Without Love Knowing It All Helps No One

The 2nd verse in 1 Corinthians 13 says:

"And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge...but have not love, I am nothing."

This verse points out a person that is intellectually and theologically gifted. Strauch adds "a walking, talking encyclopedia of knowledge." That's interesting because I think I've met a few of these types in my lifetime. And they're not much fun to hang out with when your watching Jeopardy! Unless you beat them on a question that's about hip-hop or the 80's?

To add more color to this person, Strauch points out that people like this are proud of their learning and speaking abilities. They tend to be puffed up with self-importance. And they makee sure those with lesser knowledge feel that (picture your index finger and thumb coming together slowly). And that attitude, is the very reason that the Corinth church had to be lovingly corrected by Paul (1 Cor. 8).

Here is a helpful equation that I'm seeing through this piece of scripture:

Knowledge - Love = Inflated Ego

And here's what an inflated ego leads to (Strauch):

Inflated Ego > Intellectual Snobbery > Attitude of Mockery towards others' > Making fun of others' view points > Spirit of Contempt to those with lesser knowledge > Demeaning the people who disagree.

And Paul says that all this leads to nothing without the presence of love. Paul simply says: I am nothing!

Strauch concludes, " A loveless prophet, a loveless scholar, or a loveless teacher is worthless to the discipling of God's people." He goes on by adding a testimony that highlights this problem in the church:

I know of a pastor who had a phenomenal knowledge of the Bible but who hurt many people with his doctrinal scrutiny and divided his own congregation repeatedly until there was no one left but himself. He had a big head but a little heart. His theology was as clear as ice but twice as cold. Such is the path of one who has knowledge without love.

My thoughts: This actually is really humbling because I confess that even though I may not be the most intelligent/intellectual person or "walking encyclopedia" - there are pockets of pride (or ego) in my heart that I think of myself as having better knowledge or understanding than someone else (wife, kids, dog). And I realize through this verse that these thoughts need to be bathed in repentance and in love. Smart people and dumb people are both fundamentally, sinners by nature. I would like to end with a quote by George Sweeting, who says it well, "Too often Christians are concerned about hidden truth, but indifferent about loving difficult people." I have to "Amen" that with my own confession to the Lord.

Without Love Even Heavenly Language Sounds Annoying


A "gong" and a "cymbal" are great instruments especially if they are used appropriately. But if they're described in 1 Corinthians 13:1 as being "noisy" and "clanging", it makes the instruments really worthless for music and probably really piercing to the ear. Trust me, I know what that sounds like because of my personal experience. If you have ever heard me play either my guitar or quinto (bongo) with the wrong beat or with the wrong chords, I do apologize. I believe God is still sanctifying my ryhthm and my tone deafness. Anyways...getting to the point...Paul was illustrating the point in v.1, that if he (hypothetically) had the gift of tongues or of angels and did not have love, he becomes one of these irritating instruments. What he's saying is, if he had the gift of this heavenly language or miraculous speech (which the Corinthians esteemed highly) it would amount to nothing except being an annoyance, if not accompanied by love.

Strauch uses a visual illustration everytime he gets to teach on this passage; by using a steel pot and a hammer he begins to beat on it while he starts speaking. People laugh and think they are getting his point. But he keeps doing it, and doing it until the people are no longer laughing and smiling, to the point that they seem really, really irritated. Eventually he stops and when he does, he explains the point clearly - that the experience they just had is exactly what they become to others and to God when they use their gifts apart from love.

My thoughts: Whatever gift or abilities that has been entrusted to me needs to always be accompanied with love - if I ever want to be useful. How worthless it would be if my gift or my ability (given by the God of Love) is void of love! This truth really makes me want take a step back so that I make sure I discern, by God's grace - what my motives are prior, during and after the use of my gifts/abilities. Father, for your glory help me to recognize where and when I lack love for others!

Five Minus One Equals Zero

Strauch begins this chapter by retelling an experience that D.L. Moody had when Henry Moorhouse came to preach at his church. Moorhouse, 27 at the time, preached seven sermons in a row on John 3:16 to prove emphatically that "God so loved the world."

Here is a sample of what he preached:

My friends for a whole week I have been trying to tell you how much God loves you, but I cannot do it with this poor stammering tongue. If I could borrow Jacob's ladder and climb up into heaven and ask Gabriel, who stands in the presence of the Almighty, to tell me how much love the Father has for the world, all he could say would be: "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

After Moorhouse finished, Moody confessed:

I never knew up to that time that God loved us so much.This heart of mine began to thaw out; I could not keep back the tears.

