One Chapter To Study

[Bravus]

Hi All

The pastor just e-mailed me and said he has the flu and can I preach this Sabbath! I'm very comfortable preparing at short notice, but for a while I've been wanting to do a more JimBob-approved style of sermon (pity he's not around to see it!) That is, a detailed study of a single chapter of the Bible. I'm hoping to also make it a bit more interactive than just a straight sermon, with some discussion between the members of the congregation, and I'm very comfortable doing that kind of thing as a teacher.

JimBob said he often preaches on the book of Jude, but I looked at that and it's basically all condemnations: important ones, but not a chapter I want to spend 40 minutes discussing with the whole church. I thought about 1 Corinthians 13, which is wonderful as always, but still not quite what I'm looking for to share.

I'll be praying, thinking and searching, but I wondered whether anyone here (Ed Dickerson, I may be looking at you more than others, but please, everyone play!) has a particular chapter that is meaty, rewards study and would be appropriate for this kind of whole-congregation study.

(There's no particular live issue for this congregation that needs special attention, but the balance between freedom and sacrifice is one area in which something could be shared...)

[Nicodema]

Ephesians 4 is pretty powerful instruction, verses 17-32 are a section unto themselves in that respect.

1 John is always good mining in my opinion.

Galatians 5 would be a good one to check out as well.

Lucky you, gets to preach it.

[cricket]

Hebrews 11

Romans 5

[Gail]

Interactive- ooooo! Sounds good! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

[Bravus]

Thanks very much, everyone. I'm inclining strongly toward Ephesians 4 at this stage (thanx Nico), both because I think it fits the needs in our congregation better and because it has a little more variety than some of the other ones mentioned. They *all* are deep, valuable, important, and hopefully I'll get a chance to address each of them on some other occasion.

But keep 'em coming, people!

[there buster]

I just stumbled onto this thread, and realized I'd been mentioned directly.

I think everyone else has given good advice here. The real key, it seems to me, is for you to find a passage that moves you personally, right now.

The cliche about "preaching first to myself" is, like most cliches, repeated because it is true.

Charles Wesley was once asked why 20,000 people would come to hear him in the open air. He replied, "God sets me on fire, and the people come to watch me burn."

When you find a topic that sets you on fire, it will carry conviction to your audience.

Having said that, I often write articles on assignment, and give dialogues (we have a different sort of service, so we don't call them "sermons") about 45 weeks a year.

How do you get "fired up" on a topic selected by someone else, or week after week? Well, I ask myself, "Why should they (my audience) care?" What impact will this have on their lives? How will this help them face Monday morning? What will this do for someone who's marriage is in trouble, or whose children are in danger?

Then I begin to explore the topic or passage with those ideas in the back of my mind. The Word is a rich gold mine.

Now as to passages.

Unless it is narrative, I generally find a chapter far too large. Even in narrative, it's easy to fall into a "running commentary" in a string of episodes, rather than exposition of the themes.

One of my favorite chapters, for a change of pace, is John 9, which I reckon to be one of the funniest chapters in the Bible. It's hard not to see the Pharisees as almost farcical "Keyston Kops." A man blind from birth receives his sight, and the Pharisees the "clear-sighted" teachers of the law stumble around making fools of themselves.

And nobody knows anything. "Is that the man that used to sit and beg" some ask his (supposedly) sighted neighbors. "No, it only looks like him?"

“Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?” the Pharisees ask the parents. “We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.”

After finally cornering the formerly blind man himself, they demand: “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”

He answered, “I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?”

Maybe it's just me, but I just can't read this without laughing.

Not sufficiently embarrassed, the Pharisees, now totally flustered, go for double-or-nothing. As you might expect, they get worse than nothing.

Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”

The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes."

The irony is so thick, you can section it out and serve it like jello. The blind man is the only one who can see. The Pharisees can't hear ("I have told you already and you did not listen."), and instead of finding others to accuse, are themselves accused.

As may have guessed, I tend to choose rather unusual passages.

I personally love Ephesians 4, but I think there are at least 4 topics here, maybe twice that.

Because I'm the lay pastor of a church plant, and have been the main speaker for a number of years, I have about 300 topics in presentation format.

Then there are the presentations when I'm speaking for the church elsewhere.

