Sermon Tone Analysis

*WHAT REALLY MATTERS*

 

/HADDON ROBINSON// SAID: //MANY THINGS MATTER IN LIFE, /

/BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS *TO DO EVERYTHING IN LOVE.*//     /

 

/TEXT:/ *1 CORINTHIANS 13:1-13 (NIV) \\ \\ *

*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. 2 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. 3 IF I GIVE ALL I POSSESS TO THE POOR AND SURRENDER MY BODY TO THE FLAMES,B BUT HAVE NOT LOVE, I GAIN NOTHING.

*

*4 **LOVE IS PATIENT, LOVE IS KIND.

IT DOES NOT ENVY, IT DOES NOT BOAST, IT IS NOT PROUD.

5 IT IS NOT RUDE, IT IS NOT SELF-SEEKING, IT IS NOT EASILY ANGERED, IT KEEPS NO RECORD OF WRONGS.

6 LOVE DOES NOT DELIGHT IN EVIL BUT REJOICES WITH THE TRUTH.

7 IT ALWAYS PROTECTS, ALWAYS TRUSTS, ALWAYS HOPES, ALWAYS PERSEVERES.

*

*8 **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.

9 FOR WE KNOW IN PART AND WE PROPHESY IN PART, 10 BUT WHEN PERFECTION COMES, THE IMPERFECT DISAPPEARS.

11 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. 12 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.

*

*13 **AND NOW THESE THREE REMAIN: FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE.

BUT THE GREATEST OF THESE IS LOVE.

*

\\ /TOPIC:/ WHAT MATTERS MOST IN LIFE IS LOVE.

*INTRODUCTION*

T. S. ELLIOTT, IN ONE OF HIS POEMS,

ASKED A PENETRATING QUESTION

HIS QUESTION WAS:

WHAT REALLY MATTERS

AND WHAT JUST SEEMS TO MATTER.

HOW DO WE DECIDE WHICH IS WHICH?

THAT QUESTION WILL DOG YOU YOUR WHOLE LIFE.

HOW DO WE DECIDE, BETWEEN WHAT MATTERS

AND WHAT ONLY SEEMS TO MATTER?

*__________________________________________________________*

 

IF YOU'RE MARRIED YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO YOUR SPOUSE.

IF YOU HAVE CHILDREN YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO THEM.

IF YOU HAVE A JOB YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO THE PERSONS WHO PAY YOUR SALARY.

IF YOU SERVE AT A CHURCH YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO THAT BODY OF BELIEVERS.

HOW DO YOU DECIDE BETWEEN WHAT MATTERS AND WHAT     JUST       SEEMS TO MATTER,?

 

 

FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU'RE A PASTOR YOU'RE ALWAYS DOGGED BY THE TYRANNY OF THE URGENT.

THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS TO DO.

I READ SOMEWHERE THAT

 

BEING THE PASTOR OF A LOCAL CONGREGATION

IS KIND OF LIKE TRYING TO EMPTY THE ATLANTIC OCEAN WITH A TIN CUP.

YOU DIP AND DIP AND DIP,

AND THERE'S A PUDDLE AT YOUR FEET

BUT THE ATLANTIC OCEAN IS ALWAYS THERE.

AT THE END OF THE DAY YOU WONDER IF YOU'VE DONE ANYTHING WORTHWHILE.

AT THE END OF A WEEK, AT THE END OF A MONTH,

AT THE END OF A MINISTRY, AT THE END OF A LIFE.

 

YOU WONDER      IF YOU HAVE DECIDED WELL     BETWEEN WHAT MATTERS     AND WHAT JUST SEEMS TO MATTER.

*_______________________________________________________*

 

 

THERE'S A SIMILAR QUESTION THAT GOES EVEN DEEPER THAN

WHAT MATTERS AND WHAT JUST LOOKS LIKE IT MATTERS.

*IT'S HOW DO YOU DECIDE BETWEEN WHAT MATTERS AND WHAT REALLY MATTERS?*

\\ \\ *IF I WERE TO ASK A UNIVERSITY EXEGESIS PROFESSOR, *

"WHAT DO YOU THINK MATTERS?"

*HE'D SAY THAT /LANGUAGE/ MATTERS.

*

 

*THE CHRISTIAN THOUGHT PEOPLE WOULD SAY THAT*

*/IDEAS/** MATTER.

*

*THEY'D SAY THAT*

*IDEAS THAT HAVE COME DOWN TO US THROUGH HISTORY, MATTER,    AND*

*THE IDEAS THAT WE WRESTLE WITH TODAY ... MATTER.

*

 

*IF YOU WERE TO GO TO A PREACHER, *

*HE'D TELL YOU THAT /PREACHING/ MATTERS.

*

* *

*WHAT GOOD IS IT TO HAVE ALL THAT INFORMATION STUFFED IN YOUR HEAD *

*IF YOU CAN'T GET IT ACROSS TO SOMEONE ELSE? *

 

*MORE SERIOUS PEOPLE WOULD SAY THAT *

*/FAITH/** MATTERS.

*

 

BECAUSE

WITHOUT FAITH IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE GOD;

 

*THEY'D SAY YOU'VE GOT TO CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE FAITH CAN THRIVE.

*

 

*YOU MIGHT SAYTHAT /THE POOR/ MATTER.

*

 

*THE BIBLE HAS ALL KINDS OF THINGS TO SAY ABOUT THE POOR.

*

 

*SOMEONE ELSE MIGNT SAY THAT /COMMITMENT/ MATTERS.

*

 

*JESUS DIDN'T SAY COME FOLLOW ME *

*AND WE'LL GO TO A SUNDAY SCHOOL PICNIC.

*

* *

*HE DIDN'T SAY THIS IS A WAY TO A GOOD CAREER.

*

*HIS CALL WAS: **COME AND DIE**.

*

*SO **THEY'D** **SAY THAT COMMITMENT MATTERS.*

AND THEY'RE RIGHT,

THEY'RE ALL RIGHT.

IT ALL,     DOES MATTER.

SO THE QUESTION ISN'T: DOES IT MATTER?

THE QUESTION IS: WHAT MATTERS MOST?

 

 

IN *1 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 12* PAUL WAS TALKING ABOUT SPIRITUAL GIFTS, AND I'VE GOTTA TELL YOU THAT

PAUL NEVER WAS A MAN TO PUT DOWN SPIRITUAL GIFTS.

IT'S THE GIFTS

THAT THE SPIRIT GIVES

THAT ENABLES THE CHURCH TO THRIVE.

BUT AFTER TALKING ABOUT THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT, PAUL GOES ON TO SAY,

" I'LL SHOW YOU *A MORE EXCELLENT WAY*."

IT'S THE WAY OF LOVE;

HE'S TELLING US THAT LOVE *REALLY MATTERS*.

IF YOU DON'T SEE IT HERE THEN YOU CAN GO TO THE

*FIRST VERSE OF CHAPTER 14* WHERE PAUL SAYS,    

*FOLLOW THE WAY OF LOVE *

*AND EAGERLY DESIRE SPIRITUAL GIFTS,*

* *

*EARNESTLY DESIRE THE SPIRITUAL GIFTS *

*BY MINISTERING IN LOVE.

*

 

IT'S THE LOVE THAT REALLY MATTERS.

* *

* *

*MANY GIFTS ARE GOOD, BUT THEY'RE WORTHLESS *

*IF THEY'RE DONE WITHOUT LOVE.* \\ \\

PAUL SPELLS IT OUT IN THE FIRST VERSE OF

 *1 CORINTHIANS 13.*

 

HE SAYS, *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.