Disciples Take Their Faith Public

I met you open our hearts and our minds to be more like you in Christ name. Amen. All right, so I'm going to just asked a simple question and you can feel free to answer or not. It's Christianity a multiple choice test.

Do we get the fill in bubbles and decide which parts of the faith we like and which parts we don't like. Are the kind of Jesus at this and that's the way it is? You know, we have 2,000 Christian denomination. So it would be easy to assume that we have for centuries the side is what we like about we don't like I mean the first split in the church was in 1054 the great schism and the Catholic church and the Orthodox Church split apart. It was the first split in all Christianity. This is why we have the Orthodox and Catholic today, and I really was over one simple thing. The western church said that the Holy Spirit came from the father and the son. And the Eastern Church said that the Holy Spirit came from the father through the son and then there was the Holy Spirit and so it's this Clause it's very I don't know to me. It doesn't really matter a whole lot. But for the Western and Eastern Church, it mattered enough to split the church. churches for centuries that fought over issues But when I look at the ology I always say scripture is primary. And so when we look at the Wesleyan quadrilateral Which is how it is for last couple hundred years right have a look at looking at the ology looking at scripture. They said scripture is 1st then tradition because who would be crazy to throw out two thousand years of church tradition? And then we look at reason and then we look at experience. The world is kind of changing right where we look at all four of those as equals. And depending on what we like and don't like we can go back to that multiple choice test. So today we're going to talk about loving the least of these. All right. Ephesians 4 5 through 6 tells us this. And I'm really getting disappointed with this. My backgrounds are gone and everything that we got there is one Lord One Faith one baptism. and one God and Father of all who is over all through all and in all there is one faith. I don't care if there's two thousand Christian denominations. I don't care if churches can't agree around the world and what the believe there is one faith. When we recite the Creed together, we said we believe in one Holy Catholic and Apostolic church. Now we know that is not the big sea that is the little C for all of us who are Catholic. That's the whole church. We believe in one universal church. We also believe this. the word of God stays true at the word of God does not change with the times that God's word was the same two thousand years ago as it is today. 1000 Seer and Isaiah 40 verse 8 the grass dries up the flower Withers, but our gods were will exist forever. And then once again in the New Testament here first Peter 1:25, but the Lord's word endures forever. And this is the word that was proclaimed to you as good news. God's word is neither modern nor ancient. It is now it is forever. When we have struggles in life, we can go to the Bible and we're garliss of what year it is. It speaks truth to our lives name one other book that does that. There is not for me and I've had the honor through schooling to study religions of the world and Islam and Buddhism and you name it. There's only one faith that I can turn to the holy book. That's Christianity that says God's word goes through time. The hard reality is sometimes we come across scripture that challenges us. It challenges our core beliefs. And for me, there is one member in here that has told me he's sitting on the back and if you just reach up and controversial you'll get more people in.

So for me, this is Bast and politics right where our faith questions are political standing. It just happens. It's hard to stay true to what a party says when the Bible says something different and I don't care if you're on the left or you're on the right and I have friends in Canada who had the same issue. They have a hard time when scripture contradicts what a candidate the same. We have to die to our self. Do I have that verse up here? Yes. Jesus said to everyone all who wants to come after me must say no to themselves take up their cross daily and follow me.

And also want to save their lives will lose it, but all who lose their lies because of me will save them. What advantage do people have if they gain the whole world for themselves yet parish and lose their lives so I can guarantee you all this. Including me that one of our Lives will have to die to themselves either the wife of the world or the life of Faith. It's hard to have both. Now what we're going to talk about this morning. That's how our life of faith that infects every part of our being. That our life of Christian Christianity doesn't leave here. Now I'm not saying anybody is guilty of that. But this is what scripture is talking about this morning. They weren't we weren't in his first few verses when you have done it for one of the least of these you have done it for Jesus. Vs. 35 through 40 and I was hungry and you gave me food to eat now when I say I want you to think when we read through this again how simplistic Jesus Is Me? I was thirsty and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me. I was naked and you gave me clothes to wear. I was sick and you took care of me. I was in prison and you visited me. And then those who are righteous will reply to him Lord. When did we see you hungry and feed you are thirsty and give you a drink. When do we see you as a stranger and welcome you are naked and give you clothes to wear. When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you? And then the king will reply to them. I sure that you that when you have done it for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine. You have done it for me. Now what I imagine is Jesus sitting around a table telling the story Every Time. I Think of Jesus telling a story I often think about Jesus and I don't know if that's what he looks like or anything. But I imagine Jesus sitting around a table eating with his friends. Maybe that's just the culture II Men everything happens around food.

But just prior to these verses Jesus is talking about the kingdom of heaven. And if I am sitting with Jesus, I would want to know you know, Jesus when I died. Am I going to get to get to go to heaven? I mean, here's a man that can answer the question who can tell my future. I'd want some type of Hope some type of assurance that At the end of this life, it's not over with. So Jesus is talking to this his disciples. And again, one of the most simple parables in orders from Jesus is given to us. Well, if you want to get the to the go to the kingdom of heaven, you must do this must take care of the least of these. Now we can often think of the least of these right as he talks about it the poor the Prisoners the homeless the widows to widowers every one of these categories.

