Christ calls us to take up our cross and follow him
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series V, Cycle B
Theme For The Day: The road to God's kingdom is the way of obedience, suffering and death, the way of the cross. Christ calls us to take up our cross and follow him.
BRIEF COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS
Lesson 1: Genesis 17:1--7, 15--16 (C)
God establishes his covenant with Abraham and his descendants. Like the covenant with Noah, it is an eternal covenant. Unlike that covenant, the beneficiaries of this covenant are Abraham's descendants exclusively. God promises to multiply his progeny so that nations and kings come from his line. As a result of this new relationship, the names of Abram and his wife, Sarai, are changed to Abraham and Sarah. Abraham means "the divine father is exalted." Sarah translates as "princess." This demonstrates the power and authority of the name giver.
Lesson 1: Genesis 22:1--2, 9--13, 15--18 (RC); Genesis 22:1--14 (E)
God instructs Abraham to take his son Isaac and go to the land of Moriah and offer him up to Yahweh as a sacrifice. This was a test of the patriarch's faith because not only would this destroy his beloved son but also the means by which the Lord's covenant with Abraham was to be fulfilled. The angel of the Lord stays Abraham's hand just as he was ready to plunge the knife into his son's chest. Abraham passed the test. A ram caught in a thicket serves as a substitute sacrifice, provided by the Lord himself. Tradition identifies Moriah with Jerusalem and specifically the temple mount. The Samaritans claimed that Moriah was located on Mount Gerizim.
Lesson 2: Romans 4:13--25 (C)
The true descendants of Abraham are not those who seek to live by the law but those who live by faith. Abraham did not receive the promise of God because he adhered to the law but because he trusted the grace of God (v. 16). Abraham trusted God in spite of evidence to the contrary. After all, both Abraham and Sarah were far beyond the childbearing age.
Lesson 2: Romans 8:31--34 (RC); Romans 8:31--39 (E)
In Paul's day becoming a Christian was dangerous. One could be persecuted, even killed. Paul submits that human opposition does not ultimately matter. "If God is for us, who could be against us?" (v. 31). The God who gave us his Son will graciously give us everything we need in this life of the world to come. Through Christ believers will conquer astrological, spiritual and angelic powers, let alone earthly powers. No power can separate us from God's love in Christ (v. 39).
Gospel: Mark 8:31--38 (C, E)
Right after Peter's great confession at Caesarean Philippi that Jesus was the Christ, the Lord teaches what his title and kingdom signify. He teaches that he must suffer, die and be raised to newness of life. This message is contrary to what they had hoped and dreamed. The disciples were aiming for glory, not suffering. Peter expresses the protest of the disciples (v. 32). Jesus forcefully counters Peter's protest by accusing him of expressing attitudes which come from Satan (v. 33). Jesus further charges that if any person desired to be his disciple that he would have to deny himself, take up his cross and follow him (v. 34). The person who aims to save his life will lose it, and the person who loses his or her life for Christ's sake will find it.
Gospel: Mark 9:2--10 (RC)
(See The Transfiguration Of Our Lord)
Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 22:23--31 (C) - "All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord..." (v. 27).
Psalm 16 (E)
Psalm 115 (RC)
Prayer Of The Day
Gracious God, your Son has called us to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow him. Yet our blood curdles at the prospect of self--denial or any kind of suffering. Give us the fortitude and faith to follow you, wherever that may lead. In the name of the One who went all the way for us, Jesus, our Lord. Amen.
THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION ON THE LESSONS
Lesson 1: Genesis 17:1--7, 15--16
A covenant God. Last week we considered God's covenant with Noah. This week we deal with God's covenant with Abraham, the foundational covenant of our Jewish--Christian faith. Actually, the Bible is peppered with covenants. A covenant is an agreement between two parties to enter into a relationship and to fulfill certain duties. Another word for covenant is "testament," from which we derive the designations Old Testament and New Testament. Conquering kings would impose covenants on those they had subjected through force. God's covenant with Abraham is different. It is a covenant of grace. God promises to bless Abraham and make a great nation of him; God pledges that he will be the God of Abraham and his descendants, through whom all peoples will be blessed. In a day when people fear commitments, it's wonderful to realize that we have a covenant God who keeps his word.
