The costs and the awards of following Jesus
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series V, Cycle A
BRIEF COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS
Lesson 1: Genesis 22:1--14 (C)
God tests Abraham's faith and loyalty by ordering him to sacrifice his son. Just as he is ready to plunge the knife into the child, God stops Abraham, commenting that now he has proven his obedience to the Lord. A ram caught in a thicket substitutes for Isaac as a sacrifice.
Lesson 1: 2 Kings 4:8--11, 14--16 (RC)
A woman from Shunem extends hospitality to Elisha the prophet by serving him meals and appointing a room in her house for the prophet to lodge whenever he is in the area. The prophet reciprocates by praying for a son for this childless woman.
Lesson 1: Isaiah 2:10--17 (E)
The Lord will cut down to size all those who are arrogant and full of pride.
Lesson 1: Jeremiah 28:5--9 (L)
Jeremiah found himself opposed by the prophets of peace and prosperity for his prophecies of doom. He argues, from history, that most of the prophets have preached war, famine and pestilence. Secondly, those who have proclaimed peace are only proven authentic when their message comes to pass.
Lesson 2: Romans 6:12--23 (C)
Some people distorted Paul's gospel of grace by arguing that since they were not saved through the law or by good works but by faith, it didn't matter what they did with their bodies. Paul contends that we are either slaves of sin or slaves of righteousness. Since through Christ we are slaves of righteousness, we cannot revert to being slaves of sin. Paul commands the believers to not let sin gain control of their bodies (v. 12).
Lesson 2: Romans 6:3--4, 8--11 (RC); Romans 6:3--11 (E); Romans 6:1b--11 (L)
''Should we continue in sin that grace may abound?'' (1b). Some were using the Gospel as a pretext for libertine behavior. Human sin gave God an opportunity to show his graciousness. So let's sin, that grace might increase. Paul's answer to the question posed in verse 1 is an emphatic: ''By no means!'' He buttresses his argument through his theology of baptism. In baptism, believers are dead to sin and are raised to newness of life with Christ. Consequently, we must consider ourselves dead to sin and alive to God (v. 11).
Gospel: Matthew 10:40--42 (C); Matthew 10:37--42 (RC); Matthew 10:34--42 (E, L)
Jesus is brutally honest with his followers concerning the cost of discipleship. It will bring strife and division among friends and family. ''I have not come to bring peace, but a sword''
231
(v. 34). It is not his intention to bring division; rather, it is a by--product of loyalty to Christ and fidelity to the truth. Some will accept his claims and some will reject them. The result is division. Yet faithfulness is higher on Christ's scale of values than peace. Those who love their family more than Christ are not worthy of him. The disciples must be willing to suffer for the sake of the gospel, and give their lives (vv. 38--39). Yet those who welcome and receive one of his disciples welcome Christ. Whoever receives one of God's servants also receives the same award as the servant. Those who sacrifice for the sake of the kingdom will not lose their award. Thus, this passage sums up the costs and the awards of following Jesus.
Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 13 (C) - ''But I trusted in your steadfast love'' (v. 5).
Psalm 89:1--4, 15--18 (RC, E, L) - ''I will sing of your steadfast love, O Lord, forever'' (v. 1a).
Prayer Of The Day
Lord Christ, open our eyes that we might follow you, knowing full well what is required and what it will cost us. But also hold before us the eternal weight of glory that you have promised to those who are willing to take up their cross for your sake. In Jesus' name. Amen.
THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION ON THE LESSONS
Lesson 1: Genesis 22:1--14
The test. God tested Abraham's faith by asking him to sacrifice his son. It seems like God is being cruel here, asking him to offer up the son through whom God was supposed to fulfill his promise to make of him a great nation. God appears to rub his nose in it by emphasizing that it's his only son, whom he loves, that he is asked to give up (v. 2). Did Abraham have such intimate knowledge of God that he knew it was a test? Who knows? We do know that Abraham trusted God implicitly, knowing that God would not ask him to do anything cruel or irrational. Abraham had the trust to pass God's formal test because God had passed Abraham's informal test of reliability.
