On September 17, 2011, Dave Harris will give the sermon, titled, “In Times of Trouble.”
The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org (12:30 pm Pacific Time; 1:30 pm Mountain Time; 2:30 pm Central Time; 3:30 pm Eastern Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.
The final text of our new booklet, “Paul’s Letter to the Philippians,” was sent to our Graphic Designer, Shelly Bruno, for finalization. Shelly has already designed a striking full-color cover for the new booklet.
A new member letter was written and will be sent out shortly. In the letter, Rene Messier reminds us of the times we are living in and the individual and collective responsibilities that we have as members of the Church of God, especially in light of the upcoming annual Holy Days.
Norbert Link’s video-taped sermon, “What About the Secret Rapture?—Part 1” was posted on YouTube and our website (www.eternalgod.org).
A new German sermon was posted on YouTube, titled, “Schutz vor Kommendem Unheil?” [Protection from Coming Disaster?”] and on our German website (www.aufpostenstehen.de).
This week, Norbert Link video-recorded the message for the Feast of Tabernacles 2011, which will be sent out to be played at different Feast sites.
Please feel free to proceed with making reservations for the Feast of Tabernacles 2011 with the Hilton Garden Inn at 601 James Way, Pismo Beach, CA 93449. When you call under 1-805-773-6020, please make sure that you mention that you are attending the Feast convention of the Church of the Eternal God. Further information is available on our Web site (www.eternalgod.org), under “Feasts.”
by Ben Agbayani
In 199I, when living in the Philippines, I was elected as a president of a union for a multi-national corporation. One of the issues we were fighting for was the receipt of meaningful medical benefits. Our benefit had changed for the worse, as if someone had taken a child’s candy out of his mouth. Because such a fight could be compared with David fighting Goliath, and since I did not know God nor have the faith that God would fight my battles, I ended up seeking help from a leftist group.
I became exposed to different labor complaints and witnessed many atrocious activities between management and their labor counterpart. As these multi-national corporations had the government backing them, some of them used governmental officials and the police force in dealing with labor activities by torturing and, to some extent, permanently terminating union officials.
I realized that I was in too deep in the movement. I even had my own code name. Since management made a move harassing the very people that had elected me as their leader, all turned their back on me and left me hanging. I was threatened to my very core. Fearing that they may do harm to my family, and that no one would help me except for the people that were in the movement, I decided to ask for God’s help—as best as I knew God at the time–and God answered my prayer by allowing us to leave the country and to give us a new life.
Being now members of the Spirit-begotten Family of God, my wife and I know that in the future, when God rules this world, man will no longer do these terrible things to his fellow man. In spite of the anguish of the past, this knowledge gives me great peace and joy.
It might appear so at first sight, but upon closer scrutiny, we will see that there is no contradiction.
Isaiah 26:13-14 states: “O LORD our God, masters besides You Have had dominion over us; But by You only we make mention of Your name. They are dead, they will not live; They are deceased, they will not rise. Therefore You have punished and destroyed them, And made all their memory to perish.”
On the other hand, we read in Isaiah 26:19:
“Your dead shall live; Together with my dead body they shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust; For your dew is like the dew of herbs, And the earth shall cast out the dead.”
At first sight, these statements might say that while God’s dead—those who were faithful–will be raised in a resurrection, God’s enemies will never come back to life. However, we know that all will come back to life (compare John 5:28-29; Daniel 12:2; 1 Corinthians 15:22; Revelation 20:4-6, 11-15).
All will be raised in one of three resurrections—either in the first resurrection of eternal life; or in the second resurrection of judgment; or in the third resurrection of eternal condemnation or destruction. Please read our Q&A on the three resurrections, and study our free booklet, “Is That in the Bible?—The Mystery of the Book of Revelation.”
What then is the meaning of the passages in Isaiah 26, as quoted above?
In Isaiah 26:13-14, Isaiah is not denying the resurrection of the wicked. Rather, the context is that they will not rise again to have dominion or power over others. If the reference is to those being raised in the third and final resurrection, which will destroy the wicked, then this is self-evident. But even in the context of the second resurrection, when the dead will be raised to physical life to be given their first opportunity to accept Jesus Christ and embrace God’s Way, they will not be allowed to have autocratic power to abuse and persecute others. If they repent and are forgiven and receive the Holy Spirit, they would ultimately qualify to become immortal kings and priests in the Family of God—but the power to rule that God would give them would be associated with justice, fairness, love and compassion.
