Look Different | A Sermon on Matthew 5:14-16

Introduction

Long ago, God chose you to be Holy and Different. Christians are meant to Think Different, Act Different, and today I want to share that we should Look Different.  

Of all the sermons in this series, I was concerned about this one the most.  Why did God want me to talk about how Christians should look?  I thought about the different ways Christians have looked and dressed over the years.  And to make things easy, I’ve compiled picture showing how Christians can look different. Maybe you would like to choose one of these looks? 

You could choose the monastic look of the monk or the nun.

You could choose the 16-17 century clerical style of Jonathan Edwards or John Wesley.

Or maybe you would like the more contemporary look of the modern worship style.

Or you could opt for a more glamorous televangelist hairdo—what I call the "GlamorEvangelist".

Or if that's not hardcore enough, you could go with the crazy street preacher look.

Maybe we should bring back hats in church?

Or, fellas, maybe you want to go with the bearded look.  There's a handy guide for Christian beard styles…

If we really want to know how Christians should look different, let’s go to the Word of God.

Matthew 5:14-16
¹⁴ “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

Jesus’ Fashion Advice
Jesus didn’t give much fashion advice.  He did talk about the Pharisees’ clothing once.  The Pharisees liked to dress in elaborate robes ornamented with boxes called phylacteries that held tiny scrolls of scripture.  They liked to be noticed and to look "holy," but Jesus warned they were like white washed tombs, beautiful on the outside but, on the inside, full of dead men's bones.

In the sixth chapter of Matthew, Jesus said you shouldn't worry about what you will wear; He said the lilies of the field are better clothed than anything King Solomon ever wore (and Solomon was the richest man who ever lived).

In Matthew 5:14, Jesus gives a few images of how we are to “look.”  It has more to do with our character, but it can affect the way we look too.  The images He uses are:  light, a city, and a shining lamp. 

Christians are filled with the Holy Spirit and have an inner light that shines. There’s something special about them that transcends clothing, age, or the world’s standards of beauty.  Our inner light leads us and even gives light to others, but in order for the light to shine, you have to open yourself up to the Holy Spirit. 

You have to listen to what the Spirit says and then obey—even if it's uncomfortable or challenging.  When you cooperate with the Spirit, you become more like Christ.

You can also give light to others.  Christians are called to be a witness.  Church members promise to support the church with their prayers, the presence, their gifts, their service, and their witness.  Being a witness means telling people what Jesus has done for you.  Even if you don't say anything, people see the way you live.  And if you let the Holy Spirit lead you, you will shine brightly and others will see.

There's something else about that shining inner light.  Jesus said it can't be hidden.  He said we shouldn't try to hide it any more than we would try to hide the light of a lamp. 

I'm so thankful I live in America—a land where we have the freedom to live as Christians.  It was quite dangerous for the earliest followers of Christ and it is still dangerous for many Christians who live in places like North Korea, China, Africa, and Pakistan today.  Many Christians have to worship in secret and try to keep their faith hidden.  Can you imagine the burden of that?  How do you keep your faith in Christ secret when it causes you to shine like a lamp or a city on a hill? 

I'm so glad Christians in America don't have to hide our light.  And I think we ought to try and shine as brightly as we can in honor and memory of those who didn't have this privilege.  How dare we disrespect those who suffer for Christ by taking our shining privileges for granted?

Christians Gather Together
I’ve never been a big city kind of person.  I think I’m truly a country man at heart.  I love the peace and quiet.  I like my privacy.  I don’t want to be right up on my neighbors.

But Jesus said Christians are like a city on a hill.  Cities are a place where lots and lots of people gathering together.  And that tells you something about how Christians look.  Christians gather together in groups. 

You can't have a city with just one person and there are no solitary Christians.  Christians must come together.  Think of the two most important ceremonies in the Christian Church.  The two sacraments Jesus commanded His followers to practice are Baptism and Communion.  You don’t practice either of them by yourself.  You get together with other believers to experience them. 

Christians look different because we are always gathering together with other to worship, to study, to serve, to grow, to hold one another accountable, and to just share life. 

Christians Have Scars
Last week, I shared I have this old truck I call "Dry Bones."  It used to be a dump truck.  They say farm trucks live a hard life, but the life of a dump truck is just brutal! 

You can see the scars from that tough life in the rust that covers Dry Bones.  But it's the rusty old worn-out look that I like most about Dry Bones. 
It reminds me so much of the Christian life.

