Today's Text?

[Pergamum]

Yes, great idea for a thread.



I preached a simple message on Luke 16, the rich man and Lazarus, to a very poor and uneducated congregation. Basically, I made sure they got the main points. 14 languages represented...YIKES!

14 languages? YIKES, indeed. How many ways can it be said, there's a great gulf that can't be crossed...at least 14?

Use a simple version of the language of wider communication ( a dialect of the national language, which some people still speak poorly), read from the "official translation" when needed, but otherwise narratively retell the text at a 3rd grade level. And make your points absolutely clear and simple. No grand eloquence here or high-faluting words. And use a translator often (but in this case I did not, it was in a dorm type setting where interior kids and young adults come out and live on the coast to gain education).

 

[christiana]

John 17:8-12 Wonderful scripture, wonderful sermon!

Looks like there could be a number of themes a preacher could glean from those verses. Was there one particular part of the passage he focused on?

The importance of knowing the Word and being people of the word(v.8) were thoughts I came away with but as usual I will listen again to get maximum benefit! The memory is not what it used to be and much needs repeating!

SermonAudio.com - A People Of The Word

 

[Blue Tick]

We're currently going through the gospel of Luke.

2:1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when [1] Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, [2] who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

The son of man exalted in glory and power humbled himself and condescended to dwell with sinful man was born in a manger. The manger is not the santized version that we see at Christmas time with Nativity scenes. Instead it was a cold cave filled with animals and animal waste. The first vistors were the shepards of the fields who at this time in history were considered the dregs of society.

The glory of Christ not only consists of his death and resurrection but his glory and power are displayed in his humiliation and condescension.

 

[bookslover]

By the way, during the sermon, he said that he thinks the best commentary on 1 John is that by Robert Law. Anybody heard of him?

Got it: it's The Tests of Life: A Study of the First Epistle of St. John, Being the Kerr Lectures for 1909 by Robert Law (Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1909) - 2nd printing, with corrections (1909); 3rd printing, with corrections (1913). Republished by Baker Book House as recently as 1968.

All I have been able to find out about Law is (1) that he lived from 1860 to 1919, that he was (presumably) Anglican, and that he was, for some period in his life, Professor of New Testament at Knox College in Toronto.

Also, his commentary on 1 John is supposed to have influenced John Stott's commentary on that book.