November 20, 2016
Stetson Memorial UMC
Christ the King
Sunday
Thanksgiving
Psalm 100
Jeremiah 23:1-6
Luke 1:68-79
“A Thanks-Giving”
A prayer of illumination so that God will
speak through me or in-spite of me. . .
I would ask that you would stand as you are
able for the reading of the Gospel according to Luke. We will be reading Luke 1
verses 68-79. Listen to the word of God for His people. . . you and I. . . (Read
the gospel from the NIV Bible
translation)
What
are you thankful for? This is a question that we usually ask this time of year
as we celebrate the holiday of Thanksgiving. So. . . what are you thankful for?
(Give people a chance to answer) It’s
seems as the business world. . . the secular world. . . kind of just jumps
right over this holiday and right into the next one. . . Well the next one is the one that they make
most of their money. . . Christmas. I don’t know about you but it kind of bugs
me that they jump right into Christmas even before Halloween. . . I think they
should be celebrating Thanksgiving because they should give thanks for our
giving. . .
What
are we thankful for? I love the fact that today is Christ the King Sunday in
the Church calendar and the next Sunday is the beginning of Advent.
Thanksgiving is sandwiched right in the middle. We truly have much to be
thankful for. We truly can thank God for giving. . . .
In
ancient times, the people were looking for a messiah. Merriam Webster tells us
that a messiah is:
a person who is expected
to save people from a very bad situation
Many
saw the king as the messiah, They wanted their king to save them from the
tyranny of their oppressor. They wanted to be set free from the enemy. But God
knew what they really needed to be set free. The people were looking for a
small “m” messiah but God knew they needed the big “M” type of a messiah. . .
the Messiah Judaism : a
king who will be sent by God to save the Jews
Christianity : Jesus
Christ
From
the Luke passage this morning we can see some of the attributes of God’s
Messiah
1. salvation
for us, salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us—
2. to
show mercy, to enable us to serve him without fear in holiness and
righteousness before him all our days.
3. to
shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet
into the path of peace.”
Christ
truly is the King. . . the Messiah. . . of world.
What
are we thankful for? As I read the Psalm that was chosen for this morning I
could not help but feel thankful. I had many images came to mind. Images of God
opening the gate for us through which we can enter in. . . that gate being our
Risen Lord Jesus Christ. . . for He is the gate of the Lord through which all
must enter in to be saved. The image of being a sheep and having God watch over
me, ever so lovingly, as I grazed in the grass of His Word, resting by the
Living water He offers us. This is just a couple of images that came to mind. There
are many images in this scripture and I challenge you to read these words and
contemplate the season that we will be entering next Sunday. . . the season of
Advent.
We
have so much to be thankful for. We can be thankful to God for all that He has
done. . . is doing. . . and will do in the future in our lives. We can be
thankful to the saints that have gone before us who have showed us the way to
live. We can be thankful of their gift of faith that they shared in a world
full of chaos and hopelessness. And we can show our thankfulness by taking
their example in life and live it out in our own.
The
prophet Jeremiah had much to say. . . many people didn’t like what he said but
there are those times when people need to hear the truth. . . There is one truth that I rely on. . . it is
about God and His Messiah. . . His Savior of the with world (all beginning a capital letter).Jeremiah
23:1-6 states:
The Righteous Branch
23 “Woe to the shepherds
who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!” declares the LORD.
2 Therefore this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says to the shepherds who
tend my people: “Because you have scattered my flock and driven them away and
have not bestowed care on them, I will bestow punishment on you for the evil
you have done,” declares the LORD. 3 “I myself will gather the remnant of my
flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will bring them
back to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and increase in number.4 I
will place shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be
afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing,” declares the LORD.
5 “The days are coming,”
declares the LORD,
“when I will raise up for David[a] a
righteous Branch,
a King who will reign
wisely
and do what is just and right in the land.
6 In his days Judah will
be saved
and Israel will live in safety.
This is the name by which
he will be called:
The LORD Our Righteous Savior.
And
His Name shall be called “The Lord Our Righteous Savior”. It is in and through
God’s Savior. . . not mankind’s savior/messiah. . . that we are saved and made
righteous. . . not by our filthy rags we try to be righteous with but His
Righteousness.
We
have a lot to be thankful for. What are
you thankful for? Let us put God at the head of our “Thanks Giving” table
as we give thanks for His goodness and mercy found in and through our Risen
Lord, the Savoir of the world, Jesus Christ. We truly have much to be thankful
for. Why are you thankful for are you
more thankful for the “giving” or the “receiving” of this Holiday of thanks. .
.
Amen.
--------------------------
Thanksgiving
Day
edited
November 24, 2016
for this we
are thankful – v2
Thanksgiving
Day
November 24,
2016
we thank God
for the gifts
Thanksgiving
Day
November 24,
2016
we need the
truth
edited
November 24, 2016
Christ is the
King – 2 – v2
November 24,
2016
Christ is the
King - 2
November 24,
2016
He is our
Messiah
November 24,
2016
for your gifts
we are thankful
Thanksgiving
Day
November 24,
2016
for this we
are thankful
Thanksgiving
Day
November 24,
2016
He is the gate
– 2
Thanksgiving
Day
November 23,
2016
we are saved
November 23,
2016
Christ is our
King
edited
November 23, 2016
Christ is the
gate
November 23,
2016
God opened the
gate
November 23,
2016
thankful to
the saints
November 23,
2016
I am thankful
for eyes
edited
November 22, 2016
I am thankful
for life, for breath – v2
November 21,
2016
I am thankful
for life, for breath
November 21,
2016
for what are
we thankful
November 21,
2016
we are glad
for this season
November 21,
2016
we give thanks
for Jesus Christ
November 21,
2016
we give thanks
to God
November 20,
2016
Thanksgiving
Christ the
King Sunday
Psalm 100
Jeremiah
23:1-6
Luke 1:68-79
and sermon “A
Thanks-Giving ”
text
video
by Pastor Ruth
Foss
sermon blog
meditation blog
and Children’s Message – an acorn squash in the Mystery Box
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Patten, ME
November 20, 2016
Christ the King Sunday
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Thanksgiving, Christ the King Sunday, Psalm 100, Jeremiah 23, Luke 1, King,
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