The sacrifice. The same Father who restrained Abraham from sacrificing his son, offered up his Son on the high place of the cross. This time, there was no one to stop the oblation, no substitute for this ultimate sacrifice. It was a sacrifice on top of a sacrifice. Christ had already offered his life to the Father in a perfect sacrifice of obedience. It's not that God needs our sacrifices or even desires them. What God does desire is a sacrificial spirit within each one of us. The supreme sacrifice of Christ was not offered to placate an angry God, but to elicit within us the willingness to give freely of ourselves and our substance.
Lesson 1: Jeremiah 28:5--9
True Prophets. How do you tell the real McCoy from the phony? That was the conundrum of those bearing the brunt of Jeremiah's pessimistic prophecies. They accused him of being a false prophet. The prophet comments: ''I hope you're right but history is on my side.'' Most of the true prophets had predicted war and calamity. What made them authentic prophets was not that they were doomsdayers; rather, that they were counterculture. If a person claims to represent the Lord and his message confirms the prevailing culture, one needs to be quite skeptical of that person's message. There are always plenty of people who are willing, for a price, to confirm our prejudices. It was usually at the time of crisis that God sent his messengers and so it is understandable that their prophecies cut against the grain of the culture. The prophet who holds up the need to repent may not be a true spokesperson for the Lord, but you have to, at least, weigh his or her message.
Lesson 2: Romans 6:12--23
Choose well your master. Starting in verse 20, Paul employs an analogy from slavery to refute those who were saying that his gospel of grace was promoting sin. He points out that
232
before faith in Christ, they were slaves to sin. Such bondage results in destruction and ultimate death. After faith, the believer becomes a slave of righteousness but such allegiance yields the fruits of holiness and eternal life. We do not have the choice of not serving any master. We have only to choose whether we will be slaves of sin or of Christ. Choose well whom you will serve.
Lesson 2: Romans 6:1--11
The problem with grace. One of the early Jewish arguments against the gospel of grace was that it would destroy morals. There would be no incentive for righteous behavior. Indeed, that very doctrine was used as a pretext for immoral behavior. Let us sin, that God's grace might abound. Grace can indeed transform behavior but only for those who have been truly born anew through the Gospel. The unredeemed world in which we live operates primarily under the rubric of law, not grace. The law punishes and restrains evildoers, maintaining order, but cannot change sinners into saints. Only the gospel can do that.
Born anew in baptism. The image of death and resurrection which we see in this passage equates to being born anew in baptism. Paul's point is that those who have put on Christ have died to the slavery of sin through their baptism. And, just as Christ was raised from the dead, so we shall be raised to newness of life. Notice that the new resurrected life is in the future tense (v. 8). Christians have already begun to enter that new life but the fullness of the Christ--life in us will not be realized until we enter into glory. Nevertheless, believers must already consider themselves dead to sin and alive to God (v. 11). We must now live the new life that is to come.
Gospel: Matthew 10:34--42
Something greater than peace. The words of Jesus shock us. ''I have not come to bring peace, but a sword'' (v. 34). Doesn't Isaiah call him the Prince of Peace? Didn't the Hebrew prophets foretell that the Messiah would usher in a reign of peace? Once again, Jesus doesn't fulfill the common expectations of the faithful but we must be cognizant that Jesus is employing hyperbole here - strong and exaggerated language that strives to make a point. What is the point? There is something greater than peace, namely, truth. Jesus claims to incarnate the truth of God. Some will accept this claim, while others will not. The result is division, hostility and strife. With Christ, there can be no compromise with falsehood.
Focus on the family? Dr. James Dobson's organization, Focus On The Family, is an understandable, even laudable, reaction to the continuing disintegration of the American family. Yet, I wonder, is that really where our ultimate focus ought to be? The family? I know what the Jesus of the gospels would say: that our focus ought to be the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Family harmony is secondary. As Jesus pointed out, if our ultimate loyalty is to him and to the kingdom, family strife might increase, if other family members are antagonistic, even apathetic, to the claims of Christ. However, if Christian faith is shared within the family, it can't help but cement those basic relationships.
Messianic expectations. The pious Jews of Jesus' day shared the expectation that God's Anointed One would be ushered into the world during a period of war, strife and family disharmony. Jesus seems to identify himself with these messianic expectations. It's not so hard to understand why strife would increase at such a time. When God's forces are the strongest, the reaction of the Evil One becomes more active, to meet the challenge. Good and evil, like oil and water, do not mix.