One that my congregation has requested repeatedly is "What Does it Mean to be Free?" Based on Galatians 5.

[Pockey]

Hey Bravus good luck this Sabbath, I'll pray for you. I know you'll do a great job!

[Bravus]

Thanx again, everyone.

There's a lot of wisdom there, Ed, and I'll take as much as I can into this Sabbath and keep working on the rest in the future. In particular, I realise there's way too much in Ephesians 4 for one week, but this congregation is not at all used to reading/talking/thinking for themselves, so I wanted something very rich so everyone can at least identify and contribute *something*.

What I'm imagining at this stage is that I'll give an intro and overview, then split the chapter up into 4 main sections and get the congregation to split into small groups and have maybe 3 groups discuss each section. We'll do a little bit of a report back (I plan to provide pencils and paper) on each of the sections (I may also provide some guiding questions for each section), and particularly look at how they reflect on one another and the major themes, then I'll wrap it up.

This is something quite different and possibly quite challenging for our group, but I just figure that I teach all my teaching students that 'students learn through being actively engaged with knowledge rather than through passively receiving it', so just going to church and preaching from the front for 40 minutes is kinda hypocritical.

[Guest]

Bravus,

Rom 8 is my choice.

[there buster]

Go for it.

In our service, we have a dialogue, in three segments of roughly 13 minutes each.

Worshipers of all ages are encouraged to interact, to ask questions and make comments.

We find by breaking up the didake portion of the service, people have a chance to digest, prepare, and participate even more.

It's challenging for the speaker to prepare three segments, each complete in itself, and yet linked to the others; and even more challenging to interact with an alert group of worshipers. But boy, is it stimulating.

Let us know what happens.

[there buster]

Bravus, I just made a connection. We have two members who come from Edmonton. Which church are you speaking in?

[Guest]

Bravus,

Maybe one of these days you will see how appropriate JUDE is for the church of this time.

People are tired of hearing what they want to hear..it is time to tell the people what they NEED to hear.

[Bravus]

Dude, you're back! Hey, I'll take on Jude one of these days for sure, but I believe Ephesians 4 is more directly relevant to the needs in this congregation at the moment. Don't worry, it's still plenty challenging!

[Bravus]

And Ed: Red Willow Community church in St Albert.

[Guest]

No complaints about Eph 4...it contains the clergy's job description in Eph 4:11,12,13...which if understood would make a dent in the number of NFDMTTS preached.

[there buster]

Bravus:

Bingo! I thought so. Michael and Kristy have been in our little church plant for a couple of years now. He's finishing his Ph. D. at the University of Iowa.

They came here because Marty W. recommended our church as the kind of place they would feel at home. We just love them.

The SDA world is not so small, and yet. . .

[Guest]

Bravus,

Other than the listeners being in the same building...there is a lot of diversity in audiences...

Diversity in age, spirituality, background..concerns, issues..

What might be interesting to you could be just another religious yawn..zzzzz to several or many others.

What is the main issue???

John 10:10...

There are life threatening and life stealing influences in the world and the church which affect those who you wil be addressing..

The system of the world offers a quality of life which competes against that of God.

I know of a very competent pastor/teacher who starts out every one of his sermons with a promo for the bible ...as far as how significant and relevant it is.

He uses a verse in the bible and does a quick micro promo.

What gets me so many times is the impersonal launch of most sermons...like...what sparked that message?? Most preachers don't say why they chose a topic and thus take the audience off guard and one has to tune into the theme.

This is why I preach on Jude.....it deals with

1 . spiritual apathy, complacency, loss of passion ..impact of the world..backsliding..L word...once saved always saved slime..(CONTEND)

2. phoney worldly religious greasy grace teachers and their doom (CONFRONTATION/CONFLICT)

3.Altruistic outreach and victory...in a church where there is a diminishing focus theme of overcoming(CONTRAST/CONQUER)

These are issues that are relevant to all churches al of the time.

Look at what gets the attention of the members in church today...will what you present make one bit of difference..with TV, radio, literature..sucking many into the worldly cesspool???

Is the audience coming for a religious thrill and feel good session?

Are they there to be inspired?

Are they there to be entertained?

Rebuked?

CHEWED OUT???

For the POTLUCK??

