Why We Do What We Do ( From our 9-21-25 Worship)

Watch the video Version here: https://youtu.be/jW0wCJtNPzISummary: 1 Corinthians 13 and the “More Excellent Way”Big IdeaPaul’s “love chapter” isn’t a sentimental poem—it’s the solution to a divided, chaotic church: “So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13, ESV)Text Overview (1 Corinthians 13)Without love, gifts and sacrifices are empty (vv. 1–3).What love is/does: patient, kind, not envious/boastful/arrogant/rude; not self-seeking or resentful; rejoices with truth; bears, believes, hopes, endures (vv. 4–7).What will last: miraculous gifts are temporary; love never ends (vv. 8–12).What must remain: faith, hope, love—and love is greatest (v. 13). Full text: “So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” (1 Cor 13:13, ESV)Context in Corinth (Why Paul wrote this)The church was fractured by division and comparison (cf. 1 Cor 1:10–13).Even spiritual gifts became a contest (cf. 1 Cor 12:29–31). Paul offers a “more excellent way”—love—as the cure for chaos (1 Cor 12:31).What “Abide” MeansAbide = persist, remain. Prophecies, tongues, and partial knowledge will pass away; faith, hope, and love remain as the church’s bedrock (1 Cor 13:8–12).Where Do Faith, Hope, and Love Abide?They certainly reside with God (Heaven), but Paul’s burden is that they abide in us—become lived realities, not just ink on a page.Faith in us: “I am reminded of your sincere faith … now … dwells in you.” (2 Timothy 1:5, ESV)Hope in us: “… we have our hope set on the living God …” (1 Timothy 4:10, ESV)Love in us: “… God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit …” (Romans 5:5, ESV). Full text: “… and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Rom 5:5, ESV)Why Is Love the Greatest?When faith feels weak and hope runs thin, love still acts—and often rekindles faith and hope. Love moves us toward others in concrete service, pulling us back from discouragement.Illustration (Modern Echo)A homeowner sheltered students during a school crisis—opening the door, organizing contacts, feeding, calming, and ensuring each child got home. That embodied love restored steadiness in the midst of fear—exactly what Paul envisions love doing in chaos.Practical TakeawaysFor a divided world/church: Practice the more excellent way. Let love govern gifts, opinions, and platform.When your soul is low: Do a specific act of love for someone else—visit, feed, call, serve. Love often re-sparks hope and strengthens faith.Make it personal: Ask, Do faith, hope, and love abide in me? Where, this week, will I let them live out loud?Key Verses to Carry1 Corinthians 13:13 (ESV): “So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”Romans 5:5 (ESV): “… hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit …”John 15:9–10 (ESV) [for abiding in love]: “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love …”Bottom line: In a world (and church) prone to noise, rivalry, and despair, love is the enduring way—and the way back when faith and hope waver.