Be a high roller. Jesus proclaims, ''He who finds his life will lose it but he who loses his (her) life for my sake will find it'' (v. 39). His counsel is to forget about playing it safe. Be a holy gambler, be a high roller, and take the risk of following Christ. We may lose the life we had but Christ promises in its place a life that is eternal.
Equal pay for the supporting cast. Jesus said, ''He who receives a prophet because he is a prophet, will receive a prophet's reward and he who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man, will receive a righteous man's reward.'' The supporting cast for Christ's kingdom will receive the same pay as the stars, the main actors.
233
PREACHING APPROACHES WITH ILLUSTRATIONS
Lesson 1: Genesis 22:1--14
Sermon Title: Giving Back To God
Sermon Angle: The writer of this account states that God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son as a test (v. 1). It seems like a very cruel test. How do we reconcile this order with a loving and merciful God? The heathens sacrificed their children to their gods, but the Lord? Yet we must admit that God had the right to make such a request. Isaac, like all children, was a gift of God. Abraham was not being asked to give up merely his own son but God's son. As the offertory states: ''We give thee but thine own .... All that we have is thine alone ...'' After all, doesn't Jesus urge us to sacrifice our lives to him by taking up our cross?
Sermon Title: Substitutionary Sacrifice
Sermon Angle: The Old Testament sacrificial system was for two primary reasons. First, to atone for human sin. The animal was a substitute for the guilty party. Secondly, to demonstrate that God is the Lord of all. The sacrifice was a token giving back to God what was rightfully his. Both concepts of sacrifice underlie the sacrifice that Abraham was requested to make. God provided the ram in substitution for the life of Abraham's child. God has also provided a substitutionary sacrifice for you and me in the person of his Son.
Outline:
1. Jewish worship centered around substitutionary sacrifice
2. We are all beneficiaries of substitutionary sacrifice
- soldiers gave their lives on our behalf, to preserve our freedom
3. God desires not our death but our lives
- God provided a sacrificial substitute for Abraham's son
- God sent his Son to die for our sins
Lesson 1: Jeremiah 28:5--9
Sermon Title: Propheteering
Sermon Angle: Jeremiah confronted a bunch of phony prophets who won the ear of the people by telling them exactly what they wanted to hear. They were propheteering: trying to get ahead by selling bogus advice. Propheteering is akin to racketeering. Jeremiah stood by the truth. Such charlatan prophets still are around to confirm the prejudices of the people.
Outline:
1. Define propheteering
- speaking deceitfully in the name of the Lord
- using religion for personal gain
2. How to tell a true prophet
- their message jives with God's word
- Their message usually runs counter to the culture and power structure
3. What kind of prophetic message are we declaring?
Lesson 2: Romans 6:12--23
Sermon Title: Yield!
Sermon Angle: You pull your car onto the ramp for the freeway and the sign says ''Yield.'' This means that you are not to bully your way into the main traffic flow but to yield to it. Some of us don't like to yield. We want to get ahead, to assert ourselves. Yet, what chaos and destruction results when we refuse to yield! Actually, we have no choice but to yield to someone or something. If our lives are not yielded in obedience to the Lord, we are automatically under the power of the Evil One, whose tools we become. When we yield our lives to righteousness we become the Carpenter's tools, building for eternity (v. 13).
234
Outline:
1. Refusing to yield sets lives on a crash course
2. Jesus yielded his life to the Father (the cross)
3. Our choice - yield to sin or to righteousness (v. 13)
4. To be a Christian is to choose righteousness because we have already been chosen by God for salvation (v. 22).
Lesson 2: Romans 6:1--11
Sermon Title: Baptism And Behavior
Sermon Angle: Paul asks a crucial question: ''How can those who died in sin still live in it?'' (v. 1). In baptism, Christians die to sin and are raised to newness of life with Christ. If this is so, how indeed can we live in sin? Paul is talking about behavior here. If we are new creatures in Christ, we will demonstrate this through the fruit of our actions.
Gospel: Matthew 10:34--42
Sermon Title: The Hour Of Decision
Sermon Angle: To understand Jesus' instructions to his disciples as he sends them out on their mission, one must realize that this is not business as usual. This was a time of crisis, an hour of decision. A new order was being ushered in as Jesus held up the kingdom of God. The world would have to decide between Jesus and the claims of the world, the old order. The kingdom of Jesus would, at first, bring dislocation and dissension. People would have to decide between the old order and the kingdom of Christ.
