This Lent give up sin
Commentary
Traditionally, the church prepares for Easter by engaging in a time for penitence, prayer and fasting. Ash Wednesday begins the journey toward Resurrection Sunday.
Unfortunately, many Protestants have yet to take Ash Wednesday or Lent seriously. Too many school yard jokes were made of the dirty foreheads on Irish Catholic classmates. Too many quips have been heard about how "This Lent I am going to give up raw bacon sandwiches and sardine milkshakes."
Of course, the object of Lent self-denial is to recommit oneself to giving up sin. That means the preacher will have to explain the nature of human sinfulness to the people. It also means that Lenten homilies will have to remind those who feel estranged from God and one another that mercy and forgiveness is theirs in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
In preparing your Lenten preaching, keep the season in mind. The worship today sets the tone for the remainder of Lent. Therefore, it should be somber without being maudlin, serious but not lugubrious. The passages for today demand that.
Begin your sermon with 2 Corinthians. In this passage Paul calls for Christians to be reconciled to God. Reconciliation is an ongoing process. It is not something the faithful do once and then forget. This Lent, examine your life and plan to be reconciled to God.
Joel, the most liturgical of the prophetic books, adds urgency to the appeal. He sounds the alarm of coming catastrophe. Now is the time to repent. Do not wait to change your ways. Do it now! Fortunately, he assures his audience, God will relent if we repent.
Then the Master adds some advice as to how one should engage in proper acts of prayer and penitence. The proper audience for our acts of devotion is God, not the neighbors.
OUTLINE I
The God of a second chance
Joel 2:1-2; 12-17
Prior to Joel, the expected day of the Lord was to be a time when God would triumph and restore Israel to her greatness. The Hebrew people would be vindicated.
A. Joel, however, sounds the alarm. The day of the Lord will be catastrophic. "Blow the trumpet in Zion. Let the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord ... is near -- a day of darkness and gloom."
B. Ash Wednesday sounds the alarm to the faithful. Now is the time to repent. Do not assume that all is well with you because you have not committed any of the really "big" sins. God expects repentance, fasting and prayer.
C. It is urgent that this be done. However, remember that ours is the God of a second chance. If we will repent, God will return to us. For the Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
D. Let the people prepare for this season of Lent by considering who we are: "We are dust and to dust we must return." From the perspective of sinful people, we come before God.
OUTLINE II
Don't receive God's grace in vain
2 Corinthians 5:20b--6:10
John had been an only child. His parents, Ruth and Frank, had provided him with every benefit possible. When he fell behind in mathematics, they hired a private tutor. In fourth grade, he showed an interest in tennis. They built a backyard court.
They showered their love in more ways than material benefits. They spent time with him. They encouraged him to develop his interests and talents. They did everything they could do to help instill in him a sense of self-esteem.
Selfless people themselves, Ruth and Frank gave of themselves with no particular expectations of John. They had no agenda that he study law or medicine. As he became an adult, they did not demand he live close-by or attempt to monopolize his time. They loved him simply because he was their son.
Unfortunately, John never appreciated his parents. He became an alcoholic while still in high school. His drug addiction resulted in expulsion from college in his junior year. He went into business with his father and stole money from the corporation. At age 38, John died of an overdose of crack cocaine. Ruth and Frank expected nothing of John and that is exactly what they received. They didn't do what they did expecting to be made proud by their son, but it would have been a blessing if that had happened.
A. God's grace in Christ Jesus comes without appreciation.
B. But don't receive that grace in vain.
C. Respond to God's grace with repentance and love.
OUTLINE III
For whose benefit?
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
Scholars contend that this passage from Matthew reflects that Jewish piety practices of alms, prayer and fasting were quickly adopted by the church. In fact, by the writing of Matthew, they may have been so well-established that, for some, they had become empty and void of meaning except as outward displays of religiosity.
A. Can we really be repentant with ashes on our forehead? Can this not be understood as an empty gesture designed to attract attention from others?
B. As with all acts of piety, that is possible. It all depends on the motivation. What does one expect from an Ash Wednesday service? To fulfill an obligation, to gain recognition from friends and family or to worship God?
