12th Sunday after Pentecost!
Introduction:
1. Our
Matthew text today comes from a section in
Matthew where Matthew is sharing Jesus’ teachings
other than Parables.
2. It starts with Jesus’ sermon on
the mount, but
probably includes various other teachings during
Christ’s ministry.
3. It starts with the beatitudes,
continues with
you’ve heard it said but I say, and continues
with teachings that Jesus shared about living in
the Kingdom of God.
B. Our Country has seen many changes:
1. It used to be a country
centered on God.
2. It used to be a country of the
most productive
people in the world.
3. It used to be a country where
the family was a
precious thing to be protected
and cherished!
C. But in the 60's & 70's came an attitude
that the
hamburger
places realized was catching on, so they
developed
a slogan that reflected it: "Have
It Your
Way!"
D. For a hamburger, this might be a good slogan,
but for
a way of life it may not be worth the cost!
E. Listen closely to this short Proverb, and
let's look
at what it tells us about this attitude and also look
at what Jesus says about this attitude in Matthew.
Prayer
Proverbs 14:12 & Matt. 6:25-33
12
There is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way to death. d 1
I. Let's look at the consequences of the "Have It Your Way”
philosophy.
A.
Let's look for a minute at some of the other things
that came with this philosophy
in the 60's.
1. It was a time of rebellion!
These even broke out
into
riots.
2. It was a time of Hippies and the beginning of
Pot!
3. It was a time when it was said that having to
Submit to authority was a violation of our
rights!
a.
Some rights were violated in the 60's and
Years before.
b.
The civil rights movement came from this
era.
c.
Much good has come from that; I'm not
Talking about this.
d. But all authority was challenged in the
sixties.
1) The authority of the government.
2) The authority of the church.
3) The authority of the family.
4) We don’t know who to trust today!
4. Drugs, Marijuana, LSD, Speed, were big and
Heroine was coming on the scene.
B. Then came the 70's & 80's.
1. Things seemed to settle down a bit.
2. The hippies became parents & the lack of
Discipline, lack of respect, and lack of common
courtesy was taught to their children!
3. This "Have It Your Way" philosophy has led us to
a world were anything goes!
4. Let us list some the results of our "Have It Your
Way" world:
a. Family break down.
b. The teen suicide rate has soared.
c. Kids take guns to school and shoot their
classmates,
and adults do the same in the
work place.
d. Schools where teaching is impossible because
the
kids rule the roost.
e. Child abuse at all time highs.
f. Drug abuse, this includes alcohol and Meth,
at all time highs and often accepted as the
thing to do.
g. Children who are feeling unloved, unwanted,
and feel like their parents are so busy they
would be better off without them.
h. Young adults who are searching everywhere
for happiness but always coming up empty.
i.
Churches becoming places where people fight
And fuss to get their way
instead of loving,
forgiving, and working
together for God=s
way.
j. Frightened children, troubled teens,
searching young adults, and lonely old
people!
B.
If "Having It Our Way" has gotten us here, isn't it
time we found a better?
II. Why not do it God's way?
A. Matt. 6:33 tells us to seek first the kingdom of God!
God's way is always the right
way and the best way for
us!
B. Let's look at some things God's way would have us get
back to.
1.
A person's word; God's way says a Christian
should still be dependable.
2. Family living.
a. God's way says that family is still
important, whether it is a biological
family, an adopted family, a blended family,
or a non-traditional family!
b. We shouldn't get so busy that we don't have
time for the family God has
given us.
c. It is in this basic unit that we have our
greatest influence and our
greatest chance
to make a difference! God would not have us
blow it! God would have us
Love them!
Cherish them!
3. Respect.
a.
God's way says that children aren't the
bosses and parents should be
consistent with loving discipline.
1) Children learn early and try us!
2) It's hard to always be consistent, but
we should try.
b.
We can teach children respect by treating
them with respect, by talking
to them in a way that we would want to be talked to!
c.
God's way says that Christians should
respect each other and try
never to do anything that hurts the church or a brother or sister. Sadly, that
is not always the case in the church!
3. Love.
a.
I am more and more convinced that Jesus
summed up seeking God first
best when asked what is the greatest commandment! “Love God with all your heart and your
neighbor as yourself!”.
b.
John Wesley set as a goal for our Christian
Lives to be “perfected in
Love!”
c.
We need to be more concerned with being
guided by love for God and
love for people!
d.
Love, not judgement, will draw people to
God!
e. Love will
heal our land!
4. Lastly, but not least, Real Commitment to God. If
we Love God, we’ll commit to God!
a. In John 3:3, Christ told Nicodemus that he
could not be in the Kingdom of
God unless he
was "born again."
b. This is the basis of our faith!
1) Our way is selfish, self serving, and
lived for what we think we
want!
2) God's way is tapping into the forgiving
love and changing power of
Christ.
a) It is through Christ that we can be
new persons!
b) Loving persons!
c) With a life worth living!
d) It is dying to ourselves and our
way and being born a new person
that strives for God’s way’ the way
of Love!
Conclusion:
A. In Matt. 16:26, Christ says, "For what will it profit
them if they gain the whole
world but forfeit their
life? Or what will they give
in return for their
life?"
B. Our text says, "There is a way that seems right to a
person, but its end is the way
to death."
C. Are you "Having It Your Way" this morning? As we encounter Christ at the table this
morning, Won't you commit to "Having It God's Way?"
Prayer of Confession
Service of Communion
