9/15/2024: Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost

THE NEED FOR FOLLOWERSHIP

“We need better leadership!” Have you ever said that? Perhaps you were frustrated with the direction being taken by some elected official or by management at your workplace or by the coach of your favorite team. You were frustrated because you know that no matter how many resources an organization has, it will flounder if leaders do not lead well: providing direction, training, motivation, coordination, encouragement, and even grace. Leadership is extremely important. And so, there are times we lament, “We need better leadership!”

Jesus Christ is the leader of our congregation, our home, our lives. And his leadership is perfect in every way. Therefore, when things are amiss in any of those arenas, what is needed is not better leadership, but better followership. In this series, we ask Christ to empower us with his Spirit so that we might better follow his lead. May we better reflect the beauty of his life, better make his priorities our own, and better serve our God and neighbor. Our worship follows this path.

FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST ARE ARMED FOR THE BATTLE

What is the worst war in human history? One might point to World War II, which has the highest death toll of at least 90 million people. Or consider the Three Kingdoms War, which not only resulted in over 40 million deaths but also lasted for most of the third century. There is no end to the sad list of nominations: the Thirty Years War, the Taiping Rebellion, the American Civil War, World War I.

None of those is the correct answer. The worst war in human history began when the first shot was fired in Eden. It has been raging since. It is a war against “spiritual forces of evil” (Ephesians 6:12). This is not a war over land or resources. It is a war for souls. The reality is that there are demonic forces that want to do more than kill you; they want to claim you for all eternity. The good news: Christ has already called you his own and equipped you for this war. Followers of Christ are armed for the battle.

God bless your worship.

Pastor Adam Mueller will preach on Ephesians 6:10-18

Watch service online. (Sunday, 10:45 AM MST)

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