Gwinn United Methodist Church

Sunday Sermon Ministry

August 29,2010

Rev. Geri Hamlen

 

Scriptures:   Hebrews 13: 1 – 8, 15 – 16 and Luke 14: 1, 7 – 14

 

Message:   What Do the Followers of Jesus Look Like?

 

We follow Jesus as individuals and we follow Jesus in groups.  Our Scripture reading from Hebrews gives us lots of ideas about how to be a follower of Jesus. 

Let mutual love win out over despair and anger and revenge

Show hospitality to strangers...entertain angels!

Walk a mile in someone else’s shoes...prison, torture.

Be content with what you have...Did you read what Mariah wrote?   She picked that up at the Mission Trip...

Do good and share what you have....Lay Speakers,

Justin...come up and tell us what the Followers of Jesus looked like in Chicago.    NOAH & Heifer, Habitat, Apportionments

 

There are a lot of people doing these things...people who don’t call themselves Christians.  And sometimes they do them better than the church does...the Red Cross, Doctors without Borders.   What distinguishes the followers of Jesus from them is the motivation...when we do these things for Jesus...then we are followers of Jesus.  When we do them because we know that Jesus loves us, then there is an extra element of grace and joy and love to the actions.  When we do these things Because Jesus said:   “I will never leave you or forsake you” then we are transforming the world…one person at a time.

             Followers of Jesus don’t travel alone.  Although we need our private and alone time, to be with God and to feed our souls…  You will know the followers of Jesus because we are the ones hanging out together...at least on Sunday mornings you can find us all gathered here for praise and worship and inspiration.   Sunday is both a beginning and an end for us...we wrap up the past week, sorting it out, giving it to God and, at the same time, we prepare for the coming week with all of its opportunities, challenges and possibilities. 

You also know the followers of Jesus because we are the ones who hang out  with people who the rest of the world would prefer to ignore...The Food Pantry, the  Community Meals, the Pastors Discretionary Fund puts this congregation side by side with the poor and the hungry and the hopeless of our own community.  And we can’t convince them to come to worship with us very often, can we?  We even give up trying that sometimes because it’s just too big of a stretch but when all is said and done, it is better to follow Jesus by being a  ‘go to the world’ congregation that it is to sit back and wait for the world ‘come to’ our church.  

Jesus said:     ...don’t forget to invite those who have been forgotten:   the poor, the lame, the crippled, the blind.  But if they won’t come, he also sends us out...to all the world, in pairs and in groups to spread the Good news, the Gospel, the Hope of the Ages.

 John Wesley said something along the lines of:   Church is a place where one loving heart sets another heart on fire...and that fire is the Holy Spirit working in each of us to bring about God’s greatest desire for the people of the world---that we would love mercy and seek  justice, walk humbly with God.   Do not neglect to do good and share what you have. 

What do the Followers of Jesus look like?   They look like us...walking right on out the doors of the church, with our eyes wide open and our ears listening for those who need the help that God has specifically made each of you able to do.   No on e else can do what you can do in God’s world because God made you uniquely and wonderfully precious...so you can spread his love and grace and mercy.  You will turn your back on this cross you’re looking at right now and head for the door...only to see the beautiful gold and purple of that cross back there to remind you that following Jesus is the greatest journey possible.   When you follow Jesus, you meet the world and in some marvelous, mysterious  and grace filled way... you will be made whole.

 

Prayer....We have turned to you, Most Holy and Magnificent God...the words , the music, the prayers...Make us whole even as we serve you and love you and share you.   Help us to be faithful followers of Jesus, all the days of our lives.    Amen.

 

Here are the words that were written by our Youth.  These were printed in the bulletin and are a gift to all of us!  

 

 

 

The Jesus People USA community are often called the JPUSA people.  In June, the youth from GUMC and Victory Lutheran Church went to Chicago on their mission trip.  Some of our young people have written the following articles to help us understand who the JPUSA people are, and what they experienced on this Mission.

 

 

 

The Mission trip was a very good experience for me.  It helped me to get more into the word of God.  My favorite part of the mission trip was helping out people and getting to meet the Jpusaians.  All the people there were cool and loved God immensely.  To see the JPUSA amazed me.  I thought it was so awesome that they could operate all that they do.  All in all the mission trip was a great experience that helped me to connect to God in a different way.  Mitchell Paris

 

 

 

I would like to thank the congregation for all 

 

       When our youth group had arrived to JPUSA (the community we were staying in) the first thought was “We’re not in Gwinn anymore.” Instead of seeing children riding their bikes with friends, you saw children closely monitored by their parents. Instead of seeing parks, you saw alleys. And instead of seeing people having conversations on the streets, you saw people passing by quickly without saying the simplest “Hello” or giving a smile. That’s how much of a difference it is from our small town, to a big city.