Sunday 07/26/26 – Adams Village Baptist Church
Sermon Title: “Growing to Maturity/Kingdom Impact (Building up the church to build up the world)” – “The Better Together: Building the Body” - Sermon Series – (Part 3 and 4) – 1 Corinthians 1:18, Matthew 5:1-16
(Cover
Picture – Sermon on the Mount)
On Sunday June 28th, we started a new four-week
sermon series here at AVBC called “The Better Together: Building the Body” sermon
series. The general idea behind this sermon series is that we all have gifts
and graces from God that we can use to make the world better. We have various spiritual
gifts, we have various general gifts, like being good at sports, music, etc.
What do we do with the natural gifting that God has given us? Further, do we
know fully what all our gifts are? Some of us might be very aware of what are gifts
are not, but what has God given us in the way of gifts and graces? Graces can
be defined as “Free, unearned gifts and inner divine powers given by God to
people. They help humans grow closer to God, find strength to do good things,
and receive forgiveness and eternal life” (https://www.google.com/search?q=definition+of+spiritual+graces).
Maybe in school, some of us were great at math, and maybe
some of us were not. Some of us loved history or social studies, and some did
not. Some of us loved Physical Education, and some did not. Some loved cross
country and track and field, and some loved watching in the bleachers. Some
were drawn to music or theater, some to computers, some to prepare for work in
a trade, the military, college, etc. We are all different, but we are all
united in Jesus Christ. The many gifts and graces that we have come together in
this church, so that we can fulfill the mission of our church. The mission of
the Adams Village Baptist Church which in printed in our bulletin, once again
is:
OUR MISSION:
“We are a Christ-Like community where
people are inspired to share their time and talent to glorify God and
experience His love as they grow in faith and fellowship”.
Not all of us are called to preach, to sing, to construct,
to administrate, etc., but we all have gifts and graces, and God has given them
to all of us. On the entrance table to the Sanctuary for this morning, we have
the “Spiritual Gifts Survey” that I put out a few weeks ago. This “Spiritual
Gifts Survey” has 80-statements that you put a number 1-5 in to help you
determine or understand more your spiritual gifts. You can chart this out, and
this survey will tell you more the spiritual gifts God has given you. Why is
this important? It’s important, so that everything God has given you around gifts
and graces, you can then use to the glory of Jesus Christ not only at the Adams
Village Baptist Church, but in the world.
In my opinion a good pastor or priest in some ways is like
a coach. We teach, we lead, but we are called to help lead people closer to
Christ, to empower them, and the to strengthen their gifts and grace. As a result
of this, we all get better, and our faith and impact get better. Or another way
to say it is this, leaders help create and grow leaders. Leaders want the best in
a person to grow, to be sharpened, and homed in on. Leaders want you to be the best
God has made you to be, so that this church and the world is better because of
you and the gifts and graces that God has given you.
In the first two weeks of this sermon series, we discussed different spiritual gifts, as well gifts and graces in general. On the third week, I was off, as I created this sermon series months ago. As the saying goes through, “We make plans, and God laughs”. Last week, we were blessed to have our ABCNYS Executive Minister Rev. Jerrod Hugenot here to preach, so the last two Sundays were “the best sermons that I never gave”. As a result, I am going to tie together, what was originally a four-week sermon series together this morning. In combining then my last two sermons for this sermon series, my message this morning is called, “Growing to Maturity/Kingdom Impact (Building up the church to build up the world)”. The idea behind this final sermon in this “The Better Together: Building the Body” sermon series is how can we further grow, discover, and use our gifts and graces here and everywhere? The reality is my friends, the world needs you, needs your gifts, need your love, and Jesus has called us all to serve and love like him.
(1
Corinthians 1:18 – Cross Picture)
In our first scripture
this morning, from the Apostle Paul’s letter or epistle, which is a fancy word
for letter, he tells the church in Corinth or the Corinthians in 1:18, this
once again:
Christ the Power and
Wisdom of God
18 For the message
about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are
being saved it is the power of God (1 Cor. 1:18, NRSV).
