Monday, December 26, 2011

Wesley

Good morning. I am Wesley Pepper Associate Pastor of Central UMC.

Once a man attended a circus and saw a fellow leading a fine, well-groomed horse. He asked, "Is that a saddle horse?" "No," the owner replied." " "Well, what is he good for?" The owner replied, "Style, man, style. Just look at the picture he makes."

That same man attended a church the following Sunday. He saw lots of people clad in fine clothes sitting in the sanctuary. Afterward, he asked the pastor, "Do many of these folks visit the sick and the elderly?" "No," he replied, "Then he asked, "Do many of these folks tithe their incomes so that mission ministries can serve the poor?" Sadly the pastor shook his head. The man asked, "Do these folks have a passion for sharing the Gospel with the unchurched?" The pastor replied, I am sorry to say that they don’t. The man shook his head and said to himself, "There's that horse again…Nothing but style."

The Christian Life is a call to follow Christ and to serve others as Christ serves the world. Following Christ has little to do with style and more to do with doing the will of God.