Notice how several commentaries understand and explain the passage in Isaiah 26:13-14.
Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible writes, referring strictly to the third resurrection, even though he seems to be confused about the last two resurrections:
“They are dead, they shall not live; they are deceased, they shall not rise… The above tyrannical lords, the kings of the earth and their mighty men… shall not live again in this world, nor rise from their graves, and return to their former state, power, and authority; or tyrannise over, molest, disturb, oppress, and persecute the people of God any more; though they shall live again at the end of the thousand years, and shall awake to everlasting shame and contempt, and come forth to the resurrection of damnation.”
The Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament states:
“The tyrants who usurped the rule over Israel have now utterly disappeared… The meaning is not that Jehovah had put them to death because there was no resurrection at all after death; for… the prophet was acquainted with such a resurrection…”
Wesley’s Notes add:
“Those tyrants are destroyed; they shall never live or rise again to molest us.”
By contrast, Isaiah continues to say in verse 19 that the persecuted, downcast and maligned people of God will be raised in power. Even though they are now abused subjects and victims of this world’s terrible oppressions, they will become loving and almighty Spirit beings—God beings–in the Family of God, ruling over those who had harmed them in this life.
Some commentaries say that this verse does not primarily teach the resurrection from the dead, but merely a restoration of the tribe of Judah to power and rule. Even though it is true that the modern houses of Israel and Judah will be restored and placed in the Promised Land, when Christ returns, and that also those of the houses of Israel and Judah, who died and who will be resurrected in the second resurrection, will be brought back to the Promised Land, this is not what Isaiah is primarily emphasizing here.
The reason is that Isaiah includes himself, saying that his dead body will also arise in the future. Some commentaries point out that the words “Together with” in verse 19 (“Your dead shall live; Together with my dead body they shall arise”) are not in the original, and that therefore Isaiah is not referring to himself in this statement. However, he clearly is including himself, as the words, “my dead body” are in the original. Some try to contradict this by saying that the phrase “my dead body” should be rendered as, “my dead bodies” or even “their dead bodies,” but this is not what the original Hebrew says.
The Interlinear Hebrew/English Old Testament renders Isaiah 26:19 as follows: “Your dead ones shall live, my dead body, they shall arise…” The Zuercher Bible confirms that in the Hebrew it says, “my dead body,” but adds that the meaning is uncertain. The Tanakh, even though rendering the phrase as, “let corpses arise,” says in an annotation that the Hebrew Grammar is uncertain.
What is certain is that Isaiah knew that he will rise to eternal life in the first resurrection, and that he will not remain dead forever, or that he will only be brought back to physical life in the second resurrection. Even though Isaiah says that his dead body will arise together with the other dead of God, he is not saying that he will be raised in a “bodily” physical resurrection, but that he will be resurrected to eternal life; and that he will receive a spiritual glorified body. For more information, please read our Q&A on the bodily resurrection.
Note the following comment by Barnes’ Notes on the Bible:
“And the earth shall cast out the dead – This is language which is derived from the doctrine of the resurrection of the body; and shows also that that doctrine was understood by the Hebrews in the time of Isaiah. The sense is, that as the earth shall cast forth its dead in the resurrection, so the people of God in Babylon should be restored to life, and to their former privileges in their own land.”
This statement could be confusing, when referring to the “resurrection of the body,” and in addition, it is not quite what Isaiah had in mind, as he primarily emphasized the first resurrection—not the restoration of the Jewish people. The Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament states more accurately:
“When compared with the New Testament Apocalypse, it is ‘the first resurrection’ which is here predicted by Isaiah. The confessors of Jehovah are awakened in their graves to form one glorious church with those who are still in the body.”
Notice too this comment by the Nelson Study Bible:
“Isaiah, addressing his faithful peers, assures them that their dead will rise in the resurrection (Job 19:26; Dan. 12:2). Dew is a picture of new life and blessing (Ps. 133:3; Hos. 14:5).”
The Soncino commentary adds:
“This verse [Isaiah 26:19] is the source of the belief in the resurrection of the dead, a fundamental of Jewish dogma… [Isaiah] knew that he was righteous and would [be in] the [first] resurrection.”
