Seeing TBC Thru the Eyes of a Visitor, Part 2

In this part of the sermon: The lesson begins by addressing the first characteristic a visitor should perceive in the church's interactions: love. Martin introduces 1 Corinthians 13, explaining its context…

Paul's description of the Corinthian church's chaotic use of gifts, where an outsider would think it a 'madhouse,' illustrates the disorder that arises when gifts are used for self-expression rather than mutual benefit and love.

And I was indicating a little bit of the context of Paul writing as he did, namely the problem of what we could call the charismatic free-for-all that was going on in the church at Corinth, in which, in their relating one to another, they were not exercising their gifts for each other's benefit, but for self-expression and self-aggrandizement, and how Paul had to say that an outsider coming among them in this charismatic free-for-all would think that he had been let loose in a madhouse or a loony bin. And it is at that point now that we move into the original class discussion.

4:11 - 4:47 Read in full sermon

The point: Sit down and read through 1, 2, 3 John at one reading, noting how many times the love of the brethren is explicitly addressed.

The analogy of planets wanting to be the sun illustrates the disorder and 'cosmic collision' that occurs in an assembly when everyone seeks their own and is self-centered, rather than operating in love.

What happens in an assembly? If everyone wants to be the sun, around which all the other planets, are in orbit. You get cosmic collision. There's only one sun, in our particular, solar system.

7:28 - 7:48 Read in full sermon

The point: Make sure that love, as Paul says, increases and abounds.

Paul's 'gross figure' of 'biting and devouring one another' is explained as spiritual cannibalism, illustrating the destructive nature of words and attitudes contrary to love within the church.

If you bite and devour one another, take heed that you be not consumed of one another. You see what he's saying? He's saying don't be guilty of spiritual cannibalism. You say, that's gross.

13:08 - 13:22 Read in full sermon

The point: Make sure that love, as Paul says, increases and abounds.

The contrast between typical Monday morning office interactions (catty words, indifference) and the church community (caring, responding to needs, absence of biting speech) illustrates how love and unity should be visibly manifest to an outsider.

And anyone moving among us as the people of God, having a realistic assessment of who and what we are, ought to be convinced and stand back and say, behold how they love one another. Not because they've somehow locked in and been zapped by this subjective feeling, but because they've observed, unlike what happens Monday morning when they come into the office or into the shop or into the workplace or into the classroom at university and people bite and devour and engage in catty words and are indifferent to each other's needs. Here they come into a community of people that they cannot help but ...

14:33 - 15:45 Read in full sermon

Driving home: The God to whom the Holy Spirit witnesses here in the book of Acts is not one who tickles people and makes them giggle and laugh and bark like dogs.

The 'Pensacola Revival' where people 'giggle and bark like dogs' is used as a negative example to contrast with the 'holy dread' and fear of God described in Acts 2, highlighting that true manifestations of the Spirit are not frivolous.

And when that happens, people don't fall in the aisles and giggle and bark like that. They're like dogs, a la the Pensacola Revival. Whatever else you can say, you can say, that isn't what's described here. Fear came upon every soul.

25:11 - 25:31 Read in full sermon

Driving home: If we see them going in a path that may be disastrous to their soul and jeopardize the honor of Christ and we are silent, how can we say we love them?

The story of a man claiming 'mad over heels in love' but not calling for three weeks illustrates that love must be practically validated and manifested, not just verbally asserted, to be credible.

You see? I mean, here's this guy who said, oh dear, I'm mad over heels in love with you, well you ain't called me for three weeks, just take my word for it, I love you. Okay? Alright, yes, Cynthia?

38:24 - 38:45 Read in full sermon