Sermon
The Joy of the Lord
Luke 15:1-10
November 12, 2023
‘There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents
than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.'
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It is tempting to think that Jesus would hang out at our nice churches and with nice people, but are we ready for a Jesus who welcomes and hangs out with drunks, addicts, prostitutes, and felons?
The Pharisees were agast that Jesus would hang out with sinners.
Are we ready to welcome those kinds of people? Do we know or hang out with any of them ourselves? Can we even conceive of it?
God invites us to rejoice with him when the lost is found and even one sinner repents.
This is an amazing truth and great news. God’s great passion is to save the lost and we are invited to be part of his plan and his party, because we too once were lost, and the best we can say ourselves is, “now we are found.”
Fan of Follower?
Luke 14:25-35
November 5, 2023
‘Whoever does not carry the cross
and follow me cannot be my disciple.’
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Unfortunately, being a “fan” of Jesus is often confused with being a “follower” of Jesus.
Fans show up at gatherings where they are entertained. They spend a lot of time with other fans. Their conversations and thoughts often revolve around the people they admire. They even recruit additional fans.
The problem is that Jesus calls for disciples - followers, not fans. People who join him, not just watch. People who follow his commands, share the good news in both word and deed, and share his love.
This is a 100% commitment. We must leave some things behind to go where Jesus leads. It is life and relationships, not rituals or legalism.
This is a huge step. In fact, we can't do it on our own. It is only when we reach the end of what we can do that we realize what only God can do.
God's Guest List
Luke 14:12-24
October 29, 2023
‘Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the town
and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’
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It is sad to say that those of us who fill churches on Sunday mornings may be among those who take God's grace for granted.
Jesus tells a parable about someone who throws a great banquet, inviting many. He sends out word to those he invited that the dinner is ready, and to come. Those who were invited make excuses about other things going on in their lives that keep them from coming. After being turned down by those he invited, he sends his servant out to bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame, instead of those for whom he originally prepared the banquet. When there is still room after they arrive, the servant is sent again to "Go out into the roads and lanes, and compel people to come in, so that my house may be filled."
God longs for his grace and love to be known and experienced, so much so that when those who know him get so caught up in daily life that they lose track of this, he invites those who are cast aside and can do nothing for him, to come to his great feast.
Quitting the Quid Pro Quo -
Luke 14:7-14
October 22, 2023
When you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled,
the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed because
they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid
at the resurrection of the righteous.
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You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours is part of normal human expectations. In fact, we can become highly sensitive to people not doing something for us after we have done something for them. It is only fair we say.
Jesus, however, leads us in a very different direction. Rather than doing something for someone else, like inviting them to a nice dinner, expecting them to do something similar in return for us, Jesus calls for us to do things for people who could never return the favor - to bless others who have no means to bless us.
We might say, "That's not fair!" It isn't fair, but that is the point of God's amazing grace. He saves wretches like us who can never return the favor or repay the debt.
The example of Jesus' life, as well as his teaching, calls for us to live lives of extravagant and costly generosity. Giving to others as Jesus gave himself for us.
Unity in Christ - World Communion Sunday
Colossians 1:9-14
October 1, 2023
There is no longer Jew or Greek;
there is no longer slave or free;
there is no longer male and female,
for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.
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Humans have a long tradition of subdividing and classifying each other. The letter to the Galatians was written to early Christians in what we now think of as Turkey. It was a crossroads not only of the Roman Empire, but also of Africa, Asia, and Europe. With so many different cultures, mannerisms, languages, and appearances, they wrestled with questions about what was essential to being a Christian.
Early Christians wrestled with what it meant for a non-Jewish person to become a Christian. Should they be circumcised or not? Should non-Jewish Christians adhere to Jewish religious law? How does a wide variety of very different people become part of the family of God?
Jesus radically breaks down human divisions and categories, not only bringing people to himself but also to each other. We become not only one with Christ but also with each other.
Growing in Faith
Colossians 1:9-14
September 24, 2023
We have not ceased praying for you and asking
that you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will
in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.
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There are times in life when our experience of God's presence in our lives, and our seeking God's will are particularly important. College is one of them. Theta Alpha is the only Christian women's sorority on the campus of the University of Central Florida. For many many years our facilities have been part of the lives and faith of many young Christian women. Many have told me that the faith of their college years has been inseparable from Theta Alpha and the generosity of our sharing space with them.
This Sunday they will give to us as they lead us in songs of worship, share with us about the ministry of Theta Alpha, and share scripture that God has used in their lives and faith.
Table Manners
Luke 14:7-14
September 17, 2023
All who exalt themselves will be humbled,
and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
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Noticing that guests at dinner were choosing places of honor to sit, Jesus told a parable about seating at an important banquet. Rather than picking an honored place for yourself to sit, Jesus recommended sitting at a humble seat. It would be much better to be moved to a more important position than to be moved to the lowest position once someone more important shows up.
He teaches us to live humbly, and rather than doing nice things for people who might repay us, we are to be generous with people who can never repay us. Instead, our reward will be at the resurrection of the righteous.
Healing or Hypocrisy?
Luke 14:1-6
September 10, 2023
Jesus asked the experts in the law and Pharisees,
“Is it lawful to cure people on the Sabbath or not?”
But they were silent.
So Jesus healed the man and sent him away.
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The Pharisees thought that God's rules were the key to God's favor, so much so that they created additional layers of rules on top of God's commandments, and used them to elevate themselves and degrade others.
Jesus, however, revealed God's heart by healing a man on the Sabbath. The Pharisees could say nothing because the power to heal was clearly from God, and if God healed on the Sabbath it is clearly good to heal on the Sabbath.
Healing or Hypocrisy?
Matthew 5:13-15
September 3, 2023
Let your light shine before others, so that they may
see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
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God sees something far better in you than you can ever imagine. He certainly knows our sins, but he loves us so much that he gave his only son. He also loves us enough to lead us on a journey of transformation, from where we once were into who he created us to be.
This means that we will be changed. It means that we must move from where we once were to where he calls us to go.
This transformation is about more than ourselves. As God works in our lives we will not only be different than we once were, we will be different than the world around us in a way that brings the people of the world hope and reveals God's love for them.
The Golden Rule
Matthew 7:12-14
August 13, 2023
Do unto others as you would
have them do unto you.
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We have all heard about "The Golden Rule" - that we should treat other people the way we would like to be treated ourselves. I don't know anyone who doesn't think that this is a rule for life. After all, we all like to be well treated and receive the respect we feel we deserve.
The problem is that most of us are also aware that we aren't perfect. Sometimes we don't do things we should have done and other times we do things we shouldn't have done.
The question is, does how we like to be treated when we've wronged someone match how we treat people who have wronged us?
The core of the issue is that because we need the forgiveness of God and others, we likewise need to forgive others.
Jesus is absolutely clear about this foundational truth, so much so that he teaches that it summarizes God's Law and the teaching of the Prophets. Additionally, later in Matthew, he repeats this truth as part of his response to the question of what is the greatest commandment in the Law.
If God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. (1 John 4:10-11)
