Third Sunday After The Epiphany
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series IV
Jonah refuses to obey God's command to preach to Nineveh, the
capital city of the Assyrians. After Jonah repents and is vomited
out of a large fish, Jonah obeys and preaches judgment to
Nineveh. The coming disaster causes the government and people to
repent. Thereupon God decides not to condemn the city. Jonah
reflects the nationalistic concept of God in the post-exilic
period. Yahweh is not the God only of Israel but of the world.
Judgment motivates repentance, and God's mercy is extended to any
people who repent, regardless of nationality or race. God's
salvation depends on repentance and not on national origin.
Lesson 2: 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 (C, L, RC); 1 Corinthians 7:17-23
(E)
This pericope comes from the chapter dealing with marriage.
The Lesson begins with life lived in relation to eschatology, the
end of the world and Christ's return. Paul teaches that the
status quo in one's life should be maintained, for soon the whole
song will be over. A Christian is not to get involved with the
world nor to change his vocation. He is to continue doing what he
has been doing, for the end of life on earth is near. Today's
life is to be viewed in relation to eternity. When this is done,
the present issues of earthly life become insignificant. Paul is
not teaching withdrawal from the world but toleration and
perseverance in what we are now doing.
Gospel: Mark 1:14-20 (C, E, L, RC)
Jesus has been ordained in his ministry at his baptism. He
struggles with Satan in deciding upon the method of his ministry.
With John the Baptist arrested, he feels the urge to begin his
public ministry. He begins to preach in Galilee. The content of
his preaching is the gospel of God, the good news that the King
is here. In the light of this, people are to believe and repent.
Faith and repentance are not necessarily conditions of bringing
or entering the kingdom, but the response to the fact that the
kingdom is here in Jesus. Then, Jesus begins to choose his
leaders by calling four men whose future will be catching men.
Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 62:5-12 (C); Psalm 62:6-14 (L) -- "For God alone my soul
waits in silence." (v. 5)
Psalm 130 (E)
Prayer Of The Day
"Almighty God, you sent your Son to proclaim your kingdom and
to teach with authority. Anoint us with the power of your Spirit
that we, too, may bring good news to the afflicted, bind up the
brokenhearted and proclaim liberty to the captive."
Hymn Of The Day
"Come, Follow Me, The Savior Spoke"
Theme Of The Day: The Time Has Come
Gospel -- The time to begin ministry.
Lesson 1 -- The time to repent.
Lesson 2 -- The time to prepare for the end of time.
In each of the Lessons, "time" is mentioned. It was time for
Jesus to begin his ministry and to call disciples, time for Jonah
to preach to the people and time for them to repent; and it was
time for Christians to live in the light of the end of time. The
Psalm calls upon us to put our trust in God rather than in people
and money, for God is our refuge and safety. This infers that as
we seize the time to serve God, we have security in the knowledge
of God's nature. The Hymn of the Day deals with Jesus' call of
the disciples.
THEOLOGICAL REFLECTIONS Gospel: Mark 1:14-20
1. Kingdom (v. 15). Jesus came preaching that the kingdom of
God is here. The kingdom is God's rule over people. He is the
King and his kingdom is his people. In Jesus the kingdom of God
is here, because God ruled completely in him. The kingdom is
where Christ is, where the church as the embodiment of Christ is,
and where people live under the rule of God. In this sense the
kingdom of God is present reality, but the kingdom is also in the
future when the kingdom of God will be consummated at the end of
time.
2. Repent (v. 15). To repent is more than to be sorry for
mistakes. To repent is to turn about, to make an about-face, to
change one's mind and way of life. This calls for a radical
change in the direction of one's life: from Satan to Christ, from
self to others, from evil to good, from gods to God.
3. Saw (vv. 16, 19). Christian discipleship begins with Jesus'
seeing certain people he wants as disciples. He sees them as they
are, where they are and what they can become. He sees fishermen -
- ordinary, faulty men. He sees them at work. He sees them as
future "fishers of men." We do not choose Jesus but he calls us
as disciples. Discipleship is a result of grace.
4. Become (v. 17). "I will make you become fishers of men." To
be a Christian is a growing experience. To become winners of
people for the kingdom is to be trained as witnesses and
evangelists. The Christian life is one of becoming what we are by
the grace of God.
