Sermon and Worship Resources

[Note: While King Duncan is enjoying a well deserved retirement we are going back to his earliest sermons and renewing them. The newly modernized sermon is shown first and below, for reference sake, is the old sermon. We will continue this updating throughout the year bringing fresh takes on King's best sermons.]

Original Name: Preparing for a Royal Visit
New Name: Getting Ready

A little boy attended his first symphony concert. He was excited by the splendid hall, the beautiful people in all their formal finery, and the sound of the large and enthusiastic orchestra. Of all the instruments in the orchestra, however, his favorite was the cymbals. The first loud, dramatic crash of those brass disks won him over without reservation. He noticed, though, that most of the evening the cymbal player stood motionless while the other musicians played. Only occasionally was the cymbal player called upon to make his contribution and even then his time of glory was quite brief.

After the concert the little boy's parents took him back stage to meet some of the musicians. The little fellow immediately sought out the cymbalist. "Say, mister," he asked sincerely, "How much do you need to know to play the cymbals?"

The musician laughed and answered, "You don't have to know much at all. You only have to know when."

Someone has said that timing is everything.Joseph Duveen, the famed art dealer, had among his clients some of the world's richest and most important collectors. There was one distinguished collector, however, that Duveen hadn't been able to add to his portfolio. That was the very knowledgeable and discriminating collector, Andrew Mellon.

To rectify this situation, over a period of time, Duveen put together a fabulous collection of valuable pieces of art with which to lure Mellon. Finally, one day he was ready to make his move. He leased the apartment directly beneath Mellon's in Washington and covered the walls with masterpieces. Then, before returning to New York, Duveen offered Mellon the key to the apartment and invited him to drop in whenever he wanted to look at the art.

It took only one visit. Mellon was hooked. He couldn't stay away. He came back night after night and stayed for hours admiring the paintings. Finally, he called Duveen; he was ready to deal. He bought the entire collection for $12 million. (1)

Duveen took his time to create a need, then filled it. That is precisely what God did through the thousands of years preceding the appearance of John the Baptist in the wilderness. God had been building the need for a Savior in human beings, making the need for the Messiah ever clearer and urgent. Thousands of years of man’s inhumanity to man. War. Genocide. Crime. Murder, Chaos and destruction. By the time John came on the scene, people were ready. The evidence of our sin, of mankind’s total depravity, was irrefutable. John the Baptist's ministry was the final chapter. The people were ready. And history has never been the same.

It was of John the Baptist that the prophet Isaiah wrote centuries before:

The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
“Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make straight in the desert
A highway for our God.

Every valley shall be exalted
And every mountain and hill brought low;
The crooked places shall be made straight
And the rough places smooth;

The glory of the Lord shall be revealed.”

In ancient days when an Oriental king planned to visit a distant part of his kingdom he sent a messenger ahead to announce the coming visit. The messenger's job was to tell the inhabitants to prepare for the king's coming - much as communities today prepare for a visit by the President or the Pope.

In those days the roads were often in poor condition. Thus, the people were expected to repair the roads so they would be smoother for the king.

Often the roads had to be straightened and the hills cut down. Doubtless, this was what Isaiah had in mind when he wrote these words of comfort and hope for his people. The King is coming. A voice cries, in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord. Get ready for a royal visitation.

Suppose you and I were on the committee. Suppose we had been chosen to make certain that the advent of the monarch was a grand success. We can think of several things we would do to prepare for a visitation by an earthly king - parades, ceremonies, the best china, a spotless house. Preparing for the “What if?” What if the King of kings were to call?

Advent is a time of preparation. We are getting ready to celebrate the birthday of the King. But suppose he didn't come as a tiny babe this time. Suppose he came in all the maturity of the Godhead. Suppose he came as our reigning Monarch. How would we prepare?

IF YOU AND I WERE ON THE COMMITTEE TO RECEIVE THE KING OF KINGS, FIRST OF ALL, WE WOULD WANT TO GET OUR COMMUNITY READY.

We are a community minded folk. It is not enough that our own grass be mowed, and our own door freshly painted where the dog scratched. We take pride in our town and our neighborhood. The trash in our neighbor's yard diminishes the worth of our own property. The junkyard at the turnoff from the highway troubles us every time we pass it. Maybe a visit from the King would be the motivation we need to do something about the appearance of our community.

