Proper 19
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series IV
Lesson 1: Proverbs 1:20-33 Israel is warned against rejection of wisdom. The wisdom of God is personified as a female. She cries out in the streets but she is rejected. Wisdom will laugh when the people get in trouble. When they cry for help, wisdom will not answer. But, they who listen will live in safety and at ease.
Lesson 2: James 3:1-12 (C) Because teachers use their tongues, they will be judged more strictly how they use them. Bits in horses mouths enable us to control them. Ships are guided by small rudders. Forest fires are started with a match. The rest of nature can be tamed but not the human tongue. With the tongue we bless and curse. The human tongue needs to be tamed.
Gospel: Mark 8:27-38 (C, E) We come to a crucial point in Jesus' ministry. Before Jesus goes on to Jerusalem to die, he must be certain that his disciples grasp who he is. He asks the disciples what people are saying about him, but then he asks them who they think he is. Peter responds, "You are the Christ." Then Jesus explains that he must suffer, die and rise again. This does not fit into Peter's understanding of the Messiah. He rebukes Jesus for saying it, but Jesus in turn rebukes Peter as the mouthpiece of Satan. God wills for Jesus to suffer and die; not to go to the cross would be Satan's wish. What he himself must do, his followers also must do: self-denial, cross-bearing and following Christ. In this self-giving, his followers will find themselves.
Psalm Of The Day Psalm 19 (C) -- "The heavens are telling the glory of God." (v. 1) Psalm 116 (E); Psalm 116:1-8 (L)
Prayer Of The Day O God, you declare your almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity. Grant us the fullness of your grace that, pursuing what you have promised, we may share your heavenly glory."
Hymn Of The Day "Let Me Be Yours Forever"
THEOLOGICAL REFLECTIONS Gospel: Mark 8:27-38 1. Men (v. 27). At Caesarea Philippi Jesus asks his disciples what "men" are saying about him. Who do they think he is? There was no unanimity. One said this and another saidthat. Certainly the men they mentioned were great, but they did not have the insight into his true nature. If we would take a poll of the people today, we would not get unanimity, and they would still not grasp the true significance of Jesus. The men mentioned were ones to precede the Messiah. Jesus was more than a forerunner. 2. Christ (v. 29). Peter comes up with the right answer about the true identity of Jesus. Christ is the anointed one -- the Messiah, Redeemer. This was crucial for Jesus. For a few years he lived among them: teaching, preaching and healing. He never disclosed who he was. He wanted the people to come to their own conclusion. Before he could stop his public ministry and begin his work of Messiah in terms of suffering and dying, he had to know if, at least, the disciples knew who he was. Otherwise, his death would be only a martyrdom. This is still Jesus' method: The messiahship for us must still be a conclusion we reach rather than have it come from outside. 3. Satan (v. 33). For Jesus, Satan was a reality. He was personified in Peter by rebuking Jesus for his plan to suffer and die. This was God's plan to redeem the world. Because of this, the cross was a "must." (v. 31) It was Satan's plan to keep God from saving the world through the cross. If the top disciple could be Satan's spokesman, it indicates that all Christians are subject to serving as Satan's tools. Satan can exist, speak and work in a church. 4. Come (v. 34).How does one come to Christ? Preachers say, "Come to Christ, accept Christ." The laity asks, "How do you do this? Give us some handles." Jesus answers the question: To come is to deny self, embrace a cross and follow Jesus into a life of service and sacrifice. Who said discipleship was easy?
Lesson 1: Proverbs 1:20-33 (C) 1. Street (v. 20). Wisdom is a street preacher. She stands where the people are so that she can reach the maximum amount of people. The God of wisdom cares for all people; it is not for a select group in colleges. 2. Refused (v. 24). The people "refused" to hear and accept wisdom's message. It indicates we have a free will. We can say "no" to God. We can close our ears to the wisdom of God. That refusal has dire consequences. 3. Kills (v. 32). If we hate knowledge, decline the fear of the Lord, and are complacent with our lives, the consequences are fatal. God will not answer their fervent cries when they are in trouble. But, they that listen to wisdom will be secure and live at ease.
