Today marks the last Sunday of the church calendar, known as Christ the King/Reign of Christ Sunday.
Next Sunday begins Advent and a new church year. Considering the Reign of Christ gives us pause to think about our participation in God’s kingdom on earth now. We can use this day to reflect on how we participated in kingdom work over the last year … and we can also use it — with imagination — to see areas we might move toward in helping to advance the Kingdom of God during the coming year.
The theme for this week is the why, what, how, and when of kingdom participation.
The selected passages are …
- Psalm 100:1-5, which sets us up to think about why we want to participate in kingdom work and why we praise God at all.
- Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24,which further defines the why by using rich metaphors of a caring shepherd and flock, as well as showing what caring for others looks like.
- Ephesians 1:15-23, where the how of kingdom participation is outlined with a focus on the hope we’ve been called to and the power we’ve been given through Jesus Christ.
- Matthew 25:31-46, where the what, how, and when of kingdom participation is detailed in the well-known metaphor of sheep, goats, and judgment.
OPENING SONGS
SPEAKING OF LIFE
The Why of Praise
Jeff Broadnax
Many people are familiar with Psalm 100. It’s called a “psalm of thanksgiving,” and it encourages the entire earth to “make a joyful noise.” That sounds like a good time to me! But what I want to focus on today is the why – why should we “make a joyful noise?”
Let’s set the stage by reading what we should be doing:
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.
Serve the Lord with gladness; come into his presence with singing.
Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him; bless his name.
Psalm 100:1-4 (NRSVUE)
Notice all the things we “should” be doing – making a joyful noise, serving with gladness, singing, knowing that God is our Creator, and giving thanks and blessings to the Divine. While these verses can be instructional, if you’re like me, you often want to know “why” you need to do something. And by knowing why, it connects the head with the heart. Our actions become linked to heartfelt emotion, and what might have been routine, mindless acts suddenly become infused with meaning.
Let’s look at the last verse of Psalm 100 to understand why we would even consider making a joyful noise, serving with gladness, or any of the other actions the first four verses tell us we should do:
For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever and his faithfulness to all generations.
Psalm 100: 5 (NRSVUE)
The reason we respond with a joyful noise and thanksgiving is because God is good, but verse 5 does more than leave the definition of “good” up to our human imaginations. It defines God’s goodness as “steadfast love” and “faithfulness.”
The phrase “steadfast love,” can be more expansively defined as “kindness or love between people” or the idea of giving yourself fully to another. God gives steadfast love fully to each one of us, and we know this by Jesus’ crucifixion, where God’s Son endured the hatred and mistreatment of humankind so that we could be brought into the triune relationship. We also have evidence of the fullness of God’s steadfast love through the gift of the Holy Spirit, our Helper and Comforter, who lives in us.
The word “faithfulness,” refers to trustworthiness in relationships. God’s way of moving in the world reflects his loyalty and commitment to humanity. This trustworthiness in relationships was demonstrated by Jesus’ commitment to people who were often marginalized in his culture, like women, children, and Gentiles. Jesus went out of his way to encourage, hang out with, and even heal those who had no power or money to offer him. This is God’s way of showing his trustworthy commitment to people while pointing out the problems with man-made systems and cultures.
God’s complete commitment and loyalty to all of humanity is what inspires our praise. When we make that “joyful noise,” it’s because we understand the goodness of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
May we make a joyful noise, knowing the fullness of our triune God’s steadfast love and faithfulness.
I’m Jeff Broadnax, Speaking of Life.
SPECIAL MUSIC
SERMON
It’s Not Just WHAT; It’s Also WHY
Matthew 25:31-46 (NRSVUE)
A. We’ve been talking a lot recently about joining Christ and participating with Him in His ministry?
B. How do we do that?
C. Assuming we’ve found out where He is working, how do we participate with Him in the work that He is doing?
D. Our text today can give us some idea of how we can participate in the ministry of Christ.
E. In our text for today, Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus talks about judgment … but He also gives us some ideas on how we are to participate in the kingdom of God now. Let’s read the passage together:
Matthew 25:31-46
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33 and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. 34 Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, 35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’
37 Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38 And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you or naked and gave you clothing? 39 And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ 40 And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me.’
41 Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You who are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels, 42 for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’
44 Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not take care of you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment but the righteous into eternal life.”
