Sunday, November 12, 2017 | After Pentecost
Proper 27
Year A
Matthew 25:1-13
There is no video or audio for this sermon.
The foolish were short sighted.
They thought of the moment, today not the future.
They did not plan for the future.
When we say and do things that are not focused on Jesus, then we fail to encounter Jesus. We fail because we do not see Him, when he is standing in our midst.
We will miss Him.
He will be there, but we will not see Him.
Jesus tell us, all through the gospels how we can be in a relationship with Him.
We are told to get intiment with Jesus and stay intiment with Jesus.
Get to know Jesus, be in relationship with Jesus.
This is available for all, not some, not the ones dressed “right”, ones that use the right Bible, the correct Hymnal, that sing the right songs, hymns, light the candles or whatever else that is used to seperate us from someone else, that seperates you from someone else.
Jesus encounters our hearts and soles.
When Jesus wrote on the ground in John 8, who did he stand with? The woman accused of adultery or with the self-righteous?
When we draw a line in the sand between us and them, between you and someone else, I can tell you where Jesus is standing. Jesus stands with and encounters the least, the last, the lost. He stands with and they encounter the love and forgiveness of Jesus. The line that separates, means Jesus encounters the other, not those that draw the line.
This congregation, this building, this land, the staff, the lights, the gas that heats, all that make up 3601 Dakota ave is for the other, not us. The ministries are for the other, if the ministries stay, if they stay funded, if ministry is carried out as we are told by Jesus when he says, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19
If we continue to draw the line in the sand against mission, against worship, against change, against anything, you name it, we turn into a chaplaincy congregation. We turn inwards and care for our own and we will die. God will still be able to work with that and we will need to look at a future, I don’t think anyone here really wants
God can still work with this for ministry. It is just may not be the ministry we may have had in mind.
Instead let’s look for ways for us to encounter Jesus by funding missions. By funding mission, we and others can continue to encounter Jesus in multiple ministries here.
We encounter Jesus in baptism.
Forgiveness and life, which only comes through the love of Jesus, is given by God in baptism
Confession and forgiveness in the name of Christ Jesus, keeps us intiment with Jesus. Our encounter with Jesus in confession, is life giving. Just like baptism’s and the encounter with Jesus is life giving.
We need to be prepaired to support the missions of First Lutheran.
Here are just a few, just in case you did not read or remember October’s newsletter arcticle.
Food Pantry, Food Bank, AA, Al Anon, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, Prayer Shawl Ministry, Winter Scarf Ministry, Quilters, Social Ministry: supporting multiple other ministries, Christian Ed (VBS), Evangelism Ministry: supporting multiple other ministries, Dakota Co. Amateur Radio Club, WELCA Circles: supporting multiple ministries, Worship & Music: bringing worship to all who come, TOPS, SHARE, and multiple ministries supported through collections in Welcome Center/Entry, Foster Care Review and so many others.