Love Never Fails

“In Every Space” Series

The last several weeks we’ve been working through a series of talks titled “In Every Space”.

We’ve been talking about how God wants to do something in you, so that He can do something incredible through you. And that in every space we can claim victory in Jesus name.

Today I want to address the question: “How can I be a person that loves IN EVERY SPACE?”

PAUSE

How can I be a person that loves IN Every Space? In my marriage, with my kids, in my work space, on the ski slopes, hiking the mountains, or walking the streets?

I remember like it was yesterday, I was living in a tiny studio apartment just outside of Nashville, Tennessee. Me and Duke… my beagle, were living the dream. Seinfeld and frozen pizzas all day er day. One day I remember a beautiful woman that I went to school with in college and thought… “I think she lives in Nashville.” I sent her a Facebook message, because isn’t that how all relationships start these days? Social media baby. :)

Come to find out she didn’t live in Nashville, but she was coming to visit her family soon. I told her I wanted to hear all about why she was running a marathon to raise money to combat sex trafficking and that I would do a training run with her when she came into town.

We ended up going on that run and the rest is history. We spent the next several months talking for hours and hours. I wanted to know everything about her and I wanted her to know everything about me. So much so, I spent the first several weeks trying to convince her I was a horrible person and that she wouldn’t want to end up with a shmuck like me… she wasn’t buying it.

The more I knew about her the more I began to fall for her. Like, really fall. I remember busting out the big “I love you.” after several months of intense relationship building. As our knowledge grew about each other, so did our love and affection for one another. Love is a two way relationship.

Everybody wants to know, and be known.

Everybody wants to love, and be loved.

Big Idea:

The only love that never fails is the love of Jesus through His people.

Title:

LOVE NEVER FAILS. (say that with me)

Questions: A love that never fails sounds pretty great right? (Pause)

• What if we could approach all of our relationships with this kind of love?
• What if we could engage every space of our lives with a love that never fails?
• How much different would our lives look?

I don’t know what led you here this evening, but I don’t think you are here by accident. I believe that God wants to speak to you this evening.

Everyone here is at a different place in your spiritual journey. Some of you may be here exploring your faith and trying to understand who Jesus is and what this is all about. We’re glad you’re here. At Pinewood we believe that you can belong before you believe. This is a place where you can find genuine relationships and explore your faith without judgement.

Some of you are here to grow and mature as followers of Jesus. We’re glad that you’re here. I hope you find community in our faith family and join with us on the mission of making disciples and proclaiming the good news of the Gospel in Boulder.

Passage: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 (Say it 3x)

Pray: (Pause 3-5 seconds)

Context:

Paul is writing this letter to a church in Corinth that he planted on his second missionary journey. Some time has passed, approximately 5 years, and he heard of the struggles they were facing. He writes this letter to address some problems in the church, provide solutions, and to teach believers how to live in a corrupt city.

In this text, Paul is addressing the church’s many struggles: the abuse of the spiritual gifts, envy, selfishness, impatience, and actions that were not pleasing to God. He goes on to share the greatest thing that provides life and power to the other good things.

Illust: What happens to my finger when I cut off blood flow? (Rubberband)

It has been said that love is the “circulatory system” of the body of Christ. You cut off the blood flow and that part of the body becomes useless and good for nothing. Such is the Christian life. Serving, generosity, faith, and gifts are all good things, but without love, they are nothing.

I want to take the next few minutes and share with you a process I see across the Scriptures for embracing a love that never fails.

Let’s go!

Process to a love that never fails:

1. Know Love (Faith & Repentance)

   1. You are known and loved

      1. Earlier I mentioned that everyone has a deep desire to know and be known, love and be loved.

      2. There’s great news for you today!

         1. You are known
            1. “Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” 1 Corinthians 13:12
            2. “O Lord, you have searched me and known me! - For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. 14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” Psalm 139:1 & 13-14
         2. You are loved
            1. “This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 1 John 4:10

         3. With God it’s not that we know, then we’re known. Or that we love, then we’re loved.

            1. God knows and loves you so much that He sent His Son to die on a cross to save you from your sins and give you eternal life.
               3. It’s not that we meet Jesus where He is and then He loves us… NO! He meets us where we are and loves us just the way we are!
               4. You don’t clean up your life and come to God, God finds you, runs to you, and loves you just the way you are!