A covenant of grace. The covenant between the Lord and his people was not hammered out through negotiation, nor is it an agreement between equals. Notice that God takes the initiative in making all the promises. "I will confirm my covenant..." (v. 2). "I have made you father of many nations" (v. 5). "I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant" (v. 7). This is nothing less than a covenant of grace and favor. Our text doesn't mention it but the sign of the covenant with Abraham was circumcision (vv. 11--13). God has established a covenant of grace with us through Christ. Baptism confers to us all the wonderful promises of God - forgiveness, salvation and eternal life.
Fruitfulness. God's promise to Abraham and Sarah can be defined by the word "fruitful." Sarah was barren and far beyond the childbearing age. Yet the Lord promises that they will be the father and mother of nations. God promises fruitfulness to them and their descendants (v. 4). Fruitfulness has traditionally been based on the ability to have children. Today we may want to define fruitfulness differently. Fruitfulness may be thought of as the ability to love others and bring out the best in them. It can also be thought of as the ability to take a few resources and multiply them. For Christians fruitfulness means utilizing our talents and time for God's glory; it surely means sharing Christ with our neighbors.
Lesson 1: Genesis 22:1--18
Final Exam. God had tested Abraham's faith time and again. God asked him to leave his home--land and all that was familiar without telling him his exact destination. God promised that he would make a great nation of him but waited until he and his wife were old before he fulfilled that promise. Now it was time for the final exam. Would he be willing to give up his son, his only son, in obedience to the Lord? Such a demand seemed contradictory to God's promises. That three--day trip to Moriah must have seemed like an eternity. Yet Abraham knew his subject and trusted that God would not ask him to do anything irrational or evil. Abraham passed his final exam with flying colors, much like Jesus did when we was led into the wilderness by the Spirit to be tested by Satan.
Lesson 2: Romans 4:13--25
Father of the faithful. "He is the father of us all" (v. 16). Abraham is known for his fatherly role. His name was changed from Abram (exalted father) to Abraham (father of many). He is father not only of the Jews but of all who have the kind of faith that he had.
Father of hope. "Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed..." (v. 18). Hope is the future dimension of faith; hope centers on what God has promised to do. Hope, like an ivy vine, clings tenaciously to these promises. In our land there are many who have no father and they have no hope. They have no dreams, no goals; they live only for the present moment. Without hope life loses its value and leads to self--destruction and violence. We need to lift up the light of hope, centered not in some concept of human perfectibility but in God's promises.
Credited to our account. Paul maintains that Abraham's faith and hope were "credited to him as righteousness" (v. 22). The word translated "credited" has also been translated as "reckoned," "accounted" or "accepted." This is the language of financial accounting. Though Abraham was not necessarily righteous in a moral sense - he was still a sinner. The Lord credited his faith as righteousness. Abraham trusted the Lord and it was credited to his account as righteousness. The gospel offers Christian believers the promise of eternal life through Christ. When we truly trust in God's promise it is credited to our account as righteousness. Faith is a much better investment than money in the bank; it pays eternal dividends.
Gospel: Mark 8:31--38
Graduate school. Just prior to this lection, we have the great confession of Peter that Jesus was the Christ. Jesus was happy that his disciples knew who he was. They had passed their bachelor's degree in Christology. Now it was time for graduate school; Jesus needed to educate them as to the significance of the title Christ. Contrary to their thinking, Jesus' messiahship was not going to lead to immediate honor and glory; rather, it would entail suffering, shame and death. Peter was so opposed to the idea of a suffering Messiah that he rebuked Jesus. The disciples would understand the deeper concepts of Christology only after the resurrection.
Plain talk. Prior to this point in Jesus' ministry, he had spoken primarily in parables. Now it was time for plain talk; after all, these were matters of life and death. It seems that when it comes to the subject of death, we try to escape the painful realities by talking in riddles and metaphors. We even prefer to evade the word death. We say "she passed on" as if she were a drifter. Medical people are fond of employing the word expired for our final earthly state, as if the dead person were an overdue book. Jesus knew that death was difficult to deal with; that's why he spoke plainly to his disciples. To take some of death's sting away, he held out a great hope; three days after his death he would "rise again" (v. 31). Death can be dealt with redemptively if we are willing to talk plainly concerning it.
