A Saint is Missional

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Decorating for Advent/Christmas today at 1:30 PM

Shoe boxes after church today

Youth Report from Pilgrimage

Opening Prayer

Tender, comforting Shepherd, your steadfast love is present in this place and resides within each of us. But sometimes it is hard, so very hard, to open ourselves to your love. We feel like scattered sheep, frightened and alone. Help us know your loving presence as we live as your gathered community. Enlighten our hearts, that we may know the hope to which we have been called. Amen.

Songs: “Goodness of God,” “Jesus, Friend of Sinners”

Pastoral Prayer

Amazing God, you have allowed us the privilege all during this year to walk the pathways of hope with Jesus. From your incarnation in Christ at the Nativity to his acceptance of the ministries to which you called him; from the magnificent lessons about caring and compassion as he trod the roads leading to Jerusalem; from the encounters with hostile people to the cries of those in need and to his crucifixion and resurrection, we have been blessed to learn from our Savior and have our lives transformed by his redeeming love. Bring the joy of this day into our hearts. Flood our lives with your words of hope that our ministries may glow with delight at serving you by serving others. Bless this church as we grow and continue to learn what you would have us do. Cause us to be a haven of peace and hope in this world that is bound in such anger and fear. For we ask these things in Jesus’ Name. AMEN.

Scripture Reading

Matthew 25:31–46 NRSV

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33 and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. 34 Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38 And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39 And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ 40 And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ 41 Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Introduction

Do you remember report card time in school? I surely do. I remember really caring about my report card around third grade. My third grade teacher, Mrs. Judd, would write the names of all those who made the A honor roll and the A-B honor every six weeks. I hoped every time that my name would be on it. But every time, I ended up with a C in something. But that last six-weeks of the year, I finally had my name written on the chalkboard in the back of the room. I had confidence that all the hard work I had put in finally came to pass.

Well, it’s report card time for the church! How have we done? Did we do well in the things that were easiest for us? Did we struggle in areas that were a challenge to us? How did we do according to the mandates of Jesus…..feeding the hungry; giving water to those who were thirsty; clothing the naked; visiting the sick and those imprisoned; welcoming the stranger…….how did we do? The answers to this question tell us a great deal about our church and what we value. Think about it. How have we been reaching out to others in Jesus’ name?

Our message today is our final message in our sermon series entitled, “The Life of a Saint.” Today, we are going to talk about being missional and what it means for us to have our names written in the Lamb’s book of life and not just on a chalkboard in the back of the classroom.

1. A missional saint knows who the King is. (vs. 31-33)

Matthew 25:31–33 NRSV

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33 and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left.

Philippians 2:10–11 NRSV

10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

2. A missional saint does things in faith. (vs. 34-39)

Matthew 25:34–39 NRSV

34 Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38 And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39 And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’

Romans 3:28 NRSV

28 For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law.

3. A missional saint does on behalf of the King. (vs. 35-46)

Matthew 25:40–46 NRSV

40 And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ 41 Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

James 2:26 NRSV

26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead.