Pastor Sherry’s message for November 2, 2025

Scriptures: Dan 7:1-3, 15-18; Ps 149; Eph 1:11-23; Lk 6:20-31

The story is told of “…a church where the preacher and the minister of music were not getting along. As time went by this began to spill over into the worship service.

“The first week the preacher preached on commitment and how we all should dedicate ourselves to the service of God. The music director lead the song, “I Shall Not Be Moved”.

“The second week the preacher preached on tithing and how we all should gladly give to the work of the Lord. The director lead the song, “Jesus Paid It All”.

“The third week the preacher preached on gossiping and how we should all watch our tongues. The music director led the song, “I Love to Tell the Story”.

“With all this going on, the preacher became very disgusted over the situation and the following Sunday told the congregation that he was considering resigning. The musician led the song, “Oh Why Not Tonight?”.

“As it came to pass, the preacher did indeed resign. The next week he informed the church that it was Jesus who led him there and it was Jesus that was taking him away. The music leader led the song, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”.”

(Rev. Tim Wilson, http://www.preacher’s illustrations,jokes,andquotes.com, 10.30.2025

Now this story is pretty funny, isn’t it?    It’s something we might expect of people who dislike each other.    Thankfully, Bonnie, Joy, and Alice and I all get along well.    I can’t see them trying to sabotage me like the music director in this tale.    I think they know they can just talk to me instead of choosing hymns and songs to put me in my place. 

Today we celebrate All Saints Day, a serious day on the church calendar, a day set aside to remember those faith-filled followers of Jesus Christ who have gone before us. Almost from the beginning of the Church, Christians desired to honor the memories of believers who either lived exemplary lives or who were martyred for their faith.    So who is a saint?

The New Testament refers to believers as saints, hagios—those whose lives set them apart as persons sold out to Jesus. The date of their death was the day set aside to remember them.     However, these holy ones became so numerous over time that it was decided to honor them all on one day set aside each year, the day after “All hallows Eve,” or Halloween.     

Our readings today can all be seen to refer to the saints of the wider Christian Church—the Church throughout history and across denominations.

A. Our Gospel lesson (Luke 6:20-31) contains the Lucan Beatitudes from “The Sermon on the Plain.”  You will remember that Matthew’s beatitudes are embedded in Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount” (Matthew 5-7). Luke’s are a quarter of Matthew’s length (they are briefer).    This sermon takes place on “level” ground (v.17)—Luke sees “the mountain” as a place of prayer for Jesus, while the “plain below” is where Christ goes to be with the people.

Lacking video-taping capabilities, or social media, Jesus taught the same material in a number of different locations or settings.    Non–believers mistakenly assume that because there are discrepancies between the messages, this proves the Bible is a fraud. However, I have worked in churches with multiple services on Sunday, preaching the same sermon several times. My sermon was never exactly the same from service to service! Sometimes it’s due to the differences in the congregation at each service. Sometimes, the Holy Spirit changes the message.    Jesus makes similar points in both sermons, but there are these natural differences between the two.

There was a huge crowd at the Sermon on the Mount. This crowd, too, was apparently quite large and was comprised of apostles, disciples, and people from Judea, Jerusalem, Tyre, and Sidon. It included both Jews and Gentiles, which indicates Jesus’ teachings are meant for all of us.    Interestingly, He healed people and cast out demons prior to this teaching, perhaps as a way of gaining their attention, or of gaining their respect and belief. 

He presented Blessings and Woes (vv.17-26) [also termed “sorrows”]. These are Jesus’ ethical expectations for His followers.    They contain 4 blessings and 4 woes (whereas Matthew lists 9 blessings, and no woes). Jesus is proclaiming how life is to be lived both in and outside of the Kingdom of God.  (They are also very reminiscent of His mother, Mary’s Magnificat from Luke 1:46-55)

Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied.

Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.

Blessed are you when men hate you,      

 when they exclude you and insult you    

and reject your name as evil,  

because of the Son of Man.

Rejoice in that day                                                             

and leap for joy                                                                        

because great is your reward in heaven

for that is how their fathers treated the prophets.

But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort.

Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry.

Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.

Woe to you when all men speak well of you,

for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.

Blessings declare God’s grace and favor to those who are righteous (vv. 20-22), those who act rightly. God has compassion on…

a.) the poor–>Jesus is not excluding the rich (for instance, Zacchaeus, (Lk 19:1-10).    But the poor have a special place in God’s heart because they have to depend upon Him, and because they know they have little control over life.    

I once heard a Bishop from Nigeria (he may have been among the 52,000 Christians murdered by Moslems in Nigeria over the past 4 years) tell us in seminary that we Americans have a wealth of insurance: house, car, life, health, travel, etc., but that Nigerian Christians have no insurance except the love of Jesus.

b.) the hungry usually a result of poverty &/or persecution.

c.) the sad/the dispairing    (often the poor and hungry) God sees them and knows their suffering.

d.)    the persecuted    a choice for Jesus then meant being ejected from the synagogue, meaning they lost their community and their status.

Jesus says they are to rejoice because God’s grace will help them overcome their suffering.

Woes indicate God’s displeasure. They are directed at those who oppose Jesus’ blessing or who persecute His disciples. They consist of 4 descriptions of the same type of person:

a.) the rich because they often take advantage of the poor.    They believe they don’t need God because they have “made it” on their own. They tend to be uncaring toward others.

b.) the well-fed    they will be hungry on Judgment Day.

c.) callous participants in the “good life”    they too will mourn and weep on Judgment Day.

d.) those who prefer men’s good opinion to God’s    they do not see themselves as accountable to the Lord.

A saint tries to live out the Beatitudes.  We demonstrate our set-apartness, our sainthood, by living according to these principles.

B.    Daniel’s vision (Daniel 7:1-12) is prophetic:    It tells of 4 successive empires to rule the known world:    (1) The Babylonians, as depicted by a lion with 2 wings; (2) The Medo-Persians, as represented by a bear; (3) The Greeks under Alexander the Great, a leopard; (4) And the Romans, a terrible beast with iron teeth (The Romans had iron weapons).

Rome’s 10 horns represent ten successive evil empires, arising from the ashes of the former Roman empire through the ages. The final “little horn” will be the antichrist. But most relevant to us today is the portion from vv. 13-18.  Jesus, one like a Son of man, comes into the presence the Ancient of Days [God the Father], where He is given authority, glory and sovereign power.    Daniel is told by an angel that these vast evil empires will pass away, but Jesus’ followers—the saints—the holy people of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever.

This is the hope for which all we saints live. Our God, Jesus, is coming again to restore earth to a Garden of Eden-like environment.The saints will come to live there forever.

C. As a result, according to Psalm 149, we are to praise our Maker and King. He (v.3)  takes delight in His people; He crowns the humble with victory. And He (v.7)    inflict[s] vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples [who have been the enemies of His followers, the saints].

D. Finally, in Ephesians 1:11-23, Paul reminds the Ephesian Church, and us, that we who follow Jesus were all chosen and sealed by the Holy Spirit to (vv.11-13)    …be [God’s] own people…so we would praise and glorify Him.    Paul prays we saints might (1) grow in wisdom and in the knowledge of God; (2) understand more deeply the great spiritual inheritance we have through Jesus; (3) as well as the tremendous power of God available to us through the Holy Spirit; and (4) that we might realize that (v.23) God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made Him head over all things…. Jesus is sovereign over every nation, every empire, and every being. Nothing happens without His knowledge. And nothing—not even death—can separate us from His love for us.

If we love and follow Jesus, we are saints. Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord, Jesus Christ.   Alleluia! Alleluia!

©️2025 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams