2/5/2023: Fifth Sunday after Epiphany

EPIPHANY SERIES THEME: THE SAVIOR'S SERMON

The Greek word epiphany means “appearance.” In the first half of this church season called Epiphany, we saw Jesus appear on the scene, beginning his ministry. He calls his disciples. It is not long before large crowds start following Jesus around Galilee. So, in the second half of this season Jesus is going to teach us what it means to be one of his followers.

Jesus does this through the most famous sermon of all time. It is not delivered while standing in a pulpit but while sitting on a hill. Elevated above the crowd, Jesus’ voice would carry through the air. His followers hung on his every word as the Christ talked about living an authentic Christian life. It is called the Sermon on the Mount.

YOU ARE . . . SO BE

Imagine a beautiful guitar, carefully crafted out of the finest mahogany and steel strings. Now imagine that fine instrument is never played. It is placed atop a bookshelf and never touched. It just collects dust. Tragic, right? What a thing is finds fulfillment when that thing does what it was made to do. Of what use is a guitar that makes no music? What would be the point of turning on a lamp and then throwing a heavy blanket over it. It might still be a lamp, but it provides no light. (It only serves as a fire hazard!) Form and function are intimately connected.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches that the same is true of discipleship. He wants us to see that being a disciple and acting as a disciple are intimately connected. When God called us to faith, he declared that we were something new: light, salt, his children. Jesus now encourages us to be what God says we are, so that God might bless the world through us. As Jesus speaks to us, he means to mold our will to his own.

God bless your worship.

Pastor Adam Mueller will preach on 1 Peter 2:9-12 “You are God's People”

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