Sermons From My Heart

“For I was hungry and you fed me…”

In 2000 it was estimated that 925 million people worldwide suffered from hunger, which was caused in part by a spike in global food prices…and you only have to go to the local grocery store to see how high food prices are! Hunger is also the result of the current worldwide recession. In Nova Scotia, food bank use has increased since 2008. The number of working Nova Scotians who are using food banks is also rising because of rising power, fuel and food costs and the lack of affordable housing. People are spending money that would normally go to groceries on necessities such as heat, housing and medication.

The statistics are just as startling locally, and I’m speaking from experience because of my work with the local food bank. It currently serves approximately 400 clients ranging from single people to large families. Now we do not serve all of these clients every week, and except for emergency situations clients are not supposed to come more than once every three weeks. Even so, the list is not getting smaller

So why am I involved in the local food bank? Well, there are two main reasons. First, licensed lay ministers in our Diocese are encouraged to become involved in issues such as parish administration and social justice. Second, and more important, is that I am involved with the local food bank is because I believe in Jesus’ words from Matthew 25:31-46. This passage is an example of the Golden Rule- “Do unto others…” Christ calls us to love one another just like he loves us. One way we can show love for our brothers and sisters in Christ is by feeding the hungry, just like Christ fed the multitudes with 5 small loaves of bread and 2 fish. We are called by Christ to speak the gospel plainly while at the same time caring for the poor. If the Salvation Army can successfully do both of these tasks at the same time, so can we. We need each other, and thus we fulfill the love of Christ. We can be heroes by doing what God wants us to do—and what he wants us to do is to do everything we can to help the poor. God does not ask us to give out of what we don’t have, but he does ask us to give out of what we do have.

We must be prepared to minister to the poor and hungry wherever God calls us to minister to them. Whatever we do for the poor will determine our eternal destiny. When God judges us, he will be looking for the answers to three questions:

1. How much truth did he or she know?
2. How many opportunities did the person have to use that truth?
3. What did he or she do with those opportunities?

Jesus is so identified with the poor that he takes our treatment of them as our treatment of him. If we want to call ourselves true followers of Christ, we must act on our ethical teachings, including the teachings related to feeding the hungry. Failing to do good things is just as damning as doing bad things. Our teachings include doing God’s work in a humble manner without expecting anything in return.

In his address to the 2012 National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., former United States President Barack Obama made the following comments:

I think to myself, am I willing…to give up some of the tax breaks I enjoy? For me, as a Christian, it also coincides with Jesus’ teaching that ‘for unto whom much is given, much shall be required.’ It mirrors the Islamic belief that those who’ve been blessed have an obligation to use those blessings to help others, or the Jewish doctrine of moderation and consideration for others.

President Obama went on to speak about his administration’s work with faith-based groups such as World Vision. If the most powerful man in the free world is willing to do what he can to relieve poverty, and if the most powerful country in the free world is willing to do what it can to relieve poverty, surely we as ordinary people can do what we can to ease hunger.

A few years ago my parish priest made reference in his Lent and Easter message to the economic situation in this area. In particular he wrote:

There is a connection between our worship lives and our witness and social action. The food bank came into being through the action of the local Association of Churches. It was an outgrowth of our Christian faith and commitment, and as our community faces its crises and future, we as Christians will be there and involved.

Paul goes on to echo the same comments in 1 Timothy 6:17-19 when he urges us to “command (the rich) to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age…” In other words, Paul is telling us to use our money on earth for the things of God.

The kindest Christians are those who show kindness without any ulterior motives. Compassion usually calls for a willingness to humbly work in obscurity on behalf of the unknown. Truly compassionate people take risks most people would never take. They give away what most of us would hold onto at all costs. They reach out and touch when most of us would stand back with our arms folded across our chest. Their caring brings them up close where they feel the other person’s pain and do whatever is necessary to demonstrate true concern.

We don’t have to do big things to serve the poor. Little things can help just as much. A kind word or a listening ear can help someone in despair. Helping a stranded motorist change a flat tire can redeem his or her day. The possibilities for mercy are limitless, just as human needs are limitless. The key is to do what we can and do as much as we can. This includes donating food and/or money to the local food bank if we aren’t donating anything at all, or by increasing the amount of our donations to the extent that we are able to do so.

There is a five-stage process that moves someone from being a mere observer to an active participant:

1. We must notice that something is wrong.
2. We must realize that people need help.
3. We must take responsibility to help them.
4. We must choose a form of helping.
5. We must implement that help.

God calls us to share in the suffering of others as we love and support our suffering neighbours in Christ. By doing this, God uses us in our limitations to extend his love for our suffering neighbours. We will be held accountable for our actions or lack of actions. It doesn’t matter if the neighbour is a close friend or someone we have never met. It doesn’t matter if the neighbour is our best friend or our worst enemy. For example, in the Parable of the Good Samaritan, it was the Samaritan who stopped and helped the Jewish man who was beaten and robbed—and the Samaritans and Jews were bitter enemies at that time. If a man could help his bitter enemy when his enemy needed help, surely we can help even our worst enemy.

What do hunger, poverty, illness and despair have to do with righteousness? What do they have to do with Jesus? They offer the opportunity to encounter Jesus in acts of mercy, kindness and justice. If only we viewed others the way Jesus sees others every time we look into the eyes of our fellow man. Instead of seeing poverty, hunger, homelessness and imprisonment as social problems to be avoided, we are to see them as gifts to a hungry world, because in their faces shines the face of Jesus. As we serve others, we serve Jesus. As we meet the needs of others, we meet the needs of his surrogates-the ones he loves. Our service to others is a reflection of the condition of our hearts.

Lent involves prayer, works of piety, charity, self-denial and fasting. Christian fasting obtains its full meaning when we deprive ourselves of food in order to be more open to sharing in the suffering of the hungry and to save money to give to the poor. There are those who believe that the hungry are hungry because they deserved to be hungry. We are not to judge them or condemn them. That is God’s job, not ours, because his standards are perfect and higher than ours. Our job is to show Christ’s love by showing compassion for them, because when we do, we become Christ-like.

Mother Teresa once wrote, “When a poor person dies of hunger, it happened not because God did not take care of him or her. It happened because neither you nor I wanted to give that person what he or she needed.” If we want to love and serve the God we cannot see, then we must serve and love the neighbour we can see. She went on to paraphrase Matthew 25:40: “Jesus made it very clear. Whatever you do for the least of my brethren, you do it for me. Give a glass of water, you give it to me. Receive a little child, you receive me”.

As I mentioned earlier, the possibilities to serve “the least of these” are limitless. There are so many people who are in need. All we have to do is keep our eyes open to see those opportunities to help people—and to keep our hearts open to respond. The more we share God’s comfort with others, the more it will come forth from our own hearts.

We must address the needs of those at our doorstep and in our local community, but we can’t be nearsighted. We can’t ignore the desperate needs of the poor worldwide. There is an old saying, “Think globally, and act locally”. We can never eliminate hunger by ourselves, but that should not stop us from doing what we can to help the hungry.

