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SPB Sermons || The Future Indicative || Matthew 5:48 || Rev Josh Lenon

The Future Indicative - Matthew 5:48

The Future Indicative – Matthew 5:48

We had the joy of welcoming Rev. Josh Lenon from Red Door Community Church in Cincinnati, Ohio, to St. Paul’s and St. Barnabas (SPB) this past Sunday. His message deeply resonated with our congregation, challenging and uplifting us as he explored the powerful “Future Indicative” in Matthew 5:48. This passage, “Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect,” can often feel daunting. But Rev. Lenon helped us see it as a promise from Jesus—an assurance that God is actively at work in us, shaping us into His likeness.

In his message, Rev. Lenon explained that Jesus’ words here are not a present imperative, an impossible demand to be flawless now. Instead, they are a future promise, spoken in what biblical scholars call the “Future Indicative” tense, meaning that this perfection is something we are moving toward, with God Himself leading us on this journey. The perfection Jesus speaks of is not about flawless performance but about becoming whole and mature, fully realized in our identity as children of God. This promise, Rev. Lenon explained, brings incredible hope to all of us who sometimes feel overwhelmed by our imperfections.

Drawing from his experience at Red Door Community Church, Josh shared insights on how this future hope can transform the way we live now. He reminded us that God’s promise to make us “perfect” as He is perfect isn’t meant to discourage us, but to inspire us to trust in His ongoing work within us. Each of us, as followers of Christ, are being molded day by day into His image, becoming a living example of His love, mercy, and grace.

Rev. Lenon also pointed to the larger context of Jesus' words in the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus calls us to a radical love that includes even our enemies. This call to love is at the core of God’s transformative work in us, and it’s a reflection of His own nature. We are invited to reflect God’s character in our lives, even as we are assured that He is working in us to bring this about.

If you missed Sunday’s service, we invite you to catch up and meditate on this profound teaching. Rev. Lenon’s message calls us to a hopeful view of our journey of faith, encouraging us to trust in God’s promise to complete His good work in us. This “Future Indicative” shapes our lives today, giving us courage and purpose as we seek to live as a reflection of Christ in our community and beyond.

Watch the service now and reflect on the profound assurance that God is at work in you, shaping you into His image:

May this message encourage you as you walk the path God is shaping for you, knowing that we are all on a journey toward becoming the people He has called us to be. Together, let’s embrace the hopeful promise of transformation and live out the call to love as Jesus loved, assured that we are being shaped into His perfect image, just as He has promised.

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