Being ready for Christ's kingdom
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series V, Cycle A
BRIEF COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS
Lesson 1: Judges 4:1--7 (C)
The Israelites were oppressed by the Canaanites. The Hebrews cried out to God, who sent Deborah as prophetess and judge. Deborah sent Barak and a horde of Hebrews against the Canaanite king, Jabin, and his general, Siera. The Hebrews triumphed over the technologically superior enemy army.
Lesson 1: Proverbs 31:10--13, 19--20, 30--31 (RC)
The ideal wife, faithful to her husband, industrious, wise and compassionate.
Lesson 1: Zephaniah 1:7, 12--18 (E)
Zephaniah prophesied prior to Josiah's reforms in 621 B.C. He predicts the Day of the Lord, a day of judgment for the sins of people.
Lesson 1: Malachi 2:1--2, 4--10 (L)
The priests have corrupted the covenant that God made with Israel and caused many people to stumble.
Lesson 2: 1 Thessalonians 5:1--11 (C); 1 Thessalonians 5:1--6 (RC); 1 Thessalonians 5:1--10 (E)
The images of light/darkness and waking/sleeping are used extensively here. Believers should not be caught off guard since they are children of the light and of the day. The Parousia will come suddenly, like birth pangs, and unexpectedly, as a thief in the night. Soberness and vigilance are the order of the day, so that we are not caught off guard by the powers of evil as we await the coming of the kingdom. Our destiny is not damnation but salvation in Christ.
Lesson 2: 1 Thessalonians 2:8--13 (L)
See Lesson 2 (C, RC, E) for Proper 26
Gospel: Matthew 25:14--30 (C, RC); Matthew 25:14--15, 19--29 (E)
The parable of The Talents. Before going away, a man calls his servants and entrusts his money to them. One servant gets five talents, one servant gets two talents, and the other receives just one talent. The money is parceled out according to the ability of the recipient. When the master returns and calls his servants to make an accounting for his money, the first two servants present their master with double his money. He profusely commends them. They have wisely invested the little he gave them; he sets them in authority over a great deal. The first two servants
333
are bold and venturesome. They are willing to take on greater risk for greater gain. The third fellow is a timid sort. He was afraid to take a risk and so he buried the talent, believing his master to be a hard man (vv. 24--25). The master gives this timid fellow a severe dressing down. This sends spiritual shock waves over us because we identify more with him than we do with the ten--talent wizard. ''If you thought I was this sort of man, you should have taken the money and, at least, invested it with the bankers,'' the master chides (v. 27). The master orders that the talent be taken away from this ''worthless'' servant and given to the servant who had the ten talents. This poor steward is to be tossed into the outer darkness. Through the blazing and uncomfortable light of this parable, we see the truth about the standard by which we will be judged. It will not be so much a question of what we've gained or lost but what we've ventured for the sake of the Master. The timid servant is condemned because his misjudging of his master caused him to bury his talent, rather than invest it. The truth is that the person who ventures with his Master's talents will always reap a return.
Gospel: Matthew 23:1--12 (L)
See Gospel (C, RC, E) for Proper 26
Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 123 (C) - ''To you I lift up my eyes ...'' (v. 1).
Psalm 128:1--5 (RC) - ''Happy is everyone who fears the Lord ...'' (v. 1).
Psalm 90 (E) - ''Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations'' (v. 1).
Psalm 131 (L) - ''O Israel, hope in the Lord ...'' (v. 3).
Prayer Of The Day
Lord Christ, you have shown us that the road to discipleship is never easy or safe. Your commitment to the Father led to a cross. Give us the boldness to fully invest ourselves and our abilities in the cause of your kingdom, for the sake of Jesus. Amen.
THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION ON THE LESSONS
Lesson 1: Judges 4:1--7
God hears the oppressed. When the Hebrews cried out to God because of their oppressors, God answered and sent a deliverer, Deborah the judge, to spearhead their deliverance. The Canaanites possessed superior technology in war, 900 iron chariots, but God gave the victory to a citizen army organized by a woman.
Lesson 1: Proverbs 31:10--13, 19--20, 30--31
A working wife. This is a picture of the Proverbial wife. She is faithful to her family, hard working, involved in business and in the marketplace, yet compassionate to the poor. Working wives are nothing new; they are women trying to juggle family responsibilities and worldly involvements. Such women carry a tremendous burden and richly deserve the praise of their husbands and their children.
