Sermon Tone Analysis
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Introduction
A few weeks ago I had a conversation with a colleague who is a Seventh Day Adventist.
The conversation turned to theology, as it usually does with him, and while he is a friend, we often part ways when we talk theology.
His point that day: “The ‘Beast’ of Revelation is Sunday Worship.
God never told us we could change the Sabbath Day from the Seventh Day.
It’s a commandment, for heaven’s sake” Then, after explaining that it was a conspiracy spun by evil Rome and their Church he told me, “most Christians are uninformed about this central truth of the Gospel.”
Wow.
How would you answer him?
After all, dear Christian, it is your calling to be able to explain why you do what you do when it comes to your faith.
Remember what Peter says:
This is why I try to make all of my sermons teaching sermons, to inform and help you in your Christian walk.
Today we will see both why we worship on Sunday, who we worship on Sunday, and how we worship on Sunday.
Instead of a word, we will use the words that describe what every reporter uses: the WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHY, AND HOW of Worship.
We go to our text:
The Third Commandment: Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
What does this mean?
WE should fear and love God that we do not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it.
WHO
Worship is all about the Triune God, not about us.
A phrase that frustrates all pastors is when people say “I didn’t get a lot out of that worship.”
Wrong answer.
It’s not about you, it’s about Jesus!
Did He not come to you in His Word, that life giving voice?
Did He not forgive your sins?
Did He not strengthen your faith in the Body and the Blood?
We begin in His Name.
We are forgiven in His Name.
We receive His Word in His Name.
We receive the Sacrament in His Name.
And at the end we leave with His Name bespoken upon us.
WHAT
So what, then, is Worship?
Worship is a two way activity.
Back in Advent and Lent we used the Ad-Orientum position at altar.
When God is coming to us, the Pastor faces the congregation.
When we come before God, the pastor faces the altar.
This is illustrative of what worship is.
The main point of worship is not our prayer and praise.
It is God’s Word proclaimed to us.
It is God dispensing His gifts to us to create faith: Baptism, absolution, the preaching of His Word, the Lord’s Supper.
And when we receive His gifts they bring us forgiveness, life, salvation, peace, unity, love, mercy, grace, everything we need to be in relationship with Him.
Our response is secondary.
We respond with “prayer, praise and thanksgiving” as well as confession, gratefulness, love for neighbor, and obedience to the ten commandments.
That is our worship of God.
But it is not as we ought to respond, but as we are able.
However, gathered together with all of the Saints and angels, as we are each week, this is pleasing to our Father in heaven.
We are not to despise preaching and His Word by:
Being absent when the congregation gathers for weekly worship.
The Third Commandment still speaks directly to this.
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