Sermon: Excellent Way

The Others

June 27, 2021

The Excellent Way

This morning I want to begin with a question. The question comes from Acts chapter 2. The first day the church began… right before that first church service began…

Acts 2:1-6When the day of Pentecost arrived, they (120 disciples who were waiting as Jesus had told them to.) were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together…

Here is the question. Why didn't God do that this morning? Why didn't God send the sound of a mighty wind throughout Los Alamos until a crowd gathered to hear the Gospel? That would have been cool. Why didn't God bring a sound of a tornado to Los Alamos this morning to bring together a crowd to hear the Gospel? We could have had more people here this morning.

An answer is found in 1 Corinthians 13. Paul says there is a more excellent way. There is a better way than the sound of wind. There is a better way than the flames. We need that better way for us to connect with our neighbors in Los Alamos.

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1 Corinthians 13:1-3 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Many of us have studied a foreign language. Some took Spanish, or French in High School. I took a year of Latin. I barely made it out with a "C". In college I took Greek - that is all I did for a year. Tera has studied Greek, Hebrew, German and Coptic in College. She’s impressive.

People who are bilingual are amazing. Those who can speak 4 languages are remarkable. Occasionally, you hear of someone who is fluent in 10 languages… we are impressed. But what if someone could speak every language on the planet; all the dialectics, all the variations? What if they could go into Bongo, Bongo and find a tribe that had never had contact with the outside world and this person immediately could speak to them. It would be incredible. And what if that person could even speak the language of heaven? They could speak Angelish. They could speak to an angel in his native language… impressive, most impressive. We would be in awe of such a person.

But Paul says even if there were a person like that, if that person did not speak with love, he would be like two pieces of metal banging together.

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Well, what if a person could predict the future. This impressive person had the ability to foretell what was going to happen. That would make that person important.

--They could make money in the stock market. They would have bought IBM in the 1960s; Apple in the 80s, Amazon last year.

--That person could have foreseen that 1957 Chevy Belair convertible would be worth $100,000 today easy… instead of selling it 1963 for $800.

--That person would be invaluable to Homeland Security.

--They could have predicted a global pandemic.

We would think a person who could see into the future as an important person. But add to that, a person who understands all mysteries. Anything that happened he would know why. That person would know the answer to any of life’s big questions. How was everything created? What is a black hole? How does time work? What is the best way to make a grilled cheese sandwich? That person would be more than valuable.

And this person, who can foretell the future, who knows all mysteries, and knows everything, what if they had enough faith to speak to a mountain and it would move. It's not fair for Colorado to have all the 14ers so let’s move one to New Mexico. Let' see let's take Mt. Elbert and put it where Santa Fe is. We would put an "S" on his shirt and give him a cape.

But Paul says if that person did not know love he would know nothing at all.

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But Paul doesn't stop there. If a person came home one day and decided to sell all of their possessions; house, cars, computers, 74-inch QLEDTV, everything and gave it to the poor. Then, went to India to help the people who are suffering. Then, while helping the poorest of the poor in New Deli, that person died saving the life of some child. If that person, did it without love; if they did it for some other reason, than love, that person would gain nothing.

These 59 words, in the Greek, have the power to make me take a long hard look at… me. I only speak one language and I do it poor. I can't tell the future. I don't even know what's for lunch. I can't solve many problems. I don't even do well on Jeopardy. I can't even move a pebble by faith. Although, I did give an old car to friend. yesterday. If I don't have love, I am less than nothing. I am a negative number. I am a liability. I’m a hindrance.

Sad face…

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But there is good news. You are sitting down. This is good news. The converse is also true. With love I am everything!

Our Lord stated there are two important commandments… Love God with all your heart and soul and mind and strength and love your neighbor as ourselves.

Without love we are nothing. BUT WITH LOVE WE CAN BE EVERYTHING!

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1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Instead of going through each of these 15 characteristics about love I want to look at them as a block. Notice some of the conclusions about what love is.

First, love is a choice. We hear about falling in love. We think about love as being this intense feeling for another that kind of attaches itself to us without our consent. Love is something that overwhelms us. It is something that happens to us like being infected with the COVID. "Bam, I'm in love." It's like the old sixty's song - "Hello. I love you. Won't you tell me your name."

But the love that Paul says is worth so much is not that kind of love. I suspect that kind of love is more accurately called infatuation or negatively, lust. But the love, that makes us everything, is a choice to put the Other ahead of ourself. It is consciously choosing to do what is best for another person.

Look over the list of 15 characteristics of love in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 and see if they aren't all choices. These are behaviors that we can choose to have. That we can do!

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Second, love is not abstract or universal. It's like the old quote from WC Fields, "I love all mankind, its people I can't stand." Some people have this generic, abstract concept of love. They want to save the world, and feed the starving children in Africa, stop global pandemics, but are hateful; intolerant and critical to real people in their lives. When Paul discusses love, he is talking about one-on-one relationships with an Other in front of them. Look at the list of 15 again - these are all done to individuals who are right in front of them…patient…kind… does not insist on its own way… irritable… or resentful…

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Growing out of these first two concepts of love is the third concept. Love is expressed. Often, we are like the man who told his wife on their wedding day, "I love you and if I ever change my mind, I'll let you know." That is not the nature of love. Love is spoken. Love is demonstrated. Love is expressed. I think we all know this. But it is difficult to do. As Christians we should frequently express our love to the Others.

Look at the 15…rejoice… bears… believes… hopes… endures…

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There is one more concept that comes out of these characteristics. Love is in spite of. Notice the quality of the 15. Most have to do with conflict. In the Corinthian church; the context of these words, the poor were being marginalized, there was rivalry between different factions; some thought they were better Christians than others. Paul is explaining love must see past the hurt to be patient and kind, not superior or rude or hateful. As Jesus himself said, “If you only love those who love you, what reward is it?” We must love in spite of the differences; in spite of the disagreements; in spite of the weaknesses and in spite of people’s irritating qualities.

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Put your name in the blank.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 _____ is patient and kind; _____ does not envy or boast; ____ is not arrogant or rude. ____ does not insist on its own way; _____ is not irritable or resentful; _______ does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but ______ rejoices with the truth. ____ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

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Let’s get back to our original question… Why didn’t God do the sound of the wind miracle, this morning, to get people to come to church?

Notice the verse right before chapter 13. The last verse of chapter 12.

1 Corinthians 12:31 But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.

The flow of chapters 12, 13, & 14 of 1 Corinthians is discussing the proper usage of spectacular spiritual gifts.

In this last verse of chapter 12 Paul says there is a better way; a still more excellent way, than wind and fire…

That better way is love.

The answer to our original question… “Why didn't God use a big wind to bring people to church this morning?” The answer is, we have a better way. The way of love…

…we will fill our building with those who need to be loved!

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We are in 3 John this morning. Let’s connect these thoughts to… 3 John verse 5 & 6…

3 John 5-6 Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are, who testified to your love before the church.

Wow… Better than the sound of a tornado… Our love being testified before the church!

Tim Stidham

June 27, 2021

Los Alamos Church of Christ