I don't normally use acrostics in my preaching but thought it might be a useful way to pull everything together in the text. At lunch there was a family from church eating in a booth not far away from my party. One of the teenage boys came over to talk with us. They had tried to remember the four points of the acrostic but had missed the "A". If two teenage boys could remember 3 of the 4 I consider that sermon a success!
For those who are wondering the acrostic is for the word SALT:
Serve (even those considered least - Mark 9:33-37)
Accept (Christians who are different than you [or don't be judgmental] - Mark 9:38-41)
Love (the weak and new believers - Mark 9:42)
Tenacious Self-Denial
No one who heard the sermon will forget the "T" since it doesn't really fit. Odd isn't' it, that when something seems like it doesn't really belong it is never forgotten. Come to think of it . . . that's exactly what it means for us to be salt. We stand out because we don't really fit in this world as it is. But I love the last verse and how it envisions the kingdom that will soon cover the earth, "Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another." The peaceable kingdom - that's where we all belong!
1 comment:
I love the use of "salt" within scripture because it was a term used for both flavor in meals and as a perservative for meat, way before the age of McDonalds and salts connection to health problems, which makes me wonder if people have completly forgotten the term, harmony...but this a different issue for another time!
As you have pointed out, Jesus said to, "have salt in yourselves..." For me perservative=perseverance, and perseverance fits perfectly with your acrostics, serve, accept, love, and tenacious self-denial.
I thought your sermon was awesome Byron! I walked out with the urge to become more salty!
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