This time of year, we will often see the letter X used to abbreviate the word, "Christ." Thus Christmas becomes "Xmas." Objections are often raised to this. Actually, the letter X was used repeatedly by early Christians as a coded sign for Christ. In Greek, the letter X is the first letter of the word Christ. In the early days when Christianity was an outlawed religion, Christians would often take a stick and mark the letter X in the dirt alongside the road as they walked. Anyone who saw it knew what it meant: "A Christian has passed this way." You and I do not need to scrawl Xs on sidewalks now. There is no law against being a Christian. But I do wish there was more evidence in our community that "a Christian has passed this way."

George Buttrick once noted that in the Middle Ages cities were not as sanitary as today, but the Church spire rose above them. There are still churches in cities, of course, but now almost everything else rises above the church: ”banks, office buildings, factories, cell phone towers. In the Middle Ages as you scanned your town’s horizon the church could be identified above all. That tower pointing toward the heavens. It would be very hard to pick out a cross or a spire on the skyline of today's cities. Maybe we should scrawl an X on the sidewalk, to let people know that a follower of Jesus has passed this way.

How do we make the church visible today? With all the edifices towering over it. Perhaps if our town knew we had passed this way, as they walk along the road, they saw the church helping the widow (there’s an X), mentoring the orphan and fatherless (there’s an X), feeding and clothing the poor and homeless (there’s a another X), visiting the prisoners (Xs all over the place).

Do we not know the King is coming and we need to get our neighborhood and our town ready?

WE ALSO NEED TO GET OUR FAMILIES READY. After all, our first responsibility is to those closest to us.

In a Family Circus cartoon, the little girl sits her baby brother on her lap and tells him the story of Christmas. According to her version: Jesus was born just in time for Christmas up at the North Pole surrounded by eight tiny reindeer and the Virgin Mary. Then Santa Claus showed up with lots of toys and stuff and some swaddling clothes. The three Wise men and elves all sang carols while the Little Drummer Boy and Scrooge helped Joseph trim the tree. It was Frosty the Snowman who saw the star.

Her confusion is understandable. There is a lot to learn about Christmas. Who does the teaching in your home? Someone better or the kids will piece it together from the least reputable sources.

In 2019, a man named Chris Nikic became the first person with Down syndrome to complete an Ironman triathlon 1. An Ironman triathlon consists of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and a 26.2-mile run. Chris completed the race in 16 hours, 46 minutes, and 9 seconds 1.

Chris’s father, Nik Nikic, was his biggest supporter throughout the race. Nik ran alongside Chris for the entire marathon portion of the race, encouraging him every step of the way 2. When Chris crossed the finish line, Nik was there to give him a big hug and congratulate him on his incredible achievement 2.

The Nikic family’s story is a testament to the power of love and family values. Nik’s unwavering support and encouragement helped Chris achieve something that many people thought was impossible. Their story is an inspiration to people all over the world. You see your parent doing things like that - it's the greatest lesson in the world!"

We are all influenced by our mother's life, our father’s life. We adopted their values; they live on in us.We have a duty before God to make them values worth adopting

Have you prepared your family for the coming King? Chances are that you HAVE transmitted to them your values. That almost always happens in families. The question is, will they feel uncomfortable in the presence of the King with the values that you have given them? Will those values be appropriate for the kind of King we are awaiting? If we were on the committee we would want to prepare our communities. We would want to prepare our families.

FINALLY, WE WOULD WANT TO PREPARE OURSELVES.

Now, let me tell you: It’s importance to being ready in life, to be the right person in the right place at the right time with the right thing to do.

Many of you may know the name Brandon Aubrey, and a few of you know his story. He is a former professional soccer player. Aubrey was a first-round Major League Soccer draft pick and played for several teams before transitioning to American football after being signed by the Dallas Cowboys. He made his NFL debut in 2023 and quickly made a name for himself. In his first game, he made a 60-yard field goal, setting a new NFL record. Aubrey’s success continued throughout the season. He made multiple field goals of at least 59 yards, becoming the first NFL kicker to do so. He also made history by scoring three 50-plus yard field goals in a single game, with an average kick distance of 53.5 yards per field goal attempt. A few weeks ago he scored two field goals, one 59 yards and the second 60 yards, an NFL record. No one has kicked two like that in a single game before. (note as of 12-12-23 he is 30 of 30, no misses. Check for updates on this stat.) Aubrey’s impressive performance earned him the NFC Special Teams Player of the Month award.

