PULPITMAN.COM "My whole intent in living here is to make God smile." (Gianna Jessen)
You Are Not Alone Revelation 5:11-14
Sermon delivered to Smith Chapel UMC on April 18, 2010
What I Didn't Say
Loner--I tend to be a loner. I tend to be a very private person. I grew up hearing from my parents, "That's nobody's business but ours." In other words, no one else needs to know our business. What we do is private, not for public consumption. I took that concept and ran with it...probably to an extreme.
Community--One of the central themes of the Bible is the communal nature of the church...koinonia (Greek for fellowship or community). Loners have a hard time with that. It becomes necessary for us to break out of our mold. We have to work at being more open and accepting. One of the hardest things for me as a Christian has always been the inclusion of the whole church in my life. Even as a pastor I still work on that one.
I Am Second--This is the website I refer to in my sermon. My youngest son turned me on to this. It's a great site to remind us that we are truly not alone.
People--I sometimes joke that the church would be great if it wasn't for the people. Obviously, that's absurd on its face. Without people there is no church. The Christianity is a little paradoxical in its ability to tolerate others. On the one hand, you can't even be considered a member of the church unless you believe in Jesus. That sounds a little intolerant. On the other hand, if you believe in Jesus, we can tolerate almost anything else about you. Where some people make their mistake is when they confuse tolerance and love. We are commanded to love everyone, not tolerate them.
