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<div style="font-family:arial,helvetica;font-size:10pt;color:black">-----Original Message-----<br>
From: Judy <judy_boli@ecunet.org><br>
To: Propertalk <propertalk.topic@ecunet.org><br>
Sent: Sat, Nov 25, 2017 6:03 pm<br>
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Christ, the King Sunday: “Don’t Call Him ‘Savior’ if You Won’t Call Him ‘Lord’”<br>
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<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">Dear Friends,</font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">This Sunday’s sermon is entitled “Don’t Call Him
‘Savior’ if You Won’t Call Him ‘Lord’” and “Helping Jesus” and deals with the gospel
(Matthew 31:14-46).<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Here it is: </font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman">This is the last Sunday of
the church year- next Sunday starts Advent; we’ll start getting ready for
ChristMass; and I’ll be wishing you a blessed New Year.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Thus you see, it is very appropriate on this
last Sunday of the church year that we celebrate Jesus as Lord, so happy “Christ
the King Sunday!”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We’ve done a lot of
talking about Jesus being the Lord of our lives- how being saved means being
baptized and accepting Jesus as Savior and Lord.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>As you recall from last Sunday, we are all
born amazingly gifted.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Today we focus on
how Christ, our Lord, our King, wants us to use these gifts so they are
therefore “spiritual gifts.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></font></font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">I know you noticed this
Gospel.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The story Jesus tells is so very
compelling- it would be hard not to notice it.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Here is Christ, after we die, separating the sheep from the goats.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He sends the ones on his left for further
painful refinement, because in neglecting those less fortunate than themselves,
they neglected Christ himself.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The ones
on the right are given great rewards in heaven, because in helping the less
fortunate, without knowing it, they were helping Christ.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Every time I hear this parable read, I think-
“Now- how have I done this past year?<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Has Jesus truly been Lord of my life?<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Have I consistently used my gifts as spiritual gifts- to reach out to
others?”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This morning, I’m not going to
just think through this myself; we’ll do it together.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I’d like us to prayerfully consider four implications
of Jesus’ expectations for our own lives.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Specifically, I’d like us to consider (1) whom God expects us to help;
(2) to what extent God expects to go in helping; (3) how we relate stewardship
to our helping ministries; and finally- (4) what if we fail.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>So- we already know that God expects us to
help the less fortunate, because by helping them, we are helping Jesus
himself.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Are there supposed to be any
limits?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>If so, what are they?</font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">FIRST: WHOM DOES GOD EXPECT
US TO HELP?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Jesus’ parable of the Good
Seminarian answers this very clearly.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Remember,
Jesus told the story to answer the question of “Who is my neighbor?”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>His answer: “Your neighbor is anyone who
needs you.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He even goes so far as to
have an enemy helping another enemy, because Jews hated Samaritans and
Samaritans hated Jews.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>In our time it
would be as if a Palestinian helped a Jew or an African-American helped a
member of the Klan.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It would be as if
the person who stole your boyfriend, girlfriend, wife, or husband needed
help.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It’s mind-blowing!<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Jesus expects a lot from us, because there
are no limits to whom we are supposed to help.</font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">SECOND: TO WHAT EXTENT DOES
GOD EXPECT US TO GO IN HELPING SOMEONE?<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>There is no limit- if we can do it and it needs to be done; God expects
us to do it!<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>What is my Biblical
base?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The foot-washing.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>When Jesus was about to be offered up for our
sins on the cross and his disciples still didn’t get it, he washed their
feet.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>That would be a nasty-enough job
today, but in those days remember- people walked through animal waste as they
traveled the roads.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>If the Lord who
created the heavens, the earth, everything that exists (including us) would do
that disgusting a job, tell me what you are too good to do; tell me what I am
too good to do.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Just as our neighbor is
anyone who needs us, so what we are expected to do is whatever needs to be
done.</font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">THIRD: HOW DOES STEWARDSHIP
RELATE TO ALL THIS HELPING?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>God’s
resources are unlimited, but ours are not.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>I can’t speak for you- I can just speak for myself, but my time is
limited.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>(I only have 24 hours in a
day.)<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>My energy is limited.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>My wallet is limited.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Our church is limited.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We only have so much money, so much food, and
