Dear S:
I read and viewed your referred video sermon on, "It's Friday, Sunday's Coming." I deferred replying in part due to an epistolary inertia; this refined expression I owe to Harry James. Also in thinking the better, I should not sport with your kind intentions for sharing this article by offering crude and premature remarks. Some coherent thoughts have finally emerged today.
Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" I have not seen, although I own an unopened DVD version of the movie. For its portrayal of the last dozen hours of Christ leading up to his crucifixion, I recall this movie was generally well received. The referred sermon through its tenancy with the "The Passion", however adroitly elicited resounding amens from the fold, I weighed it, and found wanting.
Given the focus of the sermon centered on juxtaposing the many iterations of "It's Friday, Sunday's Coming" with selected imageries from the "Passion", it could never free itself from the snare of the latter. The result then was almost a haughty yet inchoate explanation on God's word to the affect the "cross of Christ would not be made void."
As Spurgeon insightfully considered, "No art like the art displayed in our salvation, no cunning workmanship like that beheld in the righteousness of the saints. Justification has engrossed learned pens in all ages of the church, and will be the theme of admiration in eternity." So it is, cinematic arts and any humanistic expressions, sacred or profane, can never triumph above or mock God's providential grace and promises. On that ordained Friday, the first to enter into God's kingdom was one of two criminals being crucified alongside Jesus. Hanging on the cross beside, our Savior said to the repentant man, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” The glory of the cross and the salvation of the first condemned soul beyond physical death began on that day at Golgotha.
In the resurrection of Christ, there was put forth nothing short of divine grace and power. In His resurrection, as in our salvation, Christ has overcome death; so that He makes His own to share in the righteousness He won. By His power, believers are too now resurrected into a new life. Finally, by Christ's resurrection, it is ensured there will be a glorious resurrection of those whom He called by name.
"Sin's bonds severed we're delivered;
Christ has bruised the serpent's head;
Death no longer is the stronger
Hell itself is captive led,
Christ has risen from death's prison;
O'er the tomb He light has shed."
To Him be glory forever!
L'
- a L'envoi iPad 3 post
23 January 2013
ReplyDeleteDear L',
Thank you for your coherent thoughts as you have expressed in
your response of September 9, 2012. I am slow in responding
for a number of reasons, but I have taken advantage of the
passing of time to attempt to make my remarks coherent.
Let be begin by saying that the ``referred video sermon'' was
found at the URL
http://www.rpmministries.org/2011/04/its-friday-but-sundays-
coming/
The website begins with:
"View ... with reverence Pastor S. M. Lockridge's famous
sermon \emph{It's Friday \dots but Sunday's Coming!} This
awe-inspiring video combines the words of the sermon with
footage from 'The Passion of the Christ'."
I have chosen the following three remarks to respond to:
1. "It [the sermon as presented on the website] could never
free itself from the snare of the latter [the 'Passion'
movie]."
2. "The result \dots was almost a haughty yet inchoate
explanation on God's word to the affect [\emph{sic}] [that]
the 'cross of Christ would not be made void.'"
3. "... cinematic arts and any humanistic expressions,
sacred or profane, can never triumph above or mock God's
provential grace and promises."
Let me start with point #1. I believe that the sermon was
not originally presented with the scenes from the "Passion".
I have heard the sermon without the video scenes and judging
from the congregation's responses, I believe that the sermon
stood solidly on its own at its initial presentation. The
addition of the video will cause the sermon as presented on
the website to become dated, just as many older movies might
be dated by the presence of era-related objects such as steam-
powered passenger trains, cars with running boards, the
telegraph, black-and-white televisions, and the rotary phones.
However, sermon focused only on the events that occurred during
Christ's earthly life without any references to objects or
events of any era. Thus, I disagree with you because though
the sermon's presentation on the website may become dated, I
believe that sermon as originally presented can stand solidly
on its own.
I will divide my response to point #2 in two parts: First, to
the "inchoate explanation on God's word ...", then second,
to "the result ... was almost a haughty ... explanation on
God's word ...".
As for the "inchoate explanation" part, let me begin with a
definition of "inchoate" as taken from the URL
http;//dictionary.reference.com/browse/inchoate
1. not yet completed or fully developed; rudimentary.
2. just begun; incipient.
3. not organized; lacking order: an inchoate mass of ideas on
the subject.
