Moving in the Right Direction
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Years ago, I heard a story once of a journalist who went to do a story on men who served in the foreign legion. After several days of travel, the journalist arrived at their fort out in the middle of no where. Interviews were conducted for several days and it was noted that these men knew each other very well. After several days the journalist was having lunch with the commanding officer seeking to understand the men better. As they were dining in the mess hall one of the men stood up and yelled “37!” Immediately the room erupted in laughter.
After only a few moments another stood up and yelled, “96!” Again, the room erupted in laughter.
Lastly another stood and yelled, “24!” This time snickers were heard among the stifled groans.
The journalist asked, “What’s going on?” The CO responded, “We’ve been together so long and told the same stories and jokes so many times the men have numbered them. They’re telling jokes.”
Amazed, the journalist asked, “Can I try?”
“Sure!” The CO said, “there’s over 200.”
Summoning confidence the journalist stood and shouted: “75!” There was absolutely no reaction, the men just kept eating. Not to be deterred, a few moments later the journalist shouted: “27!” Nothing.
Well thought the journalist, I’ll try one they already told, “37!” Nothing.
Sitting down the journalist turned to the CO and said, “I don’t understand?”
The CO responded after taking a sip of coffee, “Well, some people can tell a joke, and some people can’t.”
Sometimes in our Scriptures it can feel like that. If I tell you a book, chapter, and verse, many of you will know exactly what I’m speaking about. For instance, John 3:16 - most of you know that speaks of God’s love.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
There are themes throughout Scripture, and especially when we get into the Gospels when we read the same words several times repeated by the Gospel writers.
God’s love
Grace
Peace
Love One Another
Holiness
In knowing this, let us open our hearts to hear what God’s Word has for us today. First, some selected Proverbs from chapters 29 & 30. Let’s read them together.
When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan.
He who loves wisdom makes his father glad, but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.
A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet.
An evil man is ensnared in his transgression, but a righteous man sings and rejoices.
A righteous man knows the rights of the poor; a wicked man does not understand such knowledge.
If a wise man has an argument with a fool, the fool only rages and laughs, and there is no quiet.
The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.
Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will give delight to your heart.
Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law.
A man of wrath stirs up strife, and one given to anger causes much transgression.
Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.
Moving in the Right Direction
Moving in the Right Direction
Let us Pray
The proverbs are often very pithy in their directives. They’re short and to the point, much like todays reading from the Gospel of Luke. Let us read this together as we did the proverbs.
“Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
This morning I began with a silly story, and I shared it because I feel as if I preached on this only a short time ago and in reality I did, literally at the beginning of last month only my text was Matthew. We talked about salt being a preservative, and also used as a flavoring agent. I then went on to the point of letting your light shine which was the focus of that particular sermon.
In our passage today, Luke has used chapters 13 & 14 to speak of what it means to be a successful disciple. On the one hand he points to the separating ourselves from restraints such as family commitments, property, and wealth, and on the other hand the carrying of our own cross in following Jesus.
The total separation from family, and even to hate your mother, father, sister, brother is a clear Semitic exaggeration that Jesus was quite fond of, but the point is where there are commitments our freedom is limited. The allusion to a single mindedness is encouraged.
Like discipleship, salt is a good thing. If other foods lose their taste, one can always add some salt, but if salt were to lose its taste, this would be an irretrievable disaster! It could not even be put to those secondary uses of salt, as fertilizer for certain vegetables, or to regulate the rate of decay in the manure pile. It would be useless. But no more useless than the one who tries to be a disciple without coming to terms with the necessary conditions of discipleship.
The truth is that salt cannot lose its saltiness. That is the truth. But imagine if it could - it would be good for nothing.
In the same way, you as a disciple of Christ bear Christ’s mark on you that doesn’t go away. One way or another you are representing Jesus in a good way, or a bad way, but you are representing Him.
Are you better at extending judgment or forgiveness. If I’m honest, I’m much better at the former than the latter. It is hard.
It wouldn’t be hard if we weren’t such flawed people dealing with flawed people. We’ve all fallen short of God’s glory. Jesus reminds us to look at the log in our own eye before we even think about the speck in our neighbor’s eye, or our brother’s or sister’s eye. It’s not easy.
It has been said, “We judge others by their worst actions, while judging ourselves by our best intentions.”
Isn’t that the truth. Why? Because we can’t see someone’s intentions, and we infer them by their actions. And what we see as their actions are most often not the complete story.
Our words, our actions make a difference in this world. Jesus told his disciples,
By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
When it comes to love, Paul wrote:
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.
There are those around us who will imagine that our love has ended. Let us always strive to be sure that is not so.