As you have heard me say before, the center of the church,
and the center of the Christian faith is Jesus. Jesus is the person of God that
came to earth, taught us, loved us, died for us, rose again, and showed us the
way to live and love. Now of course we read in Matthew 22:37-40, this of Jesus:
37 He said to him, ‘“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’ (Mt. 22:37-40, NRSV).
The question then, is what does the world look like if we
were all to fully love God and our neighbor as ourselves? My answer to this, is
“The Sermon on the Mount”
(Jesus – Sermon
on the Mount Picture)
My main preaching
scripture for this morning is the gospel of Matthew 5:1-12 with Matthew 5:13-16
added in, commonly called “The Sermon on the Mount”. Some churches that I have
served have asked me to annually to give a sermon on giving, and when I have, I
have jokingly called that sermon, “The Semon on the Amount”. In this picture we
have actor Jonathon Roumie, who portrays Jesus in the show “The Chosen”. If you
have not seen “The Chosen” I strongly encourage you all to watch it, as it is great.
It is one of the most accurate depictions of Jesus. Now “The Sermon on the Mount”
is only in the gospel of Matthew, but there is a shorter version of this in the
gospel of Luke called, “The Sermon on the Plain,” as Jesus gave this on a plain
or flat area and not on a mountain.
Outside then of the love God and love your neighbor as yourself,
“The Sermon on the Mount” is considered by many scholars to be the most comprehensive
single body of Jesus’ moral and ethical teaching. What does Jesus say, once
again in Matthew 5:1-12, with Matthew 5:13-16 added in again? Here it is:
(Jesus – Sermon
on the Mount Picture)
The Beatitudes
5 When Jesus saw
the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came
to him.
2 Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
3 ‘Blessed are the
poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 ‘Blessed are those
who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 ‘Blessed are the
meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 ‘Blessed are those
who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7 ‘Blessed are the
merciful, for they will receive mercy.
8 ‘Blessed are the
pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 ‘Blessed are the
peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
10 ‘Blessed are those
who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven.
11 ‘Blessed are you
when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against
you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be
glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted
the prophets who were before you (Mt. 5:1-11, NRSV).
Salt and Light
13 ‘You are the salt
of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be
restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled
under foot. 14 ‘You are the light of the world. A city built on
a hill cannot be hidden. 15 No one after lighting a lamp
puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to
all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine
before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your
Father in heaven (Mt.
5:13-16, NRSV).
Here is another picture
of actor Jonathon Roumie in “The Chosen” depicting Jesus, preaching “The Sermon
on the Mount”. In this scene of “The Sermon on the Mount” being deliver the
highest moral and ethical standards of Jesus Christ our Lord are being taught.
A level of love, forgiveness, care, and selflessness that many of strive after
our lives in our faith in Christ. This idea that when the fullness of God’s Kingdom
comes to this earth, when Christ returns will a scene of perfection, of mercy,
of righteousness, justice, and hope. The world as Christians that we are
striving to build and create through the Holy Spirit will come to full fruition.
(Sermon on
the Mount – Words Picture)
Here is picture of many
of key words in Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount”. In fact, in the Old Testament
Book of Isaiah, or the Prophet Isaiah, we hear in chapter 11:1-9 this prophetic
scripture of what it will be like on “the day of the Lord,” that day of Jesus’
return”:
The
Peaceful Kingdom
11 A shoot shall come out from the
stock of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. 2 The
spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and
understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the
fear of the Lord. 3 His delight shall be in the fear of
the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his
ears hear; 4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and
decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with
the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
5 Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and
faithfulness the belt around his loins. 6 The wolf shall live
with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion
and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them.
7 The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down
together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 The nursing
child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its
hand on the adder’s den.
9 They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for
the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover
the sea (Isa. 11:1-9,
NRSV).
