September 13, 2015
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Summer Sermon Series:
“Revive Us Again O Lord!”
Adapted from
“Revival” by Adam Hamilton
Theme: Works Of Mercy. . .
Ephesians 2:8-10
James 2:14-18
“Can I Help. . . ?”
James
2:14-18Common English Bible (CEB)
Showing
faith
14 My brothers and sisters,
what good is it if people say they have faith but do nothing to show it?
Claiming to have faith can’t save anyone, can it? 15 Imagine a brother or
sister who is naked and never has enough food to eat. 16 What if one of you
said, “Go in peace! Stay warm! Have a nice meal!”? What good is it if you don’t
actually give them what their body needs? 17 In the same way, faith is dead
when it doesn’t result in faithful activity.
18 Someone might claim, “You
have faith and I have action.” But how can I see your faith apart from your
actions? Instead, I’ll show you my faith by putting it into practice in
faithful action.
Prayer for God’s Word to be
heard through me. . .
“Put
your money where your mouth is. Talk is cheap. Put up or shut up. The proof is
in the pudding. They are “running of the mouth again.”” Have you ever heard any
of these phrases that are used when someone is just talking and talking but you
find it hard to believe what they are saying so you kind of challenge them to
prove what they are saying. . . How
about when Christians talk and talk? They
talk the talk but are they walking the walk? They are a talking but are their
feet a walking?
We
are almost at the end of our summer of “Camp Meetings”. We are asking God to
bring revival to our lives and to our communities. . . to the world. It has
been an interesting journey so far. OK. .
. you don’t have to raise your hand on these questions. . . This summer we have been trying to awaken
that which may have fallen asleep. How
many of you have felt that tugging of the Spirit? We have talked about some
of those feelings that weighed us down and how we need to bring them to the
cleansing water of God. How many have
felt a little more filled with the Spirit as you made room by getting rid of
some rocks that weighed you down? We have understood that we are saved by
grace alone. How many have given room of
God’s grace? We long for holiness for we want to be holy as God has called
us to be. How many really have felt that
more passion for God and His word as you have been intentional with our faith
and with Him?
We
want to do what God wants us to do but sometimes our motives get a little off
course, so to speak. How many of you know someone who talks the talks but
really doesn’t walk the walk? They talk about doing but never seem to do. It
can get that way with faith at times. There are times when people of faith talk
all about their faith but there is no works behind that faith. In the Epistle
of James that I read it talks about living our faith and not just having faith.
We may have faith but if there are no works behind it then our faith is as good
as dead.
OK.
. . here is where it may get confusing at times. We heard in the Ephesians
letter from Paul that we are saved by grace and not works and this is true. The
last part of the Ephesians 2 verses 8-10 states “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works,
which God prepared in advance for us to do.” What James is saying is that
we saved by grace found in our faith in Jesus Christ and if there is no works
our faith might as well be dead.
OK.
. . let’s see if I can explain this better. We are saved by grace through our
faith in Jesus Christ. We are so thankful to God for His grace in sending His
Son to die for us that we can’t help but want to do outward things to show our
inward change and gratefulness. We are so thankful that we want to show that
same grace that we have received to others who are in need of grace. This is
doing “Works of Mercy” as they are called. They are divided into two
categories: Spiritual and Corporal:
1.
The Corporal Works of Mercy are these kind
acts by which we help our neighbors with their material and physical needs.
feed
the hungry
shelter
the homeless
clothe
the naked
visit
the sick and imprisoned
bury
the dead
give
alms to the poor
2.
The Spiritual Works of Mercy are acts of
compassion, as listed below, by which we help our neighbors with their
emotional and spiritual needs.
instruct
advise
console
comfort
forgive
bear
wrongs patiently
We as Christ’s church need
to “revisit” some of these works. Some how we have forgotten what we are here
for. . .
We
long for revival in ourselves and in our church. But as I have always said. . .
it begins with you and with me. It is a heart thing. It is from within that we
begin this wondrous journey of grace.