WHAT CAN WE TAKE AWAY? WHAT SHOULD WE TAKE AWAY?
Matthew 25:31-46
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory.
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- When is this taking place?
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32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33 and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left.
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- What do you get from this passage?
- What is happening?
- Who goes on His right hand?
- Who goes on the left?
- Who are the sheep? Who are the goats?
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34 Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world,
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- What does this verse tell us about the sheep?
- So whom do you think are the sheep? Whom do the sheep represent?
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35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’
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- What stands out for you in this verse?
- What is the significance of the word “for” at the beginning of the verse?
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37 Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38 And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you or naked and gave you clothing? 39 And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’
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- What stands out for you in this passage?
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40 And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me.’
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- What stands out for you in this verse?
- Whom do you think the “least of these brothers and sisters” represent?
- Where do they come from?
- What is their relation to the king?
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41 Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You who are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels, 42 for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’
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- What stands out for you?
- What does this verse tell us about the goats?
- So whom do you think are the goats? Whom do the goats represent?
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44 Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not take care of you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment but the righteous into eternal life.”
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- What stands out for you in this passage?
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Related passages …
- 1 Peter 4:17 (NKJV) For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?
- Proverbs 19:17 (NKJV) He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, And He will pay back what he has given.
- Galatians 6:10 (NKJV) Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.
WHAT CAN WE TAKE AWAY?
- What is the passage about? What is happening?
- What is the king doing?
- What is the basis for what he is doing?
- What, for you, is the post-text application?
- What does this passage tell us about how the king views the “least” persons mentioned?
- What does the passage tell us about how we can participate in work of Christ?
WHAT, FOR YOU, IS THE BIGGEST TAKEAWAY?
- For me … God will judge us based on how we treat/relate to people, especially (it seems) those who are less fortunate than we.
CLOSING SONG
CLOSING PRAYER
BENEDICTION
SHARING TIME
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BRAWTA
From Barclay’s commentary on Matthew 25:31-46 …
This is one of the most vivid parables Jesus ever spoke, and the lesson is crystal clear — that God will judge us in accordance with our reaction to human need. His judgment does not depend on the knowledge we have amassed, or the fame that we have acquired, or the fortune that we have gained, but on the help that we have given. And there are certain things which this parable teaches us about the help which we must give.
(i) It must be help in simple things. The things which Jesus picks out — giving a hungry man a meal, or a thirsty man a drink, welcoming a stranger, cheering the sick, visiting the prisoner — are things which anyone can do. It is not a question of giving away thousands of pounds, or of writing our names in the annals of history; it is a case of giving simple help to the people we meet every day. There never was a parable which so opened the way to glory to the simplest people.
(ii) It must be help which is uncalculating. Those who helped did not think that they were helping Christ and thus piling up eternal merit; they helped because they could not stop themselves. It was the natural, instinctive, quite uncalculating reaction of the loving heart. Whereas, on the other hand, the attitude of those who failed to help was; “If we had known it was you we would gladly have helped; but we thought it was only some common man who was not worth helping.” It is still true that there are those who will help if they are given praise and thanks and publicity; but to help like that is not to help, it is to pander to self-esteem. Such help is not generosity; it is disguised selfishness. The help which wins the approval of God is that which is given for nothing but the sake of helping.
(iii) Jesus confronts us with the wonderful truth that all such help given is given to himself, and all such help withheld is withheld from himself. How can that be? If we really wish to delight a parent’s heart, if we really wish to move him to gratitude the best way to do it is to help his child. God is the great Father; and the way to delight the heart of God is to help his children, our fellow-men.
There were two men who found this parable blessedly true. The one was Francis of Asissi; he was wealthy and high-born and high-spirited. But he was not happy. He felt that life was incomplete. Then one day he was out riding and met a leper, loathsome and repulsive in the ugliness of his disease. Something moved Francis to dismount and fling his arms around this wretched sufferer; and in his arms the face of the leper changed to the face of Christ.
The other was Martin of Tours. He was a Roman soldier and a Christian. One cold winter day, as he was entering a city, a beggar stopped him and asked for alms. Martin had no money; but the beggar was blue and shivering with cold, and Martin gave what he had. He took off his soldier’s coat, worn and frayed as it was; he cut it in two and gave half of it to the beggar man. That night he had a dream. In it he saw the heavenly places and all the angels and Jesus in the midst of them; and Jesus was wearing half of a Roman soldier’s cloak. One of the angels said to him, “Master, why are you wearing that battered old cloak? Who gave it to you?” And Jesus answered softly, “My servant Martin gave it to me.”
