By The Rev. Dr. Paul A. Leggett
Sunday, October 30, 2011 · Reformation Sunday
Sermon Text: John 1:1-5
Sermon Theme
According to Karl Barth, who wrote an almost three hundred page treatise on Holy Scripture, the Bible represents the presence of Jesus Christ among us just as he was present with the disciples in the forty days after his resurrection. When we listen to Scripture we are listening to Jesus Christ. When we obey it we are obeying him. If we fail to follow it we become like the disciples who cry, “Lord, Lord” but do not do the will of his Father in heaven (Matthew 7:21). We easily become complacent about the role of Scripture in our lives and in the life of the church. Yet Scripture does not allow us to take it for granted. It forces itself upon us because it is the Word of God. This is Reformation Sunday. The Reformation began in 1517 and continues to this day as a call to obey Scripture. This year is the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible, the most influential English translation of Scripture in history.
Sermon Outline
- Obey. John makes clear that the Word is Jesus and Jesus is the Word (John 1:1-18; Revelation 19:13). According to the current Form of Government in the Presbyterian Church USA, “Scripture teaches us of Christ’s will for the Church, which is to be obeyed.” It is too easy to take Scripture for granted. The Bible informs us. It inspires us. It provides comfort and hope in the darkest moments of human life. It reveals God to us. All of these things are true and very important. Yet the ultimate question with which Scripture confronts us is obedience. It is easy to approach Scripture in many good and valid ways and still manage to avoid the call to obedience. Yet if is true that in reading Scripture we are hearing the voice of the risen Lord Jesus Christ, mediated through the words of the prophets and apostles, then we cannot avoid the imperative of obedience.
- Open. In obeying Jesus Christ through his Word we are inevitably confronted with the need to change. Our ways are not God’s ways, nor are our thoughts his thoughts. We cannot confront Scripture in our sinful humanity without acknowledging that if we are to obey it we must be prepared to change. The Lutheran and Roman Catholic churches overcame centuries of conflict by coming together to listen to the Word of God in Scripture. We need to be open to receive God’s Word. The Bible presents us with a world that is very different from ours. It is different not primarily because it was written thousands of years ago but because it presents us with God’s will. It evaluates all human behavior in the light of what God calls us to be and to do. We need to study the Scriptures faithfully and carefully, to use the many resources that explain its history and background (Ezra 7:10; John 5:39). We need to be discerning. Satan himself quotes Scripture (Matt. 4:5-6; I John 4:1). Yet all study of Scriputre ultimately confronts us with the reality of a sinful humanity which, though created in God’s image, has no hope apart from God’s grace revealed in Jesus Christ (Eph. 2:1-5). If we are not open to the changes which God calls us to we will never understand the Word of God.
- Opportunity. God’s Word is our greatest resource. It is the “lamp unto our feet and the light unto our path” (Psalms 119:105) Without it we have no true knowledge of God. The Holy Spirit reveals its truth to us but without its written record we walk in darkness (John 8:12). Scripture as the Word of God forces itself upon us. It is the sharp two-edged sword that discerns the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). It is the only reliable gateway to life and truth. It opens up the greatest possibilities for us because as we focus more upon Scripture we are assured of Christ’s presence and the power of the Holy Spirit. Everything we do and think becomes sharper, stronger and more exhilarating. This is the 400th anniversary of the King James translation, the most influential English language Bible of all time. The power of its words are part of our daily life from phrases like “The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want” to “fight the good fight” (I Timothy 6:12), “You are the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13) “through a glass darkly” (I Corinthians 13:12) on out to “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”(I Corinthians 15:55) Yet we continue to need new translations to better understand the meaning of God’s Word. Scripture for us is not only the Word of God, it is the healing and empowering voice of our savior, Jesus Christ.
Questions for Us
- It has been said that the Bible is the best selling unread book ever written. Why do you think this is?
- How does thinking of the Bible as the voice of the risen Jesus Christ affect our understanding of it?
- Why do you think we often find it so difficult to obey the Word of God?
