Sermon
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)
Firm Foundations
Matthew 7:24-29
August 20, 2023
Everyone who acts on my words
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
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Living in Florida, we know something about storms. We need to. It is just a matter of when the next one will hit us. The question is, will we be ready?
Life is full of storms, and like Florida, it is just a matter of time until we face the wind and waves. When they come, will we be ready? Are our lives and the things we value based upon lasting truth or shifting sands of whatever catches our fancy?
Jesus acknowledges that we will face storms in life, urging us to build upon a firm foundation that will withstand the storms, by living as he teaches.
Far from sheltering us from the storms, Jesus' gift is to show us the firm foundation that will not only withstand the winds and the waves, but to allow us to be a beacon of hope to others who are caught in the storm.
The Road Less Traveled
Matthew 7:12-23
August 6, 2023
Enter through the narrow gate,
for the gate is wide and the road is easy that
leads to destruction, and there are many who take it.
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Three times Jesus warns against following the crowd. Instead, he urges us to choose the path that leads to life and bears good fruit
The path following Jesus, putting our faith in him, leads in a very different direction than the world around us, just as Jesus' led him to the cross before the resurrection.
What Did You Bring Me, Dad?
Matthew 7:7-11
July 30, 2023
Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find;
knock, and the door will be opened for you.
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What would make you happy?
I'm sure that everyone can think of a number of things that they wish they had, many of which would be a real blessing, but others that hindsight might reveal as empty.
As children, we often wanted the latest toy or cool thing a classmate had. As we grew older we slowly grew to appreciate and pursue things we needed to work for - jobs and relationships, as well as bigger toys.
As we grow in our Christian faith, Jesus draws our hearts far beyond what we can ever earn or buy and toward what is of eternal worth.
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