Focus on the Father
Commentary
Sometimes when I hear some talk, I think that they have in their allegiance to Jesus forgotten what Jesus was all about. There are those who replace God with Jesus and thereby make a very serious mistake.
Check out all of Jesus' words and you will discover that he never claims to be God. He is always speaking of my Father as he does in the selections for today. He is always making it clear that he has been sent by the Father and constantly calling for allegiance to the Father.
We ought not to diminish the role of Jesus of course, but we must not become so overzealous that we miss what Jesus was saying to us.
I am convinced that Jesus was in league with all those in the Hebrew Scriptures who revealed the heart of God as a heart of love and grace. There are others who have other visions. Jesus takes sides and when he did those legalists who had much to lose became his enemies and did him in.
There is no gulf between the vision of God as one who is longsuffering and pursuing his people in an effort to save them from themselves, as we find it in the Old Testament, and that vision of God that we discover in the life, ministry, death and Resurrection of Jesus.
In Jesus we have been given our best clue to the nature of God. Little wonder John can call him the Word for that is what he was and is, a word, a message about God. Those who come to know him come to know God. Little wonder he is called the Door, the Water of Life and all those other titles with which we are familiar.
OUTLINE I
The God of Providence
Psalm 145:13b-21
Introduction: This Psalm is one of many which lifts up and extolls the providence of God. Surely the poet here may be speaking of himself and he may be speaking for his people. In the midst of all the terrible things experienced by the Jews, they always lifted up their heads and gave credit to God for the good they continued to find in their lives.
A. A Faithful God. When a people sing, they sing of their experiences. Note the things in which he is faithful. He is faithful to the falling, the beaten down, and the hungry.
B. A Just God. Just to those who call upon him for deliverance, just to those who stand in awe of him, just to those who call to him in time of need.
C. A Providential God. Preserving his people and protecting them against their enemies.
Conclusion: To speak with such openness about God makes it seem that the poet thinks that all of life is rosy and there is nothing for the worshiper to fear. Surely we do not believe that these poets were naive. They were realists. Just read the rest of the Psalms. Even so, realistic as they were, they still saw the silver lining, they still perceived the hand of God in their lives. Even in the midst of difficulty, they knew that their God came to them to seek to transform even the harshest of circumstances into good for them. Check out Isaiah 1:18 and 43:1, 2.
OUTLINE II
Keeping the Promise
Revelation 21:1-6
Introduction: One must remember that most of the writers of the New Testament were surely students of the Old. It was their scriptures. Those who write in the New Testament are not yet aware that what they write will some day be regarded as scripture. Surely the writer of this selection for the day must have been especially familiar with promises made through the prophet Isaiah. Check out Isaiah 65:17; 66:22 and the like and then make your commentary in the light of these and other promises like them.
A. A New Creation. See references above.
B. A New City. Jerusalem was believed to be the dwelling place of the God of the Jews. To see the new city is to say that God has come to dwell with them. Note the phrase, "Behold the dwelling of God is with men." Surely this has taken place in the life of Jesus. God with us. See Matthew 1:23.
C. What Ceases. Death, sorrow, pain are not a part of our future. Surely this meant much to the first readers for whom every day brought these things.
D. Promise of the New. In the last verse of the lesson direct contact has been made with the prophetic word.
Conclusion: The God of creation is also the God of recreation. Why not take time to reconsider the story of Noah and the Flood. The same point is made there. Even as the flood was planned, God was making plans for a new beginning. Ours is a God of new beginnings and second chances. Offer that to your hearers.
OUTLINE III
The Proof of Discipleship
John 13:31-35
Introduction: Once again I say it, tell the story. Do not jump in unprepared into a text and run off in all directions. This scripture ought to be considered in its context. Remember that these words are spoken to a group who had along the way to Jerusalem been vying with one another for first place in the Kingdom. These are the disciples who seem immune to his talk about servanthood. They want to know what they are going to get out of their discipleship. These words in today's selection speak to those needs that were present among the disciples, present in the early church, and still with us today.
A. The Glorified Lord. An act of God. This is the early church talking to itself and reminding itself that Jesus is Lord and that that is God's will for them.
B. Going Ahead. Surely the church of the second century was still asking questions about what happened to Jesus. Remember that the temple authorities had paid a bribe to set up their own story that his body had been stolen by his disciples. These words of Jesus in John link up with the Ascension story in Acts 1 to tell us that he is with the Father and because of that is with all of us wherever we are.
C. The New Commandment. This one can replace the summary he had given in another gospel and it can replace the 10 commandments and the whole code of the law. If we took this one seriously, the others would have nothing to address.
