Sermon Title: Making the Love of Christ Your Great Quest
Speaker: Rev. Dr. Ebenezer Okronipa
Scripture Focus: 1 Corinthians 13 & 14, 2 Thessalonians 3:5, Ephesians 5:1-2
I. The Mandate: Love as the Primary Pursuit
In the Christian walk, there is a distinct hierarchy of spiritual priorities. While the church often emphasizes power and gifts, Scripture redirects our focus toward love as the "more excellent way."
The Command to Pursue: 1 Corinthians 14:1 instructs us to "Pursue love." The Greek word used here is dioko, which means to eagerly chase or hunt, much like a predator pursues its prey.
The Difference Between Desire and Quest: You are told to desire spiritual gifts but to make love your quest. You can desire something without chasing it, but a quest requires an intentional, life-altering pursuit.
The Goal: Love must be your "bullseye"—the very center of your spiritual aim.
II. The Futility of Gifts Without Love
1 Corinthians 13 highlights that the highest levels of spiritual operation are rendered useless if they are not fueled by love.
1. Spiritual Utterances
If you speak in the tongues of men or even angels but lack love, you are merely a "sounding brass" or a "clanging cymbal."
Without love, powerful prayer and tongues become an "empty sound" that is frustrating and irritating rather than transformative.
2. Revelation and Knowledge
One can understand all mysteries and possess all knowledge, yet if love is absent, the person is "nothing."
3. Miracle-Working Faith
Even faith that is powerful enough to remove mountains is profitless without the component of love.
4. Extreme Sacrifice
Giving all your goods to the poor or even giving your body to be burned (martyrdom) profits you nothing if the motivation is not love.
Correction on Human Love: Often, we mistake "kindness" or "human affinity" for God's love. True Agape goes beyond loving those in our circle; it is a supernatural disposition.
III. The Superiority of Love
The Bible establishes that love is the greatest of the abiding virtues.
The Abiding Three: Faith, hope, and love remain, but love is the greatest.
The More Excellent Way: 1 Corinthians 12:31 transitions into the love chapter by promising to show us a way that is superior to all spiritual offices and gifts.
IV. Defining the Quest: Walking in the Love of God
To pursue love is to pursue the very nature of God.
Directed Hearts: 2 Thessalonians 3:5 is a prayer that the Lord "direct your hearts into the love of God." This implies that our hearts need divine navigation to stay aligned with His love.
Imitating the Father: Ephesians 5:1-2 calls us to be "imitators of God" as dear children.
The Standard of Christ: We are commanded to "walk in love, as Christ also has loved us." This is a sacrificial love—one that gives itself up as an offering.
V. Practical Application: An Excellent Church
An "excellent" church is not defined by its social gatherings or the fame of its leaders, but by its operation in love and the Spirit.
Love Removes Barriers: When a church walks in the love of God, tribalism, social status, and personal offenses disappear.
Gifts Flourishing in Love: Spiritual gifts (prophecy, healing, miracles) should be evident in the church, but they must be exercised through the "more excellent way" of love to be effective.
A Burden for the People: The greatest drain on a leader is not the exercise of power, but the emotional labor of counseling those who are not walking in love and are thus easily frustrated or offended.
Conclusion and Call to Action
Make the love of God your Great Quest. Do not be satisfied with merely being "spiritual" or "gifted." Ask the Holy Spirit to direct your heart into a love that is sacrificial, consistent, and modeled after Jesus Christ.
Prayer Point: "Lord, direct my heart into Your love. Let my life be an imitation of Christ's love in every word and action."