Jesus comes to us when we are broken and beat down by the consequences of our sin.  He loves us, despite our ugliness, and He redeems us and gives us a new life.  That's what I think about when I see my Dry Bones truck.  It was just a worn out dump truck, discarded and forgotten, but I'm bringing it back to life and making it cool.  People stop me all the time and tell me, "Man, I really love that old truck."  And they love it, not because it's shiny and new.  They love it because it’s rusty and worn-out.

Dry Bones is a good picture for how Christians look different.  Christians have scars.  Even Jesus had scars.  In fact, the risen Christ often showed people His scars to prove it was really Him.  "Look," He would say, "Here are the scars where the nails pierced my hands.  Here is where the spear pierced my side."  Jesus scars are not an ugly thing anymore.  Now, they are a badge of honor that shows what He did for us--how much He loves us.  

Christians have scares too—scars inflicted by the sins of others and some we caused ourselves.  But a scar is not a live wound.  It is a wound that has healed.  And if Jesus is healing you (that’s who Christians are—people Christ has healed and/or is healing)—you will have the scars to prove it. 

And your scars aren't an ugly thing; they are a badge of honor that glorifies God and shows what Christ has done for you.  Don't be afraid to show your scars—to say, "Here.  Here is where Christ healed me from sin."  Our scars tell our story.

Two More Scriptures for Christian Fashion
Before I close, let me share a couple more scriptures about how Christians should dress.

Luke 12:35 – Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning, as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast.

1 Peter 5:5 – And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

So, be dressed for service and dress yourself in humility.  That's your Christians fashion advice. 

Conclusion
Remember, God chose you long ago to be different, to be holy.   God chose you to think different, act different, and to look different. 

You should be like a city on a hill, shining for all the world to see so they may glorify God. 
Are you ready to look different?

Mary's Song | A Sermon on Luke 1:46-55

Introduction
I’ve always felt like Christmas and music naturally go together. When I was a little boy, that was one of my favorite parts of the season. Even as a young child, our family was always singing Christmas carols—whether we were at home, riding in the car, or out running errands.

Honestly, I think my mom used singing to keep us occupied. We didn’t have smartphones back then, and half the time we weren’t even buckled in. We were just bouncing around the car while she tried to do her Christmas shopping with four kids in tow. She needed something to keep us under control, so she sang carols with us.

Those memories are deeply ingrained in me, and I think it’s fitting—because music has always been a part of Christmas.

Over the next few weeks, we will study the songs of Christmas from the Bible. In the Bible, Christmas has always had music.  Not about snow or mistletoe; about Jesus. Several prophecies, songs, and psalms in the Old Testament foretold Jesus’ birth. And in the New Testament we have the angels singing gloria to announce the birth to shepherds. But, before angels sang, before shepherds rejoiced, before wise men bowed—there was a young girl who trusted God enough to bear His Son.  And Mary sang a song about it.  Mary’s Song (also known as Mary’s Magnificat) is found in Luke 1:46-55.

Luke 1:46-55
⁴⁶ Mary responded,
“Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.
⁴⁷     How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!
⁴⁸ For he took notice of his lowly servant girl,
    and from now on all generations will call me blessed.
⁴⁹ For the Mighty One is holy,
    and he has done great things for me.
⁵⁰ He shows mercy from generation to generation
    to all who fear him.
⁵¹ His mighty arm has done tremendous things!
    He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.
⁵² He has brought down princes from their thrones
    and exalted the humble.
⁵³ He has filled the hungry with good things
    and sent the rich away with empty hands.
⁵⁴ He has helped his servant Israel
    and remembered to be merciful.
⁵⁵ For he made this promise to our ancestors,
    to Abraham and his children forever.”

Who Was Mary?
When Mary sang this beautiful song of praise, she was likely only about 13 years old. In her culture, girls typically married between 13 and 16.

She came from an obscure little town—Nazareth—and yet she carried an extraordinary lineage. Most people know she was a descendant of King David, but they often forget she was also connected to the priestly line of Aaron. That means Jesus was born to her both as King and Priest—the perfect fulfillment of God’s plan.

Mary was a woman of deep faith, humility, and trust. And that matters, because we often think praise is something we offer after God answers our prayers—when life is good, when things make sense. But Mary praised God before any of it made sense. She trusted God even though His plan would first lead her through hardship.

She was betrothed to Joseph but not yet married, and now she was pregnant—claiming, truthfully, that the child was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Imagine having to explain that to your parents, your neighbors, and to Joseph, the man preparing to marry you. It wasn’t just embarrassing—it was dangerous. In her culture, an unwed pregnancy could cost you your life.

