Second Sunday After The Epiphany
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series IV
Lesson 1: Isaiah 49:1-7 (C, E); Isaiah 49:1-6 (L); Isaiah 49:3, 5-6 (RC)
Yahweh calls his servant, Israel, to bring the light of salvation to the nations. Here we have the second of the servant songs in Isaiah. The servant tells how Yahweh called and chose him before he was born. For the task of restoring Israel, he was equipped with a mouth "like a sharp sword" and was made like "a polished arrow." Yet, he feels that his labor was in vain. Then Yahweh speaks to him and becomes his strength. However, Yahweh has broadened his task to bring light and salvation not only to Israel but to the whole world.
Lesson 2: 1 Corinthians 1:1-19 (C, E, L); 1 Corinthians 1:1-3 (RC)
Paul thanks God for the grace given to the Corinthian church. In these opening verses of Paul's Corinthian correspondence, he identifies himself as well as the church he addresses. Gratitude is expressed for the grace the church received in terms of spiritual gifts. Paul reminds them of "the church of God." Their church is a part of the ecumenical church "called to be saints together with all those who in every place ..." Moreover, in these opening sentences, Paul puts his finger on the problem in the Corinthian church: spiritual gifts such as "all speech and knowledge" which most probably meant Gnosticism and Glossolalia. While they are waiting for the Parousia, Paul assures them of God's faithfulness in sustaining and purifying them.
Gospel:
John 1:29-42 (C); John 1:29-34 (RC); John 1:29-41 (E, L)
John the Baptist witnesses to Jesus as the Son of God. This is the closest John comes to reporting the baptism of Jesus. As Jesus comes to him, John the Baptist hails him as the Lamb of God. He reports seeing the dove of the Spirit coming upon Jesus at the baptism. John confesses that Jesus is greater than he because Jesus baptizes with the Spirit while he baptizes only with water. Out of this personal experience John the Baptist declares that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God.
Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 40:1-11 (C, E, L) - "I have spoken of your faithfulness and your deliverance."
Prayer Of The Day
"Lord God, you showed your glory and led many to faith by the works of your Son. As he brought gladness and healing to his people, grant us these same gifts and lead us also to perfect faith in him."
Hymn Of The Day
"Jesus Calls Us, O'er The Tumult"
Theme Of The Day: Called To Witness
Gospel - What to witness: Jesus is the Christ - John 1:29-42
Lesson 1 - To whom to witness: the nations - Isaiah 49:1-7
Lesson 2 - Why witness: called by the will of God - 1 Corinthians 1:1-9
The Lessons' theme of witnessing can be seen in all three Lessons. The Epiphany season is for the manifestation of the light and glory of Christ to all the world. It is the church's time for expansion through evangelism and missions. Appropriately today we consider the theme of witnessing. In the Gospel, we are told, "John bore witness to Jesus as the Christ." In Lesson 1, the Servant is to witness to all the nations. Paul in Lesson 2 identifies himself as one called by God to be an apostle, one sent to witness. The Psalm deals with witnessing: "I have spoken of your faithfulness." The Prayer deals with leading "many to faith." The Hymn speaks of Jesus' calling us.
Overview of the Epiphany Season
1. Festivals. The Epiphany season has three festivals: The Festival of the Epiphany (January 6), The Baptism Of Our Lord (Epiphany 1) and the Transfiguration Of Our Lord (Last Sunday after the Epiphany).
Unlike other seasons, it opens and closes with a festival. The Sundays in between (Epiphany 2 - 8) are called "Ordinary" Sundays.
2. Lesson 1 (Epiphany/Ordinary Time 2 - 8). Lesson 1 harmonizes with the Gospel lesson. Four of the seven Lessons are taken from Isaiah.
3. Lesson 2 (Epiphany/Ordinary Time 2 - 8). The second Lessons are given in semi in-course fashion from 1 Corinthians 1:1--4:5. Consequently, Lesson 2 is not intended to harmonize with the theme of the Gospel and Lesson 1 . Lesson 2 lends itself to a series of sermons on the church.
