Tag Archives: Matthew

Jesus is the Messiah

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 4:44 am on August 22, 2015
Tags: Matthew,   

Faith Is A Verb — Rev. David J. Schreffler

 

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August 22, 2015

Then he (Jesus) will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Matthew 25:45 – 46

“I do not think that anything is comparable to the soul and its salvation. But what wonder that the suffering lose all belief in spiritual things when so many pastors neglect the plainest duties to their wretched and miserable poor? What wonder that reflecting men are disgusted at the religion of our pewed city churches with their awful want of mercy and charity? …The gospel must be lived as well as told, or men disregard it as an idle dream.”
William A. Passavant (1821 – 1894) “Appealing for gifts to rebuild a hospital” “For All The Saints”, volume II (p. 378)

I think one of the greatest challenges for the church today is helping people move from “saying” to “doing — from “believing” to “living”. Our lives have become so “scheduled”, so “prioritized”, that we get caught in the day to day rat race of trying to keep up. Parents of young children spend the weekend running between soccer, ballet, rugby, baseball, basketball, lacrosse practices all the while trying to wash the car, plan a vacation, do the laundry and prepare for another exhausting week. Some may be able to get to church on a Sunday morning, if they can get themselves out of bed, and hear the message of the Gospel, but living it out is just a dream.

And then there are the millennials who are working themselves to death trying to get established in a society that is increasingly difficult to “grab hold of”. Many work more than one job at substantially lower wages than are necessary to pay their student loans as well as rent and food, and so have no time to give even 1 percent of their time, talent or treasure for G*d.

And finally we have the retirees of this society — those who have “done their time” — served on committees and chaired them as well, that they believe retiring from their work means retiring from everything, including work.

So, how do we move from “believing” to “living” — from “saying” to “doing”? I don’t know how to answer that question — for it may be different for each person. But one thing I can say is that the Gospel must be lived as well as told. If we are “followers” then we have to also be “doers” — it is a necessity. Faith needs to be a verb, not a noun. But the only way we will maintain that active part of our faith is to constantly review our priorities. The Gospel must be, must be lived as well as told…..

Pastor Dave

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 4:44 am on July 28, 2015
Tags: , , Matthew   

The Glory of Humility — Rev. David J. Schreffler

July 28, 2015

“Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant-girl came to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” But he denied it before all of them, saying, “I do not know what you are talking about.” When he went out to the porch, another servant-girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” Again he denied it with an oath, “I do not know the man.” After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you are also one of them, for your accent betrays you.” Then he began to curse, and he swore an oath, “I do not know the man!” At that moment the cock crowed. Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said: “Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.” Matthew 26:69 – 75

“The disciples were men who had been led to despair of themselves. At the beginning of their three years’ class of instruction they had to give up all they possessed; but it was only at the end of that time that they began to give up themselves. They had given up their nets, their homes, their friends — and that was right; but all the three years how strong (the) self was. But Christ taught them and trained them. He revealed to them, time after time, what the sin of pride is and what the glory of humility is, and when He died upon the cross, they died a terrible death too.” Andrew Murray (1828 – 1917) Daily Thoughts on Holiness – “For All The Saints” volume IV (p. 348-349)

Humility is a difficult thing for most of us. It is really a challenge for us to deny ourselves — put others first all of the time — swallow our pride constantly — and to kill the ego within us. We see how difficult it was for the disciples — these men who left everything to follow Jesus — who denied themselves of family, jobs and homes — and yet argued among themselves about who was the greatest. But Jesus would not give up on them — even to his own death. But it took the death of Jesus for them to finally get it — finally see what Jesus had been trying to teach them all along…..”no greater love is there than to lay down one’s life for a friend.” (John 15:13)

Andrew Murray (who by the way, was a South African writer, teacher, and Christian pastor who considered missions to be “the chief end of the church”) wrote “Jesus revealed to his disciples….what the glory of humility is.” Jesus’ death was the ultimate lesson — a lesson you and I would have a hard time repeating as a lesson plan for others. But, instead of dying a physical death, we can die to ourselves each and every day, and put others first — by maybe considering how we can be involved in missions, for example.

How can you focus your life more on Jesus and/or others today, rather than to focus your thoughts only on yourself?

Pastor Dave