Fourth Sunday In Lent
Preaching
THE WESLEYAN PREACHING ANNUAL 2001--2002
WORSHIP HELPS
CALL TO WORSHIP
Salvation is close at hand. Revelation of righteousness comes from God. Reveal Yourself, O God, to us, today.
OFFERING THOUGHT
Stewardship is blooming, growing, developing. God, help us to speed up our process so that others may see the exhilaration, joy, happiness, and praise that comes when we give!
BENEDICTION
You have spoken out of your holy heaven to our lowly hearts. We will obey You!
SERMON BRIEFS
Turn On The Lights
Ephesians 5:8--14
It was as dark as midnight. The motel room layout was unfamiliar. I reached for the lamp switch for I dared not get up and try walking in the dark. The way was clearly visible when I turned on the light.
When you introduce light into darkness, the darkness disappears.
The Apostle Paul reminds us of the influence of light and that we are to be "light in the Lord" and "live as children of light." Paul is also echoing the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:14--16.
This Scripture speaks to us of:
I. The potential available
"For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light" (v. 8).
The great news is that we are light in the Lord. Christ in us is that light. We don't create it.
Every Christian can shine for Jesus. God is so awesome that He can take the vilest sinner and show Christ, the True Light, in his life. This is the potential available within us to shine. This Scripture is not describing just a function but an identity. Christians are the light - the light of the world. What potential!
II. The proof that attests
"... (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord" (vv. 9--10).
Jesus says, in Matthew 5:16: "In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."
If we let our lights shine, there will be proof that the light is on.
1) The phrase "live as children of light" is in the present indicative and is in the imperative form.
2) It means doing and saying those things which are pleasing to the Lord - those things which bring glory to Him.
3) "Live" is the same meaning as "walk."
4) This "living" is not simply waking up and breathing, but rather a walking ... exercise for life.
5) It is living connected with the source of power. A light bulb is useless if it is not connected to the power.
A. Walking in the Light produces goodness.
This is selfless giving and right doing. "Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else" (1 Thessalonians 5:15).
Practice goodness. Do unexpected good things for your mate. Be a courteous driver. Volunteer for community service. Help a neighbor. Do good to all people.
B. Walking in the Light produces righteousness.
This is selfless and right living. "But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness" (1 Timothy 6:11).
Pursue righteousness. Walk the talk.
C. Walking in the Light produces truth.
There will be the absence of deception and falsehood. This is right talking.
D. Walking in the Light produces obedience.
" ... and find out what pleases the Lord" (v. 10).
Discover and do the will of God.
This obedience results in exposing darkness (v. 11). Light, by nature, exposes what is in darkness, and the contrast shows sin for what it really is. To ignore sin is to encourage it. We can't epitomize goodness, righteousness, and truth if we ignore evil. A Christian cannot remain neutral on the issue of sin.
It is time to wake up and allow the light of Christ to shine on us and through us. It has been said, "The world is lost in the darkness while the church is asleep in the light."
III. The power that is activated
"But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: 'Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you' " (vv. 13--14).
When we walk in the Light we become spiritually awake. Verse 14 is an adaptation from Isaiah 60:1.
Jesus knows the power of His light to dispel the darkness and so He commands us to put our lighted lamps on a stand and let it give light to everyone in the house (Matthew 5:15).
Light does something else. It reveals that which is authentic and attractive. Jesus taught us this truth in Matthew 5:16. If we live this light, people will see our beautiful deeds of God's love.
A young Christian girl had just started her first job after graduating from high school. Her first day of work she was completely unprepared for the things she heard and saw. The language shocked her and the lifestyles sickened her. In great despair she went home and told her Christian parents that she was not going back. She just could not put up with that kind of sin. In the middle of her complaining her dad asked, "Where do you place lights?" She shrugged the question off. What could that have to do with her problem? She carried on telling them all about the horror stories, and again her dad interrupted. "Honey, where do you place lights?" "Dad, what do you mean? You know that you place lights where it is dark." "Exactly," said her dad. "As a Christian you are a light, and lights are placed in dark places. You go on to work tomorrow and be careful to let your light shine before those godless men and women so that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."
