“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on My account.”
Matthew 5:11 (ESV)
Scripture
- Matthew 5:1-12
Tag: Sermon (Page 3 of 19)
This week marks “the Conversion of St. Paul.”
Both are such giants in Scripture. Both can make it difficult to relate to or emulate in any meaningful way.
They glorified God because of me.
Galatians 1:24
When we look at St. Paul, he has an amazing story of conversion and transformation; of mercy and grace; of boldness and faith. So much so that we talk about someone’s “Damascus Road” or “”Damascus experience” to signify a person’s colossal life change or coming to faith experience.
But therein lies a problem: the vast majority of us do not have an experience or story life Paul. If we are told to expect that (or if we do) and don’t have a story like his, we can feel let down or that somehow our faith or importance in the Body of Christ is diminished somehow. We fall victim to the fiction that God’s plan for us – our story or witness – is less important or valuable and, consequently, we must be less important or valuable!
Listen and listen well: You are the exact person God has chosen for a part of His plan and loves you beyond measure! He has chosen you before the creation of the world to be His; to do His will and serve in spirit and truth. Your story – however “un-Damascus” it is – matters! It is valid and important!
So, then, what is your story?
Scripture tells us honor Christ as holy in our hearts, “always being prepared to make a defense [of our faith] to anyone who asks [us] for a reason for the hope that is in [us]” (1 Peter 3:15).
My story began before I was born, as when I was conceived, I was already a sinner – dead throughout and separated from God. But on Sunday, May 4, 1969, my parents brought me to the saving waters of Holy Baptism, where God washed me clean, gave me saving faith, and made me His precious child. There were many, many failures and missteps along the way, but every time I sinned or was unfaithful, God remained faithful to His Word and promise for me through Jesus! He has used me, with all my gift and shortcomings, to know and believe in Him as well as serve and share Him in word and deed.
That’s some of my story. It’s not altogether complicated or by any means spectacular. It won’t be the subject of a screenplay or podcast. But God has saved me and used me in some small way to share with other His saving message of Jesus’ victory over sin, death, and the Devil through His suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension.
And the same goes for you!
Think about God’s plan through your story today, and thank Him for it; for through your faith in Jesus it – you – are remarkable!
Scriptures
- Acts 9:1-22
- Galatians 1:11-24
- Psalm 67
You’re one of the apostles, sitting with the others and with Jesus. You’re “in class” and the Teacher is calling on all of you to give an answer to two questions. You can either raise your hand and try to go before others and get it out of the way or you can wait a little and use the time (and the answers of others) to formulate a better answer. Then it happens: someone goes and gives the perfect answer (and He the Teacher’s pet, too)!
There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other Name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.
Acts 4:12
What do you do now? Do you try to copy his answer in a different way or do you just resign yourself to the answer, “that’s what I was going to say!”?
But you know you can’t say it better. The answer given was perfect. Absolutely perfect!
I wonder if that was the feeling of the disciples when Jesus asked His questions, “who do people say that I am?” and “who do you say that I am?”
The first question seems pretty subjective and innocuous. The second one is different. There’s more behind the question; a seriousness. Something with weight. With import. There is more to the question. More behind it. But what?
If you were there with the others, what answer would you give – and why?
Jesus passed over the answers to the first question, “who do people sy that I am?” and gets right to the real, personal, essential question: “why do you say that I am?”
The question He has for Peter is for us, too. It gets at the heart of Faith.
If Jesus is just “one of the prophets,” there is no forgiveness. If Jesus is just a good person or teacher, there is no payment for sin. If He just showed us a way to live, there is no victory over death and the Devil. If He isn’t “the Christ” of God, all is lost.
That’s the Trust: “Jesus is the Christ of God,” He is the One in Whome there is salvation, and in no one else! He is it!
But that Truth isn’t yet personal. It is true whether or not we believe it, but when we take it to heart and believe by the power of the Holy Spirit, it changes from The way of Salvation to my way of salvation. It goes from a true confession to my confession. It goes from the way of Life to my way for everlasting life.
Halleluiah!
Scriptures
- Acts 4:8-13
- Mark 8:27-30
- Psalm 118:19-29
- do your best and
- do the bare minimum.
We know we should strive to do our best and go “above and beyond” when we can, but often we are too beat, lazy, uninterested enough to do anything beyond the bare minimum.
But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.”
Matthew 3:15ab
In school we all know the folks (not saying I was one of them, even if I was) who spent a fair amount of time figuring out what the minimum grade I could get on something and still get the grade I wanted in the class. Had I spent less time doing the math for the grade instead of studying math for the class, I would have done better overall – and probably felt better about the result.
We are Called to believe in Jesus for forgiveness, for life, and for salvation. We are Called to follow Him and His ways; to live in obedience and using the gifts He has blessed us with. We are Called to live as best we can because we rejoice in the Gift of Salvation He has given us, not the minimum because we are already saved and we can just “ride life through.”
