Well, let me invite you to turn again in God's Word to the book of 1 Corinthians. 1 Corinthians chapter 13. And parents, if you could help your children find that particular portion of Scripture. It's page 959 in those Bibles. Again, in the seats in front of you. 959. And we're going to be beginning to look into 1 Corinthians chapter 13. And in just a few moments I'll share a little bit about why we're taking a break from the book of 1 Peter for a short while. But as we like to do, I want to say just a few words to the children among us just to hopefully help give some focus and clarity to what we're going to be looking at this morning from God's Word and hopefully help cultivate your understanding of what God has revealed here in this portion of Scripture. And so I want to begin just by reading verses 1 through 3 of 1 Corinthians chapter 13. And this is the Apostle Paul, of course, speaking through the inspiration of God, and he says this, 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. And if I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but I have not love, I gain nothing. Now, children, you don't need to answer this verbally, but how many of you enjoy math problems? How many of you enjoy little math problems? Okay, that's awesome. You can put your hands down now. I kind of like math as well. I actually did not advance very far in math beyond a couple of high school classes. All of my own children now currently are far smarter than me in math. My wife is far smarter than me in math, but that's okay because I can rely upon their smartness. But I wanted to give you just a few math problems, and we can just kind of interact about these together, okay? And you don't need to shout out the answer, but just think to yourself the answer of these simple little math problems. What is 4 plus 3? It's very complicated. Somebody tell me, actually. Seven. Excellent. Good job, Ray Ray. School is paying off, man. Good job. OK. What is five plus four? Somebody tell me. Nine. OK. Good job. How about eight minus three? Somebody tell me. Oh, good. You guys are on top of it. OK. One more. How about two plus 11? Two plus 11? Oh, good. Awesome. Good. Excellent. You guys are on top of it. Well, believe it or not, in the passage of scripture that I just read you, there is actually a math problem that the Apostle Paul is giving. But it's a problem that might have an answer that's a little bit different than what you might think. And here's the problem that he gives. It's simply this. Six minus one is zero. No, no, see, I got you, didn't I? I got you. Good job. No, with what the Apostle Paul is saying here in 1 Corinthians chapter 13, he's in essence making a point that six things minus one thing equals nothing. Now here's the way he speaks of it, and I want you to understand this. And boys and girls, look in your Bibles to see this. Paul says there's six different things that if he has these things, if he has these six different things, but if he doesn't have one thing, namely love, then he has nothing, and he is nothing. Notice what he says. He says, if I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, that's one. Or if I have prophetic powers, that's two. Or if I understand all mysteries and knowledge, that's three. Or if I have all faith, that's four. Or if I give away all that I have, that's five. Or if I deliver my body up to be burned, that's six. There's six different things he speaks of there. He says, if I have those things, and yet I don't have the one thing, love, then he says, I'm nothing. I'm absolutely nothing. Now, the reason that Paul is saying this, and hopefully you're following that illustration, and if not, parents, you can help your kids untangle that a little bit later on. But hopefully you're following that. The point that Paul is making, and boys and girls, if you're taking notes on one of those sheets in front of you, here's the big idea. It's this, love is the heart of ministry. Love is the heart of ministry. And throughout the sermon this morning, I hope to try to explain that as we look into this passage in a little bit more detail. But that's really what Paul is saying. And all these different things that he's talking about, speaking in the tongues of men and of angels, and having prophetic powers, and understanding all mysteries and knowledge, having all faith, giving away all that he has, sacrificing himself even to the point of death, He says, even if he does all of these amazing spiritual things, and yet doesn't have love, he says he's nothing, and it profits him nothing. And so that's why I say, and I'm stealing this from somebody else who sort of made this observation, that six things minus the one thing equals zero, because love is the heart of ministry. And so boys and girls, for those of you that are gonna be remaining in here to hear the sermon, I really wanna encourage you to try to listen along to the things that we're gonna be looking at. And as always, parents, you can help your children and interact about these things later on today or this evening or even into the week regarding the supreme necessity, the absolute importance of love and that it is the heart of ministry. So keep that in mind, and we wanna go ahead and dismiss the children that are third grade and below. Any of them, as always, are welcome to remain in here for families that desire, but always have time for some of them around God's word. God bless you all as you go. and with those teaching them as they make their way across to the building on the other part of our campus. And I want to go ahead and read the entirety of 1 Corinthians 13 now as we're going to be beginning a series for the next couple of months, just as I mentioned, taking a break from the book of 1 Peter, to just really consider these matters of the centrality and the significance and the character of God's holy love and what He desires for us as His people. But let me read 1 Corinthians 13, verses 1 to 13, and then I'll lead us in prayer as we look to the Lord's help in all that we would consider this morning. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I'm 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. And if I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. 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. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away. As for tongues, they will cease. As for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child. I thought like a child. I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. And so now faith, hope, and love abide, these three, but the greatest of these is love. Let me ask the Lord's help again as we look to his word. Father, even as we have sung, we do ask that you would speak to us. And we know that you have spoken once and for all in your Holy Word and in the Lord Jesus Christ as you have revealed in your Word. And so we pray that you would give us help to hear what you have revealed in your Word and to see all the more fully the greatness of your glory in Jesus Christ. and that our faith would indeed be strengthened and kindled in you all the more and that you would accomplish your purposes as you have uniquely drawn us together today in this place that you might shepherd our souls for your glory through your word. So Lord, minister to each one as you know the depth of each one's heart and accomplish your purposes and enable me in the proclamation of your word that you would be magnified and that all of us would be all the more inclined to worship and adore you in faith and obedience. We trust you to do this in Jesus' great name. Amen. Amen. Well, as I mentioned, we are taking a break from the book of 1 Peter for most likely just a couple of months. I've actually been praying and thinking about this for a few months, and as the summertime is always somewhat unique in that people are coming and going, college students are often going back home, and then there's others who are coming, it just seemed to be a good opportunity to pause from our study in 1 Peter and to visit in a direct way this matter of the holy love of God in Jesus Christ and gazing upon that holy love and considering what He wills for us as His people in growing in that love and living in light of that love. And this really compliments actually what we're doing in our equipping hour. As many of you know who have been a part of that class that began last week and is continuing on through the summer, focusing on the Lord's purposes in our fellowship that we share in Christ and how we are to live and to love one another. As I'd been thinking and praying about this, interacting with the other elders, they concurred that this just seemed to be a good, timely opportunity. Now, some of you were here six years ago when we did a similar focus on this matter of love and did so in the context of 1 Corinthians 13. So it's been a number of years. I know there's many of you who weren't here six years ago. So for all of us, this will just be, we trust, a good opportunity to continue to focus on these matters. And this matter of loving one another as the sure evidence of possessing the life of God, if indeed we belong to Him, this matter of living out this supernatural love is a prominent, dominant, central theme throughout all of Scripture. In fact, in Matthew chapter 22, we are told that when Jesus was asked by a lawyer what the greatest commandment is, Jesus answers that question in verses 37 through 40 by saying, the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with your heart and your soul and your mind and your strength. And the second commandment is like it, to love your neighbor as yourself. And indeed, in those statements, Jesus absolutely summarized the heart of the law, to love God with heart and soul and mind, to have no other gods but Him, and in that love, and in His love, to love one another even as we would love ourselves. And this is, again, a theme that is prominent throughout all of God's Word. In John chapter 13, verses 34 and 35, as Jesus is giving final instructions and exhortations and words of comfort and encouragement and focus to His disciples as He's about to go to the cross, He says to them, a new commandment that I give you, that you love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. All men will know that you're my disciples if you have love for one another. You might say, well, why is that a new commandment? Isn't this a commandment that's been spoken of many times before in the Old Testament? And the answer is, yes, it has been. But it became new in the person and work of Jesus Christ as the love of God was all the more fully displayed and embodied in the Lord Jesus, particularly in light of His work at the cross. Paul tells us, in Romans 5, verse 8, that God demonstrates His love for us in this, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. And even in the passage we read earlier in 1 John 3, verse 16, that statement that God has manifest His love in laying down His life for us. And because of that, we are to love one another in that love, in the power and in the hope of that love, that we are to carry on that same love for one another. And I might just mention, as I've mentioned on previous occasions, that certainly in the letter of 1 Peter, in all that Peter is addressing to believers who are suffering and as he's seeking to strengthen their understanding of the grace of God in Christ and the great work of Christ and the hope that we have in Christ and the eternal inheritance that we have in Christ, He repeatedly makes reference to this matter of loving one another and doing so in a fervent and intense way. He says in chapter 1, verses 22 and 23, "...having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you've been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable through the living and abiding Word of God." And over in chapter 4, verses 7 and 8, he says, "...the end of all things is near, therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers." And he says, "...above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins." And he speaks of this matter of love either directly or indirectly in other places throughout the letter as well. And, of course, we find this theme prominent in the letter of 1 John, as I read from chapter 3 earlier. Again, over in chapter 4 of 1 John, in verses 7 and 8, John says this, "'Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God. Whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. And anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.'" So these are highly significant matters and this is what the Lord desires for us. And I want to tell you that one of the greatest joys as a pastor and one of the greatest privileges and blessings of ministering here and with you and among you is seeing the evidences of this holy love deepening and strengthening all the more. It is a great joy and a great delight to see that happening. I had opportunity this last Friday afternoon to drop by George and June Earhart's house and pay a visit to them. As many of you know, June had back surgery a while back and, no pun intended, she had a while ago back surgery and she was in a rehab facility for some time back home and so just had opportunity to visit, interact with them a little bit and was so blessed to hear about other ways that other people in the body have been contacting them, visiting them, seeking to minister to them and to encourage them. And there's countless ways in which that's happening and expressed, and it is a great joy and delight. And I say that because I don't want there to be a sense that we're addressing these things because there's any sense in my heart or in