CHAPTER ELEVEN
The Church Service and the Sermon
This is the FUN part of the ministry. Very few preachers would wind up with ulcers or other job-induced ailments, if this were all there were to his responsibilibies. Yet it is the part which is first seen by others, and in the minds of many, the major part of his work. It IS a vital part of it and great thought should be given to how it is done.
While the Bible doesn’t prescribe a ritual to be followed in service, it does say,
1 Cor 14:40 ‘Let all things be done decently and in order.’
Friendliness is a great asset to any church, but when the service is delayed while the people visit, laugh and exchange pleasantries, it seems to those who visit, that God is taking a back seat to man’s pleasure. Remember, the meeting is taking place for the purpose of worshipping God. If the services cannot start on the appointed time, God is short-changed, but even more importantly, the people are robbed of a blessing. In a large measure, it will be up to the pastor to see that all is as it should be. Perhaps the best way to handle it, is to have a conference with the musicians and song leader and maybe the ushers and set a time for, and a consistent, ‘call to worship’. After a while, the people will learn to recognize it and, believe it or not, appreciate it!
Music has always played an important part in worship. It is not my intent to try to push any type nor to proscribe any. After all, tastes in music have changed from generation to generation, and even from locality to locality; Even the choice of instruments has varied from time to time, and the instructions for praise in the 150th Psalm seems to sanction any and all of them. The one thing that should be insisted upon , is that the songs should be scriptural! If the pastor preached some of the things the people often sing, they would charge him with heresy! Note the words of the hymns, and if they are not according to the Scripture, ask the people, or the song director not to use them. Is this important? YES! God cannot bless heresy, no matter how it is presented.
What about the sermon? How should you present it? There isn’t a great deal needed to be said on this subject.
First, this is so, because no one can choose your sermons for you. Many will try, but the choice is yours alone, under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.
The important thing is, that they be true to the Scripture.
DO NOT twist a scripture to try to present a pet theory you may have. Those who know better in your audience, will immediately notice and begin to doubt your honesty. . After all, if a preacher can’t deal honestly with the Word, can you trust him in anything?
Second, no one has a right to tell any preacher he should ’Preach more like ----.’
God called YOU to the ministry. Develop your own style of presentation. I have seen men who read their sermons with great effect. Others have had a quiet, mild delivery, while yet others have been fiery, pulpit-pounders. Whatever the manner of delivery, just be YOU. If God had desired clones, he would have made them.
I do feel it incumbent upon me to say something about the length of the message.
No, I don’t mean I am going to tell you how many minutes you should preach. What I mean is very simple; DO NOT PREACH YOURSELF OUT OF THE DESIRED RESULTS! Often a preacher becomes so wrapped up in his delivery of the message that he doesn’t ‘read’ the audience. When you see people lose interest, it is time to quit. Or, when you see deep conviction on a face, it is time to go to the invitation.
I recall a time when I had a most enjoyable topic. I was presenting Heaven as the home of the saved. After a few minutes, a young lady, ('a church member'), began to sob quietly. After five minutes more she was weeping loudly. I hadn’t been in the pulpit more than fifteen minutes, but asked the congregation to stand and presented them with the opportunity to come forward. The young lady came weeping her heart out and said, "I’m lost and don’t want to miss that place!" The services that Sunday morning were short but oh, so sweet. I will never know if she would have responded after another thirty minutes, but I don’t really care. She was saved!
I have listened to men who couldn’t seem to find a stopping place. On and on they go, until the listeners lose all interest. On one occasion, the preacher began quite late. It wasn’t his fault that the preliminaries had been so time consuming, but at ten p.m. . . . he began to preach. Around ten-thirty a few people left. After another thirty minutes people were leaving the building in 'droves' and he was still going strong! Concerning this kind of thing, I have only one thing to say, ‘DON'T!’
Sometimes we have a tendency to put a lot more material in our outlines than we can preach in a reasonable time. Don’t become a slave to your outline! Often you can be much more effective if you simply find a place to close and use the rest of the material for another message.. (If you do this, DO NOT announce that you have a lot more material but have to use it later) This will detract from the message you have just preached. You want the people to think of God’s will for them, and not the excellent knowledge of the preacher.
In the earliest part of my ministry, I had adopted the thought that there was a certain virtue in long sermons. Then, a young mother and her sons began to attend services. I couldn’t help but notice that she always left at the stroke of twelve, on Sunday mornings. This seemed rather rude to me and I was somewhat offended. I decided to speak to her about it. Her answer changed my entire outlook and my practice from that time on. She told me, without apology, that one of her sons was a severe diabetic and absolutely MUST have his meals on time. I made her a promise that from that time on, the service would be dismissed in time for her to stay for all of it. Shortly after that, her husband attended with her, and soon they were both saved and added to the church. Since then I have continued to try to follow the practice of quitting at a specified time, and have found many others who could not wait if I went over. Consider it!
