We live in a world of closed fists. Even clenched fists. Few of us really like it, but we learn to survive in it.
We learn, even, to emulate it.
In this sermon, we explore what Jesus says about our fists…. Well, he’s actually talking about our hearts.
You probably became familiar with the phrase, Semper Fi through the United States Marine Corps. It’s a short version of the Latin, Semper Fidelis. It means always faithful. Or perhaps more literally, “Always marked by fidelity.” The earliest recorded use of the phrase dates back to a town of Abbeville in France almost 700 years ago. The US Marines adopted it in 1883.
It’s a great moto.
Always faithful…. To what? I guess it might mean always faithful to the flag. Or always faithful to the Commander in Chief. Or always faithful to the government – of the people, by the people, and for the people. Or always faithful to one another – as brothers fighting shoulder to shoulder.
Probably all of the above.
At the most basic level, I would hope that Marines – and any other person serving their country – would be faithful to their office.
-What is your office?
-I am a United States Marine, sir.
-Then be true to that office. Act like it.
I would hope that when a Marine says “Semper Fi” he or she is saying, “I am what a Marine is supposed to be.”
And followers of Jesus… we should be what we’re supposed to be.
In this worship service, we look at Fidelity in the kingdom.
In The Sermon on the Mount, Jesus speaks of what life is like in the kingdom.
Something he addresses is the idea of living honorably — honoring God by honoring others.
In this worship service, we discover where to find honor and how to live honorably.
In The Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is showing us what the kingdom looks like. This kingdom derives from a dream – a plan that God had since before the foundation of the world.
You might say that a dream is being realized. The kingdom of God is at hand.
You can be part of the worship service through this video.
Jesus is clear on who the kingdom is made up of.
It’s not made up of people who have pushed the envelope and made themselves righteous. There’s no real room in the kingdom for the self-righteous.
It’s not made up of people don’t care and adopt lawlessness.
Those in the kingdom are those who have a keen sense of right and wrong – a keen sense of light and darkness. And they are disturbed when they see darkness in themselves. They know they cannot personally rid themselves of guilt and shame, but they trust that Christ has done so.
And, in humility, they receive his forgiveness – his righteousness – as their own.
This week’s worship service is online here.
As believers, we are called to be an influence — Salt & Light.