Bibliography

1. Kelly Regan, MLA, “Housing Costs Drive Food Bank Increases”. Retrieved from www.nsliberalcaucus.ca
2. “Hunger and Poverty Facts”. Retrieved from www.bread.org/hunger/global/facts.html?print=t
3. Margaret Manning, “In the Face of Jesus”. Retrieved from www.rzim.org
4. Dr. Robert Heerspink, “The Way of Prosperity”. Retrieved from www.thisistoday.net
5. Os Hillman, “Your Ministry to the Poor”. Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com
6. Ron Hutchcraft, “Steve Jobs and God”. Retrieved from www.hutchcraft.com/a-word-with-you/your-most-important-relationship/steve-jobs-and-god
7. Jozy Pollock, Dear Mad, Crazy, Insane World”. Retrieved from www.assistnews.com
8. Rabbi Marc Gellman, “Why do the Righteous suffer?” Retrieved from www.arcamax.com
9. Dr. Greg Garnett, “If Christ is King, What Does That Mean?” Retrieved from www.day1.org
10. Selwyn Hughes, “Every Day Light”. Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com
11. Dick Donovan, “Exegesis for Matthew 25:31-46”. Retrieved from www.sermonwwriter.com
12. Barnes Notes on the New Testament. Part of Lessonmaker Bible software package.
13. Jamieson Fawcett Brown Commentary. Part of Lessonmaker Bible software package.
14. Wycliffe Bible Commentary. Part of Lessonmaker Bible software package.
15. ESV Study Bible. Part of Lessonmaker Bible software package.
16. Diane Singer, “Rescuing the Least of These”. Retrieved from www.colsoncenter.org.
17. Robin Dugall, “Doing for the Least of These”. Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com
18. Dr. Charles Stanley, “The Final Exam”. Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com
19. Charles Swindoll, “Restoring Compassion”. Retrieved from www.insight.org
20. Pastor Ken Klaus, “The Obvious Challenge”. Retrieved from www.lhm.org
21. Michael Youssef, Ph.D., “While We Wait”. Retrieved from www.leadingtheway.org
22. Jude Siciliano, O.P., “First Impressions, Christ the King (A)”. Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org
23. Sarah Pulliam Bailey, “The Similarities and Differences in Eric Metaxa’s and President Obama’s Prayer Breakfast Addresses”. Retrieved from www.christianity.com/ct/article_print.html?id=95230
24. Stanley, C.F., “The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NASV” (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishing: 2006;2008)
25. MacArthur, J: “The MacArthur Study Bible, NASB” (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers: 2006;2008)
26. Augsburger, M.S. & Ogilvie, L.J., “The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 24: Matthew” (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.: 1982)
27. Dr. Robert Heerspink, “Pass It On”. Retrieved from www.thisistoday.net
28. Rev. Donald Lawton, “A Message from Our Rector: Lent and Easter 2012”
29. Bobbye Brooks, “Money Issues”. Retrieved from www.dailydisciples,org

Predictions about the end of the world and Christ’s return have been made since Christ returned to heaven. In 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11, Paul spoke to the Thessalonians, some of whom concluded that Jesus would return any day. Some of these people stirred up excitement and/or quit their jobs to await the event.

Paul was not happy when he heard about this. His opening sentence in 1 Thessalonians 5:1 was a reprimand. He told them on several occasions that Jesus’ return would be like a thief in the night. He was like our parents when they told us when we were children, “If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a hundred times…”. Jesus even said in Mark 13:32, “But of that day and hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Saviour, but only the Father.”

Jesus’ return will be a surprise to everyone, especially to those who are doing business as usual and who place their hope in the world instead of in God. Jesus will find them deep in sinful indulgences. Will He find us as Christians doing His work?

What Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 is a continuation of what he wrote in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. In that passage Paul gave us some details about what Christ’s return will look like. We must be ready for Christ’s sudden return. Waiting for Christ is what we do as believers. We see God’s work as the Gospel works in people’s lives throughout the world. Some meet Him for the first time, and others take a second look and see that their lives are changing as the Holy Spirit moves them to repentance and a thirst for the living water that only Jesus can provide.

The Day of the Lord includes everything that happens from the Rapture all the way through the Tribulation and the Millennium. It is a time of judgment that will begin when we least expect it-like a thief in the night-and set off seven years of unparalleled distress, warfare and plague that will culminate in the Battle of Armageddon. After that, the Lord will return to set up his glorious kingdom, ushering in the earth’s golden age.  

The Day of the Lord will entail judgment not because God chooses to be judgmental, but because His holiness is destructive to whoever and whatever is unprepared to be close to it. That is the rationale behind Paul’s concern for holiness of life among the communities he served. He prepared his communities to be in the presence of pure holiness when Christ returns. Paul is also concerned that Christians today be prepared for God’s holiness when He returns.

We also have to be prepared for Christ’s return by putting on the armour of God, as Paul wrote in Ephesians 6. This armour is God’s strength made manifest in us. It is everything that keeps us grounded in both gratitude and God’s goodness, It is everything that helps us remember who we are. It is everything that allows us to see ourselves and others with compassion. It is everything that equips and empowers us to bear the light of Christ into the world and to live out our promises as Christians.

The cry of “Peace and safety” is likely an allusion to Jeremiah 6:14, where some people had a false sense of security that they would escape divine judgment. Paul compares the sudden destruction of the day of the Lord to the labour pains of a pregnant woman-it is an inevitable yet unpredictable event that will come suddenly. And like childbirth, it will be a time of intense pain for those who do not believe.

The phrase “to watch and be sober” means being morally alert and active as the Day approaches. As “sons of light and…of the day” Christian men and women are the light of the world and their deeds should not only be done openly-as in daylight-but also give light to others.

The call to be sober literally means “not be intoxicated,” but in verse 8 it means being alert and watchful. It means to be clear-headed by being mentally and spiritually prepared for the coming of Christ. This is no time for spiritual lethargy! Christians put on the breastplate of faith and love to protect their desires and affections and the helmet of salvation to protect their thoughts.

The Thessalonians did not have to worry about judgment at the Second Coming because they were destined for salvation rather than wrath. Similarly, believers will not have to worry about Christ’s return because they have been removed from spiritual darkness. They will escape God’s wrath. Those living in darkness are portrayed as sleeping and as being drunk. In this case sleep and drunkenness picture someone who is not in touch with or in control of his or her own life. When we are asleep, we are pretty much out of touch with the world around us, except for our dreams. The drunk has lost control of his or her ability to make wise decisions and to coordinate responses. People who do not live in expectation of Christ’s coming are likened to sleepers and drunks-not really in touch with present or ultimate reality. The words “wake” and “sleep” are allusions to the images in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-15 for life and death. At the Second Coming, both living and deceased believers will enjoy life with Christ.

There are metaphors for sleep and drunkenness in our modern society. We can be swept up in behaviours, attitudes, value systems and politics which are destructive and not even know it. Paul encourages us to stand back and recognize differences. People need to keep awake today because we are being constantly bombarded and manipulated by subtle strategies of persuasion and “spin.”

We might look like we are strong and stable believers, but we can’t survive apart from relationships with other believers. When adversity happens, we need each other. When we are confused and don’t know which way to turn, we need the counsel, the perspective and the listening ear of a friend.

For example, one of the first businessmen in the United States to be paid one million dollars per year was Charles Schwab. He was hired in 1921 to lead the United States Steel Company. When he was asked why he was paid such a big salary, Schwab replied, “I consider my ability to arouse enthusiasm among my people the greatest asset I possess, and the way to develop the best that is in a person is by appreciation and encouragement. “

Part of doing God’s work involves showing compassion. If we show compassion to everyone we meet, they will find that we are not harsh and judgmental toward them. In return, we will find them willing to listen to the truth. Jesus never accepted sin, but He was and is a friend to sinners, just as He was a friend to the woman who was caught in adultery in John 8. If we view people with compassion as Jesus did, it will be easy to reach out in love rather than condemning them. We will be obeying God’s instructions to encourage, strengthen and build up each other.

How can we better show compassion and encourage people? The first step is to ask God to help us be less self-focused and be more sensitive to the needs of others. Then we need to ask His wisdom in knowing how to encourage our fellow Christians. Then we will have to start challenging other people to see their own potential.

The gift of encouragement is important in our lives. Encouragement is a gift in the home, the workplace, the church-wherever we find ourselves. We can come alongside other people and be there for each other. We can listen, comfort, console and affirm. It is a way of living out the command to love one another.

We can also encourage each other and build each other up by being both a disciple and a discipler in the context of our Christian relationships. We have the privilege and responsibility both to be a teacher and a learner of what it means to be in Christ, walk in the spirit and live by faith. We may have roles in our families, our churches or Christian communities which give us specific responsibility to others, such as spouse/parent, minister, Sunday School teacher, Bible study leader, etc. Even as an appointed discipler, we are never not disciples who are learning and growing in Christ through our relationships. Conversely, we might not have official responsibilities to disciple anyone, but we are never not disciplers.  We have the chance to help our children, friends and other believers grow in Christ through our caring and committed relationships with them.

When faith in Jesus and love for God and neighbour are our guiding affections, our hearts will not be easily distracted from God’s priorities or overcome by doubt. When salvation protects our minds like a warrior’s helmet protects his head, we won’t be susceptible to every wind of doctrine that passes by and entices us to doubt the Gospel and believe the ways of the world.

There is an urgent need for a great spiritual awakening in our volatile world. There is an urgent need for God and the need to live in harmony with His will. There is no hope for lasting peace and an end to hatred and violence without God.  The closer we come to the Day of the Lord, the more urgently we need to put on the armour of God. This is no time for spiritual lethargy. We must put on the breastplate of faith and love to protect our desires and affections, and the helmet of salvation to protect our thoughts.