And yet Mary still said, “My soul magnifies the Lord.”

Mary Praises God
She sees and trusts that God is going to do great things. She even says, “He has done great things for me.” Now, most people in a life-threatening, humiliating situation like hers wouldn’t be saying, “God has done great things for me.” But Mary does. Through the eyes of faith, she looks far beyond her present circumstances and says, “Generations will call me blessed.”

How many of us have that kind of faith when we’re facing difficulty? When the situation seems overwhelming—when all we can see is sorrow, struggle, or hardship—can we still say, “The Lord has done great things for me”?

Can you see beyond the obstacle in front of you to the blessing God intends to bring in the future?

The Great Reversal
Mary sings about the dramatic changes God is going to bring through her Son. Her song announces what I call the Great Reversal. God is going to overturn the usual way the world works.

He scatters the proud and exalts the humble.
He fills the hungry and sends the rich away empty.

These are powerful statements. In fact, they can even be threatening. They were in Jesus’ day. There were powerful people—religious, political, and wealthy—who thought very highly of themselves, dressed in fine clothes, and expected everyone else to look up to them. And then there were the lowly—poor, dirty, ignored, and pushed aside.

Yet Mary declares that God is going to reverse all of it.
He will lift up the humble.
He will bring down the proud.
He will feed the hungry, and the rich will walk away empty-handed.

And this dynamic hasn’t been unique to Jesus’ day. It has existed in every time and every place. What we might see as a harmless little passage has often been viewed as dangerous.

Did you know this passage has actually been outlawed or banned by several governments?

• During British rule in India (1910s–1940s), authorities discouraged Indian Christians from reading Mary’s Song because it inspired hope for the oppressed.

• In the 1930s and 40s, Nazi Germany also restricted it for the same reason.

• Other regimes have done likewise, fearing its message of God overturning unjust power.

When people cling to their own kingdom—when they want to stay in control—Mary’s song is a threat. It declares, “It’s not about you. It’s about God’s kingdom.”  Some people don’t like that.

So what does this Great Reversal mean for us?  Most of us may not feel wealthy, but compared to much of the world, we are. We have resources. We have influence. We like to be respected. And Mary’s Song reminds us:

Stay humble.
Don’t be too proud.  Take pride in your work, but don’t think the world revolves around you.  Don’t look down on others because they have less.  Don’t think you are better than anyone else.  If pride takes root, Mary warns us: Christ will scatter the proud and lift up the humble.

And don’t trust in your riches.
The Bible doesn’t condemn having wealth—many heroes of faith were wealthy. The issue isn’t possession, but dependence.  The danger comes when we trust our wealth, our position, or our status more than we trust the Lord. Wealth can disappear in a moment. It cannot save us, protect us, or give us identity.

Our trust must be in God alone.  Because God, through Christ, still scatters the proud, exalts the humble, fills the hungry, and sends the rich away empty.

The Greatest Reversal
But Mary’s not just singing of social reversals.  She is announcing the greatest reversal in human history.  As Isaac Watts wrote in Joy to the World:  “No more let sins and sorrows grow, Nor thorns infest the ground! He comes to make His blessings flow Far as the curse is found Far as the curse is found Far as, far as the curse is found.”

Jesus reverses the curse of Genesis 3,
the curse brought on us by Adam and Eve’s sin in the garden.  

You may remember the specifics of the curse: pain in childbirth.  But as I thought about that this morning, it’s not just the pain of childbirth—it’s also the pain of raising children.  There are all kinds of pain wrapped up in parenting.  Sometimes it’s as simple—and as heartbreaking—as watching your kids grow up and move out. There’s a joy in seeing them become who God created them to be, but it also leaves a hole where they once were. That’s a kind of pain you can’t avoid—and honestly, you wouldn’t want to. It means they’re growing.

There’s also the pain that comes from generational differences.  I hear my kids talk sometimes and think, “They’re just young whippersnappers—they have no idea!” And then I remember I used to think my parents views seemed old-fashioned to me; and now my kids think my views are old-fashioned. And one day their kids will think the same about them. Every generation thinks differently. That’s part of the curse—this tension, this inability to fully see eye to eye.

Then there’s the curse on marriage.  God told Eve that her relationship with Adam would be strained:
“Your husband will rule over you.”  In other words, what was once perfect unity would now be marked by conflict, power struggles, and misunderstandings.

