From The Pulpit To The Streets (stdavidsacna)

Were You ThereIn Sunday’s Gospel we read of Jesus’ return in glory when He will cause all of the nations of the world to come before Him–the King of kings and Lord of lords.Ministering To God By Ministering To PeopleOn His return, God will hold each of us accountable for the ways in which we ministered to and treated those in need and those less fortunate than ourselves–the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the immigrant and stranger, the sick and the prisoner–in every nation under the sun. Being Faithful To The Call Of GodJesus calls us to be faithful stewards of what He has entrusted us. We are servants who live in expectation of our Lord’s return and we are instructed to be servants who actively use the gifts and talent we have received to serve God and others.

The Parable of the TalentsA certain Master gives three of his servants money or talents before he sets out on a journey “to a far country.” Their responsibility was to wisely use and invest it, so it yields a good return.Giving an Account At the Master’s return, he calls the three servants and asks them to render an account of what they had done with the talents. Two of the servants were industrious in their handling of that which had been entrusted to them, while the third servant quite simply hid the talent given to him.Industrious or Fearful?Each of us had been entrusted with gifts, talents, abilities and resources for which we would have to render an account when the Master–Jesus Christ–returns. Have we used them wisely for the expansion of His Kingdom here on earth or have we buried them?

Watching and WaitingWatching and waiting, looking above,Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.(Blessed Assurance, Fanny J. Crosby) In this Sunday’s Gospel, we read the Parable of the Ten Maidens. Five of whom are described as wise and five as foolish.The Wise and the FoolishTen maidens took their lamps and hastened to meet the bridegroom, the time of whose arrival none knew. The five wise maidens had prepared themselves quite well for the wait. They had their lamps and flasks of oil in case they ran out of oil. The five foolish ones demonstrated no such forethought and preparedness. They did not bring any additional oil.The Predicament of the Ill PreparedWhen it was announced that the bridegroom would arrive shortly; the foolish maidens realized that they had not enough oil to keep their lamps burning. While they were away buying the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The wise maidens entered the banquet with him, while the door was shut to the ones who had not been prepared.Waiting for the BridegroomJesus Chr

Loving God and Others"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind...You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Matthew 22:37-38What is the Greatest Commandment?In the Gospel reading for this Sunday, we encounter Jesus in the Temple in Jerusalem. Having heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, now, the Pharisees were trying to trap Him. They asked Jesus to decide which of the Commandments was the greatest. Loving God and Loving our NeighborJesus responded, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets." As we worship God, this is the LOVE we want to express to Him.

Giving to God the Things of GodIn Sunday’s Gospel, we read of the Pharisees who send some of their disciples to engage Jesus in an impossible, seemingly impossible, question. They ask Him, “Teacher, tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?" Aware of their malice, Jesus asks them for a coin with which they paid the Romans. Showing them the likeness and inscription of Caesar on the coin, He said, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." And they left Him marveling at His wisdom.Giving our Time, Talents and TreasureIn this Sunday’s sermon, we will be taught not to hold back on giving to God what is God’s-our service, our gifts and talents, and our tithes. They all belong to God. May we never holdback on returning to Him what is His. Our giving honors Him before the nations.

Generous GivingGod wants us to give willingly, joyfully, generously, regularly, and sacrificially to the church and to support people in need. God wants our giving to manifest a heartfelt belief and conviction that God owns everything we have. God wants each of us to give our best and our all unto Him by faithfully giving and supporting the work of the church.

Becoming PoorFor you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9).Time, Treasure and TalentIn 2 Corinthians 8-9, the Apostle Paul’s message and appeal to the Corinthian church is to give generously to the poor, famine stricken Christians in Jerusalem. May his message enlarge our hearts, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to give our time, talents and treasures as our offering to God.Generous GivingGod wants us to give willingly, joyfully, generously, regularly, and sacrificially to the church and to support people in need. God wants our giving to manifest a heartfelt belief and conviction that God owns everything we have. God wants each of us to give our best and our all unto Him by faithfully giving and supporting the work of the church. Giving generously and regularly helps us overcome the power that money and material things can have on us.

Once upon a time there was a man who had two sons. He went to the first one and said, “Now then, my boy, off you go and do a day’s work in the vineyard.” “Don’t want to,” replied the son; but afterwards he thought better of it and went. He went to the other son and said the same thing. “ Certainly, Master,” he said; but he didn’t go.(Wright, Tom Matthew for Everyone) Semblance of Obedience In telling the parable of the two sons, Jesus was contrasting the religious leaders and the common people, especially tax collectors and prostitutes who were despised and kept in the margins of religious society. With the religious there was but a semblance of obedience, with the despised common folk there was genuine repentance and acceptance of God’s Kingdom.Yes Should Mean YesMay we allow Jesus to confront us and point to us areas where we too have been like the second son saying, “Yes,” while still continuing to do that which pleases us. May we be challenged to be obedient to the call of God.

