“The Real Thing: The Purity of Love”

Posted on 2011/11/13 by Shawn Thomas

I Corinthians 13:6 

      A few weeks ago as we talked about the definition of love, we referred to C.S. Lewis’ quote, that “Divine Gift-love … desires what is simply best for the beloved.”  But what IS best for the beloved?  Is it best to let them do whatever they want?  Is it best to give them everything they desire?  Every parent here will quickly answer “NO!”  Real love does not do whatever; it does not say whatever – as someone has written, love is not like a glob of jello – it has boundaries.  That what it means here in I Corinthians 13:6 when it says that love “does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth.”  As we continue our study on agape love in this chapter, we see again that love is not just a good feeling.  It is described in this chapter by 15 verbs, and the two we are looking at today tell us that love is pure: it flourishes within the God-given boundaries of love and truth. Continue reading →

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“The Real Thing: Love Does Not Hold A Grudge”

Posted on 2011/11/08 by Shawn Thomas

I Corinthians 13:5b 

     A generation ago in Communist Romania, a pastor was beaten almost to death, and was then thrown into prison.  A fellow prisoner, also a Christian, slowly made his way over to him and, knowing how bitterness can destroy a life, softly asked him: “Brother, can you pray the prayer: ‘Father forgive them …’?”  The beaten pastor shook his head.  “No”, he said, “I cannot pray, ‘Father forgive them’; I must pray ‘Father forgive them AND ME!’”  Here was a man who could forgive others the most egregious sins, because he knew that he needed that very same forgiveness himself. 

     As we have seen over the past weeks, I Corinthians 13 uses 15 verbs to describe what God’s agape love does.  We have seen that love “has a long fuse”; that it expresses itself in ACTS of kindness to others; that it is not proud, and last week we saw 3 things that it does NOT do.  This morning we find another thing that love does not do, in I Corinthians 13:5, where it says that love “does not take into account a wrong suffered.” As we will see, this means that “Love Does Not Hold a Grudge”.  To put it positively, love forgives.  It is the very essence of Biblical love.  It is what God has done for us.  This quality, as much as any of the others, demonstrates whether we really understand what God done for us, by the way that we practice it in regard to others. Continue reading →

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An Odyssey in Homer

Posted on 2011/11/04 by Shawn Thomas

I just finished reading Homer’s The Odyssey for the first time!  It was “fun” – for want of a better word – to read first-hand about the Cyclops; those twin pillars of doom named Scylla & Charybdis; and the exploits of Ulysses as he made his way homeward after the Trojan War.  I found myself “on the edge of my seat” as the hero had his fill of the greedy suitors who had invaded his home to seek his wife’s hand in marriage after his 20-year absence.  I was eager to see just how he would exact his revenge (I had to go to the kitchen and get some cookies and milk to help me more fully savour the final moments!)  It did not disappoint, although I had to wonder how his son was able to escape the room filled with dozens of antagonistic suitors, and bring back several sets of armor and spears for Ulysses and his helpers, while the hero held them all off with a bow and arrow.  But hey, that stretch of reality pales in comparison to most modern action movies … 

A few other thoughts: Continue reading →

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What Love Does NOT

Posted on 2011/10/30 by Shawn Thomas

I Corinthians 13:5                

      Have you ever taken a look in the mirror and exclaimed, “Oh, my!  I didn’t think I looked that bad!”?  Sometimes we feel like we look one way – when the truth is far different.  And as they say, the mirror doesn’t lie! 

     Well, we are going to “look in the mirror” this morning.  The Book of James says that the word of God is like a mirror.  When we look in it, God’s Holy Spirit shows us how we really are – NOT how we “think” we are, but how we really are. 

     We are continuing our study of agape love from I Corinthians 13:4-8, looking at the 15 terms there which describe love.  We come today to verse 5, which says that love does NOT do three things.  I believe that if we will each look intently at God’s word today, we will find ourselves looking in a mirror – and we may not like what we see.  But may God help us to see ourselves clearly today – and then to call out to Him to help us to be different, by His grace!  Continue reading →

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The Real Thing: Love is Kind

Posted on 2011/10/23 by Shawn Thomas

I Corinthians 13:4    

     Several years ago, in the weeks leading up to Valentines Day, 2nd graders in the Lake Charles area were asked, “What is love?”  One wrote: “Love is when you are in love.  When you are in it, somebody loves you.”  Another said: “Love is good.  I love love.  Do you love love?”  (Unfortunately a lot of adults don’t do much better than those definitions!)  Some were pretty insightful: one wrote: “love makes your heart sing!”  And another said, “Love is kindness.”  Well, as we return to our study of Biblical love I Corinthians 13 today, we see that last one is right on target, for I Cor. 13:4 indeed says: “Love is kind.” Continue reading →

