HPUMC - Sanctuary Sermons (Traditional Worship)

Rev. Matt Tuggle

Rev. Dr. Abe Smith

Rev. Matt Tuggle | Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide.

The 1990s saw the rise of new music and television, new communication via electronic mail and the World Wide Web, and a strange new fashion trend: WWJD bracelets. Teenagers and adults across the nation wore bracelets reminding them of a simple question, "What Would Jesus Do?" Sometimes the answer to that question is obvious. Other times, in the specific, particular moments of life, the answer is not so clear.

In those same moments, there is another question we can ask: what wouldn’t Jesus do? Sometimes it is OK to not know what to do; you just have to know what not to do. In Matthew 6—the middle of the Sermon on the Mount—we see a few things Jesus wouldn't do. We are encouraged not to worry, judge others, put our trust in our stuff, or flaunt our faith. Most of these things are easier said than done. 

In this sermon, we will focus on Jesus’ warning not to flaunt our faith. As Christians, we should live out our faith and let the world know. Jesus isn’t just concerned with us doing the right things but the motivation behind it. If we are living out our faith just for the public recognition, there are some things that need to be reevaluated. At the end of the day, our goal is to have a real faith in Jesus.

Rev. Chip Roberston | Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide.

Have you ever seen the picture of the three monkeys sitting together—one with his hands over his eyes, another covering his mouth, and the third with both hands over his ears? The familiar idea is simple: See no evil. Say no evil. Hear no evil. In other words, if we don’t look at it, talk about it, or listen to it, maybe we can pretend it isn’t really there. 

But Jesus gives us a different way to respond. Don’t pretend evil isn’t there. Face it. Resist it. And then choose how you will respond to it. Jesus doesn’t call us to ignore evil; neither does he call us to answer evil with more evil. Instead, he points us toward a different kind of response: agape love.

If you have been around the church for a while, you have probably heard the word agape. It describes a self-giving, intentional kind of love—a love that seeks the good of another person, even when that love is difficult. Agape love is more than a feeling. It is a choice to act in a way that reflects God’s love. 

We have been loved by God with a love we did not earn and could never repay. And because we have received that love, we are called to carry it with us into difficult places. When someone hurts us, we have a choice about what we will allow that hurt to produce in us. Will it produce anger? Will it produce revenge? Will it produce another wound?

Or can we allow the love of Christ to produce something different? We do not ignore evil. We resist it. But we resist it with love. That is the way of Jesus: not pretending that evil is absent, but refusing to let evil have the final word.

Hannah Buchanan

Rev. Matt Tuggle | Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide.

Jesus saw the people who sat with him on the hillside as “the light of the world.” They were meant to reflect Jesus’ light in the world around them. What was true for those who heard Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount first is true for those of us who hear it today: Jesus sees us as “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14).

In this sermon, we’ll look at some of the practical examples Jesus gives. The topics covered first by Jesus include anger, marriage, promises, retaliation, and dealing with enemies. Jesus has clear thoughts and straightforward direction on how to live our lives in a way that reflects his love and light. As we continue in the Sermon on the Mount, we see how Jesus animates righteousness and teaches and encourages us to do the same.

As we continue to build good lives on the solid foundation of the person and teachings of Jesus, our look at the second half of Matthew 5 is an important stop! We are given clear, practical guidance on how to live righteous lives like Jesus. We are encouraged to hear the teaching and live out the teachings.

Rev. Matt Tuggle | Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide.

Who are you? 

Once we move beyond the polite answers such as our names, occupations, accomplishments, or even our collegiate football allegiances, the question becomes much more personal. It's a question many of us struggle to answer. Yet at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus offers a remarkable response. 

Speaking to an ordinary, ragtag crowd gathered on a hillside, he tells them, "You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). What was true for them is still true for us today.

Using the images of a city on a hill and a lamp on a stand, Jesus teaches that God's people are meant to reflect His light into the world. Just as the lights of a city shine far beyond its borders, what God is doing in our lives reaches far beyond us. The way we live becomes a witness to others, revealing God's character and love. 

This passage challenges us to stay focused on what God has placed before us rather than becoming distracted by the many things competing for our attention. As we fix our eyes on Christ and allow him to transform us, our lives become a light that impacts others in ways we may never fully see. 

If you've ever wondered, who am I? Jesus' answer is both simple and profound: You are the light of the world and a city on a hill that cannot be hidden.

Rev. Dr. Abe Smith

Rev. Chip Robertson | Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide.

Maybe you’ve built a house, paid someone to build one, or at least walked by a house being built. Sometimes an old house is torn down. Sometimes the land is cleared of brush and trees. Sometimes the land seems ready without much work, but it isn’t.

The most important part of the house requires more than clearing. It requires that the land be ravaged by heavy equipment, dirt moved, and sometimes hauled away. Holes must be drilled deep enough to hit bedrock. The land that seemed just fine is now scarred and battered, all because destruction is required before construction can begin, and because of that destruction, the foundation will be able to do its job. From that foundation, the foundation that required the removal of so much that seemed fine but was too weak to be of use, the house can begin to rise toward the sky.

We think of the Beatitudes as nice teachings—soft things.

But what if they are that and something else too? What if they are also clearing the land so that we can see the foundation of the kingdom of God? And what if they are arranged to suggest three steps for us: we kneel, then rise, then walk.

Rev. Dr. Abe Smith