September 22, 2013
Stetson Memorial United Methodist
Church
“Cruising
Sacred Waters with Jesus”
Sermon
10 of Summer Series
Worship
Theme: Ambassadorship
2
Corinthians 5:17-20 NLT
Matthew
5:13-16 MSG
“Jesus
Freak”
Good Morning. . . I have just begun working with the kids in
Kids Life and they just amaze me. I get the fun of giving them a bible message
each week and they really are on the ball. Have you ever noticed how kids now a
day seem so smart? I mean I love to talk with them and ask them questions. . . ask
them what THEIR opinion is on things. They have such a simple way about them
and the answers. . . the solutions I hear. . . really would work if we adults would just take
their advice. In talking with these kids I think I finally get it. If we just
trust in God and do all that He asks. . . If we would follow Jesus no matter
what. . . the world would be a better place. . . be on fire with Jesus. . . do
what Jesus did for and to others. . . be a mirror image of Christ to the world.
It’s just that simple. Just be a “freak for Jesus”.
This summer we are on a cruise together on
the SS Stetson Memorial. We are “Cruising
Sacred Waters with Jesus”. Last week we stopped at the port called “Sonship”
and talked about how humanity has been invited to be adopted into the family of
God. . . we talked about how Jesus signed the adoption process with His blood
on the cross. So now we that we have been adopted what are we supposed to do?
That is what this week’s port is all about. Welcome to the port of
Ambassadorship. This port tells us that we are to become Ambassadors for and of
Christ.
So. . . what is the purpose of an ambassador?
I really never understood what an ambassador is so of course I looked up the
definition. What I read really gave me food for thought. The word has two
definitions:
1®a
diplomatic agent of the highest rank accredited to a foreign government or
sovereign as the resident representative of his or her own government or
sovereign or appointed for a special and often temporary diplomatic assignment
2®
an authorized representative or messenger
The reading from 2 Corinthians this morning
tells us that this is what we become as we accept Christ in our lives. We are
not of this world. . . our home country is heaven. We have the diplomatic
assignment to share the good news of Christ and to help others find their way
back to their home country. We are the messengers of Christ authorized by His
seal. . . the blood of the Cross.
We may not be called as ambassadors by this
world’s standard but we are not of this world. Our true world, our true
citizenship is in heaven. We live by the rules of our host country. . . the
rules of God and how we are to live with each other. We live so that God is
honored through our lives so that others may see the goodness of our “home
country” and want to become representatives of our country as well.
So. . . how do we go about being an
Ambassador? There is a piece of scripture found in Matthew that tells us how we
go about the call in our lives. It is found in chapter 5 verses 13-16. Let me
read it and you tell me if it helps you discover how to be an Ambassador for
Christ. . . I am reading from the MSG
this morning. . . ”Salt and Light”
13
“Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings
out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people
taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.
14-16
“Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the
God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public
with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you
don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a
light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine!
Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll
prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.
When we accept the position of being and
Ambassador for and of Christ, we become light bearers in and to the world. We
need to be Jesus freaks that stand out in the world because we shine bright
with the glow of Christ in our lives. We need to stand out with that special
flavor of Christ. . . we have a different essence about us that draws people to
the aroma. . . the fragrance of Christ. As we shine. . . as we show the colors
of God. . . we may be seen as a Jesus freak. . . but is that really a bad thing.
. . to show the joy of our salvation to the world?
When we become friends of Jesus, when we
begin to be that Jesus freak. . . our whole life changes. No longer do we think
the same as we did before. . . no longer do we act in ways that we did before
we became new. We become a new creation and have a new “job description” in our
lives. We need to be Jesus freaks in the
world. We need to be that ambassador. . . that representative for the
kingdom of God. If we don’t, how will there be a great light in the world? How
can people come out of darkness into the great light of our God and King?
We have an important call. . . it is even
more important than an earthly ambassador. We are ambassadors of the eternal
not the temporal. In being so we need to let our light shine and give the
flavor of God to the world. It’s not easy in a world that has become used the
flavorless way that has been prepared for it but we need to get into the
kitchen and start sharing the spice of life, our Risen Lord, Jesus Christ in
ways that the world has never tasted. We
need to be contagious Jesus Freaks...we need to spread our joy and our story
and infect the world with the love of Jesus.
How will you use your spiciness to change
your world? How will you use the flavor of God to cook up a new thing for the
kingdom of God? How will you let your life shine before the world. . . to be
that city on a hill?
We need to become that “Iron Chef” for the
world we live in and the world to come. We need to shine like a beacon in the
dark showing other the way to safety. We need to be Super-Freaks for Jesus and
not care what the temporal world thinks. . . we don’t belong to that world but
to a world that is bright with the colors of God’s grace and love. . . an
eternal world with our God and creator. Are
you ready to be different? Are you
ready to get your “freak on” for Christ?