4. Gospel (Epiphany/Ordinary Time 2 - 8). Epiphany/Ordinary Time 2 and 3 lay the ground work of Jesus' public ministry, a transition from the ministry of John to the minis-try of Jesus. Beginning with Epiphany/Ordinary Time 4, we have an in-course (verse after verse) series on the fifth chapter of Matthew, the first of three chapters constituting the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-48). Here is a possibility for a sermon series of five messages from the Sermon on the Mount culminating in the Mount of Transfiguration (Last Sunday after the Epiphany). If the Epiphany season is short due to an early Easter, the number of sermons in the series would have to be shortened.
THE EPIPHANY SEASON AND EPIPHANY/ORDINARY TIME 2
Gospel: The story of God is manifested in Jesus as the Messiah. John the Baptist refers to Jesus as the Lamb who is baptized by the Spirit and who baptizes with the Spirit.
Lesson 1: The Epiphany can be seen in God's servant, Israel, who is to bring the light of salvation to the nations. Epiphany deals with the light and with the spreading of the light to the whole world. God is glorified in his servant (v. 3) who witnesses.
Lesson 2: The glory of Christ can be seen in the power of the gospel to make believers as in Corinth.
THEOLOGICAL REFLECTIONS
1. The Universality of the Gospel. In Lesson 1 we get a universal view of God's desire to save. It is the will of God that no one at any time or place is lost. The servant of the Lord is to take the light to all nations. It is not enough to bring back only the nation of Israel. This reminds us that at the heart of the church's mission are evangelism and world missions. If this is the will of God, then other religions do not answer the need. Pluralism is not known in the scriptures. One religion is not as good as another. It is not enough to feed the hungry, educate the ignorant, develop the country's agriculture, provide industrial capacity, or found health clinics; the ultimate end of the missionary program is to evangelize by witnessing to the light of Christ that the nations might have salvation.
2. Personal Destiny. Lesson 1 tells us of God's call to his servant from the time of the womb. He was called to witness for God. God has a plan, a destiny for each person. There is a divine plan for each. Every person has a reason for being on earth. This does not mean predestination in the sense that one must follow the plan. It is every person's duty to discover God's plan for each life to witness to the grace of God to all people. When it involves a specific plan for your life, it takes study and prayer to discover God's destiny for a life.
3. A Theology of the Call. In today's Lessons, the theme of God's call is dominant. Jesus calls disciples, Andrew calls Peter; God, in Lesson 1 , calls us his servant. Paul is called to be an apostle; the Corinthians are called to be saints. We become Christians as God's servants not by our choice or decision. The pupil does not call or choose his teacher. The disciple does not call his master. We are Christians by grace. God takes the initiative always. He comes to us and gives us the invitation to come, follow and serve him. We become Christians by responding in faith to the call. We do not "accept Christ," but Christ accepts us.
4. The True Nature of Jesus. The Epiphany theme comes to the forefront in today's Gospel. John the Baptist witnesses to Jesus as the Messiah. Here is a revelation coming forth: this simple peasant from Nazareth is understood as Son of God, the promised Deliverer, Savior. When we deal with Jesus, we are dealing with God.
5. The Ecumenical Nature of the Church. Verse 2 in Lesson 2 gives an insight into the universal character of the church. It is an antidote to congregationalism. Many churches cannot see the church beyond their local congregation. Paul writes to the church of God which is at Corinth. It is not a Corinthian church. It is only a branch of the church which consists of those in fellowship with Christ. It is not a building, not a program, not a hierarchy, but a people "who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
PREACHING POSSIBILITIES
Too Good To Tell!
Need: An AT&T commercial says, "The more you hear, the better we sound." In a Christian sense, the more you hear of the gospel, the better we sound. The world calls it "communication;" the Bible calls it "witnessing." What good is the very best news of the world if it is not shared? Witnessing is God's method of letting the world know of his goodness and grace. Thus, he calls us to witness to who he is and what he is like. The need for witnessing is seen in the fact that in the average congregation 95 percent of the members make no at-tempt to tell others about Jesus.
Outline: In today's Lessons we are called to witness -
a. What to witness: Jesus is the Christ - Gospel.
b. To whom to witness: the whole world - Lesson 1.
c. Why witness: called by the will of God - Lesson 2.
