Just
Thinking; Truths and Lies.
An
Effect Sermon: Simplicity with Sublimity; child and adult get meaning from the
sermon.
Take a few minutes to think about what gives
your life meaning. Are those things in line with what God says you need to have
in order to find meaning?
When asked: what they
needed to do in order to be faithful to God, John Wesley gave the early
Methodists 3 General Rules. They were not long complex rules, but simple ones
that would be easy for people to remember and follow: do no harm, do good and
stay in love with God. Now Wesley didn’t make up these rules himself, they were
rules based on the guiding principles and commandments given to us by God.
Look at Luke 6:27-36. Again we see here that Jesus links
together loving God with loving our neighbor – and even our enemy – and that
loving others actually means doing something good for them. Loving others is
not a feeling or emotion it is helping meet their real needs and offering them
grace and mercy.
Jesus says this again in John 13:34-35.
And we hear this teaching affirmed by Paul in Romans 12:9-13. Paul
is also making it clear that our love needs to extend to others in very real
ways. So it’s clear that the foundation of the Christian faith is to love
others which means that we seek ways to do good for them and John Wesley made
sure people understood the depth of this call to do good by telling people that
not only should we do good but we should:
Do all the good we can.
By all the means we can.
In all the ways we can.
In all the places we can.
At all the times we can.
To all the people we can.
As long as ever we can.
By all the means we can.
In all the ways we can.
In all the places we can.
At all the times we can.
To all the people we can.
As long as ever we can.
This statement begins to answer some of our questions about doing
good. If we were to ask, who should we do good for? The answer is to all the
people we can.
Hebrews 7:19 King James Version (KJV)
19 For the law made nothing perfect, but the
bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.
Hebrews 7:19 Amplified Bible, Classic
Edition (AMPC)
19 For the Law never made anything perfect—but instead a better hope
is introduced through which we [now] come close to God.
Hebrews 7:19 Good News Translation (GNT)
19 For the Law of Moses could not make anything
perfect. And now a better hope has been provided through which we come near to
God.
Hebrews 7:19 Amplified Bible (AMP)
19 (for the Law never made anything perfect); while on the other hand
a better hope is introduced through which we now continually draw
near to God.
What is
missing in the message from the United States Government today?
Wonder,
Truth, Love, Security!
Does what you Believe make
Sense?
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