In conclusion, the above-quoted passages in Isaiah 26 do not contradict each other, but they explain the fate of different categories of people. While the wicked oppressors will not rise again to abuse and persecute God’s people—and as such, even the memory of their oppression will fade away—God’s people will rise to eternal glory and power. Isaiah does not deny the second or third resurrection, and he does not say that those who were wicked in this life would never come back to life—he only says that they won’t come back to life to be given opportunity to oppress others again.
Lead Writer: Norbert Link
On September 10, 2011, Norbert Link will speak on current world events and give the sermon, titled, “What About the Secret Rapture?—Part 2.”
The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org (12:30 pm Pacific Time; 1:30 pm Mountain Time; 2:30 pm Central Time; 3:30 pm Eastern Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.
A new StandingWatch program was posted on our Web site (www.standingwatch.org) and on YouTube, titled, “Premature Euphoria of Libyan Rebels.” It would be a mistake to celebrate the apparent victory of the rebels in Libya. Western commentators compare the current situation with anarchy and chaos. They are fearful that Islamists will come to power in the deeply divided nation. The future of Libya looks uncertain and frightening. The Bible has much to say about Libya, but none of it is good news for Western democracies.
A new German sermon was posted on YouTube, titled, “Gibt es eine heimliche Entrueckung?, Teil 2” [“Is There a Secret Rapture?, Part 2”]
Please feel free to proceed with making reservations for the Feast of Tabernacles 2011 with the Hilton Garden Inn at 601 James Way, Pismo Beach, CA 93449. When you call under 1-805-773-6020, please make sure that you mention that you are attending the Feast convention of the Church of the Eternal God. Further information is available on our Web site (www.eternalgod.org), under “Feasts.”
Specifically, in the book of John, Jesus instructed His disciples about prayer. In the hours before His death, He revealed that they would now have access to the Father—but that He, Jesus, was the means by which that would be possible.
Here are the relevant verses:
“‘And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it’” (John 14:13-14).
“‘You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you’” (John 15:16).
“‘And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full’” (John 16:23-24).
“‘In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God’” (John 16:26-27).
To understand more fully what this means for those who follow and obey Christ’s instructions, we will need to consider other applicable and compatible Scriptures.
First of all, praying in the name of Jesus Christ is not an incantation; that is, a formula that evokes an answer to anything we say as long as we incorporate doing so “in the name of Jesus Christ.”
Jesus warned:
“‘And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him’” (Matthew 6:7-8; compare 1 Kings 18:26).
In another example, some misused the name of Jesus, and the consequences were devastating:
“Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, ‘We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.’ Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, ‘Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?’ Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, over-powered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded” (Acts 19:13-16).
These self-appointed exorcists were guilty of misappropriating the godly name, Jesus—they broke the commandment of God:
“‘You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain’” (Exodus 20:7).
Using the name of Jesus Christ must be done with the reverent awe that reflects His place in the Family of God:
“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11).
Note that “every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” There has arisen a demonically inspired teaching—one that threatens to “overthrow the faith of some.” Essentially, the idea behind this heresy is that one should only say the name of Jesus Christ in the Hebrew language. In answer to this fallacious concept, consider what happened on the Day of Pentecost—the time when the Church of God began amidst powerful and miraculous circumstances:
“And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, ‘Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs–we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.’ So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘Whatever could this mean?’” (Acts 2:5-12).
The very first thing that occurred to the faithful disciples of Jesus Christ upon receiving the Holy Spirit was to speak under God’s inspiration—carefully note what they did:
“And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:4). They spoke at that time about Jesus Christ (Acts 2:30-36), but they did not speak only in the Hebrew language, but also in other tongues or languages.
This coincides with the work of the Church—that of being sent to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God in all of the world and to all nations (compare Matthew 24:14; Mark 16:15-18; Acts 26:17-18).
Quite plainly and unmistakably, the name of Jesus Christ would be spoken—along with the rest of the message of the gospel—in one’s own language.
The warning for us is to “…be sound in the faith, not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn from the truth” (Titus 1:13-14).
What, then, should we ask for when we pray “in Jesus’ Name”? Here is the foundational approach for us in prayer:
“And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight” (1 John 3:22).
When we pray, using the name of Jesus Christ, we must have persevering faith:
“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).
In one of His parables, Jesus told of a proud Pharisee and of a humble and contrite tax collector who came before God in prayer (compare Luke 18:9-14). The key for us is that we must not exalt ourselves—rather, we are to seek God out of a submissive heart, willing to yield to God and obey His Will.