so it goes.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>You get the idea.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Everything we have- our money, our food, our
very lives really are on loan from God.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>We’re simply taking care of them for him (like in last week’s
gospel).<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Let’s use our St. Paul’s
feeding ministry as an example.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>God
created us to be thinking people.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>When
someone comes to us for food, we make a quick decision- in our opinion, does
this person really need a lot of help?<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Why is it necessary to ask such a question?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Because if we give the first person (who
maybe isn’t needy at all) most of our food simply because they ask, what do we
give the huge family with hungry children when they come?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>As you know, it’s called “prioritizing.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We have to do it at church and we have to do
it in our own personal lives.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We can’t
give all our money to the person ringing the Salvation Army bell and then go
inside and buy the food our families need for the week.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>So, how do we prioritize?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>First- pray, and pray seriously.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Then- make a decision.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>If (in your opinion) the person asking for
help really doesn’t need it, either simply help them a little or don’t help
them at all.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The problem comes when
we’ve thought, we’ve prayed, and we still don’t know.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>That’s when we use Jesus’ parable of the
wheat and the weeds as our guide.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Remember how an enemy planted poisonous weed seeds in the farmer’s wheat
field?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Remember how the farmer’s
servants asked if they should pull them up, but the farmer said to just let
them all grow together until harvest time.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>That’s what we do.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>If in doubt-
we feed.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>If in doubt- help; then give it
to God.</font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">FINALLY: WHAT IF WE
FAIL?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>These are hard teachings- not hard
to understand, but extremely hard to consistently apply in our lives.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>What if we fail?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I’m going to answer that question with a
story I heard many years ago; in fact one I use at least once a year.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It’s the story of the time that the Rev. Tony
Campolo was catching a single-engine private plane from a small landing strip
leaving Haiti returning to the United States.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>As he walked toward the airplane, a woman carrying a very sick infant
ran toward him, shouting.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The baby was
so very malnourished; it looked like all those pitiful little children we see
on television with their pot bellies and orange hair- too sick to even
cry.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>When she got to Rev. Campolo, she
begged him to take her baby back to the United States where he could have
adequate food, good medical care, and a chance for life.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>“Take my baby!”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>she pleaded. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>“Please take my baby!”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Tony tried to explain to her why this
wouldn’t work, but she only kept pleading, “Take my baby; please take my
baby!”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Rev.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Campolo said he couldn’t stand it any
longer.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He rushed to the door of the
plane; boarded; and told the pilot to quickly close the door so they could get
out of there.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The pilot slammed the
door; the plane taxied down the runway; and for an instant the woman ran next
to the fuselage- banging on it and shouting, “Take my baby; please mister, take
my baby.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Finally the plane was
airborne, and both Tony and the pilot breathed a sigh of relief.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Rev. Campolo said it wasn’t until they had
flown half-way back to the states that he finally realized who that baby
was.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>What Tony Campolo realized was that
when he died and faced his Lord, Jesus would say, “I was sick, and you wouldn’t
help me.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And Tony would answer, “When,
Lord, did I ever see you sick and not help you?”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And Jesus would answer, “Oh, that’s easy- on
an airplane runway in Haiti.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Think
about it.</font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font color="#000000">For anyone who is
interested, this sermon and updated African-American wisdom statements are
posted on our parish’s web site under “Sermons & Stuff”. The address is: </font><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://www.stpaulsepisag.org/"><u><font color="#0000ff"></font></u></a><u><font color="#0000ff"><a href="http://www.stpaulsepisag.org" target="_blank">http://www.stpaulsepisag.org</a></font></u><font color="#000000"> .</font></font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">Blessed preaching,</font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">Judy Boli</font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">St. Paul's Episcopal Church</font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">Saginaw, Michigan</font></span></div>
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