But what about the least of these that you say on a normal basis? your places of work your places of belonging clubs you belong to you're some I'm thinking of maybe it's the co-worker that's going through a divorce. Maybe it's the next door neighbor who eats alone every single night. Maybe it's the young couple trying to figure out life.

Perhaps it's the young single parent that needs an extra set of hands. The father figure for that child or mother figure for that child. And perhaps is the teenager who is in foster care that needs a family to adopt them. The least of these reports do include all of the things that Jesus mentions up here.

But when the King of Kings tells us. To serve those in need. Why would we do anything different?

We have to live our faith in public. I think of this TV show has anybody seen the show. It's pretty good. Got somebody good things. Sometimes they'll come over. You're my Facebook feed to and this one case he was in Alabama and I he was an ice cream parlor. Did you see this one? And this poor guy couldn't read. He was illiterate. now we've known some people that we could consider illiterate have no ability to read and maybe this morning. I wanted you are unable to read but this cashier makes fun of the poor guy instead of helping him, right and you wait to see the reaction of what people will do. That's the premise of the store of the TV show and you see people one after another that have been personally impacted by literacy like 30 something percent of adults in America are unable to read a right. which was a lot higher than I thought and so for the illiterate I would definitely put them in this category that we as Christians when we see it out in the world. We should be lending a helping hand. That's how we live our faith in public. And again, I'm guilty of not lending a helping hand or serving the least of these just was like all of us this morning. But I really think when if you haven't seen the show check it out. I don't remember what TV network is on but Google it look it up. What is it? It's on ABC look it up and you could watch this whole show and say, you know, what as a Christian. How should I respond? What would I do?

Second point this morning is when it starts getting hard and the rest of these verses when you have it done it for one of the least of these you haven't done it for Jesus. So I love you know growing up and I I'm trying not to repeat myself cuz I know I've said this a little bit before is my grandma and then would say, you know, you got to meet God halfway the Lord does for those who help themselves totally understand totally agree in some ways, but the purpose is God is We don't have to do anything. And I know that kind of contradicts for some of us family tradition. This is what mom told me and Grandma and great-grandma.

I get it we have to be active in our faith. I totally agree, but Jesus already did the work on a cross. 2000 years ago and so if there is people that you see it's easy to judge easy to say, you know, what if I was there I would do XYZ. But Jesus doesn't do that to us.

Jesus meets us right where we are. The woman at the well, probably one of my favorite stores in the entire Bible. Where Jesus goes to her right blesses her and then he says go and sin no more. Jesus always meets us right where we are even in the midst of we consider to be hell. Jesus is there and if that the original Creed read us a Jesus descended into hell, he literally net people at the gates of hell. This is what Christianity is about a son it easy then. I can tell you when I read through these versus here. It says that he will say to those on his left get away from me. Now Jesus is also Father Jesus's brother. Imagine your father or your parent telling you to get away from me. And I'm sure all of us have had those arguments and fights where that might happen. And you will receive terrible things go into the unending fire that's been prepared for the devil and his angels. I was hungry and you didn't give me food. I was thirsty and you didn't give me anything to drink. I was a stranger and you didn't welcome me. I was naked and you didn't give me close to where I was sick and in prison and you didn't visit me. And then they will reply Lord. When did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and didn't do anything to help you. And then he will answer. I assure you that when you haven't done it for one of the least of these you haven't done it for me. Now when I think about this, I think about disappointing somebody has anybody ever told you you disappointed them. Has anybody ever been a victim of character assassination? Yeah, I've been there. It's kind of goes with this job.

It's hard, right? It's hard when somebody attacks you and in some ways you have nothing you can do to respond to it. It's hard. When a family member or friend tells you that you disappointed them now. I don't want to disappoint Jesus. Write the King of Kings the Lord of lords. I don't want to get up to heaven and Jesus say, you know Richard I'm just really disappointed. Wouldn't address be devastated. No. when I look at scripture as primary and I look at who can be the least of these in my community how simple is it for me to follow the words of Jesus here? It's so simple. There are people that are of course hurting and hungry and I'm really excited. We got a call from Save-A-Lot. I was supposed to announce this earlier. So here it is from Save-A-Lot got like 30 baskets of food. They're going to be delivered. They're going to be in the what's room back here again. Don't have a sign-up sheet. So, you know someone personally I need some food this holiday season you can sign up and you can take the basket to them in the name of Jesus bring it on. We can do one thing and another case. We're not even paying for it. So all of this is you taking food to people and sharing Jesus with them. And I failed I have failed sometimes love people right where they are. Right. It's easy, you know can we come from generational addiction? And so sometimes I just want to tell people wake up and do the right thing like I'm tired of hearing excuses. But I don't know if that's what Jesus would do. Maybe Jesus Take it right, you know, he did turn up tables at the temple. He did curse a fig tree right before that and sometimes we do those things but the end of the day we have to meet people right where they are and the least of these was not always include poor in the homeless. So we need to look at for us and our context who is God calling us to serve. Because the truth is in the next verse here. He tells us we're going to be jacked. And they will go away into Eternal punishment, but the righteous ones will go into eternal life. So Delilah was talking this morning about all choices result in something so that the big quote around my family that drives everyone crazy. There's my life and I would tell my students this when I was your teacher is life is full of choices. Like I'm sure my grandpa and that's what he tells everybody in the family. So life is full of choices and we have a choice. We either follow the words of Jesus. Are we not?

