“By Grace Through Faith” (Eph 2:8-9) - Family Worship Service -

The Whole Bible in One Sentence

If you were asked which verse best summarizes the whole of Scripture, what would you say? Perhaps many of you would recite John 3:16. Along with this famous verse, there is another golden text to summarize God’s way of salvation in one sentence, that is, Ephesians 2:8-9:

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith

- and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God

- not by works, so that no one can boast” (NIV).

By Grace

Salvation belongs to the Lord (Jonah 2:9). You and I have been saved by grace. But, what is “grace”? Grace is “unmerited favor.” In other words, grace is getting what we don’t deserve. [Object Lesson] Here on this table there are three gift boxes. Who wants this?  [1] Mary, can you come up and do five jumping jacks? And I will give this gift to you. [2] John, can you do three push-ups? And I will give this gift to you as well. [3] Kale, do you want this gift? Here it is! Now, let me ask all of you. Who received “grace” from me? Kale! John and Mary worked hard. They deserved it. They got their rewards. But as for Kale, he got what he didn’t deserve. I gave the gift to him, because I just loved him, because I just wanted him to have that gift. That’s grace.

We have been saved by grace. We have been saved just because God wanted us to have that gift – abundant life, eternal life with Him. That’s who God is. He is our good, good Father! On God’s part, He gives His saving grace to everyone. The Bible says, “God wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth” (1 Tim 2:4, NLT). That’s grace – the free gift of God. We cannot add anything to God’s salvation. Salvation is a work of God’s grace from start to finish. Salvation belongs to the Lord.

Through Faith

Does that mean everyone is automatically saved? The answer is NO! We ought to respond, receive God’s gift. On our part we ought to say “Yes” to God’s grace. That is “faith.” We have been saved by grace, through faith. Faith means trusting something or someone and acting accordingly. Nowadays Esther loves to climb – climb on chairs, tables, stairs – you name it. Not only that, if she saw me near to her, she just jumps to me. That is faith – trusting and behaving accordingly. So faith in God means trusting God and His promises with all our hearts and minds and acting accordingly.

One of my favorite stories in the Bible is the story of David and Goliath. David’s faith tells us what it means to have faith in God. When Goliath defied the name of the living God for forty days, none of the Israelites was able to fight against him, except David. David did trust God, His character, His promises with his whole heart and act accordingly. He did trust God enough to stand and fight against Goliath. David’s conviction and confidence are from his daily experience with God. Before King Saul, David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine” (1 Sam 17:37). Because David knew God intimately, he was able to trust God and act accordingly. Later, because of Saul’s jealousy, David became a runaway and lived in the wilderness. And everyone who was in distress, or in debt, or discontented gathered around him. And David became their leader. Later, about six hundred men were with him. Let me ask you: who do you think changed? Do you think David became more like those 600 good-for-nothing fellows, or vice versa? The answer is those 600 men became more like David. They became the men of God who later helped to build a new country. How can this be? It is because David spent more time with God, than with the surrounding 600 men. David experienced God daily. He came to know God so intimately, know God enough to trust Him with all his heart and live accordingly.

Hear the Word

Faith is not a feeling. Faith is anchored in God – His character and His promises (His Word). The more we know God, the more we have faith in Him. The more we experience God, the more we trust Him and act accordingly. So, how do we know God and build real faith in Him? Like any relationship, we need to set aside time to deepen our relationship with God. In particular, we need to take time to hear God’s word as much as possible. The Bible says, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Rm 10:17, ESV).

As we open up to God and listen to His word attentively, we come to know God. We come to trust God. We come to fall in love with God. “Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long” (Ps 119:97). “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (119:103) As we hear, read, mediate on the word, we come to know who God is and who God isn’t. We come to know what God’s will is and what God’s will isn’t. [Object Lesson] I have two twenty-dollar bills with me: one is genuine and the other is fake. How do we know which one? The agents of the Secret Service are trained in this way: They examine and study genuine currency so thoroughly –to a degree that they become so intimately familiar with the authentic item, that they can immediately spot a fake. In the same way, as we hear the word and immerse ourselves fully in God’s word, we just know God – His character and His will. We just know false messages when we see them. When the Israelites had gone astray and stumbled all over themselves, the Prophet Hosea urged them, “Come, let us return to the Lord. Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord. And we will live before him” (cf. Hs 6:1-3). Faith in God – knowing God – comes from hearing the word.