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God’s Help In Wicked Days

Posted on 2011/10/23 by Shawn Thomas

Psalm 94

       The other day, Michael said, “Dad, Sunday morning is kind of your ‘main sermon’, isn’t it?”  I said, “Yeah, it really is; I think it is the most important thing I do each week.”  He said, “So Sunday night is kind of like a ‘side sermon’?”  I laughed, because to me it sounded like a “side salad” or something!   But there is some truth in what he said.  The Sunday morning messages are for a wider audience, and in our evening messages I usually try to address more of a Christian audience, with some word that might help us to live for the Lord in the coming week.  I hope that tonight’s message will do that.  It is found in Psalm 94, and I’ve entitled it, “God’s Help In Wicked Days.”  Continue reading →

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The Real Thing: Love Is Not Proud

Posted on 2011/10/23 by Shawn Thomas

I Corinthians 13:4b    

     Last year, in Santa Cruz, California, a family went on an outing together at a state park close nearby.  They made tacos, including mushrooms they had picked at the park – but unfortunately, the mushrooms were poisonous.  The family was rushed to the hospital, where fortunately a doctor had received FDA approval to try a new antidote, which had come over from Europe, and which was able to cure the family of the poisoning. 

     I think we know that not all “poisoning” comes from something you ingest; there are things that poison our hearts, and one of the greatest is the poison of pride.  But it is also a poison for which there is an ample and effective antidote, in the love of God which comes to us through Christ Jesus our Lord! 

     This morning we are continuing our study of I Corinthians 13, “The Real Thing”, a study of Biblical love.  We are in the midst of examining the 15 words which describe love in I Corinthians 13:4-8.  We have seen that agape love is patient (it has “a long fuse”) and it is kind: it actively does good even (and especially) to those who do not deserve it.  Today we are going to combine the next 3 qualities, because all three spring from the same root: the root of pride.  Verse 4 concludes: “Love … is not jealous, does not brag, and is not arrogant.” Continue reading →

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Knowledge of a Different Kind

Posted on 2011/10/18 by Shawn Thomas

I was witness to two different kinds of knowledge today – or perhaps more accurately: a display of one kind of knowledge, and the complete lack of another! 

When Michael came to my office following school this afternoon, I asked the perfunctory questions about how school had gone, etc., etc.  He mentioned that all was good – except that his lunch box was leaking.  “Leaking?” I queried, as my brow began to wrinkle.  “Yes”, he responded.  “You mean … it is leaking NOW?”, I said, with a little more urgency in my voice.  “Yes”, he said, “but don’t worry; it’s not in here — I have it sitting over the trash can in Miss Kathy’s office.”  I immediately got up and ran into my secretary’s office, just outside my own, where his lunch box was indeed perched precariously, leaking something into her trash can. Continue reading →

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Missions in the Context of Worship

Posted on 2011/10/10 by Shawn Thomas

Acts 13:2              “Missions in the Context of Worship”

 Last year, at our Saturday evening missions banquet, one of our visiting missionaries spoke of the trials of serving overseas.  Many of our hearts were touched as she shared about how they missed worshipping with the people of God in a home church, and how meaningful it would be for someone to just come and visit them, and encourage them, and worship with them.  I think it is neat that one of the mission teams we are commissioning tonight is going to the Middle East to do that very thing.  But I also think that we need to understand there is a strong connection between missions, and worship, which many of us have failed to grasp. 

     In a few minutes, we are going to spend some time praying for our mission teams, but before we do that, I want us to turn to Acts 13, where the Bible describes the beginning of a great mission movement: the call of Paul & Barnabas on their mission to the Gentile world.  We see there that mission comes in the context of worship:  missions is born in worship, and missions will end in worship. Continue reading →

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“The Real Thing: Love Is Patient”

Posted on 2011/10/09 by Shawn Thomas

I Corinthians 13:4 

 We often say that those who go on mission trips receive the greatest benefits of the trip, and those who teach Sunday School classes get the most from the lesson.  The same thing is surely true of those who preach sermons.  This week, as I have studied “Love is patient” from I Corinthians 13:4, I have found myself in a number of situations during the week in which those first words have flashed silently across my mind: “Love is patient!” Continue reading →

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