the heart of the elders that we have massive, big, gigantic problems in this area. Do we have room for growth? Absolutely, beginning with the guy that's behind this pulpit. There's great need for growth in this matter of love. But I've been constrained to approach this really in the context of what Paul expresses to the Thessalonians in 1 Thessalonians 4, verses 9 and 10, when he commends their love for one another, but he says to them, do this more and more. And the New American Standard Bible says, excel still more. And so that's really the heart and the disposition as we consider these matters of love over the next couple of months in a more earnest and direct way, because this is at the very heart of all ministry. This is at the heart of what the Lord calls us to as His people. And think about it this way, beloved. This matter of true love and growing in this love in the church as brothers and sisters in Christ, it is always under attack by Satan. It is always under attack. And why is it always under attack? It's because if the activity of love among God's people is the way that Christ has designed to display Himself, even as He says in John 13 verse 35, by this all men will know that you're my disciples if you love one another. If this is the way that He's designed to reveal His glory, His miraculous glory to the world around us, Then Satan knows that if he can thwart and diminish and hinder and divide this love from being active among God's people, then he's going to thwart the glory of Christ from being displayed among us. He's going to bring about the kind of situation, if He can accomplish His goal to divide us and to maybe dole our love for one another, He's going to hinder the display of Christ's glory so that people in the world would look at us in the church and say, yeah, they're just like any other group, just, you know, no different. There's problems and there's issues and there's nothing supernatural. You see, when the Lord Jesus walked on this earth, He did miracles, right? He performed miracles in all kinds of ways, exercised His authority over nature, exercised His authority over disease, exercised His authority in producing food where there was no food, bringing people back from the dead, and countless other miracles. We live in the day and age in which God is still doing miracles, but it's not primarily in that form. It's the miracle of people who have been transformed by His love, born of His Spirit, who now possess a love that the world knows nothing about. And so it is always under attack. And so, in a sense, it is always timely for us to address these matters. And again, that's why I've been constrained in desiring to pursue this. And I want you to know, too, as I'm sharing and preaching, and I say this frequently, but I see you to an extent, but you need to know what I'm seeing is a big mirror right in front of me. And anywhere I look, though I might see you, I'm ultimately seeing myself. And these issues are for me, and I need to grow in these matters as much as anybody. And so as we begin to gaze into this more fully this morning, what I hope to provide for you is really an introduction and an overview, helping to orient us to this rich and marvelous chapter in 1 Corinthians 13, and what we're going to be pressing into and drilling into, if you will, all summer long. And so what I hope to do in the time we have this morning is to briefly survey the entire letter of 1 Corinthians because we need to understand something of the broad context so that we don't do as so many have done with this chapter and just hijacked it into the wasteland of sentimentality. You know, it's just something nice to have on a wall or to read at a wedding. That is not at all what chapter 13 is about. And so we need to understand something of the broad context and then want to zero in a little bit more and look at the more immediate context of chapters 12 through 14 because these are all tied together in Paul's thought with all that he's addressing. And then we'll take some time to begin to zero in on chapter 13 and particularly consider these first three verses and the superior necessity of love and what it is that Paul is addressing. And as we begin to move into this, I just want to encourage you as I encourage myself to be approaching this from the standpoint of asking God, God, how do you want me? And I'm not saying you ask God how he wants Greg, you ask that for yourself. How does he want me to grow in love? I'm asking that for myself. How does he want me to excel still more in loving him and in loving others? I want to encourage us to think not of the extent of other people's love toward you, but to think about how God wants you to love others, which would include other brothers and sisters in Christ, which would include unbelievers, and which would certainly include enemies. How does God want you to love them? To think more about yourself and how God would have you to grow rather than the other person that you might be thinking about right now. You know, the person that you're hoping really hears these messages and hoping really dials in. Don't think primarily about them. Think about yourself and your own heart. Now, it's certainly a legitimate question to ask, what about people who have clearly been unloving to you? What do we do with that? Well, in the course of these matters over the next couple of months, we'll be addressing that. But the most fundamental answer is, what does God require for how we're to respond to people who are unloving to us? There's always room for us to grow in faith and obedience and love to what the Lord has called us to. So I just want to encourage us all to be thinking in these terms of how God would have us to grow in love for the blessing of others and for the building up of his body and specifically even in this local church. So first of all, let's look a little bit at the broad context of 1 Corinthians, of this entire letter. This is equal to the letter of Romans in its length. Both letters are 16 chapters, the two longest letters that the Apostle Paul wrote that are given to us in God's Word. And the theme of this letter might be called Straightening Out a Crooked Church. or how Christ is to be exalted in the church. You don't have to read very far into this letter to realize that there were quite a number of problems going on in the Corinthian church. Some of a theological nature, some of a personal nature, but there were problems that were going on. And I want you to just briefly go back to chapter 1, give a sense of the flavor of this, and it's important to underscore even in noting that Paul is addressing many problems, and he's bringing correction, and he's bringing instruction in the midst of these problems, and yet he's writing to the beloved people of God. He's affirming their identity in Christ and their union with Christ even as He lovingly, faithfully, carefully, skillfully, directly shepherds them in the truth that God would have them to understand. But notice how he begins, let me just read verses 1 through 9. Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus and our brother Sothenes, to the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours. Do you see how he's affirming their identity in Christ and implying that by the Spirit of God they have called upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in repentance and faith and they belong to Him. They are saints in Him. He says, verse 3, Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. And then he gives thanks, verse 4, I give thanks to my God always for you, because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in Him, in all speech, in all knowledge, even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you. so that you're not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ, God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. And you can almost imagine the Apostle Paul undoubtedly with grief in his heart, with heaviness in his heart, because of all of the issues that he knows he's got to address with these people. And yet he is bolstering himself and he's even encouraging them in the sovereign, eternal, faithful purposes of God in their salvation. And so he is counting them as brothers and sisters in Christ and affirming that to his own soul and to their souls that they might understand and see even all of the hard things that he has to address in that very context. And so then, after that greeting, he moves into the issues. Beginning in verse 10, here it is. I appeal to you brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and in the same judgment. And that really sets the tone for the entire letter and the entire problem that is going on among the Corinthian believers. And he addresses in this first major portion of the letter that really goes from here in chapter 1 verse 10 down to the end of chapter 4, he's addressing the matter of divisions that are occurring in the church over various preachers and various personalities. And he's lovingly calling the Corinthians out because of their fleshliness in looking at external matters rather than at looking at Christ. And he has much to say about these divisions. And I should note that all of the things that he addresses and all of the issues, the undergirding concern is that Christ is not being magnified. that Christ is not being exalted, that the gospel is not being plainly and clearly proclaimed, and the credibility of the gospel not being demonstrated in the lives of the Corinthians. That's what's undergirding all of these problems. And so in this first major section, he speaks about divisions that are occurring over preachers and personalities. And then in chapter 5 and chapter 6, he speaks directly about the defilement of sexual immorality and divisions and lawsuits that are occurring among believers. Sin was being allowed open, flagrant, very clear, explicit sin was being allowed to remain in the church. It wasn't being confronted. It wasn't being dealt with. And so he passionately exhorts them to deal with these matters of sin. And again, it's given rise through sexual immorality and through divisions and lawsuits. And then in Chapter 7, through the very beginning of Chapter 11, he deals with a couple of very delicate matters. In Chapter 7, he has much to say about matters of marriage and divorce. And then in Chapters 8, 9, 10, and just to the very first verse of Chapter 11, he deals with the delicate matter of food sacrificed to idols, which was a very key issue in that day. and matters of conscience, and how believers are to love and care for one another, even in matters of conscience, and has much to say regarding this regard. Now, I would have you look in chapter 8 very briefly. Because in chapter 8, in verses 1 to 3, he begins to hint, if you will, at themes that he's going to more fully develop in the things that he's going to address in chapter 13. He kind of hints at these and just makes brief reference. He says in verse 1 to 3, Now concerning food offered to idols, we know that all of us possess knowledge. This knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, he is known by God. So he just makes that brief statement regarding knowledge having a tendency to puff up, but love is that which builds up. And the right use of knowledge is ultimately only found in the extent to which it builds up God's people and builds up the church. And again, he's going to be speaking to that much more fully and directly in chapters 12 to 14. But he deals with this sensitive issue and this delicate matter of food sacrifice to idols and matters of conscience. And then, beginning in chapter 11, verse 2, going through the end of chapter 14, this is another major section in which he's dealing with divisions in corporate worship that are occurring among the Corinthian believers. Divisions in corporate worship. The first issue that he addresses is this matter of head coverings in verses 2 through 16 of chapter 11. And then in chapter...or I'm sorry, in verses 17 through 34, he addresses abuses that are taking place revolving around the Lord's Supper in the Corinthian church. And then in chapters 12, 13, and 14, the most fundamental issue that he's addressing is this matter of spiritual gifts and the working of God's spirit among his people. This is what encompasses chapter 12 to 14, which of course we're going to be coming back to in just a moment to look at in a little bit more detail. And then it's interesting, if you go over to chapter 15, after he's highlighted all these problems and sought to bring correction and instruction in all of these various problems, notice what he addresses then in chapter 15. He brings it back to Christ. He brings it back to the gospel, that which is of first importance. It's as if he's saying, beloved Corinthians, this is the foundation of everything that you ever need to be brought back to. So notice what he says, verses 1 through 5, Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preach to you, which you have received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preach to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance, the highest priority, what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried and that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas and then to the twelve. And then through the rest of this chapter, Paul speaks about both the reality and the significance of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ as it pertains to the life of the people of God. And so he addresses all of that in great detail. And notice how chapter 15 ends. Here's the point of application in verse 58. Therefore, my beloved brothers, notice