THE SERMON TITLE

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Someone suggested that this might be the worst sermon title ever. The Cock-a-Doodle Denial
# 1
By Ken Blue

‘For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?” 1 Corinthians 14:8.

In my first article on the sermon, I stated that there are five steps in the construction of the sermon. These are: (1) the title, (2) the text, (3) the introduction, (4) the body and (5) the conclusion. Obviously, many pastors fail to understand the purpose or the power in the title. In fact, I have heard sermons that did not have a purpose or a title. If the preacher had one, he never let anyone in on his secret. Remember, in preaching, there is a difference between the subject, the theme and the title. The subject (doctrine), may be God. The theme may be the love of God; whereas, the title would state a specific example or personal application of God’s love.

Some years ago I took my first book to the local bookstore, and I asked them to place it on their shelf and sell it for me. The manager said, “Pastor Blue, I am sure the content of your book is good. But, the old saying is still true; it is the cover that sells the book.” He did not stock my book, and I have since attempted to improve the covers.

The same principle applies when choosing a sermon title. It must get the interest and attention of people, if you expect them to come. People are not searching for truth; they are looking for answers to life’s problems and pain. Of course, we know it is the truth that will set them free; but if we can’t get them through the doors, we cannot give them the truth they need.

The title should state in capsule form what the sermon is about, and there should be no doubt as to its purpose. One pastor copied the following sermon titles from a local newspaper. – “On the Road to Jericho,” – “No Longer Walking on the Other Side of the Road,” – “The Gathering Storm,” – “Peter Goes Fishing,” – “The Ministry of Cracked Pots,” – “Becoming a Titus,” – “Give Me Agape,” – “River of Blood,” and – “No Such Thing as a Rubber Clock.” These titles are ridiculous. You can see why no lost person would be drawn to church to hear these sermons. It is impossible for any to tell what the purpose is or how it would help anyone.

If you are trying to be cute, any title will do, but if you are attempting to reach the un-churched, the title must reflect the intent of the message in no uncertain terms. Here are some examples of understandable and helpful titles. “Five Steps to a Debt-Free Life,”- “How to Start Over When You’ve Failed.”- “How You Can Avoid the Four Marriage Busters”. – “How You Can Know God Exist.”- “How You Can Know God Loves You”. – “What You Can Learn From Your Pain”. – “Discovering Your Purpose in Life”. Each title is clear and addresses needs, and questions the un-churched have.

D. L. Moody said, “The Bible was not given to increase our knowledge but to change our lives.” The sermon title is the message in a nutshell. The sermon, itself, should explain, inform, and apply the truth contained in the title.

A THREEFOLD CORD

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A THREEFOLD CORD
By Ken Blue

“A threefold cord is not quickly broken.” Ec 4:12. “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” 1Jo 2:16.

The “cord” is used several ways in Scripture; some are positive, some are negative. A threefold cord consists of three smaller cords braided together to make a strong rope. Obviously, it would have three times the holding power of a single cord.

John says all the sins of the world are classified in three categories; they are the flesh, the eye and pride. Any one of these cords is strong enough to subdue the strongest of men, but when a man is bound by all three, only God’s power can release him.

The lust of the flesh: The word “lust” speaks of desire, or the object of desire. It is anything which pampers the appetites, or indulgence animal tendencies. Our culture lives for this, and it is the lowest form of worldly indulgence. It includes comforts, food, sex, alcohol, drugs and a host of other addictions. This cord has most of the world in bondage.

The lust of the eye: Not everything pleasant to the eye is sin. God has made the eye with the ability to appreciate the beautiful. God made trees that were “pleasant to the sight”. The cord here is that which is intended to gratify the sight only. Examples of this are costly clothing, jewels, elegant furniture, impressive palaces, etc. Peter speaks of those having eyes full of adultery. Sadly, most women and young girls dress with the intent to have men lust after them. Many of the great men in the Bible were shamed or destroyed through the lust of the eyes. No wonder Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would have no sin.”

The pride of life: The meaning has to do with boasting of one’s talents, accomplishments, appearance and ambitions. Pride can manifest itself in many ways, it is impossible to list all of them. The one thing that keeps the lost man from salvation is his pride. Pride can be laid at the feet of most arguments, divorces and wars. God hates a proud look; no doubt because we have nothing to be proud of. It was this sin that caused the fall of Satan. Pride always precedes a fall; yours and mine.