Gospel:
John 1:29-42
1. He Who Has it Can't Keep It! 1:29-34
Need: After the loss of millions of members, the mainline American churches are once again promoting the cause of evangelism. The 19th century style of evangelism, primarily the holding of revivals and the delivering of evangelistic sermons followed by an altar call, does not produce the results in our day. The church is turning to an evangelism that involves all of the laity in a year-round program of personal witnessing to the unchurched. How many members take witnessing seriously? How many participate in the congregation's evangelism program? The need is to motivate the laity to witness as John the Baptist witnesses to Jesus the Christ.
Outline: He who knows it can't keep it, because -
a. A Christian knows who Jesus is - vv. 29, 34.
b. A Christian knows what Jesus does - v. 33.
2. A Middle Man for Jesus. 1:35-41
Need: The purpose of this sermon is to show the congregation that each is needed to bring a person to faith in Christ - "a dying soul to save and fit it for the sky." God uses people as instruments of conversion. They serve as midwives to re-born babes in Christ. Ananias was used to bring Paul into the church. Philip was used to win the Ethiopian eunuch. God used Staupitz to help Luther find the way to grace; the Moravians were used by God to help John Wesley. Parents today are used to bring children to Christ.
Outline: You too can be a middle man for Jesus -
a. Know who you are - v. 30.
b. Know who Jesus is - vv. 29, 34.
c. Tell what you know - v. 29.
3. What You Can Say about Jesus. 1:29-34
Need: Probably many church members do not witness or volunteer for the congregation's visitation evangelism program because they do not know what to say to prospective members. "Witness for Jesus" is often meaningless to them. A model for lay-witnessing is in John the Baptist's testimony of John.
Outline: What you can say about Jesus.
a. He is the Lamb of God - v. 29.
b. He baptizes with the Spirit - v. 33.
c. He is the Son of God - v. 34.
Lesson 1: Isaiah 49:1-7
1. Is There Any Sense to Life? 49:1-6
Need: In 1973 Psychology Today received 40,000 answers to a poll on religion. Eighty-four percent, the highest number of the poll, asked, "What is the purpose of life?" If people have a purpose, it may be unworthy, such as that of the students at a state college in South Dakota in 1974 who indicated they were excited about getting permission to have beer on the campus and to have open housing for both sexes. In general, people ask whether life makes any sense, whether there is a reason for living, whether God has a plan for each life.
Outline: There is a divine destiny for your life.
a. Divine plan for your life - vv. 1, 5.
b. Discouragement in fulfilling the plan - v. 4.
c. Directive of global proportions - v. 6.
2. Does God Ask Too Much? 49:1-6
Need: Does God ask too much of us? After all, we are human, we are limited in knowledge and strength. As someone said, "It does not take much of a man to be a Christian, but it does take all of him." In Lesson 1, we find God's servant given a global task - to bring all nations to God. Is that asking too much of a person? Jesus says to each follower, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." Is that asking too much?
Outline: What God asks of each person.
a. To fulfill your destiny - vv. 1-3.
b. To bring the nation back to God - v. 5.
c. To be a light to the world - v. 6.
Lesson 2: 1 Corinthians 1:1-9
1. Consider Your Calling. 1:1-9
Need: We are called to be Christians. We do not call but Christ calls us. We do not choose or accept Christ: he chooses and invites us to be his disciples. Our part is in hearing and responding to the call in repentance and faith. We are made Christians; we are not born or self-made Christians. The need is for people to see the grace of God working in their behalf by calling them to the kingdom.
Outline: Consider your calling.
a. Called to be an apostle (one sent forth) - v. 1.
b. Called to be saints (believers) - v. 2.
c. Called into the fellowship of Christ (church) - v. 9.
2. Look at the Good You Can Do! "Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed among you (1:7)."
Need: Witnessing, when put on the basis of duty or responsibility, may take the joy out of witnessing for Christ. We need to direct the people's attention to what good they do by bringing a person to Christ. Think of the good Andrew did for the church and the world, not to speak of Peter himself, but bringing Peter to Christ.