Secret agent. The Lord's sharp rebuke of Peter must have really stung: "Out of my sight, Satan!" he said. "You do not have in mind the things of God but of man" (v. 33). He was accusing Peter of being a secret agent. Ostensibly he was a disciple of Christ. Unwittingly, however, he was serving as an agent of Satan by opposing God's plan. How many times does even the most loyal Christian find himself serving as an agent of Satan by reflecting values opposed to those of the Lord?
SERMON APPROACHES WITH ILLUSTRATIONS
Lesson 1: Genesis 17:1--7, 15--16
Sermon Title: Keeping Covenant
Sermon Angle: In this passage God confirms his covenant with Abraham to bless him and make of his line a great nation. God initiates and confirms his covenant as an act of grace. Abraham is told that he and his descendants must also keep God's covenant (v. 9). The concept of covenant, a relationship involving promises, duties and responsibilities, is the golden thread that ties together all of scripture. In our day the freedom of the individual is exalted above covenantal relationships. Is it any wonder that the fabric of society is becoming unraveled? We need to hold up high the importance of the covenant God made with us in baptism as the basis of all other covenants. The covenant of marriage, family and friendship must also be exalted. Keeping our covenants with God and others opens the door to God's eternal blessings.
Outline:
1. The concept of covenant ties scripture together.
- God bonded with the Hebrew people through the covenant with Abraham.
- God bonds with all believers through Christian baptism.
2. Covenant also ties life together.
- Marriage and family.
- Community bonds.
- Friendship bonds.
3. God will bless us as he did Abraham if we keep covenant.
4. Faithfulness to our covenants is more important than individual freedom.
__________
The movie The Bridges Of Madison County confronts us with the importance of our covenants. The character Francesca is a middle--aged farm wife who decides to stay home while the rest of the family heads off to the state fair for a few days. A photographer for National Geographic stops by to seek directions to the famed covered bridges in the county. She invites him to dinner. He regales her with stimulating accounts of his world travels and she is irresistibly swept off her feet by this charming rolling--stone of a man. They enjoy four unforgettable days of romance but then reality sets in. Francesca has to make a painful choice. Will she follow her heart and leave with her lover? Or will she stay true to her covenant with her husband and family? She finally decides that her leaving would only cause untold grief for her family and that the passion she felt for her lover would turn to resentment for having betrayed her family. She would remain in the fertile, but less than exotic, corn fields of Iowa, with her solid, but less than exciting, husband, who continued to love her. Francesca was temporarily unfaithful to her husband but, in the end, kept her covenant. It's about time, Hollywood!
__________
Lesson 1: Genesis 22:1--18
Sermon Title: The Test
Sermon Angle: When God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son, it must have seemed grossly unfair and unreasonable. Remarkably, Abraham didn't try to second--guess the Lord or only proceed when he understood God's reasoning. Abraham trusted God implicitly with his life and that of his son. The patriarch understood that this life is something of an exam, a test. Abraham also knew the Lord to be just and good and so he was willing to follow his instructions to the letter.
Outline:
1. Abraham understood that life was a test of faith.
2. For him the goal of life was not self--expression but obedience to God.
3. God's order to offer his son as a sacrifice was the supreme test of faith.
4. God can only do great things through those who pass the absolute obedience test.
__________
A young man recently took the bar exam in the state of Iowa. One section of the exam contained several questions. He had to answer a certain number of them (something like 7 out of 10) but the instructions explicitly stated that a certain question must be answered in order to pass the test. A number of those who took the exam failed to properly obey the instructions. They didn't answer that specific question and so they failed the test. God has established the rules for that grand test we call life. If we heed his instructions we will pass the test.
Lesson 2: Romans 4:13--25
Sermon Title: Father Of Faith
Sermon Angle: "He is the father of us all" (v. 16). Paul argues that Abraham is not only father of the Jews but of the Gentiles as well. His fatherhood is not conferred genetically but spiritually. Abraham stands as the father of all the faithful. He wasn't the first person to trust God but his life stands as a the basic textbook on faith. What Freud is to psychology, Abraham is to faith. Abraham is the exemplar of faith - faith that perceives, follows, obeys and hopes. Abraham's faith is all the more remarkable because he lacked the revelation of God in Christ.
Outline:
1. Jews, Gentiles and followers of Islam have a common father in Abraham. Abraham is the father of all who have faith in the living God.