Any one of these cords is more than enough to bind men and women and send them to hell. However, the three combined create an impossible situation. The only hope of release is to humble yourself and turn to Jesus Christ as your only hope. He came to set the captives free! A threefold cord is not easily broken; but He can break it!

HOW TO BE BLESSED

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blessedHOW TO BE BLESSED
By Ken Blue

“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. 4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. 5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.” Psalms 1:1-6.

To be blessed, there are three types of people you must avoid. They are the ungodly, the sinner and the scornful. These are known by their advice, their actions and their attitude.

The ungodly will give counsel or advice that conforms to this world’s philosophy and goes counter to the Word of God. This person is the most dangerous of the three and must be rejected. (Examples: Oprah Winfrey, The view, Ellen DeGeneres etc.).

The sinner is more evident. You can identify him by his actions. You can see that his behavior is sinful and that he is going in a direction away from God. Run from this person.

Then there is the scoffer. This person ridicules you and your desire to please the Lord. Many times this person was raised in a Christian home or brought up in church. His chosen rebellion is justified, in his own eyes, by showing scorn or disdain toward those who chose to live for Christ. This man or woman cannot conceal their amoral attitude; avoid them.

Not only are we to make right choices regarding the people to avoid; we must also make wise decisions about what produces a life of blessings. Isolation is not the answer. The first thing we must do is develop a hunger for God’s Word. This is done by reading, by prayer and by meditating on its teachings.

The promised blessings are stability, productivity, affectability and prosperity. These can be seen in the similitude of a tree located by a river. The key words are planted, fruit, leaf and prosper. These are the blessings that result from meditating and obeying the Scriptures. Most of the heartache, sorrow, anguish, misery and pain, in this life, is the direct result of someone’s disobedience and rejection of God’s Word. The unsaved are compared to chaff which is worthless and unstable. They are driven by the winds of a wicked society. The blessings, the promises and the warnings are all in the text. If you want to be blessed, apply God’s Word to your life now.

THE WAR REPORT

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THE WAR REPORT on ALS #2
By Ken Blue

“There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.” Ecclesiastes 8:8

Yesterday, June 10th, Joyce and I spend over four hours at Virginia Mason Hospital with the ALS doctors for my sixth month evaluation. Test revealed that the disease continues to attack the voluntary muscles in my body. The marked weakness is in the diaphragm below the lungs. This muscle contracts and flattens to force air in and out of the lungs. The two tests showed that the muscle strength was down 11 and 17 points from six months ago. This weakness also evidences itself when I attempt to cough.

One of the doctors said she had to ask me a question; it was, “how would you rate your quality of life?” I gave it some thought, and then I told her it was “great”! God gave Joyce and me some wonderful opportunities to explain to different doctors how God’s loving grace is at work in all this. I believe the Holy Spirit was speaking to them. Pray for them that they will come to know the Lord Jesus. Wouldn’t that be great?

As I grow weaker day by day, my confidence in His love and care increases. Thank you for your prayers for us. I know this is the key. I have two invitations to preach in the next few weeks. Please pray for me that I will be a blessing and encouragement these churches. “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.” 2 Corinthians 4:16.

LIFE PASSED ME BY

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LIFE PASSED ME BY
By Ken Blue

We were in love, my wife and I;
We talked of the future and planned.
There would be children and a white fence,
We’d laugh and skip and hold hands.

The laughter has stopped; the children are gone;
We no longer dance or hold hands.
There’s no fence around our dreams.
What happened to all those plans?

I think I know, as I sit and muse,
On a vision that’s faded and died,
While building my impressive dreams,
Life passed me by.

A little girl was the light of my life;
There would be sateen and lace.
The sun was eclipsed, morning and night,
By the brightness from her face.

“Fix this daddy, tie my shoe”,
She giggled and bounced on my knee.
She would have all that money could buy;
I vowed that’s how it would be.

She got those things, I desperately sought.
But the radiance is gone from my sky.
I missed the whole point with my little girl,
As life passed me by.

I played at religion from time to time;
While shaking the Reverends hand.
I carefully explained my absent to him,
Confident he’d understand.

I deprived my soul of Bible and prayer;
Convinceing myself of my lie.
I said to others, “Everything’s ok”,
As life passed me by.

I no longer have the love of my life,
Nor a house with a fence of white.
Tormenting memories plague my mind,
As I sink in the despair of night.

It’s not the white fence, nor a big house,
Sitting on a hill, up high.
It’s about love and it’s about time…
As life passes you by.