Do the Word

But there is more! We grow in our relationship with God and our faith in Him by doing the word as well as hearing the word – hear the word, do the word. There are several books that I read over and over again, and one of them is “Why God Used D. L. Moody” written by his close friend, R. A. Torrey. In this book Torrey gives us seven reasons why God was able to use Moody in a mighty way. Though all seven were good, particularly the following one stood out to me as I was reading this past week: “A deep and practical student of the Bible.” It is known that in the margin of many pages in Moody’s Bible, he wrote the letters T and P. The letter T stands for “tried,” and P for “proved.” Moody had personally tried and proved many verses and passages in his own life. He was indeed a good, teachable student of the Bible. He was a doer of the word. So God could use D. L. Moody.

In Luke 10 Mary is another good example. Both Martha and Mary loved the Lord. But Martha was a take-charge person. Though she provided great hospitality services to the Lord, she did it according to her plan, her way. She made her own choices on how she wanted to serve. She was so preoccupied and not available. Jesus said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed.” That is, in fact, what Mary was doing – sitting at the feet of Jesus and hearing His word first. And the time came, Mary did do the word. She did the most beautiful, memorable, sacrificial service to the Lord – anointing Jesus’s feet with costly perfume and wiping them with her hair. From Mary’s story we can learn how important it is to be teachable and available for God to use. Are you teachable? Are you available? May the Lord make us available every day for Him to use. May the Lord make us teachable always and to the end!

Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way!
Thou art the potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after thy will,
while I am waiting, yielded and still. Amen.

“Essentials of the Gospel” (1 Corinthians 15:1-11) - Resurrection Sunday Celebration –

The Gospel in Three Sentences

How would you express the core message of the Christian gospel? Job counselors often advise job seekers to boil down their experience, skills, and job objective into a short-two-minute presentation. It’s called an “elevator speech.” If someone asked you, “What is the gospel?” what would you say? The Apostle Paul summarizes the essentials of the gospel he proclaims in three sentences:

Christ has died. 

Christ is risen. 

Christ will come again.

Christ Has Died

Christ has died. God himself entered into our human history and our lives, in order to meet us and redeem us. God became man in Jesus Christ, lived among us, and died for our sins. We often asked, “God, where were you when I needed you?” God’s answer is Christ Jesus. The playlet entitled ‘The Long Silence’ says it all:

At the end of time, billions of people from all nations were scattered on a great plain before God’s throne. Most shrank back from the brilliant light before them. But some groups near the front talked heatedly. They said, “Can God judge us? How can God know about suffering? Before God could be qualified to be our judge, he must endure what we had endured.” So each of these groups sent forth their leader, chosen because he or she had suffered the most. A Jew tortured and died at Nazi concentration camp, a black person lynched for not crime but being black, a person from Hiroshima, and so on. After consulting with each other, finally they were to present their case. Their decision was that God should be sentenced to live on earth – as a man! “Let him be born a Jew. Let the legitimacy of his birth be doubted. Let him be betrayed by his closest friends. Let him face false charges. Let him be tortured… At the last, let him taste what it means to be terribly alone. Then let him die.” As each leader announced his portion of the sentence, loud cheers of approval went up from each group of people. And when the last had finished pronouncing sentence, there was a long silence. No-one said another word. No-one moved. For suddenly all knew that God had already served his sentence.[1]

Christ has died. It was not a natural death. He was crucified. He died a criminal’s death. He did take up our sins, our shame, our guilt, and take away them. He became sin itself, so that we could be made right with God. “Christ was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed” (Isa 53:5 NLT). So now, if anyone is in Christ, that person is a new creation. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! (2 Cor 5:17). Christ has died; our chains are gone! Christ has died; we can make a fresh start!

Christ Is Risen

Christ is risen. Not only did Christ suffer for us and with us, not only did Christ take away our sin and guilt of yesterday, but also by his resurrection Christ gives us power and strength for today. Jesus doesn’t say, “You have been saved, so now you are on your own!” By his death and resurrection, Jesus conquered death –  the last enemy, the most powerful weapon of the devil. And he sent His Spirit to be with us forever, guide us into all truth, and empower us to do what he did. William Temple used to illustrate this truth in this way:

It is no good giving me a play like Hamlet or King Lear, and telling me to write a new play just like it. Shakespeare could do it; I can’t. And it is no good showing me a life like the life of Jesus and telling me to live a life just like it. Jesus could do it; I can’t. But if the genius of Shakespeare could come and live inside me, I would then be able to write plays like he did. And if the Spirit of Jesus could come and live inside me, I would then be able to live a life like he did.[2]

This is the open secret of how to live a victorious life as a Christian. It’s not about trying harder, working harder. It’s all about allowing the risen Jesus to come, live with us, and change us from the inside by the power of His Spirit. Christ is risen. Thanks be to God, who give us the victory and power for today through the Spirit of the risen Christ!