We are here to keep watch and observe ourselves with honest eyes. We are encouraged to admit what we have done and left undone in the short time we have. God’s call on our lives, the gifts He has given us, and His demand that we do some good work in the world in the time before He returns will bear fruit when He returns-unless they have been wasted, squandered or hidden. God’s gifts are meant to be used to do His work in our world, and there is an urgency to this truth because God’s reign has arrived in the here and now, and it will be reinforced when Jesus returns.

We who are faithful will be fully alert to the global events that will signal the return of Jesus. We don’t need to be assured of the day or hour of Christ’s return to make sure we are ready to meet Him. Tomorrow is not guaranteed to any of us, so today is the best time to surrender to Christ’s keeping. If we are holding anything back or clinging to any stubborn sin, we should place it in His hands now. If we give Him our lives, and when we finally see Him face-to-face, He will give us a crown of glory and exclaim, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible: New Kings James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013; pp. 1698)
2. Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament. Part of Wordsearch 12 Bible software package.
3. Demarest, G.W. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 32: 1,2 Thessalonians/1,2 Timothy/Titus (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1984; pp. 85-89)
4. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible: New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
5. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: the MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
6. Bobby Schuller, “Get Right with God.” Retrieved from ww.hourofpower.org
7. Dr. Paul Chappell, “Edify and Encourage.” Retrieved from www.dailyintheword.org
8. Dr. Neil Anderson, “The Definition of Discipleship.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
9. Doug Fields, “Affirming ‘What Could Be.’” Retrieved from www.homeword.com
10. George Vink, “Encouragement.” Retrieved from www.thisistoday.net
11. Joni Eareckson Tada, “We Can’t Survive Alone.” Retrieved from www.joniandfriends.org
12. Rick Boxx, “Arousing Enthusiasm.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
13. Dick Innes, “Walking Where Paul Walked, Part II.” Retrieved form www.actsweb.org
14. Dr. David Jeremiah, “Armor Up! Pressure of the Times.” Retrieved from www.davidjeremiah.org
15. Rick Warren, “Be and Encourager at Work.” Retrieved from www.pastorrick.com
16. T.M. Moore, “Guarding Heart and Mind.” Retrieved from www.ailbe.org
17. Jane Lancaster Patterson, “Commentary on 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=3472
18. William Loader, “First Thoughts on Year A Epistle Passages from the Lectionary-Pentecost 23.” Retrieved from www.staff.murdoch.edu.au/~loader/AEpPentecost23.htm
19. “Talents and Time.” Retrieved from https://lovingchurch.org
20. Paul Schreiber, “God’s Thief.” Retrieved from www.lhm.org/dailydevotionsprt.asp?date=20201111
21. The Rev. Dr. Donna S. Mote, “The Right Armor is Light Armor.” Retrieved from https://day1.org/weekly-broadcasts-5fa176676615fb5a6700001b/donna-mote-the-right-arnor-is-light-armor

Have you ever been afraid to use your gifts, talents or skills? Have you ever thought that your skills and talents were not appreciated by other people? If the answer to either one or both of these questions is “yes”, then you can probably sympathize with the third slave in the Parable of the Talents, which is in Matthew 25:14-30.

The word “talent” represents all of the opportunities God has given his people to serve him. Talents include wealth, abilities and learning. The parable teaches us to invest everything God gives us for his glory. If we want to be faithful servants of Christ, we must use what he gives us to spread the Good News. If we are faithful stewards in this life, we will be rewarded with even greater responsibility in the next life. The reward will be in proportion to the tasks we have accomplished.

Sometimes when we do God’s work, we will not feel appreciated. When we feel that what we are doing for God is not appreciated here on earth, all we have to do is pray to God. When we please him, we are doing our daily job. The greatest reward God can give will go to godly people who have laboured faithfully without any earthly recognition.

We are encouraged to be better than average. We are encouraged to excel. So why don’t we excel? Why don’t we try?  The answer is fear. Fearful servants are afraid of God. They see him as a harsh taskmaster. They do not see the meaning of the term, “fear God” as “total reverence.” They take the term “fear God” quite literally, and therefore they never multiply the gifts God gave them.

To know God, as the moral slave knew, is to be afraid. To really know God is to agree that he does indeed make his rain to fall upon the just and the unjust alike. To know God is to acknowledge, as the fearful slave acknowledged, that he’s a tough man, playing by rules we can easily question and often find deplorable. Such knowledge would make almost any thinking person afraid, and thus it was that the unprofitable slave took up the shield of playing it safe in order to hold his fear at bay.

God is both a generous rewarder and a strict judge. He evaluates our stewardship on the basis of how well we administer the responsibilities and talents he has given us. He evaluates our stewardship based on how well we have kept His priorities instead of our own.   If we use his gifts to spread the Good News, we will be rewarded. If we don’t, we will be punished by being separated from him for eternity.

We must master and receive the gifts God gives us, including the gift of time. No matter how old or how young we are, we can still use the gifts God gave us. Even when we are sick, God can still use us. If we master and use the gifts God gave us, we will have plenty of time to grow in faith and spread God’s Kingdom here on earth.

One of the most important gifts we have is our salvation. Sometimes we take it for granted, and sometimes we treat it like one of our most prized possessions. Sometimes we treat it with reverence and respect when we are first saved, but sometimes over time we take it for granted. That is the wrong attitude to have. The gift of salvation is a gift from God, and we are to use it just as we use all of the other gifts he has given us.

Another one of the gifts God has given us is the Gospel. He gave us that gift not so that our ability to spread it can be put to good use, but so that our inability is exposed and God is glorified. We can’t, but God can.

Christ demands faithfulness. If we are faithful we will produce results. If we do not use what God gave us, we will lose everything. We are to dedicate ourselves and all we have been given to Christ so that he can multiply those gifts.

Jesus seems to imply that there will be a long period of time between his first coming and his second coming, but the delay does not mean that he will not be coming. We are duty-bound to expand God’s kingdom in his absence regardless of how long we have to wait for him to return.

God sees everything from the beginning to the end, even if we can’t understand things. He sees our motives. He sees how we handle even the smallest of things, and our future depends on the little things. Contrary to what a popular saying says, we must “sweat the small stuff.”

So how can we know what God wants us to do? It’s simple. We have to read the Bible. If we do, we will discover that God does not want us to play it safe. He wants us to take risks. No risk, no reward. We have to risk living the life Jesus taught us to lead instead of the life the world wants us to lead.

There are lots of lessons to be learned from the Parable of the Talents:

1. Be good stewards of your abilities. Use them or lose them.
2. Don’t be afraid to try.
3. Never say, “I have so little, my contribution won’t matter.” Every little bit helps.
4. People may not be equal in talent but they can sure be equal in effort.

The faithful servants gambled with the master’s goods in pure blind faith, and that was really what he meant for them to do. They yearned so completely, in other words, that they believed his intentions–his spirit, if you will–as they understood it, and they gambled themselves on fulfilling it. They loved the master with all their hearts and souls and minds, for this is the first and great commandment, and all the others are secondary unto it.  The only proper response to such stories as these is to pray that God may give each of us such grace and faithfulness in our times as he gave to those faithful servants in their storied ones.

We are getting closer to the end of the church year. In fact, as I deliver this message, in less than three weeks’ time we will be starting the season of Advent. Advent is a time to remember Jesus’ birth in the stable in Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago. It is also a time to prepare for his Second Coming, and Matthew 25 talks about being prepared for the coming kingdom.  When God comes to judge us, will we be afraid that we will be cast into the fires of hell? Are we being too cautious when it comes to serving God?  Are we afraid of failure? Are we afraid of taking the chances that discipleship requires? The Parable of the Talents encourages us to take bold, risky action.

The Parable of the Talents is about trust. God trusts us to use the gifts he has given us to spread his kingdom here on earth. He calls on us to return the favour by acting on the gifts he has given us out of trust. God has blessed us so much that we can’t lift our bushel baskets on our own. God only asks that we use, spend and grow our resources, including our talents. He only asks that we love him enough not to hoard or hide our resources. We can trust him. Can he trust us?

