TOPIC: SHARPEN YOUR SWORD THROUGH LOVE
TEXT: 1Corinthians 13:13 _”And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.”
Memory Verse: 1 Corinthians 16:14 “Let all your things be done with charity.”
FOCUS:
This morning we are going to be looking at Love as a means of sharpening your sword. Just like the Bible says in the book of 1Corinthians 13:13. There is a comparison between three virtues and the Bible said that the greatest is love. Love is not physical, love is beyond a feeling; love is actually a fruit of the spirit; Love is an extension of your person. The bible says that: “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
What is charity? Charity is love. Do you want to reach out to humanity? It takes love. It takes love to understand to a person. It takes understanding to love someone. So one of the things that empower love is your level of understanding; if you will not understand, you will not love. And love makes you to understand things.
Sword like we said is an instrument of judgement, of defense, it’s a shield; it’s a spiritual weapon but you will need love to use it in a manner that you will be justified. If you are not going to apply love to sharpen your sword, then you are going to abuse it. Love as the bible said covereth multitude of sin.
We are going into a new month and I want you to look at it from the perspective of the love that Christ has for us. The Bible said ‘For God so loved the world that he gave…’ so anytime you see love, you see giving. You can’t love without giving, you can’t give without loving. So you see, even though there are people who can bestow all their good on someone, they can fight for an unjust cause and yet they don’t love but when it comes to the reality and the true nature of love, love is understanding and understanding is love. Use your sword with love, so that your love can produce good reports. God bless you. Amen.
LESSON:
1Corinthians 13:1 “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.”
We are going to be looking at 1Corinthians 13:1 and 1Corinthians 16:14. The Bible said ‘let all your things be done in charity.’ Everything you’re going to be doing with someone, let love be the reason. Don’t do things out of compulsion; don’t act except there is love at the background; don’t live your life in such a way that even you know, you’re only doing it for gain. Many people do things for gain, they don’t do it for love. Many people do their things just to tell the other person that they are all about gain but when you are doing it, make sure your own is rooted in love. When love is at work God is there.
The only proof that you know God is that God is the one motivating you to act. You are acting because there is a God motivating you to do whatever you are doing. When, there is no God-factor in anything you are doing to humanity, then it is a waste of time because God has commanded us in 1Corinthians16:14 that we should do all things, not some things, not a few things; all things, we should do it in love! And this is where there is a failure in today’s Christianity and even in families! People now do things for the sake of gain. People no longer do things because they love the other fellow; they do it and ask themselves ‘what will I gain?’ But as the Lord liveth, God is a rewarder. Even if the other person does not pay you back, God has a compensation plan that He will always pay you either in arrears or in advance. I have seen the Lord pay people who does not even know when they sow the seed but because the seed was sown in love, they were duly rewarded. God bless you in Jesus name. Amen!
PERSONAL CONFESSION: I receive grace to love and be love genuinely.
PRAYER FOCUS: Father deliver me from selfishness and self centredness that hinders love.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Love is the end of all law
Love is the fulfilment of the law._