Sidney UMC - Fifth Sunday of Easter - 05/02/21 - Sermon - “Whoever Does Not Love Does Not Know God"

Sunday 05/02/21 - Sidney UMC 

Sermon Title:      “Whoever Does Not Love Does Not Know God”

Old Testament Scripture: Psalm 22:25-31                                       

New Testament Scripture: 1 John 4:7-21

Gospel Lesson: John 15:1-8

          One of my favorite movies of all time is called “The Green Mile”. I do not know if any of you have ever seen the movie “The Green Mile,” so let me give you the movie plot, just in case.

“The Green Mile is a 1999 American fantasy drama film written and directed by Frank Darabont and based on Stephen King's 1996 novel of the same name. It stars Tom Hanks as a death row corrections officer during the Great Depression who witnesses supernatural events that occur after an enigmatic inmate (Michael Clarke Duncan) is brought to his facility. David Morse, Bonnie Hunt, Doug Hutchison and James Cromwell appear in supporting roles”

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Green_Mile_(film).

          This inmate played by Michael Clarke Duncan, was called “John Coffey”. John Coffey was falsely accused of assaulting and killing two little girls. Eventually he gets the death penalty. Yet, the character played by Tom Hanks, notices that this John Coffey is gentle, kind, and that he is literally performing miracles. This John Coffey is like an angel from heaven, and God had put him here on earth to help, serve, and love others.

          Shortly before John Coffey gets the death penalty in the movie, he tells the character played by Tom Hanks that was ready to leave this world. Not because he did not care, but because of how people treated each other. In fact, the character John Coffey told the character played by Tom Hanks:

“I'm tired, boss. Tired of bein' on the road, lonely as a sparrow in the rain. I'm tired of never having me a buddy to be with, to tell me where we's going to or coming from, or why. Mostly, I'm tired of people being ugly to each other. I'm tired of all the pain I feel and hear in the world every day. There's too much of it - it's like pieces of glass in my head, all the time. Can you understand?” (https://www.quotes.net/mquote/115101).

          Again, this quote is:

“I'm tired, boss. Tired of bein' on the road, lonely as a sparrow in the rain. I'm tired of never having me a buddy to be with, to tell me where we's going to or coming from, or why. Mostly, I'm tired of people being ugly to each other. I'm tired of all the pain I feel and hear in the world every day. There's too much of it - it's like pieces of glass in my head, all the time. Can you understand?” (https://www.quotes.net/mquote/115101).

          I am sure that at different times in our lives, we could relate exactly to what the character from the Green Mile, John Coffey was saying. Even though “The Green Mile” was based on a Stephen King novel, and even though it is a made-up story, was John Coffey wrong? Or are we tired sometimes of people being so ugly to each other? Are we sometimes also tired of all the pain that we feel and hear in the world every day? If so, then what do we do about it?

          You might ask, “Pastor Paul can we fix all the pain and all the suffering in Sidney and in the world?” Well, I do not believe humanity and this world will be perfected until Jesus Christ returns to this earth to reign, and I have 6,000 years of recorded human history to back this up.

          Yet, I do believe that we can make this community and this world so much better. Did you know that Syracuse University was founded by Methodist lay person? Did you know that the YMCA is the “Young Men’s Christian Association”? Did you know that hospitals, schools, orphanages, etc. were started by Christians? Did you know that people of this church have done more this community and the world than we could probably ever imagine? I do not think that most of these Christians and folks from this church thought that they would create a perfect world, but like John Coffey in “The Green Mile” they were tired of seeing the world as it was. Jesus has called us to something better, to love.

          So, what is core of our faith in Christ that truly drives us to transform Sidney and world? Further, how has God called you to transform Sidney and the World? Maybe the way God is called you is different than how God is calling me to transform Sidney and the World. All of this though, needs to be rooted in love. God can be described as the source light, life, and yes love. The core of God is love.

          In fact, the Apostle Paul tells us this morning in our reading from 1 John 4:7-8 once again that:

“⁷ Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. ⁸ Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love” (1 Jn. 4:7-8, NRSV).

