The Pen is Mightier than the Sword
The Three Point Sermon
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Are you familiar with the three-point sermon in your Church? Most Churches are—especially the evangelical Fellowships—when seldom a Sunday goes by when at least one sermon, if not both, contains a minimum of three specific points. Of course, this is not new, nor is it unique to modern day preachers! All through the Scriptures we will find examples—both verses and whole passages—which contain three points, nowhere more so than in the New Testament epistles.
There is, however, a very interesting feature contained in these “three-pointers”, and it is this; many of them draw together the past, present and future of our Christian experience. It was Paul’s practice to bring together three words—not always the same words—to illustrate this past, present and future experience. It will help us if we relate them in our minds, too. Perhaps the most familiar verse illustrating these three words is in 1 Corinthians 13:13. “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” Through faith we became Christians in the past, which gives us hope for the future, whilst our lives are motivated by love in the present.
Now turn to 1 Thessalonians 1:3, and we find the same trio appearing coupled with three other words. “We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labour prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” These three new words—work, labour and endurance—also draw together the past, present and future of our experience. But we will look at them in greater detail in a moment. First let us take a few more examples of the three-point sermon as contained in some of the other verses in the epistles, especially as they relate to the past, present and future of Christian experience.
There is, however, a very interesting feature contained in these “three-pointers”, and it is this; many of them draw together the past, present and future of our Christian experience. It was Paul’s practice to bring together three words—not always the same words—to illustrate this past, present and future experience. It will help us if we relate them in our minds, too. Perhaps the most familiar verse illustrating these three words is in 1 Corinthians 13:13. “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” Through faith we became Christians in the past, which gives us hope for the future, whilst our lives are motivated by love in the present.
Now turn to 1 Thessalonians 1:3, and we find the same trio appearing coupled with three other words. “We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labour prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” These three new words—work, labour and endurance—also draw together the past, present and future of our experience. But we will look at them in greater detail in a moment. First let us take a few more examples of the three-point sermon as contained in some of the other verses in the epistles, especially as they relate to the past, present and future of Christian experience.
1 Corinthians 15:48,49 - “As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth” [what we were in the past, with our minds set on earthly things]; “and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven” [as we are in the present, with our minds set on heavenly things]. “And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven” [what we will be like in the future, when as the AV puts it, “we shall bear the image of the heavenly”].
2 Corinthians 1:10 - “He has delivered us from such a deadly peril” [God’s grace towards us in the past], “and he will deliver us” [God’s grace towards us in the present]. “On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us” [God’s grace towards us in the future]. Or, we might say, here is the past, present and future of God’s deliverance.
Philippians 1:6;2:13;3:20,21 - “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” [here is the commencement of Christ’s perfect work in our lives in the past]. “For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose” [here is the continuation of Christ’s perfect work in our lives in the present]. “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body” [here is the completion of Christ’s perfect work in our lives in the future]. Here is also another three-point sermon: commencement, continuation, completion.
Colossians 3:1,3,4 - “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ” [with Christ in the past]; “And your life is now hidden with Christ in God” [with Christ in the present]; “When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory” [with Christ in the future]. Or, we might say, here is the divine presence of Christ in the past, in the present and in the future.
Titus 2:11,12,13 - “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men” [Christ’s appearing in the past]. “It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in the present age [Christ’s “appearing” in our lives in the present], “while we wait for the blessed hope - the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ” [Christ’s appearing in the future].
There is a similar example of Christ’s appearing in Hebrews 9:26,24,28 - “But now he [Christ] has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself” [Christ’s appearing in the past]. “For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence” [Christ’s appearing in the present]. “So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him” [Christ’s appearing in the future].
Philippians 1:6;2:13;3:20,21 - “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” [here is the commencement of Christ’s perfect work in our lives in the past]. “For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose” [here is the continuation of Christ’s perfect work in our lives in the present]. “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body” [here is the completion of Christ’s perfect work in our lives in the future]. Here is also another three-point sermon: commencement, continuation, completion.
Colossians 3:1,3,4 - “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ” [with Christ in the past]; “And your life is now hidden with Christ in God” [with Christ in the present]; “When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory” [with Christ in the future]. Or, we might say, here is the divine presence of Christ in the past, in the present and in the future.