C. God is the proper audience for all our acts of piety, including prayer, fasting and acts of generosity. If we expect some reward or benefit, we may have missed the point.
Unfortunately, many Protestants have yet to take Ash Wednesday or Lent seriously. Too many school yard jokes were made of the dirty foreheads on Irish Catholic classmates. Too many quips have been heard about how "This Lent I am going to give up raw bacon sandwiches and sardine milkshakes."
Of course, the object of Lent self-denial is to recommit oneself to giving up sin. That means the preacher will have to explain the nature of human sinfulness to the people. It also means that Lenten homilies will have to remind those who feel estranged from God and one another that mercy and forgiveness is theirs in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
In preparing your Lenten preaching, keep the season in mind. The worship today sets the tone for the remainder of Lent. Therefore, it should be somber without being maudlin, serious but not lugubrious. The passages for today demand that.
Begin your sermon with 2 Corinthians. In this passage Paul calls for Christians to be reconciled to God. Reconciliation is an ongoing process. It is not something the faithful do once and then forget. This Lent, examine your life and plan to be reconciled to God.
Joel, the most liturgical of the prophetic books, adds urgency to the appeal. He sounds the alarm of coming catastrophe. Now is the time to repent. Do not wait to change your ways. Do it now! Fortunately, he assures his audience, God will relent if we repent.
Then the Master adds some advice as to how one should engage in proper acts of prayer and penitence. The proper audience for our acts of devotion is God, not the neighbors.
OUTLINE I
The God of a second chance
Joel 2:1-2; 12-17
Prior to Joel, the expected day of the Lord was to be a time when God would triumph and restore Israel to her greatness. The Hebrew people would be vindicated.
A. Joel, however, sounds the alarm. The day of the Lord will be catastrophic. "Blow the trumpet in Zion. Let the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord ... is near -- a day of darkness and gloom."
B. Ash Wednesday sounds the alarm to the faithful. Now is the time to repent. Do not assume that all is well with you because you have not committed any of the really "big" sins. God expects repentance, fasting and prayer.
C. It is urgent that this be done. However, remember that ours is the God of a second chance. If we will repent, God will return to us. For the Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
D. Let the people prepare for this season of Lent by considering who we are: "We are dust and to dust we must return." From the perspective of sinful people, we come before God.
OUTLINE II
Don't receive God's grace in vain
2 Corinthians 5:20b--6:10
John had been an only child. His parents, Ruth and Frank, had provided him with every benefit possible. When he fell behind in mathematics, they hired a private tutor. In fourth grade, he showed an interest in tennis. They built a backyard court.
They showered their love in more ways than material benefits. They spent time with him. They encouraged him to develop his interests and talents. They did everything they could do to help instill in him a sense of self-esteem.
Selfless people themselves, Ruth and Frank gave of themselves with no particular expectations of John. They had no agenda that he study law or medicine. As he became an adult, they did not demand he live close-by or attempt to monopolize his time. They loved him simply because he was their son.
Unfortunately, John never appreciated his parents. He became an alcoholic while still in high school. His drug addiction resulted in expulsion from college in his junior year. He went into business with his father and stole money from the corporation. At age 38, John died of an overdose of crack cocaine. Ruth and Frank expected nothing of John and that is exactly what they received. They didn't do what they did expecting to be made proud by their son, but it would have been a blessing if that had happened.
A. God's grace in Christ Jesus comes without appreciation.
B. But don't receive that grace in vain.
C. Respond to God's grace with repentance and love.
OUTLINE III
For whose benefit?
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
Scholars contend that this passage from Matthew reflects that Jewish piety practices of alms, prayer and fasting were quickly adopted by the church. In fact, by the writing of Matthew, they may have been so well-established that, for some, they had become empty and void of meaning except as outward displays of religiosity.
A. Can we really be repentant with ashes on our forehead? Can this not be understood as an empty gesture designed to attract attention from others?
B. As with all acts of piety, that is possible. It all depends on the motivation. What does one expect from an Ash Wednesday service? To fulfill an obligation, to gain recognition from friends and family or to worship God?
C. God is the proper audience for all our acts of piety, including prayer, fasting and acts of generosity. If we expect some reward or benefit, we may have missed the point.
