Sermon: “Dying to Self; Living in Covenant” from Jeffrey Schooley

It is often important to pay attention to shared imagery in the scripture, such as we have today. Ezekiel is all about a shepherd’s care of his sheep, while Matthew is all about sorting sheep from goats (and how to know the difference). In the former, is a metaphor for God’s care for God’s people. In the latter is a metaphor for God’s people’s care of God. In our last week of learning what it means to be a Matthew 25 church, we focus on how our care for the least of these is a response to God’s care for us. It’s a holy game of “monkey see, monkey do.”

Scripture References: Ezekiel 34:11-24, Matthew 25:31-46

Related Topics: Christ the King Sunday | More Sermons from Jeffrey Schooley

From Series: "A Matthew 25 Church"

In 2016, the PCUSA put forth a new initiative called “Matthew 25.” Everyone from individual Christians to particular congregations to entire presbyteries were encouraged to commit to being a “Matthew 25” church. What is that? The Matthew 25 movement “calls all of us to actively engage in the world around us, so our faith comes alive and we wake up to new possibilities.” Matthew 25 churches “recognize Christ’s urgent call to be a church of action, where God’s love, justice and mercy shine forth and are contagious.” Since the lectionary is serving up the three parables of Matthew 25 over the next three weeks, we will explore what it means to be a Matthew 25 congregation and discern if such a mission is part of our identity as a church.