Feb 05

Hope for the Authentic


Matthew 7:13-29

This is the last sermon from the Sermon on the Mount in our series.  In the end of his Sermon, Jesus is talking about genuine and false, authentic and fake, truth and lies, success and ruin.  In the picture of the Judgement, Jesus talks to some people that thought their words were all that were needed.  Words alone do not make for authentic living. 
Are our words out of sync with our actions?  Someone caught up in an addiction may say they love their family, they want to do better, they are so sorry and will never do it again; yet return to their addictive substance.  Words alone do not make us righteous.  In the end, the King of the Kingdom will not be fooled by words alone, he is able to discern the authenticity of our hearts, our self-portrayal to others.

The fact is, our words need to reflect what is actually taking place in our inner lives and unless the words are translated into concrete actions, they are meaningless.  We may be those that call for justice for the oppressed but are we kind to them.  We may do impressive deeds, signs and wonders, but are we manifesting the heart of our Heavenly Father that is redeeming humankind through the sacrifice of his son?  Are we truly doing the will of the one we call Father in Heaven?

Pastor Greg

My regular office hours are Tuesday and Thursday from 10 to 2,
and I am glad to schedule appointments other times also.

Jan 26

Hope for the Worriers

Matthew 6:24-34

This Sunday our text is a very challenging one for us.  As we read Jesus’ discussion of “do not worry,” we will be thinking about what disturbs our serenity and peace of mind.  “What shall I eat?” or “What will I wear?” or “What will happen tomorrow?” are the questions that are keeping us awake at night, that keep us from enjoying today, and keep us from seeing God’s provision for our life.

In the verses earlier Jesus told us to pray, “Give us today the bread we need.”  That is obviously a reminder of God providing manna in the wilderness.  As God provided manna, the Israelites has to trust the daily provision.  Those that hoarded it as they feared for tomorrow, experienced worms and stench in their tents.  Those that did not observe the Lord’s commands to respect the Sabbath, went without and were hungry.  Our daily bread comes from God, and as we understand God’s character and desire to care for us, we are able to live day-by-day not burdened by worry.

Jesus closes the section by telling us that each day is its own challenge.  That is where our energies need to go as we face this day.  Today when God’s manna is to be collected for this day.  The sixth day, when we have to collect extra for the Sabbath has its own challenges.  Then we live the Sabbath, where the provision of God is being supplied by the extra effort of yesterday.  But each day is a day for us to know the God of provision, the God that cares for each of his children each day and understands the trials that each of us face. 

Pastor Greg

Jan 20

The Unexpected?

Matthew 5:1-12

This Sunday begins a three-sermon series on the Sermon on the Mount.  This sermon of Jesus has been described as the outline for his kingdom, the Kingdom of Heaven.  The sermon begins with 9 Blessed, or Beatitudes.  Being blessed is not being happy.  Being blessed is dwelling in a place of God’s acceptance and favor.

Who is in the place of God’s acceptance and favor?  The poor in spirit, those who mourn, and those who are meek.  None of these would make the top ten list of desired places to be.  But these are the kind of people that God has designed his kingdom for. These are people who have been rejected by human society, those that are considered unclean and unfortunate, but they are the ones that God favors.

Be with us Sunday as I consider the cream of the crop in the kingdom of heaven

Pastor Greg

Jan 13

Confronting the Evil that comes to Us…

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King once said, “The person who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as the one who helps perpetuate it.  The person who accepts evil without protesting against it, is really cooperating with it.” 

Recently, I have been reading about human psychology, especially mass psychology.  The question was asked, “If you were in Germany in the 1930’s, would you have been a part of the Nazis?”  Most of us shirk that thought, but we need to remember these were good people caught up in a bad ideology.  Nazism was billed as the wave of the future, and the way of the enlightened.  The first steps of Nazi domination were small and billed as care for the mentally ill, or health concerns in the nation.  Soon the asylums were emptied as the patients were euthanized, and the Jews were required to wear yellow stars. 

Where would you have drawn the line?  Most people want to “go along to get along,” yet some going along really is getting on the slippery slope with no way to stop.

My earliest community memories included the last vestiges of Jim Crow South.  Many good people stood by as some black people were unfairly treated, cheated, and even physically injured because they just wanted to get along.  They may have even convinced themselves that that person deserved this treatment because they were black. 

The quote by Dr. King above is an indictment of those of us that find almost any excuse for not to raise our voice against evil.  Dr. King did view the world as containing good and evil.  He decried the evil of segregation and mechanisms that kept so many in poverty.  The evil had to be confronted, and only by showing the evil in the light of truth was the evil vanquished.

In our text this week, Jesus confronted the evil one by exposing his lies and deception to the truth of God’s Word.  So on this MLK Day weekend, how are we fortifying ourselves with truth to expose the evil that wants to dominate all around us?

Pastor Greg

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Twinsburg First Congregational Church