Sermon Tone Analysis

*“And Now … ?”*

First Service After Installation

January 16, 2000

1 Corinthians 13

 

          One of America’s most popular radio personalities is Paul Harvey.

He has a seemingly ubiquitous presence everywhere because of one simple phrase, /“And now, the rest of the story.”/

Having recently heard Mr. Harvey say it again, it occurred to me that you, the people of God at Trinity, would want to know /“the rest of the story”/ as it pertains to the mission and ministry of Trinity.

In short you want to know /“And now … ?”/

That’s no problem, I can tell you all I know in about 15 seconds, so my sermon will be pretty short.

Not really.

It’s a joke, okay!

The honest answer to “And Now … ?” is this, *only God knows with certainty what the rest of the story really is.*

However, God has also revealed the rest of the story in His Word.

And that, I believe, can be summed in one Word, LOVE!

When Bonnie and I met with leaders of Trinity when considering the call, we were delighted to hear what you had to say about the mission and ministry of Trinity.

But there was one comment that captivated my thinking and my heart, and made my eyes well up with tears.

Let me paraphrase that comment: /“What this congregation needs is to be loved.

It is starved for love, and it wants to love.”/

Those are some strong emotional words, aren’t they?

But they are also strong spiritual words.

Let me explain what I mean.

Paul describes LOVE in our text in very strong terms.

LOVE is patient, LOVE is kind.

It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrong.

LOVE does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

… And then, the icing on this spiritual cake comes next.

LOVE never fails.

I regret to have to inform you all that I cannot provide you with such LOVE as this.

As we live out our earthly lives, it sometimes seems as though LOVE does fail?

That makes us wonder, Has Paul made some awful mistake?

Has God simply played with his head and not revealed the truth?

The answer, of course, is No, and NO!

There is no mistake because the LOVE described here is not human love, which does fail, but God’s LOVE.

It is self-sacrificing, humble, and able to cure its spiritual opposite, FEAR.

The apostle John makes this startling comment about this perfect LOVE: /“There is no fear in love.

But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.

The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”/ 1 John 4:18.

Harsh words, but also encouraging for those who are touched with this LOVE.

But even then we still have, and experience fear.

For example, now that Trinity has a pastor, and as we consider the question /“And Now … ?”/

Do some of you fear a pastor who is too liberal?

Or, a pastor who is too conservative?

Or, do you fear the unknown aspects of Christian ministry and mission with the new pastor?

What causes us to fear?

Does not John give us an inkling?

It is the uncertainty of being loved that causes us to fear.

So when it is said that Trinity needs LOVE and lots of it, I understand it in both its emotional and spiritual aspects.

I, too, know what it is like to feel unloved and perhaps even rejected.

My natural father never accepted me, his youngest son.

There was no LOVE.

How shallow, and worthless that makes a person feel.

But, thank God, I was shown LOVE, God’s LOVE.

His LOVE is perfect.

It never fails.

And it needs to be that way because of our natural fear of Him, and His Word, and His LOVE.

Nevertheless, we are loved!

That LOVE was so dramatically displayed at Calvary’s place of the skull, on Golgotha.

That place where the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified in our place.

Crucified, because of fear.

The effect of fear is to render us unfit for the mission and ministry of God.

Again we look at the Word of truth.

What possible good can there be in speaking every language of the world, or having all the knowledge of God, or having a strong faith, or giving all we have to the poor, or sacrificing our own bodies, if it is done in fear, not LOVE?

Paul uses strong terms to tell us.

All of these good things are of no use at all if there is not LOVE.

That means the wonderful blessings poured out on God’s people become dysfunctional and useless because they do not come forth out of perfect LOVE.

Did you know that this is the reason why we try to hide our reality from God? That, my friends, is the sad reality of our humanity.

But it is not the Spiritual Reality of God.

That reality, because it is perfect LOVE dares to step into our imperfect lives and touch us with grace and mercy and kindness, and goodness, and faith and hope and most of all, LOVE.

What that means to all of us here today is this: The Spirit of God is right this moment at work in us, perfecting LOVE.

Through the water and the Word of Holy Baptism God has touched another one of us with His Perfect LOVE.

Through the word of God shared here this morning, God is again touching us with His perfect LOVE.

And that LOVE says fear not, for I AM with you, not counting your sins against you.

And why does He do that?

Is it because we deserve it?

NO!

Is it because it is owed to us? NO!

Is it because God wants more out of us?

ABSOLUTELY NOT!

It is only and solely because GOD IS LOVE, and He wants us to experience LOVE in the most unique way.

So He comes to us to reveal Himself through the forgiveness of sin, through the proclamation of the Gospel message, through the power of the Holy Spirit who is able, and is right now converting our fear into God’s most perfect LOVE.

Can you think of what that means for us here at Trinity, NOW?

It means we already have what we so desire, LOVE.

No, the perfect has not yet come.

Nor will it be totally here until Christ returns.

But, it is at work among us.

And I believe it is here at this unique place, at this unique time, for the unique purpose of touching the unique heart of Lansing.

And by the power of His Spirit, you also believe.

And that is why we dare to say, not: “And Now … ?”

No, instead we say, /“And Now, Christ!/

He is the rest of the story.

Amen.

The peace of God . . .