There’s also the curse on the ground.  God told Adam he would have to scratch out a living from the dust and that the soil itself would fight him—thorns and thistles instead of fruit. That’s why I love that line from the hymn Joy to the World:  “No more let sins and sorrows grow, nor thorns infest the ground.”

Imagine being a gardener with no weeds, no thistles, no pests… everything you plant just springs up beautifully. Anyone who has ever worked in a garden knows that is not the world we live in. Gardening is often a battle.

And finally, there is the curse of physical death.  Our bodies wear out. We grow tired. And eventually, we pass away.  

But Jesus came to reverse all of this.  Imagine:

• No more pain in childbirth—or in raising children

• No more strain in marriage, but perfect unity and harmony

• No more curse on the ground—work becoming joy instead of toil

• No more physical death—eternal life with our King

This is what Mary is singing about.  
Her Son came to undo the curse and restore the world to what God always intended it to be.

Closing
Mary didn’t fully understand God’s plan. 
She didn’t know she’d flee to Egypt.
She didn’t know she’d watch her Son die for the sins of the world.
She didn’t know He would rise from the tomb.

But she knew this: 
God keeps His promises.  God sees the humble.  God lifts the lowly. God saves His people. 
And so she sang.

The first Christmas carol is not about nostalgia, snow, or sleigh bells.
The first Christmas carol was sung by a teenage girl who believed the impossible—
that God was about to undo the Curse and rewrite human history.

The same God who did great things for Mary wants to do great things in you.

The same God who brought His Son into the world through her trust
is still looking for people who will say, 
“I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.”

So today, as we enter this Advent season,
may your soul magnify the Lord,
may your spirit rejoice in God your Savior,
and may you trust that Christ has come to reverse every curse, heal every wound,
and make “His blessings flow far as the curse is found”—even to you.

 

Return to Nazareth | A Sermon on Matthew 2:19-23

Introduction
I have preached on a lot of different Scriptures over the 25 years of my ministry. I figure I have preached at least 1,000 sermons at this point in my life. But I have never preached on the passage I will speak about today. It is near the beginning of Matthew, but not the very beginning. During Advent, we studied to story of the Wisemen coming from the East to visit Jesus at His birth.  They gave him gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  But evil King Herod wanted to kill the newborn king of the Jews.  So Mary and Joseph had to flee to Egypt with the baby Jesus. And then we come to Matthew 2:19-23.

Matthew 2:19-23
¹⁹ When Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt. ²⁰ “Get up!” the angel said. “Take the child and his mother back to the land of Israel, because those who were trying to kill the child are dead.”

²¹ So Joseph got up and returned to the land of Israel with Jesus and his mother. ²² But when he learned that the new ruler of Judea was Herod’s son Archelaus, he was afraid to go there. Then, after being warned in a dream, he left for the region of Galilee. ²³ So the family went and lived in a town called Nazareth. This fulfilled what the prophets had said: “He will be called a Nazarene.”

Mary, Joseph, and Jesus Return to Nazareth
I’ve never preached on this passage.  It falls between the story of Christ’s birth (which we study every Christmas) and the stories about John the Baptist and Jesus’ baptism.  Those stories are so interesting and we focus on them again and again.
But, we just take this little section of Matthew in between for granted as a transitional passage. 
Now, we know Jesus fled to Egypt and then he came back to Nazareth, so we just skim over these 4 verses that tell us the details how he got back to Nazareth.  But one thing I’ve learned in 25 years of preaching the Word of God, every section, every verse, every word is important and packed with significance and meaning.

The Gospel of Matthew intentionally connects Jesus with the story of the Israelites in the OT.  You will remember that another “Joseph” ended up in Israel.  The Joseph of the Old Testament was a dreamer. This was Jacob’s son, Joesph, back in Genesis—the Joseph who wore the coat of many colors.  That Joseph was sold into slavery in Egypt by his brothers, but God was with that Joseph and gave him the power to interpret dreams and he rose to power as second in command to Pharoah.  And then Joseph’s father and his brothers and all his family—the Israelites—escaped a terrible famine by moving to Egypt, where they lived for 400 years.

And here in Matthew, we have another Joseph—Mary’s husband, Jesus’ earthly father—who has now had three important dreams.  In the first dream the Angel of the Lord told Joesph not to divorce Mary because Jesus was God’s Son.  In the second dream, the Angel of the Lord told Joseph to flee to Egypt because Herod was trying to kill Jesus.  And now in this third dream, the Angel of the Lord tells Joseph to take Mary and Jesus back to Israel.

