves us perfectly. Our deepest need is to be loved, and God meets this need through His eternal, unending love. We are invited to experience this love and to let it transform us, so we can love God and our neighbors fully. [48:52]
### Youtube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[20:29] - Introduction to the Summer of Love
[21:55] - Different Types of Love in Greek
[26:18] - Background on Corinth and Paul's Letter
[28:18] - Issues in the Corinthian Church
[29:16] - The Necessity of Love
[31:03] - Characteristics of Love
[32:35] - Love in Action
[38:25] - Endurance and Hope in Love
[41:28] - Eternal Nature of Love
[44:02] - Partial vs. Perfect Knowledge
[45:32] - Seeing in a Mirror Dimly
[47:29] - Self-Knowledge and God's Knowledge
[48:52] - God's Perfect Love
[51:14] - Faith, Hope, and Love
[53:29] - Nicene Creed
[55:35] - Prayers for the Church and the World
[57:12] - Confession and Forgiveness
[01:01:27] - The Lord's Supper
[01:04:06] - Instructions for Communion
[01:11:55] - Post-Communion Prayer
[01:14:26] - Blessing and Dismissal
Study Guide
### Bible Reading
1 Corinthians 13:1-13 (ESV)
### Observation Questions
1. What are the different types of love mentioned in the sermon, and how do they differ from each other? ([21:10])
2. According to Paul in 1 Corinthians 13, what are the characteristics of true love? ([31:03])
3. How does Paul describe the behavior of the wealthy members of the Corinthian church during their worship gatherings? ([28:04])
4. What metaphor does Paul use to explain the importance of love in our actions and spiritual gifts? ([29:59])
### Interpretation Questions
1. Why does Paul emphasize that without love, all spiritual gifts and actions are meaningless? How does this apply to our daily lives? ([29:59])
2. How does the concept of "agape" love challenge our modern understanding of love? ([25:03])
3. What does it mean for love to be both enduring and hopeful, as described by Paul? How does this perspective help us in difficult times? ([38:25])
4. How does the eternal nature of love influence the way we live our lives now? ([41:28])
### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your own life: Are there areas where you are acting without love? How can you incorporate love into those actions? ([29:59])
2. Think about a relationship where you struggle to show patience and kindness. What practical steps can you take to demonstrate these aspects of love? ([31:03])
3. How can you practice "agape" love in your community, especially towards those who are different from you or outside your faith? ([25:40])
4. In what ways can you endure present difficulties with hope in the future return of Jesus? How does this hope change your perspective on current challenges? ([38:25])
5. Identify a situation where you have kept a record of wrongs. How can you let go of this record and choose to forgive and love instead? ([36:54])
6. How can you start living in the eternal love of God now, reflecting the character of Jesus in your daily interactions? ([41:28])
7. As you come to the Lord's table, what sins do you need to confess and seek forgiveness for, so you can fully receive and share God's love? ([57:12])
Devotional
Day 1: The Necessity of Love
Without love, all our actions and spiritual gifts are meaningless. Love is the key ingredient that gives value to everything we do. Just as a cake without sugar is worthless, so are our actions without love. This emphasizes the necessity of love in our daily lives and spiritual practices. Paul uses the metaphor of a dinner party where a cake is served without sugar, making it worthless. Similarly, without love, our actions and spiritual gifts are worthless. Love is the key ingredient that gives value to everything we do. [29:59]
1 Corinthians 13:1-3 (ESV): "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing."
Reflection: Think about your daily actions and spiritual practices. Are they motivated by love? How can you ensure that love is the driving force behind everything you do today?
Day 2: Characteristics of True Love
Love is patient and kind, enduring difficult circumstances and showing mercy. It is not envious, boastful, arrogant, or rude. Love does not insist on its own way and is not irritable or resentful. It does not keep a record of wrongs but rejoices with the truth. These characteristics help us understand what true love looks like in action. By embodying these traits, we can reflect the love of Jesus in our interactions with others. [31:03]
1 Peter 4:8 (ESV): "Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins."
Reflection: Reflect on the characteristics of true love. Which of these traits do you find most challenging to embody? How can you work on developing this aspect of love in your relationships today?
Day 3: Endurance and Hope in Love
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. This poetic structure emphasizes that love is both enduring and hopeful. We endure present difficulties because we have hope in the future return of Jesus, who will right all wrongs and renew the cosmos. This enduring and hopeful love gives us the strength to face challenges and remain steadfast in our faith. [38:25]
Romans 5:3-5 (ESV): "Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us."