how he's speaking endearingly to them and affirming that they are brothers in the Lord. And certainly by implication, sisters as well. He says, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. He's exhorting them, He's imploring them to lay hold of the first importance of the gospel, the life, and the death, and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, and to live by faith in light of that. Steadfast, immovable, abounding, always abounding in the work of the Lord, in the confidence that our labor in the Lord is not in vain. And this sense of exhortation carries on over into chapter 16. In chapter 16, he really is providing some details about a collection, a financial collection that was being made for believers in other places. He shares a little bit about his own travel plans there in chapter 16. then towards the end of the chapter provides some final instructions and benediction. But notice the thrust again of his exhortation in verses 13 and 14. He says, So this matter of The faithfulness of God and the purposes of God in and through the saving work of the Lord Jesus Christ and the concurrent life that we're called to live is at the very center, of course, of all that Paul is addressing. Now, that hopefully gives just a bit of an overview of the whole letter and the thrust and the focus and the purpose of why Paul is writing to these believers, to these beloved believers. Well, let's go back to chapters 12 through 14 and zero in just a little bit more on what Paul is addressing here as he speaks to matters of spiritual gifts and matters regarding the work of the Spirit of God in the church. Now, we've already seen and observed that, as a whole, the Corinthians were given to fleshly, arrogant, selfish, bickering divisions, a party spirit, all kinds of a mess that are going on. And they're allowing flagrant sin to be existing in their midst, and they're taking one another to court, and they're just a mess in that sense. Well, one of the key areas that their divisiveness and their pride and their arrogance, selfishness, everything is being manifest is in this whole matter of what's the nature of the work of the Spirit of God and particularly as it pertains to spiritual gifts and who's able to do what in the church and all of this. The problem is, as we learn from all that Paul says in chapters 12 to 14, is that they were using the ministry of the Spirit, they were using spiritual gifts as a means of selfishly boasting over one another, comparing themselves with each other, and in the process, tearing down each other and the church. It was all just a big power play of what was going on in the church. They selfishly wanted the greater manifestations of God's Spirit. And this is why in the very first things that Paul begins to address with them, and you'll notice how verse one begins of chapter 12, now concerning spiritual gifts, or even in the Greek it's just concerning the spirituals, but it's ultimately the implication is related to gifting as we see some of those things identified in the following text. He says, I don't want you to be uninformed. So he's seeking to instruct them, and then in verse 4, as he speaks about the work of the Spirit, notice how he's putting the emphasis on that issue, the work of God's Spirit, His rule, His authority, His design over everything. He says in verse 4, there's varieties of gifts, but the same spirit. There's varieties of service, but the same Lord. There's varieties of activities, but it's the same God who empowers them all and everyone. To each one is given the manifestation of the spirit for the common good. You see, the Corinthians' problem was they had no regard for the common good. They were simply jockeying for position, and they didn't care who they had to step over, who they had to dismiss, who they had to reject. They simply wanted the places of prominence. They had no regard for the common good and the purposes of Christ. It was all about their own good in their own selfish ambition. And so this is the theme, this is the issue, this is what Paul is correcting. And really, in this way, the Corinthians were exhibiting the very same arrogant attitudes and dispositions as the original disciples of Christ, as we read about in the Gospels, on more than one occasion were found arguing with each other about what? Who is the greatest in the kingdom? Even on the night that Jesus ultimately was given up, was betrayed by Judas and taken to be arrested and went to the cross on that very eve, they're arguing about who's the greatest as we read in Luke chapter 22. And that's really the issue going on with the Corinthians, comparing themselves to each other, and one another's gifts, and competing with one another, and all that goes with that in the diminishing glory of Christ. And in all of this, they're completely missing the true work of God's Spirit, and they're completely failing to manifest the true fruit of God's Spirit, namely, love. Now within this whole section, chapters 12, 13, and 14, the central governing commandment of the entire section is really found in chapter 14, verse 1. If you look over there, the first two words, pursue love. With all that Paul has to say about love in chapter 13, this is the point of application, pursue love, And then he says, and we'll talk about the meaning of this, And as we'll come to see, what he's referring to is desiring those gifts, not on an individual basis, but in a corporate way, desiring those gifts that are going to contribute to the building up of the body of Christ. But again, the governing commandment is the clear imperative, love one another, pursue love. This is where the focus needs to be. This is where the ambition needs to be. This is where the effort and the energy needs to go. And this commandment is really implied. If you go to the end of chapter 12, he says, but earnestly desire the higher gifts. And then he says, I will show you a still more excellent way, a superior way. And that leads into all that he's going to say regarding love. Against the backdrop of all of the various gifts of the Spirit of God and the workings of those gifts, they ultimately mean nothing if they're not being pursued and operating in the context of God's holy love. And so Paul is clarifying through all of this the true nature of the work of the Spirit of God in the Church, and what the Spirit of God does, and how it is the Spirit of God manifests Himself in the Church, which is, of course, the Body of Christ. And if you notice in chapter 14 verse 12, notice how he addresses the wrong zeal that the Corinthians were showing. He says, so with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church. You see, they were eager for the working of the Spirit and manifestations of the Spirit, but they were eager for that in a self-centered, self-focused way, so