Sermon (May 10) - "Friends"
I John 5:1-6
WARNING: My main text for this Sunday will be the Gospel lesson and not this scripture, but it's still important! :)
This passage is seeking to help Christians know who they are, who the Lord is, and how we know these things to be true.
It is only the Spirit who can help us understand these truths. We cannot understand these things by only focusing on the wisdom of the world.
God's love is the source of who we are and how we are to obey. When we place our trust and faith in Jesus Christ, this leads to the church as a whole being transformed by God's love.
John 15:9-17
ATTENTION: This will be my main text for Sunday's sermon! :)
Similar to our I John reading, the Gospel writer wants us to know that belief in Christ is what leads us to love others. Like the previous passage about the vine and the branches, the key is for us to stay connected with Christ. This will lead to a strong connection with one another.
Our connection with Christ means that we are known as "friends" to one another. Notice the brilliant sermon title for this Sunday. :)
What does it mean for people in the church and fellow Christians to say that they are friends? What does it mean to be a friend to each other in the church?
Think about Jesus' words that we did not choose God, but God chose us. This is very humbling and it reminds us that God's grace always precedes our commitment to Christ. The baptism of infants illustrates this in a beautiful way since they are not of an age t publicly confess their faith. As the church provides nurture and love in the Christian way of life, there will be times later in life when that child will be prompted to accept his/her faith.
[Note: The resources used for these scripture reading commentaries are based on the Everyone series by NT Wright, Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary, The Wesley Study Bible, and the “Montreal-Anglican”lectionary commentaries.]
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