Outline: What witnessing for Christ can produce.
a. A people enriched with the grace of God - v. 4.
b. A people with every spiritual gift - v. 7.
c. A people in union with Christ - v. 9.
Yahweh calls his servant, Israel, to bring the light of salvation to the nations. Here we have the second of the servant songs in Isaiah. The servant tells how Yahweh called and chose him before he was born. For the task of restoring Israel, he was equipped with a mouth "like a sharp sword" and was made like "a polished arrow." Yet, he feels that his labor was in vain. Then Yahweh speaks to him and becomes his strength. However, Yahweh has broadened his task to bring light and salvation not only to Israel but to the whole world.
Lesson 2: 1 Corinthians 1:1-19 (C, E, L); 1 Corinthians 1:1-3 (RC)
Paul thanks God for the grace given to the Corinthian church. In these opening verses of Paul's Corinthian correspondence, he identifies himself as well as the church he addresses. Gratitude is expressed for the grace the church received in terms of spiritual gifts. Paul reminds them of "the church of God." Their church is a part of the ecumenical church "called to be saints together with all those who in every place ..." Moreover, in these opening sentences, Paul puts his finger on the problem in the Corinthian church: spiritual gifts such as "all speech and knowledge" which most probably meant Gnosticism and Glossolalia. While they are waiting for the Parousia, Paul assures them of God's faithfulness in sustaining and purifying them.
Gospel:
John 1:29-42 (C); John 1:29-34 (RC); John 1:29-41 (E, L)
John the Baptist witnesses to Jesus as the Son of God. This is the closest John comes to reporting the baptism of Jesus. As Jesus comes to him, John the Baptist hails him as the Lamb of God. He reports seeing the dove of the Spirit coming upon Jesus at the baptism. John confesses that Jesus is greater than he because Jesus baptizes with the Spirit while he baptizes only with water. Out of this personal experience John the Baptist declares that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God.
Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 40:1-11 (C, E, L) - "I have spoken of your faithfulness and your deliverance."
Prayer Of The Day
"Lord God, you showed your glory and led many to faith by the works of your Son. As he brought gladness and healing to his people, grant us these same gifts and lead us also to perfect faith in him."
Hymn Of The Day
"Jesus Calls Us, O'er The Tumult"
Theme Of The Day: Called To Witness
Gospel - What to witness: Jesus is the Christ - John 1:29-42
Lesson 1 - To whom to witness: the nations - Isaiah 49:1-7
Lesson 2 - Why witness: called by the will of God - 1 Corinthians 1:1-9
The Lessons' theme of witnessing can be seen in all three Lessons. The Epiphany season is for the manifestation of the light and glory of Christ to all the world. It is the church's time for expansion through evangelism and missions. Appropriately today we consider the theme of witnessing. In the Gospel, we are told, "John bore witness to Jesus as the Christ." In Lesson 1, the Servant is to witness to all the nations. Paul in Lesson 2 identifies himself as one called by God to be an apostle, one sent to witness. The Psalm deals with witnessing: "I have spoken of your faithfulness." The Prayer deals with leading "many to faith." The Hymn speaks of Jesus' calling us.
Overview of the Epiphany Season
1. Festivals. The Epiphany season has three festivals: The Festival of the Epiphany (January 6), The Baptism Of Our Lord (Epiphany 1) and the Transfiguration Of Our Lord (Last Sunday after the Epiphany).
Unlike other seasons, it opens and closes with a festival. The Sundays in between (Epiphany 2 - 8) are called "Ordinary" Sundays.
2. Lesson 1 (Epiphany/Ordinary Time 2 - 8). Lesson 1 harmonizes with the Gospel lesson. Four of the seven Lessons are taken from Isaiah.
3. Lesson 2 (Epiphany/Ordinary Time 2 - 8). The second Lessons are given in semi in-course fashion from 1 Corinthians 1:1--4:5. Consequently, Lesson 2 is not intended to harmonize with the theme of the Gospel and Lesson 1 . Lesson 2 lends itself to a series of sermons on the church.
