OK so I said I wasn’t going to blog on Sundays until the Fall again but this morning’s sermon is not something you can just walk away from. I get my thoughts in order best here on this blog so hopefully someone will be blessed as that is the ultimate point 🙂
Passage: 1 Corinthians 14:1-25
Pastor Doug spoke to us today and it was a very convicting message.
He pointed out today during todays sermon that the two chapters about spiritual gifts (12 &14) are stuffed in the middle with a chapter (13) all which is all about love. I never really connected the chapters all together before so I found this very interesting and I was glad he made such practical points. He put the all three chapters we have been reading into the proper context and it makes so much sense!
Pastor Doug’s points:
Without love my spiritual gift is useless
Without love I will build up myself
With love I will build up the church
Without love the church is repulsive to unbelievers
With love the church becomes a place of transformation for all
Some of his quotes that really hit me today were:
“Purse loving the church and God will work in your heart”
“How do I pursue loving the church? Read 1 Corinthians 13 starting at verse 4.”
4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
In conclusion Pastor Doug said that if we are not pursuing (that is the opposite of fleeing) and we are not earnestly desiring (which means to be jealous for something) it is the heart of the matter not the reason. WOW.
He challenged us and said maybe we just don’t love the church or have passion if we don’t “Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts..” ~1 Corinthians 14:1
So for those of you who have been following this blog I thought these are some great thoughts to end this topic on. His message was a challenge to me and I hope it’s a challenge to you as we pursue and earnestly desire.
Have a great week and may God helps us all to remember that WE ARE THE BODY!
In the clay,
Chantal Dube