EVERYBODY'S CHURCH WEBSITE
  • Home
  • Info
    • Need Help?
    • Mission
    • Welcoming
    • Inclusion
    • Community
    • Why I Go to Everybody's Church
    • Become a Member
    • Our Vision >
      • Jesus Christ >
        • Celebrating
      • Reaching
      • Serving
      • Connecting
      • Growing
    • map and directions
    • Our Staff
    • Staff Contact Information
    • Job Openings
    • Funeral Information
    • Church Leadership
    • What to Expect FAQs
    • COVID Masking Policy
    • Building Use Fees
    • Baptism
    • Communion
    • Presbyterian Church USA
    • Our Stained Glass Windows
    • The Presbytery of Detroit
    • Community Resources
    • Contact
  • Worship
    • church at home, livestream
    • Recent Sermons
    • Bulletins
    • Worship Schedule
    • Rejoicing Spirits Worship
    • Music Ministries >
      • Children's Choir
  • Serve
    • Mission Opportunities
    • Yucatan Peninsula Mission (YPM) Trip
    • Deacons
    • Volunteer Opportunities at FPC
    • Learn about Foster Care
    • Mission Funding
    • Our Efforts to Serve the Least
    • Alcott School Ministry
    • International Missions >
      • Kenya Mission Trip Story
      • Faith Kasoni - Kenya
      • Chang-Lopez
    • Local Missions >
      • Faith Communities Coalition on Foster Care
    • In Our Church >
      • Deacons
      • Memorial Service Help
    • Stephen Ministry
    • Faith Communities Coalition on Foster Care
    • Mission Videos
  • Learn
    • Matthew 25 >
      • Matthew 25 Events >
        • Listen - Matthew 25
        • Learn - Matthew 25
        • Lean In - Matthew 25
    • Children's and Family Ministries >
      • Resources re: Racism
      • Five Part Story
      • Worship Wonder
      • CrossWalks
      • Faith at Home Resources
      • Sacraments
      • Build a Bible For Kids
      • Milestones for Children
      • Inclusion Videos
    • Youth Ministries
    • Spiritual Practices
    • Education Videos >
      • Five Women Five Journeys
      • Health and Wellness
      • Theologian in Residence
      • Teacher Training Videos
      • Sacraments Videos
      • Bus Training Video
      • Children's Ministry
    • Adult Faith Formation >
      • Church History 101 >
        • The Jesus Community
        • The Church Expands
        • Constantine to the Reformation
        • The Reformation
        • The Church in America
      • Revelation Bible Study
      • Christian Faith Foundation
      • The Gospel of John >
        • Introduction
        • The Book of Signs >
          • John 1:1-18
      • Genesis Bible Study >
        • Genesis Chapters 1-11
        • Genesis Chapters 12-25
        • Genesis Chapters 26-36
        • Genesis Chapters 37-50
      • Exodus Bible Study >
        • Exodus 1-15
        • Exodus 16-23
      • John Calvin For Everyone
      • What is a Presbyterian Video Series
      • Two Year Bible Trek
      • Immigration Information
      • Faith Formation Groups
      • Fellowship and Ministry Groups
      • Classes and Events
    • Hand in Hand Early Learning Center
    • Belhar Confession
    • All Abilities Inclusion Ministry
    • Disability Inclusion Resources
  • Events
    • Photo Directory
    • Senior Adventures
    • Concerts at First
    • Vacation Bible Camp
    • Ballet Camp
    • Lunch and Learn
    • SAIL event
    • Calendar
  • News
    • Email Sign-up
    • First Things
  • Connect
    • Inclusive Communities Network
    • SAIL Solutions for Adult Independent Living
    • Faith Formation Groups
  • App/Members' Portal
  • Give
    • Contribute to FPC
    • Stewardship
    • 2023 Pledge Form
    • 2022 Financial Review
    • Community Rewards Programs >
      • Kroger Sign up/Re-register
      • Link to AmazonSmile
    • Deacons
    • First Foundation >
      • Donating
      • Grant Requests
      • Serving the World
      • History

God Followers

8/31/2014

 
Rev. Dr. John Judson
August 31, 2014

Listen
Printable View

Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Romans 12:9-21

This morning I want to begin with a question, when you were a child what did you want to be when you grew up?  Second, how many of you have hopes and dreams for the children around you?  What are those hopes and dreams?  As I suspected two of the key answers that come through is that you want them to be happy and healthy.

In some ways your answers mirror the answers of humanity across the centuries and in this book (the Bible).  People wanted their children to be blessed and filled with joy.  But there was one hope and dream that towered above even these two.  They wanted their children to be God followers.  When I say God followers I don’t just mean God believers I mean God followers; those who walk in the path that God has set before them.  For the people of Israel this path was well marked.  It was marked by the Torah; by the Law of God, meaning all 613 laws that had been given to Moses.  Now many of us may think of this as being very legalistic, but I want to think of these laws as road signs that kept God’s people on the path to a blessed and joy filled life.  Everyone knew where the dangerous curves were.  Everyone knew where the bumps in the road were.  Everyone knew what the safe speed limit was.  The laws guided them in being God followers.

