2020.03.01 Ash Sunday & Future Church
Notes
Transcript
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;
17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him;
13 for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
14 How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?
15 How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!”
Ash Sunday & Future Church
Ash Sunday & Future Church
Today’s sermon will be a melding of two messages. I’ll try my best to still keep it brief because we have a lot to do afterward, but I want to make sure you understand what we’re doing when we do it.
Wednesday, the church building lost power and we were told to expect to be about 4 hours without heat. So, we cancelled Ash Wednesday service. You know me well enough to know I hate cancelling worship of any sort, so this was a rare occasion. Rare, but not unprecedented!
Exactly 10 years ago, I was serving a small country church. We had a gravel lot and it snowed on Ash Wednesday, so we had to cancel. That Sunday, I led “Ash Sunday” service, so that’s where that part of the sermon title comes from.
NASB95All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;
Today is the beginning of a sermon series, so I didn’t want to completely blow off what we were originally going to talk about, so I’m incorporating that into the title as well.
The series is called “Future Church”, and today’s message was originally titled “Filling in the Gaps”. The foundation of the series is this passage:
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;
NASB95All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;
Verse 17 says that the purpose of this is “so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”
We know that church is different today than it was in Jesus’s day, right?
Verse 17 says that the purpose of this is “so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” We know that church is different today than it was in Jesus’s day, right?We know that church is different today than it was in Paul’s day, right?We know that church is different today than it was in Martin Luther’s day, right?We know that church is different today than it was in John Wesley’s day, right?We know that church is different today than it was in Dwight Moody’s day, right?We know that church is different today than it was in the 1950s, right?We know that church is different today than it was in the 1980s, right?We know that church is different today than it was in the 1990s or the 2000s, or even the 2010s, right?So, what does the church of tomorrow look like? Lots of people throw around words like “relevant” and “post-Christian” just like they used to throw around “post-modern” and “rational” to try and change the church the way they think is best … but maybe we’d be smarter to return to what we know. The only thing we really know is the Scriptures … and if we’re honest, we don’t know them well enough … AMEN?!The series “Future Church” will be based on this passage, where Paul tells us through his letter to Timothy that the Scriptures have particular uses and the purpose is that we would be adequate, equipped for every good work. If there is to be a Church of tomorrow, the Truth of Scripture will not change even if our methods may.So, today, I want to tell you the first use for Scripture is to teach us. Teaching, reproof, correction and training are closely related, yet different from one another. So, what does it mean to teach?
We know that church is different today than it was in Paul’s day, right?
We know that church is different today than it was in Martin Luther’s day, right?
We know that church is different today than it was in John Wesley’s day, right?
We know that church is different today than it was in Dwight Moody’s day, right?
We know that church is different today than it was in the 1950s, right?
We know that church is different today than it was in the 1980s, right?
We know that church is different today than it was in the 1990s or the 2000s, or even the 2010s, right?
So, what does the church of tomorrow look like? Lots of people throw around words like “relevant” and “post-Christian” just like they used to throw around “post-modern” and “rational” to try and change the church the way they think is best … but maybe we’d be smarter to return to what we know. The only thing we really know is the Scriptures … and if we’re honest, we don’t know them well enough … AMEN?!
The series “Future Church” will be based on this passage, where Paul tells us through his letter to Timothy that the Scriptures have particular uses and the purpose is that we would be adequate, equipped for every good work. If there is to be a Church of tomorrow, the Truth of Scripture will not change even if our methods may.
So, today, I want to tell you the first use for Scripture is to teach us. Teaching, reproof, correction and training are closely related, yet different from one another. So, what does it mean to teach?
So, today, I want to tell you the first use for Scripture is to teach us. Teaching, reproof, correction and training are closely related, yet different from one another. So, what does it mean to teach?
Filling in the Gaps
Filling in the Gaps
I’ll give you a hint, the original title of the sermon was “Filling in the Gaps”
No person knows everything. Amen?
Which means every person has gaps in their knowledge. Amen?
“Gaps in knowledge” is a nice way to say “ignorant”. We all acknowledge we are ALL partially ignorant about our faith.