that they could claim that they had the greatest insight into God and to the working of His Spirit, and so that they could pat themselves on the back and promote themselves among all the other people in the church. And Paul's in essence saying, listen, if you really want to see the manifestations of the Spirit, then excel in that and pursue that which is going to build up the entire church in Christ and in love. And so he's clarifying the true nature of the work of the Spirit of God in the church and what the Spirit does, how the Spirit manifests Himself in the church. I think that's helpful in just understanding the basic structure of chapters 12 to 14. And let me just mention this, okay, this is just by way of overview and again just to help us understand more fully the significance of chapter 13. But here's the basic structure of this whole section. Chapter 12, verses 1 to 3, Paul is speaking of the fact that the Spirit of God is manifested in the conversion of sinners. The Spirit of God is manifested in the conversion of sinners. And so notice what he says in verses 1 to 3 of chapter 12. Concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I don't want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to mute idols however you were led. Therefore, I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says Jesus is accursed, and no one can say Jesus is Lord except in the Holy Spirit. Now, to say Jesus is Lord with the clear implication that that would be an accurate confession of a transformed heart that has come to saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, what Paul's affirming is that that is the work of God's Spirit. And in essence, he's saying, Corinthians, if you want to see the Spirit of God manifested, begin by understanding that He's fundamentally manifested in the conversion of sinners. And that is the work of God's Spirit that brings about new life to those who are spiritually dead. Well, then in the remainder of chapter 12, verse 4 down through verse 31, he speaks of the fact that the Spirit of God is manifested in the composition of the church, in the composition of the body of Christ. And this is what he's dealing with, and we're not going to take time to read through the entire chapter, though I would certainly commend it to you, but the point that he's making is that the Spirit of God is sovereign over the church, He has designed the church, He has uniquely placed every believer within the church, and He has uniquely gifted every believer for the common good, for His glory. And it's in this chapter that Paul employs this metaphor of the body. Could there be a more profound, rich, wonderful picture of what the church is? One body, many parts, all put together by God for the common good of what he intends the body to accomplish. Namely, to display the glory of God in Christ. And so, while in verses 1 to 3, he speaks of the Spirit of God being manifested in the conversion of sinners, now, in verses 4 through 31, the Spirit of God being manifested in the composition or in the design of the body. And just notice how His focus upon God's authority, God's design, God's sovereignty in all of this just is replete throughout this chapter. Look down in verse 11 as he's just listed a number of the spiritual gifts and the great variety of gifts and of service and activities. And then he says in verse 11, all of these are empowered by one and the same Spirit who apportions to each one individually as He wills. And then again, down in verse 18, he says, And then again, down in verse 24, And then again in verse 28, and God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, miracles, gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. The point that he's driving home over and over and over again is God is the one who has composed the body. And certainly that has application in a universal sense to the universal body of Christ. But even as Paul is writing a local church, it has great significance in a local church context. God is the one who saves individuals. God is the one who brings believers together in a local body. And all of this God-given diversity is given for the common good. And the ultimate point that Paul is making in all of this is that there is one body with many parts. One body with many parts. And so he says what he does in verse 12. Just as the body is one and has many members and all the members of the body, though many are one body, so it is with Christ. One body. And he reiterates this again down in verse 27 when he says, Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. Beloved, this is profound. And for anyone who's been a Christian for any period of time, we're familiar with this language of the body of Christ, and we're somewhat well acquainted with it, but we must ever stop to consider the profound design and significance of what this means. We are not independent. And that's the point that Paul is really getting at with everything that he says concerning this. And again, we won't read through everything in chapter 12, but in verses 12 to 20, he ultimately addresses the point that no part of the body should ever think they're unnecessary. A foot should never say, hey, because I'm a foot, I really don't, and I'm not a mouth, well, I really don't have any part in the body. He's saying, no, no part of the body should ever think they're unnecessary. But in the very same token, he says in verses 21 to 26, in essence, no part of the body should ever think any other part of the body is unnecessary either. So we should never think of ourselves as unnecessary in the body of Christ because this is God's design, nor should we ever point the finger at any other believer and say, well, I'm sorry, you're really not necessary. No, we're telling God that he's made a mistake. And he says, no, we're one body, but many members. And this is foundational to understanding the significance of this love. And this is how the Spirit of God manifests Himself in this design, in this marvelous design. And just think about it, even in the context of this local church, such diversity that exists among us by way of spiritual gifts, by way of backgrounds, by way of personalities, by way of socioeconomic status. I mean, everything, ethnicity and on down the line. Paul's whole point is in this diversity and most fundamentally even in the unique gifting of the Holy Spirit for how he wants to use us in ministry, we're to compliment one another. And so a hand compliments a foot, compliments an elbow, compliments an ear, I mean just on down the line, right? And so that's his point. Well then in chapter 13, as he speaks about the more excellent way, the superior matter of love, The point that he's making is that the Spirit of God is manifested in the character and conduct of love. So we've seen that the Spirit of God is manifested in