Central Presbyterian Church (USA)

May 10, 2009 – Easter 5(Year B)

William H. “Billy” McLean

Sermon Title: “Abiding in Love!”

Scripture: 1 John 4:7-21

 

Behind every passage of scripture there is a story.

 

John, called the Elder, is a wise older man who obviously addresses the church torn by a misunderstanding of the gospel that later became a full blown heresy known as Gnosticism.  Listen for him to re-direct them to the heart of the gospel.  He focuses us on God’s love and our call to abide in love.

       

        Read 1 John 4:7-21

 

Today is Mother’s Day…

 

A Day set aside nationally, when all ages and generations of families are encouraged to honor our mothers.

 

As a boy, I never went to church without a “red” rose on my shirt or jacket and those whose mothers had died wore “white” roses to honor those who had nurtured and loved and raised them.

 

In recent years, I don’t recall seeing the roses, but I know this is a day when Mother’s Day Cards roll off the shelves and people have rushed to get gifts.

 

Some are honored by:

·         Their children attending worship with them.

·         Others by being taken out for a meal…

·         Others by a phone call and thoughtful gifts.

·         This is a special day when some of us will go to the cemetery to pay our respects and remember the love given so freely by a wife and mother, or our mother or even a grandmother.

 

In a feature article on the front page written by Rhoda Pickett, a member at Spring Hill, we were told how Mother’s Day became a day when a couple, without children, could not go to church on Mother’s Day.

 

She told the story of the difficulty the Armbrehct’s had having children and how Mother’s Day can be a tough day for some.

 

I had a simple beautiful loving experience of Mother’s Day for years until I became a pastor and became aware how Mother’s Day can be difficult….

 

  • Those who have lost children find this day difficult…regardless of when their child died or how old they were.  Mother’s Day for these mothers is a day of remembrance.  The more recent the death, sometimes, the more difficult.
  • Someone who had a difficult time with their mother or parents may be cut-off and find this national day difficult.

 

On Mother’s Day, it is appropriate for us to gather at The Table after having “Listened” to the words just heard read from the 1st Letter of John.

 

May the words of an older man written out of deep love and concern for those “children of the faith” who gathered about The Table in their day or who were struggling with challenges to their faith be helpful to you.

 

Carefully and deliberately, the Elder John warned his readers against the dangers of the day and then, he gave them assurance.

 

Let his assurance to them give assurance to us, for we like them are God’s children, regardless of our age.

 

The power of sin is broken…Love, the royal rule of life, is given to us from God who manifested his love for us by sending his son to forgive us and to give us a love that even a loving Mother cherishes and finds brings peace and comfort in the most challenging of times and situations.

 

When the Elder John wrote, some had forsaken the truth and were being misled by false teachings and threats to the Gospel understanding.

 

John began redirecting his readers; and, today, directs us who may be having a difficult time on Mother’s Day or who struggle with loving and being loved to the source of love.  He directs us with these words,

 

“Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God, and he who loves is born of God and knows God.  He who does not love does not know God; for God is love.”

 

Can there be a higher understanding of love than this?

 

Today, we are challenged to love, enticed to love, even pulled off course in our thinking about the nature of love.

 

John challenges us to focus on the loving act of God in sending his Son so we might live through and with Him.

 

We are challenged to “think” through what God has done as the ultimate demonstration of love so that we may have life and bear much fruit!

 

John says it again and again,

 

“God is Love, and those who abide in love abide in God and God abides in them.”

 

Again,

 

“Those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.”

 

My thought is Abiding In Love is not easy…even in families!

 

Not every child and not every parent or family is perfect.

 

Families struggle in our day with temptations and are being misled to think love and happiness can be bought and passed along,

 

OR

 

Like the church John addressed, we may be misled to a form of thinking that can cause us to become so spiritual that we are unable to celebrate this Love of which John writes.

 

In the Easter Season, we can think of it as an Easter Love enabled and empowered by the Risen Christ.

 

Love is what the Gospel is all about…God’s Love through Christ is given to us, so that living and abiding in his love we may have life.

 

You can try it on your own and follow the false notions of love, but we are being reminded today of the source of love and of the power of knowing the God of Love who gives us the opportunity to be empowered to love in a very meaningful and powerful way.

 

We are to find our “family” in the church and “Abide in a Love!”  that comes as a gift from God.

 

        Thanks be to God that someone …

       

·         Who may be having a difficult time on this Mother’s Day may be able to come to the Table of Love.

·         Who may know more separation and cut-off from their own family and from people.

·         Is searching for love and meaning and direction in life

 

May come to the one who spreads this table on this Mother’s Day and experience the love and grace that is Amazing beyond belief!