Sidney UMC - All-Saints Sunday/Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost - 11/06/22 - Sermon - “What It Means To Be A Saint!"

Sunday 11/06/22 - Sidney UMC 

Sermon Title: “What It Means To Be A Saint!”                                          

Old Testament Scripture: Psalm 149                                     

New Testament Scripture: Ephesians 1:11-23

Gospel Lesson: Luke 6:20-31

         I have remembered since I was a young child hearing my mother and other people say of someone, “boy, they are a saint.” When I was younger and I did not really know what a saint was, what I did figure out was that a saint was someone who was a really good, kind, and a loving person. So, in hearing throughout my life, things like “That John is a saint,” or “That Martha is a saint,” the person or persons making these statements were clearly speaking highly of those people.

          In fact, I have never heard of anyone who has gotten offended by being called a saint. We even have a professional football team in New Orleans called the Saints. We have churches named after saints. Most people that I have talked to then, think that being a saint is a good thing. I have called people saints, as well. Maybe you have too. I have never had someone respond by saying, “Pastor Paul I am so offended that you called me saint!” It is like the highest water mark that person can be. If you are saint, you are kind, loving, selfless, and Godly. Who wouldn’t want to be saint?

          Like I said, as a young child I did not really understand what a saint was, as far as a definition in the dictionary, other than they were good and Godly people. So how can we define what a saint is then? Here is one definition that I found of what a saint is:

In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term saint depends on the context and denomination. In Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, Oriental Orthodox, and Lutheran doctrine, all of their faithful deceased in Heaven are considered to be saints, but some are considered worthy of greater honor or emulation. Official ecclesiastical recognition, and consequently a public cult of veneration, is conferred on some denominational saints through the process of canonization in the Catholic Church or glorification in the Eastern Orthodox Church after their approval (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint).

          So, everyone in heaven that has gone on before us is a saint, but some Christian denominations elevate select individuals to be saints that are more highly viewed and or venerated. The reason for this, is because these saints, like the first disciples of Jesus, for example, are seen as the highest role models of living the Christian life. This is why churches are named after saints. Yet, all people that go on to be with Christ in eternity are saints.

          This past Tuesday November 1^st in many church calendars was All Saint’s Day, as Halloween in the church is All Hallows Eve. All Hallows Eve, which is the same day as Halloween, is day to remember the saints and all people who have gone on before us. Then the day after All Hallows Eve, or All Saints Day, is the day to celebrate and remember those saints that have gone on before us. Some Christian traditions then have another day on November 2^nd called all Souls Day, where they continue to remember those that have went on before us.

          The reason then that we are having our All-Saints Day service this morning, and the reason we are using our Tuesday All Saints Day lectionary scriptures, is because we usually do not have a Tuesday All Saints Service. We could, but I do not think that we would get a massive turnout. As a result, many churches, like ours celebrate All Saints Day, as All Saints Sunday, because this when we generally worship.

          Given this, what is All Saint’s Day? It is a specific day in the life of the church to celebrate and remember all those saints that have gone on before us. Since I gave the definition of a saint, I have answered what my sermon title is pointing at for this morning. We know what the definition of a saint is. Yet, do we all really want to be a saint? Do we really want to live and love in the ways that would make the world see us as saint? Is being a saint easy? Or does being a saint mean that we might suffer and or experience pain and persecution?

          Again, everyone in heaven is a saint, and we all saints in training. Over the centuries though, some Christian Churches have selected special people to be saints, as special role models. Or maybe we could call them bright lights in dark places. Many churches are named after the original disciples, like St. Marks, St. John’s, St. Andrew’s, etc.

          The reality though, is that some saints suffered more than many of us may ever know. Some saints were martyred for there faith, like the first recorded martyr in the Book of Acts, Saint Stephen. Some of the most revered men and women throughout the history of the church are people that suffered greatly. One of my heroes, Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta, worked in the slums of Calcutta, India. She saw and experienced suffering that most people cannot even imagine. Some saints were fed to lions in the Roman Colosseum. Some were burned alive, crucified, crucified upside down, and some lost everything for Christ. Some of these bright lights in dark places, like Rev. Billy Graham, are people that many look up to.

          This level of faith, I think is something that is becoming more and more rare in our culture. How many of us would lay down everything for Christ? How many of us would live through suffering and great persecution for Christ. You see many of the saints in the church that we revere suffered greatly. While everyone who is in Christ is a saint, the saints who have churches named after them, often suffered greatly. Are willing to live our faith like that?

