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!
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
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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