2018-10-07 – Year B – Pentecost 10-2 – The Rev. Christopher Klukas
Genesis 2:18–24; Psalm 8; Hebrews 2:9–18; Mark 10:2–9
Marriage, Covenant, and Membership
- The lectionary readings today all speak to the covenant of Marriage
- This seems appropriate on a day when we are welcoming new members into our congregation as well as joining La Iglesia del Espiritu Santo with Good Samaritan Anglican Church.
- Church membership is different from the covenant of marriage, but it is a covenant, nonetheless.
- Too often church membership is treated in much the same way as a consumer relates to their favorite brand of fast food, clothing, or coffee.
- “It is good while it suits me, but I can just as easily move to another brand that suits me better.”
- This is also characterized by the perception that “the church is here to serve me” and “I’ll stay as long as my needs are met.”
- In this view, the church is a business, the staff is here to serve you, and all of you are the customers.
- The truth is that there are no customers in a church. We are all here to serve. In a sense, we are all part of the staff!
- Living stones – 1 Peter 2:4-5
- Imagine removing stones from a wall? What would happen to the wall? It would crumble. We need each and every one of you!
- So what is the church here for? To glorify God by making disciples, and sharing the love of God with those who don’t yet know him.
Making Disciples
- In our values discussions, it has become clear that our church values mature discipleship and active or lively faith.
- Because of this, it is worth asking what a mature disciple looks like.
- Mature disciples: Love God and neighbor, serve, and never stop growing
- Love God and Neighbor
- The love of God should permeate every aspect of our lives
- We need to put God first in all things
- This certainly involves prioritizing worship in church on Sundays, but we also need to be engaged as Christians every other day as well
- Prayer
- Reading God’s word
- The love of your neighbor flows out of your love for God and God’s love for you. 1 John 4:20-21.
- How we treat others is directly related to our love for God. Each person matters to God, and he cares about how we treat others.
- This includes loving the unloveable
- Serve
- “I am among you as one who serves” Luke 22:25-27
- There are so many different ways to serve in our church.
- We need to match our gifts to the needs in the church.
- I would hope that each of you would have one or two ministries that you can thrive in.
- Never stop growing
- The word “mature” can be misleading. It can have the sense that you or I have arrived, and that there is no more growing to do.
- As long as there is still sin in your life, there is more growing to do. Until you love God and your neighbor perfectly, there is more growing to do.
- We need to keep growing as long as we have breath.
- Neighbors in the church help us to love God more
- Just as we pray and read the scriptures privately, we also need to do so corporately.
- We do this on Sunday, but it is my hope that each of you would be involved in some form of small group Bible study as well.
- Love God and Neighbor
Sharing the Love of God
- One more thing, mature disciples share their faith with others just like mature plants and animals reproduce and multiply.
- When you find something which changes your life, you can’t help but share it with those you love because you want them to experience the same good things.
- We do this in small ways all the time. We recommend movies and restaurants to one another. We recommend doctors and dentists and mechanics to one another.
- What could be more life-changing than a relationship with Jesus Christ?
- How has your relationship with Jesus changed your life?
- Which of your friends need to know about this?
- Pray: for receptivity, for opportunities to share, for the words to speak
- We can spend thousands of dollars advertising and throwing outreach events, but the single most effective way of getting someone to fall in love with Jesus is through a personal invitation.
- You are all ambassadors for Christ.
The Covenant
- We are committed to:
- Our relationships with one another
- Growing ourselves
- Helping our brothers and sisters to grow
- Helping our church to grow
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