5. Immediately (vv. 18, 20). Jesus immediately called certain
ones to be disciples. He knew whom he wanted and needed. He did
not have to weigh the matter. There was no problem of making up
his mind. In like manner the disciples accepted the call. To be a
Christian one does not need to weigh doctrinal matters nor to
consider theological alternatives. There is the certainty of
responding to the challenge of the call to follow the Master.
There is no hesitation, no need to think it over. In an instant
one knows it is the right thing to do.
Lesson 1: Jonah 3:1-5, 10
1. Second (v. 1). God gave Jonah a second chance to be his
prophet to Nineveh. It is good of God to forgive our disobedience
and to still consider us worthy of his high calling to serve.
Before we come to accepting God's second call, we may have to
pass through the depths of the sea where we experience total
despair from our rebellion. After Peter's denial, Jesus gave him
a second chance to serve him. In giving his spokesman a second
chance, the people of Nineveh got their chance to repent.
2. Nineveh (v. 2). This great city belonged to the Assyrians,
the traditional enemies of the Jews. To preach to Nineveh was to
give pagans the benefits of Israel's God of mercy. Nationalistic
Jews would refuse to give their best to a people who were cruel
conquerors, forcing the Jews into captivity. The order to preach
to Nineveh was an insight into the universal love of God for all
people regardless of race or nation.
3. Tell (v. 2). To tell is to share, to proclaim. How can one
know unless he is told? Jonah was commanded to tell the Ninevites
of God's judgment and mercy. How can a people be saved unless the
gospel is preached? Here we see the crucial importance of
preaching, of witnessing and of sending out missionaries. In
addition, Jonah is ordered to speak what God tells him. Jonah was
not to be trusted with his own message. If Jonah expressed his
opinion, the Assyrians would hear nothing about repenting and
being saved. Jonah was to give God's message: redemption and
release. This is still the case in preaching: It is not the
message of the preacher, but the message God gives him to say.
When this is done, the sermon is a message from God, good news of
mercy.
67
Lesson 2: 1 Corinthians 7:29-31
1. Appointed (v. 29). According to Paul, God has an appointed
time for all things, even for the end of the world. This reminds
us that the earth was not an accident and it will not eventually
end on its own as a spinning top loses momentum and finally stops
spinning. God has a purpose for the world, and he will bring it
to a close in his own time. This is God's world and this world is
in God's hands. He alone started it and he alone will end it. The
world has a divine destiny.
2. Short (v. 29). Paul believed that the end of the world was
coming shortly. Because the time was short, Paul felt life should
be ordered as living in the last days. Two thousand years later
we see that Paul was mistaken about the time of the end. His
"short" was 2,000 years long! But what are 2,000 years in the
light of eternity? Since no one knows when the end will come, it
may be "short"; at least it is shorter now than in Paul's day.
The end may be tomorrow. It is still a reliable position to live
as though the time were short.
3. As though (vv. 29-31). In these three verses Paul uses "as
though" five times. He urges us to live as though conditions did
not exist. It is a kind of "make believe" style of life. Since
the end of the world is at hand, we are to live as though the
world no longer existed. It is a manner of living that does not
take seriously the things of this passing world. Our interests,
eyes and values are set upon the spiritual, eternal and godly
values of life.
PREACHING POSSIBILITIES
1. What time is it?
Need: It is a common practice to ask, "What time is it?" It is
important to know the time of day -- time for meals, time to keep
appointments, etc. It is more important to know the time of life.
What is happening in our time? How can we redeem the times?
Today's Lessons tell us to know the meaning of the times in which
we are living.
Outline: What time is it?
a: It is a fulfilled time -- Gospel (v. 15).
b. It is a second time -- Lesson 1 (v. 1).
c. It is the end of time -- Lesson 2 (v. 29).
2. Reasons to repent.
Need: Repentance calls for a radical change of life, a new
direction in life. This does not take place automatically, easily
or naturally. There must be strong motivation to cause such
radical change in a persons' life. The basic question is: "How
can we get people to repent?" Unless there is repentance, God's
grace cannot be received. Without the mercy of God, there is
death. In these Lessons, there are various reasons for
repentance.