This is what Jesus did. In the record of Jesus praying to the Father in deeply fervent agony over the death He was about to face, He, nonetheless, humbled Himself, saying:
“‘…Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will’” (Mark 14:36).
This dramatic example brings home the lesson that we are to pray and make our requests within the framework of God’s Will. However, we must not draw back from God and use this as an excuse for lacking faith! Jesus made this a point in His teaching:
“So Jesus said to them, ‘Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you’” (Matthew 17:20).
“So Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, “Be removed and be cast into the sea,” it will be done’” (Matthew 21:21).
Jesus did what He did in the name of the Father (compare John 10:25). He did none of the miracles by His own authority—something that He carefully taught:
“Then Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner… I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me’” (John 5:19, 30).
His obedience is our example!
Peter understood that he needed to rely on Jesus Christ, and the lesson that is brought clearly home is His role in the healing of a lame man: “Then Peter said, ‘Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk’” (Acts 3:6).
Paul said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).
In both of the cited examples, Peter and Paul speak of relying on Jesus Christ in ways that are all encompassing. In baptisms, in healings, in preaching—the ministers of Jesus Christ did what they did through the express authority of Jesus Christ!
This holds true for all Christians, and it is an absolute imperative for each one of us to recognize the supreme authority that Christ holds over the Church of God. While many professing Christians acknowledge that Christ existed, only the few believe that He is seated at the right hand of God as our living High Priest (compare Acts 5:31; Ephesians 1:20; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 1:3, 13; 8:1; 10:12; 12:2; 1 Peter 3:22)—intervening on our behalf in order to complete what He has promised (compare Romans 8:34).
Furthermore, we must be close to God by following the example of Jesus Christ. That means we are to live as He lived—by living obediently to God. The way is open for us to have direct contact with God in prayer. However, it is only through Jesus Christ that this is possible:
“‘I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing’” (John 15:5).
When we speak to the Father in prayer, we do so by recognizing the authority of Jesus Christ—that is, in His Name. Christ also explains:
“‘…I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me’” (John 14:6).
There are additional meaningful and important aspects associated with praying in the name of Jesus Christ. Note the following excerpts from the chapter “In the Name of Christ,” in our free booklet, “Teach Us to Pray”:
“When we do something in the name of Christ, we recognize His great power through which He works… When we pray to the Father in Christ’s name… we are praying through Christ—expecting Christ to back us up, support us, and do something in regard to what we say…
“Since we belong to Christ, Christ allows us to do and say things in His glorious and all-powerful name. That is, we can do things through the power of His Holy Spirit in us. When we pray, write, or say something in the name of Christ, we are actually asking Christ to do those things for us. We speak to the Father through Christ. It is as if Christ speaks to the Father on our behalf—as if Christ communicates our prayers to the Father, helping us express to the Father what we think, how we feel, and what we are going through. Sometimes, we may not know exactly what to say, but Christ, through His Spirit in us, helps our weaknesses.
“When we end a prayer by using the words ‘in Christ’s name,’ we had better make sure that we CAN say this—that Christ IS actually speaking though us, or interceding for us. The warning here is that just saying ‘in the name of Christ’ after a prayer can easily become a vain repetition. To prevent this from happening, we must be well aware of its meaning, and when we use this expression, we must realize the accompanying great responsibility, and liability, for us.
“Every time we use the words ‘in Christ’s name,’ we are to be very conscious of the fact that Jesus Christ is acting, at that very moment, as our Mediator, Intercessor and Advocate, interceding on our behalf as our merciful High Priest, and that He is pleading our cause, expressing to the Father our most intimate feelings and temptations, as well as our personal struggle with ourselves and our own human nature.
“Christ promised that He would do for us what we ask when we pray to the Father in His name. The Father will answer our prayer through Christ. But we must ask the Father in the proper way, and with the correct understanding of what it means to pray ‘in Christ’s name.’”
Rather than becoming perfunctory and carelessly muttering the name of Jesus Christ at the close of our prayers, we need to very deliberately and in a deeply meaningful way mention the name of Jesus Christ with true esteem and in a spirit of worship.
For a more in-depth study on prayer, please read our free booklet, “Teach Us To Pray,” which is available on our website.