The Householder and LaborersAt the start of the day a certain householder hires some laborers to work in his vineyard for the wage of a denarius. As the days progresses, he continues in these excursion into town and hires more and more people during various stages in the day. When time came for payment, he called the ones who started working toward the end of the day and began to pay them each a denarius. On seeing this, those who started work at the beginning of the day, hoped they would be paid more, for they had been working all day. However, when their turn came, they too were paid just one denarius each. And they began to grumble.Grace and AssuranceThis parable is pertinent and pregnant with layers of meaning. May we each learn about grace and assurance from the householder's response to the laborers in this Parable of Grace and Assurance.

"Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven" (Matthew 18:18). Many a time we have been hurt and sadly, many a time we have hurt. What should we do in such unfortunate circumstances?When We Are Hurt and When We HurtIn this Sunday's Gospel, we hear Jesus' response. In strife, the goal is to strengthen not sever ties; Our actions towards one another should enhance the testimony of the Church and glorify God. Eternal Ramifications of ReconciliationJesus instructs us to strive toward reconciliation considering the results of not being reconciled has eternal ramifications - “what is bound on earth will be bound in heaven and what is loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. Matthew 16:24 In Sunday’s Gospel reading, Jesus further defines the nature of the Church. A Church established on His death and resurrection.Peter the HinderanceOn the heel of acknowledging that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, Peter becomes the source of hinderance to God's plans and purposes. When Jesus relates to His followers that He would suffer at the hands of the religious leaders, die and rise from the dead, Peter attempts to restrain Him. Actions Becoming Of A Follower Jesus rebukes Peter and goes on to list the actions becoming of disciples: deny oneself, take up the cross and follow Him. The Church comprises individuals who deny themselves, take up their cross and follow Him no matter where He leads. And the “gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”

Jesus - Man, Prophet, or God?According to Eugene Peterson, Jesus was the son of an ordinary carpenter in Nazareth, the circumstances of His birth could at best be deemed suspicious. Upon seeing and experiencing His miracles, some eyewitnesses identified Him as either John the Baptist, or Eli'jah, or Jeremiah or one of the prophets. Some identified Jesus as ordinary and others as extraordinary, but it was Simon Peter who saw Jesus for who He is - Christ, the Son of the Living God.

"O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire." (Jesus to the Canaanite woman, Matthew 15:28)Subsequent to the feeding of the multitude and walking on water, Jesus continues to teach a crowd of people. However, soon He is confronted by some of the Pharisees and He leaves the region and goes into the areas of Tyre and Sidon by the Mediterranean Sea.Faith of a Tenacious MotherHere, Jesus encounters a Canaanite woman, whose daughter was severely demon-possessed. Here, we encounter a faith so firm and a trust so tenacious.Interesting ExchangeWhile the disciples want to have nothing to do with her for they perceived her as "the other," "an outsider," Jesus engages with her.

Stormy Waters and a Strange Apparition Buffeted by a raging storm in the Sea of Galilee, the disciples see a figure walking on the water and they are filled with fear because they think they have seen a ghost who portends death and destruction.Called Out of the BoatJesus reassures them that it was He and not someone from the dead. In an incredible act of faith, Peter asks Jesus to bid him to also walk on water. But when Jesus calls him out of the safety of the boat and into the uncertainty of the sea, Peter’s faith crumbles and he begins to sink. It is at this point that Jesus asks all His disciples then and now “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”Called into the Storm When buffeted by the storms of life, Jesus is inviting us to walk as He walked, to leave the comfort and security of our “boats” and to trust Him. To walk with Him as His disciples.

Compassion for the needs of the people drives Jesus to preach and to heal the sick among them. Soon it is evening and time for their evening meal. While his disciples ask that the people be sent to the nearest villages and towns to purchase their meal, Jesus, who is the Bread of Life, performs one of his most well known miracles. He takes “five loaves of bread and two fish” and with this little food and by the miracle of multiplication, He feeds them all.

Small BeginningsThis Sunday, we will read more parables about the Kingdom of God. In these parables, Jesus teaches His hearers, then and now, that the Kingdom of God enters the world as small and insignificant as a mustard seed or leaven; however, it cannot be contained for long. It grows and permeates the world until everyone is affected and transformed by it.Of Great and Insurmountable WorthIn the next two parables–the Parable of the Hidden Treasure and the Parable of the Pearl of Great Price–we learn that the Kingdom that Christ has established is of great and insurmountable worth.