Teaching in its simplest form is “filling in gaps” of knowledge. And if everyone has gaps in their knowledge … let me say that not being engaged in a Bible study of some sort is a mockery of real faith.
In any area of knowledge...Regarding your ignorance, you...
...know everything there is to know
OR ...are studying to fill your gaps
OR ...don’t care about your ignorance
Before I move on, let me remind you that Paul tells us the uses for Scripture are so that you would be “adequate, equipped for every good work.” So, if you reject the notion of fixing your ignorance, you are okay continuing to live by definition, “INadequate, AND ILL-equipped for GOD’s good work.”
My newsletter article this month gave a LOT of information about Lent, but I know not everyone reads the newsletter. So, while we’re talking about teaching, let me take a moment to teach a bit this morning:
Question/Answer about Ash Wednesday; Lent; Maundy Thursday; Good Friday; Easter
Ash Sunday & Future Church
Ash Sunday & Future Church
About Ash Wednesday (eliminate any sections that were addressed in the Q&A)
Tradition of Fasting
“Remember, Lent is less about what you "give up", and more about what you "take up". Take up discipleship. Take up spiritual disciplines. Take up the scriptures. Take up the cross.” —Dale White
“...that’s ALWAYS been the purpose of fasting. You move one thing out of the way so there’s more room for One Thing.” —Chris Gadlage
Why Ashes?
What are ashes good for?
gardening - balance pH of the soil
recently saw a survivalist show - used ashes as a sunscreen
helps spur new growth, and protects from the sun … but minimally!
Most ashes are THROWN OUT!
We use ashes to remind us of our mortality:
Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. [NASB]
All came from the dust and all return to the dust. [NASB]
Ashes remind us that our bodies are just dust. Without the breath of God breathed into us, we are lifeless and nearly worthless … just like ashes.
Ashes are used in biblical times to demonstrate repentance:
- elders repent : - leaders of Israel fast, and pour dust on their heads : - king of Nineveh removes his robe and sits in ashes : - Daniel repents with sackcloth and ashes : - Job repents and sits in ashes : & - Jesus connected repenting and ashes
- outright TELLS us to repent with ashes
During Lent, we mourn and repent of our sins. So we begin Lent with ashes.
We place the ashes on our forehead:
Anointing of the sick is oil on the head or forehead
Revelation tells us we will be marked as Christ’s on our forehead
The mark on our foreheads reminds us (and everyone else) that we are sealed for Christ
So, we use ashes to:
remind us that we are dead and almost completely worthless without the breath of God in us
outwardly acknowledge the repentance we’re experiencing internally
to let everyone know we are marked as belonging to Jesus
So as you come today to have the sign of the cross placed on your foreheads rend your hearts.
Repent of your self reliance and self-seeking. And accept the grace and forgiveness that marks you as a redeemed child of God.
Starting well...
To make a right beginning of repentance, and as a mark of our mortal nature,
let us now in silence reflect on the Truth of the Scripture and make our confession and vows of repentance and new life before the Lord:
.......... (silent prayer and meditation) ..........
Lord forgive our sins as we forgive those who trespass against us.
We confess to you O God, and to each other, as brothers and sisters, that we have sinned through our own fault, in thoughts and in words, in our actions, and in our failure to act. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.
Lord, hear our prayer of repentance and bless us that we might walk in the newness of the life that you offer, in Jesus our Lord.
AMEN.
Lord, bless these ashes by which we show that we are dust. Pardon our sins and keep us faithful to the discipline of Lent, for you don’t want sinners to die but to live with the risen Christ.
Almighty God, from the dust of the earth you have created us. May these ashes be for us a sign of our mortality and repentance and a reminder that only by your grace are we given eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Saviour.
AMEN.
Finally, Lord, pour out your Holy Spirit on us and on these gifts of bread and wine. Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ, and make us the body of Christ unified in ministry to all the world. Help us experience your presence in this sacrament, and give us opportunity to share the grace we receive with others. Until all the world knows of your Son Jesus, our task is not complete. And until we are perfected in Christian love, your work is not complete in us.
In the name of your Son Jesus Christ, and the power of your Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, Father Almighty, now and forever.
AMEN.