This fulfills the Old Testament prophecy from Hosea 11:1 – “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and I called my son out of Egypt.”  This passage from the prophet Hosea speaks of both Israel and God’s Son.  God brought the Israelites out of Egypt through Moses in the Exodus.  And God also brought His Son, Jesus, out of Egypt back to the land of Israel.  But what does this have to do with us today?

First of all, Jesus is the fulfillment of prophecy.
You cannot separate the Old Testament from the New Testament. The OT & NT are intrinsically connected as one whole story of God’s salvation plan. And there are connections there you cannot even imagine.  Even parts you think don’t matter, do. And the God of the Old Testament is the same God of the New Testament.  Don’t ever forget. This grand plan stretching across thousands of years glorifies the power and wisdom of God.

Second, Jesus fulfilled everything the Israelites failed to do right in the OT.
And that might not seem important to you personally, but it is.  You can probably think of some regrets you have in your life, things you wish you’d done differently, mistakes you’ve made, sins you’ve committed.  I want you to know that somehow through the mysterious power of God, Jesus fulfilled everything you were supposed to do but didn’t.  It’s not just that Jesus’ blood washes away your sins; it does, but Jesus is also your righteousness.  He completes you. In Christ, your broken past is made absolutely right so you can stand before God fully vindicated.

Third, this passage shows God's ongoing guidance and protection in our lives.
Just as God guided Joseph to protect His family, God is actively involved in our affairs. When we walk with God daily and seek to be in His will, He shows us the way. God’s Holy Spirit is there to guide you to avoid danger, to make good decisions, and to accomplish His plans for you.  But it is His plans, not your own selfish ambitions. Therefore, give yourself to God.  Let Him be in charge and listen to His voice guiding you.

Fourth, this passage shows God cares about the poor and the humble.
By settling in Nazareth, a humble and obscure town, Jesus' life aligns with the lowly and humble. God doesn’t just focus on the power centers of our world—Jerusalem & Rome in the ancient world or DC & Wall Street in our modern one.  No, God’s son was born in the small town of Bethlehem, lived as a refugee in Egypt, and then returned to grow up a Nazarene from an unimportant, backwater town in northern Israel, far from the centers of power and influence. This shaped His ministry among ordinary people rather than the elite.

Holy Communion
Jesus’ journey back to Nazareth wasn’t just a transition or insignificant detail of history. It is part of God’s great salvation plan.  A small, seemingly unimportant town became the place where the Savior of the world was raised.  And that should be an encouragement to us.

Many of you may feel like your life is far from the center of power or influence. Maybe you think your work, your home, or even your struggles seem small in the grand scheme of things. But this passage reminds us that God is at work in the ordinary. Jesus didn’t grow up in a palace. He wasn’t raised in a wealthy family. He lived among humble, hardworking people like you and me. And yet, He was the fulfillment of God’s greatest promise.

That same God is working in your life. He is guiding you. He is protecting you. He is calling you to follow Him. Like Joseph, you may not always see the full picture, but if you trust God, He will lead you where you need to go.

As we come to the Lord’s Table today, remember that Jesus is our righteousness. He fulfills everything we have failed to do. He washes away our sins and makes us whole. And He invites us to follow Him—not to the great cities of power, but into a life of humble obedience and deep faith.

Come to the Table.  Receive His grace.  And trust that wherever you are, no matter how small or ordinary it may seem, God is working in your life.

Abraham's Covenant | A Sermon on Genesis 12:1-3

Introduction
As I write this, we just "fell back" one hour on our clocks for daylight savings time.  Have you ever wondered why there are twelve numbers on a clock face?  Why not ten?  The reason goes back over 4,000 years to the Sumerian Empire.  The Sumerians counted to twelve on their fingers.  Yes, they had 10 fingers just like us, but they counted the knuckles on their fingers instead of the fingers themselves.  If you look at your hand, you will see the fingers (excluding the thumb) has three knuckles (or creases) on each finger.  If you use your thumb to point to and count each crease, you will count to twelve on each hand.  So, the based their number system on twelve instead of ten like us.  And

by their reckoning, there were twelve hours of daylight (one hand) and twelve ours of night (the other hand).  And that is why today, we still have the tradition of twelve hours of day and night adding up to 24 hours.  It is also the reason there are 60 seconds in a minute and 60 minutes in an hour (60 is divisible by 12).  And it is also the reason we have 12 months in a year.

The Sumerian empire was the cradle of civilization nestled between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.  It is near where the Biblical Garden of Eden is described to have been

located.  We have a lot for which to thank the Sumerians.  They invented the wheel, cities, writing, and the rule of law to govern civilization.  