Winston Churchill once said that “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”  Albert Schweitzer said, “I don’t know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.” On Judgment Day, we will be called on to give a personal report to God. That report will be based on the choices we make here and now. We can make any changes we want to here and now. It will be too late to make them when we stand before God.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013)
2. ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 10 Bible software package.
3. Augsberger, M.S. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 29: Matthew (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982)
4. Sheri Rose Shepherd, “His Perfect Gifts.” Retrieved from www.e.biblegateway.com
5. Joni Eareckson Tada, “Rewards.” Retrieved from www.joniandfriends.org
6. Joni Eareckson Tada, “The Legacy of Mary Rose.” Retrieved from www.joniandfriends.org
7. Michael Youssef, Ph.D., “The Little Things.” Retrieved from www.leadingtheway.org
8. T.M. Moore, “A Parable for Our Time.” Retrieved from www.colsoncenter.org
9. Dave Brannon, “Still Working.” Retrieved from www.rbc.org
10. Joe Gibbs, “Who’s the Boss?” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
11. Dr. David Jeremiah, “Faithful over Few, Ruler over Many.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
12. Richard Inness, “The Choices We Make Make US.” Retrieved from www.actsweb.org
13. James Howell, “Trojan Horse.” Retrieved from www.religion-online.org
14. Phyllis Tickle, “The Story of Two Parables.” Retrieved from www.day1.org
15. The Rev. Charles Hoffacker, “Trust, Not Fear.” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
16. The Rev. Dr. David E. Leninger, “The One in the Middle.” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
17. Dr. Philip W. McLarty, “What Are You Afraid Of?” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
18. Exegesis for Matthew 25:14-30. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
19. Fr. John Boll, O.P., “Volume 2: 33^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Nov. 16, 2014” Retrieved from volume2@lists.opsouth.org

It’s not hard to tell that we are getting closer to the end of the church year. In fact, in a little more than four weeks’ time we will be celebrating the First Sunday in Advent. The Gospel readings for these last few weeks of the Season of Pentecost talk about what God’s judgement will be like. They talk about the separating of the faithful from the unfaithful. Matthew 25:1-13, which is known as the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Bridesmaids, emphasizes the important of being prepared for Christ’s return.

Jesus described preparations for a wedding.  Weddings provided much needed relief from the humdrum and hard work of daily life.  Usually women took care of children and performed household chores.  They looked forward to any small distraction, such as their daily visit to the village well where they could visit with other village women. 

But, occasionally, their tedium was broken by the great events of village life––weddings, births, and bar mitzvahs––even funerals.  Of these, weddings involved the greatest celebration.  At a wedding, the couple was the center of village life for days on end.  After the marriage ceremony, there was feasting, dancing, and revelry, which could last for several days.  For the couple, it was “the gladdest week in all their lives”.  It was a glad week for their friends as well––an event not to be missed!

An important part of the wedding ceremony was the procession from the home of the bride’s parents to the couple’s new home.  As the bridegroom escorted his bride to their new home, their pathway was lit by wedding guests holding aloft flaming torches, probably sticks wrapped with oily rags. 

A wedding was a great joy for all the members of the community, but especially so for the young women invited to serve as the bride’s attendants.  It was an honor to be asked to participate, and those who agreed were expected to do so enthusiastically and responsibly. The young women were expected to be ready, because the bridegroom’s coming signaled the beginning of a great and joyous festival––something that promised to be one of the highlights of these young women’s lives.

Many of you know what it is like to be prepared for something. If you lived on a farm, you prepared for the winter months. If you went on a trip, you had to prepare first. Some of you even prepared for the day when you would be in a nursing home. The most important thing we can do is to prepare for Christ’s return.

Matthew wrote his Gospel a half-century after the resurrection. He struggled with the issue of the delayed Second Coming.  Many first-generation Christians believed that Jesus would return in their lifetimes, but by the time Matthew wrote his Gospel, many years had passed since the Resurrection, and many Christians were beginning to wonder how long it would take for Jesus to return. In this series of parables, Matthew encouraged the church to maintain its vigil, even though the people were weary of maintaining an “alert status.” 

In this parable, the oil represents the Holy Spirit. The foolish virgins are those who have not truly been saved. Believers can’t just impart the Holy Spirit (i.e. share the oil) to unbelievers. Each person must receive salvation for himself or herself before it’s too late. God’s judgment is unequivocal and irreversible. We can’t know Christian assurance without the Holy Spirit.

The bride in this parable is the church. In fact, the church is referred to in Scripture as “the bride of Christ.” Just like a bride and groom have to be ready for the wedding, the church as the bride of Christ has to be ready for him when he comes. As Christians we are part of the church, so we have to be ready for his return. We have to keep our lamps fed with the oil of the Holy Spirit. We must see that we are continually growing in the love of God and service to others.

What does it mean for us to keep our lamps fed? Being prepared––having oil––means working faithfully for the Lord. It means practicing good stewardship––good ecological practices––careful management of time and money––generosity to those in need––proclamation of the Word––the possibilities go on and on. Jesus makes it clear that he has expectations regarding our behavior––standards that we must take seriously––obedience to which we must aspire.  In this parable, he also makes it clear that there is a time for repentance and a time when repentance will be too late. 

We are called to be faithful to God and obey him. Being faithful is the meaning of waiting for the Lord to come. There will be no second chances when Christ returns. The Lord of the household-aka God-is not being rude when he denies entrance to the foolish virgins. He assumes those who really want to join in the festivities will come prepared. We must always be prepared for the Lord to return, because he could return at any time. We do not know the exact date and time when he will return, but we do know that Christ has promised great joy to those who are prepared for his return and grave consequences for those who are not prepared.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013)
2. ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 10 Bible Software package.
3. Augsberger, M.S. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 23: Matthew (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982)
4. Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2010)
5. Exegesis for Matthew 25:1-13. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
6. Pastor Dave Risendal, “Five of Them were Foolish, and Five Were Wise.” Retrieved from donotreply@wordpress.com

What is the one thing that both the church and society need today?

The answer can be summed up in one word-revival. Not only will a revival bring us and society back to God, it will also allow us to remember what God has done for his people in the past, what he is doing for them now, and what he will do for them in the future.

The message of Psalm 107 conveys what God has done for his children and how lovingly he has dealt with them. God withholds punishment (which is deserved) and gives mercy and grace, which are not deserved. The psalm gives thanks for God’s enduring, steadfast love. He is willing to forgive his people even when they are unfaithful.

The psalm begins with a call to praise, followed by a warning to confess our sins. The psalm is concerned with the entire community giving thanks, but individual members of the community also give thanks. Specifically, they gave thanks to God for saving them from slavery in Egypt and guiding them to the Promised Land. The wanderers in verses 4 to 9 also represent those lost in a desert of loneliness, routine futility and affluence that never satisfies. They, like the Israelites, search without hope and without help, unable to find their way home until they return to God.  It nudges us to move from our comfortable lives to imagine the hearts and lives of refugees, wayfarers, pilgrims and others who are coming to the cross from all over the world. They were in bondage and are now free. Since we were also bound by sin, we will naturally have compassion with these pilgrims.

Like the people of Israel, we wander in spiritual darkness and are rebellious, fearful and wicked. We are easily distracted by the world, and this is understandable. The world is so attractive to us that it overwhelms us to the point where we neglect our relationship with God. In the end we are humbled by the consequences of our disobedience. We turn back to God who forgives us, but then we become complacent and find ourselves back in darkness. This is a never-ending cycle. In spite of this, God’s love is steadfast. He never turns us away when we return to him.

Today, we and the church need to return to God. We need revival. Many churches, including my own, have seen a decline in membership and attendance. Society needs to pray to God that he will restore the church so that it can evangelize the people. Society needs to pray that God will pour out his Holy Spirit with a message of repentance and godliness. Society needs restoration and freedom from bondage. God was faithful to his people in the past, he is faithful to his people today, and he will be faithful to his people in the future. His faithfulness opens a gateway to repentance and revival.

There is a spiritual thirst in the world today. Both the world and the church need revival. They need to heed the words of the old song, “That Old Time Religion”:

 Give me that old time religion

 give me that old time religion

 Give me that old time religion

 It’s good enough for me

 Makes me love everybody

 Makes me love everybody

 Makes me love everybody

 It’s good enough for me

 It has saved our fathers

 It has saved our fathers

 It has saved our fathers

 And it’s good enough for me

 It was good for the prophet Daniel

 It was good for the prophet Daniel

 It was good for the prophet Daniel

 And it’s good enough for me

 Give me that old time religion

 give me that old time religion

 Give me that old time religion

 It’s good enough for me

 It was good for Hebrew children

 it was good for Hebrew children

 It was good for Hebrew children

 And it’s good enough for me

Revival can only begin when we claim God’s mercy. It will restore a proper vision of who God is, his goodness, his moral perfection and his mercy. If we trust that he is merciful, we will experience his mercy.