If you ever struggle with
the evils and bad realities of this world, so do I sometimes. Yet, we have a
promise from Christ that we do not labor in vain. Amen. Our VBS kids and adults
this past Tuesday and Wednesday night assembled twenty-five “brave bags” for
kids that are struggling with abuse and difficulty. Does this solve the problem
that these bags might ease just a little? No, but we are called to be salt and
light. We are called to be love, when there is precious little. For this is why
Christ came. When we as people, and when we as the church do this, you will see
a church revived, growing, strong, and steadfast. Why? Because we do this
together, and when we combine all our spiritual gifts, and all our gifts and graces
together, we are pushing back against everything in this world that is seeking
to tear down mercy, righteousness, holiness, kindness, and love. I don’t know
about you, but I seek every day to be part of this push back, and I believe in
our country we need another Jesus movement. A movement where we radically love
and serve Christ, by radically loving and serving each other. This, my brothers
and sisters, is the answer, I believe for any church that is struggling,
shrinking, and potentially thinking they won’t make. God has given us everything
we need to continue to be everything that Adams Village Baptist Church has
always been. For we stand in a line of heroes, and we stand on the shoulders of
Giants.
(Sermon on
the Mount – Constitution of the Kingdom Picture)
This all comes together as the “Constitution of the Kingdom,”
as “The Sermon on the Mount” “outlines the spiritual laws and principles taught
by Jesus in Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7” (https://www.google.com/search?q=the+consitution+of+the+kingdom&oq=the+consitution+of+the+kingdom).
Remember that Jesus said
everything in the Old Testament Laws and all the prophets of the Old Testament,
like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, etc., can all be summed by loving God with
everything you have, and loving your neighbor as yourself. This my brothers and
sisters is the fullness of the Kingdom of God that Jesus brought further into
being when came to earth. The same Kingdom of God that we are called to pursue
and work towards with all our various gifts and graces while we are on earth,
until Christ comes to usher in the fullness of God’s Kingdom. For on that day
as it says in Isaiah 11:6:
6 The wolf shall
live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the
lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them (Isa. 11:6, NSRV).
So, what is the answer I
think for us and for churches in 2026? The same answer that it was two-thousand
years ago, Jesus, His Gospel, and His love. For Jesus Christ and His gospel are
the hope of the world. The gifts and grace that you have, that I have, that
your friends and family have are needed in this community and this world, for
Christ has called us all to serve Him.
Some application points of how we can take this “Growing to
Maturity/Kingdom Impact (Building up the church to build up the world)” – “The
Better Together: Building the Body” - sermon series out the door with us, and
to our annual church picnic, here some take aways from “The Sermon on the Mount.”
These are ways that we can continue to learn, to grow, and take this into Adams
and world:
“The Sermon on the
Mount is Jesus' longest recorded teaching, found in Matthew chapters 5 to 7. It
holds immense significance because it defines Christian discipleship, reshapes
the understanding of God's law, and outlines kingdom ethics”.
Core
Teachings and Structure
·
The Beatitudes: Opens with blessings for the humble,
merciful, and peacemakers, shifting focus to inner character.
·
Fulfilling the Law: Jesus explains that he came to
fulfill the law by addressing the heart behind actions (like anger and lust)
rather than just outward rules.
·
Practical Ethics: Includes famous concepts like the
Golden Rule, the Lord’s Prayer, and instructions to love and pray for enemies.
Spiritual and Historical
Impact
·
Redefining Power: Contrasts worldly power with
humility, love, and radical forgiveness.
·
Universal Influence: Shapes non-violent resistance
movements and global ethical frameworks outside of Christianity.
·
Heart Transformation: Serves as a mirror showing human
limitation while pointing believers toward grace and spiritual renewal.
(https://www.google.com/search?q=the+significance+of+the+sermon+on+the+mount).
Our faith in Christ, our walk with Christ, and our ability
to live this out as people, and as a church, I believe through the power of the
Holy Spirit will guide this church to a brighter and brighter future. Imagine
what God will do, as many of us have seen what He has already done. May we use
are gifts and graces this day and always, for Christ has called us to serve and
love like Him. Amen.
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