The Fig Tree & The Failure of Language: Rob Bell

The Fig Tree & the Failure of Language

Rob Bell

A sermon has an engine

an energy source

A sermon comes from somewhere

Why are you saying this?

Why do we need to hear this?

Why should we care?

Why do you care?

What’s the spark, impulse, insight, twist, revelation, truth, picture, reality that has compelled you to say these things at this time?
….in 30 seconds

1.) Moment
2.) Movement
3.) Mystery

Matthew 21

Fig Tree—withered
Fig tree = symbol of Jewish religious leadership

Moment---
curse fig treeAdd historical contextAdd details (people fill in consequences and implications themselves)

2 Kings 5
Namaan—leprosy—wash 7 x’s in JordanNo God except Israel
Localized deitiesconverts to expanded consciousness
Rimmon—go in peace/shalom/blessing/wholeness

Following JC gets complicated/fuzzy

“Ambiguous/fuzzy Sunday”

Moment—
Following God puts us in awkward situations because maybe that’s where God wants us

Movement

Genesis 27

Jacob = Esau

Genesis 32

name = Jacob

Movement—
Finally comfortable in own skin

Matthew 7:6

Pearls to pigs

Matthew 7:1

Do not judge

Matthew 6:25

Don’t worry

Matthew 6:32

God knows

Movement—
Life in kingdom is about entrusting life to God

Way of JC and trusting others to God’s care

Judging—correct/contempt/rebuke/control/shame

Pearl = good; Pig = unable to appreciate the pearl

Psalm 1

Blessed do not walk

stand

sit

Movement—
Walk with something

Stand around

Sit—harder to get away; got comfortable

Mystery

Philippians 1:6
Began Good work—completion

Genesis
Beginning

Good

Completed

When you opened yourself up to the redeeming love, you opened yourself up to the Creator of the universe.

Exodus 20

not covet—internal

10th—reward; if you follow the 1st 9, you won’t want anyone else’s life

Revelation 4

throne/lamb

Psychology of worship—gather once a week to be reminded there is a center and a throne and I’m not on it.

Picture with infinite depth

Worship started infinity ago…we’re just joining now!

Everything in a sermon is related to everything else in the sermon
Name the parts

know the parts

be aware of the parts

feel the parts

step outside the parts

Arranging in a purposeful way.

@ end of story—where are the people?

Naming particular parts
Reading the passage

information

story

question

Picture

Rant

Action

Insight—(sermon opens up to critique & truth & repentance)

Observation—have you noticed?

Statistic

Declaration—here is what we’re about

Invitation

Knowing and arranging a flow

How long can I keep people in this?

Tension = people are listening

“I know I’m in good hands”

Speed—how fast? How slow?

Intensity—If you don’t care, how are we supposed to?

Tension—what is this about?

Pacing

Tone

Posture

Arc—where is this going? Where does this land?

Openers that overwhelm—(can’t recover from it)
No rules other than knowing what you’re doing
Storyboard

End ≠accumulating content

Storyteller knows what to tell and what not to tell

These parts have worked on you…

You have wrestled with these parts…

lived it so much you are in tune with it

Tension is your friend, just know how it behaves

Can’t memorize it all, but can memorize parts

Give each part a name—names create a trigger

Physical outline (objects)

“This thing just worked on me”

what is the nugget?

Every time you gain something, you lose something

A sermon creates a picture, a space, an image, an experience, an encounter, a world, a place that allows people to find themselves in it

Focused and yet open

Said and yet unsaid

Defining and yet imaging

Resolute and yet unresolved

Creating space = gift you give

Not everyone in the congregation is at the same place!!

A sermon should be where everyone is met where they are & invited to the next place

mystery & art & discipline

We want people to be here, but they can’t get there because they’re back there

This is about that…which is really about that…which is…This! (find the thing behind the thing behind the thing behind the thing)

Meet people where they are!

Where is the redemptive moment?

Cathedral of words

Word goes forth & eac h person swears it was for them….

That was for me…