Finally, a word about ‘Pastoral Authority’.
I Pet 1:2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.
4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
These instructions of Peter are NOT in conflict with those of Paul to Titus in;
Titus 2: 15 These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority.
To illustrate, let us look once more to the example of Moses. He was able to preface his orders to Israel with the words, "Thus saith the Lord." He did this with ‘all authority', and fully expected God’s wishes to be carried out. However, not once did he command, "Thus saith Moses, God’s appointed leader". This is the full scriptural authority of a pastor; Teach the Word of God as a surety and lead the church to obey God’s demands, not to meet his.
The full impact of the Lord’s thoughts on this subject can be seen in his remarks concerning Nicolaitanism; (The word means, to rule over the people)
Rev.2: 6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate.
Rev.2: 15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate.
Whether done from the pulpit or the pew, it is an abomination to God because it is an attempt to usurp the place of Christ as the Head of His Church.
23.6.06
Children In The Marketplace
CHILDREN IN THE MARKETPLACE
Text: Luke 7:31 And the Lord said, Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like?
Luke 7:32 They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept.
Luke 7:33 For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil.
Luke 7:34 The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!
Luke 7:35 But wisdom is justified of all her children.
Intro: Luke 7:30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him. [with]
Rom 1:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
They ‘rejected the counsel’ of God- Same thing Paul said he did not do, In
Gal 2:21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
[frustrate = to set aside as of no use.]
Why were they NOT baptized by John?
Mat 3:7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
Mat 3:8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:
Mat 3:9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
They were dumber than a bunch of rocks!
This led Jesus to ask the rhetorical question of .
Luke 7:31 And the Lord said, Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like?
Children in the market place.
A. Oblivious [blind] to the business going on.
1.The shouts of the vendors.
Isa 55:1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
2.As slaves are sold and redeemed.
Rom 7:14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
3. Even the proclamation of the approaching king is ignored!
Psa 24:7 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
Psa 24:8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.
Psa 24:9 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
Psa 24:10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.
Jude 1:14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
Jude 1:15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
When the trumpet sounds the approaching of the Royal Party, it is time to pay attention! You could get hurt if you aren’t ready!
B. They play on in their futile, self centered games, engrossed in vanity.
1. In science they search, but only become more and more confused. A germ, if found on Mars, would be greeted with great glee, but any evidence of a mighty God is jeered.
2. The astronomers still play ‘hide and seek’ with ‘someone who may be out there’ and ignore the one who calls from heaven itself!
3. In social experiments, seeking ‘equality for all men’ while studiously ignoring the one place true equality is to be found.
Acts 15:7 And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.
Acts 15:8 And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;
Acts 15:9 And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
Rom 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
1 Cor 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
1 Cor 6:10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
1 Cor 6:11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
II. Their foolish minds darkened.
Eph 4:17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
Eph 4:18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
[Man of faith sees farther on his knees than an atheist can see through the Hubble Telescope!.
Prayer of Elisha for his servant,
2 Ki 6:17 And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.
A. Like foolish children they listen too late.
1. The rich man. Luke 16
2. The multitude who will see Christ as the heavens are rolled back as a scroll..
Isa 34:4 And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.
Rev 6:12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
Rev 6:13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
Rev 6:14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
Rev 6:15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
Rev 6:16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
Rev 6:17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
3. Steven saw the same thing and was comforted by it!
Acts 7:55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
Acts 7:56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
B. Those who now think themselves to be more competent to judge facts than God is, will stand before Him!
Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Rev 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Rev 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
III. Conclusion; Isn’t it time to get serious and quit playing games with God?
NO ONE LISTENED
God spoke to Egypt; No one listened.
He turned the water into blood;
Sent the plagues that killed the firstborn,
Then drowned their army in the flood.
They finally listened!
He bare Israel up, as on eagles’ wings;
Gave them manna, fed them quail;
They drank the water from the rock;
Heard His promise, "I’ll not fail."
They didn’t listen
They heard the thunder on the mountain,
Felt it tremble ‘neath their feet;
Saw Korah swallowed by the earth,
And Aachan, his judgment meet.
They didn’t listen.
They heard God’s word for forty years,
Yet doubted the promised land,
Till one by one their fathers died,
To be buried in the sand.
Their children finally listened!
God sent His Son, said, "Hear ye Him."
He taught of sin and loss,
Of repentance and believing,
Cried "Forgive them" from the cross.
Only a few listened!
Christ sent His church to preach the gospel;
Martyrs praised Him as they died.
Before our eyes, events occur
Just as prophesied.
Many won’t listen!
Someday He’ll shake the earth and heaven,
Move each mountain from its place;
Before Him every knee shall bow;
All the lost shall see His face!
They’ll cry for mercy, He won’t listen.
They’ll see the one who pleaded, "come";
The one they would not hear.
The words, "Depart ye wicked"
Will strike their hearts with fear!
It’s too late, but they’ll listen!
fcc!
Text: Luke 7:31 And the Lord said, Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like?
Luke 7:32 They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept.
Luke 7:33 For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil.
Luke 7:34 The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!
Luke 7:35 But wisdom is justified of all her children.
Intro: Luke 7:30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him. [with]
Rom 1:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
They ‘rejected the counsel’ of God- Same thing Paul said he did not do, In
Gal 2:21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
[frustrate = to set aside as of no use.]
Why were they NOT baptized by John?
Mat 3:7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
Mat 3:8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:
Mat 3:9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
They were dumber than a bunch of rocks!
This led Jesus to ask the rhetorical question of .
Luke 7:31 And the Lord said, Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like?
Children in the market place.
A. Oblivious [blind] to the business going on.
1.The shouts of the vendors.
Isa 55:1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
2.As slaves are sold and redeemed.
Rom 7:14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
3. Even the proclamation of the approaching king is ignored!
Psa 24:7 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
Psa 24:8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.
Psa 24:9 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
Psa 24:10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.
Jude 1:14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
Jude 1:15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
When the trumpet sounds the approaching of the Royal Party, it is time to pay attention! You could get hurt if you aren’t ready!
B. They play on in their futile, self centered games, engrossed in vanity.
1. In science they search, but only become more and more confused. A germ, if found on Mars, would be greeted with great glee, but any evidence of a mighty God is jeered.
2. The astronomers still play ‘hide and seek’ with ‘someone who may be out there’ and ignore the one who calls from heaven itself!
3. In social experiments, seeking ‘equality for all men’ while studiously ignoring the one place true equality is to be found.
Acts 15:7 And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.
Acts 15:8 And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;
Acts 15:9 And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
Rom 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
1 Cor 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
1 Cor 6:10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
1 Cor 6:11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
II. Their foolish minds darkened.
Eph 4:17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
Eph 4:18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
[Man of faith sees farther on his knees than an atheist can see through the Hubble Telescope!.
Prayer of Elisha for his servant,
2 Ki 6:17 And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.
A. Like foolish children they listen too late.
1. The rich man. Luke 16
2. The multitude who will see Christ as the heavens are rolled back as a scroll..
Isa 34:4 And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.
Rev 6:12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
Rev 6:13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
Rev 6:14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
Rev 6:15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
Rev 6:16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
Rev 6:17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
3. Steven saw the same thing and was comforted by it!
Acts 7:55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
Acts 7:56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
B. Those who now think themselves to be more competent to judge facts than God is, will stand before Him!
Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Rev 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Rev 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
III. Conclusion; Isn’t it time to get serious and quit playing games with God?
NO ONE LISTENED
God spoke to Egypt; No one listened.
He turned the water into blood;
Sent the plagues that killed the firstborn,
Then drowned their army in the flood.
They finally listened!
He bare Israel up, as on eagles’ wings;
Gave them manna, fed them quail;
They drank the water from the rock;
Heard His promise, "I’ll not fail."
They didn’t listen
They heard the thunder on the mountain,
Felt it tremble ‘neath their feet;
Saw Korah swallowed by the earth,
And Aachan, his judgment meet.
They didn’t listen.
They heard God’s word for forty years,
Yet doubted the promised land,
Till one by one their fathers died,
To be buried in the sand.
Their children finally listened!
God sent His Son, said, "Hear ye Him."
He taught of sin and loss,
Of repentance and believing,
Cried "Forgive them" from the cross.
Only a few listened!
Christ sent His church to preach the gospel;
Martyrs praised Him as they died.
Before our eyes, events occur
Just as prophesied.
Many won’t listen!
Someday He’ll shake the earth and heaven,
Move each mountain from its place;
Before Him every knee shall bow;
All the lost shall see His face!
They’ll cry for mercy, He won’t listen.
They’ll see the one who pleaded, "come";
The one they would not hear.
The words, "Depart ye wicked"
Will strike their hearts with fear!
It’s too late, but they’ll listen!
fcc!
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