The Apostle Paul shows us how he valued the Lord Jesus’ presence in his life. He lost every earthly possession in order to dedicate himself exclusively to the Gospel. He is an apt example for us-on how we ought to think of earthly things.
We all fall short of God’s demands. We must rely on Christ for our own salvation. However, we are given the privilege to help our unbelieving neighbors to come to faith. We do that by praying for them and gently sharing our faith with them.
Jesus invites three of his disciples (Peter, James and John) so they can experience a glimpse of heaven. They recognize Moses and Elijah who were talking to Jesus about his exit from earth. Peter exclaimed: “It is good that we are here!”
Joseph had a hard time convincing his brothers that he had no ill will toward them. They had been jealous of him and sold him to a caravan of traders. He became a mighty man in command of Egypt. But he showed his brothers that he forgave them and saw that God had turned an evil thing into a good thing.
At the example of Psalm 1, of David, Jeremiah draws a distinct contrast between people who think they have to save themselves, and those who just trust God, and are saved by grace. Given the choice? Trust in God.
The title of our sermon is literally true. We sing a canticle which God composed and which the angels sang in Solomon’s temple. We sing the “Holy, holy, holy” here every Sunday. Just like Isaiah, each one of us is commissioned by the Lord to proclaim the Good News. Let your light shine!