The upheaval that Jesus told his followers to expect bears some likeness to what is happening in the former Soviet Union. During the old regime, there was certainly order. People didn't have any freedom but they knew what to expect, the state would take care of their basic needs. With the abandoning of communism, great upheaval has occurred. Community, as it was known, has broken down. No one ought to claim that the advent of a free market economy will usher in the kingdom of God for the Russian people. Yet, like in Jesus' day, it is a time of crisis. People must decide if they are going to support the new Russia or strive to go back to the old order. A new order is not born without suffering, sacrifice and death.
Wolfhart Pannenberg warns that if Christianity is to make an impact, churches will need to steer clear of fundamentalism, on the one hand, and acceptance of secular values, on the other. So warned the professor of theology at the University of Munich in a speech May 11, 1994, at the annual ''Erasmus Lecture'' at St. Peter's Lutheran Church in New York City. This lecture was sponsored by the ''Institute on Religion and Public Life.'' In an increasing secularized world, Pannenberg asserted that the church will have to model such values as tolerance, morality and objective truth. The idea ''that society could survive without religion is a delusion,'' he says. Mainline Protestant churches are no longer equipped for the task of lifting up the truth of the gospel because they are too accepting of contemporary culture and are not defending Christian claims to truth in secular settings. Pannenberg predicts that mainline churches will be eclipsed by Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and evangelical churches unless they distance themselves from secular culture and regain their Christian identity. (Based on an article in The Christian Century, June 15--24, 1994.)
Sermon Title: Ambassadors For God
Sermon Angle: In sending out the disciples, Jesus taught that any person who received them, received him, and anyone who received him received the One who sent him, God himself
(v. 40). The image here is of ambassadorship. To receive the ambassador of a country is to
235
receive the president of the country. To welcome the representative is to honor the country or the leader he or she represents. As Paul reminds us, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us (2 Corinthians 5:20). We must always keep in mind that we are Christ's ambassadors but also stand ready to receive other ambassadors for Christ.
Outline:
1. God doesn't usually come to us in pure spirit form, but enfleshed
2. Jesus said, ''He who receives you, receives me ...''
- we are ambassadors for Christ
- those who reject our witness, reject Christ, not us personally
3. We must also receive others who come in Christ's name
236
Lesson 1: Genesis 22:1--14 (C)
God tests Abraham's faith and loyalty by ordering him to sacrifice his son. Just as he is ready to plunge the knife into the child, God stops Abraham, commenting that now he has proven his obedience to the Lord. A ram caught in a thicket substitutes for Isaac as a sacrifice.
Lesson 1: 2 Kings 4:8--11, 14--16 (RC)
A woman from Shunem extends hospitality to Elisha the prophet by serving him meals and appointing a room in her house for the prophet to lodge whenever he is in the area. The prophet reciprocates by praying for a son for this childless woman.
Lesson 1: Isaiah 2:10--17 (E)
The Lord will cut down to size all those who are arrogant and full of pride.
Lesson 1: Jeremiah 28:5--9 (L)
Jeremiah found himself opposed by the prophets of peace and prosperity for his prophecies of doom. He argues, from history, that most of the prophets have preached war, famine and pestilence. Secondly, those who have proclaimed peace are only proven authentic when their message comes to pass.
Lesson 2: Romans 6:12--23 (C)
Some people distorted Paul's gospel of grace by arguing that since they were not saved through the law or by good works but by faith, it didn't matter what they did with their bodies. Paul contends that we are either slaves of sin or slaves of righteousness. Since through Christ we are slaves of righteousness, we cannot revert to being slaves of sin. Paul commands the believers to not let sin gain control of their bodies (v. 12).
Lesson 2: Romans 6:3--4, 8--11 (RC); Romans 6:3--11 (E); Romans 6:1b--11 (L)
''Should we continue in sin that grace may abound?'' (1b). Some were using the Gospel as a pretext for libertine behavior. Human sin gave God an opportunity to show his graciousness. So let's sin, that grace might increase. Paul's answer to the question posed in verse 1 is an emphatic: ''By no means!'' He buttresses his argument through his theology of baptism. In baptism, believers are dead to sin and are raised to newness of life with Christ. Consequently, we must consider ourselves dead to sin and alive to God (v. 11).