Lesson 1: Zephaniah 1:7, 12--18
God the impotent. The hearts of the people had grown complacent in their worldly pursuits. Their notion was that God was impotent, not able to reward or punish. ''The Lord will not do good, nor will he do harm'' (v. 12). For many modern believers, God the omnipotent has been replaced by God the impotent. These folks want to marginalize God so that he might not interfere with their selfish pursuits.
334
Lesson 1: Malachi 2:1--2, 4--10
Corrupting the covenant. The prophet looks on Levi as the ideal priest, who revered God and walked in integrity. However, the priesthood has fallen on bad times. The priests have not properly instructed the people and have corrupted the covenant. The covenant of God must be ratified anew by each succeeding generation.
Lesson 2: 1 Thessalonians 5:1--11
Knowing the times and seasons. Paul addressed the Thessalonian church concerning the second coming of Christ, as if they should have known these things. Actually, nobody knows God's timetable. Paul didn't. All he said was the kingdom would come at a time that people didn't expect, without warning. Since Christ could come at any time and season, a person needed to always be prepared.
Children of the light and of the day (v. 5). Since Christians are children of light, we should not be caught off guard. We can discern that which is good from that which is evil.
Asleep to Jesus or asleep in Jesus? Sleep is used in three different senses in this passage. In verse 6, sleep is used in the spiritual sense of not being tuned into God and the Lord's ways. In verse 7, sleep is used in the ordinary sense. In verse 10, sleep is employed as a metaphor for death. It is a bad thing to be spiritually asleep because we will not be prepared for Christ's visitation. However, it is good to sleep in Jesus, to die in Christ, because God will awaken us to the blazing light of his new day.
Future hope. Faith, love and hope are spoken of as defenses against the penetrating projectiles let loose by sin, death and the devil (v. 8). Faith and love are present realities but hope is projected into the future. Hope protects us by enabling us to view reality from the future to the present rather than the present to the future. Hope is glimpsing reality from God's viewpoint and for God the future is already present. Without future hope, present reality is of little value.
Lesson 2: 1 Thessalonians 2:8--13
See Lesson 2 (C, RC, E) for Proper 26.
Gospel: Matthew 25:14--30
Each according to his ability (v. 16). The three servants were each given a different number of talents. When the time came for an accounting, they were not judged on an absolute scale but in accordance to what they had been allotted. The important factor is not what we have or what we have gained but what we've done in relation to what we have been given.
Action orientation. The servant who received the five talents went ''at once'' and traded his talents (v. 16). He wasn't afraid of risk or failure. The two--talent servant was of the same bent. The one--talent servant buried his talent thinking that maybe later he would discover some business in which he could invest his master's money. Of course, he never found any venture free of risk, so he never acted.
Is the master extravagant or stingy? The first two servants perceived the master far differently than the one--talent servant. They saw him as a person who would appreciate bold and daring action. He liked to give a great deal of freedom to his servants and he expected them to be self--starters, to take initiative. Should they give it their best shot and yet fail, he would be fair and understanding, for some of his own ventures garnered no profit either. The one--talent fellow viewed the master as hard and calloused. Should he lose the talent, the master would be unmerciful, because he is a stingy and exacting man. The image that we have of God or others guides our behavior. Sometimes, as in the case of this servant, our perceptions are distorted, which leads to self--defeating behavior.
Was the one--talent servant right about his master? This man believed his master to be a hardhearted man and after hearing what happened to him, a person wonders if he wasn't correct in his assessment. The master seems overly severe. This poor sap of a servant was no wiz but at least he returned his master's talent. Why should it be taken from him and given to the
335
servant who already had ten talents? Then, to be judged worthless and thrown out into the outer darkness where people weep and gnash their teeth, an image of hell (v. 30), seems totally unfair. Is the master a hard man? For the first two servants, he certainly wasn't a hard man. He was generous, to the point of extravagance. He was hard on the guy who buried his talent. He requires that his servants invest the talents with which he has endowed them.
The rich get richer. ''For to all who have will more be given ...'' (v. 29). It is a well established fact, the rich get richer and the poor seem to be getting poorer. Richness and poorness are often a legacy, passed on from one generation to another. But how do some people get rich to start with? They know how to invest. Jesus is suggesting here that those who have spiritual riches are those who have freely invested the talents that they have been given in the service of the Master. The more they invest, the more they receive. The spiritually poor, on the other hand, keep getting poorer because they are too selfish or fearful to fully invest. The spiritual rich keep getting richer and the spiritually impoverished keep getting poorer.
