The subject of this sermon is the Church and what it means to be church. Those thoughts have come up repeatedly in the last couple of weeks. I knew when I first read the lesson for today, the handing of the keys in Matthew, that the church would be a good topic. The Lord led me to some good experiences in preaching on it.

This sermon is about a page longer than normal, and the thoughts and the paragraphs were deeper and more developed. I think I went a full 20 mins. That said, as I gave it Saturday Night/Sunday Morning I can’t say that I saw heads nodding or getting real impatient. The same faces that don’t really want to be there had the same expressions, but the length did not seem to cause narcolepsy.

There are some portions that I really like (for example the closing paragraph.) There are portions that I like, but afterward think are probably extraneous (the text portion on the wrong answers to who Jesus is.) I still think they are defendable and good, but they belong in a different sermon. I didn’t edit ruthlessly enough at that point.

It is a serious sermon, about a serious topic and one that has much confusion today. You could spend a year on the subject. This is 20 mins. The best thing I can say is that it is textual. The entire structure comes directly from the text. Thw Wordle at the top gives you a very good idea as to what is important. I tried to get the church squarely on top of Jesus in the picture, but it wouldn’t give me that.

Peace be with you and your family.

This text and sermon were very difficult. Truthfully, I was scared to death to give this one. I read this text as instruction in spiritual poverty – a object lesson in the first commandment or the first beatitude. Not a subject that a comfortable american really has standing to talk about, or that is easy to hear or talk about without sounding pedantic. There were also a couple of lines that were very rough and direct. I did not look forward to giving this sermon, but I did from the first practive delivery like it better orally than written. After delivery a couple of thoughts. First the text section strikes the right tone. It made the situation real without dodging the Lord calling someone a dog. That section I like. The application section worked ok and addressed a local issue. If someone was to take this sermon walking, they would most likely have to re-write or attach their own application section. I think the two point outline would work, but the examples, the sins and the grace would have to be modified to the local audience. Overall I like it much better finished than upcoming.

Text: Matt 14:22-33
Exegetical Point: Faith’s focus is Christ who enables that faith to do wonders and to worship
Focus Statement: Christ’s action and presence alone guides and saves the church
Function Statement: That my hearers would put their focus on Christ and his will

The image is linked to the text of the sermon.

This sermon walks really close on a couple of lines. First it walks really close to the allegory line. It took and expository format which means line by line or sense verse by sense verse. After each chunk I discuss a meaning. I have support for each of those meanings, but some are not necessarily immediate. The second line it walks is that of miracles. The miracles are ‘signs & wonders’. They point to who Jesus is. That is their function in the sermon, but the a couple of the modern examples could be dangerous. Someone could take them as if you believe/do this a miracle happens. I’m hoping that I was clear, but one part especially could come off like this.

This is one of those sermons that just a few hours after final delivery, I’m thinking I’m going to regret saying that. I stand behind and have grounds for everything I say, but it might require a little more sophisitcation or nuance than should be expected in a sermon. That said, for the first time, I feel that the strongest section and the most memorable was the Gospel proclamation. Ultimately, that is why I didn’t flinch in delivering. The gospel section was strong.

Two comments. A friend from Seminary, Brandt Hoffmann, pointed me at a site called Wordle. It is a site created by an IBM research employee that creates Word Clouds from any text. A word cloud is like the image above. The bigger the word, the more it is used in the text. This is the word cloud created from this sermon. The word cloud is linked to the full text of the sermon. Second comment is about how that word cloud is a good ‘at a glance’ view of the sermon. The sermon should be about Jesus and God’s work of reconciling sinners to himself. Seeing Jesus, and God and Word and Compassion as ‘big words’ in the cloud is a good sign.

Summary statements
Exegetical Point: Abundance flows from God when the kingdom is proclaimed
Focus Statement: God richly blesses his people with a multitude of graces
Function Statement: That my listeners would begin to realize the abundant grace of God and bring people to Jesus

I’ve been experimenting the past couple of weeks. Last week with telling stories. This week with emphasizing the narrative of the text. I suppose (I know) people might disagree with the narrative reading placed on this section of Matthew, but I also know that it is defendable. Discipleship is a key message within the Gospel. The goal, as stated at the start of the sermon is to connect people with the narrative of the Gospel, to bring it to life. Especially in the middle of the long green season of Pentecost, spending extra time on the story and less on dogmatic points seems appropriate.