Lesson 2: James 3:1-12 1. Teach (v. 1). Teachers use their tongues to teach and therefore receive a stricter judgment. The perfect person makes no mistake in speaking. It is not how but what we say. 2. Small (v. 4). The tongue is a small organ but it can do a lot of good or harm. The bit in a horse's mouth gives the driver control of him. Consider how small a rudder is on a large ship. A great forest fire is started by a match. The tongue is so small, but can do a whale of harm or good. 3. Tamed (vv. 7, 8). We can tame the rest of creation but we do not tame our tongues. We use our tongues to bless or curse. We need to tame our tongues so that they will be used only for good and blessing. The secret of doing that is the heart, for, as Jesus taught, a person speaks out of his heart.
PREACHING POSSIBILITIES Gospel: Mark 8:27-38 (C, E) 1. Faith's famous four words! 8:29 Need: In this text we have Peter's famous confession of faith. True faith is never silent. It must speak what it deeply believes. Men who were outside the circle of followers did not have the faith to say, "You are the Christ." It was the faith of Peter that enabled him to say the four best words any believer can say. Is this a man in today's church? Not all church members have the faith to say these words. For many, Jesus is still only a good man, a prophet, or a miracle worker. Outline: Faith's famous four words -- a. "You" -- this Jesus of Nazareth. b. "Are" -- now, today, forever. c. "The" -- not "a" Christ but the only one. d. "Christ" -- God's Son, Savior, Lord of all.2. Christ but no cross! 8:31-33 Need: Peter believed that Jesus was the Christ but he was mistaken about the kind of Christ. He was thinking of Christ as one of glory and power, one who would conquer Israel's enemies. He would be king, commander-in-chief and all the world would serve him. He wanted Christ without a cross. Jesus recognized this as the words of Satan, for it was God's will for Jesus to go to the cross as the only way to redeem the world. It was a temptation which Jesus rejected by saying, "Satan, get behind me." Multitudes today side with Peter: They want Christ but without the cross. Outline: Which will you have? a. Christ without a cross? -- v. 32. Christ is only a prophet, teacher and healer. b. Christ with a cross -- v. 31. Christ is savior -- redeems, reconciles persons to God. 3. How to come to Christ. 8:34 Need: A woman attends a series of worship services and hears the gospel's call to come to Christ. After the final service she asks the preacher, "How do I come to Christ?" Preachers often fail to put handles on their appeals to accept Christ. What specifically must one do to be a Christian? What are the steps? In this text Jesus gives what it takes to be his follower. Outline: If anyone wants to come to Christ -- a. "Deny yourself." b. "Take up your cross." c. "Follow me."
Lesson 1: Proverbs 1:20-33 1. Listen -- or else! 1:20-33 Need: Our people are in desperate need of wisdom, but we are not paying attention nor obeying the voice of wisdom. This makes us fools. Outline: a. What wisdom is saying to us -- vv. 22-23. 1. Pre-marital sex is sinful. 2. The use of drugs kills. 3. Selfishness is self-defeating. 4. Homosexuality promotes AIDS. b. The consequence of not listening to Wisdom -- vv. 24-32. c. Hope for those who listen -- v. 33. 2. How to become wise. 1:20-33 Need: Everyone seeks wisdom. But few get wise because they do not know what wisdom is or where to get it. Outline: How to become wise -- a. Know what wisdom is. 1. Not knowledge, nor education but God. b. Know how to get wisdom -- vv. 23-32. c. Reward of wisdom -- v. 33.
Lesson 2: James 3:1-12 (C) 1. Your trouble and your tongue. 3:1-12 Need: Our tongues get us into all kinds of trouble. James calls the tongue a fire, a restless evil, a deadly poison. It is the most dangerous organ in our bodies. We need to be aware of its potential damage.
Outline: What the tongue can do -- a. Guide our bodies -- v. 3. b. A fire that destroys -- v. 6. c. A restless evil -- v. 8. 2. Tame your tongue. 3:1-12 Need: We can tame everything but our tongues which can get us into all kinds of trouble. The tongue reveals what is in our hearts and exposes our ignorance. One of our greatest needs is to learn how to use our tongues. Outline: How to tame your tongue -- a. Shut your mouth: don't say it -- v. 2. b. Speak only the good -- v. 9. c. Have a good heart -- v. 10.
