JUNE PREACHING PLAN/Theme – The State of the Church
Every day we hear the lament about the health of the church. This series will offer my thoughts about the “crisis” and how we might faithfully respond.
June 02 – The Worst Things Are Never the Last Things 2 Kings 25:1-21
Focus: In 586 BCE, the nation of Judah was invaded by the armies of Babylon.
The cities and the temple were destroyed, leaders were slaughtered, most of the people were taken into exile in Babylon. In the Jewish tradition, the Babylonian Exile is considered to be the worst thing that ever happened to Biblical Israel. Of course, the modern Jewish state would name the Holocaust as the low point. But for 3000 years of her history, the Exile was the worst thing that ever happened to Israel. But this was not the end of God’s people. They came back. This pattern of destruction, crisis, and tragedy giving way to victory is repeated over and over again in the Bible. Because, the worst things are never the last things.
June 09 – Former Glory, Future Promise Lamentations 1:1-4, 3:19-23, 5:21
Focus: The lament of the people in exile is hard to bear. The faith of Israel was tied to the land. The exile was not slavery. Some of the people actually prospered. But the soul of the nation was lost. The writer of Lamentations pours out his heart to God asking that Jerusalem be restored to the days of old. This kind of thinking was common in ancient Israel and it is equally common in the church today. They should have known better and we should know better. God never takes his people back. God’s restoration plan for Israel; God’s rebuilding strategy; was precisely not to restore the past. As Christians, we cannot let the glories of the past dull our hope for the future. We must not consign the greatest work of God to days gone by. [Kat, this sermon will reference 2 pieces of music…Great is Thy Faithfulness and The Trees of the Field.]
June 16 – The Voices of Possibility Isaiah 43:1-19a
Focus: In times of hardship and crisis, the people of God have always heard the message of hope and renewal presented as possibility. Always the prophet, or leader, or teacher announces the possibility of something new; an alternative reality; a different vision. But possibility is not guarantee.
June 23 – This Boat Will Rock Matthew 14:22-33
Focus: The worst things are never the last things. Former glory is bested by future promise. Possibility brings hope. But it is never easy. The winds are always against us. The way is never clear.
June 30 – Bring On the Giants Numbers 13:1-3, 25-33
Focus: The church is facing a crisis the likes of which we have not seen. The giants have come out against us in force and we may feel like grasshoppers before them. These giants have the power to distract us from our purpose, undermine our efforts, and weaken our resolve. They have the power but they will not prevail.