Lead Writer: Dave Harris
On September 3, 2011, Michel Bannen and Eric Rank will give split sermons, titled, respectively, “Time” and “The Just Shall Live by Faith.”
The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org (12:30 pm Pacific Time; 1:30 pm Mountain Time; 2:30 pm Central Time; 3:30 pm Eastern Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.
A new member letter has been posted on the Web site and was sent out last week, together with a copy of our new booklet, “Germany in Prophecy.”
Our new booklet, “Paul’s Letter to the Philippians,” has entered the final review cycle.
A new StandingWatch program was posted on our Web site (www.standingwatch.org) and on YouTube, titled, “Is the Fourth Reich Coming?”
The German version of the English program titled, “Kommt das Vierte Reich?” was posted on our German Web site (www.aufpostenstehen.de) and on YouTube.
A new German sermon was posted on the Web, titled, “Gibt es eine heimliche Entrueckung?” [“Is there a secret rapture?”]
Please feel free to proceed with making reservations for the Feast of Tabernacles 2011 with the Hilton Garden Inn at 601 James Way, Pismo Beach, CA 93449. When you call under 1-805-773-6020, please make sure that you mention that you are attending the Feast convention of the Church of the Eternal God. Further information is available on our Web site (www.eternalgod.org), under “Feasts.”
As we pointed out in a previous Q&A, discussing opening and closing prayers, the Church of the Eternal God in the USA and its corporate affiliates, the Global Church of God in the UK, and the Church of God, a Christian Fellowship in Canada, trace their roots to the Worldwide Church of God under the late Herbert W. Armstrong (who died in 1986). During his lifetime, Mr. Armstrong established the way in which Church of God services should be conducted, and we have substantially adopted these procedures. As a consequence, our weekly and annual Sabbath services include opening and closing prayers, a song service, announcements, occasional special music presentations (especially during the Feast of Tabernacles), and a sermonette and a sermon (sometimes, we may have two split sermons instead of a sermonette and a sermon, and we may on rare occasions dispense with a sermonette in lieu of a longer announcement session).
As pointed out in our previous Q&A, only baptized men are to give sermonettes and sermons.
We are presenting the following guidelines, which the Church has developed over the years, in regard to the preparation and presentation of sermonettes. This is not a rigid outline or formula, but it is meant to give valuable principles.
The purpose of the sermonette is to prepare the audience for the sermon, but it is not just a “general” or “ordinary” message, but it is supposed to be an inspired message from God. Normally, a sermonette should not be longer than 15 minutes, unless the presiding Pastor has given special prior permission for a longer message.
To give a sermonette is a privilege, not a right. Sermonettes provide opportunities for baptized men to teach—not to preach or correct. A sermonette speaker won’t be able to “fix” or “save” someone in a short message, anyway. Correction is the responsibility of the Pastor. Sermonette topics should be carefully selected. Topics which are corrective or overly broad or are “new” or speculative would be inappropriate. A topic which challenges Church teaching is absolutely forbidden.
Appropriate topics could be broken down into the following categories:
The sermonette speaker has to make sure, of course, that the explanations he is giving are the right ones! He is not to rely on what he might have heard someone say many years ago. He also has to make sure that the written source material he may be using is accurate and current. This is true for “worldly” commentaries and encyclopedias, but it can also include “old” Church articles which are by now outdated or which have been subsequently revised.
The Church of the Eternal God and its corporate affiliates have published a wealth of current information on biblical topics, including 33 booklets, over 500 weekly Updates (many of which include a Bible Study or Q&A and a Bible-oriented Editorial); over 100 member letters, as well as hundreds of posted sermons, split sermons and sermonettes. We have posted all of our literature and many of our audio and video-recorded messages on our websites (www.eternalgod.org; www.globalchurchofgod.co.uk; www.churchofgodacf.ca; www.standingwatch.org; www.aufpostenstehen.de). Many of our video-recorded messages can also be found on You Tube, and the Church of the Eternal God is now also featured on Facebook.
The sermonette speaker must be supportive and promote unity. The material he presents must be correct, and he must never publicly disagree with any Church teachings. If he has questions, he must check them out with the ministry. It is not wrong to have questions or a lack of understanding, but one must get them sorted out if one is to be a fully supportive member of the Church. If in doubt, it is always advisable to discuss the proposed sermonette with the local Pastor before giving it.