Ray
and I along with the girls watched a movie called “Do You Believe” and it has
really made me stop and think not only about myself but have a burden for
others. It has got me thinking about a true revival. We can read all we want
and pray and do all kinds of works of mercy for others. But there is one
question that must be answered if we are to have a true revival. It is a
question that every follower of Christ needs to ask themselves. Do you . . . do I . . . do we . . . BELIEVE? Now I am not talking about some
superficial belief. . . I am talking about a deep down belief. . .
Speak from the Spirit. . . ( See video of Sermon for this part of what
was preached)
Amen.
. .
====
edited
September 19, 2015
Do
You Believe – 3 – v2
edited
September 19, 2015
Do
I believe – v2
September
18, 2015
Do
I believe
September
18, 2015
Do
You Believe - 3
September
13, 2015
Summer
Sermon Series:
“Revive Us
Again O Lord!”
Adapted
from Revival by Adam Hamilton
James
2:14-18
Ephesians
2:8-10
and sermon,
“Can I help you…?”
based in
part on watching the movie,
“Do You
Believe”
emphasis:
“Mercy of Grace”
text:
finale
of sermon video
(all
the prepared sermon had for this section was “Speak from the Spirit”)
video
of the whole sermon:
by
Pastor Ruth Foss
sermon blog
meditation blog
“God’s
Whisper” blog
Children’s
Message
“The
Holy Spirit is a Fire”
Mystery
Box item – book of matches
by
Pastor Ruth Foss
(end
of) Opening Video, Carrie Underwood and Vince Gill
singing
“How Great Thou Art”
Opening
Prayer
“Standing
in the Need Of Prayer”
“Rejoice
In the Lord Always” and “When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder”
“We
Will Glorify”
offertory
– “I Could Sing Of Your Love Forever”
Pastoral
Prayer and Lord’s Prayer after Concerns and Celebrations
closing
song: “Just A Closer Walk With Thee”
Departing
Blessing / Closing Prayer
song
after closing prayer: “Rejoice in the Lord Always”
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Patten, ME
September 13, 2015
&
September
6, 2015
Summer
Sermon Series:
“Revive Us
Again O Lord!”
Adapted
from Revival by Adam Hamilton
Ephesians
2:8-10 and
sermon, “God’s
Glorious Grace”
(“I Can’t
Do This Alone” – title in bulletin)
emphasis: “The
Necessity of Grace”
text:
video:
by
Pastor Ruth Foss
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Patten, ME
September 6, 2015
&
August
30, 2015
Summer
Sermon Series:
“Revive Us
Again O Lord!”
Adapted
from Revival by Adam Hamilton
Romans
4:3-5
Romans
5:1-2
Acts 8:1-3
Romans
1:16-17
Galatians
2:16, 19-21
and sermon,
“Uncertainty is a Killer”
emphasis:
“A Crisis of Faith”
video:
(partial only – 7:22 minutes)
text:
by
Pastor Ruth Foss
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Patten, ME
August 30, 2015
&
August
23, 2015
Summer
Sermon Series:
“Revive Us
Again O Lord!”
Adapted
from Revival by Adam Hamilton
1
Peter 1:13-16
Ezekiel
37:1-10
valley
of dry bones
and sermon,
“A Better Way”
emphasis:
“A Longing for Holiness”
video:
text:
by
Pastor Ruth Foss
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Patten, ME
August 23, 2015
&
August
16, 2015
Summer
Sermon Series:
“Revive Us
Again O Lord!”
Adapted
from Revival by Adam Hamilton
Revelations
2:1-2, 4-5
Galatians
5:22-23
(All
scripture from the NIV Bible)
and sermon,
“It all began with a … ”
emphasis:
“Precursors to revival”
video:
text:
by
Pastor Ruth Foss
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Patten, ME
August 16, 2015
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reserved. Contact me at Ray
Foss for usage. See all 39,600+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com
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