Linus is talking with his sister, Lucy. He tells her that his dream is to be a doctor when he grows up. Lucy, in her own inimitable, always supportive way, says, "You a doctor? That's a laugh. You couldn't be a doctor. And do you know why? Because you don't love humankind." Linus, understandably upset at her statement, says, "I do too love humankind. It's people I can't stand."
Most of us, I suspect, can identify with Linus. We can say we love humankind, but when we have to deal with people, we get a little upset. People let us down, they run over us, they use us, they make promises, then break them. People just aren't very nice, are they? Too often they leave us disappointed, hurt, angry and a whole range of other emotions, as well.
Yet, the Bible tells us to "love one another," to "love your neighbor as yourself." The Bible says the greatest love one can have for another is to "Lay down your life for them." Those admonitions from our Lord Jesus are the kinds of things I think of when I read a passage such as our text today.
Three weeks ago, I spoke about how Paul raved about the faith of the Christians at Colossae. I spoke about how he was talking about their faith as a church and how important it is to not only have faith as individuals, but also to have faith as a church. In other words, it is important for the membership to look to the leaders for wisdom and guidance. It is important to support the leaders as they work to keep the church moving forward. It is important to have faith that God is working through those elected leaders to accomplish His will.
Paul, in that same sentence, talked about the love that he had heard about among the church members there in Colossae. He says, "We have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God's people." (Colossians 1:4 NLT) Now, as I have shared over the years, there are about three different Greek words used for love, and each one has a different meaning. The one Paul uses here is one which means a self-giving love. So, you see, Paul is not talking about romantic love, he is not talking about brotherly love, although that may be something very close to this agape or self-giving love. Paul is praising the folks there in that church for caring deeply about their brothers and sisters in Christ.
That is one of the "Marks of an Alive Church." Caring deeply about the other members. Now, I know that there are always personality conflicts when you get a group of people together. I have often said, "If you get more than one person together, you're going to have a difference of opinion." But, what Paul is saying here is, he is thrilled that the people in the Colossian church were able to put those things aside and truly care about and for one another.
The problem that too many churches get into is the idea that the church is here to meet my needs. When people start taking that attitude, the church as a whole suffers. I say that because we are all parts of one another when we join a church. As members of Gulf Prairie Presbyterian, we are responsible for one another.
Author and speaker, Nancy Ortberg shares a story of how her daughter's concern for the wider church community spoke a word of conviction into her own heart: "One evening," she wrote, "my oldest daughter came home from a Sunday evening worship service. She had been deeply affected by the experience and in response had written on a piece of paper, 'Help me not to be okay just because everything is okay with me.'" Nancy said, "I was so moved by what she wrote that I tacked that piece of paper up on our corkboard in the kitchen as a reminder that in community it is always we. In community, if someone else is not okay, then to some degree, I am not okay."
You see, friends, we have people within our congregation who are hurting. Some are hurting because of illness. Some are hurting because of struggling relationships. Some are hurting because of the economy. The list could go on and on. But what it means is that we have brothers and sisters who need us. There are members of the church who need our love and help and support and prayers. And even if you are one of those who needs others in the body to come alongside of you to help and support you, you also need to offer whatever support you can give to others. We all need each other.
One of the things we can all do, even when we think there is no way we can help is to pray. I am thrilled that our Pastoral Care Team has arranged for the "Prayer Pager." I know what an encouragement that will be to Jean and to others who may have need of it. I do hope that the novelty doesn't wear off and you will keep on calling the number when you pray. As most of you know, I've been through a lot in the last couple of years and I know that many of you were praying for me. I really do appreciate that. That, and the assurance of God's walking through these things with me, are the things that make my difficulties bearable.
Sincere and honest prayer for others in the Body of Christ, is the one thing that will keep this church together and growing over the years to come. Dietrich Bonhoeffer has written, "A Christian fellowship lives and exists by the intercession of its members for one another, or it collapses. I can no longer condemn or hate a brother for whom I pray, no matter how much trouble he causes me. His face, that hitherto may have been strange and intolerable to me, is transformed in intercession into the countenance of a brother for whom Christ died, the face of a forgiven sinner. This is a happy discovery for the Christian who begins to pray for others."
