LISTENING TO GOD TOGETHER IN 2021
Dear Friends,
A classic, and biblical, way of understanding the local church comes from the English Reformation. It says in part, “The visible church of Christ is a congregation of faithful men and women in which the pure Word of God is preached, and the sacraments are ministered as Christ ordained” (Slight paraphrase of Article 19 of the 39 Articles). Why is the preaching of “the pure Word of God” a defining characteristic of a good church? It is because faithful Christians desire to come together in God’s presence to listen to Him speak so we can respond in a worthy manner. Note, the sermon is definitely not the “pure word of God”. But a good sermon is to be based on; open up; bring home; apply; and be faithful to the Bible, God’s word written. His word is to set the agenda and determine the content. The person preaching and teaching should see themselves as the Lord’s herald, delivering the Lord’s message to the Lord’s people. One more important point about this. We need to hear all of the Bible in light of the Gospel. We also need to hear the Gospel in light of all the Bible. Pray that every Sunday in our worship and in our Sunday school, and during the rest of the week in small groups and ministries, we will open the word in such a manner.
I usually “rough out” a plan for preaching that reaches a year ahead. This is a rough plan and not engraved in stone. Sometimes as the year progresses I feel led to change what I was going to preach on. The plan also changes sometimes when I go from a rough plan to an actual plan and I realize that I need more or less weeks, or I need to accommodate guest speakers. This year a wild card in my planning is our Kanata Church Plant. The plan is that we will have live preaching in both locations, with the same text being preached. Daniel and I will switch locations regularly, so that we remain recognizable and active in both locations. The plan is to be one church in two locations. The complication in the plan is that we do not know when the new congregation will start meeting. Government lockdowns make all planning provisional and uncertain. Certain texts are better for a new congregation getting started than others. We hope Messiah Kanata can start meeting the first Sunday in March, but right now we cannot rent a good place to meet. Please pray about this.
Here is a very rough plan for sermons beginning January 10th and going through to the end of 2021. It is based on the hope of a March launch. Daniel and I might change this plan over the next couple of weeks.
I am going to take 8 Sundays and preach on Lamentations and then Job. I am writing this blog on December 23rd, so right now I do not know if I will preach 2 weeks on Lamentations and 6 on Job, or if I will preach 3 on Lamentations and 5 on Job.
I have two different ideas for March. One idea is a Sunday each on the four Servant Songs in Isaiah. Another is to preach a week each on the Comfortable Words found in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer and said every Sunday when there is a Prayer Book Communion service (Matthew 11:28; John 3:16; 1 Timothy 1:15; 1 John 2:1b).
On Easter Sunday, we will have an Easter Sermon.
We will then (with a few breaks) do a series on “Discipleship 101”, going through First and Second Thessalonians.
For the summer, we will look at a different Psalm each week.
In the fall we will go through the Gospel of Mark, and combine this with a church wide emphasis on “Christianity Explored”, a great introduction to the Christian life developed by Rico Tice of All Souls, Langham Place in London England.
Friends, this is a rough plan. Please pray for Messiah that we will preach and teach the Bible well for the good of the church, the salvation of the lost, and the glory of God. Pray we will listen to God together.
George+