2. Faith for us should be easier because we have come to know God through Christ.
3. To have the faith of Abraham today means to follow Christ wherever he would have us go.
Gospel: Mark 8:31--38
Sermon Title: Cross Bearing: The Essential Exercise For Christian Discipleship
Sermon Angle: Contrary to popular usage, every pain and sorrow we experience is not cross bearing. To bear our cross means to follow Christ wherever he leads. Such discipleship will certainly entail suffering for the sake of Christ. Our human nature seeks to eliminate pain and suffering, which is all right except for the fact that there are some things worth suffering for, even dying for. Proclaiming the gospel is certainly at the top of this list. To follow Christ means to help others carry their burdens, to share their pain and their death. Exercise your cross bearing daily to keep spiritually fit.
Outline:
1. The disciples sought only glory and honor. Jesus had to teach them the necessity of cross bearing for himself and his disciples.
2. Cross bearing involves two things - denying ourselves and following Christ (v. 34).
3. If we play it safe, we may gain the world but lose our souls (v. 36).
Sermon Title: What A Shame!
Sermon Angle: Cross bearing is a shameful thing in the eyes of the world. Jesus warns that if we are ashamed of Jesus or his gospel in this life, he will be ashamed to claim us as his own when he comes into his kingdom (v. 38). Christianity seems so square, so simple and naive in the eyes of the world. We have taken the easy way out and failed to name the name of Jesus when that name was being dragged through the mud. We have been fearful and ashamed to challenge the conventional wisdom of the world with God's wisdom. Jesus endured shame and scorn on the cross. What a shame it was! We have been ashamed to witness for Jesus. What a shame! What a God--awful shame!
__________
One summer I worked with a crew of young men who were painting a gas storage tank. They weren't a particularly bad sort but kind of rough around the edges. Some would brag about their drinking and womanizing exploits. At that time I knew that I was called to preach the gospel but I was afraid to reveal my faith to them. I didn't want to seem odd or different. Like most young people, I wanted to blend in with the crowd. There was another young man working there, headed for the ministry in the Methodist church. During break one day he confessed, "We're cowards. We're both afraid to share who we really are with the other guys." I hung my head in shame. I knew he was right.
BRIEF COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS
Lesson 1: Genesis 17:1--7, 15--16 (C)
God establishes his covenant with Abraham and his descendants. Like the covenant with Noah, it is an eternal covenant. Unlike that covenant, the beneficiaries of this covenant are Abraham's descendants exclusively. God promises to multiply his progeny so that nations and kings come from his line. As a result of this new relationship, the names of Abram and his wife, Sarai, are changed to Abraham and Sarah. Abraham means "the divine father is exalted." Sarah translates as "princess." This demonstrates the power and authority of the name giver.
Lesson 1: Genesis 22:1--2, 9--13, 15--18 (RC); Genesis 22:1--14 (E)
God instructs Abraham to take his son Isaac and go to the land of Moriah and offer him up to Yahweh as a sacrifice. This was a test of the patriarch's faith because not only would this destroy his beloved son but also the means by which the Lord's covenant with Abraham was to be fulfilled. The angel of the Lord stays Abraham's hand just as he was ready to plunge the knife into his son's chest. Abraham passed the test. A ram caught in a thicket serves as a substitute sacrifice, provided by the Lord himself. Tradition identifies Moriah with Jerusalem and specifically the temple mount. The Samaritans claimed that Moriah was located on Mount Gerizim.
Lesson 2: Romans 4:13--25 (C)
The true descendants of Abraham are not those who seek to live by the law but those who live by faith. Abraham did not receive the promise of God because he adhered to the law but because he trusted the grace of God (v. 16). Abraham trusted God in spite of evidence to the contrary. After all, both Abraham and Sarah were far beyond the childbearing age.
Lesson 2: Romans 8:31--34 (RC); Romans 8:31--39 (E)
In Paul's day becoming a Christian was dangerous. One could be persecuted, even killed. Paul submits that human opposition does not ultimately matter. "If God is for us, who could be against us?" (v. 31). The God who gave us his Son will graciously give us everything we need in this life of the world to come. Through Christ believers will conquer astrological, spiritual and angelic powers, let alone earthly powers. No power can separate us from God's love in Christ (v. 39).
