This morning at Advent Lutheran Church in Arlington, Texas, we continued our exploration of the Jesus Priorities (a sermon series based on a book with the same title by Christopher Maricle). Today’s priority was “seek God’s will.”
Sermon
My message, “The Best Sermon” was a passage commonly referred to as The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7).
Seeking God’s Will
I preached from this manuscript and, for once, tried to stick to it. You can watch a recording of the livestream here (the sermon begins at 20:12).
Excerpt
Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him,
and he began to teach them.
He said:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.
Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not . . .