4. Gospel (Epiphany/Ordinary Time 2 - 8). Epiphany/Ordinary Time 2 and 3 lay the ground work of Jesus' public ministry, a transition from the ministry of John to the minis-try of Jesus. Beginning with Epiphany/Ordinary Time 4, we have an in-course (verse after verse) series on the fifth chapter of Matthew, the first of three chapters constituting the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-48). Here is a possibility for a sermon series of five messages from the Sermon on the Mount culminating in the Mount of Transfiguration (Last Sunday after the Epiphany). If the Epiphany season is short due to an early Easter, the number of sermons in the series would have to be shortened.
THE EPIPHANY SEASON AND EPIPHANY/ORDINARY TIME 2
Gospel: The story of God is manifested in Jesus as the Messiah. John the Baptist refers to Jesus as the Lamb who is baptized by the Spirit and who baptizes with the Spirit.
Lesson 1: The Epiphany can be seen in God's servant, Israel, who is to bring the light of salvation to the nations. Epiphany deals with the light and with the spreading of the light to the whole world. God is glorified in his servant (v. 3) who witnesses.
Lesson 2: The glory of Christ can be seen in the power of the gospel to make believers as in Corinth.
THEOLOGICAL REFLECTIONS
1. The Universality of the Gospel. In Lesson 1 we get a universal view of God's desire to save. It is the will of God that no one at any time or place is lost. The servant of the Lord is to take the light to all nations. It is not enough to bring back only the nation of Israel. This reminds us that at the heart of the church's mission are evangelism and world missions. If this is the will of God, then other religions do not answer the need. Pluralism is not known in the scriptures. One religion is not as good as another. It is not enough to feed the hungry, educate the ignorant, develop the country's agriculture, provide industrial capacity, or found health clinics; the ultimate end of the missionary program is to evangelize by witnessing to the light of Christ that the nations might have salvation.
2. Personal Destiny. Lesson 1 tells us of God's call to his servant from the time of the womb. He was called to witness for God. God has a plan, a destiny for each person. There is a divine plan for each. Every person has a reason for being on earth. This does not mean predestination in the sense that one must follow the plan. It is every person's duty to discover God's plan for each life to witness to the grace of God to all people. When it involves a specific plan for your life, it takes study and prayer to discover God's destiny for a life.
3. A Theology of the Call. In today's Lessons, the theme of God's call is dominant. Jesus calls disciples, Andrew calls Peter; God, in Lesson 1 , calls us his servant. Paul is called to be an apostle; the Corinthians are called to be saints. We become Christians as God's servants not by our choice or decision. The pupil does not call or choose his teacher. The disciple does not call his master. We are Christians by grace. God takes the initiative always. He comes to us and gives us the invitation to come, follow and serve him. We become Christians by responding in faith to the call. We do not "accept Christ," but Christ accepts us.
4. The True Nature of Jesus. The Epiphany theme comes to the forefront in today's Gospel. John the Baptist witnesses to Jesus as the Messiah. Here is a revelation coming forth: this simple peasant from Nazareth is understood as Son of God, the promised Deliverer, Savior. When we deal with Jesus, we are dealing with God.
5. The Ecumenical Nature of the Church. Verse 2 in Lesson 2 gives an insight into the universal character of the church. It is an antidote to congregationalism. Many churches cannot see the church beyond their local congregation. Paul writes to the church of God which is at Corinth. It is not a Corinthian church. It is only a branch of the church which consists of those in fellowship with Christ. It is not a building, not a program, not a hierarchy, but a people "who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
PREACHING POSSIBILITIES
Too Good To Tell!
Need: An AT&T commercial says, "The more you hear, the better we sound." In a Christian sense, the more you hear of the gospel, the better we sound. The world calls it "communication;" the Bible calls it "witnessing." What good is the very best news of the world if it is not shared? Witnessing is God's method of letting the world know of his goodness and grace. Thus, he calls us to witness to who he is and what he is like. The need for witnessing is seen in the fact that in the average congregation 95 percent of the members make no at-tempt to tell others about Jesus.
Outline: In today's Lessons we are called to witness -
a. What to witness: Jesus is the Christ - Gospel.
b. To whom to witness: the whole world - Lesson 1.
c. Why witness: called by the will of God - Lesson 2.
