2/3/13
Epiphany 4
Text: 1 Corinthians 12:27-13:13
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And in the church God has
appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those
having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those
speaking in different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all
work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? But eagerly
desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way. If I speak in the tongues
of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have
the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can
move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender
my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. 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 wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always
protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are
prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge,
it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the
imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like
a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as
in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am
fully known. . And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
CHRIST REVEALS HIMSELF THROUGH YOU.
(We can see the family resemblance?)
I.
With gifts that spread His message.
II.
With love that governs our actions.
INTRODUCTION
When the LORD God made human beings and gave them the command, Be fruitful and multiply
and fill the earth (Gen 1:28 ESV) He made us so that “family resemblances” get passed from one
generation to another, be it physical (the way we look) or personality, intellect or other talents or
abilities. The LORD wants the same thing to happen spiritually.
In this season of Epiphany, we are reminded how Jesus was revealed as the Messiah, the Son of
God and Savior of the world. Through that revelation to us, by the Gospel in Word and Sacrament, we
are brought to faith in Jesus and adopted into the family of God, the Holy Christian Church. Even though
we are in God’s family by adoption, still the Lord wants “family traits or resemblances” to be passed
down to us and to be seen in us.
That is the lesson we learn from the Corinthian congregation ad this encouragement the Apostle
Paul gives them. A great truth is that CHRIST IS REVEALED THROUGH YOU – so that we can see the
family resemblance – with gifts that spread His message and with love that governs our actions.
I.A.
Our Gospel lesson gives us a “typical” slice of Jesus’ earthly ministry, as He went from town to
village preaching the Good news of the Kingdom of God, proclaiming Himself to be the Messiah and
promised Savior. Although some people refused to believe and accept Him, including people in His
hometown of Nazareth, that did not stop Him. Jesus went on to other places, like Capernaum, to preach
in the synagogues and teach crowds gathered around Him the same message of salvation.
Jesus suffering, death, resurrection and ascension did not change that. He instructed His
disciple – the Christian Church on earth – to continue to spread the message of the Gospel. He told
them: “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is
baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. (Mk 16:15-16 ESV) The main
part of Jesus’ mission and purpose was to save sinners. The other part was to spread the message of the
Gospel to people. That part of His mission He passes down to the Christian Church on earth, to the
children of God.
I.B.
The Corinthian congregation was a result of Jesus command, our Jesus being revealed to others
through the children of God. While on hiss 2nd mission journey, the Apostle Paul stopped in the Greek
city of Corinth. Corinth was a center of commerce and trade, a center of Greek culture and a city full of
many pagan temples. Here Paul started preaching about Jesus as Savior, first in the Jewish synagogue,
and from there to other places. The Spirit of God used Paul’s message to bring people to faith in Jesus
the Savior. The Corinthian congregation was born.
This was a diverse congregation, both in its membership, but even more so, in the blessings, the
gifts the Lord gave to the members of this church. The Lord blessed the Corinthians with many and
varied spiritual gifts, from gifts for preaching and teaching to what are called “charismatic” gifts that
were more a part of the early church.
Rather than taking the time to examine all of the gifts Paul mentions, let’s consider two things in
summary. First, if there is to be a value or importance assigned to the gifts, it seems the ones that deal
with the preaching and teaching of the Word of God, were to be more highly prized. Secondly, the gifts
were not given for personal glory or benefit, but for the good of the Church. That’s the meaning behind
the picture of the Church as a body – made up of many different parts, but all working together for the
good of the body. The good of the body is this – that the Word of God be proclaimed, the Gospel of
Jesus Christ preached, for building up believers and reaching out to unbelievers.
I.C.
We have much in common with Corinthian congregation. We too exist as a result of Jesus
command to His disciples, the church, to go and preach the Gospel to all creation, to make disciples of
all nations with the Word and Sacrament. 106 years ago this congregation was founded by people in
whose hearts the Holy Spirit created saving faith in Jesus Christ through the Means of Grace. Through
those means the congregation grew and through those same means – the Gospel preached, the
Sacraments used, this group of believers continues to exists today.