I took up that word "Love." and I do not know how many weeks I spent studying the passages when it occurs, till at last I could not help loving people! I had been feeding on Love so long that I was anxious to do everybody good... I got full of it...You take up the subject of love in the Bible! You will get so full of it that all you have got to do is to open your lips, and a flood of the Love of God flows out upon the meeting. There is no use trying to do church work without love..God's work cannot be done without love.

Moody's personal experience really says it all. And what a sweet reminder to take in. What I find encouraging is that after he studied God's Word and His Love, he could not help but to love people. He got full of it. This almost seems impossible and even scary to be someone filled with love. But the truth is nothing is impossible with God. And so what if people may think you're crazy; but if they think you're crazy because you love them that much - then praise God!

Moody's experience proves what the Love of God can produce in and through us, and it is wonderfully described in the gems we find in 1 Corinthians 13 - which is the most famous chapter on love in the Bible.

Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Paul spoke more about love than any other NT writer, and backed it up with his own personal experiences. And no where else in scripture is it evidenced than in 1 Corinthians 13. To understand the context of this chapter, we need to recognize that Paul was responding to disruptions that arose in the Corinth church regarding spiritual gifts. To correct them, Paul wanted to show them a "more excellent way." "He wanted them to know there is something far more important than supernatural gifts, something that transcends the most excellent gifts and performances, something that if absent will render all gifts worthless. That something is love." And this love that Paul is speaking of is specifically directed to fellow believers. Our Lord Himself commands us to love one another just as he had loved us (John 13:34-35)."By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers" (1 John 3:16).

My thoughts: I'm not even finished with the first 2 pages and I'm already feeling this truth pull the weeds of my heart out. If there's one thing I would like to gain from reading this book, I would like to have a similar experience that of Moody. That after studying this book on love, that by God's grace I would be that geyser of love: to be a help to others and to do everybody good for the glory of Christ.

Connecting Love & Leadership

This is my first entry on Leading with Love by Alexander Strauch. My goal is simply to read the book entirely, chapter by chapter and provide a summary or synopsis of what the author is saying. But aside from that, I really want to gain some understanding and wisdom (applying truth) from this book on how to love those that I am to lead: my wife, my kids, and those that I disciple. And my ultimate desire is to honor the Lord by pursuing it as much as possible, in light of how imperfect and as unloving I can be at times. 1 Corinthinas 14:1 reminds us to go for it "Pursue love..."


Preface
Strauch first explains that the Bible is a book of love; the gospel message is one of love, that God so loved the world that He gave His only Son; and because of that love we are to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love our neighbor as ourself (John 3:16, Mark 12:30-31).

Strauch then brings to attention the subject of love and its relationship to leaders and teachers. And he explains his reasons for the need of this book:

~ Christian leaders don't normally focus on love when they address leadership. They focus on other qualities: courage, charisma, visionary thinking, decisiveness, etc.

~ Christian material on leadership seem not to include anything on love, but the NT speaks clearly on the importance of love. And even mandates that our gifts are to be exercised in love (1 Cor 13:1-3).

~ Leaders/teachers set the the spiritual tone for the church. If they are filled with love, the church will be filled with loving people. Self-centered, critical, proud, angry, impersonal leaders/teachers will reap a church that looks just like them.

~ Because the nature of a local church, where much is done in groups: elders' & deacons' meetings, staff meetings, all-church meetings, etc. - we will realize (sooner or later) how annoying, fault-finding, and how frustrating it really is to be united on different levels. Therefore, it would be important for us to understand what the NT principles of love are.

~ There are also false ideas of love that need serious biblical correction. Many Christians, in the name of love are applying God's word in total disobedience. Consider abortion, divorce, sexual sin, refusal of church discipline, etc.

This is Strauch's beginning exhortation:

"If you lead or teach people - as a Sunday school teacher, youth worker, women's or men's ministry leader, Bible Study leader, administrator, music director, elder, deacon, pastor, evangelist, or missionary - love is indispensable to you and your ministry. As Michael Green so beautifully reminds us, 'Love is the most attractive quality in the world. And it lies at the heart of Christianity.' For that reason, God requires that you and I lead and teach with love and continually grow in our love for Him and for all people."