Outline: Reasons to repent --
a. Repent for judgment is coming -- Lesson 1 (v. 4).
b. Repent for the end of the world is near -- Lesson 2 (v.
29).
c. Repent for the kingdom of God is here -- Gospel (v. 15).
Gospel: Mark 1:14-20
1. Encounter of the best kind. 1:16-20.
Need: In this text four men have an encounter with Jesus. It
is an encounter of the best kind. Discipleship begins with a
confrontation with Jesus. To be a Christian is to have an
experience with Christ, to be chosen and called by Christ into
discipleship. Out of this encounter comes the meaning and mission
of life.
Outline: Consider the encounter of the best kind.
a. Christ encounters us as we are -- vv. 16, 19
("Fishermen").
b. Christ encounters us where we are -- vv. 16, 19
("casting, mending").
c. Christ encounters us for what we can be -- v. 17
("fishers of men").
68
2. The time has come! 1:14-15
Need: There is a right time: to begin, to speak, to stop, to
love, to fight. For Jesus there was a right time to begin his
ministry. John the Baptist was arrested for preaching. Jesus saw
it as the time to begin preaching. "The time is fulfilled" -- the
time of waiting for the Messiah to do his work had come. Epiphany
is the time to preach, to evangelize, to spread the gospel to the
world. Today is the time to begin anew the work of Christ.
Outline: The time has come --
a. To preach the gospel -- v. 14.
b. To repent -- v. 15.
c. To believe -- v. 15.
3. What did Jesus preach? 1:14-15
Need: Jesus came preaching, but what did he preach -- law or
gospel, or both? Mark gives us a summary of Jesus' preaching.
Since we honor and respect Jesus above all other preachers, we
would like to know the content of his preaching. What does Jesus
have to say to us? The text gives us the answer.
Outline: Jesus preached the gospel of God.
a. The time -- "the time is fulfilled" -- v. 15.
b. The fact -- "the kingdom of God is at hand" -- v. 15.
c. The response -- "Repent and believe" -- v. 15.
Lesson 1: Jonah 3:1-5, 10
1. A trinity of repentance. 3:1-5, 10
Need: This lesson fits into the overall theme of the day in
terms of the theme, a time to repent. In this pericope we have a
threefold repentance: Jonah, Nineveh and God -- a trinity of God,
others and self. This sermon can show that repentence is more
than sorrow for sin, but it is a complete turn-about or change of
mind and life.
Outline: Who needs to repent?
a. You -- like Jonah -- v. 1.
b. Others -- like Nineveh -- v. 5.
c. God -- changed his mind from judgment to mercy -- v. 10.
2. The God of the second chance. 3:1-5, 10
Need: Because we sin, we need another chance to obey God.
Jonah was given this second opportunity. Who has not failed God
like Jonah? In this second chance, we see we have a gracious God.
As God gives us another chance to do better, it is incumbent upon
us to give others who sin against us another chance to make good
and to do better.
Outline: A second chance --
a. Reveals a God of mercy -- v. 1.
b. Restores a person in God's favor -- v. 2.
c. Results in salvation for all -- v. 5.
Lesson 2: 1 Corinthians 7:29-31
1. Living on the precipice of time. 7:29-31
Need: We live as though we shall never die and as though the
world will never end. This leads to our involvement in the world
and our identification with it. We allow ourselves to get
possessed of possessions and anxious over the anxieties of the
world. Paul reminds us that we are living in the last times and
soon there will be no world. Why then should we take the world so
seriously and become attached to that which will pass away?
Outline: As people living on the edge of time --
a. We will avoid worldliness -- "as though they were not."
b. We will seek spiritual values.
2. "If it's the last thing I do!" 7:29, 31b
Need: Christians are to live as though the end of the world,
or of life, is tomorrow. According to this, we want to take care
of the most important things before it is too late. When
69
a person knows he has a short time to live, he may get his house
in order, make plans for his funeral and write a will. It may
well be the end, for death may come unexpectedly or Christ may
come suddenly.