         4. But He loves you too much to leave you where you are.

         5. He gives you an invitation to know Him, call on Him, and make Him Lord of your life.

         6. In that moment, everything changes.

            1. It’s not a change where bad things become good. I’m talking about what is dead can be made alive in Christ. He ignites your circulatory system with His overwhelming love and washes your sins as far as the east is from the west.
               2. Paul is reminding the church at Corinth that we can do many things, but if we don’t have love, we have NOTHING! And when he says love never fails, he means love never ends. Prophecy, tongues and knowledge will. Love won’t.
                  1. We would all agree that these characteristics are all good, but may we not miss the fact that we can’t produce these by our own effort. They flow from the God who is love
                  2. “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his Son into the world, so that we might live through Him.” 1 John 4:8-9
                  3. You must first receive the gift of salvation and unconditional love that Jesus offers you freely, then you can show love to God and others.

2. Show Love (Respond in Obedience)

   1. Illust: 5 Love Languages

      1. Words of affirmation
      2. Quality Time
      3. Receiving Gifts
      4. Acts of Service

      5. Physical Touch

         2. Story: My love language

      6. “People don’t receive love until you love them in their language…” Dr. Gary Chapman

         3. God’s love language is our personal obedience

      7. Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him. John 14:21

      8. And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it. 2 John 1:6
      9. God you want me to set up chairs for your church, our response is yes.
      10. God you want me to make coffee for your glory, our response is yes.
      11. God you want me to buy coffee for my office this week and invite people to church, our response is yes.
      12. God you want me to bring flowers to my wife and write a love letter, our response is yes!
      13. God wants you to tell your friend about the hope and love of Jesus Christ, our response is yes!
      14. Application: Whatever you call me to do this week God, you respond first with obedience!!!

3. Share Love (Show & Tell)

   1. Mission Statement: Meet people where they are at and point them to Jesus

      1. Just as Jesus met us where we are, we are to do likewise.

         1. We are not called to sit back and wait for people to come to us… we’re not here for comfort and safety… this is a mission! And in this mission we are called to risk it all and give it all for the Kingdom of God! 2. Application: #LoveBoulder 3. Show:

         2. “Let all that you do be done in love.” 1 Corinthians 16:14

         3. “Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.” 1 Corinthians 10:24
         4. “even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:28

         5. “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31 4. Tell:

         6. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” Romans 1:16

         7. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” Matthew 28:19-20
         8. “And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.” Mark 16:15
         9. “We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:20
            2. When we recognize and acknowledge the love of Jesus that was lavished on us, then the overflow of that is love toward others!

      2. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.

         1. Are we showing others this kind of love?
         2. Are we telling others of this kind of love?
         3. Are we truly reflecting the love of Christ in our lives?

Back to the Big Idea:

The only love that never fails is the love of Jesus through His people.

Love has a name, His name is Jesus.

15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 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.17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 19 We love because he first loved us.

• 1 John 4:15-19

Walking Points:

1. Receive - Say “yes” to Jesus

   1. If tonight is the first night that you heard of the Good News of Jesus Christ, I want you to take that first step and put your faith and trust in Him tonight.

   2. I don’t know what your father has told you.

      1. Maybe you never heard I love you, I’m proud of you, you are special, or that you have a bright future
      2. I want you to know that there’s a better Father, a heavenly Father that says “I love you”, “you are special”, “you have a great future ahead of you” He is a good and loving Father!
      3. Respond - Say “yes” to what He is calling you to do

   3. The first step of obedience is baptism.

      1. Matthew 28: 19 “Therefore go and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.
      2. Baptism does not save you, but it is an outward expression of an inward transformation. It is declaring to the world that God has saved you and that you have been raised to life.

      3. Colossians 2:12 “having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.”

         2. The next step is to obey all that He has commanded in His word and through His Holy Spirit.

      4. We obey not out of duty, but devotion to God.

      5. You don’t obey someone you love because you have to, you obey them because you get to, it’s a privilege.
      6. Reflect - Say “yes” to show and tell of the Good News of Jesus

   4. Be a light in every space you live, work, and play

   5. Serve those around you in tangible ways this week.
   6. Step up and lead a #LoveBoulder serve initiative in something you are passionate about
   7. Speak of the hope and love you have in Jesus Christ with boldness this week. Someone you know needs to hear Good News this week!

Let’s pray.

Announcements

1. Pinewood Communities

   1. Tuesday at 6pm at Breadworks
   2. Childcare provided, talk to someone at the connect table for more info

   3. Super Bowl Party

   4. Next Sunday

   5. More information on our website and social media

   6. Growth Track

   7. We’ll be starting Growth Track in two weeks

   8. Growth Track is your next step if you are looking to make Pinewood Church your home
   9. It’s four short classes that will help you know God, find freedom, discover your gifts, and make a difference.

   10. Connect Card/Prayer & Praise Cards

   11. Don’t forget to fill out a connect card

   12. There’s someone at the table in the back that would love to talk to you or pray with you