We can sense the importance of these laws in the Shema, or our Old Testament lesson from this morning.  “Hear O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord alone.  You shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart, and with all of your soul and with all of your might.    Listen again. Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart.  Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise.  Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, and write them on the door posts of your house.” The words” referred to in the statement are the 613 laws of Moses which are the road signs that allowed the people to love and follow God.  They were to always be in front of the people directing them into the life and blessing God offered.

Those were the laws which the Apostle Paul grew up with.  He knew all 613 of them and strived to follow them every day of his life.  Yet when he was encountered by Jesus on the road to Damascus, something happened.  He understood that Jesus was the completion or fulfillment of all of these laws, so that a life of blessing and joy was no longer to be guided by the law but by something else.  The question before him then was if those laws were not present as road signs guiding him in being a God follower; guiding him to a life of blessing and joy, how was he to know the way?  Though Paul refers to being led by the Spirit, which at times can seem a bit vague, he also offers to us a more detailed look at the signs that are to guide us, as he does in the Romans passage that we read this morning.  In fact he sums the road signs up in one verse.  “Let love be genuine, hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good.”

Let love be genuine.  Over my career as a pastor I have been asked numerous times how can I genuinely love those who whom I do not like; such as those who have harmed me?  My answer has been that the love Pal is describing is not about feeling but doing; not about liking but serving.   Love, in the manner that Paul is using it here, means to be actively serving others, even when we don’t feel “loving” towards them.  Love then is a choice to act, and Paul calls upon us to choose to love by serving even our enemies.  That love becomes genuine, again not by feeling better about it, but when it is true service in which the other is first and we are second.  Genuine here means “the real thing”, real service and sacrifice.  We see Paul using this concept when he tells the Romans to love one another with mutual affection, contribute to the needs of the saints and extend hospitality to strangers.  This is the first mark of a God follower, loving genuinely.

Hate Evil.  Before we look at this one we need to understand what Paul means by hate.  There are two kinds of hate; the kind of hate that is filled with anger and rage, “I hate you!”  The second kind of hate is one where we are repulsed by something, “I hate beets!”   Though you may love beets, I want to stay as far away as I can from them.  This is how Paul uses the term hate.  He tells us that we are to be repulsed by evil, again evil being anything that diminishes the image of God in any person, or anything that diminishes the humanity of any person.  This means evil can be as simple as gossiping about someone in a way that tears them down, to the horrors of ISIS in Iraq and Syria.  The reason that we are to be consciously repulsed by evil is that it masquerades as good.  It pretends that it can make us better than others; that we are the center of the universe; that we deserve more than others.  Thus we are to see evil for what it is, destructive and stay as far away from it as we can.  This is the heart of Paul’s warning that we are not to repay anyone evil for evil or be overcome by evil.  Paul wants us to see evil clearly, be repulsed by it so that we can stay on the path of blessing and joy.

Hold fast to what is good.  What is the good?  The good is whatever builds up the image of God in another human being; it is whatever assists another person in becoming the human beings God designed them to be.    For Paul the ultimate example of “the good” is the life and work of Jesus Christ.  We are to bless those who persecute us, live in harmony with one another, associate with the lowly, live peaceably with all persons, feed our enemies and give them something to drink and overcome evil not with evil, but with good; meaning love and forgiveness.  In a way we can see Jesus standing behind all of these road signs.  They were the ones that Jesus gave his disciples.  By so doing we stay on the road following the way of God and the way of blessing and joy.

How many of you have Jewish friends?  When you have gone to their house have you seen a small scroll-like item tacked to the front door post?  If you have, that is a mezuzah.  Inside that case is a copy of the Shema.  It is intended to be touched by everyone coming into and leaving the house as a reminder to love God and be obedient to God’s words.  With that in mind, I have a bit of a different challenge for you this morning…and this is something that the children can help with.  I would challenge everyone here to create their own Christian mezuzah.  You can do this by writing down these three road signs, let love be genuine, hate evil and hold fast to what is good, and posting them in a place where you can see and touch them, every day when you leave and return to your home.  I do this because there is something powerful about touching what is important.  By seeing and touching these words my hope is that they will affect how we live our lives on a daily basis.  And when you do that, I would also like you to take a picture of the mezuzah and email it to me.  I will create a page on our website to show people what we are up to; how we are allowing ourselves to be guided down the path as God-followers toward a life of blessing and joy.  

Comments are closed.

