Cornerstone Independent Baptist Church
3/01/26 Sunday Family Service

  • Introduction

    Turn to 1 Corinthians 13:4
    This is one of those passages of Scripture where there is always something here for everybody.
    Why? Because none of us, simply by our personality, are able to do what this passage commands us to do. The love described here does not come naturally. It is a spiritual love. In other words, you can love this way only by the help of the Spirit of God.
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    Three kinds of love mentioned in Greek literature during the NT times:
    Eros love - sexual love - frequently talked about
    Phileo love - affectionate love - frequently talked about
    Agape love - sacrificial love - rarely talked about
    I don’t believe that an unsaved person is able to love with the sacrificial love that is described in 1 Corinthians 13. They can love others sacrificially, but it’s always to get something in return. It’s transactional. It’s so that they get something from that person or so that they get something from God - like work their way into heaven. So why can’t an unsaved person love this way? Because Paul tells us that this kind of love is part of the fruit of the Spirit.
    Galatians 5:22 KJV 1900
    But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
    Christian, either you consciously submit to the Spirit of God, or you’re not going to love this way.
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    Agape love patiently suffers - 1 Corinthians 13:4
    Matthew 5:43–44 KJV 1900
    Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
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    Suffereth long: to be patient in bearing the offenses of others, to be mild and slow to anger, to be wronged and not retaliate
    Our Savior exemplified this as He was spit upon and as His beard was pulled out and then as He hung upon the cross.
    Application: Christian, because you are a child of God…
    You are called to patiently bear the offenses of others in this church.
    You are called to be mild and slow to anger at your job!
    You are called not to retaliate in your marriage when you are wronged!
    Offenses will come! Agape love patiently suffers when they do.
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    Agape love is kind - 1 Corinthians 13:4
    This one may sound a little easier, right? But think again.
    This word builds on the idea of “suffering long.”
    Imagine that a coworker at your job goes out of their way to go after you, to discredit you, and to attack you. Agape love doesn’t just patiently suffer this, agape love goes out of its way to demonstrate goodwill towards that person.
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    Kind: merciful, gracious, giving, active goodwill
    In other words, agape love is proactive! It doesn’t remain in your heart, it reaches out and seeks the benefit of that person who is mistreating you!
    Application: Are you seeing why I said this doesn’t come naturally? It’s obvious! It doesn’t! It can be lived out only in submission to the Spirit of God - Ephesians 5:18.
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    Agape love delights in the truth - 1 Corinthians 13:6
    At first, this may seem like a strange description of this love, but I think you’ll see that it fits perfectly.
    We live in a day where love is often divorced from truth.
    In the name of love, people won’t speak what is true because it might hurt feelings.
    In the name of love, churches will ignore the principles of Scripture because they don’t want to offend.
    Application: Don’t let love be an excuse to avoid the truth about your sin or anyone else’s. If you do, then you’re not practicing this love.
    See, that’s exactly what the Corinthians were doing. They were ignoring sin in their church, saying that they were just loving the brother. Paul told them to reject the sin in their church, discipline the erring members, and gently bring them to repentance. That would be the loving thing to do.
    Jesus said, “I am the way… the truth. He also said, “thy word is truth”, so this love will always align with God’s Word. If it doesn’t, then it isn’t agape love.
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    Agape love bears all things - 1 Corinthians 13:7
    There have been a few times where my family and I were out on a field trip or out shopping and we got caught in a rain storm. I remember that there have been times where I wrapped one of my little kids like Kaylee inside my jacket before running to the vehicle so that she would be protected from the rain.
    What was I doing? I was bearing all things for her. I was covering her up to keep off the rain that was threatening her.
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    Beareth: to cover over something and protect from that which threatens
    Application: Agape love means sometimes seeing the pain or the ridicule that would fall on somebody else and taking it on yourself. It might mean taking the blame for something that you didn’t do so as to protect another.
    As another preacher said, “are you willing to look bad for your brother?”
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    Agape love believes all things - 1 Corinthians 13:7
    Paul is not saying you stick your head in the sand and ignore reality about someone or about situation. Why? Because agape love delights in the truth. You can’t take one of these descriptions alone and ignore the rest. You have to consider them altogether.
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    Believes: confidence in the goodness of others
    It means you give others the benefit of the doubt. You don’t immediately assume the worst about them. You let truth prevail always and until the truth is clear you refuse coming to a conclusion.
    Application: Just because someone made the wrong decision last time doesn’t mean that they will this time. God is in the business of changing people - if they will let Him.
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    Agape love hopes all things - 1 Corinthians 13:7
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    Hope: to wait for salvation with joy and full of confidence
    Agape love practices a God-ward perspective about others and about life. It’s loving others with eyes fixed on Jesus. When God looks at others that are hard to love, He sees the potential of a transformed life.
    Agape love resists tunnel vision. It’s easy to get tunnel vision in difficult relationships, but agape love leads us to love others while seeing what they could become in Jesus Christ.
    Application: We must see others through God’s eyes. We must hope all things.
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    Agape love endures all things - 1 Corinthians 13:7
    Ruth remained loyal to a difficult Naomi
    The loving father waited to see the prodigal son on the horizon
    Our Savior would not give up on a Peter who had denied Him. Rather, the Lord went to Peter and restored that relationship after the resurrection.
    Barnabas refused to give up on John Mark when he quit the missionary journey.
    Philemon welcomed back his former slave, Onesimus
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    Endures: to bear bravely and calmly (to refuse to run away)
    This is a love that remains. It never gives up. It goes on and on and on.

    Conclusion

    Christian, are you practicing agape love? What person is on your mind right now that you tell yourself you cannot love? Voluntarily submit yourself to the Spirit of God, and in obedience to His Word, love that person, and let His love flow through you.
Cornerstone Independent Baptist Church
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