Christ Will Come Again

Christ will come again. The best is yet to come. Yes, Jesus already conquered death, but we still suffer and die. Jesus already gave us eternal life, abundant life, but we still live in the world where Satan attacks against us. But when Jesus returns, he will come with glory and authority. And his kingdom will fully come – no more death, no more pain, no more sorrow, no more crying.

Timothy Tennent invites us to imagine the final game of a World Series. Each team has won three games, and this is the final game. It is the bottom of the ninth inning. The home team is at the plate, and the score is 7 to 4 against the home team. Although three runs behind, the home team’s bases are loaded. It is the bottom of the ninth, two outs, based loaded, full count – three balls, two strikes. the visiting team is one pitch from winning the World Series. The crowd is standing up cheering. The name of the batter is Jesus. The pitch comes, then swing, the crack of the bat, and it is a home run – not just an ordinary home run, but the game-winning grand slam. In this baseball analogy, Jesus’ birth is first base, his death on the cross is second base, his resurrection is third base.[3] At the very point when Satan is so certain of his victory (bottom of the ninth with two outs), Jesus hits a grand slam – spiritually speaking, it’s Jesus’ second coming. When Jesus returns, he will bring us all home with Him. As he returns, comes into home plate, we will run and greet, jump up and down, pile on top of one another, rejoicing with Him. Christ will come again; our hope for tomorrow is secure!

I Believe

Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. Do you believe in the essentials of the gospel message? Believing is more than accepting the truth of Christianity. Many people believe that God is there – but they have never met Him. Many believe that God is able to forgive sins – but they have never allowed God to forgive their sins. They believe that God is reliable – but they have never relied on Him. John Wesley called these people “Almost” Christians.

Believing that penicillin can cure our blood poisoning is one thing; taking capsules of the antibiotic is something else. Believing in the good news of Jesus means to put our personal trust in Him. It means to “YES” to Jesus and invite him to enter, not merely as our guest, but as the Lord and Master. It means to allow Jesus to guide us, challenge us, rule over us in every area of our lives. It is a decision, an act of will to follow Jesus – and no turning back.

I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

Amen.

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[1] John Stott, The Cross of Christ (InterVarsity Press, 2006), Kindle Locations 6778-6778.

[2] John Stott, Basic Christianity (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publisings, 2012), 123.

[3] Timothy Tennent, This We Believe! (Seedbed Publishing, 2012), 37-38.

“Whole-Life Witness” (Matthew 21:1-11) - Making Membership Meaningful VI -

Witness

In the past the United Methodist Church membership vows used to require four spiritual practices: prayer, presence, gifts, and service. But in 2008 the General Conference newly added the word witness to our membership vows to emphasize the importance of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with others. I think most of us desire to be good witnesses for Jesus Christ, but sometimes we don’t know how to share our faith effectively with others. So how can we be a good witness of Jesus Christ? Today we will approach this question a little bit differently. We will hear first Mahatma Gandhi’s advice to Christians, and then we will find an answer from Jesus – his life and his teachings.

Congruence

Mahatma Gandhi was inspired first and foremost by the life and teachings of Jesus. But he never seriously considered becoming a Christian, not because of Christ, but because of Christians. When living in South Africa, he was not welcomed and even refused to attend a Christian church because he was a person of color. He said, “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” Around that time E. Stanley Jones, Methodist missionary to India, was a good friend of Gandhi. Stanley Jones realized that Christianity was not well accepted in India, so he asked Gandhi for advice. His first advice was this: “All of you Christians, missionaries, and all, must begin to live more like Jesus Christ.” From Gandhi’s advice the word I hear loud and clear is congruence – congruence between what we believe and how we live. The foremost and best evangelism is to live a life of congruence. One of my mentors, Eugene Peterson, once said, “The Christian life is the lifelong practice of attending to the details of congruence—congruence between ends and means, congruence between what we do and the way we do it, congruence between what is written in Scripture and our living out what is written… the congruence of the Word made flesh in Jesus with what is lived in our flesh.”[1]

