2010-01-24 Early 32kbps ”How to Listen to a Sermon” 3 Epiphany C Luke 4:16-21

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read.  And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”  And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.  And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:16-21  ESV)

Prayer: “All glory, Jesus, be to Thee  For this Thy glad epiphany;  Whom with the Father we adore  And Holy Ghost forevermore.”  Amen.

What a difference one year makes!  Last year this time our newly inaugurated American president had great plans and high ideals for this country as he began his term in office.  Ratings were high, hopes were big, and many felt change was in the air.

But a year later things are far different.  The president no longer has high approval ratings.  He promised that he would close Guantanamo Bay detention camp –that hasn’t happened.  Last week the president’s national health care plan suffered a huge set back when the Massachusetts electorate handed the seat long held by the late Senator Edward Kennedy to the Republicans.  The economy and plans to stimulate it are going nowhere. 

So, one wonders how the president will address the nation at his state of the union address Wednesday.  What a difference a year makes!

What a difference only one week makes!  Last week, Jesus was the hero for saving the wedding banquet when he changed water into wine.  John reported that afterward, “his disciples believed on him.”

Now, today, he preaches in his home synagogue in Nazareth, and while at first the people are impressed, by the time he finishes his sermon they try to kill him.  How could a ministry that started out so positively be so quickly on the brink of disaster?  What a difference only a week makes!

Yet, Jesus isn’t the only one with ministry ups and downs.  St. Paul was constantly being run out of town, as well as beaten and imprisoned.  Once, as he entered the city of Lystra, he was hailed as Hermes, because of his apparent leadership skills, and having preached and urged the people not to sacrifice a bull to him and his fellow apostle Barnabas, he was stoned and dragged out of the city, left for dead. (Acts 14)

Paul later writes to the Romans, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” (Romans 8:36)  And in chapter 10 of the same letter he recalls Isaiah’s words, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” (Romans 10:16)

So these things should come to us as no surprise. Jesus knew what would happen to his faithful preachers of the Word of God, and he had once told the Pharisees, “…the Wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,’ (Luke 11:49)

What was it that set the crowd off, that they desired Jesus’ life?  It was his looking into their hearts and exposing their unbelief.  His message to them let them know that he knew they were questioning his credentials.  “Is not this Joseph’s son?”

I have come to realize that in the Office of the Holy Ministry things can be accomplished in two ways.  Either by authority or by power.  One is wholly acceptable and God’s way. The other is the human way, and a great temptation. 

On the basis of authority a pastor preaches, absolves, administers the Sacraments, comforts and admonishes.  A pastor is in the place he is because of the authority of Christ.  Recall how Christ commissioned the apostles, saying,

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in1 the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

In our Epistle Lesson from 1 Corinthians chapter 12, the Apostle Paul reminds us,

“Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.  And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues.  Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles?  Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?  (1 Corinthians 12:27-30)

Power, on the other hand is a great temptation for the pastor -either to grasp it or wield it.  What some mistaken for lack of strength on a pastor’s part in a given situation is really resistance to take what is not his and should not be used.

For the Gospel is not a message of power –humanly speaking –but of weakness.  The cross as the center of the Gospel and the central message of our preaching is one of weakness.  Christ crucified.  Hung on the cross for all to despise and reject.  Yet the Scripture also says, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” (Romans 1:16)

Jesus preached with authority –and this his home people rejected.  It might have been tempting for him to use his power, humanly speaking –it would have been for us.  We sinful human beings are impressed with shows of power.  The devil tempts us to use power.  But Jesus’ words alone are to refute their thoughts.  He reminds them that while they are more interested in seeing a miracle performed than hearing God’s Word preached to them, he will not use his divine powers in order to gain the crowds approval.

Instead the mark of a true prophet is rejection by those with worldly and not spiritual minds.  It was true in Jesus’ day and it is true in our day.  The servant of God who preaches God’s Word faithfully and yet is rejected on the basis of it suffers no differently than Christ, or Paul, or Luther, or a host of many, many others.

Yet the faithful hearer of God’s Word might ask, “So how do you listen to a sermon.”  “How is it that I may hear and therefore believe the Word of God when it is offered?”

I suggest you follow the little outline suggested by Martin Luther for a Christian’s devotional life.  It is: Prayer, Meditation, and Temptation.

First, begin your hearing with prayer. That is pray, and then hear prayerfully.  Pray before you come to church.  Pray for the preacher.

In his novel The Hammer of God Swedish theologian Bo Giertz portrays a man in spiritual torment on his death bed. His name is Johannes and he is speaking to the curate who has come to minister him.  Johannes is in turmoil over his sins and can’t be comforted.  Each time he confesses his sins, but each time the devil points out to him how he failed to live up to just that point. 

So, when he was younger, he sat in church and he thought “my mother has aged, by spring I may have the farm.”

He continues, “Then the pastor came to the pulpit. Potbelly, I thought. You can play cards and fish for trout, but you cannot fee the God’s poor little lambs with the Word. But I had not prayed for him. Was that love?”[1]

Use the short prayers your pastor often uses to begin his sermons, such as Psalm 19:14, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer,” and John 17:17, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” Or a hymn stanza.

Next is, Meditation. Meditation begins at home. The readings for the day, the hymns –all of these are listed and available in the worship folder and on our Frankentrost web site a week ahead of time. 

Then in church listen to the sermon.  Consider the outline.  Note the Bible passages.  And take notes.  I have never minded it when people sat in church taking notes. 

And listen to the Holy Spirit.  When thoughts pop into your head, don’t dismiss them.  Think how God might be telling you something through his word.  (Unless it is about the pot roast your planning to make for Sunday’s noon meal!) This method can take a while to master and practice.  Usually those who are good at will one day say, “Pastor, that sermon really spoke to me today.”

Of course it was God’s Word and the holy Spirit speaking.

Finally, Temptation. This is nothing other than living out what you heard and what the Holy Spirit taught you.  If what came to your mind was a sin, go confess that sin –make amends.  If you thought, “I need to be a better mother –than start that.”  If you realize you are disobedient.  Then promise to do your part as a Child of God. That is why recalling the sermon is so important.

And expect that the devil will come at you against the very thing you were told.  If the sermon addressed the sixth commandment in some way, don’t be surprised when you are tempted that week at the video rental store or on the internet.  If the sermon spoke about peace In the Christian home and life, don’t be surprised if you find it harder to get along with others or yourself.  One of my favorite sayings of Luther’s is, “Wherever God builds a church, the devil sets up a chapel.”

Some have suggested that in the future technology will take over all aspects of the Sunday service.  Already some stay home to listen on the radio or television rather than come to church. 

But that leaves out the human element of the Pastor.  For the very same reason God sent his Son Jesus into the world, so he also chooses to send pastors.  So that his Word may be applied personally to our lives in a uniquely human way. Perhaps that’s why shaking the pastor’s hand is so important.  You cant’ do with a DVD or a cable broadcast.

When Jesus opened the scroll in the Nazareth synagogue, he was doing what he was sent to do and continues to do for us.  He came to open hearts and minds of people to God’s Word for repentance and the forgiveness of sins.  Many rejected him for this.  But many others believed on him –and do so today.

Still, it is the same word; the same gathering of God’s people; the same Holy Spirit enlightening us, and sanctifying us.  May God continue to bless us in the hearing and the living out of his Word.  In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] Pp. 15-16. Bo Giertz The Hammer of God (Augsburg, 2005.)