All the darkness in the world cannot put out the light of a single candle.
Let the light of God shine on you. Deal with the areas that need to be cleaned up. You don't have to stumble around in darkness. You can walk securely in light if you will turn on the lights.
Nina G. Gunter
The Wesleyan Movement builds synergy and
meaningful relationships for impacting
the world with the holiness message.
One Thing I Do Know
John 9:1--41
The problem with paradigms is that you don't see them. You see through them.
A few years ago I was diagnosed with "presbyopia," a condition also known as "old people's disease." The major symptom is that when you read you keep holding your book farther and farther away from your eyes. Eventually the disease progresses to the point that your arms are not long enough and you have to seek medical attention. Modern science has come up with a cure that is now universally prescribed - reading glasses.
Until my forties I had never worn glasses (not even sunglasses, let alone bifocals) and I was having a terrible time adjusting to having those things on my face. I didn't like the way the frames interfered with my peripheral vision. I kept seeing my glasses, but eventually that would change. The more I wore my glasses, the less I would see them. I would simply see through them. You know that you have totally come through this transition when you ask your wife if she knows where your glasses are and she informs you that you're wearing them!
We become accustomed to our paradigms. They become so much a part of us that we see everything through them, but we're seldom aware that they own us.
The ninth chapter of John deals with a collision of paradigms in which there were two vision problems - physical blindness and spiritual blindness. One was cured the other was not. Yet it wasn't the type of blindness that determined whether or not it could be cured. It was the awareness of the blindness.
The story opens with a man who had never seen anything with his physical eyes, he was "blind from birth" (v. 1). He wasn't looking for a cure, he was simply begging for money because he had no means to support himself. Jesus was interested in more than this man's next meal. He said, "While I am in the world, I am the light of the world" (John 9:5), and with those words and an unorthodox method (involving a saliva/mud compress) he gave the man the capacity to do what he had never done before - see!
Some people see things and try to explain what they saw. Other people see things and try to explain how they really didn't see what they saw. Both kinds of people were busy at this event. Theological questions, suppositions and presumptions were flying through the air.
The disciples were concerned about why he was blind - "Who sinned," they asked, "this man or his parents?" (v. 1).
The spectators wanted to know if this was actually the man who was blind or just someone with an uncanny likeness to him (vv. 8--9).
The Pharisees asked, "How can a sinner do such miraculous signs?" (v. 16).
The blind man said that Jesus was a prophet (v. 17).
The sightless man's parents seemed to be the only ones who didn't offer an opinion, but only because they were afraid of offending the powerful. So they took the fifth amendment.
The Pharisees had the most difficult time explaining this "healing" because they had an agenda attached to it. They had to discredit Jesus - "This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath" (v. 16). But it was more than their agenda that made this a tough day for them - it was their paradigm. The spiritual elites saw themselves as the keepers of truth. They were right and there was no wiggle room in their theology. Therefore, when Jesus' actions threatened their way of thinking they could not believe God would speak through Him. They were right and there was a period at the end of that sentence.
The blind man had a different paradigm. In their investigation of this healing, the Pharisees put him through quite an interrogation. In the process he admitted that he really didn't understand what had taken place. He even backed up on his previous assertion that Jesus was a prophet. "Whether he is a sinner or not, I don't know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!" (v. 24). And because of that humility the man also received his spiritual sight. He was able to hear and accept new life (vv. 35--38).
We live in a world of contentious ideologies and a staggering lack of humility. The atmosphere is easy to adopt to the same paradigm as the Pharisees. On any number of issues we can snatch an opinion from the right or the left and try to sanctify our opinion as God's way. That is the paradigm that makes blindness inoperable.
What if we could start with Jesus? Not with our agendas, our issues, our paradigms. In a world that claims to have all the answers let's have the humility to say, "One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!"