Gospel:
John 1:29-42
1. He Who Has it Can't Keep It! 1:29-34
Need: After the loss of millions of members, the mainline American churches are once again promoting the cause of evangelism. The 19th century style of evangelism, primarily the holding of revivals and the delivering of evangelistic sermons followed by an altar call, does not produce the results in our day. The church is turning to an evangelism that involves all of the laity in a year-round program of personal witnessing to the unchurched. How many members take witnessing seriously? How many participate in the congregation's evangelism program? The need is to motivate the laity to witness as John the Baptist witnesses to Jesus the Christ.
Outline: He who knows it can't keep it, because -
a. A Christian knows who Jesus is - vv. 29, 34.
b. A Christian knows what Jesus does - v. 33.
2. A Middle Man for Jesus. 1:35-41
Need: The purpose of this sermon is to show the congregation that each is needed to bring a person to faith in Christ - "a dying soul to save and fit it for the sky." God uses people as instruments of conversion. They serve as midwives to re-born babes in Christ. Ananias was used to bring Paul into the church. Philip was used to win the Ethiopian eunuch. God used Staupitz to help Luther find the way to grace; the Moravians were used by God to help John Wesley. Parents today are used to bring children to Christ.
Outline: You too can be a middle man for Jesus -
a. Know who you are - v. 30.
b. Know who Jesus is - vv. 29, 34.
c. Tell what you know - v. 29.
3. What You Can Say about Jesus. 1:29-34
Need: Probably many church members do not witness or volunteer for the congregation's visitation evangelism program because they do not know what to say to prospective members. "Witness for Jesus" is often meaningless to them. A model for lay-witnessing is in John the Baptist's testimony of John.
Outline: What you can say about Jesus.
a. He is the Lamb of God - v. 29.
b. He baptizes with the Spirit - v. 33.
c. He is the Son of God - v. 34.
Lesson 1: Isaiah 49:1-7
1. Is There Any Sense to Life? 49:1-6
Need: In 1973 Psychology Today received 40,000 answers to a poll on religion. Eighty-four percent, the highest number of the poll, asked, "What is the purpose of life?" If people have a purpose, it may be unworthy, such as that of the students at a state college in South Dakota in 1974 who indicated they were excited about getting permission to have beer on the campus and to have open housing for both sexes. In general, people ask whether life makes any sense, whether there is a reason for living, whether God has a plan for each life.
Outline: There is a divine destiny for your life.
a. Divine plan for your life - vv. 1, 5.
b. Discouragement in fulfilling the plan - v. 4.
c. Directive of global proportions - v. 6.
2. Does God Ask Too Much? 49:1-6
Need: Does God ask too much of us? After all, we are human, we are limited in knowledge and strength. As someone said, "It does not take much of a man to be a Christian, but it does take all of him." In Lesson 1, we find God's servant given a global task - to bring all nations to God. Is that asking too much of a person? Jesus says to each follower, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." Is that asking too much?
Outline: What God asks of each person.
a. To fulfill your destiny - vv. 1-3.
b. To bring the nation back to God - v. 5.
c. To be a light to the world - v. 6.
Lesson 2: 1 Corinthians 1:1-9
1. Consider Your Calling. 1:1-9
Need: We are called to be Christians. We do not call but Christ calls us. We do not choose or accept Christ: he chooses and invites us to be his disciples. Our part is in hearing and responding to the call in repentance and faith. We are made Christians; we are not born or self-made Christians. The need is for people to see the grace of God working in their behalf by calling them to the kingdom.
Outline: Consider your calling.
a. Called to be an apostle (one sent forth) - v. 1.
b. Called to be saints (believers) - v. 2.
c. Called into the fellowship of Christ (church) - v. 9.
2. Look at the Good You Can Do! "Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed among you (1:7)."
Need: Witnessing, when put on the basis of duty or responsibility, may take the joy out of witnessing for Christ. We need to direct the people's attention to what good they do by bringing a person to Christ. Think of the good Andrew did for the church and the world, not to speak of Peter himself, but bringing Peter to Christ.
Outline: What witnessing for Christ can produce.
a. A people enriched with the grace of God - v. 4.
b. A people with every spiritual gift - v. 7.
c. A people in union with Christ - v. 9.
