All Saints Day
Sunday, 2, November, 2003
Isaiah 26:1-4
Revelation 21:9-11, 22-27 [22:1-5]
Matthew 5:1-12
Psalm 34:1-9
Sermon: (Frank Eberhardt)
Saints. Abraham was the father of the faith. Sarah showed a woman's virtue. There was Saint Paul. David. Peter.
If you share God's love, you are a saint. Saint Francis Asisi prayed "make me an instrument of your peace." Enoch walked with God. He was a saint.
A saint is one who believes in Jesus. One epistle is written "to the saints in Phillipi." But the saints had problems with one another. They were saints who didn't have their act together. If you just look at a saint, you wouldn't think that saints were perfect. Saint Paul was once Saul, a guy who persecuted the church. Saint John once asked Jesus to rain down fire and brimstone on a village.
You're not a saint because you are perfect. A saint is one who takes you to Jesus. A forgiven sinner is a saint. Saints are works in progress. God has started the work. One day it will be completed. Your will and God's will may be different. God sends struggling people into a struggling world. We are utterly dependent on God. A meek person knows that God is in power and in control. A meek person is not a doormat. God doesn't give us the black and white, he sends us out into the world, to look at it through the gospel. We look through the gospel and see the goodness of God. We are called to be peacemakers. He sends His people out, even though they may be persecuted. People need Jesus. The prophets are persecuted. God will be with us, regardless. God says we are saints.