As you pray for others, it is a powerful tool that helps develop real fellowship with others. Some of you have discovered that. Others have not. When you begin to pray for someone, and recognize that he or she is someone for whom Christ died, it changes the whole relationship with them. You can no longer see yourself as better or more spiritual or more knowledgeable in the Bible than they are. You are one and the same - sinners saved by the grace of God.
When I spoke about faith a few weeks ago, I said that such faith, when shown to the communities we serve, is one thing that will cause people to take notice of who Gulf Prairie Church is and that we are truly God's people. When people see the kind of love Paul was talking about in the people here, once again, they will see the love of Christ and take notice.
Showing that kind of self-giving love is not easy. It sometimes means changing the way we do things. It sometimes means making changes in our attitudes. It sometimes means giving up time or money in order to help someone else. As Bonhoeffer says, "When you pray for someone, your attitude toward them changes." You simply cannot offer a sincere prayer for a brother or sister in Christ and then turn around and gossip about them or talk about them behind their back. What you can do, is go to them and aks how you can help. And if you, yourself , cannot provide what they need, round up a group of church members and enlist their support to help that person.
Coming to understand this kind of self-giving love, often puts us on an emotional roller coaster. We realize that we need other people - even those we sometimes may not enjoy being with. We need them because, deep down, we need their love. Someone has said that one of the greatest needs in a person's life is the need to be needed. When someone else needs us, when we can fill a need of another person, we find value and worth for ourselves. Our ability to help others authenticates our own worth.
Of course, there is no better model for learning to love others than to study the life of Jesus. What He did was build relationships. When we read through the Bible to learn about Jesus' relationships, the first thing we discover is that He believes the best about us. That is to say that He accepts us unconditionally. While He sees all the baggage we carry, the self-doubt, the hateful thoughts, the mistakes we've made, the jealousy we carry, He looks past all that and accepts us - no questions asked.
Psychologist William James says that the deepest human desire is to be appreciated. That is, we crave unconditional acceptance. We all long for someone who will believe in us - no matter what. We all long for someone who will love us just as we are.
In the Bible we read that, "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8 NIV) He set no conditions. He made no demands on us. He simply went to the cross and died a horrible death for us. He loves us unconditionally. And because He loves us so completely and unconditionally, we are set free to love others unconditionally. And that is the first step to building a strong, healthy relationship.
The next thing we discover about Christ's love for us is that He sees the best in us. He sees beyond all the negative things we think about ourselves. He sees beyond all the ineptness we feel keeps us held down. He sees the potential that lies beneath the surface waiting to be set free. He knows what we are capable of and He knows what gifts His Holy Spirit has given us. He knows us better than any other can or ever will. Building and living in a relationship with Christ helps us begin to see the possibilities for ourselves. We begin to see what He sees.
Someone once said, "We live by encouragement - and we die without it, slowly, sadly, angrily." Seeing the best in others and complimenting them on it gives them life. And as they are energized by our praise, the relationship grows stronger, leading to a more complete and fuller life.
One morning a man opened his front door to get his newspaper. What he found was a strange dog standing there with his paper in his mouth. The man was so delighted with this new delivery service that he found a treat and gave it to the dog. The next morning he opened his door and found the same dog - surrounded by 8 newspapers.
Complaints drive people away from us. Compliments attract people to us. Compliments open us up to each other so that we can build healthy relationships together. As Jesus sees the best in us, we begin to see the best in others and enjoy the gift of a satisfying relationship.
The next thing we discover as we study how Jesus builds a relationship with us is that He brings out the best in us. Because He believes in us, because He sees the best in us, we find He draws out the best in us. His love strengthens us and helps us become the people He sees us to be. And as we grow in relationship to Him, we learn to bring out the best in others.