the conversion of sinners, the beginning of chapter 12, and then the rest of chapter 12, the Spirit of God is manifested in the composition of the church, and in chapter 13, the Spirit of God is manifested in the character and conduct of love, as he addresses this issue head-on. And then as he moves to chapter 14, he in essence applies everything that he's just said by highlighting the truth that the Spirit of God is manifested in the construction of the body. In the construction or the building up of the body. You see how he's laying this masterful revelation of truth regarding God's design, regarding the necessity of love. This is all the work of the Spirit of God. And in chapter 14, he's really applying all of that in how believers are to function together in the corporate life and in the corporate worship of the church body so that the church as a whole is built up. And so the believers are strengthened, and so that Christ is magnified all the more fully and proclaimed in the world. Just notice in chapter 14, multiple references in all the instructions that Paul gives to the building up of the body. And so verses 1 to 5 of chapter 14, Pursue love and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men, but to God. For no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the spirit. On the other hand, the one who prophesies, and prophecy, as it is spoken of here by Paul, doesn't have to do with foretelling the future as much as foretelling the truth of God. And of course, this was before God had given the fullness of His revelation, which is now embodied for us in the New Testament. And so to prophesy was to speak forth the truth of God. And Paul is saying, you want to have that gift active in your midst, because that's the means by which God builds up the body. And so he says in verse 4, the one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. Now, I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets so that the church may be built up. And for the sake of our time, certainly we don't have time to go into the details of this matter of the gift of tongues. But suffice to say, as we see it referenced both in the book of Acts, and even as Paul references it here, it was a supernatural ability to speak in a known language without any previous training. That's the very nature of the miracle that occurred on the day of Pentecost as we read about it in Acts chapter 2. And that's ultimately what Paul is referring to here, and this is why he makes reference as well to the matter of interpretation. So he goes on to say, as it relates to the building up of the body, look down in verse 12. So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church. And then again in verse 17, for you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up. If you're just focused on this gift, if you have this gift of tongues, and you're not using it appropriately, you may be giving thanks well enough, he says, but not building up the other person. And then down in verse 26, what then brothers, when you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation, let all things be done for building up. And then again in verse 31, for you can all prophesy one by one so that all may learn and all be encouraged. The point that he's making is that in love, the operation of the Spirit of God through all of the various gifts is to bring about the result in the orderly reflection of God's own order that the body is built up and the believers are strengthened and nourished and encouraged in the faith. And so again, in this entire section of chapters 12 to 14, the issue is how it is the Spirit of God manifests Himself. Is it through all of these showy gifts just as an end in themselves? Paul says no. It's through this supernatural superior love that becomes the means by which the Spirit of God uses all of these gifts for the building up of the body and that to the glory of Christ. And again, as I mentioned earlier, it's after all of this that Paul then moves to what he says in chapter 15 to speak of the first importance of the gospel, which is the basis and the power of all that he has just spoken of. Well, given that, let's look just a little bit as we round down our time together here to the specific things he addresses in chapter 13, and this superior necessity of love. And I hope that you can see this is not a small issue for any of us. It's not a small issue for the people of God. It is fully bound up in the purposes of God through His church and how we're to minister to one another and serve one another and build up the entire body. This matter of love is absolutely essential. Now, the significance of what Paul says in chapter 13, of course, is established by what he says at the end of chapter 12. And we'll just look at verse 27 and carry on and again see how this connects. He says, if one, I'm sorry, verse 27, now you are the body of Christ, individually members of it. And God is appointed in the church, and again, this is God's doing, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? Now, what's the resounding answer to these rhetorical questions? The answer is no. There's diversity. God designed diversity. He says, but earnestly desire the higher gifts. And it could legitimately be translated that he's saying that statement perhaps even as a rebuke to them. In other words, saying you are earnestly desiring the higher gifts and you're missing out on this more excellent way. And so he says, I'll show you a still more excellent way. And then of course, this leads into these matters of love in chapter 13. And what Paul is doing is making a dramatic contrast. They're preoccupied and consumed with all these external manifestations of the Spirit of God and the gifts that He gives. And Paul is saying the more excellent way, the infinitely superior way, the greater, exceptional, most important, far beyond way, is the fruit of the Spirit in this matter of loving one another. And so in chapter 13, and just to give you a brief framework, again, to help see where we're going, in verses one to three, he talks about the superior necessity of love. And he uses exaggerated hyperbole to drive home the point that love is absolutely superior to and necessary within the greatest, most exceptional, extraordinary spiritual gifts and works that are imaginable. He's exaggerating, and this is hyperbole. And so he says, listen, even if I were to, he's basically saying, if I had the greatest gifts in the world, and if I did the greatest works in the world, but did it without love. it would be for nothing. And it would profit him nothing. So it says, if I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but haven't love, I'm a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. Now, I'm not going to do it for the sake of time, but I was thinking I was going to take my drumstick and