The reason I mention all this is because a man three major world religions revere was from the ancient city of Ur in the Sumerian empire.  We call him Father Abraham, though he was called Abram before God changed his name to Abraham.

Genesis 12:1-3
¹ The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. ² I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. ³ I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”

God’s Rescue Plan
We are studying the five great covenants in the Bible that reveal God’s plan to rescue humanity from the brokenness of sin. Last week, we learned when Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden, they "fell" from grace.  They became spiritually broken (along with all humanity and all creation).  We used the analogy of a of a mountain climber who fell 100 feet in a climbing accident.  He is severely injured, but still alive.  His rescue and recovery will be long and arduous, recurring a life flight rescue, ICU treatment and a long stay in a hospital with multiple emergency surgeries.  Then, even if he survives all that, there will be a long healing process with lots of physical therapy before the injured climber can return to a normal life.  

Similarly, God's rescue plan for humanity is a long and difficult process that has taken thousands of years and many different steps, which we can corelate to the different covenants in the Bible.

Today, we look at God’s covenant with Abraham.  In a covenant, there are promises and there are responsibilities.  God’s promises to Abraham:  I will make you into a great nation.  I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others.  These are promises that are appealing to Abraham and that tells us some about Abraham's character: he wanted to be a blessing to others.  

Most people are self centered.  We would find God's promises to bless Abraham and make him a great nation appealing.  But not everyone would be as enticed by the promises to use us to be a blessing to others.  But Abraham did want to be a blessing to others and God made a covenant with him.

God’s ask for Abraham was: “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you.”  Now, the reason I started by telling you how great Sumeria was is because I wanted you to understand something about what God was asking Abraham to give up.  Leaving his relatives and his father's family would be difficult.  But Abraham would also be walking away from the greatest, most advanced civilization on earth at the time.  Abraham would be giving it all up for the unknown.  God didn't even tell Abraham where he was going.  He just said for a land He would show him.  

Let’s think about why God would ask Abraham to leave his home in the wealthy Sumerian empire and go to the unknown land of Canaan to receive His blessings. These reasons matter for our own journeys of faith, too.

1. It Requires Faith in God
Leaving behind the comforts, security, and success of Ur meant Abraham had to rely completely on God. This journey wasn’t easy; it was an act of trust and obedience. Abraham showed he was willing to put his faith in God above any human security.

Like Abraham, sometimes God asks us to leave behind our “comfort zones” and trust Him fully. Maybe that means stepping into a new role, forgiving someone, or starting a project we’re unsure of. Faith means trusting that God is with us, even when we don’t have all the answers. 

2. It Forms a New Identity
God wasn’t just calling Abraham to a new place; He was calling him to a new life and purpose as the father of a chosen people. Leaving Ur meant letting go of its influences and forming a new identity based on worshiping the one true God.

When we follow God, we’re called to live differently, letting go of influences that pull us away from Him. Our faith should shape our actions, relationships, and even our purpose. Who we are in Christ becomes our true identity, guiding us in every part of our lives.  This may be extremely important for us all to remember this week during the presidential election.  Let’s remember that our true identity isn’t found in a political party, a leader, or even our nation.  Our identity as Christian is in Christ alone. No matter the outcome, we belong to Him, and our hope rests securely in His unchanging love and purpose for us.

3. It Set Abraham Apart for a Divine Mission
Moving to Canaan separated Abraham from a society filled with idols and complex politics. In this simpler place, Abraham and his descendants could focus on their relationship with God, staying faithful to His covenant without the distractions of a worldy empire.

God calls us to be “set apart” too, living in a way that honors Him even when it’s different from the world around us. Staying true to God’s mission for us means choosing His ways over what culture might tell us to value. This means focusing more on love, humility, dependence on God, and service than status or success.

4. It Kept Abraham Humble
Canaan wasn’t powerful or prosperous like Ur. God brought Abraham to Canaan to keep him humble and grounded. God wanted Abraham to rely on Him, not on wealth or status, as He blessed and built Abraham’s family.

God sometimes places us in humbling situations so we can learn to rely on Him. It can be easy to think we’re strong on our own, but true blessing and growth come from depending on God’s strength, not our own. Humility reminds us to stay close to God, especially when He blesses us.

5. Israel as the Center of the World
The Promised Land, Canaan, what would eventually become Israel, sits at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe--where three continents come together. This location made it central to major empires for thousands of years. Moving Abraham here set the stage for God’s salvation plan for the whole world, as Abraham’s descendants would grow into a nation that shines God’s light to all.