          My sermon title for this morning, as you can see, comes right from this scripture. “Whoever Does Not Love Does Not Know God”. This reality is what made me think of the John Coffey quote from the movie “The Green Mile”. Once again this quote is:

“I'm tired, boss. Tired of bein' on the road, lonely as a sparrow in the rain. I'm tired of never having me a buddy to be with, to tell me where we's going to or coming from, or why. Mostly, I'm tired of people being ugly to each other. I'm tired of all the pain I feel and hear in the world every day. There's too much of it - it's like pieces of glass in my head, all the time. Can you understand?” (https://www.quotes.net/mquote/115101).

          To repent of your sin, to turn from your guilt and shame, and to turn to Christ, I believe, often, is a sign that we to are tired. We are tired of trying to do everyone on our own, tired of trying to a live a life that we know that we should not be living, and tired of not really doing anything about the brokenness is this world.

          Scripture tells us that when repent and turn to Christ, we are through the power of the Holy Spirit, a new creation. If we then turn from those things that are harmful, dark, sinful, and destructive, Jesus gives us a new way of seeing the world. Instead of just being focused on ourselves, we see the brokenness, the ugliness, and the wickedness. Yet, through Christ in a variety of ways, we want to be part of the solution. We want people to know Christ, to be born anew, and to spread love, grace, mercy, healing, and holiness across this community and this world. When we work together as brothers and sisters in Christ, we can accomplish great things. We can bring people to saving grace of Christ and equip these people to do amazing things in the world.

          We are reminded once again in our reading for this morning form Psalm 22, regarding God that:

“²⁵ From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will pay before those who fear him. ²⁶ The poor shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the Lord. May your hearts live forever!”                     (Ps. 22:25-26, NRSV).

          Faith is not always just us sitting around and waiting for God, it is also us engaging the community and the world. If God has called you love, to feed, to serve, you do not need my permission to do this. Further, what are you waiting for? If not us, then who? If not now, then when?

          To know God, is to know love. If you are strongly connected to God in this moment, then you know love. This connection is really emphasized by Jesus in our gospel of John 15 reading for this morning. In fact, Jesus says once again:

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. ² He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. ³ You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. ⁴ Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. ⁵ I am the vine, you are the branches. (Jn. 15:1-5a, NRSV).

          Grapes grow on a grape vine. To make the grapes grow better, the vines are pruned, fertilized, and cared for, so that they can bear more fruit. Jesus is telling us that he is the grape vine, and we are the branches. If we are going to know life, light, and love, we must be connected to God the Father, through his son Jesus Christ. Staying connected to Christ, keeps us connected to love. Being connected to Christ and being connected to our brothers and sisters in Christ keeps us connected to the love of God.

          Jesus concludes our gospel of John lesson for this morning once again, saying:

“Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. ⁷ If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples” (Jn. 15:5a-8, NRSV).

          So, knowing God through Jesus Christ is to know the love of God. What more do we need to know? Let us look again at our reading for this morning from 1 John. It says:

“⁷ Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. ⁸ Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. ⁹ God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. ¹⁰ In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. ¹¹ Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. ¹² No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us” (1 Jn. 4:7-12, NRSV).

          We are called to love, because God through Christ loves us, and died for us. Do not get me wrong, we are not supposed to be ok with sin, wickedness, and darkness, but we are called to love. Sometimes we practice tough love. Yet, we are called to love, and this does not mean that we have to approve of someone murdering someone else, for example. We are called to the love that person, but we are also called to call people to social holiness and righteousness.

          When we are loving, but at the same time not saying that every terrible thing in the world is ok, but loving, the scripture continues saying once again:

“¹³ By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. ¹⁴ And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world. ¹⁵ God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. ¹⁶ So we have known and believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. ¹⁷ Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world” (1 Jn. 4:13, NRSV).

          We are called to love, and to see a broken and a hurting world as it actually is. We are called to bring people to Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit, and to transform this community and the world. God has called us all in different ways. This scripture from 1 John for this morning once again ends saying:

“¹⁸There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. ¹⁹ We love because he first loved us. ²⁰ Those who say, “I love God,” and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. ²¹ The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also”                        (1 Jn. 4:18-21, NRSV).

          You will notice that we do not have to like everyone, but we do have to love everyone. When we love others, we are connected to God through Jesus Christ. We should never approve of sin, darkness, and wickedness, but we are called to love.

          So, if you can identify with the quote from the character John Coffey from the movie “The Green Mile,” then maybe God is calling you to love, to serve, and to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to others. How we are all called to do this may vary, but we are all called to love. Amen.