Lesson 5: Delivering What You Prepared
Now we have come to the point of implementing what we have written. It is now the time to get ready and preach what we learned from our study. In this chapter, we will talk about the things to prepare before preaching and the things to remember and to while preaching.
Preparing Your Sermon Manuscript
Some pastors don’t prepare sermon manuscripts. All they do is to write the outline of their sermon. However, I would still recommend that you write a sermon manuscript because if you use to write it, you can still use it for many other things such as blogging, documentation of sermons by your Church, and book writing in the future.
These manuscripts can be a good source of knowledge in the future. As for my experience, I used my manuscripts in my blogs, authored ebooks, training disciples, and even writing books. These sermon manuscripts can be useful more than you can imagine.
Being now in the modern world, the use of computer now is almost a necessity. This is why I strongly suggest that you encode your sermon manuscripts and print it if you know how to use the computer, at least for typing purposes. This will enable you to save a hard copy of the hardwork that you just did. Furthermore, the digital format of your manuscript can be used for blogging, making ebooks, and even starting a future book.
James’ Final Exhortations
Text: James 5:7-20
Introduction
James 4:13-16 talks about boasting and submission to God. We ought to submit to God all that we plan and all our undertakings instead of boasting that we can do it in our own way.
Chapter 5 is all about warning against rich oppressors. This is not absolute for there are rich who follow God’s ways while there are those like the one who were mentioned here who were oppressors. The Bible described them that they were the one who hoarded wealth for themselves, does not pay wages of their workers, living in luxury and self-indulgence, fattening themselves, and worst thing they murdered innocent men.
Rich oppressors have the penalty of their sins.
Today, we will be talking the final exhortations of James.
Patience And Sufferings (v. 7&11)
Just like a farmer who patiently wait for his plants to yield, we too should faithfully wait because the Lord’s coming is near. In the end of days, (Matthew 23:4-14) Jesus Christ described a brief picture of the end of times.
“4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.
10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”
The Law of the Harvest
“Be not deceived; God is not mocked—for whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap. For he that sows to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that sows to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And, let us not be weary in well-doing—for, in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”
Galatians 6:7-9
Much better is sowing seeds of righteousness than seeds of wickedness and then praying for crop failure.
Somewhere along the line years ago someone coined the phrase “Sowing one’s wild oats.” And, usually when such words are used the one using them is seeking to justify his/her lascivious lifestyle of wanton immorality.
In reality, according to today’s Manna, we’re all in the business of “sowing,” whether we realize it or not. In fact, even now our lives are being groomed for eternity—i.e., we’re either experiencing glimpses of Heaven or already foretasting the bitterness and regrets that await one in hell (cf. Lk. 16:19-31).
Why, then, do so many scoff at this Manna?
Simply because they do not know or fear the One Who wrote it.
And such is always the case with one whose mind is blinded by the evil one and whose ways are foolish before a holy and righteous God (II Cor. 4:4; Ps. 2:1-3; 10:4; 14:1; 36:1-4).
That’s why the Holy Spirit, speaking through the Apostle Paul, said/says “Be not deceived; God is not mocked—for whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap.” He then goes on to talk about “sowing to the flesh,” which is giving in to one’s “lusts of the flesh, eyes and pride of life” (I Jn. 2:16). In so doing, one shall “of the flesh reap corruption (Grk. ‘phtroa’—‘decay, ruin, waste, to shrivel up, etc.’).” Simply put, being (as someone said) “One becomes so earthly-minded that he’s no Heavenly good.”
He Is Faithful
We know our time here on earth is limited
And a vapory experience at best;
That’s why we should always trust in the faithfulness of God,
Regardless of our troubles or tests.
So often our path will be rocky and steep
And filled with many a tear;
But it’s knowing that God is faithful
That will always bring us cheer.
Not everything that happens in life
Will be good or filled with many happy songs;
In fact, quite often hot tears will fill our hearts
As we experience much pain and man’s wrongs.
But, do not fear, weary Pilgrim,
When your heart grows oh, so sad;
Instead keep your eyes focused on Jesus,
For He always knows what lies ahead.
With tender love He’ll guide your steps
And work everything together for good;
Just be faithful in the work He has give you,
And work patiently as any good laborer should.
Sometimes you’ll see the fruits of your labors,
Which will make you feel so blessed;
But many times you’ll never know the good that you do,
Especially during times of great distress.
Our mission in life is quite simple:
To stay focused and faithful in all;
That way we’ll not worry if we’ve lived in vain
When our name He finally does call.
So, be faithful, weary Pilgrim,
In all you say and do—
For the Master has promised to bless you
If you’ll but trust Him until your journey’s through.