Jesus gave us the example: He was perfect and did not need to be baptized. Yet He did so, “to fulfill all righteousness.”
The goal isn’t just to be saved, but also to live as His saved!
One of the implications is that we do not go on living a life of sin “that grace may abound” (Romans 6:1). We are not to live in the sin that once held us, but let the life we live, “live to God” (Romans 6:10).
Instead of a mindset that says, “God has saved me through Jesus and has done everything, so all is good and I don’t ever need to worry” (a true statement), we should be living in the joyful reality that “God has saved me through faith in Jesus and has done everything, empowering me with the Holy Spirit to do all things to God and for others!”
We have been saved; fully and completely!
Respond to that free Gift by doing your best and living for God!
WE HAD NO POWER TODAY, SO NO RECORDING! Our apologies.
Scriptures
- Romans 6:1-11
- Matthew 3:13-17
But beyond the implications for Mary and Joseph at the time, there are several things we can take from the lesson.
- Jesus is the Son of God and desires to be in His House.
- Jesus values learning the Word (even though He is The Word [we won’t get into that pickle of thought!]) and being in said House with others.
And [Jesus] said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
Luke 2:49
It started me thinking about setting some good habits for the New Year.
From the example this reading and other places Scripture gives us, I would humbly suggest making a commitment to the following:
- STUDY & WORSHIP: like Jesus, be in the Father’s House as much as possible, surrounding yourself with other believers to grow in wisdom and knowledge of the Word and in worship to God.
- READ: make a commitment to reading the Scripture daily. Use a Scripture app; set a daily reminder; make a daily habit to read without constraints or agendas, even if you don’t understand everything you read. Let the Holy Spirit enter, teach, and draw out from you.
- PRAY: too often we think of prayer as the last resort instead of the constant resort. Scripture tells us to “pray without ceasing” (I Thessalonians 5:17), meaning that it should be a natural part of our everyday lives. Commit to chatting with the Lord throughout the day every day. You will find it will make a world of difference, not just in your life but in the lives of others and even of our world. (See also James 5:16b).
It’s a new year with old challenges. But God is a God who has victory over all challenges and is with us through them.
We don’t do this just so we are “better Christians” (though we should certainly strive to be or best). We do this because we are amazed at the Gift the Lord has given to us through Jesus; His birth, suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension and want to respond by study and worship, buy reading His Word daily, and by praying continually. We seek to do this out of a loving, humble, response in gratitude, not compulsion, fear, or obligation.
Scriptures
- Luke 2:40-52
- 1 Thessalonians 5:14-25
- Psalm 119:97-104
The time right after all the Christmas fun and festivities; gifts, family, food, and time-off is over. The mountaintop and been scaled; now back to the valleys of life!
A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.
Matthew 2:18
In our texts today we discuss a horrific event just a few years into the birth of Jesus – His family fleeing to Egypt and the slaughter of male children two and under in the region of Bethlehem.
It is hard to fathom the pain and anguish!
Wasn’t the coming of Jesus supposed to bring forth “joy for all people?!” Wasn’t it to usher in blessings instead of curses like these? Wasn’t He to being life instead of death?
We ask questions like this now, too.
If we are believers in the King of kings and Lord of lords, why is life such a mess? Why am I such a mess?
Of course we know the answer: although Jesus conquered sin, death, and the Devil, they are still in this world and with us until Jesus returns. Although they are still enemies, they are defeated, but still inflict as much pain and anguish as they can.
Rather than focus on the pain and suffering, we focus on the Savior who is victorious over them and confidently cry “Abba! Father!” to the Almighty who hears and loves us. When bogged down in the cesspool and sin, we are attached to the One who saves and sanctifies.
Let us enter the valleys of life as we scaled the mountaintop of Christmas – with joy and confidence, knowing who we worship – the newborn King!
Scriptures
- Galatians 4:4-7
- Jeremiah 31:15-17
- Matthew 2:13-23
- Psalm 111
Tonight is the culmination of our series, “Coming Home for Christmas.” It all comes down to this. To HIM; born for us!
For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over His kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
Isaiah 9:6-7
May the Lord bless your celebration of the birth of the Savior, Jesus: our Light Who leads us to our everlasting Home!
Family is frustrating!
A part of every big holiday seasons like Christmas is the gathering of family. It is one of the main things people are most axious about – positively and negatively.
I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like mist; return to Me, for I have redeemed you.
Isaiah 44:22
With loved ones come intimacy and irritation; jockularity and judgement; love and loathing; valuation and vexation.
Often the season itself is overshadowed by the familial dynamics at play – even to the point of perhaps minimizing or avoiding the gathering altogether.
Sin affects relationships and this is felt more with those we are closest to than anyone else.
This goes all the way back to the Fall in the Garden. The loving, intimate relationship we had with God (and Adam and Eve to each other) was perfect and a blessing in every way. Nothing was difficult. Nothing was hurtful. Nothing was dysfunctional.
A sin broke our relationship with God and mars all our relationships with each other.