Gospel: Mark 8:31--38 (C, E)
Right after Peter's great confession at Caesarean Philippi that Jesus was the Christ, the Lord teaches what his title and kingdom signify. He teaches that he must suffer, die and be raised to newness of life. This message is contrary to what they had hoped and dreamed. The disciples were aiming for glory, not suffering. Peter expresses the protest of the disciples (v. 32). Jesus forcefully counters Peter's protest by accusing him of expressing attitudes which come from Satan (v. 33). Jesus further charges that if any person desired to be his disciple that he would have to deny himself, take up his cross and follow him (v. 34). The person who aims to save his life will lose it, and the person who loses his or her life for Christ's sake will find it.
Gospel: Mark 9:2--10 (RC)
(See The Transfiguration Of Our Lord)
Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 22:23--31 (C) - "All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord..." (v. 27).
Psalm 16 (E)
Psalm 115 (RC)
Prayer Of The Day
Gracious God, your Son has called us to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow him. Yet our blood curdles at the prospect of self--denial or any kind of suffering. Give us the fortitude and faith to follow you, wherever that may lead. In the name of the One who went all the way for us, Jesus, our Lord. Amen.
THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION ON THE LESSONS
Lesson 1: Genesis 17:1--7, 15--16
A covenant God. Last week we considered God's covenant with Noah. This week we deal with God's covenant with Abraham, the foundational covenant of our Jewish--Christian faith. Actually, the Bible is peppered with covenants. A covenant is an agreement between two parties to enter into a relationship and to fulfill certain duties. Another word for covenant is "testament," from which we derive the designations Old Testament and New Testament. Conquering kings would impose covenants on those they had subjected through force. God's covenant with Abraham is different. It is a covenant of grace. God promises to bless Abraham and make a great nation of him; God pledges that he will be the God of Abraham and his descendants, through whom all peoples will be blessed. In a day when people fear commitments, it's wonderful to realize that we have a covenant God who keeps his word.
A covenant of grace. The covenant between the Lord and his people was not hammered out through negotiation, nor is it an agreement between equals. Notice that God takes the initiative in making all the promises. "I will confirm my covenant..." (v. 2). "I have made you father of many nations" (v. 5). "I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant" (v. 7). This is nothing less than a covenant of grace and favor. Our text doesn't mention it but the sign of the covenant with Abraham was circumcision (vv. 11--13). God has established a covenant of grace with us through Christ. Baptism confers to us all the wonderful promises of God - forgiveness, salvation and eternal life.
Fruitfulness. God's promise to Abraham and Sarah can be defined by the word "fruitful." Sarah was barren and far beyond the childbearing age. Yet the Lord promises that they will be the father and mother of nations. God promises fruitfulness to them and their descendants (v. 4). Fruitfulness has traditionally been based on the ability to have children. Today we may want to define fruitfulness differently. Fruitfulness may be thought of as the ability to love others and bring out the best in them. It can also be thought of as the ability to take a few resources and multiply them. For Christians fruitfulness means utilizing our talents and time for God's glory; it surely means sharing Christ with our neighbors.
Lesson 1: Genesis 22:1--18
Final Exam. God had tested Abraham's faith time and again. God asked him to leave his home--land and all that was familiar without telling him his exact destination. God promised that he would make a great nation of him but waited until he and his wife were old before he fulfilled that promise. Now it was time for the final exam. Would he be willing to give up his son, his only son, in obedience to the Lord? Such a demand seemed contradictory to God's promises. That three--day trip to Moriah must have seemed like an eternity. Yet Abraham knew his subject and trusted that God would not ask him to do anything irrational or evil. Abraham passed his final exam with flying colors, much like Jesus did when we was led into the wilderness by the Spirit to be tested by Satan.
Lesson 2: Romans 4:13--25
Father of the faithful. "He is the father of us all" (v. 16). Abraham is known for his fatherly role. His name was changed from Abram (exalted father) to Abraham (father of many). He is father not only of the Jews but of all who have the kind of faith that he had.
Father of hope. "Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed..." (v. 18). Hope is the future dimension of faith; hope centers on what God has promised to do. Hope, like an ivy vine, clings tenaciously to these promises. In our land there are many who have no father and they have no hope. They have no dreams, no goals; they live only for the present moment. Without hope life loses its value and leads to self--destruction and violence. We need to lift up the light of hope, centered not in some concept of human perfectibility but in God's promises.
