Do We Have Love?

Each week on Tuesday morning out staff at NMBC meet to review, plan and pray. As we do we also take turns leading a devotional time. This week Pastor Mark lead and left me really thinking. He shared a simple concept which resonated deeply. This concept will be a series of blog posts here.

He read 1 Corinthians 13 and asked us not to think about it as individuals but rather a church. He followed up at the end with a question something like this: Is there evidence to show that we are a loving church? Interesting.

"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal." (1 Corinthians 13:1 ESV)

If we have Biblically true and culturally engaging sermons, deep and convicting small group discussions, well planned children and youth ministry teaching, etc., but are not a loving church... we are simply making noise.

In our culture there are lots and lots of people making 'noise.' More books are published every single day in our world than anyone could ever read. More news is reported by video, audio and print media than ever could be consumed. More speeches are given, more lessons are taught than ever could be remembered. Our culture is noisy.

What will make the Church stand out? What will cause the gospel of Jesus Christ to be heard? Paul, in 1 Corinthians 13:1, says the answer is love... And so, the original question:

Is there evidence to show that we are a loving church (Church), or are we simply adding to the noise around us?