Thoughts from Pastor Stan

Sermon Notes

Good and the Bad II

November 8, 2009

PASSING OF THE PEACE

Scripture: Matthew 26:11a “the poor you shall have with you always”

When you drove here this morning.

You probably didn’t see any hungry people, or maybe you did.

But think about this week.

Did you see people who were hungry?

Did you see them on the sides of the street with signs?

Did you see them on bus or park benches sitting?

Did you see them sleeping on the lawn in public places?

Question: why are there so many hungry people?

PUPPETS

QUESTION: Do we know hunger? Have we ever been hungry?

Do we know being weak? Have we ever been weak?

CALL TO WORSHIP (John Wesley)

"Do all the good you can,

By all the means you can,

In all the ways you can,

In all the places you can,

At all the times you can,

To all the people you can,

As long as you can.”

INTRO TO MATTHEW

Matthew is the “Do” gospel. It is the gospel that aligns with the Letter of James (“faith without works is dead” James 2:20) more than any other gospel.

INTRO TO MATTHEW 25

This chapter is the last words (metaphor) of the last discourse of Jesus. These words follow six parables about living ethical. This section contains a description of the Parousia (Second Coming of Christ). This section assumes the deity of Christ. The focus is on actions of the follower and not merely the words. The scene is heaven, the act is judgement.

QUESTION: Do you believe in Divine Final Judgement?

If so, what then shall judgement be on?

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 25: 31

31 "When the Son of Man comes in his GLORY, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly GLORY.

GLORY

When Jesus returns, it is not as a little baby, or a humble carpenter; it as the king with power who judges at the final judgement in his GLORY.

QUESTION

1. How do you see God? When you envision God, what is the first thing that comes to mind?

Is it “glory”? Or, is it something else? Do you see majesty, or awesomeness? Loving? Compassionate? Merciful? Shepherd? Friend? How about fear, as in “fear the Lord”? or Judge?

Ric, Bill and I have been meeting and discussing a book called Crazy Love. In that book, there is an excellent question, “What would be the first words out of your mouth if you encountered God?”

QUESTION

What would be the first words out if your mouth if God appeared right NOW in your life?

SOME POSSIBLE ANSWERS:

“Lord, I want to be a sheep.”

“We are not worthy”

“Woe is me I am a man of unclean lips”

THOUGHT

Whatever the answer, Worship is a time of experiencing God right NOW in our lives. Worship is not about us and being worthy, but about God and God being worthy of worship.

2. The above verse begins a passage where Jesus shares what will happen on Judgement Day. Not a very popular topic. At the end of his life, in the last discourse, Jesus who is about to approach his own judgement day tells the disciples what is like on Judgement Day.

In a couple of weeks, a long awaited movie is to be release: 2012. I haven’t seen it, but I remember back in the early 70’s talking about this “future” event. Back then we were into those kinds of ideas. Things haven’t changed much. It seems like there is always that future date: 1984, 2000 and now 2012 that can be the topic of conversation.

3. So, back again to our original question: How do you see God? There are many ways we see and experience God. What is important is to be active in that relationship with God, driven by love.

MORE IMPORTANTLY: How does God see you?

Because God not only sees us now, but will see us in the future (v32)

SCRIPTURE: 25:32

32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

NATIONS

There are two basic interpretations of NATIONS

1. Literally nations, as all people of the world

2. Followers of Jesus only

II Corinthians 5:10

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

SEPARATES (judging)

The shepherd separates the sheep from the goats at the end of the day (night). Some folks say: the sheep would be out in the open, and others say they would be in the sheep fold for protection.

The goats would be gather together to keep them warm.

Sheep were more valuable than goats.

POINT:

At the “end of the day” the GOOD SHEPHERD separates the sheep from the goats.

IMPLICATION

Not an exciting prospect. To be separated at the “end of the day” by an all powerful Shepherd (God). Judgement is coming, not an exciting prospect at any time.

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 25:33

33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 25:34 - 36

34 "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.

QUESTION: What is the criteria of judgement?

35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

OBSERVATION

The righteous (sheep) are surprised by the King’s response.

QUESTION: Is there being surprised important?

Where they surprised because they did not see their acts

in response to serve him, but as a way of serving others?

Does this imply what drove their decision to serve others?

NOTE: The criteria of judgement

ANSWER: How one responds to the weak.

PROBLEM: What happened to the assumption of judgement based on grace?

OBSERVATION: This is the first time I have ever heard of this criteria.

Let’s test it and count how many times this phrase appears.

SCRIPTURE: 25:37 - 40

37 "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

40 "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you DID for me.'

DID

Jesus demands our personal involvement in loving and caring for others.

NOTE

Mother Teresa saw Jesus in the eyes of everyone she encountered. Especially the weak.

QUESTION

What do you see when you see the weak?

THOUGHT

We are the hands and feet of Jesus

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 25: 41 - 46

41 "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

44 "They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

NOTE: This is the fourth time this list was repeated.

45"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

46 "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

QUESTION: Who wants to be a sheep now?

NOTE: There are two kingdoms. a kingdom prepared by God for the righteous. And a second kingdom of eternal fire.

The first kingdom is where everybody wants to go, thought just not yet. It is a kingdom that the common concept for criteria is grace. Can’t make it by our works. Yet, this passage turns that concept upside down. Where is grace, when it looks like works. Notice that the works aren’t even the typical concept of moral character, but the works is our response to the weak. Once again, whatever happened to grace?

If one truly loves god, and experiences the grace of god and that love, then as we grow in that love and grace we will begin to love others. If we truly love others, then we shall respond to the weak. In other words, it is love (Greatest and 2nd Greatest commandment) that is the criteria for entering the kingdom of God. The works reflect that love. In other words, you can’t fake love. You either love or don’t. Fake, unauthentic love, no matter how poetic the words are, if the actions don’t mesh with the words, the words are meaningless. James (faith without works is dead); and love without action is not love.

QUESTION: What’s the Second Greatest Commandment?

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 22:39

love your neighbor as yourself

QUESTION: WHO IS OUR NEIGHBOR?

SCRIPTURE: Luke 20: 27 - 37

Summary: (v 27 - 29) 2nd Greatest Commandmet

29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

30 In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two silver coins^[e^] and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'

36 "Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"

QUESTION: Who is our neighbor?

ANSWER: Anyone who is in need?

37 The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."
Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

I CORINTHIANS 13:13...THE GREATEST OF THESE IS LOVE

QUESTION

To love or not to love, that is the question.

THOUGHT

The rule for all of us is fairly simple: do not waste time bother whether you “love” your neighbor, act as if you did. C.S. Lewis

REFLECT

This is a good week to reflect on our need to help others.

Who do you help? Do you only help those worthy of your help? How about the folks who are unworthy?

When you reflect on the people you have helped over the years, does it say anything about who you are? Do you find yourself gravitating toward a certain type of environment when it’s time to help? Do you find yourself only helping when it is convenient to you?

This Sunday a dozen people are walking for others. I am so grateful for their willingness to walk as well as the willingness of others to sponsor them. CROP is an organization that feeds people locally and globally.