Credited to our account. Paul maintains that Abraham's faith and hope were "credited to him as righteousness" (v. 22). The word translated "credited" has also been translated as "reckoned," "accounted" or "accepted." This is the language of financial accounting. Though Abraham was not necessarily righteous in a moral sense - he was still a sinner. The Lord credited his faith as righteousness. Abraham trusted the Lord and it was credited to his account as righteousness. The gospel offers Christian believers the promise of eternal life through Christ. When we truly trust in God's promise it is credited to our account as righteousness. Faith is a much better investment than money in the bank; it pays eternal dividends.
Gospel: Mark 8:31--38
Graduate school. Just prior to this lection, we have the great confession of Peter that Jesus was the Christ. Jesus was happy that his disciples knew who he was. They had passed their bachelor's degree in Christology. Now it was time for graduate school; Jesus needed to educate them as to the significance of the title Christ. Contrary to their thinking, Jesus' messiahship was not going to lead to immediate honor and glory; rather, it would entail suffering, shame and death. Peter was so opposed to the idea of a suffering Messiah that he rebuked Jesus. The disciples would understand the deeper concepts of Christology only after the resurrection.
Plain talk. Prior to this point in Jesus' ministry, he had spoken primarily in parables. Now it was time for plain talk; after all, these were matters of life and death. It seems that when it comes to the subject of death, we try to escape the painful realities by talking in riddles and metaphors. We even prefer to evade the word death. We say "she passed on" as if she were a drifter. Medical people are fond of employing the word expired for our final earthly state, as if the dead person were an overdue book. Jesus knew that death was difficult to deal with; that's why he spoke plainly to his disciples. To take some of death's sting away, he held out a great hope; three days after his death he would "rise again" (v. 31). Death can be dealt with redemptively if we are willing to talk plainly concerning it.
Secret agent. The Lord's sharp rebuke of Peter must have really stung: "Out of my sight, Satan!" he said. "You do not have in mind the things of God but of man" (v. 33). He was accusing Peter of being a secret agent. Ostensibly he was a disciple of Christ. Unwittingly, however, he was serving as an agent of Satan by opposing God's plan. How many times does even the most loyal Christian find himself serving as an agent of Satan by reflecting values opposed to those of the Lord?
SERMON APPROACHES WITH ILLUSTRATIONS
Lesson 1: Genesis 17:1--7, 15--16
Sermon Title: Keeping Covenant
Sermon Angle: In this passage God confirms his covenant with Abraham to bless him and make of his line a great nation. God initiates and confirms his covenant as an act of grace. Abraham is told that he and his descendants must also keep God's covenant (v. 9). The concept of covenant, a relationship involving promises, duties and responsibilities, is the golden thread that ties together all of scripture. In our day the freedom of the individual is exalted above covenantal relationships. Is it any wonder that the fabric of society is becoming unraveled? We need to hold up high the importance of the covenant God made with us in baptism as the basis of all other covenants. The covenant of marriage, family and friendship must also be exalted. Keeping our covenants with God and others opens the door to God's eternal blessings.
Outline:
1. The concept of covenant ties scripture together.
- God bonded with the Hebrew people through the covenant with Abraham.
- God bonds with all believers through Christian baptism.
2. Covenant also ties life together.
- Marriage and family.
- Community bonds.
- Friendship bonds.
3. God will bless us as he did Abraham if we keep covenant.
4. Faithfulness to our covenants is more important than individual freedom.
__________
The movie The Bridges Of Madison County confronts us with the importance of our covenants. The character Francesca is a middle--aged farm wife who decides to stay home while the rest of the family heads off to the state fair for a few days. A photographer for National Geographic stops by to seek directions to the famed covered bridges in the county. She invites him to dinner. He regales her with stimulating accounts of his world travels and she is irresistibly swept off her feet by this charming rolling--stone of a man. They enjoy four unforgettable days of romance but then reality sets in. Francesca has to make a painful choice. Will she follow her heart and leave with her lover? Or will she stay true to her covenant with her husband and family? She finally decides that her leaving would only cause untold grief for her family and that the passion she felt for her lover would turn to resentment for having betrayed her family. She would remain in the fertile, but less than exotic, corn fields of Iowa, with her solid, but less than exciting, husband, who continued to love her. Francesca was temporarily unfaithful to her husband but, in the end, kept her covenant. It's about time, Hollywood!