Adversity often forces us to admit our need for God. For example, the Israelites were wanderers in the desert with no home. They suffered from spiritual and physical hunger as well as physical and spiritual thirst. In their time of need, they returned to God. They had no illusions of grandeur or superiority. In contrast, sometimes the church lives under the illusions of power, money, traditions and rituals. God often uses adversity to bring us back to him. He wants us to rely on him instead of relying on ourselves. He wants the longing in our souls to drive us to him. He wants to satisfy our spiritual hunger and thirst. He wants to give us hope for the present and the future. He wants to give us vision and direction. When we approach our situations with gratitude, it takes our focus off of our problems and puts it onto God.

Adversity often leaves scars, and all of us have them. We have received these scars in one of two ways: because of what has been done to us by others and because of what we have done to ourselves. These scars are nothing to be ashamed of if we are Christians. They are an invitation to share Christ’s healing power with the world, just like the psalmist showed the scars of the Israelites. If we are not ashamed of our scars, people will recognize Jesus, especially when we tell our stories of emotional, physical, spiritual and relational healing. If we are true children of God, we will say so publicly and not be ashamed of it. We will gladly tell everyone about God’s unfailing love, how he changed our lives and how he can change their lives.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN; Worthy Publishing; 2013, pp. 777-778)
2. ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.
3. Williams, D. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 14: Psalms 73-150 (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1989, pp. 276-277)
4. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
5. Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010; pp. 810-812)
6. Sharon Janes, “The Power of Your Story.” Retrieved from www.girlfriendsingod.com
7. Rick Boxx, “A Walk of Gratitude.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
8. Scott Schauf, “Commentary on Psalm 107:1-3,23-32.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=2490
9. Lisa Nichols Hickman, “ON Scripture: Immigration: Journey to a New Life.” Retrieved from www.day1.org
10. Houston, David: “Old Time Religion.” Retrieved from http://www.metrolyrics.com/old-time-religion-lyrics-david-houston.html
11. Craig Condon, “Memories, Faith and Forgiveness.” Retrieved from the author’s personal library

Have you ever wondered what it will be like in heaven?

Revelation 7:9-17 is a priceless picture of the blessed dead. It has comforted many people in the face of suffering and death. Some ministers believe that the multitude in this reading consists of those who have been saved during the Great Tribulation. They argue that these people are the harvest of the 144,000 Jewish witnesses. The ones who will be saved during the Great Tribulation will not be individuals who had a chance to be saved during their lifetimes. They will be those who heard and received the gospel message for the first time during the seven year period and who were martyred for their faith. The tribulation will be a time of unexpected affliction and unprecedented grace.

The church is seated below the throne, but this group is standing and wearing robes that have been washed in the blood of the Lamb of God. Their outer garments are worn with dignity, beauty and distinction. Palms were a part of the celebration of the Feast of the Tabernacles. The Jewish people sat on booths and waved palm branches to recall the joy of God’s complete deliverance from slavery in Egypt.

The practice of falling before the throne in worship is customary for the multitudes in heaven.  By saying “Amen!” the angels agree with the praise of the multitudes and then add their own anthem of praise.

In God’s temple, the way to the presence of God is open to everyone, as opposed to the Old Testament temple. In that temple, God resided in the section called the Holy of Holies. The only other person who could enter the Holy of Holies was the high priest, and even then he could only enter on the Jewish Day of Atonement. The Holy of Holies was separated from the rest of the temple by a curtain. This was the same curtain that was torn in two when Jesus died on the cross. When Jesus died, he torn down the barrier between us and God. People could have direct access to God through Jesus Christ.

God’s son is a lamb and a shepherd. The statement “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes” is very exact. The tears are not just wiped away, they are wiped completely from the eyes so that nothing is left but joy and abundant life in Christ. What a comforting and hopeful statement! It provides hope not only for those in heaven but for those who suffer and mourn here on earth. No matter how hard things are for us here on earth, we can be comforted by Christ’s love for us.

This passage leads to a discussion of heaven. It’s like window shopping. In this passage we are looking through a window and are seeing a small picture of what heaven will be like. We see a group of people who are no longer tainted by our evil, sin-filled world. People of every race, colour, creed and religion are together and can understand each other. There are no divisions or groups. They do not suffer from fear, want, hunger or hurt any more. God will guard and protect them just like he guards and protects us.

Scripture teaches us that there is a personal, once only resurrection to eternal life. Believers have the sure knowledge that death is not the end but the beginning in a new life in heaven. The only answer to death and its power in this world is Jesus. He died and rose again to defeat the power that sin and death have over us. He has promised that all who believe in him, trust him, and put their confidence in him will have eternal life.

This scene is impressive. A huge crowd of people has gathered before the throne of God. Angels and other heavenly creatures are also in the crowd. The people in the crowd are wearing robes that have been washed in Christ’s blood. In other words, Christ gave his life for them and for us.  There is power in the death of Christ to do what no one else can do. The white robes do not make anyone pure. They represent the purity and personal holiness that comes only from the death and resurrection of Christ. In the Book of Revelation, white is a symbol of holiness.

John has given us a glimpse of heaven. We see that the healing that will go on in heaven is broader than that of our own personal lives and the lives of our loved ones. Heaven is a place where all of life’s injustices of this world will be made right, where the lowly will be lifted up and the mighty will be brought low. It is a place where God’s vision of a community of justice, peace, and equality will finally hold sway.

As wars rage on and as diseases and disasters continue to exist and as the global economy continues to struggle, we may know more than we think about the “great ordeals” and blood-stained robes that John identifies. Amid all of this chaos, there is hope. When war, famine and disease have done their worst, salvation belongs to the God above and not to worldly Gods.

This coming Sunday we will celebrate All Saints Day. It is a day to remember those who have died-those who have been made clean by the blood of Christ and are now celebrating with the crowd gathered around the throne of God. That thought gives us comfort. It’s hard to be sad for them when they are in a place where there is no more suffering, sorrow or pain. The only sadness is for those of us who aren’t there yet, but at the same time we have hope that when we die we will join them in front of that great white throne. This gives us something to look forward to. On that day, we will get a complete picture of heaven instead of the glimpses we get in the Bible. We will go back to the one who created us-Jesus.

Our souls, which were once condemned to spend eternity in hell, have been given new value. Jesus paid the price with his life so that we could be washed from our sins. The old self is gone and we become new people. Because of Christ’s death and resurrection, we can be assured that nothing in our past and nothing anyone else says or does can change the value God has given us. We have become priceless to God. God wants us to come to the knowledge of the truth of hope, help and eternal life in Jesus.

Today you might be reminded of your loved ones who have died. Today is a day to remember them with thanks for what they have meant to you. Today is a day to praise God for their faith and the peace they are now experiencing. We can be assured that the Lord who walks with us each and every day of our lives is the same Lord who will be waiting for us in heaven.

  Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Nashville, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013)
2. Pastor Vince Gerhardy, “A Glimpse of Heaven.” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
3. Pastor Vince Gerhardy, “A Great Crowd.” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
4. The Rev. Dr. Nora Tubbs Tisdale, “Glimpsing Heaven in Thin Places.” Retrieved from www.day1.org
5. Pastor Ken Klaus, “A New Value.” Retrieved from www.lhm.org
6. Palmer, E.F. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 35: 1,2&3 John/Revelation (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc.: 1982)
7. Austin B. Tucker, “White Robes and Palm Branches.” Retrieved from www.preaching.com
8. ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch10 Bible software package.
9. Pastor Gregory Seltz, “Today is the Day for God’s Grace for All.” Retrieved from www.lhm.org
10. The Rev. Marshall A. Jolly, “The Saints beside You.” Retrieved from www.episcopaldigitalnetwork.com

Olivia shifted uncomfortably in the pew. The pastor had just told the story of the Good Samaritan, reminding Olivia that Jesus wanted her to be a good neighbor too. She knew this, of course, but why was it so hard sometimes?

“Jesus loves you,” the pastor continued. “He loves you so much He died for you even though you were a sinner. He also died for those who don’t know Him yet. That’s why Jesus tells us to love our enemies–so they can see the love He has shown us.”

