PASTOR’S CORNER: Love never fails

Today, we want to talk about something that applies to all of us this morning. It is the one thing that all of us can identify with. It is the heart of the universal and local church.

We all know about love. Strike out on this one, and we strike out on everything else we do in the ministry of the church. The wheel of Christianity turns on this; love indeed is what makes the world go around.

Believe it or not, as Christians, we were made to love. The church at Corinth “was a mess,” says scholar Douglas A. Campbell. They had seething problems including incest, prostitution and rivalry among leaders in the church. Lawsuits between church members; two Christians standing before an unsaved judge. Worship was often chaotic with those speaking in tongues competing to be heard first and others prophesying to look impressive (1 Corinthians 14). This church was anything but love. See some folks have the mistaken idea that if you talk about love that makes it happen and it does sound good in the church.

It sounds good in the hymn books when we sing “Love Lifted Me!” It sounds good in a testimony, “I’ve got the love of Jesus in my heart!” It sounds good being taught in Sunday School.

I knew of a church where that’s mostly what they talked about all the time. Every time you turned around they were talking about love, what love will do, and what love won’t do. But, they did not show it themselves for the most part. For when you gossip, spread rumors, are easy to get offended, and say things we should not say, is mean, spiteful, devilish and unforgiven, that’s not love.

And the one place where love ought to be exhibited is in the local church. The one place where love ought to be seen, where folk ought to FEEL love is the local church. When you are abused in the world, broken by the world; when you have been betrayed and beaten down; when your home is in disarray; when you feel like giving up because you don’t feel loved and there are folk that feel that way; you ought to be able to come to church and feel the love at this place we call the church, the house of love.

There ought to be love shown at the door by the ushers. They are the first ones to show love. We don’t know what folk have on their minds when they come to church. A smile from the usher could be what they need. There ought to be love shown by the Sunday School teachers, the Kitchen Ministry; from the members of the church they sit beside; the church officers who meet the people ought to show love; and yes, when they are leaving the church, they ought to feel love when they shake the pastor’s hand at the door.

And you know I wonder sometimes, with some of the things that I hear, what does our Lord think about the church today; the church that he died and shed his blood for? When he walks among the church today how does his heart feel? Remember he walked among the seven churches in Revelation chapter 1:12-18 and Revelations 2:1 where he tells John “he knows how the church has labored and endured.” I believe he walks among us today. How does he feel? Is his love being shown among believers at the church? I wonder if he grieves when he sees churches divided, have lost their love for him and each other, and has become more worldly than spiritual. When the church doesn’t have love among themselves for one another. Jesus meant it when he said “Love one another; for by this shall all men know that you are my disciples,” (John 13:34,35).

We’re talking about love today; that which we celebrated on Valentine’s Day. That day that we showered our wives, lady friends with cards, flowers, candy, dinner or just a night out on the town; and they were smiling and feeling mighty sweet. Love brings that out in people. Love is the highest of all gifts; for even a gift given does not mean anything if it is not given in love. To the wife who has been physically and verbally abused by her husband and then given flowers or a box of candy does not make her feel good. It doesn’t add up. If you can’t show love in your actions, then tangible things do not matter.

The Apostle Paul writes to the church of Corinth. This church had some issues. They were not living up to their name as a church. Immorality in the congregation is going unchecked. The Christians were taking one another to court (chapter 6:1-7); a son having an affair with his step-mother, in the church (5:1-5); disrespecting and abusing the Lord’s Supper among other things (11:23-30); some thought speaking in tongues gave them the advantage over other Christians in the church; Paul knew the cure for all of these issues was LOVE.

Community, Paul wants all of us to get this. Somebody said, “a bell is not a bell until you ring it; a song is not a song until you sing it; and love is not love until you show it!” Love is not abusive; love is not selfish; love is not irritable and mean; that’s not agape love; love is not just love when you love somebody that loves you back! We all need to pursue love. It is the one gift that will never fail.