Pastor Scott's Sermon

2010 02 14 What's Left?

Jeremiah 1:4-10
Psalm 36:5-10

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Today is Valentine's Day.  So this morning, it should be no surprise to you that the topic of my sermon is love. And since love is our focus, I would like to begin our sermon by singing you all a little "love" song.  It is not exactly what you call a traditional love song, but if you know it, feel free to join in.

Love, exciting and new.

Come aboard, we're expecting you!

The Love Boat!  Soon we'll be making another run.

The Love Boat!  Promises something for everyone...OK that should be enough.

I told you that it would not be a traditional "love" song.  I know that Jennifer is probably thoroughly embarrassed that I just sang the theme from the Love Boat, but I couldn't help myself.  I will probably make a habit of this each Valentine's Sunday, as I find new and siller "love" songs to sing for you.

But now that I have your attention, I would like to point out a couple of things about the scripture read to you this morning from 1 Corinthians.  First off, this passage probably is not what most people think it is.  Many pastors, myself included, pull this passage out of their repertoire for special events such as weddings, Valentine's Day, or any other time we need a nice, warm, and fuzzy sermon on love.  And why not?  If you are looking in the Bible for a description of love, and what love is, what better passage is there? 

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails.

It is beautiful and poetic.  It seems to flow from the tongue and from the heart.  The problem is that this passage was not written for the the benefit of world, to be read on special occasions, but to be lived out in the hearts of the Church every day.   If you remember, a couple of weeks ago, I preached to you about "Parts is parts".  The Church is made of many different people, and those people have different spiritual gifts and abilities.  Together, we are to act in one accord, speak with one voice, and live as one body.  The passage today on love immediately follows.  This passage is written for the people of the Church.

One other thing I wish to say today is that I have been beaten to the punch.  In our Sunday school class, we recently read Tom Holliday's book, The Relationship Principles of Jesus.  He and his brother-in-law, Rick Warren, do an excellent job of bringing this passage to life.  If you have not read the book, I'm sure that some one would be glad to let you borrow theirs.  But I do want you to know that I will be borrowing some of their insights this morning. 

Love is the foundation of Christian life.  On this piece of information alone, I feel as if I could conclude the service this morning and feel like I taught you something vastly important.  But there is more.  In the first three verses of 1 Corinthians 13, Paul talks to us about 3 spiritual gifts, and each time he begins with that magical word...if.   If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels...If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains...If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames...  BUT HAVE NOT LOVE...I'm in trouble.  Love is needed.  Love is required to unlock the beauty and the power of these gifts that God has blessed us with. 

If I speak in tongues, but have not love, I say nothing.  My words are meaningless, useless, and I am best to just keep my mouth shut.  If I have the gifts of divine knowledge or great faith, but have not love, then nothing I know...nothing I believe or know is of any value.  I am nothing.  If I blessed with generosity, and can surrender all that I have for the sake of God, but have not love.  Nothing I give matters.  I may gain the accolades of mankind, but in the eyes of God, who gives me everything....I gain nothing.  Without love, our words, beliefs, and actions are meaningless.  When the love of God is not our motivation, our driving force, our beginning and end, it doesn't really matter what spiritual gifts God gives us.  God knows that without love we will twist, manipulate, and use these gifts.

And we know this by how Paul describes love:  Love is patient and kind, not envious, boastful, proud, or rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails.  Each of us is human...or at least I hope we are.  We are natural creatures.  Most of the time, we're really not very nice.  We like to make ourselves look better or more important than others.  Deep down inside we like it when bad things happen to bad people, especially if is someone who has personally done us wrong. 

It is in our nature to do all the right things for all the wrong reasons.  We are natural creatures, living in a natural world.  And love in itself is unnatural.  In fact, it is supernatural.  If you don't believe me do a little snooping around 1 John, especially chapters 3 and 4. Love has to be supernatural.  If it came from people...if the basis for love is humanity, then it would be a failure.  Love would always fall short.  Love would always leave us in sadness and despair.   But love never fails.  7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails.  I believe that.  I really do.

It is not that love fails.  I have been talking with the confirmation call about prevenient grace.  God is at work in the hearts of all people.  God pours his love out upon everyone.  But a broken vessel can only hold so much.  A cracked glass will leak, and a bucket with a hole will soon empty itself.  Love never fails, but we fail to love.  We trade love for lust and compassion for a blind eye to those in need. Love never fails, it is that God's beautiful supernatural love is poured out into frail, broken worldly containers. 

But the good news is...he does that on purpose.  God is hoping that we will catch a glimpse of his love...that we will get a taste for it, and want more.  He wants us to come to him.  So that we will let him fix our broken places and put the pieces of our lives together.  God wants nothing more than to clean out the dirt and filth that have been in us for so long.  Because then once we are redeemed, renewed, and repaired we can begin to catch and hold his love pouring down upon us.  He can fill us with his love, and it is his spirit and his gifts, filled and fueled by that love that can and will change the world around us.

We need to be fixed, then we can be filled.  Paul knows this.  There were people back then, just as there are now who want to tell us that we must have spiritual gifts.  You have to speak in tongues, or you have to have a prophetic ability.  But Paul is telling us that these gifts are temporal.  God will give some people some gifts and some people other gifts.  These gifts are meant to bring blessings or knowledge or wisdom or insight as to the will of God at a certain time.  But time passes.  Our words and actions...our knowledge and wisdom will also pass. 

9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

I think that Paul is telling us that we need to grow up.  At the end of 1 Cor. 12, Paul tells us to find out what our spiritual gifts are.  Some are considered greater than others, and Paul encourages us to seek the greater gifts.  But he also reminds us that we are all in this, working together.  We are parts of the same body.  No one greater than the other.  It is in this context, Paul reminds us that spiritual gifts are only a means to an end.  We cannot do this without love. 

Love completes us.  Love matures us.  Love enables us, and love perfects us.  You see, we cannot perfect our words and deeds.  I am living proof of that.  I am as likely as anyone to say something stupid at any given moment.  (Amen?)  Through God's love and his sanctifying grace, God wants to perfect our love. 

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Again, love is more than what we are capable of.  Love is supernatural, and it comes from God. 

Faith can change our past and present.  Faith can give offer us forgiveness and a new life. Hope can change our future.  Hope can give us a place in the heavenly realms with our Lord.  But love changes everything.  Sometimes we run a little low on faith.  I believe it is OK to have our occasional doubts, as long as we continue to believe.  Sometimes, our hope tank runs a little dry, when the burdens of life bring us down.  But take away those two and what's left?  Love.  We're not meant to run low on God's love. Don't settle for a Love Boat romance, but seek the Lord and the fullness of his love.  Allow his love to complete you, grow you, and perfect you.  Then nothing on earth will stop you.