But God wasn’t content with that. He doesn’t want a Home or relatiojnship that is broken. So He sent Jesus to obliderate oppresion; rule in righteousness; comfort the crushed; save from sins; redeem relationships; bridge the broken; love the lost; heal the Home.
Christmas is a time to celebrate that in the Chirst Child of Jesus, our relationship with God and others are restored and we have a heavenly Home to look forward to where there will never be brokenness again.
That is something to look forward to!
Thank You, Lord!
Scriptures
- Isaiah 66:18-23
I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like mist; return to Me, for I have redeemed you.
Isaiah 44:22
Home is where the heart is. It’s where we are comfortable; familiar; at ease. When something is comfy we think of it also as “homey.”
This is probably reflected more during the Christmas season than any other time in songs like “There’s no place like home for the holidays” and “I’ll be home for Christmas.”
But for the Christian, “Home” is often misunderstood. Our home isn’t here. Our Home is with our Lord and other believers in the New Creation.
Isaiah gives us a glimpse of this in Isaiah 55:1-5.
When we long for home, we should be longing for our heavenly Home. We should be looking forward to our Father’s House, which has many rooms which Jesus is preparing for us (John 14:2-3).
And we get to picture and long for this Home because of what Jesus – the child-King coming for us – on the cross and through the empty tomb.
Looking to Him, we see our Home.
There is no place like it!
Thank you, Lord!
Scriptures
- Isaiah 55:1-5
I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like mist; return to Me, for I have redeemed you.
Isaiah 44:22
Leaving home can be tough. Leaving for school, or work, or even vacation can be difficult. This is especially true when leaving when leaving either is because you must go somewhere you don’t want, or to do something that is difficult, or perhaps isn’t even by choice.
Isaiah was letting Israel know that they would be leaving their home – their Promised Land – and be taken into exile because of their rebellion and sin. They would have to leave the safety, the security, and the comfort of their home and life because they choose (constantly) to worship other gods, live other ways, and follow other paths than God’s.
This, of course, wasn’t entirely new. We see that this pattern happened in other places in Scripture as well – all the way back to Adam and Eve, who had to leave their home in the Garden of Eden because of their rebellion and sin.
But there is another One – promised back to Adam and Eve, prophesied in Isaiah, and fulfilled in Jesus – who would leave His heavenly Home willingly to cover our rebellions and sins, so that we could be with Him in His Home forever!
Our rebellions and sin meant exile for us from God and our home. Jesus exited His throne and home to save us from our sin and open His home to us forever.
Amazing!
Scriptures
- Isaiah 11:1-10
Many parents have likely said something to this effect at one time or another.
I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like mist; return to Me, for I have redeemed you.
Isaiah 44:22
And yet we live under God’s reign yet often do not follow His rules.
The Israelites didn’t either. And the consequences would be a devastating exile and loss of the Temple, worship, and God’s presence.
Because Jesus has come and fulfilled all of God’s rules on our behalf, we who believe in Him need not worry about the loss of God’s presence or love, but we are still under the rules of His “house” and domain. We are to remove our evil ways and cease to do them; learning instead to do good, seek justice, correct oppression, bring justice to the fatherless, and plead the widows cause. We are to love one another and not live in the ways of darkness but put on the armor of light instead.
These are the good, life-giving rules of God’s house and, as long we are His children, we are to live by them. Not out of fear, but out of love. Not as an option but as our motivation.
Jesus has saved us and we, out of the joy and gratitude of our hearts, get to live under Him and His kingdom in righteousness, innocence, and blessedness. Our joyful duty being to love, serve, and obey Him every way we can.
Our God reigns! And through Jesus, we get to live in that reign under Him and His good and gracious rules.
Praise God!
Scriptures
- Isaiah 1:1-4
- Isaiah 1:16-17
- Romans 13:8-14
There were those who neither feared the Lord nor saw the value in it. They mocked God and following the way of righteousness.
They shall be Mine, says the LORD of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares His son who serves him.
Malachi 3:17
This, of course, is nothing unique to that time. We see it all too often – and we expect it among unbelievers, but the fact is that it is common many times among believers as well!
If we believe in God and know Him to be our God and Savior; if we worship Him as Lord; if we claim to be His disciples, we must act as He dictates and live as His Word prescribes. We must show in our actions the righteousness that sets us apart in our Faith. We must live out our distinction.
This is not a blasé matter as many Christians take it; but rather a fundamental Truth: Faithful people must produce faithful fruit. If our fruit stinks, we must examine the state of our hearts and our faith. And when we find rot, confess and receive a new, righteous heart, focused on Him.
God says that when we fear the Lord and esteem His name, we shall be His treasured possession! And we fear and esteem Him when we put our faith and trust in Jesus as our Lord and Savior!
We are His treasured possession! How wonderful!
May our fruit reflect that reality in Jesus!
Scriptures
- Malachi 3:16-18
- Matthew 12:33-37
