There is an old story...
Illustration
There is an old story, which I am sure many of you have heard, about a young minister who was about to preach his first sermon in a new congregation. The night before, there had been a severe snowstorm ... therefore, very few people could come to worship.
When the pastor walked into the sanctuary to lead the service, he saw only one old farmer sitting in the congregation. The minister explained that it was his first sermon and he really did not know whether he should preach to just one person. The farmer responded, "Well, pastor, when I load up my truck to go feed the cattle and only one cow shows up, I feed her anyway."
At that, the minister said, "Okay, and he started to preach. Fifteen minutes passed, then thirty and forty-five minutes slipped by as he told his congregation of one about the great ministry the Lord had planned for him and his new congregation. He was getting to the one-hour mark when the farmer stood up and interrupted, saying, "Reverend, I know this is your first sermon and you're not finished yet, but there is one thing I forgot to tell you. When only one of my cows comes to be fed, I don't give her the whole load."
Needless to say, that young minister was trying to outline his entire ministry in his first sermon. In this text, we read about Jesus' first sermon. In contrast to many long-winded preachers, Jesus was very brief and to the point. He outlined his entire mission and ministry in about a minute.
When the pastor walked into the sanctuary to lead the service, he saw only one old farmer sitting in the congregation. The minister explained that it was his first sermon and he really did not know whether he should preach to just one person. The farmer responded, "Well, pastor, when I load up my truck to go feed the cattle and only one cow shows up, I feed her anyway."
At that, the minister said, "Okay, and he started to preach. Fifteen minutes passed, then thirty and forty-five minutes slipped by as he told his congregation of one about the great ministry the Lord had planned for him and his new congregation. He was getting to the one-hour mark when the farmer stood up and interrupted, saying, "Reverend, I know this is your first sermon and you're not finished yet, but there is one thing I forgot to tell you. When only one of my cows comes to be fed, I don't give her the whole load."
Needless to say, that young minister was trying to outline his entire ministry in his first sermon. In this text, we read about Jesus' first sermon. In contrast to many long-winded preachers, Jesus was very brief and to the point. He outlined his entire mission and ministry in about a minute.
