A. God the Father teaches us how to love (John 3:16, I John 4:7-19)
B. God the Son teaches us how to love (John 15:12-13, I John 3:16)
C. Love is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22)
D. Love is produced in our faith in God’s love for us (I John 4:16-17)
II. WE ARE COMMANDED TO HAVE LOVE
A. We are to have love for God (Matt. 22:37-40, Mark 12:30)
B. We are to love our neighbor (Mark 12:31, Romans 13:8-10, Gal. 6:10)
C. We are to love our enemies (Matt. 5:44)
D. We are to love our brethren (John 13:34-35, 15:13, 17; I Peter 1:22, 2:17; I John 3:23, 4:20-21)
1. Requires action when a need is seen (I John 3:17-18)
2. It is provoked by assembling and exhorting one another (Heb. 10:24-25)
E. We are to love our family (Eph. 5:33, Titus 2:4)
F. We are not to love the world (Matt. 6:24, James 4:4, I John 2:15)
G. We are to pray for one another (Luke 6:28, James 5:16)
III. LOVE FOR GOD IS SEEN IN ACTION
A. It has to be with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30)
B. It results in obedience (John 14:15, 23-24; I John 5:3)
C. It produces works of faith (Gal. 5:6, Eph. 6:23)
D. It produces labor (I Thes. 1:3)
E. It causes belief, rejoicing, and faith to salvation (I Peter 1:8-9)
F. It causes one to speak the truth (Eph. 4:15)
G. It will root and ground us firmly (Eph. 3:17)
H. It will cause one to love Christ and live for Him (John 8:42, II Cor. 5:14-15, Gal. 2:20)
I. It gives comfort (Phil 2:1)
IV. LOVE IS THE GREATEST OF ALL
A. “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (I Cor. 13:13).
B. Peter gives the progression of what all Christians should be striving for with the end result being love; “to godliness brotherly kindness, and to
brotherly kindness love” (II Peter 1:7).
V. I CORINTHIANS 13 – REAL LOVE
A. Without Love we are nothing (Verses 1-3)
B. Love suffers long and endures (Verses 4-7)
1. Love is patient (Verses 4 and 7)
a. An example is God with the people in Noah’s day (I Peter 3:20, II Peter 3:9)
b. Christians are to bear with one another (Eph. 4:1-3)
2. Love is kind (Verse 4, Eph. 4:32)
3. Love does not envy (Verse 4)
a. Opposite of Joseph’s brothers (Acts 7:9)
b. Opposite of the mob who killed the Lord (Matt. 27:18)
4. Love is humble (Verse 4, Romans 12:3, Prov. 27:2)
a. If we are humble God will lift us up (James 4:10, I Peter 5:6)
b. Jesus our example of humility (Phil. 2:8, I Peter 2:21)
5. Love does not behave rudely (is courteous) (Verse 5)
6. Love does not seek its own (Verse 5)
a. The Christian is to put others first (Phil. 2:1-4)
b. The husband is to put his wife first (Eph. 5:25, I Peter 3:7)
c. The Macedonians are a great example of putting others first (II Cor. 8:1-5)
d. If we have proper love for God we will seek His will first (Matt. 6:33, 26:39)
C. Love rejoices in (with) the truth (Verse 6)
1. We can rejoice that others are walking in the truth (III John 3-4)
2. We can rejoice that we are following the Lord who is truth (John 14:6)
D. Love never fails (Verses 8-13)
II. PERFECT LOVE CASTS OUT FEAR (I John 4:17-19)
A. We will use our gifts when we let love control us rather than fear (II Tim. 1:6-7, Romans 12:4-21).
B. “I cannot” will be replaced with “With God’s help I can!” (Phil 4:13)
C. In tough situations perfect love will remind us of our hope (love) for others to get to heaven (Gal. 2:11-21, I Peter 3:15, James 5:19-20)
1. Our fear for other’s salvation will overcome our fear of rejection (Jude 22-23)
D. Perfect love produces sacrifice (Matt. 10:37-38)
E. Perfect love makes us willing to suffer for Him (Acts 21:13-14, I Peter 4:1-2, I Jn 4:19)