[Propertalk] Fwd: Sermon Resources for March 8 - Part 1

[Joe Parrish]

Sermons for Lent 3
John 2:13-22 – Clean House
1 Corinthians 1:18-25 – The Outlandishness of Lent


John 2, the sermon “Clean House”
The portrait of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Gospel appointed for this day has proven to be something of a conundrum for interpreters through the years. What we see is the Lord Jesus in a violent rage driving animals and people out of the Temple. Years ago Bruce Barton, in a very popular book, The Man Nobody Knows, used the story to demonstrate how virile the Lord Jesus was. He surmised that the Lord Jesus was capable of Herculean strength and prowess because of his outdoorsy lifestyle and vigorous walking missionary tours. However, others have been concerned that this public demonstration which had all the earmarks of a near riot was most unbecoming of the normal life style of Jesus. Also, if this were a pique of temper, could not someone accuse Jesus of being guilty of a sin which all of us dislike very much?

Then, of course, there is the additional problem of finding this story in the beginning of the Fourth Gospel, whereas the other evangelists place it in Holy Week at the beginning of his passion. Could it be true that Jesus cleansed the Temple twice? Is John right and the others wrong? Or is it the other way around? Or could there be another reason why John places the story where he does? There is good reason to think that it is the latter. The story of Jesus cleansing the Temple helps us to understand several very important aspects of the church and its worship.

1. The Context and the Importance of the Temple
2. The Shock of Challenging an Old System
3. The Body of the Church and the Sacramental Body
4. Our Worship in the Spirit of the Lord
The rest of this sermon can be obtained by joining Sermons.com athttp://www.sermons.com/signup 
___________________________


1 Corinthians 1, the sermon titled “The Outlandishness of Lent”


Lent is a solemn season in the Church calendar. Supposedly, it’s not meant to be fun, but rueful. It is a penitential time when devout Christians have typically “given up” some earthly pleasures — meats, sweets, parties, television, movies — to focus instead on spiritual growth — Lenten Bible studies, prayer groups, singular meditation-time.  In the words of Lord Williams of Oystermouth, from a 2012 sermon in Rome at St. Paul’s Within the Walls, "Every Lent, we ought to be looking at the various ways in which we get involved in manufacturing the gods that suit us. Every Lent is a time to get that little bit further beyond the idolatry that constantly k eeps us prisoner and draws us back to the old world. When Jesus has cleared out the temple, when he has thrown out those people involved in manufacturing religion, there he stands with his friends in a great silence and a great space."
But this week’s epistle text from Corinthians finds us reading about a topsy-turvy world, a ditzy divine scenario, which suggests the Lenten season is the time when Christians should be preparing themselves not to go all centered and solemn, but to go flat out “crazy.”
Paul’s declaration in 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 is not about rising to be super spiritual, but about daring to be super strange.  Lent is the season in the church when we actively “celebrate” Jesus’ doomed entry into Jerusalem and anticipate his criminal conviction and his cruel crucifixion upon the cross.
Talk about weird holidays. ..
The rest of this sermon can be obtained by joining Sermons.com athttp://www.sermons.com/signup 
________________________
A Good Cleaning
When Jesus entered the temple that day he found a faith that was stale, downright dirty. People were taking advantage of others and ritual had become more important than the condition of the heart. What Jesus did, I believe, was challenge a smug, hypocritical religious system that desperately needed to change. Therefore, a little demolition was necessary, not to mention an all out assault to clean house.

The faith community at that time was so wrapped up in rules and ritual the fresh revelation of God could not get through. It was impossible for them to "see" because they were blinded by obstacles that hindered their ability.

In this story we get an image of Jesus as a one-man wrecking crew, swinging a sledgehammer. There is no way to make improvements in an old house without making a mess. There is plaster dust, dirt, nails and smelly carpet. It is hard work. It is impossible to paint without getting paint on yourself. I am sure that Jesus absorbed a few skinned knuckles that day, not to mention getting his garment dirty.

The faith community needed a good housecleaning and Jesus took it upon himself to do just that with zeal and determination.

Keith Wagner, Spring Housecleaning our Faith
________________________
Daylight Savings Time – Don’t forget this weekend we Spring Forward one hour! 
This is also a great time to remind your community to check their smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.  Perhaps there are some older members of your congregation who might like help with this task?
________________________



-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://stsams.org/pipermail/propertalk_stsams.org/attachments/20150303/c5823c5d/attachment.htm>