Dakota Community Church
Revised Common Lectionary
August 15, 2010
Peace & Fire
Quick background notes:
A.) This month’s book of the month is “Why Johnny Can’t Preach” by T. David Gordon
Excerpt:
“I’ve really desired something fairly simple for my family: to be able to talk intelligently about the sermon on Sunday afternoon or throughout the week. And to do this, all I really desire is the ability to answer three questions: What was the point or thrust of the sermon? Was this point adequately established in the text that was read? Were the applications legitimate applications of the point, from which we can have further fruitful conversation about other possible applications?
Frequently, indeed more commonly than not, I have heard sermons about which my family cannot answer even the first question. And even when we can, it is very rare to find the point adequately established from the passage. Further, the applications suggested almost never have anything to do with the text.
I want you to keep these three questions in mind when you come to church and listen to the sermons and I want you to come to me when I fail to preach messages that do not fill this bill for you.
B.) Today’s sermon is inspired by the gospel reading for this date in the Revised Common Lectionary.
I have randomly selected four Sundays this year to preach a sermon from the RCL passages for those Sundays. The purpose for this is to be listening for the leading of the Holy Spirit, listening for what He is saying from texts that I have not selected based on my own comfort or familiarity.
God is speaking to His church through the whole Bible and I believe that many pastors, myself included; have fallen into preaching the Lectionary by Hallmark.
Reflections on vision and progress at New Years
Love and Sex in February,
Mothers in May,
Fathers in June,
Movies in the summer,
Back to school and leadership in the fall – and so on
If this thing is really not about me, if it really about Christ and Him crucified; then I must preach the passages that I am not comfortable preaching and this is one way to do that.
Today’s Text:
Luke 12:49-56
49"I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! 51Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. 52From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. 53They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."
54He said to the crowd: "When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ’It’s going to rain,’ and it does. 55And when the south wind blows, you say, ’It’s going to be hot,’ and it is. 56Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time?
1. Do you think I came to bring peace? - Yes
Luke 2:13-14
13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
Colossians 1:21-23
21Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— 23if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel.
Do you have peace with God this morning?
Do you remember what it was like not to know that peace? Do you remember realizing your debt, realizing the Holy standard?
There is peace between God and man because Jesus came.
What does a Christian look like?
Who is the most famous Christian on television today? (Slide #8)
Acts 10:22-46
22The men replied, "We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to have you come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say." 23Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests…. 44While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. 45The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. 46For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.
Acts 8:9-12
9Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, 10and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, "This man is the divine power known as the Great Power." 11They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic. 12But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13Simon himself believed and was baptized.
Philippians 3:4-9
If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.
7But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.
Tell me what do these three have in common? What common ground is there between Cornelius the centurion, Simon the sorcerer, and Paul the zealous Pharisee?
Now look around this room, how many of us would be associated with each other without Christ?
There is also peace between men because Jesus came.
Luke 12:49-51
49"I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! 51Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.
2. What then is the divisive fire Jesus speaks of?
Is it the division caused by arrogant judgmental Christians?
No doubt about it there is plenty of division on planet earth caused by the judgmental “holier than thou” brand of Christianity.
We have all been embarrassed by the Westborough Baptist Crowd with their hatred of homosexuality and protesting of soldiers funerals. (Slide # 14, 15)
This sign appeared in front of a Church outside of Columbus Ohio (Slide # 16)
It does absolutely no good to try to enforce Christian morality on non-Christians. We do need to make the law of God known but we must do it in the context of presenting the gospel.
The law without the gospel only leads to alienation.
The law leads people to realize their need – but we do not proclaim law alone.
Luke 24:44-48
44He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms."
45Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48You are witnesses of these things.
We preach repentance AND the forgiveness of sins!
Hebrews 12:14-15
14Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. 15See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.
We are called to humility, we are called to serve, to love, to lay our lives for the truth if necessary; this division is clearly not what Jesus was speaking of in today’s text.
Martyr story?
Is it the division caused by the exclusivity of the gospel?
There is a lot of division on planet earth caused by the truth claims of Christ, maybe even more so within the walls of the Christian faith.
I don’t believe this is the division Jesus is speaking of here either though after all he did pray that his followers would be unified.
John 17:20-21
I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
It is a myth that Christianity is more divisive than other religions.
Every religion, every social group or club even has rules for membership.
You cannot even post anything you want on Facebook.
The kind of total freedom that some people desire is really nothing more than all out anarchy; there used to be a young fellow working in the Koya Japan in the St. Vital mall who regularly worked his shift in a t-shirt with the Anarchy symbol on the front.
He must have weighed about 120lbs soaking wet, arms like one of those moveable desk lamps; every time I saw him in it I wanted to say, “Really, you want to live in an anarchist society with those arms - really?” – He’d be dead before noon the first day.
Luke 12:49-51
49"I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! 51Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.
What is it then?
3. The fire comes by rejecting the peace.
When we say no to the reconciliation offered in Christ we open a divisive wound.
God created the universe to be a certain way; sin entered in and fractured that and in so doing left every human heart and mind in a state of brokenness.
Now in Christ God is fixing the fracture but in order to do that He must show up on the doorstep of every heart and say – Stop!
What you are doing is wrong, what you are doing is out of line with how I created you and everything else to function in harmony.
Your idea of what life is all about is wrong, your idea about what will satisfy you is wrong, your idea about what is right and what is wrong is wrong?
I HAVE FIXED IT BY MY DEATH FOR YOUR SINS ON CALVARY”S CROSS.
For those who believe – rebirth, salvation, and peace. For those who say no thanks, I’m not interested, leave me alone – things start to really go off the rails.
Romans 1:18-20, 28-32
18The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
28Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
Think about how this applies to God’s design for monogamy.
This week in the checkout line – magazine covers.
We decide to go our own way and then when it doesn’t work we blame God.
How does this bring division on earth?
The friend of my enemy is my enemy as well.
If your faith is not divisive on any level you may not be living it on any level.
They won’t like you and they won’t even know why they don’t like you!
I close with this:
Matthew 11:28-29
28"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
PowerPoint available (Free of charge) on request dcormie@mts.net