          In the first couple of the centuries of the Christian Church, it grew like wildfire, as the Christians were willing to go to places that no one would go to. Christians cared for people with the plague, and sometimes died as a result. Christians took in widows and orphans, and their numbers grew because of the great love that they had for each other, and for everyone. Are we willing to have love that? To proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, to serve, to feed, to care? This is why the church grew so rapidly, because if the saints were willing to go those extremes for Christ in the service of others, well then Jesus must be our Lord and Savior. Why else would anyone go to such lengths to spread the love of Christ?

          In our reading from Psalm 149 for this morning, the Psalmist says once again in 149:4:

⁴ For the Lord takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with victory    (Ps. 149:4, NRSV).

          Christians that take and live the gospel fully, should not be surprised when it changes people and it changes the world. They should not be surprised when their church grows, and when lives are changed.

          In the Apostle Paul’s Epistle or letter to the church in Ephesus, or the Ephesians for this morning, the Apostle Paul reminds us of why those first Christians had so much faith. Even under the heaviest persecution and oppression, those first Christians realized, as it says starting in Ephesians 1:11, once again:

¹¹ In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, ¹² so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. ¹³ In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; ¹⁴ this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory (Eph. 1:11-14, NRSV).

 

          The first Christians believed in Jesus, and believed in eternity with him. So much so that they were willing to put it all on the line for the gospel. Many of these saints might have their name above the doors of a church, but imagine what they may have gone through for Jesus? Would we be willing to sacrifice and live like that for Christ?

          The Apostle Paul continues on picking up in Ephesians 1:15, citing saints, saying once again:

¹⁵ I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason ¹⁶ I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers, ¹⁷ that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, ¹⁸ so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may perceive what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, ¹⁹ and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power                                      (Eph. 1:15-19, NRSV).

          The Apostle praises the church in Ephesus, or the Ephesians, for their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and their love for all the saints. The Apostle Paul tells them of their glorious inheritance among the saints. If we believe, we can change the world now, and we will be with Christ and the saints in glory. The Apostle Paul then reminds the church in Ephesus or the Ephesians that God raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand, which is what the Apostle’s Creed says. The Apostle Paul then says that Jesus has power and dominion over all things and all people. Faith like that, believing that Jesus Christ is Lord, is Risen, and offers us eternal life. So ingrained was this belief in the early church that those saints were willing to lay down their lives so that people would know Christ. So ingrained was this belief that the first Christians would stop at nothing to serve, love, heal, so that world would be changed, and people would know Jesus. What started as a persecuted religious sect in places like Rome, has grown into the biggest religion in the world.

While Roman Emperors tried to kill many of the Christians, eventually Christianity became the dominant religion in the Roman Empire. This is why the Bible and Roman Catholic masses were in Latin for hundreds of years. This is also why the largest Christian denomination in the world, the Roman Catholic Church, is headquartered in Vatican City, in Rome. The Roman Empire tried to destroy the Christian faith, but the gospel transformed the Roman Empire. Christians were once tortured, thrown to lions, and crucified, and now the leader of the largest denomination in the world, Pope Francis, is headquartered in Rome. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the hope of the world.

          I also do not think that it is a mistake that for our All-Saints Day readings that were given a portion of Jesus’ “Sermon on the Plain,” which is similar to his “Sermon on the Mount.” In this portion from Jesus’ “Sermon on the Plain” from Luke 6:20-31 for this morning, once again, Jesus says:

“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. ²¹ “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. “Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. ²² “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. ²³ Rejoice on that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven, for that is how their ancestors treated the prophets                                       (Lk. 6:20-23, NRSV).

          Jesus is telling the disciples and us to live and love radically. When we do this, people will come to know to Christ, and the world will be changed. Jesus continues on starting in Luke 6:24 saying, once again:

²⁴ “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. ²⁵ “Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry. “Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep. ²⁶ “Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets. ²⁷ “But I say to you who are listening: Love your enemies; do good to those who hate you; ²⁸ bless those who curse you; pray for those who mistreat you. ²⁹ If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. ³⁰ Give to everyone who asks of you, and if anyone takes away what is yours, do not ask for it back again. ³¹ Do to others as you would have them do to you                   (Lk. 6:24-31, NRSV).

          Challenging teachings from Jesus, but when we strive to live and love like this, then we are truly the saints that God has called us to be. To live like Christ, to preach Christ, and to care for others like Christ, this is “What It Means To Be A Saint!” Friends, do we want to be saints on this All-Saints Sunday? Amen.