Like the Corinthians, the Lord has blessed thee members of this congregation with gifts – many
and varied. We don’t all have the same gifts or to the same degree, but we all have gifts, more than
one. There is no such thing as an ungifted Christian, so that no one dare say, “There is nothing I can do.”
The Lord gives us different skills and abilities to serve Him and one another. He gives us
resources, material resources, money to support the mission of the Church. He gives us time – 24 hours
a day, 168 hours a week, 8,736 hours a year. He gives us opportunities. There are things to be done in
the church. Each of us has a circle of people who our lives touch – family and friends, co-workers, and
people who we don’t even know yet, who we can build, encourage or reach out to, with the Word of
God.
We are to use our gifts for the good of the body – to carry out the mission of the church. It is
still the same, Go therefore and make disciples of all nations (Matt 28:19 ESV) using the Word and
Sacrament, spreading the message of Jesus. Go back to the picture of a body made up of many different
parts. If some of the parts of the body don’t work right or at all, the body still survives or works, but not
as efficiently or as intended. The church will not cease to exist with any one of us, but not as God
intends. Ideas like “There is nothing I can do. I took my turn, let someone else do it. I’m too busy.” Or
whatever other excuses we find, need repentance and forgiveness.
All of our gifts, no matter what they are, have a part in the mission of the church, to spread the
message of Jesus Through the gifts that God’s children possess and use, Jesus is made known to others
– believers are built up and others are reached.
II.A.
But why use those gifts? Let’s start with this question – why did Jesus do what He did? Why did
He set aside His divine glory and honor, take on our human nature and live among us? Why did He
travel the dusty roads of Galilee and Judea preaching the Word? Why did He spend so much time
preaching to and teaching people who were slow to understand or believe, who even rejected Him?
Why did He go to Calvary’s cross and suffer what he did?
We know the answer well. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that
whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (Jn 3:16 ESV)
In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the
[atoning sacrifice] for our sins. (1 Jn 4:10 ESV)
But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Ro 5:8
ESV)
Jesus Himself said: Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his
friends. (Jn 15:13 ESV)
It is love. This is not a love of which we are worthy. We are quite the opposite because of our
sin. It is not a love we have earned. There is nothing we could say or do to make God love us. Why
does He love us? The best answer I have ever heard is this - God loves us because He loves us. There is
no discernible reason behind God’s love for us. That is why we call it “grace” – God’s undeserved love
for sinners by which He gives us forgiveness of sins, new life and eternal salvation.
II.B.
What is it that moves children of God to use their God-given gifts for the good of the church and
its mission? What is it that prevents us from using them for selfish goals or to satisfy sinful pride? It is
love.
In this well-known chapter of the Bible, the Apostle Paul gives a beautiful definition and
explanation of true Christian love. While we could spend a lot of time looking at the details of this love,
let’s just consider a few things. This love is unique to believers, to Christians, because it is born of faith
in Jesus. We love because he first loved us. (1 Jn 4:19 ESV) This explains the humble nature of this love.
It is not puffed up, self-seeking or arrogant. We don’t think more highly of ourselves than we ought.
We know from where we have come – lost, condemned sinners saved only by the love of God in Jesus.
That is why this love is outwardly directed to others, seeking the well-being of others, both
spiritually and physically. It is self-sacrificing, giving and expects nothing in return.
This is the love that controls our thoughts, words and actions as God’s children. This is the love
that moves us to use our gifts in the body of Christ. It is this love that moves us to support and be part
of the preaching and teaching of the Word, to fill positions and hold offices, to help make worship
orderly, meaningful, and uplifting, to help meet the needs of others, to build, to fix and to clean. It is
this love that moves us to reach out to others believers to build up and encourage them, to reach out to
straying sheep and lead them back and to do what we can to reveal Jesus to those who don’t know Him
yet.
CONCLUSION
Has anyone ever said to you, You look more and more like your father every day?. It has
happened to me, but I think it has something to do with the changing color of my hair. But, yes, often
people can see the family resemblance.
God help us so that as children of our heavenly Father through Jesus Christ, others may see in us
the family resemblance, and that Jesus the Savior is revealed through the message we share and love we
show. Amen.