1. “Building the Body Through Love!” 1 Corinthians 13

2. Few years ago the police in Ft. Wayne, Indiana were called to a house… Further investigation by police revealed this scene was the climax of an argument that began in the parking lot of “The True Love Baptist Church.”

3. Few years ago in Texas, a woman in a front yard stabbed her husband. As police came and a crowd gathered…

4. Purpose: to see how we can build the Body of Christ here through love

5. IBy Impressing the Body With the Importance of Love A.As Revealed in the Bible

6. 1 Peter 1:22 “… fervently love one another from the heart.”

7. 1 Peter 2:17 “Honor all men; but love the brotherhood.”

8. 1 Peter 4:8 “Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another because love covers a multitude of sins.”

9. 1 John 3:14-16 “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren… We ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”

10. 1 John 4:7 “Brethren, let us love one another, for love is of God…”

11. 1 Thessalonians 4:19 “Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another.”

12. IBy Impressing the Body With the Importance of Love A.As Revealed in the Bible B.As to It’s Promised Results

13. John 13:35 John 13:35 “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

14. IIBy Teaching the Body the Meaning of Love

15. The world’s idea of love and priorities is warped…

16. IIBy Teaching the Body the Meaning of Love A.Act of the Will B.Comes Before and Goes Beyond C.Based Upon One Fact

17. IIIBy Demonstrating to the Body the Practice of Love A.It is More than Kind Words

18. 1 John 3:17-18 “But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.”

19. IIIBy Demonstrating to the Body the Practice of Love A.It is More Than Kind Words B.It is Discipling Its Members C.It is the Gold Rule (Matthew 7:12)

20. Matthew 7:12 “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”

21. IVBy Warning the Body the Risks of Love

22. C. S. Lewis “To love is to make oneself vulnerable.”

23. Someone has likened loving humans as to kissing a frog. Remember the story of the princess kissing the frog?...

24. IVBy Warning the Body the Risks of Love A.Keep Kissing Frogs B.Don’t be Timid

25. VBy Pointing the Body to the Source of Love

26. Sigmund Freud “It’s impossible to fulfill Christ’s command to love. Nothing is more opposite to human nature because all men are savage beasts at heart.”

27. VBy Pointing the Body to the Source of Love A.Love is Lived by the Power of God B.We are Rich Indeed

28. Conclusion and Summary IBy Impressing the Body with the Importance of Love IIBy Teaching the Body the Meaning of Love IIIBy Demonstrating to the Body the Practice of Love IVBy Warning the Body the Risks of Love VBy Pointing the Body to the Source of Love