Sermon Tone Analysis

! Introduction

\\ Today marks the third of a four-part sermon series exploring /The Jesus Creed/, a statement of Christian beliefs and experience written by Brian McLaren.

Our Ministry Team has adopted this statement not so to dictate what we as a congregation believe /specifically/, but to indicate the types of beliefs we hold /generally/.

It thus becomes a tool for us to use as we share with others our faith in the good news of Jesus and invite them to explore with us what Jesus means to us.

\\ We have, thus far, identified the foundational importance of Jesus' miracles and his teaching for our faith and lifestyle.

Let us today consider more specifically some aspects of that lifestyle promoted by Jesus to and through his disciples.

!

The Jesus Creed

{{{"

/*We have confidence in Jesus*, /

/Who healed the sick, the blind, and the paralyzed./

/And even raised the dead./

\\ /He cast out evil powers and /

/Confronted corrupt leaders./

/He cleansed the temple./

/He favoured the poor./

/He turned water into wine, /

/Walked on water, calmed storms./

\\ /He died for the sins of the world, /

/Rose from the dead, and ascended to the Father, /

/Sent the Holy Spirit./

\\ /*We have confidence in Jesus*, /

/Who taught in word and example, /

/Sign and wonder./

/He preached parables of the kingdom of God /

/On hillsides, from boats, in the temple, in homes, /

/At banquets and parties, along the road, on beaches, in towns, /

/By day and by night./

\\ /He taught the way of love for God and neighbour, /

/For stranger and enemy, for outcast and alien./

\\ /*We have confidence in Jesus*, /

/Who called disciples, led them, /

/Gave them new names and new purpose /

/And sent them out to preach good news./

/He washed their feet as a servant./

/He walked with them, ate with them, /

/Called them friends, /

/Rebuked them, encouraged them, /

/Promised to leave and then return, /

/And promised to be with them always./

\\ /He taught them to pray./

/He rose early to pray, stole away to desolate places, /

/Fasted and faced agonizing temptations, /

/Wept in a garden, /

/And prayed, "Not my will but your will be done"./

/He rejoiced, he sang, he feasted, he wept./

\\ /*We have confidence in Jesus*, /

/So we follow him, learn his ways, /

/Seek to obey his teaching and live by his example./

/We walk with him, walk in him, abide in him, /

/As a branch in a vine./

\\ /We have not seen him, but we love him./

/His words are to us words of life eternal, /

/And to know him is to know the true and living God./

/We do not see him now, but we have confidence in Jesus./

\\ /Amen./

}}}

!! The Meaning of the Creed

\\ Beginning also with the phrase, /We have confidence in Jesus/, the third section of this statement is possibly a little less clear than the other two sections at which we have looked, but no less powerful.

!!! Paragraph 1

{{{"

/*We have confidence in Jesus*, /

/Who called disciples, led them, /

/Gave them new names and new purpose /

/And sent them out to preach good news./

/He washed their feet as a servant./

/He walked with them, ate with them, /

/Called them friends, /

/Rebuked them, encouraged them, /

/Promised to leave and then return, /

/And promised to be with them always./

}}}

This first paragraph describes Jesus' relationship with his disciples, and the first question that it begs me to ask is, *"Why choose disciples?"*

\\ Consider for a moment the path to success for an aspiring teacher in our contemporary culture.

Imagine a person — let's call him Brian — who reads and studies often and well, and who has some interesting insights about life that he feels are worth sharing.

These ideas may likely have arisen, at least within Christian circles, while Brian tested his mettle as the minister of a church.

Brian then writes articles, and those who find his articles interesting and stimulating, will invite Brian around to their groups to hear him share and discuss his ideas more deeply.

He may then be invited to increasingly larger conferences as a speaker, perhaps even organising his own.

Then, Brian will write books and leave his church because the speaking invitations take him further afield and demand more of his time, and so on and so forth ...

\\ In this scenario, the natural progress of Brian's success has him speaking to larger and larger audiences, whether in person or through his writings, which will be much anticipated and sought after.

This description is not much different for the one who does not begin as a minister.

The expectations are still quite consistent for the modern and successful teacher-writers-speakers.

\\ What pattern did Jesus follow?

He began, as per the norm, by sharing his ideas in churches — more correctly, /in synagogues/, since Jesus was Jewish.

Interestingly, as his fame grew he spoke to increasingly larger crowds, but he didn't actually seek them out.

Rather, Jesus chose a small band of followers with which to live, as much as to teach.

His pattern of sharing his insights was vastly different than our contemporary expectations, particularly since he was not teaching ideas, but revealing /himself/.

\\ As we know from Romans 1:18-20, there is a /general/ revelation of God that is accessible to everyone.

However, in Jesus, God is offering a /special/ revelation to all of humanity.

So, while Jesus taught others about God's nature and the meaning of his commandments, he was most concerned to make this clear through his own person.

This special revelation is not appropriate, or even possible, is the context of a large crowd.

It requires extended interaction with a select few, as well as increasing intimacy.

Let's look at an example of Jesus' interactions with a large crowd at the same time as with his disciples.

Let's read together Mark 6:30-44.

\\ {{@Cue Read biblical passage aloud from Bible at hand}}

\\ The disciples meet up with Jesus to discuss what they have learnt and done — not unlike a modern university tutorial [[(:30)|bible:Mk 6:30]].

Jesus, concerned for their well-being, withdraws with them for some relaxing leisure [[(:31-32)|bible:Mk 6:31-32]].

Unfortunately for the disciples, a large crowd gathers to meet Jesus, for whom he feels compassion [[(:33-34)|bible:Mk 6:33-34]].

\\ As the time drew on, the disciples try to have Jesus send the crowd away for their evening meal — perhaps feeling compassion, but probably more likely just wanting to get rid of the crowd so that they could have their time with Jesus [[(:35-36)|bible:Mk 6:35-36]].

Jesus instead uses this moment to teach them something about himself by 'stirring them up a little': "You give them something to eat" [[(:37a)|bible:Mk 6:37]].

\\ Given that there was 5000+ people in this crowd [[(:44)|bible:Mk 6:44]], there was certainly no way that the disciples would have had enough food on them nor money to buy enough [[(:37b)|bible:Mk 6:37]].

Jesus invites them to share what they have: five loaves of bread and two fish, which, after being blessed, multiplies miraculously [[(:38-43)|bible:Mk 6:38-43]].

\\ For the crowd, Jesus teaches and heals, but the real revelation — the /special/ revelation — occurs only for the benefit of the disciples, who will later procede out into the world to share the good news of their experiences with Jesus and of what they learned from him, following his pattern of instruction.

\\ In following his pattern, the disciples understand Jesus to have /instituted community/, beginning with them [[(John 17:20-21)|bible:Jn 17:20-21]].

Faith and knowledge is shared and grown within a commuity [[(Ephesians 4:11-13)|bible:Eph 4:11-13]].