Phillip Stout
CALL TO WORSHIP
Salvation is close at hand. Revelation of righteousness comes from God. Reveal Yourself, O God, to us, today.
OFFERING THOUGHT
Stewardship is blooming, growing, developing. God, help us to speed up our process so that others may see the exhilaration, joy, happiness, and praise that comes when we give!
BENEDICTION
You have spoken out of your holy heaven to our lowly hearts. We will obey You!
SERMON BRIEFS
Turn On The Lights
Ephesians 5:8--14
It was as dark as midnight. The motel room layout was unfamiliar. I reached for the lamp switch for I dared not get up and try walking in the dark. The way was clearly visible when I turned on the light.
When you introduce light into darkness, the darkness disappears.
The Apostle Paul reminds us of the influence of light and that we are to be "light in the Lord" and "live as children of light." Paul is also echoing the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:14--16.
This Scripture speaks to us of:
I. The potential available
"For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light" (v. 8).
The great news is that we are light in the Lord. Christ in us is that light. We don't create it.
Every Christian can shine for Jesus. God is so awesome that He can take the vilest sinner and show Christ, the True Light, in his life. This is the potential available within us to shine. This Scripture is not describing just a function but an identity. Christians are the light - the light of the world. What potential!
II. The proof that attests
"... (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord" (vv. 9--10).
Jesus says, in Matthew 5:16: "In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."
If we let our lights shine, there will be proof that the light is on.
1) The phrase "live as children of light" is in the present indicative and is in the imperative form.
2) It means doing and saying those things which are pleasing to the Lord - those things which bring glory to Him.
3) "Live" is the same meaning as "walk."
4) This "living" is not simply waking up and breathing, but rather a walking ... exercise for life.
5) It is living connected with the source of power. A light bulb is useless if it is not connected to the power.
A. Walking in the Light produces goodness.
This is selfless giving and right doing. "Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else" (1 Thessalonians 5:15).
Practice goodness. Do unexpected good things for your mate. Be a courteous driver. Volunteer for community service. Help a neighbor. Do good to all people.
B. Walking in the Light produces righteousness.
This is selfless and right living. "But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness" (1 Timothy 6:11).
Pursue righteousness. Walk the talk.
C. Walking in the Light produces truth.
There will be the absence of deception and falsehood. This is right talking.
D. Walking in the Light produces obedience.
" ... and find out what pleases the Lord" (v. 10).
Discover and do the will of God.
This obedience results in exposing darkness (v. 11). Light, by nature, exposes what is in darkness, and the contrast shows sin for what it really is. To ignore sin is to encourage it. We can't epitomize goodness, righteousness, and truth if we ignore evil. A Christian cannot remain neutral on the issue of sin.
It is time to wake up and allow the light of Christ to shine on us and through us. It has been said, "The world is lost in the darkness while the church is asleep in the light."
III. The power that is activated
"But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: 'Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you' " (vv. 13--14).
When we walk in the Light we become spiritually awake. Verse 14 is an adaptation from Isaiah 60:1.
Jesus knows the power of His light to dispel the darkness and so He commands us to put our lighted lamps on a stand and let it give light to everyone in the house (Matthew 5:15).
Light does something else. It reveals that which is authentic and attractive. Jesus taught us this truth in Matthew 5:16. If we live this light, people will see our beautiful deeds of God's love.
A young Christian girl had just started her first job after graduating from high school. Her first day of work she was completely unprepared for the things she heard and saw. The language shocked her and the lifestyles sickened her. In great despair she went home and told her Christian parents that she was not going back. She just could not put up with that kind of sin. In the middle of her complaining her dad asked, "Where do you place lights?" She shrugged the question off. What could that have to do with her problem? She carried on telling them all about the horror stories, and again her dad interrupted. "Honey, where do you place lights?" "Dad, what do you mean? You know that you place lights where it is dark." "Exactly," said her dad. "As a Christian you are a light, and lights are placed in dark places. You go on to work tomorrow and be careful to let your light shine before those godless men and women so that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."