After church, Olivia’s mom asked her why she was so squirmy during the sermon. Olivia hesitated, but finally told her what was bothering her. “My friend Samantha is spreading lies about the new girl, Yusra. Yusra wears a head scarf to school because she is Muslim, and I heard Samantha telling everyone sitting around us on the carpet during Library that Yusra must be bald or she wouldn’t be wearing a head scarf every day.”

“What did you say?” asked Mom.

“Nothing! Everyone giggled, but I thought it was mean. And Yusra looked so sad. Should I have said something to Samantha? How can I be a good neighbor to both Samantha and Yusra?”

“Let’s pray about it,” said Mom. They bowed their heads.

The next day, Samantha approached Olivia on the playground. She looked mischievous. “Next time we have Library, I’m going to pull Yusra’s scarf off her head,” Samantha said. “It will be funny! Besides, on the news, Muslims are enemies, right? Will you help me?”

The bell rang. Olivia felt rooted to the asphalt. What was she going to do? All she could think about was how Jesus said to love your enemies. Was Yusra even her enemy? Yusra had always been kind to her. Besides, Jesus loved and died for Yusra too, even if Yusra didn’t know it yet.

Olivia shook her head. “Jesus says to love your neighbor, and Yusra is our neighbor at school. I’m not going to treat her like an enemy.” Olivia ran ahead and joined Yusra in line.

“Yusra, will you go with me to the library? I’m sorry about what Samantha said last week, and I want to talk to the librarian and make sure it never happens again.”

Why do we love legalism and rules? The desire to have clear boundaries, and a concern for decency and order to guide communities is both necessary and prudent. That’s why the Jews had 613 rules to follow. The Pharisees loved the rules for rules’ sake, and it led to self-love and their belief in their importance. In contrast, loving God leads to love for others. If we love God we will love Him and serve Him. We will also love people and do all we can to help them. We will serve God by serving people.

In Matthew 22:33-46, the Pharisees again tried to trap Jesus in a controversy, with one of them asking a question that apparently was being hotly debated in their own circles. The Jews divided the Old Testament Law into greater and smaller commandments. They had not determined which commandment was of the greatest importance. Some thought it was the law respecting sacrifices. Others thought it was the law respecting circumcision. Still others thought it was the laws pertaining to worship and purifying.

Jesus summarized the Ten Commandments into the two Great Commandments-love God and love people. We are to love God with all of our power, more than all other things and beings. This is the first commandment in terms of importance, dignity, excellence, extent, and duration. It is in loving our neighbour that we express our participation in love of God. To love is to open our lives intimately to that of another. To open our lives to God means to open our hearts to Him. This is similar to the Golden Rule.  It prompts us to measure our love for others by what we wish for ourselves. Love for God and love for everyone made in His image are the backbone of everything God says to us. The phrase “heart, soul and mind,” represents the whole person, not separate categories of human experience. Love for God must naturally lead to love for those who are made in His image. These two interconnected laws-love for God and love for people-summarize all of the Ten Commandments.

When we love God, all of our other loves are rightly ordered. Loving God turns us toward our neighbours and their physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. It also turns us toward the non-human world, so beloved by God. Loving our neighbour brings beauty to God’s experience of the world. In a very real way, we love the Creator by loving the creatures.

A few years ago, Billy Graham answered a letter in his daily newspaper column from someone who was upset that churches and charities don’t pay a cent in taxes. The writer was upset that he had to “pay until it hurts”. In his reply, Dr. Graham said that if all the food banks, homeless shelters, hospitals, community centers, addiction rehabilitation centres and other organizations were forced to close, millions of lives would be hurt. If they did close, governmental agencies would be forced to fill the gap-at enormous cost to taxpayers. He closed his reply with the following words:

“No system is perfect, but I urge you not to turn a blind eye to the good done by the vast number of churches and other organizations who are sincerely seeking to serve others. Christians take seriously Jesus’ command: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’”

Too many people approach God, Christianity and the Church in the same way the Pharisees approached Jesus. They come with their own agendas, standards, expectations and ideas of right and wrong. They try to judge God, Christianity and the Church according to the criteria and standards of today’s culture. How well do the traditional teachings of the church measure up to the contemporary canons of political correctness and inclusivity?

The religious leaders had to see the Messiah not only as a person, but as God somehow present in a person. Only then could they accept Him as the one who could forgive sins and explain the truth about the law. Until they received this new understanding, they would never really accept Jesus as the Messiah because He would be too different from their expectations. Once we have acknowledged Jesus’ divine nature, we can accept His claims-especially the one about love being the fulfillment of the law.

A lot has changed since Jesus’ time. He didn’t address heart transplants, nuclear warfare, global warming, in vitro fertilization, or the Internet. Instead, He left us a teaching that throughout the centuries would guide us in addressing these issues and many more as they arise. He calls each of us to have God as the center of our thoughts, feelings and actions. The way we know that we are living Jesus’ commandment of total dedication to God, who is unseen, is to make that love visible by loving our neighbour as we love ourselves. In addition, we are to give that love as a gift and not as a burden.

If Jesus gave us a clear set of lots of laws and rules to live by, we might be able to claim that there are some areas of life not covered by one command or another. Instead, we have his dual-natured great commandments. Nothing falls outside their guiding lights because we are reminded that the heart of the gospel and our lives in God’s reign require us to love God with all our being and our neighbour as ourselves.

But what if loving our neighbour means that we need to listen to the world and be engaged with it? There was a time when neighbours helped each other out by having building bees where neighbours came together to build barns or houses. Other times they came together to help each other with the harvest or to care for sick neighbours or elderly parents. Those are examples of loving people as God loved us. The way God knows that we love Him is by how we treat people. Whenever we demonstrate kindness, patience or gentleness, we see the Lord’s love at work through us, especially when the other person has been unkind and doesn’t deserve such pleasant treatment. Our relationships with others demand priority over things that won’t last or won’t matter in a few years. If we love God and love people, we will naturally obey the rest of the Commandments. That’s only natural. After all, the two Great Commandments are an example of the Golden Rule.

What do we think of Christ? Is He our best friend? Whoever He has made us to be, wherever He places us, we are to lead like Jesus with a heart devoted to loving God and others. Love for God requires daily commitment and frequent renewal. Our relationship with God is both vertical and horizontal. It reaches up to God by the work of Jesus and reaches out to others through the Holy Spirit. It calls for nothing less than all we have and all we are.

Our convictions are a good thing, but they have to be prioritized and focused on what is really important. We can have convictions without letting them override our Biblical duties to love others and seek unity. If we prioritize our convictions, we will remember that our main conviction is to love God and love people.

As we become more dependent on Christ, the process of submitting our thoughts to Him will become more and more natural and joy-filled. As this happens, God will take us to new depths of intimacy with Him. We have a God who first and foremost wants our love. He doesn’t want our fear, our penitence or our piety. We have a God who wants every one of His children to also feel loved by us-not punished, not chastised, not judged, but loved.

When we become Christians, God’s truth should be utmost in our thoughts as we love Him with all of our mind. One way of measuring that is how often Scripture is cycling through our thoughts and leads us to praise and adoration of God. When we love God with our whole being, there won’t be any room for anything or anyone to supersede Him. As our lives flow from our love for Him, there is no limit to the awesome things He will do.

It’s easy to love ourselves, but it’s hard to love others. Loving others as we love ourselves doesn’t teach self-love. It teaches us to extend to others the same kind of personal consideration that we already and naturally give to ourselves. So how can we love ourselves? There are five steps:

1. Focus on God’s love for us.
2. Believe what He says about us.
3. Confess all bitterness and ingratitude.
4. Thank God for the way He made us.
5. Yield ourselves to His Lordship.

If we don’t love ourselves in a healthy way, we won’t be able to love others in the way we should. People see us the way we see ourselves. If we stop focusing on our flaws and start loving ourselves in healthy ways and be proud of who God made us to be, then as we send out these difficult messages, it will bring new opportunities, new relationships, and new levels of God’s favour.

Every Sunday we proclaim these two Great Commandments, but in almost every church if there is space for us to leave gaps between us, we make full use of it. We often gather, go through the service and then disappear as quickly as possible, speaking to as few people as we can as we rush to get home.

So how can we grow in our love for God? There are four ways:

1. By allowing God’s love for us to move us.
2. By asking God to help us grow in love.
3. By praying and growing in love when He answers.
4. By keeping His Word.

