Can we really be like Jesus?

Date: September 25, 2011

Liturgical Sunday: Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost

RCL Scripture: Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16; Exodus 17:1-7; Philippians 2:1-13; Matthew 21:23-32

Sermon Title: Can we really be like Jesus?

Knox Presbyterian [audio:https://wordsfromthemiddle.ca/wp-content/uploads/110925_-_knox.mp3|titles=Can we really be like Jesus?]

St. Mark’s Presbyterian [audio:https://wordsfromthemiddle.ca/wp-content/uploads/110925_-_St_Marks.mp3|titles=Can we really be like Jesus?]

Another week, another question and another answer.

As anyone who has listened to me preach for an extended time will tell you, I spend a lot of time reminding all of us about the Incarnation, i.e. the mystery of Jesus Chris being fully human and fully divine at the same time. There are several places in Scripture that we can go to see this but one of the very best is our Philippians reading. I return to this text somewhat frequently, for example it is one of my favourite “beginning of Lent” texts.

The main point of this week’s sermons is that the answer to the titles’ question is Yes. We can be like Jesus – not in his divinity or anything like that – we can have the same attitude that he did. We, too, can decide that it is less important to hold on to our appropriate and reasonable prerogatives than to minister to the world around us.

Have a great week,

Barry

PS If your particular avenue of access to these sermons forces you to listen to them using the built-in audio player and you would prefer a different option, please click here to download the sermons as MP3 files.

PPS If you are ever interested in seeing what is coming up or to look back and see what hymns were used in a particular Sunday, the link above will take you to the little website I made for both congregations that has Scripture, hymns and sermon title. If you would like more, just let me know and I am sure I can get you a pdf or some such thing of the service bulletin.