The fourth thing we learn, as we study how Jesus builds relationships, is that He affirms the best in us. Jesus assures us that He is fully committed to us. He will stand by us no matter what. When we begin a relationship with Him, we have the very best intentions, but there are those times when we fail Him, and do things He doesn't want. Things we know He would not approve of. Yet, when we realize this and come back to Him, He's still there assuring us of His commitment to us. So committed, that He will lay down His life for us.
The fifth thing we discover as we look at the relationships Jesus builds is that He will wipe out the worst in us. That is to say, Jesus forgives us unconditionally. No matter what we do, or how many times we fail, He will forgive us. He assures us that He will allow nothing to stand in the way of our relationship together.
Forgiveness is the one thing that is necessary to keep a relationship going smoothly. Forgiveness builds trust and hope. It keeps the communication lines open between people. Without it, a relationship cannot survive. With it, a relationship can survive anything.
When we think of ourselves and the things we've done to others, it is sometimes very difficult to believe that Jesus can forgive us for those things. Yet, when we come to that understanding of His forgiveness, it makes it easier for us to forgive others. And that, my friends, can be one of the most powerful things we can do for others - offer them the gift of unconditional forgiveness
You see, friends, when we learn to love as Jesus did, when we can build meaningful, strong, lasting relationships with one another, we are on the way to showing the love of Christ to the watching world. As that love for one another overflows into all that we do, every activity in which we are involved, others begin to see it and want it. When people see the love of Christ exhibited in our relationships with other in the church, and with those we meet in the store or at the gym or in a club, they will want it. When the loving lifestyle of Christ becomes your lifestyle, people will be asking about it. When your response is I learned it at Gulf Prairie Presbyterian Church, they will want to become a part of such a loving fellowship.
So, remember that it is important that you love everyone who comes here, whether you like them or not. They need your love - and you need their's. Show that love to all people and this church will never be the same. The members of this church will not be the same, either!
If you have thought of someone for whom you need to show love or someone about whom you have not been kind, or someone about whom you have said unkind words, I have a job for you. As you prepare yourself in prayer to come to the Lord's Table, talk with God, make your confessions and prepare yourself to come by committing yourself to loving that person - no matter what. If you have felt like you have put others off by your attitude or actions, ask forgiveness as you pray before coming to the table. Then commit yourself to changing your ways, so that others will want to love you and care about you, as well.
Prayer:
Gracious and loving God, it is hard to understand Your love and forgiveness. Help us, we pray,
to move along the road to forgiving others and offering them our forgiveness. Help us, we pray,
to show the love of Christ to all people, and help us to start with our brothers and sisters here in
Gulf Prairie Church. Use us, we pray, to show the world the love of Christ. In His precious
name, we pray. Amen.
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Sermon November 11, 2007
Sermon November 18, 2007
Sermon November 25, 2007
Sermon December 2, 2007
Sermon December 9, 2007
Sermon December 16, 2007
Sermon December 23, 2007
Sermon December 24, 2007
December 30, 2007 - Guest speaker, transcript not available
Sermon January 6, 2008
Sermon January 13, 2008
Sermon January 20, 2008
Sermon January 27, 2008
Sermon February 3, 2008
Sermon February 10, 2008
Sermon February 17, 2008
Sermon February 24, 2008
Sermon March 2, 2008
Sermon March 9, 2009
Sermon March 16, 2008
Sermon March 23, 2008
March 30, 2008 - Transcript not available
April 6, 2008 - Guest speaker, transcript not available
Sermon April 13, 2008
April 20, 2008 - Guest speaker, transcript not available
April 27, 2008 - Guest speaker, transcript not available
(Please note: At this point in time, we are only able to keep the last few weeks' messages available. As a result, links to
earlier sermons on previous sermon pages may not work.)
If you have questions about this message or wish to contact Dr. Kile for further information, feel free to e-mail him at pastor@gulf-prairie.org