Reflection: Consider a current difficulty you are facing. How can the hope of Jesus' return and the promise of His love help you endure this challenge with faith and perseverance?
Day 4: Eternal Nature of Love
Love is eternal because God is eternal, and God is love. When Jesus returns, there will be no more need for spiritual gifts like prophecy or knowledge because we will be fully known and fully loved. This eternal perspective encourages us to start living in this eternal love now, reflecting the character of Jesus in our lives. By embracing this eternal love, we can experience a deeper connection with God and others. [41:28]
1 John 4:16 (ESV): "So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him."
Reflection: How can you start living in the eternal love of God today? What changes can you make in your daily life to reflect the character of Jesus more fully?
Day 5: Invitation to Experience God's Love
God knows us fully and loves us perfectly. Our deepest need is to be loved, and God meets this need through His eternal, unending love. We are invited to experience this love and to let it transform us, so we can love God and our neighbors fully. By receiving God's love, we can be transformed and empowered to share this love with others, fulfilling our calling as followers of Christ. [48:52]
Ephesians 3:17-19 (ESV): "So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."
Reflection: Take a moment to reflect on God's perfect love for you. How can you open your heart to receive this love more fully? How can this experience of God's love transform the way you love others today?
Quotes
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "Love is patient and kind. Love does not envy or boast. It is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way. It is not irritable or resentful. It does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." [31:03]
2. "Aren't you glad, aren't you thankful that God doesn't keep a record of wrongs, the wrongs that we've committed against him, and actually the wrongs that we commit against his creatures, when we commit wrongs against other persons who are creating the image of God, that is also a sin against God himself, you know, he's not up in heaven nurturing his list, matter of fact, in Colossians, Paul talks about a record of debt, a record of debt that each, one of us has, and it's a debt caused by our sin that we can't possibly ever, ever pay, we can never be relieved of this debt, and yet Jesus took that record of debt, that legal document, and he nailed it to the cross, emptying it of its power, paying the debt in full, so that we're free, free to love God with our whole being, and free to love our neighbor, love." [36:54]
3. "Imagine if you were to throw a dinner party and you hired the best pastry chef in Louisville. You found, I don't know who that is, but if you probably did some research, you could probably figure out who that is. And you hired that person and you said, I want you to make, I want you to bake the greatest cake of all times. And so, we're going to serve for dessert at my dinner party. And so, they get there and they've got all the ingredients. They're mixing the cakes and doing it up and they've got all the decorations and they bring this thing out and it's beautiful. It's the end of the party. They all just dig that fork in there and then everybody takes a bite at the same time. Then everybody realizes that it's missing one key ingredient, sugar. The cake would be worthless. Well, love is the one key ingredient for the Christ follower. Without love, all of our actions, all the things that we do, all the things that we say, they're worthless because we're not backing it up with love." [29:30]
4. "We are continuing our series that we started last week, The Summer of Love. And we talked about the fact that in 1967 was the actual original Summer of Love. And that was part of a movement that was promoting this idea of love without commitment. But we know that that doesn't exist. It's not a thing. You can't have love without commitment. That would be an oxymoron." [20:29]
5. "Agape love. It's the love of God. And so we want to experience the love of God and the God of love. And then we want to share that love with others. That's who we are as followers of Jesus, as we imitate him, as we pattern our lives after him." [25:40]
### Quotes for Members
1. "Love never ends, love never ends, love is eternal, because God is eternal, the Bible says that God is love, so God is love, and God is eternal, which he is, and that means love is eternal, love is a virtue, but it's a, it's a virtue that's going to be present in the fullness of the kingdom, when Jesus comes, love's going to keep right on, matter of fact, when Jesus returns, and he establishes his kingdom, heaven and earth come together, you know, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, that's what we pray, that prayer is going to be fully realized, fully answered, when Jesus comes back, and love is going to really come into its own at that point, because there's not going to be, there's not going to be any more sin, there's not going to be, any more selfishness, there's not going to be anything left in the, in the entire cosmos, in the entire world, or even in our lives, that is inconsistent, or an obstacle to love, and so kind of the goal right now, is to start living towards that, if that's how I'm going to be for eternity, a fully, completely loving human being, reflecting the character of Jesus, then let's, let's start doing that right now, and that's, that's basically what Paul is asking, that's what he's, that's what he's talking about." [41:28]