    Subscribe by Email

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner

    Categories

    All
    Alive In A Global Uprising
    Alive In God's Creation
    Alive In The Spirit Of God
    Alive In The Story Of Jesus
    Alleluia People
    An Abundance Attitude
    Being God's People
    Being Human
    Claiming Our Identity
    Discipleship Defined
    Do You Hear What I Hear
    Encouragement Along The Way
    Giving From The Heart
    God's Imperfect Family
    Growing Our Faith
    Living In Ordinary Time
    Luke Looks At Money
    Matthew 25
    Mourning Mystery Mission
    New Beginnings
    On The Job Training
    Own Your Hope
    Pentecost
    People Get Ready
    Praying Like Jesus
    Rooted And Grounded In Love
    The Children Of God
    The Five Part Story
    The Force Is Awakening
    The Heart Of The Matter
    The Lord Is Our Shepherd
    The Mighty Acts Of God
    The Perfect Season
    The Vocabulary Of Faith
    The Voice Our Choice
    The Voice - Our Choice
    We Make The Road By Walking
    Youth Sunday

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014

    RSS Feed

First Presbyterian Church
Phone:  248-644-2040
Fax:       248-644-8047
Email:    contact@everybodyschurch.org
Address: 1669 W. Maple, Birmingham, MI 48009
Hand in Hand Early Learning Center
Phone:   248-644-2040 ext. 124
Faith Communities Coalition on Foster Care
FAR Therapeutic Arts and Recreation 
Phone:   248-646-3347
Presbytery of Detroit


Presbyterian Church USA
​
More Light Presbyterians
​
Skyline Camp and Conference Center
Phone: 248-644-2043 (Birmingham Office)
             810-798-8240 (Almont Campus)
Samaritan Counseling Center
Phone: 248-474-4701
  • Home
  • Info
    • Need Help?
    • Mission
    • Welcoming
    • Inclusion
    • Community
    • Why I Go to Everybody's Church
    • Become a Member
    • Our Vision >
      • Jesus Christ >
        • Celebrating
      • Reaching
      • Serving
      • Connecting
      • Growing
    • map and directions
    • Our Staff
    • Staff Contact Information
    • Job Openings
    • Funeral Information
    • Church Leadership
    • What to Expect FAQs
    • COVID Masking Policy
    • Building Use Fees
    • Baptism
    • Communion
    • Presbyterian Church USA
    • Our Stained Glass Windows
    • The Presbytery of Detroit
    • Community Resources
    • Contact
  • Worship
    • church at home, livestream
    • Recent Sermons
    • Bulletins
    • Worship Schedule
    • Rejoicing Spirits Worship
    • Music Ministries >
      • Children's Choir
  • Serve
    • Mission Opportunities
    • Yucatan Peninsula Mission (YPM) Trip
    • Deacons
    • Volunteer Opportunities at FPC
    • Learn about Foster Care
    • Mission Funding
    • Our Efforts to Serve the Least
    • Alcott School Ministry
    • International Missions >
      • Kenya Mission Trip Story
      • Faith Kasoni - Kenya
      • Chang-Lopez
    • Local Missions >
      • Faith Communities Coalition on Foster Care
    • In Our Church >
      • Deacons
      • Memorial Service Help
    • Stephen Ministry
    • Faith Communities Coalition on Foster Care
    • Mission Videos
  • Learn
    • Matthew 25 >
      • Matthew 25 Events >
        • Listen - Matthew 25
        • Learn - Matthew 25
        • Lean In - Matthew 25
    • Children's and Family Ministries >
      • Resources re: Racism
      • Five Part Story
      • Worship Wonder
      • CrossWalks
      • Faith at Home Resources
      • Sacraments
      • Build a Bible For Kids
      • Milestones for Children
      • Inclusion Videos
    • Youth Ministries
    • Spiritual Practices
    • Education Videos >
      • Five Women Five Journeys
      • Health and Wellness
      • Theologian in Residence
      • Teacher Training Videos
      • Sacraments Videos
      • Bus Training Video
      • Children's Ministry
    • Adult Faith Formation >
      • Church History 101 >
        • The Jesus Community
        • The Church Expands
        • Constantine to the Reformation
        • The Reformation
        • The Church in America
      • Revelation Bible Study
      • Christian Faith Foundation
      • The Gospel of John >
        • Introduction
        • The Book of Signs >
          • John 1:1-18
      • Genesis Bible Study >
        • Genesis Chapters 1-11
        • Genesis Chapters 12-25
        • Genesis Chapters 26-36
        • Genesis Chapters 37-50
      • Exodus Bible Study >
        • Exodus 1-15
        • Exodus 16-23
      • John Calvin For Everyone
      • What is a Presbyterian Video Series
      • Two Year Bible Trek
      • Immigration Information
      • Faith Formation Groups
      • Fellowship and Ministry Groups
      • Classes and Events
    • Hand in Hand Early Learning Center
    • Belhar Confession
    • All Abilities Inclusion Ministry
    • Disability Inclusion Resources
  • Events
    • Photo Directory
    • Senior Adventures
    • Concerts at First
    • Vacation Bible Camp
    • Ballet Camp
    • Lunch and Learn
    • SAIL event
    • Calendar
  • News
    • Email Sign-up
    • First Things
  • Connect
    • Inclusive Communities Network
    • SAIL Solutions for Adult Independent Living
    • Faith Formation Groups
  • App/Members' Portal
  • Give
    • Contribute to FPC
    • Stewardship
    • 2023 Pledge Form
    • 2022 Financial Review
    • Community Rewards Programs >
      • Kroger Sign up/Re-register
      • Link to AmazonSmile
    • Deacons
    • First Foundation >
      • Donating
      • Grant Requests
      • Serving the World
      • History