Perry’s Scope: Christian sermons, lessons, and resources for teachers

Here is an interesting observation about volunteers.

People serve:

1. Because they were asked;

2. Because it fits with their sense of mission; 

3. Because they like a challenge;

4. Because it helps them feel connected to God’s work;

5. NOT because of material rewards;

6. NOT to meet people!

The above list was compiled by Marilyn Nelson, Baptist Theological Seminary, Richmond, VA.

Isn’t it interesting that people serve out of high aspirations? It is also interesting that many people wait to be asked before volunteering their time. Maybe, when we are struggling to find volunteers for our ministries, it is a simple as what James said — “You have not because you ask not.” That applies to prayer AND finding servants for ministry.

Perry Greene

A penthouse sits on the very top of a building. It rests on all the stories below it. The point of so many sermons and bible class lessons rests on the stories that support them.

When I first began preaching, I rarely used stories. Most of my sermons were packed with scriptures. Everything I said was supported by a biblical text. Over time I began to hear more “successful” speakers than I and noticed a common characteristic of story-telling.

I started using stories, illustrations, quotes, etc. in my lessons. In my opinion, it improved my impact. I read that stories were like the raisins in the oatmeal. People may not always remember my sermon or class, but they tend to remember the point - based on the stories along with the text.

It occurs to me that we really want to imitate Jesus in our teaching. His primary method of teaching was the story. We generally call his stories “parables.” When Jesus spoke these parables, they were not scripture.  They did not become scripture until the Bible was canonized. Jesus could have just quoted scripture to people (and some times he did) or given sermons like we would present. He chose to emphasize story to his hearers.

I understand that the rabbis of Jesus’ day intentionally taught their disciples in order to make changes in their lives. They were not giving them information, they were making transformation. We think that if we just fill people with enough information it will be sufficient.

Jesus used his stories to illustrate biblical truth. For instance, the parable of the sower illustrates the power of God’s word. He could have quoted Psalm 119 and declared its power, but he chose a story. He could have quoted Zechariah and the fact that we do not despise the day of small beginnings. Ins tead, he chose to tell us about a mustard seed. On and on we could go.

There are many resources available for good stories. Take the time to read the newspaper, watch the news, read contemporary books, subscribe to on-line sites that are filled with stories and illustrations. Take the time to appropriately add these to your lessons. You will make a bigger impact and your hearers will remember.

Perry Greene

We don’t mean to do it. Christians generally aren’t mean-spirited, but sometimes we keep people out when God wants them in. Maybe we are just busy. Maybe we assume everyone else has the same number of friends we do. Maybe it is some form of prejudice.

This sermon is a revision of a Fred Craddock sermon that I heard years ago. It moved me to be more sensitive to others. I hope it encourages you as well.

Perry Greene

 

 May I Come In? [28:32m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

James was arrested and killed. Peter was arrested, imprisoned, but miraculously escaped. What was the difference?

James was executed immediately. Herod delayed Peter’s death due to the Passover. The church was able to pray for Peter. Could that have been the key ingredient to Peter’s rescue?

How important is prayer for us?

 

 The Power Struggle [23:59m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Moses moved along the way in his relationship with God and his people. While in Egypt, Moses lived a life of conformity. He was raised to be royalty and knew the power of Egypt. He even used his power to kill an Egyptian overseer. That is the way of the world - “might makes right.” 

However, after he was “discovered” for his crime, he spent forty years reforming. He lived in the wilderness, tending his father-in-law’s sheep. No longer the powerful one, he learned meekness. His life was changed, he was doing new things. 

Then, he received his call from God. It was a special calling with a bush that burned but was not consumed by the fire. Here God made him remove his shoes (a sign of slavery) and challenged him to lead his people out of their Egyptian nightmare. It was quite an ordeal to get Moses “onboard” with God. 

Moses was now transformed into something greater than he ever had imagined himself to be. Moses had encountered God - on God’s terms and it completely changed his life. He was not just doing new things, he was a new man. 

On other occasions, Moses would go up the mountain into the presence of God. Sometimes he would plead for his people, sometimes he would hear God’s direction. When he would come down to the people he glowed with the glory of God, so much that the people required a veil for his face. The presence of God even transformed his appearance! 

What about us? Conformity is the easy way. This requires no dreaming, no thinking, no effort, no energy, just “rocking along.” Reform requires more. It is changing outward behavior. It does require some effort and some thought.  There is a better way. 

Transformation occurs when we come into the presence of God and allow him to change who we are, not just what we do. When we are transformed into the image of Christ, we look and act differently. God becomes the center of our lives, not just an “add on.” We devote ourselves to him and life is new. 

Where are you? Are you Conformed, Reformed or, Transformed? 

Keep The Light Burning! 

Perry Greene (greene.perry@gmail.com) 

Our life journey diverges into three streams. We are either CONFORMED-REFORMED-OR-TRANSFORMED. From time to time we live in the Conform level. This is status quo. This is “don’t rock the boat.” 

We can move up a notch into the REFORM level and experience changes. Israel lived through new direction during the exodus from Egypt. It was no longer status quo, the nation was experiencing change from slavery in Egypt to freedom in the wilderness and eventually the land of promise. 

They became a people of new identity. They were no longer slaves but free by the power of Yahweh! They became a people with new ambition. Their lives were to honor the God of heaven and draw all nations of the world to him. In his name they were to conquer the sinful inhabitants of Canaan. 

We have a similar experience in Christ. We leave the level of conformity to the world and march into a new world in Christ. We are no longer enslaved to sin and its destructive power. We are free by his power! 

The commands, “Repent and be baptized,” are reminders of our new direction. We have new things in mind. We are no longer satisfied with status quo we move to bigger and better. 

Our new direction also involves conquest. We engage in a spiritual warfare with eternal consequences. WE can make a difference in the lives of people in this world. All nations can know God because of a committed group of his followers. Imagine what can be!

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene

We are all on a journey. Like it or not, this journey involved our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths. We reveal our place in the journey in at least three ways. We are either CONFORMED-REFORMED-OR-TRANSFORMED.

Paul alludes to these in Romans 12.1-2, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

I see conformity to the world as the easy way out. Here we do not rock the boat. Everything just goes along as it always has. For the short-term, this becomes our comfort zone and path of least resistance. We do not do anything that we do not have to do.

Nearly everyone winds up in the conformity camp — at least for a while. Because we live in the world, we adapt and adjust to it or die. Years ago some pre-school children were asked how many of them were artists and could draw beautiful pictures. Nearly every hand in the room went up. A few years later the group was posed the same question.  Fewer hands were raised. Still later, when the group was asked, hardly any of the group believed they were artists.

They eventually conformed to a world that puts little value on art (they were not in an Art pre-school or elementary school). In fact, the world is highly critical of artist-wannabees — just watch American Idol and see it from the singing perspective. It becomes easier to lose the imagination and conform than to retain it and fight on.

Conformity to the world is a form of “status quo.” Here we do not have to be challenged. We do not have to think. We do not have to grow. Today is the same as yesterday and tomorrow will be the same as today. We experience no real difference in our lives and our lives make no real differences.

Stay tuned for Part 2 — Hope is coming!

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene (perry.greene@southyukon.org)