(end of part 1)
(start of part 2)
ReplyDeleteI reviewed the video that was added to the sermon, and made the
following notes. The approximate timestamps and very short
remarks of selected scenes are given below:
1. 0:08 Jesus praying in Gethsemane
2. 0:14 Judas betraying Jesus
3. 0:17 Tomb door opening
4. 0:19 Jesus standing in front of Pilate
5. 0:22 Temple leaders
6. 0:25 Jesus and Pilate in front of the crowd
7. 0:29 Tomb door opening
8. 0:33 Disciples distancing themselves from Jesus
9. 0:38 A distraught Mary, mother of Jesus
10. 0:40 Peter denying Jesus
11. 0:44 Tomb door opening
12. 0:48 Jesus being whipped
13. 0:55 Jesus with a crown of thorns
14. 1:00 Tomb door opening
15. 1:05 Jesus carrying his cross
16. 1:18 Tomb door opening
17. 1:26 The World is winning, Evil is grinning, crowds
taunting Jesus as he is carrying his cross, Jesus being nailed
onto the cross
18. 1:50 Tomb door opening
19. 1:58 Golgotha, where the crosses are raised
20. 2:17 Tomb door opening
21. 2:23 Jesus dying on the cross
22. 2:39 Tomb door opening
23. 2:43 Earthquake, sky grows dark, Jesus dies, Satan laughs,
Jesus is buried
24. 3:27 Tomb door opening, the resurrected Jesus is leaving
the tomb
After reviewing the list above, it appears to me that with the
exception of all but the last ``Tomb door opening'' scenes, the
scenes are in the same order as presented in the Gospels. The
video does not gently guide the viewer from one scene to the
next. It appears to me that the viewer must be familiar ahead
of time with the Gospel accounts in order to follow the video's
presentation. Thus, I do not think that the video is inchoate
with respect to the first two meanings given in the definition
above because I think the pastor meant to give a short,
outline-like presentation. As for the third meaning of
"inchoate", I would again say that the video would seem
inchoate to a viewer who is not familiar with the Gospel
accounts, but it should not be so to one who is familiar with
the Gospel accounts. My conclusion is that the video is NOT
inchoate.
As for the "haughty ... explanation" part, let me begin with
a definition of ``haughty'' as taken from the URL
http;//dictionary.reference.com/browse/haughty
1. disdainfully proud; snobbish; scornfully arrogant;
supercilious: haughty aristocrats; a haughty salesclerk.
2. Archaic. lofty or noble; exalted.
I believe that the "resounding amens from the fold" indicate
that the pastor's audience is made up largely of Christ
believers. I see the repeated use of the phrase "It's Friday,
but Sunday's coming!" as giving the sermon a "pre-game pep
talk" flavor. It is as if the pastor is trying to encourage
the disciples that though all seems lost with Jesus' arrest,
trial and crucification, a victory, an everlasting victory, is
just a few days away. I, too, can give resounding amens
because with my eyes of faith, I see that the victory has been
accomplished. I agree with you that the pastor said nothing
about God's grace to sinners. The pastor only refers to Jesus'
triumph over death, and the repeated use of "It's Friday, but
Sunday's coming!" sounds like a repeated taunting in Satan's
face that despite all of the evil that was done, God will
firmly triumph over Satan in just a few days. In conclusion,
I reluctantly agree that the pastor was "haughty" towards
Satan by repeatly saying, "It's Friday, but Sunday's coming!",
but I would not fault him for doing so.
Finally, to point #3 --- I agree with you. As elated as I
might feel when one exaults God's provential grace and
promises, or as sad when one mocks the grace and promises, I
believe that God's grace and promises will triumph in the final
accounting.
I want to thank you again for your remarks. I look forward to
your response to what I wrote and to what I have left
unaddressed.
Sincerely,
S
(end of part 2, the last part)
Your elaborately explanation of the this sermon confirmed my view. That is, only Christians would or should understand this message.
ReplyDeleteFor one to defend or explain some pastor's sermon as you did, though admirable, it is troublesome. This means the sermon was not universally understood. It still missed the fundamental point I was making: How is God's grace, and therefore, the gospel of salvation and deliverance from eternal condemnation proclaimed to the unsaved in this sermon of Christ crucifixion (and His resurrection)?
If the gospel of reconciliation was not proclaimed in the context of this sermon, then all for naught.