Lesson 2: James 3:1-12 (C) Because teachers use their tongues, they will be judged more strictly how they use them. Bits in horses mouths enable us to control them. Ships are guided by small rudders. Forest fires are started with a match. The rest of nature can be tamed but not the human tongue. With the tongue we bless and curse. The human tongue needs to be tamed.
Gospel: Mark 8:27-38 (C, E) We come to a crucial point in Jesus' ministry. Before Jesus goes on to Jerusalem to die, he must be certain that his disciples grasp who he is. He asks the disciples what people are saying about him, but then he asks them who they think he is. Peter responds, "You are the Christ." Then Jesus explains that he must suffer, die and rise again. This does not fit into Peter's understanding of the Messiah. He rebukes Jesus for saying it, but Jesus in turn rebukes Peter as the mouthpiece of Satan. God wills for Jesus to suffer and die; not to go to the cross would be Satan's wish. What he himself must do, his followers also must do: self-denial, cross-bearing and following Christ. In this self-giving, his followers will find themselves.
Psalm Of The Day Psalm 19 (C) -- "The heavens are telling the glory of God." (v. 1) Psalm 116 (E); Psalm 116:1-8 (L)
Prayer Of The Day O God, you declare your almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity. Grant us the fullness of your grace that, pursuing what you have promised, we may share your heavenly glory."
Hymn Of The Day "Let Me Be Yours Forever"
THEOLOGICAL REFLECTIONS Gospel: Mark 8:27-38 1. Men (v. 27). At Caesarea Philippi Jesus asks his disciples what "men" are saying about him. Who do they think he is? There was no unanimity. One said this and another saidthat. Certainly the men they mentioned were great, but they did not have the insight into his true nature. If we would take a poll of the people today, we would not get unanimity, and they would still not grasp the true significance of Jesus. The men mentioned were ones to precede the Messiah. Jesus was more than a forerunner. 2. Christ (v. 29). Peter comes up with the right answer about the true identity of Jesus. Christ is the anointed one -- the Messiah, Redeemer. This was crucial for Jesus. For a few years he lived among them: teaching, preaching and healing. He never disclosed who he was. He wanted the people to come to their own conclusion. Before he could stop his public ministry and begin his work of Messiah in terms of suffering and dying, he had to know if, at least, the disciples knew who he was. Otherwise, his death would be only a martyrdom. This is still Jesus' method: The messiahship for us must still be a conclusion we reach rather than have it come from outside. 3. Satan (v. 33). For Jesus, Satan was a reality. He was personified in Peter by rebuking Jesus for his plan to suffer and die. This was God's plan to redeem the world. Because of this, the cross was a "must." (v. 31) It was Satan's plan to keep God from saving the world through the cross. If the top disciple could be Satan's spokesman, it indicates that all Christians are subject to serving as Satan's tools. Satan can exist, speak and work in a church. 4. Come (v. 34).How does one come to Christ? Preachers say, "Come to Christ, accept Christ." The laity asks, "How do you do this? Give us some handles." Jesus answers the question: To come is to deny self, embrace a cross and follow Jesus into a life of service and sacrifice. Who said discipleship was easy?
Lesson 1: Proverbs 1:20-33 (C) 1. Street (v. 20). Wisdom is a street preacher. She stands where the people are so that she can reach the maximum amount of people. The God of wisdom cares for all people; it is not for a select group in colleges. 2. Refused (v. 24). The people "refused" to hear and accept wisdom's message. It indicates we have a free will. We can say "no" to God. We can close our ears to the wisdom of God. That refusal has dire consequences. 3. Kills (v. 32). If we hate knowledge, decline the fear of the Lord, and are complacent with our lives, the consequences are fatal. God will not answer their fervent cries when they are in trouble. But, they that listen to wisdom will be secure and live at ease.