Conclusion: Give focus to the last part of this sermon and present it as the response we are expected to make to the one who is glorified and is with us.
Check out all of Jesus' words and you will discover that he never claims to be God. He is always speaking of my Father as he does in the selections for today. He is always making it clear that he has been sent by the Father and constantly calling for allegiance to the Father.
We ought not to diminish the role of Jesus of course, but we must not become so overzealous that we miss what Jesus was saying to us.
I am convinced that Jesus was in league with all those in the Hebrew Scriptures who revealed the heart of God as a heart of love and grace. There are others who have other visions. Jesus takes sides and when he did those legalists who had much to lose became his enemies and did him in.
There is no gulf between the vision of God as one who is longsuffering and pursuing his people in an effort to save them from themselves, as we find it in the Old Testament, and that vision of God that we discover in the life, ministry, death and Resurrection of Jesus.
In Jesus we have been given our best clue to the nature of God. Little wonder John can call him the Word for that is what he was and is, a word, a message about God. Those who come to know him come to know God. Little wonder he is called the Door, the Water of Life and all those other titles with which we are familiar.
OUTLINE I
The God of Providence
Psalm 145:13b-21
Introduction: This Psalm is one of many which lifts up and extolls the providence of God. Surely the poet here may be speaking of himself and he may be speaking for his people. In the midst of all the terrible things experienced by the Jews, they always lifted up their heads and gave credit to God for the good they continued to find in their lives.
A. A Faithful God. When a people sing, they sing of their experiences. Note the things in which he is faithful. He is faithful to the falling, the beaten down, and the hungry.
B. A Just God. Just to those who call upon him for deliverance, just to those who stand in awe of him, just to those who call to him in time of need.
C. A Providential God. Preserving his people and protecting them against their enemies.
Conclusion: To speak with such openness about God makes it seem that the poet thinks that all of life is rosy and there is nothing for the worshiper to fear. Surely we do not believe that these poets were naive. They were realists. Just read the rest of the Psalms. Even so, realistic as they were, they still saw the silver lining, they still perceived the hand of God in their lives. Even in the midst of difficulty, they knew that their God came to them to seek to transform even the harshest of circumstances into good for them. Check out Isaiah 1:18 and 43:1, 2.
OUTLINE II
Keeping the Promise
Revelation 21:1-6
Introduction: One must remember that most of the writers of the New Testament were surely students of the Old. It was their scriptures. Those who write in the New Testament are not yet aware that what they write will some day be regarded as scripture. Surely the writer of this selection for the day must have been especially familiar with promises made through the prophet Isaiah. Check out Isaiah 65:17; 66:22 and the like and then make your commentary in the light of these and other promises like them.
A. A New Creation. See references above.
B. A New City. Jerusalem was believed to be the dwelling place of the God of the Jews. To see the new city is to say that God has come to dwell with them. Note the phrase, "Behold the dwelling of God is with men." Surely this has taken place in the life of Jesus. God with us. See Matthew 1:23.
C. What Ceases. Death, sorrow, pain are not a part of our future. Surely this meant much to the first readers for whom every day brought these things.
D. Promise of the New. In the last verse of the lesson direct contact has been made with the prophetic word.
Conclusion: The God of creation is also the God of recreation. Why not take time to reconsider the story of Noah and the Flood. The same point is made there. Even as the flood was planned, God was making plans for a new beginning. Ours is a God of new beginnings and second chances. Offer that to your hearers.
OUTLINE III
The Proof of Discipleship
John 13:31-35
Introduction: Once again I say it, tell the story. Do not jump in unprepared into a text and run off in all directions. This scripture ought to be considered in its context. Remember that these words are spoken to a group who had along the way to Jerusalem been vying with one another for first place in the Kingdom. These are the disciples who seem immune to his talk about servanthood. They want to know what they are going to get out of their discipleship. These words in today's selection speak to those needs that were present among the disciples, present in the early church, and still with us today.
A. The Glorified Lord. An act of God. This is the early church talking to itself and reminding itself that Jesus is Lord and that that is God's will for them.
B. Going Ahead. Surely the church of the second century was still asking questions about what happened to Jesus. Remember that the temple authorities had paid a bribe to set up their own story that his body had been stolen by his disciples. These words of Jesus in John link up with the Ascension story in Acts 1 to tell us that he is with the Father and because of that is with all of us wherever we are.
C. The New Commandment. This one can replace the summary he had given in another gospel and it can replace the 10 commandments and the whole code of the law. If we took this one seriously, the others would have nothing to address.
Conclusion: Give focus to the last part of this sermon and present it as the response we are expected to make to the one who is glorified and is with us.
