A weekly look back and look forward from Pastor Wayne
Looking Back: This past Sunday we began a three-part series from 1 Corinthians 13. Reflecting on love, we were reminded that since God is love, any reference to love in the Scriptures points to Jesus! Without Jesus love, attempts to fulfill the biblical mandate to love is completely impossible! To love as Paul outlines requires, “we live and move and have our being in Jesus.” We learned last Sunday what the world needs now is not a “half-baked characture of love that sounds more like top-40 radio,” instead that which is life-giving and life-changing! The issue Paul points out in 1 Corinthians 13 is simply this – you have super gifts without the love of Jesus – it’s mere noise, even nonsense. To emphasize this point, Scripture is clear, even sacrifice without love is mere nothing. God’s solution – we root our lives in Jesus Christ and He makes all the difference.
Looking Ahead:
Moving forward into verses 4-8a of 1 Corinthians 13 we are introduced to the “nature of love.” The focus is still on Jesus Christ, perhaps more than ever on Jesus because it’s too easy reading verses 4-8a to get the focus on what we need to do, how we have to work up love, instead of what is worked down through Jesus Christ. The characteristics of love first and foremost are those of Jesus! He is love personified! Thus, we will discover this Sunday that Jesus love is patient and kind. Btw, come for a surprise on this one! We will also encounter the life-giving truth that Jesus love is humble. For Jesus love to flow through us we clothe ourselves with love. And as we clothe ourselves with love, we discover that Jesus love is goodness, and finally Jesus’ love never fails. We fail, but not Jesus’ love. Don’t miss this Sunday! We have a real blessing as a young man will be playing the piano for us!
Looking Beyond:
Sunday, November 16 – The necessity of love. November 23 – a special Thanksgiving service, and November 30 begins Advent with the theme of “Soon and very Soon!”