Just as God placed Israel at a crossroads, He places each of us in unique places to influence those around us. Whether it’s at work, school, home, or church, God has a purpose for where we are right now, using us to reflect His love and truth to others.

Saints Among Us
I am who I am today because of so many people of faith who influenced me.  I originally thought I might share a touching story about someone who , because of their faith in God and gracious love, helped shape me.  But then I thought, who would a name.  There have been so many!  Would I tell of my mom or me grandma?  Or what about my karate instructor or a pastor or Sunday school teacher.  There were even people who didn't know me well, but who said an encouraging word that made all the difference.  And then, there have been so many anonymous people who have helped that I'm not even aware of.  If I tried to name them all, it would take too long and I would certainly leave someone out.  But the point is, I have been shaped by many saints in my life.  And you have too.  And we are called to be saints to others as well.  Like Abraham, God has blessed us to be a blessing to others.  But we have to have the faith to follow Jesus and god where God sends us.  Sometimes, we even have to have the faith to walk away from something we've known and trusted in order to trust God more and enter the Promised Land He has for us.

All Saints Celebration
As we close today, we have the privilege to remember and honor the saints who have gone before us.  In our tradition, “saints” refers to all persons who were saved by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ.  In other words, all Christians. 

Hebrews 12:1 says, “we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith…”  They are cheering us on as we run our race of faith.  And we recognize and honor them today.

Instructions:
First, we will read the names of two saints who passed away over the last year who were members of our church.  We will say their name and ring a bell as people stand in their memory.

Then, we will allow you to name any person who has passed that you would like to remember and honor as a saint.  We will ring the bell as you stand in their memory.

Finally, we will remember that all who repent of their sins and follow Jesus as Lord are saints.
But first, let us pray:

“Lord, we gather in gratitude today, remembering the saints who have walked before us and the faithful among us today. May their lives of faith inspire and strengthen us as we carry on the work You have given to each of us.”

Members:

Helen Gross
Feb 13, 1932  -  Feb 10, 2024

Lorene Smith
Mar 8, 1942 - Sept 24, 2024

Others:
At this time, we invite you to stand and name a person who has passed that you would like to remember and honor as a saint.  We will ring the bell as you stand in their memory.

All:
Today, I would also like to honor each of you, the living saints who carry the faith and hope of the gospel into our world. You are the church, God’s people, called and loved, bearing witness to His love and grace.  Therefore, please stand, all of you (if you are able).

“May the light of Christ guide you and may the faith of all saints inspire you. Live as the beloved community, serving, loving, and carrying the hope of Christ into a world that needs His light. Amen.”  

Warning! Do Not Judge! | A Sermon on James 4:11-12

Introduction
Today, we continue our series on the book of James.  Last week, we learned about choosing God's way over our own selfish desires.  Today, we'll look at James 4:11-12 and talk about the power of our words.  James says a lot in this short passage about how we speak to and about others.  Let's see what we can learn. 

James 4:11-12
¹¹ Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. ¹² There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?

Don’t Slander One Another (James 4:11)
James starts out by telling us not to slander one another.  Slander means speaking falsely or maliciously about someone, damaging their reputation.  When we talk badly about others, we hurt them and ourselves.  We are all part of God's family, and He calls us to love and support one another, not tear each other down.

Let me give you an illustration.  If you are on a baseball team, it's important for everyone on the team to support each other and work together to win.  But if someone is spreading rumors about their team mates, it creates division and distrust in the team and makes it much harder to work together and succeed.  Well, as Christians, who is on our team?  Everyone in our church is on our team.  We aren't competing against eachother, but against the powers of darkness among us.  So we should not slander and spread rumors because it creates distrust and makes it harder to work together and succeed in bringing God's Kingdom on earth.  

And if you think about it, there are other people on our team even outside our congregation.  Everyone in a Bible believing church is also trying to make disciples of Jesus and bring God's Kingdom on earth.  So, we are not competing against other churches in our community.  We all have the same goal.  If they succeed, we succeed.  If we succeed, they succeed.  So let us not bring division in God's universal church or spread rumors and slander.  Let us root for each other and pray for each other to all succeed.

And if we have a broader definition of success, we could include our whole community and our country as being on our team.  Don't we want our community and country to succeed?  Then let us not tear each other down, but build ach other up as much as it is in our power to do so.

What are some ways Christians may be guilty of slander?
Gossip – Sharing unverified or private information about someone else's personal life.  Talking behind their back about their mistakes or failures.

