I remember the song in its original form and by the original artist, but if I think about it my mind immediately goes to the episode of the “Carol Burnett Show” when she did a skit singing this song on the “Gong Show.” Do you know the song I’m talking about? Let me give you a line from the chorus, “Feelings, wo-o-o feelings, wo-o-o, feel you, again in my arms.” Feelings was released in 1974 and nominated for the Grammy Award Song of the Year and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. It was also nominated for a People’s Choice Award for Favorite New Song. Morris Albert wrote the lyrics and music (though he was later successfully sued over the music) and he performed the song as well. It was Carol Burnett, however, who made the song truly memorable to me… memorable in a, “oh please get this song out of my head” kind of way.
This post is a continuation
of the series of posts on 1 Peter 1 .
We are up to verse 8 which comes in the midst of a long thought running from
1:6-9. Let’s get started right by reading 1:3-9, “Blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has
begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ
from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does
not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of
God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In
this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you
have been grieved by various trials that the genuineness of your faith,
being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by
fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus
Christ whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet
believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the
end of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”
Love and Rejoice:
The Spirit tells us in 1
Peter that we can greatly rejoice in our union with God and eternal inheritance
even when grievous trials come upon us and that such testing provides a
realistic understanding how strong our faith is, and that a faith standing the
fiery trials will praise, honor and glory Christ when He returns. In a
continuation of that thought,
Though we don’t see Jesus
Christ we love Him. Do you love Jesus?
Each of you right now consider for a moment what you DO that shows your
love for Jesus and obviously you cannot count being in church. What does the
Word of God say about how we know if we love Jesus? In John 14-15 , Jesus and the
disciples are in the upper room and Jesus repeatedly says to them, “If you love
Me you will keep My commandments” (see John 14:15 -24
and 1 John 5:2-3 ).
What we need to understand is that love is not a feeling; it is action.
Ladies you know this
right? Suppose a good friend of yours
confides to you that she is really struggling in her marriage. She says that her husband tells her that he
loves her, but he doesn’t spend time with her, doesn’t talk to her, doesn’t
care after her emotional needs; she says, “I don’t really think he loves me.”
Do you agree, ladies? Guys, suppose you discover that the woman you love is
unfaithful, yet when you confront her she says, “Oh, but he means nothing to
me, I love you!” Would you believe that?
True love is not empty words
or a feeling, it is action. Do you love your Saviour Jesus Christ? The Spirit
through Peter says in 1:8, “Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you
rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.” Look, there are two main
verbs in this verse and a bunch of participles.
Let me highlight the two verbs: “whom [Jesus] having not seen you love.
Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible
and full of glory.” There is a connection here between loving Jesus and
rejoicing. You cannot have one without
the other. When you love Jesus (which means you are keeping His Word) you will
rejoice regardless of any trial or trouble because your full attention is upon
the Glorious Saviour who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I’m not talking
about life being “happy,” I’m talking about a deep rejoicing in God. Jesus doesn’t
take all your troubles and pain away, but in a relationship with Him, He goes
with you through the hardship and pain. The love of Christ and rejoicing go
hand in hand, you don’t have one without the other.
Do you love Jesus? “Believing,
you rejoice…receiving the completion of your faith, the salvation of your souls”
(1 Peter 1:8b-9 ). A relationship with Christ will get you
through any trial that comes because you are clinging to Him, and He to you.
God doesn’t prevent trials, He uses them for His purposes and for your good. My
grandparents on by dad’s side were married for seventy years. That is a long
time! Over those seventy years there were many ups and downs in their marriage
but they got through them together by clinging to one another, and to Jesus. I
highly regard both of them, but neither was perfect. That means they had to be
patient, give the benefit of any doubt, forgive each other, sacrifice for each
other and support and encourage one another to name a few things. It is similar
in our relationship with God, the difference is that He is perfect and
always does the right thing. Still, you and I need to be patient and trusting
when we don’t know or understand what He is doing. We need to ask forgiveness
when we sin and forgive others who sin against us. We need to love Him and
those He loves (and that is a big job and includes loving people we might not
like), and that’s just getting started. It’s not about feelings because feelings
are fickle, changing like the winds. The love of God is based upon the unchanging
character, unwavering commitment and purely motivated actions of God. Our love
for Him, through belief in Jesus Christ, should be the same as His Spirit
indwells us.
Conclusion:
I
haven’t heard the song Feelings for
decades, but it still comes to mind when someone mentions the word and next
thing I know, I hear Carol Burnett singing that song in the “Gong Show” skit.
Yikes! Love is not some song about feelings. Rejoicing is not some fluctuating sense
of happiness. Love and rejoicing are actions based upon a deep rooted belief
and commitment. God loves you enough to send His Son Jesus to die in your place
and because of that, God loves you enough to forgive you and enter into close communion
with you. Love Him back and rejoice.
Next week we’ll continue with
1 Peter.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Mark
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