Gospel: Matthew 10:40--42 (C); Matthew 10:37--42 (RC); Matthew 10:34--42 (E, L)
Jesus is brutally honest with his followers concerning the cost of discipleship. It will bring strife and division among friends and family. ''I have not come to bring peace, but a sword''
231
(v. 34). It is not his intention to bring division; rather, it is a by--product of loyalty to Christ and fidelity to the truth. Some will accept his claims and some will reject them. The result is division. Yet faithfulness is higher on Christ's scale of values than peace. Those who love their family more than Christ are not worthy of him. The disciples must be willing to suffer for the sake of the gospel, and give their lives (vv. 38--39). Yet those who welcome and receive one of his disciples welcome Christ. Whoever receives one of God's servants also receives the same award as the servant. Those who sacrifice for the sake of the kingdom will not lose their award. Thus, this passage sums up the costs and the awards of following Jesus.
Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 13 (C) - ''But I trusted in your steadfast love'' (v. 5).
Psalm 89:1--4, 15--18 (RC, E, L) - ''I will sing of your steadfast love, O Lord, forever'' (v. 1a).
Prayer Of The Day
Lord Christ, open our eyes that we might follow you, knowing full well what is required and what it will cost us. But also hold before us the eternal weight of glory that you have promised to those who are willing to take up their cross for your sake. In Jesus' name. Amen.
THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION ON THE LESSONS
Lesson 1: Genesis 22:1--14
The test. God tested Abraham's faith by asking him to sacrifice his son. It seems like God is being cruel here, asking him to offer up the son through whom God was supposed to fulfill his promise to make of him a great nation. God appears to rub his nose in it by emphasizing that it's his only son, whom he loves, that he is asked to give up (v. 2). Did Abraham have such intimate knowledge of God that he knew it was a test? Who knows? We do know that Abraham trusted God implicitly, knowing that God would not ask him to do anything cruel or irrational. Abraham had the trust to pass God's formal test because God had passed Abraham's informal test of reliability.
The sacrifice. The same Father who restrained Abraham from sacrificing his son, offered up his Son on the high place of the cross. This time, there was no one to stop the oblation, no substitute for this ultimate sacrifice. It was a sacrifice on top of a sacrifice. Christ had already offered his life to the Father in a perfect sacrifice of obedience. It's not that God needs our sacrifices or even desires them. What God does desire is a sacrificial spirit within each one of us. The supreme sacrifice of Christ was not offered to placate an angry God, but to elicit within us the willingness to give freely of ourselves and our substance.
Lesson 1: Jeremiah 28:5--9
True Prophets. How do you tell the real McCoy from the phony? That was the conundrum of those bearing the brunt of Jeremiah's pessimistic prophecies. They accused him of being a false prophet. The prophet comments: ''I hope you're right but history is on my side.'' Most of the true prophets had predicted war and calamity. What made them authentic prophets was not that they were doomsdayers; rather, that they were counterculture. If a person claims to represent the Lord and his message confirms the prevailing culture, one needs to be quite skeptical of that person's message. There are always plenty of people who are willing, for a price, to confirm our prejudices. It was usually at the time of crisis that God sent his messengers and so it is understandable that their prophecies cut against the grain of the culture. The prophet who holds up the need to repent may not be a true spokesperson for the Lord, but you have to, at least, weigh his or her message.
Lesson 2: Romans 6:12--23
Choose well your master. Starting in verse 20, Paul employs an analogy from slavery to refute those who were saying that his gospel of grace was promoting sin. He points out that
232
before faith in Christ, they were slaves to sin. Such bondage results in destruction and ultimate death. After faith, the believer becomes a slave of righteousness but such allegiance yields the fruits of holiness and eternal life. We do not have the choice of not serving any master. We have only to choose whether we will be slaves of sin or of Christ. Choose well whom you will serve.
Lesson 2: Romans 6:1--11
The problem with grace. One of the early Jewish arguments against the gospel of grace was that it would destroy morals. There would be no incentive for righteous behavior. Indeed, that very doctrine was used as a pretext for immoral behavior. Let us sin, that God's grace might abound. Grace can indeed transform behavior but only for those who have been truly born anew through the Gospel. The unredeemed world in which we live operates primarily under the rubric of law, not grace. The law punishes and restrains evildoers, maintaining order, but cannot change sinners into saints. Only the gospel can do that.