When we learn the generosity which without calculation helps men in the simplest things, we too will know the joy of helping Jesus Christ himself.
The scripture passage concludes Matthew’s theme of righteousness.
Later verses in Matthew point out that this righteousness doesn’t come from our keeping the law, but from mercy and love for God and others (Matthew 9:13; 22:37-40).
When we focus too much on the scary judgment verses in the passage (Matthew 9:41, 46), we miss important points about what, why, when, and how we participate in the kingdom of God. As we reflect on this scripture passage, let’s consider these ideas:
We can be ignorant of what God’s kingdom looks like: Neither the sheep nor goats recognized what they were doing (or not doing) as participation in the kingdom of God. American theologian and Duke University professor Stanley Hauerwas writes, “The difference between followers of Jesus and those who do not know Jesus is that those who have seen Jesus no longer have any excuse to avoid ‘the least of these.’”
Even as Nikolai in The Three Questions did not see his actions as his intuitive answers to the three questions, we also do not always perceive the mystery that is the kingdom of God at work on earth right now.
The “why” behind our questions and actions matters: Both the sheep and the goats express surprise at the king’s allegations, and both groups ask a similar question: “Lord, when was it that we saw you…” (Matthew 9:37-39, 44). However, their motivation for asking the question was quite different. The sheep acted kindly toward “the least of these” without considering whether they would be rewarded or praised. The goats, on the other hand, ask the question with an unspoken caveat: “if we had only known it was you.” The goats were still trapped in the works and reward mentality, misunderstanding that grace extended to others doesn’t expect anything in return.
Sometimes in our outreach efforts, we are focused more on identifying and serving those we determine to be “the least of these” than we are on expressing the natural compassion that arises as a fruit of the Holy Spirit. New Testament scholar and author Stanley Saunders writes the following:
Even the broadest definition of the least ones, as anyone and everyone in need, carries a similar consequence if the ensuing acts of compassion are motivated by the reward promised in the parable. When motivated extrinsically, in fact, such deeds cease to be ‘compassionate’ at all. They devolve into the kinds of charity that preserve the vulnerability of the least ones in order to confirm the ‘righteousness’ of the benefactors. In other words, as we pursue our quest to identify the least ones, the jaws of the parable snap shut. We discover ourselves in the goat pen.
We can learn from the example of the boy Nikolai in The Three Questions that we often don’t need to look much further than those who cross our paths during the course of ordinary life. Keeping our eyes and ears open to a need that we might be able to meet is one way to answer the questions of what, when, and how we participate in God’s kingdom.
Creating relationships helps prevent us from turning people into projects: When we take time to develop relationships, we find value in caring for others and in being cared for by others. Rather than turning a person into a social justice or evangelism project, we become the hands and feet of Jesus; we wash others’ feet, and sometimes we are the ones lavishly anointed with perfume.
New Testament professor at Wesley Theological Seminary Carla Works writes:
The blessed ones are those who have seen a King who is not like the kings of this world. They are blessed because they know a King who brings real peace, who sees the needy, and who hears the cries of the oppressed. In God’s kingdom, no one is hungry, naked, sick, or alone. To bear witness to Christ as King is to be a messenger of this kingdom – to serve others and thereby profess the invasion of God’s glorious empire.
The who, what, where, and why questions all revolve around our participation with Jesus. He has invited us to join him in what he is doing. He is building relationships with others and often includes us in the process. If we consider the sermon text in conjunction with the children’s book The Three Questions, we learn that the most important time to show kindness and love is now, the most important person is the one we are with now, and the most important action we can take is to do good, whatever that looks like in the situation we are in. The why is always, always a deep love for Christ the King, whom we serve as we live and move on this earth.
Call to Action: Be aware of opportunities to show kindness to someone. Do good within your means and abilities, and then give thanks for a chance to join Jesus in what he is doing – some phrase this as being the hands and feet of Jesus – bringing many sons and daughters to personal relationship with Father, Son and Spirit. In other words, participating with Jesus in doing his work for God’s kingdom on earth.