just start banging on a cymbal while I'm preaching. And I may still do that in weeks to come. But could you imagine how irritating that would be? I mean, just the whole time. Be quiet. It's irritating. Stop it. It's what Paul is saying, if I have these incredible gifts of prophecy, if I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but I don't have love, I'm just an irritating noise. It's all I am. And then he says, even if he has these extraordinary spiritual abilities, prophetic powers, and understanding all mysteries, and all knowledge, and having all faith, extraordinary. If I have all that and I don't have love, I'm nothing. I'm of no account, I'm of no benefit. And then if I do the most extraordinary spiritual works, and how could we think of greater works than these? To give all that I have, to making the most extreme sacrifices conceivable, and to deliver up my body to be burned, to become a martyr, to give my life. But don't have love, I am nothing, and I gain nothing. The point that he's speaking of in these first three verses is the superior necessity of love. And then in verses four through seven, he's gonna talk about the supernatural dispositions of love. And this is what we're gonna be just slowly moving through over the next couple of months, considering these matters of What does it mean to be patient? What does it mean to be kind? And how do we see that reflected in the Lord Jesus Christ himself? And how does that flesh out into our lives day by day, moment by moment in specific relationships and specific situations? He's gonna speak about the supernatural dispositions of love. And then at the end of chapter 13, he speaks about the supreme permanence of love. in verses 8 through 13. And the fact that love is what carries on into eternity, and the implication of all of that is because this very love is the love that is bound up with the Father and the Son. This is triune love that exists within the Godhead between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And for that reason, this love carries on into eternity. And all of the gifts have a place in this life. Knowledge, faith, hope has a place in this life. But when we are ushered into eternity, love is that reality, the true love, the holy love of God in Christ, which will continue on. And so his point in all of this, and this is very sobering, and this is what we'll move towards wrapping things up with today, is that it's very possible for a believer to do all of the right things for all of the wrong reasons. It's very possible to display the great gifts and works of God, but to be devoid of the love of God. It's very possible to be active in ministry, praying, proclaiming God's word, seeking to impact people, and yet be nothing but an irritating noise because you're not doing it in love. It's sobering to consider examples like Saul in the Old Testament, who was given manifestations of the Spirit and yet his life proved out that he did not know God. It's sobering to think about Judas, one of Jesus' own disciples who followed Christ and was among those disciples that Christ had commissioned to preach and had given abilities to heal and to cast out demons. And yet Judas showed himself to be one who did not truly possess the love of God in Christ. It's sobering to hear the words of Jesus himself in Matthew chapter 7. When he says in verses 21 to 23, not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. He says, on that day, many will say to me, Lord, Lord, didn't we prophesy in your name and cast out demons in your name and do mighty works in your name? Sounds much like the same things that Paul identifies, does it not? Jesus says, then I will declare to them, I never knew you. Depart from me, you workers of lawlessness. The measure of our ministry, beloved, is the fervency of the true love of God at work in and through our lives. It's what gives the most visible expression of whether or not we've truly been born of God. And you know it's a greater privilege and responsibility to share in the nature and display of Christ's love than to demonstrate the workings of Christ's gift. The issue isn't primarily the gifts, the issue is this matter of love. And the gifts have their place and we'll see these things even as we move through. But this is the privilege and the responsibility of every believer to grow in this love and therefore to pursue love. So beloved, love is the heart of all true ministry, the holy love of God in Christ. In the same way that our physical bodies need the life-giving blood to flow through it to give life and function to every part, so the church, the body of Christ, needs the love of Christ flowing through every part to live and to function as we should for the glory of God. And so as we move through these things, I want to encourage you, as I would encourage myself, be clear about the nature of God's love in Christ. Be confident in your own standing before God in Christ. Be assured of your salvation. And if you're not assured of your salvation, dear friend, talk with me, talk with one of the elders, talk to a brother or sister in Christ who can look to God's word with you to consider how you can know that assurance. Be confident in whether or not you possess His love in Christ. Be convinced about the superior necessity of God's love in Christ, and be careful in pursuing God's love in Christ. It's at the heart of everything, beloved, in what the Lord calls us to. And I want to just close with a passage that really parallels these thoughts from Paul in 1 Corinthians, and it's in Ephesians chapter 4. And here, these verses, verses 11 to 16, and you can certainly read much more, but just narrow it to that, but here how these very themes are reflected even in what Paul says here. Regarding the risen Christ and his purposes for his people, he says in verse 11, he gave the apostles, he's referring to Christ, he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry for building up the body of Christ. until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness and deceitful schemes, but rather, speaking the truth in love, we're to grow up in every way into Him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. Beloved, this is how the church grows. This is God's church growth plan, if you will. growing in the holy love of God in Christ, operating in the spirit-given giftedness that he has given to the body, that the body might be built up to the glory of God in Christ. There's no better prayer that I could end with than that which Paul expresses just a few verses earlier in chapter 3. And let this be our prayer as we close out the sermon. Notice what he says, verses 14 to 19. that according to the riches of His glory, He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being, 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. Amen and amen.