January 26, 2014 Nine Word Sermon Matt Laney Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. - Matthew 4:17b What better way to kick off your day than with a few pointers on public speaking? When composing a speech or sermon, make sure you have a riveting beginning, an engaging conclusion and keep the two as close together as possible. Or, if you like, stick to the three Bs: Be bold! Be brief! Be gone! Once again, Jesus was ahead of his time. His first sermon was captivating and just nine words (seven in Greek). When the kingdom of heaven is at hand, theres no need to prove your prowess as a preacher with scholarly exegesis and clever illustrations. Still, we might want ask Jesus: But what do you mean by the kingdom of heaven? Countless books have attempted to unravel this phrase. Some distort the picture rather than clarify it, such as Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth, a bold but not brief book by Reza Aslan which I hope will soon be gone. Aslan fashions Jesus as a failed revolutionary whose biographers depoliticized his message to make nice with Rome. Suppose we trust the gospels and take Jesus at his word, meaning that through him, God was breaking into the world. The proper response to this incursion of grace? Repent. Change your ways. Clean up your life. Suppose thats the whole message, short and sweet? And suppose we got the message and responded accordingly? The world would be a different place. For one thing, there would be no need for sermons. Prayer God, may your kingdom come through me today. Amen.
Posted on: Sun, 26 Jan 2014 12:27:41 +0000
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