Born anew in baptism. The image of death and resurrection which we see in this passage equates to being born anew in baptism. Paul's point is that those who have put on Christ have died to the slavery of sin through their baptism. And, just as Christ was raised from the dead, so we shall be raised to newness of life. Notice that the new resurrected life is in the future tense (v. 8). Christians have already begun to enter that new life but the fullness of the Christ--life in us will not be realized until we enter into glory. Nevertheless, believers must already consider themselves dead to sin and alive to God (v. 11). We must now live the new life that is to come.
Gospel: Matthew 10:34--42
Something greater than peace. The words of Jesus shock us. ''I have not come to bring peace, but a sword'' (v. 34). Doesn't Isaiah call him the Prince of Peace? Didn't the Hebrew prophets foretell that the Messiah would usher in a reign of peace? Once again, Jesus doesn't fulfill the common expectations of the faithful but we must be cognizant that Jesus is employing hyperbole here - strong and exaggerated language that strives to make a point. What is the point? There is something greater than peace, namely, truth. Jesus claims to incarnate the truth of God. Some will accept this claim, while others will not. The result is division, hostility and strife. With Christ, there can be no compromise with falsehood.
Focus on the family? Dr. James Dobson's organization, Focus On The Family, is an understandable, even laudable, reaction to the continuing disintegration of the American family. Yet, I wonder, is that really where our ultimate focus ought to be? The family? I know what the Jesus of the gospels would say: that our focus ought to be the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Family harmony is secondary. As Jesus pointed out, if our ultimate loyalty is to him and to the kingdom, family strife might increase, if other family members are antagonistic, even apathetic, to the claims of Christ. However, if Christian faith is shared within the family, it can't help but cement those basic relationships.
Messianic expectations. The pious Jews of Jesus' day shared the expectation that God's Anointed One would be ushered into the world during a period of war, strife and family disharmony. Jesus seems to identify himself with these messianic expectations. It's not so hard to understand why strife would increase at such a time. When God's forces are the strongest, the reaction of the Evil One becomes more active, to meet the challenge. Good and evil, like oil and water, do not mix.
Be a high roller. Jesus proclaims, ''He who finds his life will lose it but he who loses his (her) life for my sake will find it'' (v. 39). His counsel is to forget about playing it safe. Be a holy gambler, be a high roller, and take the risk of following Christ. We may lose the life we had but Christ promises in its place a life that is eternal.
Equal pay for the supporting cast. Jesus said, ''He who receives a prophet because he is a prophet, will receive a prophet's reward and he who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man, will receive a righteous man's reward.'' The supporting cast for Christ's kingdom will receive the same pay as the stars, the main actors.
233
PREACHING APPROACHES WITH ILLUSTRATIONS
Lesson 1: Genesis 22:1--14
Sermon Title: Giving Back To God
Sermon Angle: The writer of this account states that God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son as a test (v. 1). It seems like a very cruel test. How do we reconcile this order with a loving and merciful God? The heathens sacrificed their children to their gods, but the Lord? Yet we must admit that God had the right to make such a request. Isaac, like all children, was a gift of God. Abraham was not being asked to give up merely his own son but God's son. As the offertory states: ''We give thee but thine own .... All that we have is thine alone ...'' After all, doesn't Jesus urge us to sacrifice our lives to him by taking up our cross?
Sermon Title: Substitutionary Sacrifice
Sermon Angle: The Old Testament sacrificial system was for two primary reasons. First, to atone for human sin. The animal was a substitute for the guilty party. Secondly, to demonstrate that God is the Lord of all. The sacrifice was a token giving back to God what was rightfully his. Both concepts of sacrifice underlie the sacrifice that Abraham was requested to make. God provided the ram in substitution for the life of Abraham's child. God has also provided a substitutionary sacrifice for you and me in the person of his Son.
Outline:
1. Jewish worship centered around substitutionary sacrifice
2. We are all beneficiaries of substitutionary sacrifice
- soldiers gave their lives on our behalf, to preserve our freedom
3. God desires not our death but our lives
- God provided a sacrificial substitute for Abraham's son
- God sent his Son to die for our sins
Lesson 1: Jeremiah 28:5--9
Sermon Title: Propheteering
Sermon Angle: Jeremiah confronted a bunch of phony prophets who won the ear of the people by telling them exactly what they wanted to hear. They were propheteering: trying to get ahead by selling bogus advice. Propheteering is akin to racketeering. Jeremiah stood by the truth. Such charlatan prophets still are around to confirm the prejudices of the people.