Spreading Rumors – Passing along information that may not be true or is exaggerated, which can harm someone's reputation.  Speculating about someone's actions or intentions without knowing the full story.

Criticizing Leadership – Speaking negatively about church leaders or decisions they make without understanding the full context or offering constructive feedback.  Undermining authority by questioning leaders' integrity or abilities.

Judging Appearances or Behavior – Making negative comments about someone's clothing, appearance, or lifestyle choices.  Criticizing how others raise their children, manage their finances, or conduct their marriages.

Undermining People’s Faith – Questioning the sincerity of someone's faith or relationship with God based on their actions or struggles.  Making disparaging remarks about someone's participation or lack thereof in church activities.

Complaining About Others – Expressing frustration about the behavior or habits of fellow church members in a way that is unkind or unfair.  Creating division by speaking negatively about different groups or cliques within the church.

James says, "Don't Slander!"

Judging Others (James 4:11-12)
James goes on to talk about judging others.  He says when we judge others, we put ourselves above God's law.  "The law" is the moral and ethical teachings given by God, particularly the command to love one another.  Remember, Jesus said the greatest commandment (law) is to love the Lord your God.  And the second is like it:  Love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39). 

 James 2:8 mentions this "royal law" found in Scripture: "Love your neighbor as yourself."  When we speak against or judge others, we are not acting in accordance with this law of love.  Rather, we act as though we are above than the law.  In essence, we are saying God's law of love does not apply to us, or that we know better than God.  We put ourselves in a position to judge the holy law of God itself, which is both presumptuous and wrong.

Judging vs. Discerning
Now, whenever I talk about not being judgmental, I need to remind us of the difference between judging and discerning (or between being judgmental and making good judgments). 

There’s a difference.  For example:  We are currently searching for a new children’s minister for our church.  We are taking applications and trying to choose the best candidate.  How can we hire the right person unless we interview and “judge” the candidates? 

The kind of judgment James speaks against is a condemning, self-righteous attitude that looks down on others and assumes a position of moral superiority.  This leads to thinking or speaking negatively about others, spreading rumors, and causes division.

This is not the same as discernment, which provides constructive guidance with love and humility.  When we interview people we exercise discernment and wisdom.  This includes evaluating a person's character, qualifications, and behavior.  But the goal is to find the right person for the job, not to tear anyone down.

But what is someone is not acting right?  What if their behavior is clearly wrong?  What then?

If we have someone in our church whose behavior is unacceptable, we go to them in love to hold them accountable to build them up and help them be more like Christ.  Jesus even gave instructions for addressing sin among believers in Matthew 18:15-7.  He taught us to:

• Go to the person privately and gently and respectfully point out their fault.
• If the person doesn't listen, take one or two others with you to help mediate and confirm the issue.
• If the person still refuses to listen, bring the matter before the church. The goal is always restoration and reconciliation (not proving you are right by tearing someone else down).

So there is a clear difference between being judgmental and making good judgments.

Humility is Key (James 4:12)
Remember, there is only one true Judge.  Our role is to love and serve one another with humility.  Humility is the key.  It reminds us we have our own faults and need God's grace too.  When we speak with humility, we build others up instead of tearing them down. 

How we speak to and about one another is important.  We are called not to slander or judge,
but to speak with love and humility. By doing this, we honor God and build a stronger, more united community. 

It’s Our Job to Build a Better Future
It breaks my heart to see so much division and slander being thrown around in society.  The ignorance, disrespect, and vitriol that characterizes our public discourse is troubling.  It is ungodly, unholy, and unhealthy.  What kind of world we are leaving for our children and grandchildren?

If it concerns you too, then I invite you to be part of the solution and not part of the problem.  Christians are called to be different than the world.  We are called to be salt and light—to be a positive influence on our broken world.  And we can, because we have the power of God’s Holy Spirit living inside us.

The way we make a difference is to live differently, to speak differently.  We are called to be holy as God is holy, to love as God loves, to act with humility and to treat people with dignity and respect.  The way to change the world is not to gripe about it, but to be the change we want to see.

Baptism of Joshua Kirk Ikerd
In just a moment, we are going to baptize baby Joshua, the son of Kelsey and Chad Ikerd.  Whenever we baptize our children, we promise to do all in our power to support their life of faith.  It occurs to me today this includes doing all we can to make the world they inherit a better one.  One of the chief ways we can do that right now is to act with humility and to treat people with dignity so the world becomes a more positive and loving place to live.  Will you do that?