2. "Now I know in part, then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known, I was reflecting on that this week, and I thought, you know, it's connected to this idea of this mirror, and partial knowledge, and what do you see in a mirror, well, usually you see yourself, right, you're looking, you're checking your teeth, did I get that food out of my teeth, you know, my hair, okay, my clothes, all right, you know, you're looking at yourself, and I think what Paul is suggesting, what might, you might be able to kind of tease out of this, this sentence here, is this idea of self-knowledge, that right now, when we're in this temporal existence, when we're in these broken bodies, our inner motivations, the things that really get us going, our inward, inner thoughts that, that help determine our outward expression, our outward actions and experiences, are somewhat a mystery to us, the Bible even says that the heart is unsearchable, that the heart, above all things, is deceitful, and what I've discovered is that I get confused a lot of times, between my felt needs, and my real needs, sometimes I perceive my felt needs, are just things that I feel like I need, and then I get all upset at somebody, or someone, or something, or some circumstance, when my felt need isn't met, and that this is a lot of what's going on in Corinth, that people are living in the deceitfulness of their hearts, they think, you know, I'm boasting because I feel like I'm not getting enough attention, so I'm going to boast about myself, I'm going to try to tear someone else down, so I can build myself up, this is the way of the fallen world, and we don't, we're not even always aware of why we're doing it, have you ever just looked back on your former self, like yourself from, say, you know, a year ago, five years ago, 50 years ago, and said, what was I thinking? Have you ever had that thought? Because the mature you, the you now, would never have made that kind of decision, but there was something going on in your heart that was askew, that was off, and so we're just kind of stuck right now in this, in this temporal reality, where we're not, we're not fully known, even to ourselves, but do you know who does know you fully? This is what Paul is just saying, even as we are fully known, God knows you fully, and he knows the deepest, most fundamental, basic longing of your heart, and it's true for you, and it's true for me, and it's true for every human being, our deepest longing, my deepest need, my most fundamental want, is I need to be loved. That, at the very base of who I am, is what drives me. It's what drives you. Friends, I'm here to tell you, there is a God, there is a God that knows all, knows everything there is to know about you, knows far more about you than you even know about yourself, and that God, wants to embrace you fully, so that he can love you perfectly, with this love that never ends, this love that's permanent." [48:52]
3. "Patience is kind of a passive virtue. In the King James version, it really gets more at the heart of what this word means. It means long-suffering, it means so in the King James version, it reads, you know, love suffereth long. It's a long-suffering. It has to do with hanging in there, with difficult and challenging circumstances, particularly within relationships. It's a relational word, particularly within relationships for the long haul. That's what love is. And aren't you glad, aren't you glad that God has love in you? That's what love is. that's patient with sinful humanity. You know, he just could have wiped us off the face of the earth, but instead he sent his son, Jesus. He's suffering long. And then love is kind." [32:01]
4. "This is more related to a positive action of kindness, of particularly God's mercy expressed through Jesus, that he's active, actively showing us kindness, actively expressing mercy in our lives. To us. And then, and then Paul goes through a long list of negatives. Okay. So this is called the via negativa, right? Who knows Latin? Via negativa, the way of negation. So it's a way of defining something by what it isn't. You say, love is, is not these things. And these happen to be vices. And in essence, what Paul is saying is, okay, you Corinthians, love is, is like not what you're doing. You're doing all these things wrong. And that's not love. So let's talk about what love isn't. And so he says, love does not envy or boast. So envy has to do with jealousy. You know, somebody might be jealous of the spiritual gifts." [32:35]
5. "Love never ends. Hope, and faith, those are things that are temporal. Think of it, like this, say an arborist, a tea person. Where to plant and acorn, an acorn, a little baby oak tree, in a little bitty thing that you could hold in the palm of your hand. They plant it, I don't know how to grow an oak tree, but they do. They plant it, I don't know, they ferlite it, they make sure it gets enough water, whatever. I don't understand it they do they nurture this tree and it starts to grow and you know it takes like 40 50 years for an oak tree to mature to where it actually starts producing lots of acorns itself. Now let's say the the arborist came back she planted that tree with with hope and faith that it was going to grow and now she's there under the majestic branches of this beautiful creation of god and its branches are spread out and it's in full leaf and she can stand in the in its beautiful shade there's no need for hope and faith anymore that's how it's going to be we're not going to need faith and hope anymore the greatest of these love you can experience the love of god and i want to invite you to know and love and experience the god of love." [51:14]
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