Our Lord Jesus Christ lived a life of congruence. Right before today’s passage, his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Jesus said to his disciples, “Even as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matt 20:28 ESV). Then, he lived out what he had said. In ancient Israel a typical king’s triumphal entry looks like this: the king, the victor, wearing a crown of laurel, would ride on a chariot pulled by white horses, surrounded by the leaders of his armies as well as by conquered kings, rulers, captives and spoils. In contrast, when Jesus entered Jerusalem as the King, he didn’t ride a chariot or horse; instead, he chose to ride on a donkey, a beast of burden. He did this to define what kind of king he is and what kind of kingdom he would bring to his people. Jesus was indeed a servant king, suffering king, crucified king. Jesus lived out what he said, taught, and preached. As followers of Jesus, we are also called to live lives of congruence. We must be transparent people. No pretense. No hypocrisy. We ought to be what we believe. And when we fall apart, when we see a chasm between word and spirit, let us humbly fall on our knees, confess and pray that God teach us, heal us, and set us aright.

Real Christianity

Gandhi’s second advice to Christians is, “Practice your religion without adulterating it or toning it down.” He warned against watering down Christianity not to offend others, instead of presenting Christian faith boldly and simply. People around us want to see real Christianity. They want to see if Christianity really works in day-to-day life. But too often we offer mild forms of Christianity. When we do so, it conveys the message that we don’t believe Christianity is realistic because it is impossible to truly live like Jesus in the real world. Real Christianity, however, puts into practice the teachings of Jesus in everyday life. Real Christianity puts into agape love in everyday life. We learned last week that at the core of agape love is self-giving. This self-giving love doesn’t mean that we should give ourselves away at the cost of our faith. Rather, we should stand firm on the foundations of our faith, but at the same time, lay down our lives for those who are different.

When the chief priest and the scribes heard the children crying out, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became angry and asked Jesus to stop them. But Jesus said to them, “I tell you, if they were silent, the stones would shout out.” He received the praises from his people as the King. He was not afraid to be who he is. He did stand firm in the truth. But then later, he laid down his life for those who didn’t understand him and even cried out, “Crucify him!” The Apostle Paul follows Jesus-style evangelism. In 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 he says:

Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, nonreligious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized--whoever. I didn't take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ--but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I've become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. I did all this because of the Message. I didn't just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it! (MSG)

Paul’s life tells us what it means to live out agape love, what it means to be in the world, but not of the world, what it means to be a real Christian. Are you a real Christian? How willing are you to set aside your rights for the good of another, for winning souls to Christ?

Heart Change

I believe most of us in this room desire to live a life of congruence and to embody agape love in our everyday life. But we find it challenging. The truth is it’s impossible to live such a life without heart change. That’s why Jesus directly entered the temple and cleanse the temple first, right after his triumphal entry. Here the temple signifies our hearts. Then, how can our hearts be cleansed? While Jesus was cleansing the temple, pouring out the coins of the money changers and overturning their tables, the religious leaders challenged him, saying, “What sign can you show us for doing this?” Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” Here he was talking about his body as the Temple. So how can our hearts be cleansed? By destroying the Temple of his body, Jesus cleanses the heart of everyone who believes in him. Only after our hearts are cleansed, we are then able to live a life of congruence and to live out agape love.

Sometimes we hear people say, “I have always been a Christian.” But no one is born as a Christian, although we may be born into a Christian family. Only when we are born from above, only when our hearts are cleansed by the blood of Jesus, we can enter and live in the kingdom of God. The curve you see on the screen is my spiritual curve. As you see, my life was like a small boat drifting on the vast ocean, tossing on the stormy waves. But since Jesus came into my heart, my restless heart found peace, home, anchor. I have ceased from my wandering and going astray. Yes, I still see a chasm between what I believe and how I live, and everyday I fall on my knees and confess my sins. But there is a big difference as I look before and after. Before, I always felt like I was floundering in the water. But after Jesus came into my life, though I fall, I always feel like I am standing on the solid Rock.

Your Story

This is my story and my song. How about yours? In the courtroom the role of witnesses is not to argue the case or to judge the outcome but simply to tell what they heard, saw, and experienced. Whenever the opportunity came, the apostles were ready to tell the story of the way they met Christ and the difference he had made in their lives. So what is your story? How do you tell your story with others?