Amen
September
22, 2013
Worship
Theme: “Ambassadorship”
Matthew
5:13-16 (The Message)
2
Corinthians 5:17-20 (New Living Translation)
by
Pastor Ruth Foss
and
sermon “Jesus Freak”
by
Pastor Ruth Foss
sermon blog
meditation blog
Sermon 10 of Summer Series
“Cruising Sacred Waters with Jesus”
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Patten, ME
September 22, 2013
&
Worship
Theme: “Sonship”
Galatians
4:1-8 (God’s Word Translation)
“You Are God’s Children”
Romans
8:15-17 (New Living Translation)
Romans
8:1-17
“Life in the Spirit”
Worship
Songs,
particularly:
-
“Friend of God”
-
“Blessed Assurance”
Opening
Prayer
Offering
song – “White as Snow”
pastoral
prayer
children’s
message
“God loves you no matter what,
God gushes over you,
God forgives you,
and there is nothing you can do about it.”
by
Pastor Ruth Foss
and
sermon “Adoption at the Cross”
by
Pastor Ruth Foss
Sermon 9 of Summer Series
“Cruising Sacred Waters with Jesus”
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Patten, ME
September 15, 2013
&
Worship
Theme: “Discipleship”
Mark
8:34-38 (The Message)
Philippians
3:12-14 (The Message)
1
Corinthians 13:1-13
pastoral
prayer
children’s
message
“Jesus
says” (not “Simon says”)
by
Pastor Ruth Foss
Communion
and
sermon “Game Time. . . ”
by
Pastor Ruth Foss
Sermon 8 of Summer Series
“Cruising Sacred Waters with Jesus”
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Patten, ME
September 8, 2013
&
Worship
Theme: “Fellowship”
John
15:11-17 (The Message)
1
John 4:7-12 (The Message)
“God
is Love”
Ecclesiastes
4:9-11
children’s
message
Love
them anyway
by
Pastor Ruth Foss
Communion
and
sermon “The Love Zone. . . ”
by
Pastor Ruth Foss
Sermon 7 of Summer Series
“Cruising Sacred Waters with Jesus”
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Patten, ME
September 1, 2013
&
Worship
Theme: “Worship”
Luke
4:5-8 (The Message)
(extract of Luke 4:1-13)
Matthew
22:34-37 (New Living Translation)
(extract of 22:34-40)
John
4:19-24 (The Message)
(extract of John 4:1-42)
children’s
message
how
to make good decisions
by
Pastor Ruth Foss
and
sermon “Worship. . . It Does A Body
Good”
by
Pastor Ruth Foss
Sermon 6 of Summer Series
“Cruising Sacred Waters with Jesus”
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Patten, ME
August 25, 2013
&
Worship
Theme: “Do We Make Room for God . . .?”
Ephesians
2:11-22 (CEB)
“The
reconciliation of God’s people” (CEB)
“One
in Christ” (NIV)
2
Samuel 7:1-7 (NLT)
Mark
6:30-44, 53-56 (CEB)
“Jesus
feeds five thousand people” (CEB)
“Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand” (NIV)
children’s
message
by
Pastor Ruth Foss
and
sermon “Make Room for Yahweh”
by
Pastor Ruth Foss
Sermon 5 of Summer Series
“Cruising Sacred Waters with Jesus”
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Patten, ME
August 18, 2013
&
Prayer
Vigil at the Park
after
worship service
7/28/2013
&
Theme:
“Do We Worship Only on Sunday?”
Worship
song – “I Sing Praises”
Ephesians
1:3-14 (Gods Word Translation)
Ephesians
1:3-14 (The Message)
Acts
2:38-47 (New Revised Standard Version)
children’s
message
sharing
our joy
by
Pastor Ruth Foss
and
sermon “Live Your Worship Out Loud!”
“Shout
It From the Mountaintops”
by
Pastor Ruth Foss
Sermon 4 of Summer Series
“Cruising Sacred Waters with Jesus”
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Patten, ME
July 28, 2013
&
Theme:
“Can we see the big picture”
“Big
Picture Followers”
1
Corinthians 13:9-12 (GOD’S WORD translation)
Mark
6:1-6 (The Message)
“Just
a Carpenter”
Mark
6:1-6 (NRSV)
“Jesus
Rejected in Nazareth”
children’s
message
sometimes
our vision is foggy
by
Pastor Ruth Foss
and
sermon “Seeing More Clearly. . . ”
by
Pastor Ruth Foss
Sermon 3 of Summer Series
“Cruising Sacred Waters with Jesus”
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Patten, ME
July 21, 2013
&
Luke
7:36-47 (The Message)
Mark
5:21-34 (GOD’S WORD Translation)
Matthew
13:44-46
children’s
message
We
are precious to God
by
Pastor Ruth Foss
and
sermon “How much does Jesus really matter?”
by
Pastor Ruth Foss
Sermon 2 of Summer Series
“Cruising Sacred Waters with Jesus”
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Patten, ME
July 14, 2013
&
Mark
4:35-41 (The Message)
Luke
4:16-21 (Common English Bible)
Matthew
14:22-33
children’s
message
We
are not alone
by
Pastor Ruth Foss
and
sermon “Who Is this Captain”
by
Pastor Ruth Foss
Sermon 1 of Summer Series
“Cruising Sacred Waters with Jesus”
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Patten, ME
July 7, 2013
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at Ray Foss
for usage. See all 25,630+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com
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