August 17th, Sermon & Ministry Resources

"THE UNCOMFORTABLE CHRIST" (Luke 12:49-56)

Lectionary Readings — Tenth Sunday after Pentecost — August 17, 2025

Isaiah 5:1-7; Psalm 80:1-2,8-19; Hebrews 11:29-12:2; Luke 12:49-56

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Call to Worship (based on Luke 12:49-56)

Leader: Christ came to bring fire to the earth!

People: And how he wished it were already kindled!

Leader: Come, all who are willing to be refined by his fire.

People: We come, ready to be purified and transformed.

Leader: Come, all who will follow Christ even when it costs us something.

People: We come, knowing that discipleship demands everything.

Leader: Jesus did not come to bring false peace to the earth.

People: But rather the division that truth sometimes requires.

Leader: Come, all who will choose faithfulness over comfort.

People: We come, willing to stand firm in our convictions.

Leader: Christ calls us to discern the signs of the times.

People: Help us to see your activity in our world today.

Leader: Come, all who feel the urgency of God's mission.

People: We come with hearts that burn for your purposes.

Leader: Let us worship the Christ who challenges us!

People: Let us praise the One who refines us with his fire!

Leader: Come, let us worship the uncomfortable Christ who calls us to costly discipleship!

People: We worship the One worth following, no matter the cost! Amen!

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Opening Prayer (based on Isaiah 5:1-7)

Let us pray:

Loving God, we come before You this morning knowing that You are the divine vinedresser who has planted us on fertile ground. You have cleared away the stones of our past, surrounded us with Your care, and provided everything we need to bear good fruit for Your kingdom.

We confess that too often we have been like the vineyard in Isaiah's song—recipients of Your abundant care who have produced wild grapes instead of the sweet fruit You rightfully expected. You looked for justice in our lives, but found selfishness. You hoped for righteousness in our actions, but heard the cries of those we have neglected.

Forgive us, Lord, for taking Your careful cultivation for granted. You have blessed us with Your Word, Your Spirit, and countless opportunities to grow in grace, yet we have often failed to produce the harvest of love, mercy, and justice that should flow from transformed hearts.

We acknowledge that You have every right to ask us, "What more could I have done for My vineyard that I have not done?" You have given us Your Son, poured out Your Spirit, and provided for our every need. The fault lies not in Your care but in our response.

Do not let us become a wasteland, gracious God. Continue to tend us with patience. Prune away what is unfruitful in our lives. Help us to produce the fruit of Your kingdom—justice that defends the vulnerable, righteousness that seeks Your will, and love that reflects Your heart.

As we gather for worship, cultivate in us hearts that are responsive to Your Word. Help us to examine the fruit our lives are producing and to honor the investment You have made in us. Use us as instruments of Your peace and agents of Your justice in a world that still cries out for righteousness.

We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, the true vine.

Amen

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Sermon Outline: [NOTE to Paid subscribers — scroll down for the full manuscript sermon].

[Note: All Scripture is taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible.]

Sermon Outline: "THE UNCOMFORTABLE CHRIST"

Based on Luke 12:49-56

INTRODUCTION:

• Context: Following Jesus' teachings on watchfulness and faithful living

• The jarring transition: From comforting words about God's provision to challenging words about conflict

• The uncomfortable Jesus: Not the gentle, peaceful figure we often prefer

• Central question: What does it mean to follow a Christ who brings fire and division?

• Preview: Jesus reveals his urgent mission, the inevitable divisions it creates, and our failure to recognize the significance of the moment

I. FIRE: The Urgency of Divine Mission (vv. 49-50)

A. The Mission Declared (v. 49a)

B. The Passion Expressed (v. 49b)

C. The Baptism Anticipated (v. 50)

D. Living with Divine Urgency

II. FRACTURE: The Reality of Divine Division (vv. 51-53)

A. The Shocking Declaration (v. 51)

B. The Intimate Conflict (vv. 52-53)

C. The Source of Division

D. Navigating Gospel-Centered Conflict

III. FAILURE: The Blindness to Divine Timing (vv. 54-56)

A. The Weather Wisdom (vv. 54-55)

B. The Spiritual Blindness (v. 56a)

C. The Crucial Question (v. 56b)

D. The Signs of Our Times

Conclusion: Embracing the Uncomfortable Christ

A. The Challenge of This Text

B. Personal Application

C. The Hope Within the Challenge

D. The Call to Urgent Discipleship

E. Final Challenge

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Full Manuscript Sermon Below for Paid Subscribers