__________
Lesson 1: Genesis 22:1--18
Sermon Title: The Test
Sermon Angle: When God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son, it must have seemed grossly unfair and unreasonable. Remarkably, Abraham didn't try to second--guess the Lord or only proceed when he understood God's reasoning. Abraham trusted God implicitly with his life and that of his son. The patriarch understood that this life is something of an exam, a test. Abraham also knew the Lord to be just and good and so he was willing to follow his instructions to the letter.
Outline:
1. Abraham understood that life was a test of faith.
2. For him the goal of life was not self--expression but obedience to God.
3. God's order to offer his son as a sacrifice was the supreme test of faith.
4. God can only do great things through those who pass the absolute obedience test.
__________
A young man recently took the bar exam in the state of Iowa. One section of the exam contained several questions. He had to answer a certain number of them (something like 7 out of 10) but the instructions explicitly stated that a certain question must be answered in order to pass the test. A number of those who took the exam failed to properly obey the instructions. They didn't answer that specific question and so they failed the test. God has established the rules for that grand test we call life. If we heed his instructions we will pass the test.
Lesson 2: Romans 4:13--25
Sermon Title: Father Of Faith
Sermon Angle: "He is the father of us all" (v. 16). Paul argues that Abraham is not only father of the Jews but of the Gentiles as well. His fatherhood is not conferred genetically but spiritually. Abraham stands as the father of all the faithful. He wasn't the first person to trust God but his life stands as a the basic textbook on faith. What Freud is to psychology, Abraham is to faith. Abraham is the exemplar of faith - faith that perceives, follows, obeys and hopes. Abraham's faith is all the more remarkable because he lacked the revelation of God in Christ.
Outline:
1. Jews, Gentiles and followers of Islam have a common father in Abraham. Abraham is the father of all who have faith in the living God.
2. Faith for us should be easier because we have come to know God through Christ.
3. To have the faith of Abraham today means to follow Christ wherever he would have us go.
Gospel: Mark 8:31--38
Sermon Title: Cross Bearing: The Essential Exercise For Christian Discipleship
Sermon Angle: Contrary to popular usage, every pain and sorrow we experience is not cross bearing. To bear our cross means to follow Christ wherever he leads. Such discipleship will certainly entail suffering for the sake of Christ. Our human nature seeks to eliminate pain and suffering, which is all right except for the fact that there are some things worth suffering for, even dying for. Proclaiming the gospel is certainly at the top of this list. To follow Christ means to help others carry their burdens, to share their pain and their death. Exercise your cross bearing daily to keep spiritually fit.
Outline:
1. The disciples sought only glory and honor. Jesus had to teach them the necessity of cross bearing for himself and his disciples.
2. Cross bearing involves two things - denying ourselves and following Christ (v. 34).
3. If we play it safe, we may gain the world but lose our souls (v. 36).
Sermon Title: What A Shame!
Sermon Angle: Cross bearing is a shameful thing in the eyes of the world. Jesus warns that if we are ashamed of Jesus or his gospel in this life, he will be ashamed to claim us as his own when he comes into his kingdom (v. 38). Christianity seems so square, so simple and naive in the eyes of the world. We have taken the easy way out and failed to name the name of Jesus when that name was being dragged through the mud. We have been fearful and ashamed to challenge the conventional wisdom of the world with God's wisdom. Jesus endured shame and scorn on the cross. What a shame it was! We have been ashamed to witness for Jesus. What a shame! What a God--awful shame!
__________
One summer I worked with a crew of young men who were painting a gas storage tank. They weren't a particularly bad sort but kind of rough around the edges. Some would brag about their drinking and womanizing exploits. At that time I knew that I was called to preach the gospel but I was afraid to reveal my faith to them. I didn't want to seem odd or different. Like most young people, I wanted to blend in with the crowd. There was another young man working there, headed for the ministry in the Methodist church. During break one day he confessed, "We're cowards. We're both afraid to share who we really are with the other guys." I hung my head in shame. I knew he was right.