My biggest criticism might be the long introduction. I think it was ‘underware’ and should have been left out. It was more my rationale for the format of the sermon than proclamation. I debated that before including, and eventually decided it shows a little of the preacher’s thought process which for a preacher new to the congregation isn’t such a bad thing. Still, it defends what comes next instead of advancing the main point.

Text: Matt 13: 44-52
Exegetical Statement: The hidden Reign of God is a joyful surprise worth decisive, resourceful and risky action.
Focus Statement: God extends his reign in a variety of surprising ways
Function Statement: That my hearers would be open to the joy of God’s reign

I tried something a little different this week. The sermon is largely story telling. The parables of the treasure and the pearl are short and very similar. The differences between a seeking merchant and a yeoman farmer both finding the treasure in the course of their lives seemed important. The immediate juxtaposition also seemed important. The sermon mirrors those portions juxtaposing two stories, C. S. Lewis from Surprised by Joy and a creative writing amalgamation. I did break the pure story by adding an ‘explainer-man’ paragraph at the ends of each major section.

I have less ability to judge the quality of this type. It is just not as direct. It depends on people either listening long enough to get to the explanations (not-likely if they don’t like the story), or being interested enough in the stories and getting the point by impression. I wasn’t lynched after it, and it seems people were paying attention, but that could just be becuase the format was indecipherable.

One other note worth mentioning. This sermon largely takes the ‘traditional’ interpretation of the pearl/treasure – finding the salvation offered through Jesus Christ is the only thing of true worth, worth all you possess. My professor, Dr. Gibbs, has a much different interpretation here. He flips the person and the pearl. Jesus is the person who gives up all for the pearl of the church. He is a very smart man who has spent an entire lifetime studying Matthew (i.e. he is probably right.) Why did I diverge other than ingratitude? The progression of the parables in Chapter 13. Chapter 13 starts with the parable of the Sower which I took to be about the power of the word. It progresses through the wheat and the weeds which grow together which focuses more upon the mixed state of people in this inaugurated eschaton. It ends with the interesting description of the instructed scribe as a householder able to bring out new and old. In Matthew, the householder is always God, except in this verse. The parables have progressed from hard soil through growth, recognizing the pearl, to being able to instruct others. While Dr. Gibbs’ interpretation definitely works, I think it misses that progression. I’m sure that could be demolished in about 30 seconds.

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Text: Romans 8:18-27
Exegetical Point: The glory of God is revealed in his time and by his plan both universal scale and in the individual.
Focus Statement: God works through creation and us, even when we don’t understand.
Function Statement: That my hearers would trust that the will of God is for their good.

Comments
I used Long’s four pages of the preacher as a general structure. The general direction of the passage and of the sermon takes us from looking at the entire creation to looking at our lives with the Holy Spirit at intercessor. The law sections can be rough, but I did not think they were out of balance with the Gospel. I also felt that there were enough playful moments interspersed with serious parts to keep balance. I also felt that the Gospel sections were multiple (thus partly breaking Long’s structure) and specific. The day after delivery, I still like this sermon. Usually I dread thinking about them because you then know what could be improved.

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Text: Matt 13:1-9,18-23 (OT lesson Isa 55:9-11)

Exegetical Point: The word, the message of the Kingdom, is received in multiple ways. We don’t know until the harvest (the yield) which is which, but we are guaranteed a crop.

Focus statement: God sends out his Word into all kinds of soil

Function Statement: That my hearers may share the word

The sermon is set up as a simple text-application. When I was finished drafting, I liked the text portion. I set up the reading in the larger context of Matthew’s gospel. My proofreaders liked the application section which I thought might have been a little weak. What do I know? The Children’s sermon I did probably was better. Object lesson, so not really for the kids, but focusing on how water/snow from the OT lesson alters the ground, even hard pack.

Final thoughts. This sermon touched on important points, but in my view too specific on the law, but not specific enough on the gospel. The gospel went warm-fuzzy relying on the hearer to supply their specific definition of grace. It could be better. All that has to be balanced with the fact that the part I’m dumping on is what my proof readers liked best.

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This was the sermon delivered yesterday. It was the weekend of July 4th. It was also the first sermon preached at my new congregation.

Text: Matt 11:25-30
Title: Yoked to Freedom

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