Tony Campolo

1 Corinthians 13

Tony delivered this sermon at Ocean Grove Auditorium in Ocean Grove, NJ on August 19, 2007

Download Outline | Download Audio
  1. Story about Bart and Lisa saying no one came to listen to Tony speak – “it’s tough being famous”.
  2. Matthew 15:52
  3. Prayer
  4. Scripture for the message: 1 Corinthians 13
  5. 1 Corinthians 12 – Paul talks about spiritual gifts. Pentecostal churches growing around the globe. God’s gifts are always available.
  6. Story about woman standing up in church and prophesying. Said Moses, but stood up again later to correct the name to Noah.
  7. Love is the real manifestation of God. Three virtues Christians must have: faith, hope, and love.
  8. Faith has to do with doctrines. Church is universal and calling its people to live out the faith. Scriptures are infallible guidance for us to use to live out our faith.
  9. Faith is remembering. Jesus tells his disciples to take communion in remembrance of him.
  10. Story about Harvard Religion Department saying that evangelicals are people who hold up signs saying “John 1:12” at football games. One man in the meeting said he found his Bible on a shelf during the halftime show and discovered notes about John 1:12.
  11. Story about Jean François Blondin – tightrope walker who walked across Niagara Falls, then walked back with his manager on his shoulders. The manager trusted Blondin – trust in Jesus.
  12. Kierkegaard’s story about the voice in the darkness who says he can see his listener. The voice is like the Lord, who sees us even when we cannot see Him. Faith is trusting in Jesus.
  13. The earliest doctrinal statement for Baptists is: “Jesus Christ is Lord.”
  14. Story about West Philadelphia High. Tony goes to his homeroom, where the basketball team is sitting in one area, and the chess team is sitting in another area. Tony sat with the chess team. Do what Jesus would do.
  15. We must have faith, and we must have hope. Who you are is not determined by your past, but by what you hope for in the future. What we dream about has an impact on us. Live out your dreams – it is never too late.
  16. Story about woman named Monica and her son Augustine – Saint Augustine. He left church and went to Rome – Monica thought he was lost forever but continued praying for him. He studied under Ambrose and became the bishop of Hippo. His mother never gave up hope.
  17. We must have hope for our family and ourselves, but also for the church.
  18. Story about Larry King Live with Bob Jones of Bob Jones University – the world is getting better. Missionaries are being sent from all over the world. God is at work and He is doing great things.
  19. Story about Mennonite man who went to work in Haiti – teaches Haitians how to read using Bibles because Bibles are free. Illiteracy is on the decline. We can hope in the future.
  20. We can hope in the second coming. Do not live in fear. 1 Thessalonians. There is an alternative vision of what the world can become. God is alive and well.
  21. We also have hope beyond this world. Heaven is going to be good, even if we do not know what the furniture is going to be like. There is life beyond this world.
  22. The most important thing to have is love. There is a tendency towards division in the church. We have to be able to love one another.
  23. Story about disagreeing with Peggy. They get along because both admit they could be wrong.
  24. Story about Catcher in the Rye. Cannot save the whole world, but wants to tell as many people as he can. Each person should do what he can in the name of Christ.
  25. Story about anti-war preacher at Riverside Church. A man in the church said he wanted to stand up and yell during the sermon, but he did not because the preacher had sat up with the man’s wife the night she died.
  26. Love must be a verb. It is something we do. If we live out faith, hope, and love, we will be dynamic and energetic.
  27. Story about being arrested at a demonstration. If you are filled with the spirit, you will be forever young.
  28. Challenge: before going to bed, think of five things to do to express love, name five people who need love, and write them all down.
  29. Story about being a counselor at camp. Campers picked on one kid with cerebral palsy, Billy. Billy was chosen to lead devotions one morning and shook the campers. Jesus will use you to express love.
  30. Be people of faith, hope, and love.

Keywords: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Reference ID: 08192007

© Tony Campolo | EAPE | 1300 Eagle Road | St. Davids, PA | 19087
Phone: 610.341.5962 | Fax: 610.341.4372 | E-mail: jwarren@eastern.edu