All the darkness in the world cannot put out the light of a single candle.
Let the light of God shine on you. Deal with the areas that need to be cleaned up. You don't have to stumble around in darkness. You can walk securely in light if you will turn on the lights.
Nina G. Gunter
The Wesleyan Movement builds synergy and
meaningful relationships for impacting
the world with the holiness message.
One Thing I Do Know
John 9:1--41
The problem with paradigms is that you don't see them. You see through them.
A few years ago I was diagnosed with "presbyopia," a condition also known as "old people's disease." The major symptom is that when you read you keep holding your book farther and farther away from your eyes. Eventually the disease progresses to the point that your arms are not long enough and you have to seek medical attention. Modern science has come up with a cure that is now universally prescribed - reading glasses.
Until my forties I had never worn glasses (not even sunglasses, let alone bifocals) and I was having a terrible time adjusting to having those things on my face. I didn't like the way the frames interfered with my peripheral vision. I kept seeing my glasses, but eventually that would change. The more I wore my glasses, the less I would see them. I would simply see through them. You know that you have totally come through this transition when you ask your wife if she knows where your glasses are and she informs you that you're wearing them!
We become accustomed to our paradigms. They become so much a part of us that we see everything through them, but we're seldom aware that they own us.
The ninth chapter of John deals with a collision of paradigms in which there were two vision problems - physical blindness and spiritual blindness. One was cured the other was not. Yet it wasn't the type of blindness that determined whether or not it could be cured. It was the awareness of the blindness.
The story opens with a man who had never seen anything with his physical eyes, he was "blind from birth" (v. 1). He wasn't looking for a cure, he was simply begging for money because he had no means to support himself. Jesus was interested in more than this man's next meal. He said, "While I am in the world, I am the light of the world" (John 9:5), and with those words and an unorthodox method (involving a saliva/mud compress) he gave the man the capacity to do what he had never done before - see!
Some people see things and try to explain what they saw. Other people see things and try to explain how they really didn't see what they saw. Both kinds of people were busy at this event. Theological questions, suppositions and presumptions were flying through the air.
The disciples were concerned about why he was blind - "Who sinned," they asked, "this man or his parents?" (v. 1).
The spectators wanted to know if this was actually the man who was blind or just someone with an uncanny likeness to him (vv. 8--9).
The Pharisees asked, "How can a sinner do such miraculous signs?" (v. 16).
The blind man said that Jesus was a prophet (v. 17).
The sightless man's parents seemed to be the only ones who didn't offer an opinion, but only because they were afraid of offending the powerful. So they took the fifth amendment.
The Pharisees had the most difficult time explaining this "healing" because they had an agenda attached to it. They had to discredit Jesus - "This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath" (v. 16). But it was more than their agenda that made this a tough day for them - it was their paradigm. The spiritual elites saw themselves as the keepers of truth. They were right and there was no wiggle room in their theology. Therefore, when Jesus' actions threatened their way of thinking they could not believe God would speak through Him. They were right and there was a period at the end of that sentence.
The blind man had a different paradigm. In their investigation of this healing, the Pharisees put him through quite an interrogation. In the process he admitted that he really didn't understand what had taken place. He even backed up on his previous assertion that Jesus was a prophet. "Whether he is a sinner or not, I don't know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!" (v. 24). And because of that humility the man also received his spiritual sight. He was able to hear and accept new life (vv. 35--38).
We live in a world of contentious ideologies and a staggering lack of humility. The atmosphere is easy to adopt to the same paradigm as the Pharisees. On any number of issues we can snatch an opinion from the right or the left and try to sanctify our opinion as God's way. That is the paradigm that makes blindness inoperable.
What if we could start with Jesus? Not with our agendas, our issues, our paradigms. In a world that claims to have all the answers let's have the humility to say, "One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!"
Phillip Stout