Lesson 2: James 3:1-12 1. Teach (v. 1). Teachers use their tongues to teach and therefore receive a stricter judgment. The perfect person makes no mistake in speaking. It is not how but what we say. 2. Small (v. 4). The tongue is a small organ but it can do a lot of good or harm. The bit in a horse's mouth gives the driver control of him. Consider how small a rudder is on a large ship. A great forest fire is started by a match. The tongue is so small, but can do a whale of harm or good. 3. Tamed (vv. 7, 8). We can tame the rest of creation but we do not tame our tongues. We use our tongues to bless or curse. We need to tame our tongues so that they will be used only for good and blessing. The secret of doing that is the heart, for, as Jesus taught, a person speaks out of his heart.
PREACHING POSSIBILITIES Gospel: Mark 8:27-38 (C, E) 1. Faith's famous four words! 8:29 Need: In this text we have Peter's famous confession of faith. True faith is never silent. It must speak what it deeply believes. Men who were outside the circle of followers did not have the faith to say, "You are the Christ." It was the faith of Peter that enabled him to say the four best words any believer can say. Is this a man in today's church? Not all church members have the faith to say these words. For many, Jesus is still only a good man, a prophet, or a miracle worker. Outline: Faith's famous four words -- a. "You" -- this Jesus of Nazareth. b. "Are" -- now, today, forever. c. "The" -- not "a" Christ but the only one. d. "Christ" -- God's Son, Savior, Lord of all.2. Christ but no cross! 8:31-33 Need: Peter believed that Jesus was the Christ but he was mistaken about the kind of Christ. He was thinking of Christ as one of glory and power, one who would conquer Israel's enemies. He would be king, commander-in-chief and all the world would serve him. He wanted Christ without a cross. Jesus recognized this as the words of Satan, for it was God's will for Jesus to go to the cross as the only way to redeem the world. It was a temptation which Jesus rejected by saying, "Satan, get behind me." Multitudes today side with Peter: They want Christ but without the cross. Outline: Which will you have? a. Christ without a cross? -- v. 32. Christ is only a prophet, teacher and healer. b. Christ with a cross -- v. 31. Christ is savior -- redeems, reconciles persons to God. 3. How to come to Christ. 8:34 Need: A woman attends a series of worship services and hears the gospel's call to come to Christ. After the final service she asks the preacher, "How do I come to Christ?" Preachers often fail to put handles on their appeals to accept Christ. What specifically must one do to be a Christian? What are the steps? In this text Jesus gives what it takes to be his follower. Outline: If anyone wants to come to Christ -- a. "Deny yourself." b. "Take up your cross." c. "Follow me."
Lesson 1: Proverbs 1:20-33 1. Listen -- or else! 1:20-33 Need: Our people are in desperate need of wisdom, but we are not paying attention nor obeying the voice of wisdom. This makes us fools. Outline: a. What wisdom is saying to us -- vv. 22-23. 1. Pre-marital sex is sinful. 2. The use of drugs kills. 3. Selfishness is self-defeating. 4. Homosexuality promotes AIDS. b. The consequence of not listening to Wisdom -- vv. 24-32. c. Hope for those who listen -- v. 33. 2. How to become wise. 1:20-33 Need: Everyone seeks wisdom. But few get wise because they do not know what wisdom is or where to get it. Outline: How to become wise -- a. Know what wisdom is. 1. Not knowledge, nor education but God. b. Know how to get wisdom -- vv. 23-32. c. Reward of wisdom -- v. 33.
Lesson 2: James 3:1-12 (C) 1. Your trouble and your tongue. 3:1-12 Need: Our tongues get us into all kinds of trouble. James calls the tongue a fire, a restless evil, a deadly poison. It is the most dangerous organ in our bodies. We need to be aware of its potential damage.
Outline: What the tongue can do -- a. Guide our bodies -- v. 3. b. A fire that destroys -- v. 6. c. A restless evil -- v. 8. 2. Tame your tongue. 3:1-12 Need: We can tame everything but our tongues which can get us into all kinds of trouble. The tongue reveals what is in our hearts and exposes our ignorance. One of our greatest needs is to learn how to use our tongues. Outline: How to tame your tongue -- a. Shut your mouth: don't say it -- v. 2. b. Speak only the good -- v. 9. c. Have a good heart -- v. 10.