Gospel: Matthew 23:1--12
See Gospel (C, RC, E) for Proper 26
PREACHING APPROACHES WITH ILLUSTRATIONS
Lesson 1: Judges 4:1--7
Sermon Title: A Liberating Woman
Sermon Angle: In this text we see a picture of a strong woman in a key leadership position. The Bible does present other roles for women than that of wife and mother. She was a liberated woman and a liberating woman. God used her to inspire the Hebrew force to victory over the Canaanite oppressors. Many women may need liberation but personal liberation isn't enough. God calls us to be liberating women and men. No woman is truly free unless she is a liberator. The same applies to men. We can only find personal freedom when we take the risk of freeing others.
Lesson 1: Proverbs 31:10--13, 19--20, 30--31
Sermon Title: A Portrait Of The Perfect Wife
Sermon Angle: This chapter contains one man's view of the perfect wife. It's not a pretty picture if you're looking for glamour and beauty. No sex object here. She's too busy caring for her family, making and selling clothes, buying and caring for her vineyard to consider her appearance. To do all that is suggested in this passage would require a wonder--woman. I'm not suggesting that you should put forth this ideal of the perfect wife for today's stressed--out women. There is, of course, no such thing as a perfect wife or husband, but this passage could provide a context for getting in touch with our ideals of the perfect wife and society's, so they can be held up to the light of reason and revealed truth.
Lesson 2: 1 Thessalonians 5:1--11
Sermon Title: No Rude Awakening
Sermon Angle: The day of the Lord should not surprise the spiritually alert Christian (v. 4). It should be no rude awakening for we are not children of the night but of the day. In Christ, a new day has dawned. We are now children of light, fully awake to the presence of Christ. We should not meet the fate of the one--talent servant in the Gospel, rudely surprised by his master's severe reaction to his stewardship.
Outline:
1. Relate an occasion of rude awakening
2. The Bible warns that many are asleep to the presence of God (v. 6)
3. Christ's coming will prove a rude awakening to them but not to those who are alert to the presence of Christ (v. 4).
336
Sermon Title: The Omega Point
Sermon Angle: In the Revelation of Saint John, Christ refers to himself as the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. The passage deals with the Omega point, that occasion when time yields to eternity, and worldly existence, as we know it, comes to an end. In hope, we see reality from the Omega point, the second coming of Christ. Everything comes together at this point.
Outline:
1. To try to understand who we are, we go back to our beginnings
2. To truly comprehend life is to know its ending
3. Christianity helps us see the meaning of life in the Omega point, Christ' second coming
4. At the Omega point, time yields to eternity
Frank Tipler, a distinguished physicist has written an interesting and controversial book titled, The Physics Of Immortality. Tipler predicts that intelligent life will fill the universe, growing to infinite intelligence and knowledge by the time of the Omega point, when time curves into eternity, trillions of years from now. The scientist equates the Omega point with God. Tipler postulates that intelligence will be so high that it will recreate all former forms of life and we will live together in a type of heaven.
Christianity does not view its Omega point from the perspective that man will become God, through attaining infinite knowledge, but that God has already become man in Jesus, who died, rose from the dead and ascended into heaven. The time when Jesus returns, as he promised, is our Omega point, the end point where past and future merge into the eternal present.
Gospel: Matthew 25:14--30
Sermon Title: Reverse Capital Gains Tax
Sermon Angle: When a person sells an asset for more than he paid for it, he has to pay a very substantial capital gains tax. The rules for investing ourselves in the kingdom of God are radically different. The person who makes a clear gain on that which the Lord gives him or her, pays no tax but is given a reward. On the opposite side of the coin, the person who makes no gain on that which is entrusted to him will be harshly penalized.
Sermon Title: Christ The Gambler
Sermon Angle: The master in the parable is Christ and we are those to whom he has entrusted his substance. We are richly endowed with that which is his. What a chance he is taking! Quite a gamble! That seems to be Christ's way. In his earthly journey, he invested his love in those whose lives were out of control, such as prostitutes and tax collectors. He scattered the seed of the gospel wildly, letting it fall where it may and take root where it was able. The cross was the biggest gamble of all, as the devil whispered in his ear: ''They aren't worth it.'' Some of those wagers paid off; others did not. But those who are his own have caught the gambling fever and they know the excitement and joy of wagering their life for the redemption of the world.
Sermon Title: Use It Or Lose It
Sermon Angle: Talents are like muscles, if you don't use them, you lose them. The servants given five and two talents, respectively, used their talents and received again as much for their efforts. The one--talent servant refused to use his and lost not only his talent but his life.
337
Lesson 1: Judges 4:1--7 (C)
The Israelites were oppressed by the Canaanites. The Hebrews cried out to God, who sent Deborah as prophetess and judge. Deborah sent Barak and a horde of Hebrews against the Canaanite king, Jabin, and his general, Siera. The Hebrews triumphed over the technologically superior enemy army.
Lesson 1: Proverbs 31:10--13, 19--20, 30--31 (RC)
The ideal wife, faithful to her husband, industrious, wise and compassionate.
Lesson 1: Zephaniah 1:7, 12--18 (E)
Zephaniah prophesied prior to Josiah's reforms in 621 B.C. He predicts the Day of the Lord, a day of judgment for the sins of people.
Lesson 1: Malachi 2:1--2, 4--10 (L)
The priests have corrupted the covenant that God made with Israel and caused many people to stumble.
Lesson 2: 1 Thessalonians 5:1--11 (C); 1 Thessalonians 5:1--6 (RC); 1 Thessalonians 5:1--10 (E)
The images of light/darkness and waking/sleeping are used extensively here. Believers should not be caught off guard since they are children of the light and of the day. The Parousia will come suddenly, like birth pangs, and unexpectedly, as a thief in the night. Soberness and vigilance are the order of the day, so that we are not caught off guard by the powers of evil as we await the coming of the kingdom. Our destiny is not damnation but salvation in Christ.
Lesson 2: 1 Thessalonians 2:8--13 (L)
See Lesson 2 (C, RC, E) for Proper 26
Gospel: Matthew 25:14--30 (C, RC); Matthew 25:14--15, 19--29 (E)
The parable of The Talents. Before going away, a man calls his servants and entrusts his money to them. One servant gets five talents, one servant gets two talents, and the other receives just one talent. The money is parceled out according to the ability of the recipient. When the master returns and calls his servants to make an accounting for his money, the first two servants present their master with double his money. He profusely commends them. They have wisely invested the little he gave them; he sets them in authority over a great deal. The first two servants
333
are bold and venturesome. They are willing to take on greater risk for greater gain. The third fellow is a timid sort. He was afraid to take a risk and so he buried the talent, believing his master to be a hard man (vv. 24--25). The master gives this timid fellow a severe dressing down. This sends spiritual shock waves over us because we identify more with him than we do with the ten--talent wizard. ''If you thought I was this sort of man, you should have taken the money and, at least, invested it with the bankers,'' the master chides (v. 27). The master orders that the talent be taken away from this ''worthless'' servant and given to the servant who had the ten talents. This poor steward is to be tossed into the outer darkness. Through the blazing and uncomfortable light of this parable, we see the truth about the standard by which we will be judged. It will not be so much a question of what we've gained or lost but what we've ventured for the sake of the Master. The timid servant is condemned because his misjudging of his master caused him to bury his talent, rather than invest it. The truth is that the person who ventures with his Master's talents will always reap a return.
Gospel: Matthew 23:1--12 (L)
See Gospel (C, RC, E) for Proper 26
Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 123 (C) - ''To you I lift up my eyes ...'' (v. 1).
Psalm 128:1--5 (RC) - ''Happy is everyone who fears the Lord ...'' (v. 1).
Psalm 90 (E) - ''Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations'' (v. 1).
Psalm 131 (L) - ''O Israel, hope in the Lord ...'' (v. 3).
Prayer Of The Day
Lord Christ, you have shown us that the road to discipleship is never easy or safe. Your commitment to the Father led to a cross. Give us the boldness to fully invest ourselves and our abilities in the cause of your kingdom, for the sake of Jesus. Amen.
THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION ON THE LESSONS
Lesson 1: Judges 4:1--7
God hears the oppressed. When the Hebrews cried out to God because of their oppressors, God answered and sent a deliverer, Deborah the judge, to spearhead their deliverance. The Canaanites possessed superior technology in war, 900 iron chariots, but God gave the victory to a citizen army organized by a woman.
Lesson 1: Proverbs 31:10--13, 19--20, 30--31
A working wife. This is a picture of the Proverbial wife. She is faithful to her family, hard working, involved in business and in the marketplace, yet compassionate to the poor. Working wives are nothing new; they are women trying to juggle family responsibilities and worldly involvements. Such women carry a tremendous burden and richly deserve the praise of their husbands and their children.
Lesson 1: Zephaniah 1:7, 12--18
God the impotent. The hearts of the people had grown complacent in their worldly pursuits. Their notion was that God was impotent, not able to reward or punish. ''The Lord will not do good, nor will he do harm'' (v. 12). For many modern believers, God the omnipotent has been replaced by God the impotent. These folks want to marginalize God so that he might not interfere with their selfish pursuits.
334
Lesson 1: Malachi 2:1--2, 4--10
Corrupting the covenant. The prophet looks on Levi as the ideal priest, who revered God and walked in integrity. However, the priesthood has fallen on bad times. The priests have not properly instructed the people and have corrupted the covenant. The covenant of God must be ratified anew by each succeeding generation.
Lesson 2: 1 Thessalonians 5:1--11
Knowing the times and seasons. Paul addressed the Thessalonian church concerning the second coming of Christ, as if they should have known these things. Actually, nobody knows God's timetable. Paul didn't. All he said was the kingdom would come at a time that people didn't expect, without warning. Since Christ could come at any time and season, a person needed to always be prepared.
Children of the light and of the day (v. 5). Since Christians are children of light, we should not be caught off guard. We can discern that which is good from that which is evil.
Asleep to Jesus or asleep in Jesus? Sleep is used in three different senses in this passage. In verse 6, sleep is used in the spiritual sense of not being tuned into God and the Lord's ways. In verse 7, sleep is used in the ordinary sense. In verse 10, sleep is employed as a metaphor for death. It is a bad thing to be spiritually asleep because we will not be prepared for Christ's visitation. However, it is good to sleep in Jesus, to die in Christ, because God will awaken us to the blazing light of his new day.
Future hope. Faith, love and hope are spoken of as defenses against the penetrating projectiles let loose by sin, death and the devil (v. 8). Faith and love are present realities but hope is projected into the future. Hope protects us by enabling us to view reality from the future to the present rather than the present to the future. Hope is glimpsing reality from God's viewpoint and for God the future is already present. Without future hope, present reality is of little value.
Lesson 2: 1 Thessalonians 2:8--13
See Lesson 2 (C, RC, E) for Proper 26.
Gospel: Matthew 25:14--30
Each according to his ability (v. 16). The three servants were each given a different number of talents. When the time came for an accounting, they were not judged on an absolute scale but in accordance to what they had been allotted. The important factor is not what we have or what we have gained but what we've done in relation to what we have been given.
Action orientation. The servant who received the five talents went ''at once'' and traded his talents (v. 16). He wasn't afraid of risk or failure. The two--talent servant was of the same bent. The one--talent servant buried his talent thinking that maybe later he would discover some business in which he could invest his master's money. Of course, he never found any venture free of risk, so he never acted.
Is the master extravagant or stingy? The first two servants perceived the master far differently than the one--talent servant. They saw him as a person who would appreciate bold and daring action. He liked to give a great deal of freedom to his servants and he expected them to be self--starters, to take initiative. Should they give it their best shot and yet fail, he would be fair and understanding, for some of his own ventures garnered no profit either. The one--talent fellow viewed the master as hard and calloused. Should he lose the talent, the master would be unmerciful, because he is a stingy and exacting man. The image that we have of God or others guides our behavior. Sometimes, as in the case of this servant, our perceptions are distorted, which leads to self--defeating behavior.
Was the one--talent servant right about his master? This man believed his master to be a hardhearted man and after hearing what happened to him, a person wonders if he wasn't correct in his assessment. The master seems overly severe. This poor sap of a servant was no wiz but at least he returned his master's talent. Why should it be taken from him and given to the
335
servant who already had ten talents? Then, to be judged worthless and thrown out into the outer darkness where people weep and gnash their teeth, an image of hell (v. 30), seems totally unfair. Is the master a hard man? For the first two servants, he certainly wasn't a hard man. He was generous, to the point of extravagance. He was hard on the guy who buried his talent. He requires that his servants invest the talents with which he has endowed them.
The rich get richer. ''For to all who have will more be given ...'' (v. 29). It is a well established fact, the rich get richer and the poor seem to be getting poorer. Richness and poorness are often a legacy, passed on from one generation to another. But how do some people get rich to start with? They know how to invest. Jesus is suggesting here that those who have spiritual riches are those who have freely invested the talents that they have been given in the service of the Master. The more they invest, the more they receive. The spiritually poor, on the other hand, keep getting poorer because they are too selfish or fearful to fully invest. The spiritual rich keep getting richer and the spiritually impoverished keep getting poorer.
Gospel: Matthew 23:1--12
See Gospel (C, RC, E) for Proper 26
PREACHING APPROACHES WITH ILLUSTRATIONS
Lesson 1: Judges 4:1--7
Sermon Title: A Liberating Woman
Sermon Angle: In this text we see a picture of a strong woman in a key leadership position. The Bible does present other roles for women than that of wife and mother. She was a liberated woman and a liberating woman. God used her to inspire the Hebrew force to victory over the Canaanite oppressors. Many women may need liberation but personal liberation isn't enough. God calls us to be liberating women and men. No woman is truly free unless she is a liberator. The same applies to men. We can only find personal freedom when we take the risk of freeing others.
Lesson 1: Proverbs 31:10--13, 19--20, 30--31
Sermon Title: A Portrait Of The Perfect Wife
Sermon Angle: This chapter contains one man's view of the perfect wife. It's not a pretty picture if you're looking for glamour and beauty. No sex object here. She's too busy caring for her family, making and selling clothes, buying and caring for her vineyard to consider her appearance. To do all that is suggested in this passage would require a wonder--woman. I'm not suggesting that you should put forth this ideal of the perfect wife for today's stressed--out women. There is, of course, no such thing as a perfect wife or husband, but this passage could provide a context for getting in touch with our ideals of the perfect wife and society's, so they can be held up to the light of reason and revealed truth.
Lesson 2: 1 Thessalonians 5:1--11
Sermon Title: No Rude Awakening
Sermon Angle: The day of the Lord should not surprise the spiritually alert Christian (v. 4). It should be no rude awakening for we are not children of the night but of the day. In Christ, a new day has dawned. We are now children of light, fully awake to the presence of Christ. We should not meet the fate of the one--talent servant in the Gospel, rudely surprised by his master's severe reaction to his stewardship.
Outline:
1. Relate an occasion of rude awakening
2. The Bible warns that many are asleep to the presence of God (v. 6)
3. Christ's coming will prove a rude awakening to them but not to those who are alert to the presence of Christ (v. 4).
336
Sermon Title: The Omega Point
Sermon Angle: In the Revelation of Saint John, Christ refers to himself as the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. The passage deals with the Omega point, that occasion when time yields to eternity, and worldly existence, as we know it, comes to an end. In hope, we see reality from the Omega point, the second coming of Christ. Everything comes together at this point.
Outline:
1. To try to understand who we are, we go back to our beginnings
2. To truly comprehend life is to know its ending
3. Christianity helps us see the meaning of life in the Omega point, Christ' second coming
4. At the Omega point, time yields to eternity
Frank Tipler, a distinguished physicist has written an interesting and controversial book titled, The Physics Of Immortality. Tipler predicts that intelligent life will fill the universe, growing to infinite intelligence and knowledge by the time of the Omega point, when time curves into eternity, trillions of years from now. The scientist equates the Omega point with God. Tipler postulates that intelligence will be so high that it will recreate all former forms of life and we will live together in a type of heaven.
Christianity does not view its Omega point from the perspective that man will become God, through attaining infinite knowledge, but that God has already become man in Jesus, who died, rose from the dead and ascended into heaven. The time when Jesus returns, as he promised, is our Omega point, the end point where past and future merge into the eternal present.
Gospel: Matthew 25:14--30
Sermon Title: Reverse Capital Gains Tax
Sermon Angle: When a person sells an asset for more than he paid for it, he has to pay a very substantial capital gains tax. The rules for investing ourselves in the kingdom of God are radically different. The person who makes a clear gain on that which the Lord gives him or her, pays no tax but is given a reward. On the opposite side of the coin, the person who makes no gain on that which is entrusted to him will be harshly penalized.
Sermon Title: Christ The Gambler
Sermon Angle: The master in the parable is Christ and we are those to whom he has entrusted his substance. We are richly endowed with that which is his. What a chance he is taking! Quite a gamble! That seems to be Christ's way. In his earthly journey, he invested his love in those whose lives were out of control, such as prostitutes and tax collectors. He scattered the seed of the gospel wildly, letting it fall where it may and take root where it was able. The cross was the biggest gamble of all, as the devil whispered in his ear: ''They aren't worth it.'' Some of those wagers paid off; others did not. But those who are his own have caught the gambling fever and they know the excitement and joy of wagering their life for the redemption of the world.
Sermon Title: Use It Or Lose It
Sermon Angle: Talents are like muscles, if you don't use them, you lose them. The servants given five and two talents, respectively, used their talents and received again as much for their efforts. The one--talent servant refused to use his and lost not only his talent but his life.
337