Titus 2:11,12,13 - “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men” [Christ’s appearing in the past]. “It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in the present age [Christ’s “appearing” in our lives in the present], “while we wait for the blessed hope - the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ” [Christ’s appearing in the future].
There is a similar example of Christ’s appearing in Hebrews 9:26,24,28 - “But now he [Christ] has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself” [Christ’s appearing in the past]. “For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence” [Christ’s appearing in the present]. “So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him” [Christ’s appearing in the future].
Now let us turn back to 1 Thessalonians, chapter 1, where you will remember we have said we find a perfect example of the past, present and future; of faith, hope and love; of work, labour and endurance - quite a selection of three-point sermons! Let us now look at them in more detail and see how they affect our Christian experience. To help us understand even better we bring in verses nine and ten of the same chapter, too, and allow the Lord to speak to us through His precious Word.
“Your work produced by faith” (verse 3). “They tell how you turned to God from idols” (verse 9). Here is our past experience. There came a moment in our lives (if we are true, born again Christians) when, by faith, we accepted Christ as our Saviour. Having acknowledged our own sinfulness and experienced the forgiveness of our sins, we claimed the blessing of salvation (that precious gift offered so freely by the Risen Christ), and received the assurance of the Holy Spirit that we had been adopted into the family of God. To put it another way, we became a Christian in the true sense of the word. This, then, was the work produced by faith in the past when, in a sense, we turned to God from idols. What idols? Our self for one! When by faith our self-centred life became God-centred.
“Your labour prompted by love” (verse 3). “To serve the living and true God” (verse 9). Here is our present experience. As committed Christians our love to God born out of His love for us, and our love for our fellow-man, should motivate our actions. Surely our motive for working together in our church, is our love to God and each other according to His Word - togetherness in action! James puts it very plainly. “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:22). That is plain enough! If the experience of the past means anything to us at all, then we will want to serve the living and true God here and now in the present - and what better vehicle is there through which to serve Him than in your church! What better opportunity do we have than the Interregnum!
It is important, of course, to realise that we are not all expected to do the same thing, nor would it be very desirable or practical. No doubt in your Church (as in mine) you are blessed with a diversity of talents and experience, so consequently there is a diversity of ministries, and rightly so. But we are a Fellowship, the keyword of which is togetherness, because we recognise the need to work together. Therefore, wherever we labour, no matter which department, and whatever that labour might be, in the limelight (so to speak) or behind the scenes, it must be a labour of love.
“Your endurance inspired by hope” (verse 3). “To wait for his Son from heaven” (verse 10). Here is our future experience. The Christians Hope is the personal return of the Lord Jesus Christ. The One who purchased our salvation in the past, and is assisting us in our labour of love in the present, is coming again in the future. We look forward to that time with patience [AV] or endurance [NIV], living every moment of every day in anticipation of His Second Coming - or His return from “the far country” as we discussed in a previous Herald article.
“Your work produced by faith” (verse 3). “They tell how you turned to God from idols” (verse 9). Here is our past experience. There came a moment in our lives (if we are true, born again Christians) when, by faith, we accepted Christ as our Saviour. Having acknowledged our own sinfulness and experienced the forgiveness of our sins, we claimed the blessing of salvation (that precious gift offered so freely by the Risen Christ), and received the assurance of the Holy Spirit that we had been adopted into the family of God. To put it another way, we became a Christian in the true sense of the word. This, then, was the work produced by faith in the past when, in a sense, we turned to God from idols. What idols? Our self for one! When by faith our self-centred life became God-centred.
“Your labour prompted by love” (verse 3). “To serve the living and true God” (verse 9). Here is our present experience. As committed Christians our love to God born out of His love for us, and our love for our fellow-man, should motivate our actions. Surely our motive for working together in our church, is our love to God and each other according to His Word - togetherness in action! James puts it very plainly. “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:22). That is plain enough! If the experience of the past means anything to us at all, then we will want to serve the living and true God here and now in the present - and what better vehicle is there through which to serve Him than in your church! What better opportunity do we have than the Interregnum!
