A Weekly Word - Gathering People to Christ

 

This Sunday, October 9, is the Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost.

This week’s sermon is the last in our Stewardship Series and it is titled: From Gratitude.

This week’s readings are:

Ruth 1:1-19a

2 Timothy 2:1-13

Luke 17:11-19

Psalm 111

Message: Gathering People to Christ

1)     Mission of the Church – Proclaim Christ

a)     The Great Commission – Matthew 28:19-20

b)     The Great Commandment – Matthew 22:36-40

2)     Three movements specific to Gloria Dei, but good for all Christians.

a)     Gathering People to Christ

b)     Building Believers in Christ

c)     Serving the World as Christ

3)     Calling of the First Disciples – Peter, Andrew, James, John, and Matthew

a)     “Follow me!”

b)     Gathering people to Christ.

4)     This usually leads us to think of evangelism – rightly so.

a)     Matthew 28:19-20

b)     Acts 1:8-9

c)     Sharing the good news of Jesus is a key impulse of the church.

i)      Andrew and Peter

ii)    Philip and Nathaniel

d)     Heart behind mission work.

i)      Organized like Paul – Acts 13

ii)    Informal like Priscilla and Aquilla with Apollos – Acts 18

5)     We also desire to gather as the Children of God

a)     Hebrews 10:25

b)     The idea of the Tabernacle

c)     The idea of Immanuel

d)     To what end?

i)      Kept in the faith by the working of the Spirit.

ii)    Word and Sacrament delivering God’s gifts - Worship.

iii)   “Spur one another on to good works.”

(1)   Working together

(2)   Bearing one another’s burdens

(3)   Rejoicing and grieving

(4)   Walking in faith.

(5)   Colossians 3:12-17 - Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, ¹³ bearing with one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a grievance against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you are also to forgive. ¹⁴ Above all, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. ¹⁵ And let the peace of Christ, to which you were also called in one body, rule your hearts. And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell richly among you, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.