When Small Is Big: The Impact of Love and Good Deeds at Work by J.P. Leo Castillo
Several years ago, some co-workers dropped in without any warning at the weekly small group gathering for Christians in our company. We were pleasantly surprised, of course, and asked what prompted them to join our group. They shared about a Christian co-worker who had been their supervisor for a few months on an assignment in another province in the Philippines. They were amazed by the way this brother conducted himself — he was a person of honesty and integrity, he showed that he cared for his people and he pursued excellence in his work. They also noticed that he had been with our small group before they went together on that assignment and came to the conclusion that there must have been something in what we were doing together that influenced the life of this brother. They came to us because they wanted to be like him. They saw Jesus in and through his life.
When the subject of influencing the world for Christ comes up the first images that flash into the minds of many believers often include Christian celebrities who use their status to affect change, massive evangelism events and big churches with outreach programs. The Lord may use such highly visible means but He often works in many other invisible ways to reveal His Kingdom to a lost world.
We often judge the success of what we are doing by its visibility and size. But somehow God’s economy seems to work differently. Jesus often illustrated influence for His Kingdom using the picture of small seeds falling to the ground or being sown in a field, a lamp on a hillside or grains of salt on a plate of food (Matt. 5:13-16; 13:1-42). Perhaps Jesus is saying that it is in the small deeds of “ordinary” Christians in everyday life more than the big people, the big events and the big programs that He and His Kingdom will be revealed.
Rethinking the Church by J.P. Leo Castillo
Nowadays, when a well-meaning friend or acquaintance asks me,
“Where do you go to church?”
I often catch myself groping hard for a non-controversial answer. Because to me, this question reveals an almost unquestioned assumption that church refers to building or to an event held once a week, often on a Sunday, and normally called a “worship service.” But is that really the church?
In his book Organic Churches, Neil Cole says that this same question reminds us about the Samaritan woman’s question in John 4:20-24 to Jesus. The Samaritan woman’s concern was about the place of worship. Neil Cole says “where” is the wrong question to ask. The right question is “who?” We do not need to go and seek God in some special place. He has been seeking us right where we are. I have come to the conclusion that church happens where Jesus and His people are – not in one fixed location on a single day of the week.
In recent years I have tried to look at the New Testament church as described in Acts and the Epistles through fresh lenses – to try to understand it without the assumptions that accompany contemporary church practices. This was easier said than done and I still have much to learn (and unlearn). But life is a journey and with it the ongoing discovery and application of God’s plans and purposes for His people. We can only begin to act on what the Lord has revealed to us thus far.
On Hearing the Shepherd’s Voice
“My sheep hear My Voice and I know them and they follow Me.”
John 10:27
The question is “To whose voice are we listening?”—for that determines whom we’re following.
Silence.
We’re not comfortable with it. Whether riding down the road with a carful of folks or going up several floors in an elevator with strangers, we don’t like silence. Why is that? It could be because of the “noises in our heart” or we’re afraid of what we might hear God’s Spirit saying to us.
So, we fill almost every waking moment with noise.
Blaring radios or MP3 players. Mindless chatter on the newest IPhone. The latest headlines on television or the roar of the crowd at our favorite sporting event.
Then, we wonder why we don’t hear His Voice.
Serenity of soul must be nurtured. We can’t recognize the Shepherd’s Voice when we don’t know the Shepherd. And, we can’t know the Shepherd without spending time with Him (Ps. 1:2-3). Even then, the cacophony and din of sounds is deafening. . .all clamoring for our attention.
That’s why it’s important for us to learn how to “be still and know that He is God” (Ps. 46:10).
We can’t leave our times of communion with Him to a “I’ll do it when I have time” approach, for more times than not that time will not come or be sparse at best. Jesus’ most precious, intimate times with the Father came early in the morning, not late at night—for He knew He needed that time with Him BEFORE the day dawned rather than offering up to Him the leftovers at day’s end.
The Ark in Dagon’s Temple
1 After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. 2 Then they carried the ark into Dagon’s temple and set it beside Dagon. 3 When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the LORD! They took Dagon and put him back in his place. 4 But the following morning when they rose, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the LORD! His head and hands had been broken off and were lying on the threshold; only his body remained. 5 That is why to this day neither the priests of Dagon nor any others who enter Dagon’s temple at Ashdod step on the threshold.
On Hearing His Knock and Voice
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any man hears My Voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with Me.”
Revelation 3:20
Like a Perfect Gentleman, He speaks softly and knocks quietly.
Some folks are loud and boisterous. You never have to wonder when they enter a room because their voice more resembles a fog horn than it does a cooing dove. While it’s true that Jesus had to have known how to properly project His Voice while speaking on a hillside without a speaker system to the crowds that followed Him, the fact remains that so many of His words of instruction were one-on-one or at least in a small room.
Regardless, today’s Manna is one of those sweet ones on which you want to spiritually nibble . . .taking your time to slowly savor each bite. . .as you try to picture it in your mind. Try to do so even now:
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock.”
What picture comes to mind as you envision this, dear Pilgrim? Possibly one like Holman Hunt’s painting, where Jesus quietly stands outside a massive, wooden door with no doorknob, gently rapping? Or, for those who live in a culture where knocking on doors is inappropriate—and they choose to stand outside the gate/door instead, quietly calling out to the residents within—the picture is the same: