SermonStudio

Purpose Statement: We need a method of drawing answers from scripture to address a wide variety of issues, subjects that do not appear to be directly discussed in our Bible.

John 21:25 tells us that there are many other things Jesus said and did, that time and space prohibited from being preserved in scripture; they would fill many more books. We are probably eager to know what some of those subjects would be. Were there some critical teachings that would be extremely helpful to have -- teachings that would answer many of our questions and speak to our needs today? Because we believe that the Christian faith is relevant to all of life, the minister today must be prepared to preach on a great variety of current and important issues. Does the Bible always help?

a. The Bible doesn't deal specifically with many issues. One of the difficulties of preaching is that there are many subjects that do not seem to be covered in our Bible. Since there weren't very many cars in biblical times, if we choose to preach on the topic, "Christians and safe driving," we must settle for very general or generic scriptures that speak about "caring for others" or "loving your neighbors." It is much like preaching on the "perfect" prayer that Jesus taught us (Matthew 6:9-13) and wanting to say something about "thanks as an integral part of a prayer." While it isn't specifically mentioned in The Lord's Prayer, it certainly would be implied. One of the dangers in following a liturgical formula for preaching such as the lectionary is the possibility of missing critical topics not dealt directly with in any specific scriptures. As responsible and astute pastors we, of course, work those issues into our sermons one way or another. Occasionally, we struggle finding Bible material that can be used directly with subjects we need to preach about.

b. Some examples. Some of the subjects we might feel compelled to examine as Christians that may not be directly mentioned in our Bible could include the topics in the following list among many others: Christians should appreciate this wonderful world. We want to know more about eternal life that is not so cryptic and dramatically exaggerated. How do we deal with the gap between science and religion? Why does the world seem so cruel at times? It would be helpful if our Bible said more concerning racism, making mistakes, "shunning" naughty people, or befriending and witnessing to them, or how to conquer bad habits. What is the purpose of the world and life? How do we really distinguish real "good fruit" from phony behavior? How important is intelligence for our faith? A more thorough discussion concerning sexual ethics would be helpful. Why are there so many denominations? Is gambling wrong, and why? What is, and what is not, appropriate for social activist behavior and protesting? Certainly, we would want clarification concerning the Bible's definitive position on such topics as going to war or capital punishment.

c. And yet, the Bible does give counsel. The secret to finding answers for our questions is to appropriate a comprehensive understanding of what generally constitutes a Christian lifestyle. It means developing attitudes and sensitivity instead of finding and memorizing simple individual verses we may quote regarding a specific topic such as, "Jesus said we shouldn't make fun of people." This means in order to receive the maximum help from our Bibles, we must engage in an in-depth study of Jesus, his life and teachings, to develop an understanding of the Christian way of life. Such concentrated and diligent study causes us to become intuitive in our feelings for what it means to be a Christian. It becomes a lifetime task providing us instinctive sensitivity in all moral and social issues.