The story of our relationship with Jesus is not static, but ongoing. It’s not a past tense; it’s always the present progressive. Still today, Jesus comes to Jerusalem and the temple. He comes to our life and our heart everyday How do you respond? The more we say “Yes” to his gracious invitation, the more we will experience a fresh encounter with Jesus. We will meet a prodigal father opening his arms to us – disobedient and rebellious. We will meet a good shepherd searching for us – wandering, lost sheep. The more we experience Jesus and his love, the more we will have a story to tell.

So as a follower of Jesus Christ, how can we be a good witness? The answer is congruence. Congruence makes us the real deal, real Christians. And this congruence is only possible with heart change, which comes from the loving, ongoing relationship with Jesus. This Jesus is coming. Let us receive our King with our life and with our lips, and we will be his witnesses in Houlton, in all Aroostook County, and in Maine, and to the ends of the earth. Amen.

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[1] Eugene H. Peterson, As Kingfishers Catch Fire (The Crown Publishing Group, 2017), p. xviii.

“Service: Given to Give” (1 Corinthians 12) - Making Membership Meaningful V –

Only a “Donkey”

Once Corrie Ten Boom shared her experience with Sadhu Sundar Singh, who was revered by many. At that time Sadhu had just completed a tour around the world. People asked him, “Doesn't it do harm, you’re getting so much honor?” The Sadhu's answer was, "No. The donkey went into Jerusalem, and they put garments on the ground before him. He was not proud. He knew it was not done to honor him, but for Jesus, who was sitting on his back. When people honor me, I know it is not me, but the Lord, who does the job. I am only a donkey.”[1]

I share this story because it puts spiritual gifts in perspective. Today we will explore the fourth practice to which we commit ourselves in our membership vow, “service,” in the context of using our spiritual gifts. Just like the donkey who carried Jesus in Jerusalem, we are most fulfilled when we are in the service of Jesus Christ. Apart from him, we can do nothing. But when we abide in Christ and lift up Christ, we are no longer ordinary people. We become His co-workers.

To Each a “Gift”

In today’s passage Paul’s first exhortation regarding spiritual gifts is this: “Spiritual gifts are gifts.” At that time the members of Corinthian church were placing value judgments on one another based on performance, competence, and charisma. For instance, if some members had more visible and impressive gifts, such as, prophecy, tongues and interpretation, they were considered more spiritual. So Paul had to clarify this issue. He said in verse 7, “Spiritual gifts are given for free by God’s Spirit.” They are given things. We cannot merit or earn them. According to D. A. Carson, “spiritual gifts” can also be translated as “grace gifts.” We don’t get to choose our spiritual gifts, but they are given to us just as the Spirit chooses regardless of our performance and efforts (11).

When I was in Korea, my home church was in transition. We were building a new church building. Children, youth, young adults and basically the entire church were growing. It was a very exciting time, but at the same time, a very challenging time. More volunteers, more laborers, more staffs were needed. At that time although I did many different things, my primary gift used was serving. I carried a heavy load, drove a church van, cleaned the building, and so on. Then, when I was serving as an associate pastor in Boston, my primary gifts were administrating and assisting. I made a church bulletin, sent out emails, contacted people, and so on. Then, in my previous appointment, God gave me the gift of encouragement. At that time the church was discouraged and suffering from divisions. God wanted me to encourage His people. So as I look back, I realize that when it comes to spiritual gifts, it’s not about me. It’s all about God and His Church. No matter what spiritual gifts we have, they are “grace” gifts, “free” gifts. There is nothing to boast. And there is no place for feelings of superiority or self-sufficiency. We are stewards of God’s gifts. We are only a donkey.

“To Each” a Gift

If the feelings of self-sufficiency (“I’m better” or “I don’t need you”) is one unhealthy extreme, the other extreme would be the feelings of uselessness (“I’m not gifted” or “I don’t have anything to contribute”). But the Bible clearly says that everyone has received a spiritual gift from God. In verse 7 Paul says, “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit….” Furthermore, later in verse 22, Paul also says that each member is indispensable, necessary. This past weekend I had a chance to watch a play presented by children’s theater program. What I was impressed by is that those working behind the scenes (“production crew”) were as many as those who acted in it (“cast”). Behind the scenes some help lights, some background set up, some costumes, some sound system, some make-up, some backstage, and some directing the play. And together they are making a good team. Each member is necessary.

