[Propertalk] Fwd: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Epiphany 4A

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-------- Original message --------From: Judy <judy_boli at ecunet.org> Date: 1/27/17  10:59 AM  (GMT-10:00) To: Propertalk <propertalk.topic at ecunet.org> Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Epiphany 4A 


Dear Friends,

 

This Sunday’s sermon is entitled “God’s Way to
Happiness” and deals with the gospel (Matthew 5:1-12).  Here it is: 

 (Part 2)

6: “God blesses those people who want to obey
him more than to eat or drink.  They will
be given what they want!”  This is the
beatitude that really can get to many of us, because we really like to
eat.  Anybody else like that- you can
tell what time it is by what our stomach is saying?  God needs to come even before food and
drink.  Don’t be a “convenience
Christian”- someone who comes to church if it isn’t too hot, too cold, too
early, too late, too inconvenient because they need to cook, they were up late
and need to sleep, etc.  Put God first if
you truly want to be happy.

 

7: “God blesses those people who are
merciful.  They will be treated with
mercy!”  Here’s “what goes around comes
around.”  Don’t expect God to forgive you
if you refuse to forgive your enemy

 

8: “God blesses those people whose hearts are
pure. They will see him!”  What’s the opposite
of pure?  Think in terms of food?  The opposite of pure is poisoned.  What poisons the human heart?  Bitterness, anger, jealousy- all those
negatives.  Once we realize this, it’s
easy to see why a poisoned heart can’t see God- they’d never recognize him- not
in a neighbor, not in the Bible or in Holy Communion, not even in a
miracle.  Why?  They’d be too busy criticizing the neighbor,
the Bible, the church service, and they’d think the miracle was an accident!

 

9: “God blesses those people who make
peace.  They will be called his
children!”  Nothing to say here- love (in
other words- want what’s best for) your enemy. 


 

10: “God blesses those people who are treated
badly for doing right.  They belong to
the kingdom of heaven.”  Alexander
Hamilton (one of our country’s founding patriots) said: “Those who stand for
nothing will fall for anything.”  You
know what’s right- live it.  Doing so may
not be easy, may not make you popular, but you’ll have a clear conscience;
you’ll be able to sleep at night.  Have
the courage to stand up for what you know is right.

 

If
you do all these things, what’s in it for you? 
Day by day, a better life.  In
closing, listen to the words Mahatma Gandhi (one of Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr.’s mentors):

“Keep your thoughts positive because your thoughts become
your words.

 Keep your words
positive because your words become your behaviors.

 Keep your behaviors
positive because your behaviors become your habits.

 Keep your habits
positive because your habits become your values.

 Keep your values
positive because your values become your destiny.”

 

For anyone who is
interested, this sermon and updated African-American wisdom statements are
posted on our parish’s web site under “Sermons & Stuff”. The address is: http://www.stpaulsepisag.org .

 

Blessed preaching,

Judy Boli

St. Paul's Episcopal Church

Saginaw, Michigan





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