Authentic and healthy self-love gives us energy for the long haul. If we don’t love ourselves-that is, if we don’t feel at home in our own skin and affirm our very existence in our own uniqueness-our behaviours will often be motivated by the need to be loved rather than bringing joy to ourselves and others.

At times we hold back from God, wanting to believe God will in fact be there for us but not really knowing for sure. It feels safer to preserve our autonomy, to handle things ourselves as best we can, to maintain our sense of control over our lives, to love God cautiously and from a distance. This is the God who has promised never to leave us or forsake us. This is the God from whose love nothing can ever separate us. This is the God who urges us to cast all our cares on Him because He cares for us. Those who dare to leap into God’s arms will find him to be a safe refuge, a stronghold in time of trouble. The invitation we have from Jesus in these great commandments asks for nothing less than a whole-hearted response to the God who has reached out to us in love.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible: New Kings James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013; p. 1322)
2. “Being a Good Neighbour at School.” Retrieved from info@keysforkids.org
3. Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament. Part of Wordsearch 12 Bible software package.
4. Augsburger, M.S. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 24: Matthew (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982; p. 18)
5. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible: New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
6. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN; Thomas Nelson; 2006)
7. Allister Begg, “‘til Now…” Retrieved from newsletter@truthforlife.org
8. “With All Your Heart.” Retrieved form support@leadlikejesus.com
9. Jude Siciliano, OP, “First Impressions, 30^th Sunday (A).” Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org
10. Ron Moore, “Vertical and Horizontal.” Retrieved from Crosswak@crosswlakmail.com
11. Margaret Manning Shull, “The Spirit and the Letter.” Retrieved from slice@sliceoninfinity.org
12. Richard Innes, “Love God…Love People.” Retrieved from www.actsweb.org
13. “What’s Really Important in Life?” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
14. Michael Youssef, Ph.D., “With All Your Mind.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
15. Dr. David Jeremiah, “Mind Reader.” Retrieved from TurningPoint@davidjeremiah.org
16. “Love Yourself? Part 2.” Retrieved from www.forthright.net
17. Dr. Jeff Schreve, “When you Don’t Like Yourself.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
18. Pastor Dick Woodward, “Where is God?” Retrieved from crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
19. Brother David Vryhof, “Loving God-Totally.” Retrieved from www.ssje.org
20. Christine Caine, “How’s Your Heart?” Retrieved from no-reply@christinecaine.com
21. Joel Osteen, “Love Yourself.” Retrieved from devotional@goto.joelosteen.com
22. T.M. Moore, “The Great Commandments.” Retrieved from noreply@ailbe.org
23. Bruce Epperly, “The Adventurous Lectionary-The Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost-October 25, 2020.” Retrieved form www.patheos.com
24. Debie Thomas, “The Greatest Commandments.” Retrieved from www.journetwithjesus.net
25. “The Lord Said to My Lord.” Retrieved from https://livinghurch.org
26. Craig Condon, “The Greatest Commandment of All.” Part of the author’s sermon library.

All of us are stewards.

Does that seem strange to you? Well, it shouldn’t. All of us have responsibilities over one corner or another of God’s household. Just as we have to look after our own households, we also have to look after the part of God’s household that he has given us to look after.

The task may seem to be difficult or even impossible, but we do not have to be afraid. Jesus assures us that we will overcome, not by drawing on our limited resources or by force but by relying on our Father’s generosity to his flock. It isn’t over until he says it’s over. Life’s hardships and tragedies are a reason to sit tight and wait for his return. They are not an excuse for us to bail out. Life’s trials do not matter if we are faithful to Christ. The kingdom is ours. Stress will be a distant memory. Worry will turn to rest.

“Treasure” refers to a place where one keeps valuables, such as a vault. Jesus urged his disciples to cling to their love for God and his kingdom above all. Everything else they should hold loosely. The giving of alms to the poor generates treasures in heaven, so it makes no sense to limit almsgiving to that which is of little value.

Humanity looks for solutions but wealth, prestige, glamour, sexuality, substance abuse and rebellion are not solutions. All of them have failed miserably. Sometimes we hold on to our possessions because we are afraid of what will happen when we get rid of them, including our money. Given the current worldwide economic situation, this concern is understandable. In addition, people have accumulated earthly possessions in the hope that they would provide security, when they need to lay up treasures in heaven instead. We need to let go of the lives we fearfully protect and hold on to before we can receive our heavenly treasures. If we centre our lives on our possessions, then our lives will revolve around protecting and keeping them. This obsession could get to the point where we will live in constant fear that they will be taken from us. As we accumulate stuff we find that we have to keep our doors locked or install alarm systems or join groups such as Neighbourhood Watch.

This does not mean that we have to give up all of our possessions. In fact, we need some of our possessions in order to live both now and in the future. The key is getting rid of possessions that we don’t need. We can do what early believers did and sell some possessions and give the proceeds to the poor. We can also donate these possessions to the poor or to stores that serve the poor such as Value Village or the Salvation Army Thrift Store or local church yard sales.

If we look at our belongings and decide that there are some things we can never part with or if it’s something God told us to give away and we can’t give it away, then we do not own that item. It owns us. We are possessed by our possessions. They become idols for us, and the Bible says in Ezekiel 20:7, “Get rid of every idol.” To put it another way, in a recent newspaper column Billy Graham answered a question about how much debt is too much. In his reply, he asked:

“What place do things have in your life? Have your possessions become so important to you that they possess you, rather than you possessing them? Are you more concerned about impressing others than living wisely? Most of all, have things taken the place God should have in your lives?”

We don’t need to be afraid of possessions. If they come, we can use them to do God’s work in our world. We can go to the other extreme by giving away so many of our possessions to the poor that it causes hardship for us. There is a time for extravagant gesture as well as a time for practical concerns. There is a time to do things such as fixing the roof, painting walls or feeding the poor, but there is also a time to celebrate. If we feel that we can’t have things or if we feel that we must have them, we are letting the things of the world rule our lives. We must go through life as stewards of everything God gives us.  We need to heed these words from the hymn, “We Plow the Fields and Scatter:”

We thank thee, then, O Father,
For all things bright and good,
The seed time and the harvest,
Our life, our health, our food:
No gifts have we to offer
For all thy love imparts,
But that which thou desirest,
Our humble, thankful hearts.

All good gifts around us
Are sent from heaven above,
Then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord
For all his love.

Being good stewards is one of the things we should be doing while we wait for Christ to return. We must not use the Lord’s delay in returning as an excuse not to do anything. We have to do the things we would do if Christ returned today. When Christ returns he will serve his faithful servants who are prepared for his return, just like he served the disciples by washing their feet. If we have kept God first in our lives, he will sustain us. He will give us what we need. He won’t give us everything we want when we want it. In fact, he might not give us what we want at all. His choice will depend on the nature of our wants and whether or not they fit in with his plan for our lives.

The way we use the gifts God gives us is evidence of our stewardship. It will show if we are faithful servants with God’s interests in mind or if we have forgotten who we belong to and neglected tending what God has given us. If we obey God and make his priorities our priorities, we will receive incredible blessings, and these blessings are part of our heavenly treasure. For example, some of you might know that I post all of my sermons online. To date they have been seen over 200,000 times, and I have received many positive comments.

A few years ago I received an email from a Lutheran minister in North Carolina. I know it’s a legitimate email because I received a telephone call from him shortly after I received his email. Since parts of the email tie in with my message, I’d like to share them with you.

Hello Craig —

I want to let you know how much I appreciate the sermons you post on your website — they are

wonderful. Thank you SO MUCH for sharing.

I am a Lutheran pastor here in North Carolina, USA and I am always looking for good sermon resource material. Do you mind if I do some “begging, borrowing, and stealing” from what you offer? I will be honest with you in stating that I am not the most original writer when it comes to sermon preparation.  If only I could do a fraction of what you have done and continue to do!

Well, Craig, I hope I am making some sense out of all my ramblings…but wanted you to know how I feel…where I am coming from in writing to you…and TRULY asking for your permission to make use of the materials you provide — it is some of the best I have ever seen and it should be shared with many of God’s people, through the personality of various preachers.  I personally believe that our gracious God speaks to us through Holy Scripture and he can also speak to us through what others have said and written —and, dear friend, He certainly speaks to me through you — and for that I am most grateful.

Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter and may you continue to be blessed with the ABUNDANCE of our Lord’s MARVELOUS love.