Outline:
1. Define propheteering
- speaking deceitfully in the name of the Lord
- using religion for personal gain
2. How to tell a true prophet
- their message jives with God's word
- Their message usually runs counter to the culture and power structure
3. What kind of prophetic message are we declaring?
Lesson 2: Romans 6:12--23
Sermon Title: Yield!
Sermon Angle: You pull your car onto the ramp for the freeway and the sign says ''Yield.'' This means that you are not to bully your way into the main traffic flow but to yield to it. Some of us don't like to yield. We want to get ahead, to assert ourselves. Yet, what chaos and destruction results when we refuse to yield! Actually, we have no choice but to yield to someone or something. If our lives are not yielded in obedience to the Lord, we are automatically under the power of the Evil One, whose tools we become. When we yield our lives to righteousness we become the Carpenter's tools, building for eternity (v. 13).
234
Outline:
1. Refusing to yield sets lives on a crash course
2. Jesus yielded his life to the Father (the cross)
3. Our choice - yield to sin or to righteousness (v. 13)
4. To be a Christian is to choose righteousness because we have already been chosen by God for salvation (v. 22).
Lesson 2: Romans 6:1--11
Sermon Title: Baptism And Behavior
Sermon Angle: Paul asks a crucial question: ''How can those who died in sin still live in it?'' (v. 1). In baptism, Christians die to sin and are raised to newness of life with Christ. If this is so, how indeed can we live in sin? Paul is talking about behavior here. If we are new creatures in Christ, we will demonstrate this through the fruit of our actions.
Gospel: Matthew 10:34--42
Sermon Title: The Hour Of Decision
Sermon Angle: To understand Jesus' instructions to his disciples as he sends them out on their mission, one must realize that this is not business as usual. This was a time of crisis, an hour of decision. A new order was being ushered in as Jesus held up the kingdom of God. The world would have to decide between Jesus and the claims of the world, the old order. The kingdom of Jesus would, at first, bring dislocation and dissension. People would have to decide between the old order and the kingdom of Christ.
The upheaval that Jesus told his followers to expect bears some likeness to what is happening in the former Soviet Union. During the old regime, there was certainly order. People didn't have any freedom but they knew what to expect, the state would take care of their basic needs. With the abandoning of communism, great upheaval has occurred. Community, as it was known, has broken down. No one ought to claim that the advent of a free market economy will usher in the kingdom of God for the Russian people. Yet, like in Jesus' day, it is a time of crisis. People must decide if they are going to support the new Russia or strive to go back to the old order. A new order is not born without suffering, sacrifice and death.
Wolfhart Pannenberg warns that if Christianity is to make an impact, churches will need to steer clear of fundamentalism, on the one hand, and acceptance of secular values, on the other. So warned the professor of theology at the University of Munich in a speech May 11, 1994, at the annual ''Erasmus Lecture'' at St. Peter's Lutheran Church in New York City. This lecture was sponsored by the ''Institute on Religion and Public Life.'' In an increasing secularized world, Pannenberg asserted that the church will have to model such values as tolerance, morality and objective truth. The idea ''that society could survive without religion is a delusion,'' he says. Mainline Protestant churches are no longer equipped for the task of lifting up the truth of the gospel because they are too accepting of contemporary culture and are not defending Christian claims to truth in secular settings. Pannenberg predicts that mainline churches will be eclipsed by Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and evangelical churches unless they distance themselves from secular culture and regain their Christian identity. (Based on an article in The Christian Century, June 15--24, 1994.)
Sermon Title: Ambassadors For God
Sermon Angle: In sending out the disciples, Jesus taught that any person who received them, received him, and anyone who received him received the One who sent him, God himself
(v. 40). The image here is of ambassadorship. To receive the ambassador of a country is to
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receive the president of the country. To welcome the representative is to honor the country or the leader he or she represents. As Paul reminds us, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us (2 Corinthians 5:20). We must always keep in mind that we are Christ's ambassadors but also stand ready to receive other ambassadors for Christ.
Outline:
1. God doesn't usually come to us in pure spirit form, but enfleshed
2. Jesus said, ''He who receives you, receives me ...''
- we are ambassadors for Christ
- those who reject our witness, reject Christ, not us personally
3. We must also receive others who come in Christ's name
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