The Holy Trinity May 29-30, 2021
“Big Talker” Ephesians 3:14-21
Rev. John R. Larson
Ascension Lutheran Church Littleton, Colorado
Someone has to teach the teachers, right? We have a number of folks who are going, or have gone, to the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley. I’m sure it has many areas of study but one of their major emphases is teaching folks how to be teachers. I think they teach them in Greeley because if they can put up with the smell from the meat packing plants they can put up with what goes on in the classroom!!
There was one guy who had spent his entire career preparing teachers to teach in elementary schools. He said, “Good teachers are big talkers.” He went on, “I haven’t worked this out in any exact way, but from my observations, good teachers are big talkers. They are people who are effusive, ubiquitous in their interaction with people. They are everywhere, all the time talking.”
I guess I never thought of it but I think that guy is right. Teaching is always high energy. If you are observing a good teacher you will see a person who seems to be everywhere, interacting with the kids, talking to them, full of opinions about their work, words of encouragement and direction. Their constant conversation is much more than having too much caffeine in the morning. “Good teachers are big talkers.”
Today is the only Sunday in the church year when our emphasis is not on a particular action of God but on a teaching (a doctrine) about Him. This is Trinity Sunday. Today is the day when we see that our great God is a big talker.
Think of the Bible is this way – it is a long story of God’s attempted conversation with mankind. We keep rejecting His words, we turn in another direction, we attempt to hide or evade, or try to end the conversation. But He keeps coming. He won’t be silenced. He speaks words that cut to the heart showing us our sin or deep need, or He speaks the most amazing word of comfort and grace. He is a big talker!!
The problem with some big talkers is that they have nothing to say. And we tire of their constant drone. If only they would just be quiet!! I’ve known some big talkers like that. I bet I have been a big talker like that!! But that is not our God. Psalm 19 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the end of the world.” (Psalm 19:1-4) Look at all of God’s speech in the beauty of all He has made.
St. Augustine, one of the great early voices of the Christian Church wrote in his book, The City of God, about the “plentitude” of God. As evidence of this, Augustine pointed to the creation of all the flowers of the world. Augustine said God could have stopped after making two or three perfect specimens of flowers. But He didn’t. God kept creating multitudes of flowers. He made them of all different shapes and colors and kinds. God, in His “plentitude” made so many things bright and beautiful. Do you see, the Father is quite a big talker?
In our text from Ephesians 3 we hear His magnificence spoken like this, “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and In Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21)
On Trinity Sunday we will speak definite things about our definite God. We did so in length in the Athanasian Creed. In our world today many people believe that all gods are the same – equal. Many would say that we all worship the same god. That is not true. Ask a Muslim if they believe in the triune God that the Christians worship and they would tell you that they do not. Ask a Jewish believer if they confess the deity of Jesus and they would tell you that they do not accept that teaching.
All gods are not the same. All people do not believe the same. Like His Father Jesus was quite a big talker. He spoke some exclusive words when He said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6) Then Philip, one of the Twelve said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” Jesus responded in this way, “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been with you for such a long time? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father.” (John 14:8-9) Listen to the words about Jesus in John’s initial chapter, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the word was God. He was with God in the beginning.” “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” “No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made Him known.” (John 1:1-2, 14, 18)
His talk was big. His actions were bigger. We do not have a nameless, faceless, generic God. We have one who came in the flesh, was tortured for our sins and has risen in splendor. In our prayer from Ephesians 3 Paul says, “And I pray that you being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.” (Ephesians 3:17b-18) Some of the earliest Christian leaders felt that this was the picture of Jesus on the cross. Its saving work reaches to everyone in every situation. The cross reaches out east, west, north and south.
Some years ago a book by J.B. Phillips had the title, “Your God is Too Small”. That’s our problem. We make Him too small, too puny, too powerless. But He’s not. Be bold in your confession of Jesus whose love “surpasses knowledge.” He’s a big talker – believe His many words!!
One of the reasons I chose this prayer in Ephesians 3 for this Sunday is because it in a prayer mentioning the three persons of the Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He says here, “I pray that out of His (The Father) glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through the Spirit in your inner bring, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” (Ephesians 3:16-17) Do you know what is great about those good teachers? They get everybody involved. The shy kid, the insecure kid – they bring them along. The Holy Spirit brings us along. He works deep in our soul, where the greatest hurts lie and He brings us the truth of God’s love shown in Jesus.
God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, has always been a big talker. But sometimes this greatness is too much for us. The Old Testament for today tells us about God’s revelation of Himself to Isaiah. God is in His temple and angels are flying around. His robe fills the whole temple and flows out the door. The place is shaking and smoke is building up in it. Isaiah was terrified of being there. He wanted to leave. This was too much for him. “Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” (Isaiah 6:5) This is much like Peter’s response after Jesus did a mighty miracle with the enormous catch of many fish, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man.” (Luke 5:8)
They both could see that they were in the wrong place. They saw how sinful they were. They felt they should not be in the presence of One so great. “I am ruined.” “Away from me.” But God didn’t send Isaiah away. Jesus didn’t wash His hands of Peter. And He won’t send you away. And He won’t wash His hands of you. When that teacher of teachers remarked that “good teachers are big talkers”, I’m sure that he went on to say that it isn’t just the one who has the most words or the loudest words who is the best teacher but the one who has the right words, the timely words that will make the greatest impression.
That is what our great God does, that is how He speaks. When Isaiah could only see His sin in light of God’s holiness, it was God who uses a coal from the altar to cleanse his filthy lips. “See, this has touched your lips; your sin is taken away and your sin atoned for.” (Isaiah 6:7) God spoke the right words at the right time. When Peter asked Jesus to leave and never return, Jesus with the right words at the right time said, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.” (Luke 5:10)
Did you notice how the prayer in Ephesians 3 is divided into petition and praise? He begins by asking God for great things things…that God will strengthen you… that you may have the power to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ… And then he concludes with absolute praise and adoration of God. “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine…” You see, now WE are the big talker. Our talk is about all that our Father does for us, how much He loves us in Jesus and how the Spirit will guide us into all truth. Though this is dangerous to say to some of you, I say it strongly, never stop talking… about Him. Amen
This message first came to the saints at Ascension on May 31, 2015. Much has happened in six years – but God’s truth is still timeless.