One of the hardest parts of this position I think is when people come through the door and they ask for assistance and by your Authority as the congregation and your funding of the congregation, I have to make decisions based on if someone deserves help or not. And most of the time I'm going to ask Amy, we get help right away, but it doesn't mean that people do not come here in life to us. And that's already happened to me since I've been here and I am so grateful for Tri-County for getting people and being able to be a resource and I don't have to be the end judge of everything.

But it happens. And I also learned by Alice and Amy not to give tell people where I live at the parsonage cuz they'll come knock at the door. So I learned that lesson but I think Jesus house is roll blunt Lee, they will go and they will go away into Eternal punishment, but the righteous ones will go into eternal life. I want to go to eternal life. I don't want to be I'm not a pastor that's going to try to condemn Cape or or try to pressure you into a certain way, but it's like the kid right? You tell a child don't do XYZ. And what is that child do? So Ricky Lee right now his big thing is he likes to go in the fridge by himself anytime? So he woke up before me one day and I look next to me and he's eating chocolate chip muffins in the bed.

So we will talk we're trying to help fix this but Jesus for us were the children and so Jesus is telling us ask kids what he wants us to do. We just got to learn how to follow it. So let me let me say this I think

I think we're doing a good job as a church. We've embraced living our faith out in the public. I have not I've seen many of you out at Walmart in the community and I can't say you're not Christians where you are. So very happy about that.

We don't always see each other every day every hour you guys don't see what we act like at home and I don't see what you guys act like at home. But the point here is is Christianity again. Is that multiple choice? Right. And so Jesus makes it clear what we are to do this morning with the scripture. He tells us to love people where they are. He tells us that we are to be a living witness for him. And so we're already doing some of that here at the church. We have fat people we have financially help people. We have brought food to the sick putting us. Thank you. We have fed First Responders, which I appreciate and I know there are many things that we do at the church to serve and to be of God's people. And we're not just doing it for social service right gets any organization can be a social service organization. We're doing it because we're Christians first. So we got to remember that. That's the reason. So the question I think for us this morning is what is God calling First United Methodist Church of Chiefland specifically to do. Is there a specific calling that God is placing on your heart's so I've had a couple conversations with people one person has a calling go and reach out to the Community College on the other side of town. I think that's really awesome. I don't think there's one college campus ministry there. There's not really a church connection is not as far as I know. And we're going to begin exploring is God calling us to reach out to that community. I heard a people that want to reach out to the public school system. And again, I don't know how easy or hard that's going to be but they have a heart to do that and I've heard many other things. We just heard the 50 in. What was it? Beyond beyond Stephen ministry, right? So I will not be invited to work in that Ministry. So our goal is to church is to equip people to do ministry. You don't have to be a seminary or Bible trained person to go and do God's work. The John Wesley and for those I don't know right John Wesley started the Methodist movement. When you set yourself on fire people love to come and see you burn. I like the sound of it. But what he's saying is the fire of the Holy Spirit. So what I'm asking for is a Revival of the Holy Spirit and I believe some of that is already taking place when I hear people excited about ministry. That's the Holy Spirit. And so what's that are self on fire with the Holy Spirit not literally. And let's see people that will come and be a part of it. So this is my my charge right to work at man deny right where the baby is fixing to be here. If the baby is not here in the next couple days and eight days. They will be coming out regardless.

After the baby is born that thing cuz it's sometime I would love for the congregation to spend some time through Advent praying about Ministries that you are called individually to do. We've talked about some of this week. We talked about the words from Paul that all people are given gifts for Ministry couple weeks ago. We talked about this when I was gone before Nate preach on a very similar topic. We are all call. So if you're not already serving in some way capacity or if you are are serving and you feel you know, what the Lord is calling me to do something different. That's okay too. So I want us to admit to really pray. How is God calling me to serve the least of these? How is God calling me and Ministry and then I would love to in January beginning to have conversations with all of you individually on how we are the church can send and prepare you to do so, so that's kind of scary. I bet they'd be so no, I'm in prayer for each of you and I am praying for God's conviction on hearts that this may come true, but I spray

Oh mighty God. We thank you for your word. God you have called us to minister. That we believe that the congregation are all called the minister to the community that we live in. Can we hear these words from Jesus which can be taught? That's on God. This is your command for us.

And with that comes judgement good or bad. Agave equip us all the pastor to minister to people that need it the people need to hear the word of Jesus. Help us be on fire as a congregation that you're Holy Spirit transcend. May your Holy Spirit be shown through every single soul in this church. That when people see members of our congregation. They know Jesus is there. Help us dear Lord be better disciples. better followers of you We thank you and praise you in Jesus name. Amen.