Mrs. Floyd Crook recalls her childhood. One day she came home from school crying because she had been given only a small part in the children’s program, while her playmate got the leading role. After drying her tears, her mother took off her watch and put it in her daughter’s hand. “What do you see?” the mother asked. “A gold case, a face, and two hands.” she replied. Opening the back, she repeated the question. The daughter told her mother she saw many tiny wheels. “This watch would be useless,” the mother said, “without every part—even the ones you can hardly see.” The church is just like the watch. Without every part and its contribution, the church would suffer. Each member is necessary.

For the Common Good

Now we know each of us has received a spiritual gift. All of us are given particular spiritual gifts to contribute. But some of us may still wonder, “What are my gifts?” Typically, we ask the following questions to discover our spiritual gifts: “What do I love?” or “What am I good at?” Although those are good questions, there is a better and more important question to ask: “What are the needs of the body?” or “How can I serve the body?” In verse 7 Paul says, “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” Later he also says, “So with yourselves; since you are eager for spiritual gifts, strive to excel in them for building up the church” (14:12). The purpose of using spiritual gifts is to build up the body of Christ. It’s not about me, but it’s all about Christ’s Church. As we see and begin to understand the needs of the body, God will help us find ways to strengthen the faith of others, and that will be the discovery of our gifts.

Spiritual gifts are for strengthening others. Probably you’ve seen geese flying in a “V” formation. If you look closely at the formation, you will see them rotate. When the lead goose tires, it rotates back into the formation and another goose flies to the point position, similar to pace lining in bicycling. And they honk one another to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. When a goose gets sick, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with it until it dies or is able to fly again. We can learn from geese what the church should look like. Let us ask ourselves: “Am I doing my part in the body?” or “Am I strengthening the body?” If we are not using our particular grace gifts for the common good, we are depriving the rest of the body. To each of us is given spiritual gifts, whatever they might be, for strengthening the faith of others.

Pursue Love!

Now Paul reaches the conclusion, saying, “But strive for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way” (31). And right after that, Paul tells us what love is in chapter 13. So we often call love the greatest gift. Yes it is true, but still what are the greater gifts? I believe Paul uses plural form “gifts” on purpose here. I believe that love makes our spiritual gifts “greater gifts” whatever they might be, rather than love being a particular spiritual gift. For instance, if we use the gift of serving with love, serving becomes a greater gift. If we use the gift of encouragement with love, encouraging becomes a greater gift. So striving for the greater gifts doesn’t mean to ask for gifts we don’t have. But it does mean to use our gifts with love. So at the end Paul exhorts Corinthians Christians, “Do everything (Use your gifts) with love” (16:14).

Then, what is love? Paul gives us at least 15 characteristics of agape love in chapter 13. In essence, love is not self-seeking, but self-giving. There is a true story about a man who gave it all away literally transformed a whole prison camp of soldiers.  The man’s name was Angus McGillivray. Angus was a Scottish prisoner in one of the camps filled with Americans, Australians, and Britons who had helped build the infamous Bridge over the River Kwai. The camp had become an ugly situation. A dog-eat-dog mentality had set in. Allies would literally steal from each other and cheat each other; survival was everything. The law of the jungle prevailed until the news of Angus McGillivray’s death spread throughout the camp. The Scottish soldiers took their buddy system very seriously. Their buddy was called their “mucker,” and they believed that is was literally up to each of them to make sure their “mucker” survived. Angus’s mucker, though, was dying, and everyone had given up on him, everyone, of course, but Angus. Someone stole his mucker’s blanket, and Angus gave him his own. Someone stole his mucker’s rations, and again Angus gave him his own. As his mucker began to recover, Angus collapsed and died of starvation and exhaustion.

As word circulated, the feel of the camp began to change. Suddenly, men began to focus on their mates, their friends, and humanity of living beyond survival, of giving oneself away. They began to pool their talents – one was a violin maker, another an orchestra leader, another a cabinet maker, another a professor. Soon the camp had an orchestra full of homemade instruments and a church called the “Church Without Walls” that even the Japanese guards attended. The place was transformed, all because one man named Angus gave all he had for his friend.[2] Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (Jn 15:13). Let us pursue love. Let us give ourselves away by using our grace gifts with love. Then the world will see it and give glory to our Father in heaven. Amen.

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[1] Corrie Ten Boom, Each New Day, http://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/h/humility.htm

[2] Tim Hansel, Holy Sweat, 1987, Word Books Publisher, pp. 146-147