Outline: If it is the last thing I do --
a. I want to get right with God.
b. I want to make the most of my life.
c. I want to do some good.
d. I want to settle any differences with others.
capital city of the Assyrians. After Jonah repents and is vomited
out of a large fish, Jonah obeys and preaches judgment to
Nineveh. The coming disaster causes the government and people to
repent. Thereupon God decides not to condemn the city. Jonah
reflects the nationalistic concept of God in the post-exilic
period. Yahweh is not the God only of Israel but of the world.
Judgment motivates repentance, and God's mercy is extended to any
people who repent, regardless of nationality or race. God's
salvation depends on repentance and not on national origin.
Lesson 2: 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 (C, L, RC); 1 Corinthians 7:17-23
(E)
This pericope comes from the chapter dealing with marriage.
The Lesson begins with life lived in relation to eschatology, the
end of the world and Christ's return. Paul teaches that the
status quo in one's life should be maintained, for soon the whole
song will be over. A Christian is not to get involved with the
world nor to change his vocation. He is to continue doing what he
has been doing, for the end of life on earth is near. Today's
life is to be viewed in relation to eternity. When this is done,
the present issues of earthly life become insignificant. Paul is
not teaching withdrawal from the world but toleration and
perseverance in what we are now doing.
Gospel: Mark 1:14-20 (C, E, L, RC)
Jesus has been ordained in his ministry at his baptism. He
struggles with Satan in deciding upon the method of his ministry.
With John the Baptist arrested, he feels the urge to begin his
public ministry. He begins to preach in Galilee. The content of
his preaching is the gospel of God, the good news that the King
is here. In the light of this, people are to believe and repent.
Faith and repentance are not necessarily conditions of bringing
or entering the kingdom, but the response to the fact that the
kingdom is here in Jesus. Then, Jesus begins to choose his
leaders by calling four men whose future will be catching men.
Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 62:5-12 (C); Psalm 62:6-14 (L) -- "For God alone my soul
waits in silence." (v. 5)
Psalm 130 (E)
Prayer Of The Day
"Almighty God, you sent your Son to proclaim your kingdom and
to teach with authority. Anoint us with the power of your Spirit
that we, too, may bring good news to the afflicted, bind up the
brokenhearted and proclaim liberty to the captive."
Hymn Of The Day
"Come, Follow Me, The Savior Spoke"
Theme Of The Day: The Time Has Come
Gospel -- The time to begin ministry.
Lesson 1 -- The time to repent.
Lesson 2 -- The time to prepare for the end of time.
In each of the Lessons, "time" is mentioned. It was time for
Jesus to begin his ministry and to call disciples, time for Jonah
to preach to the people and time for them to repent; and it was
time for Christians to live in the light of the end of time. The
Psalm calls upon us to put our trust in God rather than in people
and money, for God is our refuge and safety. This infers that as
we seize the time to serve God, we have security in the knowledge
of God's nature. The Hymn of the Day deals with Jesus' call of
the disciples.
THEOLOGICAL REFLECTIONS Gospel: Mark 1:14-20
1. Kingdom (v. 15). Jesus came preaching that the kingdom of
God is here. The kingdom is God's rule over people. He is the
King and his kingdom is his people. In Jesus the kingdom of God
is here, because God ruled completely in him. The kingdom is
where Christ is, where the church as the embodiment of Christ is,
and where people live under the rule of God. In this sense the
kingdom of God is present reality, but the kingdom is also in the
future when the kingdom of God will be consummated at the end of
time.
2. Repent (v. 15). To repent is more than to be sorry for
mistakes. To repent is to turn about, to make an about-face, to
change one's mind and way of life. This calls for a radical
change in the direction of one's life: from Satan to Christ, from
self to others, from evil to good, from gods to God.
3. Saw (vv. 16, 19). Christian discipleship begins with Jesus'
seeing certain people he wants as disciples. He sees them as they
are, where they are and what they can become. He sees fishermen -
- ordinary, faulty men. He sees them at work. He sees them as
future "fishers of men." We do not choose Jesus but he calls us
as disciples. Discipleship is a result of grace.
4. Become (v. 17). "I will make you become fishers of men." To
be a Christian is a growing experience. To become winners of
people for the kingdom is to be trained as witnesses and
evangelists. The Christian life is one of becoming what we are by
the grace of God.