It is important, of course, to realise that we are not all expected to do the same thing, nor would it be very desirable or practical. No doubt in your Church (as in mine) you are blessed with a diversity of talents and experience, so consequently there is a diversity of ministries, and rightly so. But we are a Fellowship, the keyword of which is togetherness, because we recognise the need to work together. Therefore, wherever we labour, no matter which department, and whatever that labour might be, in the limelight (so to speak) or behind the scenes, it must be a labour of love.
“Your endurance inspired by hope” (verse 3). “To wait for his Son from heaven” (verse 10). Here is our future experience. The Christians Hope is the personal return of the Lord Jesus Christ. The One who purchased our salvation in the past, and is assisting us in our labour of love in the present, is coming again in the future. We look forward to that time with patience [AV] or endurance [NIV], living every moment of every day in anticipation of His Second Coming - or His return from “the far country” as we discussed in a previous Herald article.
Someone once described these three phrases - “your work produced by faith” - “your labour prompted by love” - “your endurance inspired by hope” - as the three-fold cord of Christian service used to pull along the Gospel Chariot! The question is, of course, to all of us who are travelling in that chariot, are we individually and collectively pulling our weight? Could it be that the sign blazoned on the side of that chariot is ‘TOGETHERNESS’? It should certainly be our prayer that it is!
We might describe this total experience as Conversion through Faith, Consecration through Love, and Contemplation through Hope. We may accept the past, present and future; we may understand something of faith, love and hope; we may find a place for work, labour and endurance (or patience, if you prefer that word!); but if our experience is going to be total, going to be valid, going to mean anything at all, we must include conversion, consecration and contemplation—perfect points for a three-point sermon.
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” And now these three remain also: conversion, contemplation, consecration. But the greatest of these is consecration, for it is born out of the past, prepares for the future, but is very much relevant for the present. In the hymn by Frances Ridley Havergal, let us make these words our prayer.
We might describe this total experience as Conversion through Faith, Consecration through Love, and Contemplation through Hope. We may accept the past, present and future; we may understand something of faith, love and hope; we may find a place for work, labour and endurance (or patience, if you prefer that word!); but if our experience is going to be total, going to be valid, going to mean anything at all, we must include conversion, consecration and contemplation—perfect points for a three-point sermon.
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” And now these three remain also: conversion, contemplation, consecration. But the greatest of these is consecration, for it is born out of the past, prepares for the future, but is very much relevant for the present. In the hymn by Frances Ridley Havergal, let us make these words our prayer.
Take my life, and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
take my moments and my days,
et them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands, and let them move
at the impulse of Thy love;
take my feet, and let them be
swift and beautiful for Thee.
Take my lips, and let them be
filled with messages from Thee.
Take my intellect, and use
every power as Thou shalt choose.
Take my will, and make it Thine,
it shall be no longer mine;
take my heart, it is Thine own,
it shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love; my Lord, I pour
at Thy feet its treasure-store;
take myself, and I will be
ever, only, all for Thee.
consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
take my moments and my days,
et them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands, and let them move
at the impulse of Thy love;
take my feet, and let them be
swift and beautiful for Thee.
Take my lips, and let them be
filled with messages from Thee.
Take my intellect, and use
every power as Thou shalt choose.
Take my will, and make it Thine,
it shall be no longer mine;
take my heart, it is Thine own,
it shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love; my Lord, I pour
at Thy feet its treasure-store;
take myself, and I will be
ever, only, all for Thee.
There is certainly a place in our Worship Services for the three-point sermon, and we should welcome them, but there is an even greater place in our hearts and lives for the three points of our Christian experience - past, present and future - as we live them out day by day in consecrated service for the Lord.
© 2005 Denis A. Wheadon. All rights reserved. Website: http://www.Pen4God.co.uk. This document is the property of the Author and
must not be displayed on any other websites without permission. Copies may be downloaded and printed for personal use only. Any contact with
the writer or comments concerning an article, can be made by email addressed to: denis.wheadon@Pen4God.co.uk
must not be displayed on any other websites without permission. Copies may be downloaded and printed for personal use only. Any contact with
the writer or comments concerning an article, can be made by email addressed to: denis.wheadon@Pen4God.co.uk