 In Christ, Ed Harper

People who help others find themselves caring about the people they help. Also, they will enjoy the meaningful life that results from meeting those needs. God wants us to enjoy and share the abundant life that comes from fellowship with others and a right relationship with God. In a 2016 edition of The Canadian Disciple newsletter, Rev. Dr. Jen Garbin, Regional Minister for The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Canada wrote the following:

“We are not called on to walk alone or only in one way…but we are to encounter each other, share our stories, learn from one another, challenge one another, celebrate together and support each other’s work.”

We must be ready at all times for Christ’s return, because he could return at any time. No one knows when Christ will return. Neither the Bible nor history contain secret messages that, when decoded, reveal the date. Until that day, his followers must actively wait and willingly work. Jesus has given us a mission. We are to take the Good News to the world. We need to be always alert and engaged in this mission. This include using our possessions. The caring Christian community is called to be less anxious about its own welfare and more concerned about those in need. Doing so reflects our heart. Our heart reflects what we value the most.

Throughout Scripture the heart represents the centre of our being, our desires and our reason. Our hearts will be where our treasure is. Those who are greedy and anxious about stuff put their emphasis on worldly goods. Those who trust in God’s provision invest their hearts in heaven. When Chris returns, we will have to give an account of how we looked after everything he has given us. Our hearts will affect how we look after things. Where are your hearts right now? Where do you want them to be in eternity?

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN; Worthy Publishing; 2013, pp. 1412)
2. “We Plow the Fields and Scatter.” Retrieved from http://www.hymnary.org/text/we_plow_the_fields_and_scatter
3. Pastor Rick Warren, “Don Just Get Rid of Your Stuff. Sell It!” Retrieved from connect@newsletter.purposedriven.com
4. The Rev. Dr. Jen Garbin, “Forks.” Published in the July 21, 2016 edition of The Canadian Disciple and retrieved from www.canadadisciples.org
5. ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.
6. Larsen, B. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 26: Luke (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc., 1983; pp. 212-215)
7. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006)
8. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles, 2005)
9. Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010; pp. 1421-1422)
10. Bayless Conley, “The Secret to God’s Provision.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
11. Paris Renae, “Hard Things.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
12. Richard Neil Donovan, “Exegesis for Luke 13:32-40.” Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com
13. Mark Sargent, UMC, “On Stuff.” Retrieved from www.day1.org
14. Swindoll, Charles R.: Swindoll’s New Testament Insights on Luke (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2016, pp. 332-339)
15. Richard Mansel, “Contentment is Never Found in Things.” Retrieved from www.forthright.netg/2016/07/26/contentment-3/
16. Billy Graham, “How Much Debt is Too Much?” Retrieved from http://www.arcamax.com/healthandspirit/religion/billygraham/s-1848539?print&ezine=202
17. Jude Siciliano, OP, “First Impressions, 19^th Sunday -C- August 7, 2016.” Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org
18. Heather Lear, “Evangelectionary for Sunday, August 7^th, 2016.” Retrieved from http://www.evangelismconnections.org/evangelectionary-for-sunday-august-7-2016/

A few years ago, Billy Graham answered a letter in his daily newspaper column from someone who was upset that churches and charities don’t pay a cent in taxes. The writer was upset that he had to “pay until it hurts”. In his reply, Dr. Graham said that if all the food banks, homeless shelters, hospitals, community centers, addiction rehabilitation centres and other organizations were forced to close, millions of lives would be hurt. If they did close, governmental agencies would be forced to fill the gap-at enormous cost to taxpayers. He closed his reply with the following words:

No system is perfect, but I urge you not to turn a blind eye to the good done by the vast number of churches and other organizations who are sincerely seeking to serve others. Christians take seriously Jesus’ command: “Love your neighbour as yourself”.

When Jesus was asked which Commandment was the most important, it was a loaded question. The Pharisees were trying to trap Jesus, but Jesus turned the trap on them. All of the commandments were equal because they were created by God. Jesus used the opportunity to point out that all of the laws that the Pharisees came up with to make certain that the Jews kept the Commandments were not necessary. All of their laws, and all of the Commandments, were summarized by the two Great Commandments that Jesus gave us and the Pharisees: “Love God, and love people”. Both commandments are related and are of equal importance. They are the basics of Christianity.

The employees of nursing homes are a good example of the fact that loving others comes from the knowledge that each person deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. They treat the residents with the dignity and respect that the residents deserve. They show their love by doing their jobs to the best of their ability, and by doing so; they show the love they have for the residents. They try to help their neighbours, and by doing so, they are doing what God wants them to do. This love involves denying themselves for the good of others. People don’t care how much we know, until they know how much we care.

But what if loving our neighbour means that we need to listen to the world and be engaged with it? There was a time when neighbours helped each other out by having building bees where neighbours came together to build barns or houses. Other times they came together to help each other with the harvest or to care for sick neighbours or elderly parents. Those are examples of loving people as God loved us. The way God knows that we love him is by how we treat people. Whenever we demonstrate kindness, patience or gentleness, we see the Lord’s love at work through us, especially when the other person has been unkind and doesn’t deserve such pleasant treatment. Our relationships with others demand priority over things that won’t last or won’t matter in a few years. If we love God and love people, we will naturally obey the rest of the Commandments. That’s only natural. After all, the two Great Commandments are an example of the Golden Rule.

It is our faith that God loves us that makes us able to love ourselves and therefore be grateful for the gift of ourselves. This awareness of life as a gift is what we mean by loving God. When we love ourselves, we are grateful to God, and this gratitude sets us free to love other people. When we truly love people, we value them as gifts of God.

Jesus’ teaching isn’t about how we feel about God and neighbour, but what we will do. We are to love God with all our lives, including our work. Doing so restricts our activity to the straight and narrow path that God has created for us to walk on. It is the basis of our obedience to God. It shows that our love for God is number one in our lives. Love for God and love for all of those who are made in his image form the backbone of everything God says to us in his word. In the words of the Apostle Paul in Romans 13:10, “Love is the fulfillment of the law”.

Thanks be to God, AMEN

Bibliography

1. Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NASV
2. Exegesis for Matthew 22:34-46. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com
3. Matthew Barnett, “Purpose Summed Up”. Retrieved from www.christianity.com/moi/2001/004/july/5.5.html
4. Mary Southerland, “And I Love Me”. Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com
5. MacArthur, John: MacArthur Study Bible NASB (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers: 2006, 2008)
6. The Rev. Dr. Billy Graham, “Why Don’t Churches Pay Their Fair Share of Taxes?” Retrieved from www.arcamax.com
7. Greg Laurie, “The First and Greatest Commandment”. Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com
8. Les Lamborn, “A Lover of God”. Retrieved from www.rbc.org
9. Pastor Bob Coy, “Prioritize People”. Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com
10. Les Lamborn, “Two Rules to Live By”. Retrieved from www.rbc.org
11. Charles F. Stanley, “How Can We Love Like Jesus Commands?” Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com
12. The Very Rev. Dr. Jane Shaw, “Love and Listening”. Retrieved from www.journeywithjesus.net
13. Jude Siciliano, O.P., “First Impressions: 30^th Sunday (A)”. Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org
14. Timothy Gardner, O.P., “The Third Commandment”. Retrieved from www.torch.op.org/preaching_sermon_item.php?sermon=5648

Hello boys and girls!

Do you have a lot of rules that you have to obey? Where are these rules?

Why do you think it’s so important to have lots of rules? Why do you think it’s important to obey them?

Boys and girls, rules are very important because they keep us from hurting ourselves. Rules are also important because they help us to do the right thing. What happens when we don’t follow rules?

What are some of the rules you have to follow? Out of all of the rules you have to follow, what do you think is the most important one to obey?

Jesus was asked that same question once. The Pharisees asked him which of the Ten Commandments was the greatest. Now the Pharisees were the religious leaders of Jesus’ day. They were so concerned that their followers obeyed the Ten Commandments that they came up with 613 do’s and don’ts for the people.

Jesus said that the two most important rules for us to follow as Christians are to love God and love people. If we follow these two Great Commandments we will naturally obey the rest of the Commandments…and we won’t need a long list of things we can and can’t do.

Let us bow our heads for a moment of prayer. Dear God, thank you for your love. Help us to love you and to love others as you have loved us. In Jesus’ name we pray, AMEN

Bibliography

1. “Loving God, Loving Each Other.” Retrieved from http://sermons4kids.com
2. “Broken Rules.” Retrieved from www.cbhministries.org