Seek FIRST His Kingdom

Matthew 6:33

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

What do you do – first thing in the morning – at home? Most of us have some routine in the morning. Some items might be brushing our teeth – taking our vitamins – taking a shower/bath – dressing for the day – combing our hair – putting on our face (for the women) – eating our first meal of the day.

What do you do – first thing in the morning – at work? Most of us have some routine when we get to work. Checking overnight communications – email – text – calls/messages – preparing for meetings – preparing for customers – getting the stock in order – cleaning the workplace from any mess left by the previous shift. In my part-time job – I set up the coffee station (even though I am not a coffee drinker) – setting and printing the tee-sheet for the day – printing scorecards for games that day – printing the tee-sheet with bag storage – counting the cash drawer – checking the bathrooms (men’s and women’s) – prepare some pop corn for the members – and if time allows – helping to set up carts for the morning (I work in the pro-shop at The Golf Club at South River.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

1 John 3:18

Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

As a man that has been married for nearly 44 years – one thing I have learned (among many things) – actions speak louder than words. You can tell your partner you love them – but if you don’t act out that love – they will know you are merely using words with little meaning. Words can be cheap – but actions – they speak volumes.

Jesus was asked for the greatest commandment – and He responded with the following – Mark 12:30–31 – ³⁰ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’  ³¹ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  There is no commandment greater than these.” Love – if it is real – will cause our actions to follow. Notice that Jesus didn’t say – say you love Me – but rather – love Me with all that you have and all that you are! Love God will your everything. He followed it up with – Love others as you love yourself!

I Have Fought the Good Fight

2 Timothy 4:7

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

One of the things I do as a pastor – is to encourage the Saints of Christ in their final days. I have done more funerals than I’d like to count – losing some dear friends along the way. Along with being blessed and called upon to help folks in their last days or hours – I’m also called to encourage and guide the rest of us. We do not know when those last days and hours will come for us. We need to be ready – for it could come at any time.

I came to believe in Jesus Christ as a 12 year old. Oh – I was raised in a Christian home and would have told you – before 12 – that I was a Christian – but my faith was based upon my parent’s faith and my upbringing in the church. It wasn’t until a revival – the summer when I was 12 years old (57 years ago) – that my faith became personal and mine. I went to the altar and accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I asked the evangelist to pray over me after the service – because I felt a tug on my heart to do so.

Lent Begins Tomorrow – 2/14/24

Matthew 26:35

Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same.

Lent is coming soon. It begins on tomorrow – Wednesday – February 14^th – Ash Wednesday. During Lent this year – we will do a 40 day fast. What have you decided to fast from this year? Lent – according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary is defined as – a period of 40 days before Easter during which many Christians do not eat certain foods or do certain pleasurable activities as a way of remembering the suffering of Jesus Christ.

Today’s passage is about Peter and the disciples saying they would not deny Christ – that they would actually die with Jesus if need be. Here is today’s passage in partial context. Matthew 26:30-39 – ³⁰ And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. ³¹ Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ ³² But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” ³³ Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” ³⁴ Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” ³⁵ Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same. ³⁶ Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” ³⁷ And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. ³⁸ Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” ³⁹ And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”

Methodists – Once Part of a Holiness Movement

Matthew 28:18–20

¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Today’s presenting scripture has been called the Great Commission. It is often seen as the marching orders for the Christian Church. It was a major part of an evangelistic sermon series that I once preached.

We are called to go and make disciples of or for Jesus Christ (whichever makes the most sense to you – lol). In the early years of the Methodist movement – making disciples – followers of Christ – seemed to be the main focus. Revivals and Camp Meetings were all the rage and altar calls were common place in Methodist worship – as pastors challenged parishioners to be transformed after the likeness of Christ. I typically have an altar call each week to challenge those in attendance to faith – or to a deeper faith – or simply to pray about something that has been a challenge for them. Even online – we challenge people at the end of our services.

Early Methodists were called to holiness – they were part of the holiness movement in the United States. We were taught to study the Word of God (the Bible) and to strive to live our lives after what it taught. We were even encouraged to avoid some of the ills of our society. The way it was explained to me (as a third generation Methodist pastor) – Methodists were encouraged to abstain from alcohol – from playing cards – from dancing – even from playing pool. The reason – again as it was explained to me – was because these social activities were often associated with bars and night clubs – with gambling and behavior and places that were not appropriate for folks striving to follow after Christ – striving to be holy. We were encouraged to avoid even the appearance of evil or sin (we actually called behavior contrary to God’s will sin in those days). We were encouraged to keep Sunday set aside for the Lord. In my home growing up – Sunday was a day for worship and Sunday School in the morning – a family lunch – a nap time – youth group – and worship in the evening. Sunday was a day set aside for being with God and with other Christians.