[there buster]

Quote:

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1 . spiritual apathy, complacency, loss of passion ..impact of the world..backsliding..L word...once saved always saved slime..(CONTEND)

2. phoney worldly religious greasy grace teachers and their doom (CONFRONTATION/CONFLICT)

3.Altruistic outreach and victory...in a church where there is a diminishing focus theme of overcoming(CONTRAST/CONQUER)

These are issues that are relevant to all churches al of the time.

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Just curious, JimBob. Are those issues relevant to you in your personal walk?

[Guest]

Quote:

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Dude, you're back! Hey, I'll take on Jude one of these days for sure, but I believe Ephesians 4 is more directly relevant to the needs in this congregation at the moment. Don't worry, it's still plenty challenging!

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If you want a chapter of the bible to preach a sermon from that will explain itself in it's native purity, even understandable by the youngest, it would be Ezekiel 34. No dictionary, no Hebrew concordance, no outside reading, just the KJV is all that is needed. Be sure and tape this sermon so the pastor will know what was said while he was gone.

[Guest]

Quote:

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Quote:

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1 . spiritual apathy, complacency, loss of passion ..impact of the world..backsliding..L word...once saved always saved slime..(CONTEND)

2. phoney worldly religious greasy grace teachers and their doom (CONFRONTATION/CONFLICT)

3.Altruistic outreach and victory...in a church where there is a diminishing focus theme of overcoming(CONTRAST/CONQUER)

These are issues that are relevant to all churches al of the time.

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Just curious, JimBob. Are those issues relevant to you in your personal walk?

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Yes...because I am sensitive to suffering and to people who are gypped on what God and life have to offer.

When I see people bummed out on church, when I see the preacher withholding food from the sheep, when I see a con job at work...when I see people lied to and sucked into a false sense of security...when I see people on the bench or sidelines and miss out on the joy of sharing truth which sets people free...then it gets under my skin.

It is widely known and told that the church in the western world..at least....lacks spiritual passion.....

this is due to life stealing and threatening influences..

This is why people appreciate revival meetings and special efforts... they are bummed out on the usual...

What is a problem is that revials are not accompanied by reformation...

After the revival...the usual fare is presented....the NFDMTTS and spectator mode.

Peope have almost given up on any victory overcoming thinking....the usual talk is..

Everybody makes mistakes

We're only human

Nobody's perfect

Here is one for you...out of one side of the mouth you wil hear...we can have assurance of salvation....

and from the other side..you will hear...when we get to heaven the first thing that will surprise us is how we made it in...

Thanks for the articles Ed

[Guest]

Quote:

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Be sure and tape this sermon so the pastor will know what was said while he was gone.

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Now that is posted by someone who is thinking.

[me again]

IMO, the key to preaching is twofold:

1. The speaker needs to be knowledgable about the topic that he is going to preach on and

2. The speaker needs to be comfortable with the topic that he is going to speak on.

This coming from one who has never preached, but one who has lectured.

[cricket]

Good thoughts for a lecturer! Preaching also needs guidance from the Holy Spirit first and foremost.

[Bravus]

Thanks all for your thoughts, prayers, ideas and support. I believe it went well, although it's always hard to judge, of course. Everyone participated in the discussion phase and came back with some great points. It (Ephesians 4) really is a hugely rich chapter in a hugely rich book, and one thing *I* learned from studying it was that we need to become spiritually mature, not only because God wills it and for our own sake, but because that's the road to maturity and unity in the Body.

I only used one spot of humor, but you might enjoy it. I was noting parallels between our congregation at Red Willow Community Church in St Albert, which is near Edmonton, in Alberta, Canada, and the church at Ephesus, talking about why this letter was so relevant to us:

Ephesus is on the west coast of Turkey, then Asia Minor.

It was a rich city.

It had the temple of Diana, one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

Here in Edmonton, we're in the west of Canada.

We're in a very rich province.

And we have West Edmonton Mall. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

The serious parallel is:

The church at Ephesus was going along well generally - no major controversies or moral/theological/relationship issues going on like in some of the other epistles - but Paul was challenging them to go to the next level in their unity and spiritual maturity. In the same way, our church doesn't have any major surface problems, but we need that higher calling and challenge to grow and reflect the nature of Christ.