THAT'S INCREDIBLE!

A Sermon for the Second Sunday after the Epiphany
January 20, 2008
Pastor Laura Gentry

1 Corinthians 1:1-9
Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind—just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you—so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (NRSV)

Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.



Do you remember the 80s television program called, “That’s Incredible!”? See the promo above. It was a docudrama program highlighting unique, unusual and incredible real-life stories that were reenacted for our viewing pleasure. The show, hosted by Cathy Lee Crosby, Jon Davidson and Fran Tarkenton, was only a half hour, but it was packed with amazing tales we just had to see so that we could marvel about their incredibleness during our recess conversations. The show was primarily about entertainment, but it did sometimes cover very serious stories as well.

I remember watching an episode about a group of kids who snuck into a construction storage yard to play hide and seek. They had crawled in through the gates, which were loosely chained and began running around the various materials and machinery in the yard. Once they had sufficiently cased the area, they decided that it would be a great place to play their game, as there were endless hiding places.

One little boy thought that he had found an excellent hiding place underneath a small pile of 20 inch diameter steel pipe. The pipes were resting on some worn out palettes, which were suspended over a shallow ditch. The boy figured if he could crawl into that ditch, no one would ever find him.

The earth was soft and loose from recent rain and the boy dug an opening for himself and crawled underneath. He watched his friends through the cracks of the pipes, yet no one saw him. After a while, everyone else had been found and they yelled out that he had won the game and needed to come out of his hiding to claim his victory. Excitedly, the boy scrambled to get out of the ditch, but just then, the earth gave way and the palette collapsed on him, crushing his legs and trapping him beneath the pipes. The tumbling of the pipes alerted his friends and they ran to him find him. When they saw him, they were shocked. They asked if he was alright. He told them that his legs were pinned and that he could hardly breathe.

Now the boys knew they were busted. They would be found out for their trespassing—but they had to risk it in order to save their friend. They sprinted to their homes to see if any parents were available to help. The only one they could find was the trapped boy’s mother. Out of breath and panicked, they hurriedly told her the story and within seconds, she whisked them all into her car and sped to the construction yard. The mother hadn’t even had time to put on her shoes, so barefooted, she squeezed through the fence and ran to her son’s side. She ordered one of the children to go call 911. But the boy was running out of time. He told his mom that he couldn’t feel his legs. Suddenly, overwhelmed with adrenaline, the mother took a hold of the pipes herself. This very small woman had an unknown strength in that moment. She single-handedly lifted the pile of pipes high enough that the other children were able to drag the boy safely out from underneath them!

The medics and police arrived later and were amazed to see that the boy was free, especially after looking at the pipe that he had been under. They determined that it should have taken TWELVE MEN to lift the half ton of pipe that this tiny woman had moved alone! Yes, the show was right...that’s INCREDIBLE!

And as we look at today’s epistle lesson to the Corinthians, I am reminded of this incredible story because what Paul is trying to convey to the Christians here is equally incredible. In fact, it is more incredible.

Let me explain. In this letter to the Corinthians, Paul tells them: “In every way you have been enriched in [Christ], in speech and knowledge of every kind—just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you—so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift .” He’s telling them that they have all they need to carry on the ministry of Jesus Christ in the bustling Greek city of Corinth. In fact, he explains, they are not lacking in any spiritual gift at all! That’s incredible!

Certainly these Christians didn’t feel like they weren’t lacking in any spiritual gift. They probably felt they were lacking in every spiritual gift. They thought that they were quite ill-equipped to share the gospel of Christ. They were relatively new converts to the faith. They were regular folks. Their young church was fraught with all kinds of problems. They have splintered into many opposing factions, there is rampant immorality, believers are taking each other to court, there is confusion about their doctrine on marriage and about laws concerning what foods are legal for Christians to eat. They’re also having problems with worship and there are even abuses of the Lord’s Super going on. And they can’t agree on the theology concerning the resurrection. I wouldn’t blame Paul if he were angry and frustrated with this troubled lot.

Yet, instead, he is bursting with praise and thanksgiving for the Spirit’s work among them. It doesn’t look like he is just saying it either—he seems truly grateful for their ministry. And he is encouraging them that there are incredible things in store for them, if only they depend upon God. But how is it that Paul can be so soundly joyful and optimistic in the face of such problems?

Paul can maintain his rejoicing attitude because his heart is clearly grounded in two theological convictions. First, his faith is in an active God who loves human beings. This is not a God who thunders commands down from heaven and remains separate from us. Paul sees God’s love for us above all in the death and resurrection of Jesus. And he experiences that love in his own life as a missionary and he sees it in the many people who also experience God’s love and become converts to the faith. Secondly, Paul’s positive attitude is also grounded in the fact that he believes the future belongs to God. Jesus Christ has already won the victory for us, and therefore, our future is certain. Paul looks at the present problems and recognizes that’s not all there is—the future is so much better that it will someday make today’s problems look like nothing. Yes, God has acted in the past, and acts in the our lives in the present, and will act to redeem the world in the future, when God will be all and all (Rom. 15:28)

Therefore, with the power of God so vibrantly at work within us, as Paul describes, we must recognize that we, too, are equipped to do incredible things. Gatorade now has a slogan that says, “Is it in you?” I think it is an appropriate question when we think of the strength and wisdom it takes to do God’s work. Is it in you? Can you confidently say, “Yes! It’s in me! I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! I have the power to make incredible things happen, earth-shattering things!

I would venture to guess that most of you would modestly answer, “Well, I’m not sure if it’s in me. It might just be indigestion.” But the truth of the matter is that it IS in you! You are not lacking in any spiritual gift. God has given you everything you need to do the work to which you have been called right here in your own community. As believers, you can be sure that God’s Spirit is actively working within you. You simply need to believe it, and with faith, go out and use it—use that Spirit to preach and to teach, to heal and to forgive, to serve and to care, to sing and to paint, to design and to build.

You see whatever gifts you have—these things are gifts from God. If we fully realized that , it would bring a whole new atmosphere and character to our lives. The mother on “That’s Incredible” did not realize she had the strength of twelve men, until she was called upon to use this inner strength. If we would but use our skills and talents for the kingdom of God, even more incredible things could flow from our lives.

It is in you, and that’s incredible. Let us pray: Gracious God, we give you thanks that you are so actively involved in our lives and that you have put your Spirit within each one of us. Help us to use it to do good works in your name, that our lives may be incredible, filled with the richness of your presence. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.

Now, may the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

© 2008 Laura E. Gentry