FAITH LUTHERAN MINISTRIES
  • About Us
    • Church
    • Pastor & Staff
    • Worship
    • Discipleship
    • Outreach
    • Sermons
    • Upcoming Events
    • Ministry Interests >
      • Meaningful Worship
      • Outreach and Service
      • Conversational Discipleship
      • Faith Filling School
    • Give
  • School
    • Preschool
    • Elementary
    • School Staff
    • Ratio Christi
    • School Forms
    • Pay Tuition
  • Careers at Faith
  • Plan Your Visit
    • What to expect
    • Let us know you are coming!
    • Feedback
  • Pastor's Blog

Explore The Word With Pastor Robert Hemsath

The Means Justify the End

11/2/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
Thursday, November 2, 2017

Matthew 5:11-12: [Jesus is saying,] “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Yes, the title is backwards. Usually we hear "The ends justify the means." This sentence means, "Whatever I have to do in order to get the results I want, that is what I'll do." It is a method. It is not the best method.

Now we're reversing it all. We all go through struggles, trials, and tribulations. People pick on Christians. It happens more often than it does not. Some persecution is subtle. Some is "in your face." As Christians, we face trouble because of who we are. Mostly, we face trouble because of Jesus, in whom we believe. The struggles are because we love Jesus and we know and believe that Jesus loves us. And instead of saying, "Poor me, I don't like that fact that people don't like me because I believe in Jesus. So to stop it, to blend in with everyone else, I won't stand up and stand out with Jesus," we say, "I will continue to stand up and stand out with Jesus. I know my reward for faith in Jesus is heaven and life with Him forever. So I'll go through the suffering, the struggles, and the troubles. They'll only make my faith stronger and my hope in Christ more visible."

So stand up and stand out with Jesus.
Dear God, give us strength to face the challenges as we focus on the reward of heaven, Amen.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Pastor Robert Hemsath joined Faith Lutheran Church and School as the Senior Pastor in January 2017. Pastor Hemsath comes to FLC from Christ the King Lutheran Church in Waxahachie, TX. He has also served congregations in Aberdeen, ID and Pocatello, ID. He has been a Lutheran pastor for the past 20 years.

    Archives

    November 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed


Faith Lutheran Church & School
"Where the Love of Christ Lives"

  • About Us
    • Church
    • Pastor & Staff
    • Worship
    • Discipleship
    • Outreach
    • Sermons
    • Upcoming Events
    • Ministry Interests >
      • Meaningful Worship
      • Outreach and Service
      • Conversational Discipleship
      • Faith Filling School
    • Give
  • School
    • Preschool
    • Elementary
    • School Staff
    • Ratio Christi
    • School Forms
    • Pay Tuition
  • Careers at Faith
  • Plan Your Visit
    • What to expect
    • Let us know you are coming!
    • Feedback
  • Pastor's Blog