Sunday, June 05, 2016

sermon, "Judgmentally Challenged", by Pastor Ruth Foss, Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church, June 5, 2016, Senior Recognition Sunday, Patten, ME





June 5, 2016
Stetson Memorial UMC
“Senior Recognition Sunday”
Sermon Series:
“Outsiders”
Psalm 146
Luke 7:36-8:3

“Judgmentally Challenged”

Pray for God’s words and not my own…

A reading from the Gospel of Luke, chapter 7, verses 36 thru chapter 8:3. Listen to the Word of God to you and me…the beloved of God.

I would like to tell you a story… a real one from my life…the story of the judgmentally challenged man…
Why does humanity insist on being so judgmentally challenged?

Who do we consider to be the “outsiders”? We have begun looking at who we consider to be “those people”…the ones we consider to be on the outside of our acceptance and how we can bring them to the “inside”. We talked about those who are on the outside because they feel unworthy to be part of the inside and also about how we deem others unworthy to be part of our inner circle. The fact of the matter is…we are all unworthy and we are only made worthy in and through the blood of Jesus. How about those on the outside who are out there …lonely and afraid? We know that if we are to follow Jesus we are to go and meet them where they are…wherever they are…and have compassion…console them…and invite them to “taste and see that the Lord is good” …to invite them to the inside where they can feel and know the love of Jesus…

Back to the question I asked at the end of my story…why is humanity…why are you and I judgmentally challenged? What would Jesus…how would Jesus act or say if He was standing right beside us…every day…every hour… standing next to you and me…knowing our very thoughts? We may not show our disability..so to speak…but on the inside it is running ramped…crippling us to the point that we can’t be that light bearer for Jesus in the world…that we can’t be His ambassador to those in need of a new country…I’ll explain that statement a little later in my sermon…

In the story I read from Luke’s Gospel, the Pharisee showed his disease symptoms. “This man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what of woman this is who is touching Him—she’s a sinner!” And yet this sinner…this tattooed…body pierced…mow hawked outsider showed more hospitality and love to Jesus than this “elite from society”. This woman washed His feet with her tears…let down her hair to wipe His feet…tell about women and their hair back then…broke out the anointing oil for Him. And Jesus told him all about himself. Praise you Jesus for You are the lover of the outsider… And listen to His “band of merry disciples”… The Twelve were with Him, 2 and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses: Mary, called Magdalene (seven demons had come out of her); 3 Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward; Susanna.

If we…you and I…call ourselves disciples…part of that merry band…why do we continue to accept this disease…being judgmentally challenged…and not seek a cure? We find ourselves judging others sins forgetting that we are all sinners…we are all unworthy…we all were on the outside at one time…that is before we came to the saving grace of the One who called a merry band of disciples like us to love…to love the outcast and sinner…to reach out to those who are different and on the margins of society…to love others as He loved us…and laid down His life for us so that we could be healed. This is how we are given a new name and a new country to live in…the same name and country we are to invite others to come and live in community with us.

Something to think about…some food for thought…I said I would explain later in my sermon about being an ambassador for Christ…well it’s later…

At one time…our citizenship was one that only brought sin and death. When we accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior our citizenship changed. Our home is no longer here on earth. Our home is in heaven…and since it is in heaven our true citizenship is in heaven…now we can’t have dual citizenship…here on earth we can but we are not of this world anymore and only in this world to share the love of Christ. Now when someone comes from another country to visit we sometimes call them “ambassadors” of their country…

Merriam Webster tells us that the definition of an ambassador is:
“The highest-ranking person who represents his or her own government while living in another country”…
So here is our food for thought…Our country…our home is now Heaven…we are accepted as sons and daughters of the King of kings which makes us princess and princesses… We are now ambassadors of the country we came from…we are the highest ranking…other than our Father the King…so we are representatives of Heaven our home. Ready for it…how can we be judgmentally challenged and be true representatives of our home country?
That deserves to be repeated… how can we be judgmentally challenged and be true representatives of our home country?

We are all unworthy but made worthy not through our own doing but what Christ did on the Cross. We were all the unlovely until Christ came into our lives and made us beautiful. We were all lonely on the outside until someone asked us to come in and feel the unfailing love of God. We are now ambassadors of our country who should have a new…uncluttered vision that can see the sacred worth of all that we survey…of all we come in contact with. You know I had a thought this morning. We look at times look at other and their tattoos and piercings and think of them as ugly… Jesus’ side was pierced for you and me…we are marked with the seal…the tattoo of the Holy Spirit…we were dirty and smelly in our sin and Jesus cleaned us up…we were all addicted but have chosen Jesus as our new drug. Maybe…just maybe if we put on the glasses of eternity…we would see a kaleidoscope of beauty even in the chaos of the world around us. Perhaps we too need to welcome others in…let our hair down…our traditions and judgments…and wash their feet…invite others to the living water…pour oil on their heads…the oil of gladness found in Jesus… and sit and just be with each other. What do you think?

Amen!

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June 5, 2016
Stetson Memorial UMC
“Senior Recognition Sunday”
Sermon Series:
“Outsiders”
Psalm 146
Luke 7:36-8:3
and sermon, “Judgmentally Challenged”
text

video

by Pastor Ruth Foss
sermon blog
meditation blog
“God’s Whisper” blog
Children’s Message from Mystery Box

by Pastor Ruth Foss
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
June 5, 2016
&
May 29, 2016
Stetson Memorial UMC
Sermon Series:
“Outsiders”
The Lonely
Luke 7:11-17
Psalm 96
and sermon, “You Are Never Alone”
text
video
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Children’s Message from Mystery Box
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
May 29, 2016
&
merged May 26, 2016
by the grace of God – v2
May 24, 2016
we are worthy
May 24, 2016
by the grace of God
edited May 24, 2016
Jesus was welcomed by the outsiders – v2
May 24, 2016
who is unworthy of God’s grace
May 23, 2016
who is unworthy of my grace
May 23, 2016
until we claimed Jesus
May 23, 2016
I am worthy
May 23, 2016
you are worthy
May 23, 2016
by grace we are on the inside
May 23, 2016
we are all unworthy
edited May 23, 2016
we are unworthy
May 23, 2016
he was unworthy
May 22, 2016
why are they kept on the outside
May 22, 2016
who are the outsiders
May 22, 2016
are they welcome
May 22, 2016
Jesus was welcomed by outsiders
May 22, 2016
silencing his voice
May 22, 2016
who is worthy
May 22, 2016
who are the outsiders
May 22, 2016
who do we find unworthy
May 22, 2016
Stetson Memorial UMC
Trinity Sunday
Psalm 8
Luke 7:1-10
and sermon, “Are You Worthy?”
text

video
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Children’s Message from Mystery Box
-          Smokey the Bear and one of Pastor Ruth’s business cards
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
May 22, 2016
&
May 22, 2016
cleave to God
John 16:14-15
devotion for May 21, 2016
read May 22, 2016
&
May 22, 2016
work to do - 3
John 16:12-13
devotion for May 20, 2016
read May 22, 2016
&
May 22, 2016
call me to hope
Romans 5:2b-5
"Trinity Sunday"
&
devotion for May 22, 2016
read May 22, 2016
"Align with God"
Rachel G. Hackenberg
Upper Room Disciplines for 2016
May 16, 2016 to May 22, 2016
&
May 22, 2016
we have hope in God
Romans 5:2b-5
Trinity Sunday
&
edited May 21, 2016
be one in the Spirit – v3
May 21, 2016
how are we different - 2
May 21, 2016
how is the world different
May 21, 2016
we feel the power
May 21, 2016
touching the earth
May 21, 2016
moving in us
May 21, 2016
the arc is bent
May 15, 2016
the ripples spread
Pentecost Sunday
Acts 2:1-21
devotion for May 15, 2016
read May 15, 2016
&
May 13, 2016
Each day is a blessing
Romans 8:14-17
devotion for May 13, 2016
read May 13, 2016
&
May 12, 2016
Come, Holy Spirit
John 14:25-27
devotion for May 12, 2016
read May 12, 2016
&
edited May 12, 2016
Peace in the struggles – v2
May 11, 2016
Peace in the struggles
John 14:8-17, 25-27
devotion for May 11, 2016
read May 11, 2016
&
 “Creation in All Directions”
by Brad Gabriel
for May 9, 2016 to May 15, 2016
The Upper Room Disciplines 2016
&
edited May 20, 2016
be one in the Spirit – v2
May 15, 2016
be one in the Spirit
Pentecost Sunday
May 15, 2016
proclaimed - 2
Pentecost Sunday
May 15, 2016
restart the fire
Pentecost Sunday
May 15, 2016
ignited
Pentecost Sunday
May 15, 2016
make me hot
Pentecost Sunday
May 15, 2016
an uncontrolled fire
Pentecost Sunday
May 15, 2016
set afire
Pentecost Sunday
May 15, 2016
that spark - 2
May 15, 2016
set me ablaze - 2
May 15, 2016
Stetson Memorial UMC
Pentecost Sunday
Sermon Series:
“When in doubt…read the instructions”
Be One in the Spirit
(What did Jesus instruct His disciples then and now…?)
Acts 2:1-21
1 Corinthians 12:1-13
Psalm 104:2-35
and sermon, “Keep the Candle Burning…”
text
video
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Children’s Message from Mystery Box
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
May 15, 2016

All of my poems, photographs, and videos are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com) for usage. See all 41,300+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

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