The Bethany Bullet Sermon Message - Week of September 23, 2018

Sermon: “Father, They’re Copying Me! – Forming Spiritually”

Text: James 1:16-18

The Bethany Blueprint affirms the Biblical Truths that it is God who called us!  By the power of the Spirit at work in the waters of Baptism and the Word of the Lord we have been called to faith, called to a person trust in Jesus, called by name and called God’s own beloved children. 

It was through Jesus that God proved His love for us.  By Jesus’ perfect and righteousness life, His innocent suffering and death, and His holy and precious blood we have come to know the love of God; a love that moved Him to be gracious unto us for the sake of Jesus.  This God has also empowered us to live in and for Him; and the blueprint provides the layout for how that is done.  Through worship, formation, service, giving and sharing, we live our lives in and for Him.   The Blueprint therefore provides a picture of the people we want to be.  However, it also provides a picture of the person Jesus was.

Jesus formed spiritually, that is He “grew in wisdom and stature and favor with God and with others.” (Luke 2)  Jesus did so as He memorized and meditated upon the Word; as He spent time alone with His Father; and as He spent time in the company of other children of God.

V  Jesus, who is the Eternal Logos (Word) and the Incarnate Word, who moved prophets, poets and patriarchs to record the Old Testament, whose own life was the content of the Gospel’s and whose teachings were the basis of the epistles, Himself meditated upon and memorized the Scriptures.  If Jesus, the Eternal Word and Incarnate Word spent time in the Word.  If Jesus did so, how much more so ought we if we are to Form Spiritually?

V  Jesus, who is One with the Father, existing in perfect harmony and unity, still found it necessary to ‘escape’ the noise of earth and connect with His Father in heaven.  Think of the number of times the disciples go off looking for Jesus, uncertain of His whereabouts only to find Him off praying in the wilderness.  Even Mary and Joseph experienced this on that one occasion to hear Jesus say, “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”  If Jesus did so, how much more so ought we if we are to Form Spiritually?

V  Jesus, who is Israel reduced to one, the epitome of Christianity, connected with other believers – not just to give but also to receive – (Jesus received economic support from a host of NT women, one disciple in particular He connected to emotionally (the disciple whom He loved) one disciple in particular He connected to ‘professionally’ (the disciple whom He called the ‘rock’ and told to ‘feed His sheep.’)  Jesus even received encouragement for what lay ahead from saints of old, Moses and Elijah, who themselves had walked the lonely path of obedience.  If Jesus did so, how much more so ought we if we are to Form Spiritually?

-Pr. Kevin Kritzer