5. Immediately (vv. 18, 20). Jesus immediately called certain
ones to be disciples. He knew whom he wanted and needed. He did
not have to weigh the matter. There was no problem of making up
his mind. In like manner the disciples accepted the call. To be a
Christian one does not need to weigh doctrinal matters nor to
consider theological alternatives. There is the certainty of
responding to the challenge of the call to follow the Master.
There is no hesitation, no need to think it over. In an instant
one knows it is the right thing to do.
Lesson 1: Jonah 3:1-5, 10
1. Second (v. 1). God gave Jonah a second chance to be his
prophet to Nineveh. It is good of God to forgive our disobedience
and to still consider us worthy of his high calling to serve.
Before we come to accepting God's second call, we may have to
pass through the depths of the sea where we experience total
despair from our rebellion. After Peter's denial, Jesus gave him
a second chance to serve him. In giving his spokesman a second
chance, the people of Nineveh got their chance to repent.
2. Nineveh (v. 2). This great city belonged to the Assyrians,
the traditional enemies of the Jews. To preach to Nineveh was to
give pagans the benefits of Israel's God of mercy. Nationalistic
Jews would refuse to give their best to a people who were cruel
conquerors, forcing the Jews into captivity. The order to preach
to Nineveh was an insight into the universal love of God for all
people regardless of race or nation.
3. Tell (v. 2). To tell is to share, to proclaim. How can one
know unless he is told? Jonah was commanded to tell the Ninevites
of God's judgment and mercy. How can a people be saved unless the
gospel is preached? Here we see the crucial importance of
preaching, of witnessing and of sending out missionaries. In
addition, Jonah is ordered to speak what God tells him. Jonah was
not to be trusted with his own message. If Jonah expressed his
opinion, the Assyrians would hear nothing about repenting and
being saved. Jonah was to give God's message: redemption and
release. This is still the case in preaching: It is not the
message of the preacher, but the message God gives him to say.
When this is done, the sermon is a message from God, good news of
mercy.
67
Lesson 2: 1 Corinthians 7:29-31
1. Appointed (v. 29). According to Paul, God has an appointed
time for all things, even for the end of the world. This reminds
us that the earth was not an accident and it will not eventually
end on its own as a spinning top loses momentum and finally stops
spinning. God has a purpose for the world, and he will bring it
to a close in his own time. This is God's world and this world is
in God's hands. He alone started it and he alone will end it. The
world has a divine destiny.
2. Short (v. 29). Paul believed that the end of the world was
coming shortly. Because the time was short, Paul felt life should
be ordered as living in the last days. Two thousand years later
we see that Paul was mistaken about the time of the end. His
"short" was 2,000 years long! But what are 2,000 years in the
light of eternity? Since no one knows when the end will come, it
may be "short"; at least it is shorter now than in Paul's day.
The end may be tomorrow. It is still a reliable position to live
as though the time were short.
3. As though (vv. 29-31). In these three verses Paul uses "as
though" five times. He urges us to live as though conditions did
not exist. It is a kind of "make believe" style of life. Since
the end of the world is at hand, we are to live as though the
world no longer existed. It is a manner of living that does not
take seriously the things of this passing world. Our interests,
eyes and values are set upon the spiritual, eternal and godly
values of life.
PREACHING POSSIBILITIES
1. What time is it?
Need: It is a common practice to ask, "What time is it?" It is
important to know the time of day -- time for meals, time to keep
appointments, etc. It is more important to know the time of life.
What is happening in our time? How can we redeem the times?
Today's Lessons tell us to know the meaning of the times in which
we are living.
Outline: What time is it?
a: It is a fulfilled time -- Gospel (v. 15).
b. It is a second time -- Lesson 1 (v. 1).
c. It is the end of time -- Lesson 2 (v. 29).
2. Reasons to repent.
Need: Repentance calls for a radical change of life, a new
direction in life. This does not take place automatically, easily
or naturally. There must be strong motivation to cause such
radical change in a persons' life. The basic question is: "How
can we get people to repent?" Unless there is repentance, God's
grace cannot be received. Without the mercy of God, there is
death. In these Lessons, there are various reasons for
repentance.