The sermonette speaker is not to use the sermonette time to air personal gripes or complaints about the Church, the organization, members of the local congregation, the ministry, or any other Church problem. He is not to take a personal problem of someone in the congregation and give a sermonette about it.
The sermonette speaker should pray about his sermonette and begin to prepare the message early—not just the night before or the very same day when he is to speak. When preparing and delivering the message, the sermonette speaker has to keep in mind proper and clear pronunciation and grammar; as well as vocal variety and quality. Inappropriate language is to be avoided. The pulpit is not the place to describe explicitly the sins of mankind. Paul and the other apostles do mention certain types of sin, but they do not describe them in detail. The same goes for slang bordering on bad language.
When giving his message, the sermonette speaker needs to maintain eye contact with the audience, which prohibits just reading from many notes or a transcript. As we pointed out in a previous Q&A, “This is not to say that we should not prepare our messages and reduce our thoughts to writing and that we should not have any notes when delivering a sermonette or a sermon, but it is to say that speakers must not be too ‘note-bound’ when they deliver their message. Rather, they should and must allow God to inspire them, while speaking.”
In addition, a sermonette speaker needs to be well groomed; and he needs to smile and be warm and friendly, without being overly jocular or just plain silly. Remember, we are appearing in front of GOD during the entire Sabbath service.
Each sermonette should follow the usual Outline of a powerful introduction, a clear and precise Specific Purpose Statement (SPS), a body or main contents of the message, and a gripping and memorable conclusion. (But before beginning with the introduction, it is important that the speaker recognizes and welcomes the audience. A warm short greeting with a smiling face will be much appreciated by the audience. Just jumping into the message without first addressing the audience would be inappropriate.)
The Introduction must grab the audience’s attention. It must give the audience a reason why they should listen; why it is important for them to know. It could present a challenge; give some startling facts; or ask a question. A sermonette speaker should not begin with, “Let’s turn with me to….”; or, “I would like to explain the apparent contradiction….” All of this is lifeless and somewhat boring. Instead, a powerful introduction could perhaps be, “How can you be sure that you don’t go to heaven when you die?” Or: “How would you explain to someone that we don’t vote in governmental elections?” It is of course necessary that the introduction relates to the rest of the sermonette. It must lead into the Specific Purpose Statement (SPS).
The Specific Purpose Statement (SPS) makes clear what the sermonette speaker is going to cover in the course of the sermonette. It tells the audience what he is seeking to achieve. It introduces the ONE point which the sermonette will discuss. The introduction and the SPS of the sermonette do not necessarily have to be presented distinctly and separately. The sermonette’s opening comments may be a combination of these two functions.
The Body or main contents of the sermonette must of course respond and relate to, and deliver what was stated in the introduction and the SPS. It must fulfill what was set out to achieve, without containing new or unrelated material. The points within the body should flow in logical sequence (chronologically, historically, etc.), but there should not be too many points. A sermonette is to have ONE main point; it can of course have a few sub-points which all relate to the main point.
A sermonette is not to have too many Scriptures, either. The Church has suggested at times that a sermonette should have no more than three or four Scriptures. This is a sound guideline, but not an iron-clad rule. Some sermonettes can be very effective, even though they may include more than four Scriptures, while other sermonettes with three Scriptures may not be that effective. But it is most certainly not good to load the message with Scripture after Scripture where most of the time is taken up reading them and little time is left to comment on them or give supporting material.
The Conclusion of the sermonette is vitally important. The last words will stay the longest with the audience. Common mistakes are to just stop speaking almost without warning at the end of the body of the speech; to give a conclusion which is not related to the rest of the sermonette; or to introduce new material. The conclusion must be memorized and should not be read, and the speaker should NOT end his message with, “Thank you.” Rather, the conclusion must be effective. It could emphasize the ONE point that was made in the sermonette. It might include some catchy phrase related to the sermonette, or leave the audience with a challenge to apply what has been said.
Since giving a sermonette is an opportunity for a non-ministerial speaker to receive training in leadership and effective public speaking, as well as in serving the congregation, he should expect and welcome constructive criticism and an evaluation of his sermonette from his minister. Being asked to give a sermonette is a wonderful opportunity and responsibility, which must not be taken lightly. A sermonette speaker should carefully and prayerfully review and apply these guidelines, so that he may deliver a God-pleasing and Godly inspired message, which will be helpful to the audience.
Lead Writer: Norbert Link
