“FOR THE FRUITS OF HIS CREATION"

1 Thessalonians 5:1–11         ¹Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. ²For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. ³While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

            The problem with law and gospel is that we might take it as I don't have to follow the law because God will just forgive us or has already forgiven us, so let's go out sinning boldly.   On the other hand without the gospel we would feel that there is no hope and we are all doomed, for the law demands death for all who cannot follow it.  And, on another hand without the law we would not appreciate the gospel because we would all feel like we deserve it.  The truth..., mercy is withholding what we do deserve (LAW), and grace is giving us what we don't deserve (GOSPEL).

            Do you love Jesus? Then feed His sheep.  God has given you everything you have, even those things we want to take the glory for by saying we worked for it.  Yes, we did work for what we have, but we would not have anything if God had not created the materials to make what we have.  We would not even be able to work for what we have if God did not give us the talents to perform our vocation, career, trade, craft, etc...  We were born with our gifts, and God has given us a free will to choose how we use those gifts.  Choose wisely dear brothers and sisters in Christ.

            Matthew 25:14–18 ¹⁴“For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. ¹⁵To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability.  Then he went away. ¹⁶He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. ¹⁷So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. ¹⁸But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money.

            Some will use their talents, and some will try and hide them even from themselves.  When we use and share what God has given us we prosper, and God rewards us “Well done, good and faithful servant."  When we have used in good faith what God has given us we earn the trust of our Lord and he entrusts us with more.   However when we do not use our gifts and talents God has given us, or we use them for only our own gain, our Lord God takes on a whole different view of us and does not always protect us from the impending dangers that lurk about this world. 

            Pick up your bibles tonight and read through the some of the major prophets or minor prophets it really doesn't matter which ones or read the books of 1st and 2nd Kings.  When you read these books of the bible you will see that every time God's people stopped using what He gave them their world came apart and they lost what they had and when they humbled themselves to follow God's plan He rewarded them.

            Do you love Jesus?  Then feed His sheep.  We have many gifts to use both in talents and monetary.  When we work together and everyone pitches in then God has accomplished His will and continues to accomplish great things through us and the reward He will give us will be growth.  

            The question we really need to ask ourselves is do we want to bury our church so it won't grow or do we want to use OUR GOD GIVEN TALENTS and gifts to invest in the growth of God's kingdom of heaven and growth of our congregation?  If you snooze you lose.

            Matthew 25:14–18 ²⁹For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. ³⁰And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

            I am not saying that some do not use their gifts; you do and you know who you are and I and the rest of the congregation appreciate all you do.   I'm also not saying we need to do more.  What I am saying is that we all need to pitch in both young and old because along with God we are it.  And with God on our side we have and can do great things.  We need to be the people that were given the five or two talents.  So we work together to invest what God has given us and put our faith in God that He will help us grow.  If we snooze we lose.  Do you love Jesus?  Then feed His sheep.

            Zephaniah 1:7–16      ⁷Be silent before the Lord God!  For the day of the Lord is near; the Lord has prepared a sacrifice and consecrated his guests.

            What drives me is knowing what God has given me, and knowing people like Pauline Bitonti, who knowing the Lord's gifts to her joyfully praised and thanked God through worship and action, through tithing and giving back to further God's will for this congregation and for God's kingdom in heaven.  Pauline would be the first to say the glory all goes to God.  For the fruits of His creation is to continue building His glory through the Church.

            The glory of God is Jesus Christ who worked through His disciples and spread His good news across an undeserving world.  Not for the sake of showing the world it was not deserving, rather to show the world it has a creator who is higher than just being a higher being who created and then left his creation.  Our Lord Jesus Christ showed us a God of deep love for what He created for Himself, and that is you and me and all of the people on this world. 

            Christ died to save us all through forgiveness knowing that those people in the world will follow Him and crying over those in the world who choose not to.  But the Hope is this, that Christ leaves the door open so that all become believers and salvation can be shared among all of God's children.

            Christ suffered and died for the hope that we will know that He also gifted all believers with not just eternal life but an eternal relationship with our God producing in us eternal joy.  Amen.