Outline: Reasons to repent --
a. Repent for judgment is coming -- Lesson 1 (v. 4).
b. Repent for the end of the world is near -- Lesson 2 (v.
29).
c. Repent for the kingdom of God is here -- Gospel (v. 15).
Gospel: Mark 1:14-20
1. Encounter of the best kind. 1:16-20.
Need: In this text four men have an encounter with Jesus. It
is an encounter of the best kind. Discipleship begins with a
confrontation with Jesus. To be a Christian is to have an
experience with Christ, to be chosen and called by Christ into
discipleship. Out of this encounter comes the meaning and mission
of life.
Outline: Consider the encounter of the best kind.
a. Christ encounters us as we are -- vv. 16, 19
("Fishermen").
b. Christ encounters us where we are -- vv. 16, 19
("casting, mending").
c. Christ encounters us for what we can be -- v. 17
("fishers of men").
68
2. The time has come! 1:14-15
Need: There is a right time: to begin, to speak, to stop, to
love, to fight. For Jesus there was a right time to begin his
ministry. John the Baptist was arrested for preaching. Jesus saw
it as the time to begin preaching. "The time is fulfilled" -- the
time of waiting for the Messiah to do his work had come. Epiphany
is the time to preach, to evangelize, to spread the gospel to the
world. Today is the time to begin anew the work of Christ.
Outline: The time has come --
a. To preach the gospel -- v. 14.
b. To repent -- v. 15.
c. To believe -- v. 15.
3. What did Jesus preach? 1:14-15
Need: Jesus came preaching, but what did he preach -- law or
gospel, or both? Mark gives us a summary of Jesus' preaching.
Since we honor and respect Jesus above all other preachers, we
would like to know the content of his preaching. What does Jesus
have to say to us? The text gives us the answer.
Outline: Jesus preached the gospel of God.
a. The time -- "the time is fulfilled" -- v. 15.
b. The fact -- "the kingdom of God is at hand" -- v. 15.
c. The response -- "Repent and believe" -- v. 15.
Lesson 1: Jonah 3:1-5, 10
1. A trinity of repentance. 3:1-5, 10
Need: This lesson fits into the overall theme of the day in
terms of the theme, a time to repent. In this pericope we have a
threefold repentance: Jonah, Nineveh and God -- a trinity of God,
others and self. This sermon can show that repentence is more
than sorrow for sin, but it is a complete turn-about or change of
mind and life.
Outline: Who needs to repent?
a. You -- like Jonah -- v. 1.
b. Others -- like Nineveh -- v. 5.
c. God -- changed his mind from judgment to mercy -- v. 10.
2. The God of the second chance. 3:1-5, 10
Need: Because we sin, we need another chance to obey God.
Jonah was given this second opportunity. Who has not failed God
like Jonah? In this second chance, we see we have a gracious God.
As God gives us another chance to do better, it is incumbent upon
us to give others who sin against us another chance to make good
and to do better.
Outline: A second chance --
a. Reveals a God of mercy -- v. 1.
b. Restores a person in God's favor -- v. 2.
c. Results in salvation for all -- v. 5.
Lesson 2: 1 Corinthians 7:29-31
1. Living on the precipice of time. 7:29-31
Need: We live as though we shall never die and as though the
world will never end. This leads to our involvement in the world
and our identification with it. We allow ourselves to get
possessed of possessions and anxious over the anxieties of the
world. Paul reminds us that we are living in the last times and
soon there will be no world. Why then should we take the world so
seriously and become attached to that which will pass away?
Outline: As people living on the edge of time --
a. We will avoid worldliness -- "as though they were not."
b. We will seek spiritual values.
2. "If it's the last thing I do!" 7:29, 31b
Need: Christians are to live as though the end of the world,
or of life, is tomorrow. According to this, we want to take care
of the most important things before it is too late. When
69
a person knows he has a short time to live, he may get his house
in order, make plans for his funeral and write a will. It may
well be the end, for death may come unexpectedly or Christ may
come suddenly.
Outline: If it is the last thing I do --
a. I want to get right with God.
b. I want to make the most of my life.
c. I want to do some good.
d. I want to settle any differences with others.