Aubrey’s story is a testament to being ready when your chance comes and recognizing it might come from a surprising place. Despite being a newcomer to the sport, he was able to make a significant impact and set new records.

General Douglas MacArthur, from his own experience once said, "Preparedness is the key to success and victory."

Henry Ford put it this way: "Before everything else, GETTING READY is the secret of success."

Are you ready for the King? I'm not asking if you have finished your shopping or if the tree is up or if you made the last payment on your Christmas Club account. Is your heart ready to receive the King of Kings? Prepare the way of the Lord. Store owners want us to know that there are only a limited number of shopping days left before Christmas. They don't know that the situation is a lot more important than that. The King is coming. There is only a short time to prepare for a royal visitation and you and I are on the committee. There is a lot to do in our community. There is a lot to do in our homes. And, for some of us, there is a lot to do in our own hearts.

1. FUNNY, FUNNY WORLD, July, 1985

[ORIGINAL SERMON]

The musician laughed and answered, "You don't have to know much at all. You only have to know when." Someone has said that timing is everything.

Joseph Duveen, the famed art dealer, had among his clients some of the world's richest and most important collectors. There was one distinguished collector, however, that Duveen hadn't been able to add to his portfolio. That was the very knowledgeable and discriminating collector, Andrew Mellon.

In order to rectify this situation, over the years Duveen put together a fabulous collection of valuable pieces of art with which to lure Mellon. Finally one day he was ready to make his move. He leased the apartment directly beneath Mellon's in Washington and covered the walls with these masterpieces. Then, before returning to New York, Duveen offered Mellon the key to the apartment and invited him to drop in whenever he wanted to look at the pictures.

It took only one visit. Mellon was hooked. He couldn't stay away. He came back night after night and stayed for hours admiring the paintings. Finally he called Duveen ”he was ready to deal. He bought the entire collection for $12 million." (1)

Duveen took his time to create a need, then fill it. That is precisely what God did through the thousands of years preceding the appearance of John the Baptist in the wilderness. God had been building the need for a Savior in human beings, making the need for the Messiah ever clearer and urgent as his revelation unfolded. By the time John came on the scene, some of the Jewish people who had stood for centuries in the shadows of the Incarnation were ready to receive it. John the Baptist's ministry was the final chapter. The people were ready. And history has never been the same.

It was of John the Baptist that the prophet Isaiah wrote centuries before: "A voice cries: 'In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed.'"

In those days the roads were often in poor condition. Thus the people were expected to repair the roads so they would be smoother for the king.

Often the roads had to be straightened and the hills cut down. Doubtless, this was what Isaiah had in mind when he wrote these words of comfort and hope for his people. The King is coming. A voice cries, "In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord. Get ready for a royal visitation."

IF YOU AND I WERE ON THE COMMITTEE TO RECEIVE THE KING OF KINGS, FIRST OF ALL, WE WOULD WANT TO GET OUR COMMUNITY READY.

We are a community minded folk. It is not enough that our own grass be mowed and our own door freshly painted where the dog has scratched it. We take pride in our town and our neighborhood. The trash in our neighbor's yard diminishes the worth of our own property. The junkyard at the turnoff from the highway troubles us every time we pass it. Maybe a visit from the King would be the motivation we need to do some thing about the appearance of our community.

This time of year we will often see the letter X used to abbreviate the word, "Christ." Thus Christmas becomes "Xmas." Objections are often raised to this. Actually, the letter X was used repeatedly by early Christians as a coded sign for Christ. In Greek, the letter X is the first letter of the word Christ. In the early days when Christianity was an outlawed religion, Christians would often take a stick and mark the letter X in the dirt alongside the road as they walked. Anyone who saw it knew what it meant: "A Christian has passed this way." You and I do not need to scrawl Xs on sidewalks now. There is no law against being a Christian. But I do wish there was more evidence in our community that "a Christian has passed this way."

George Buttrick once noted that in the middle ages cities were not as sanitary as today, but the Church spire rose above them. There are still churches in cities, of course, but now almost everything else rises above the church ”banks, office buildings, factories, TV antennas. It would be very hard to pick out a cross or a spire on the skyline of most of today's cities. At least we ought to scrawl an X on a sidewalk somewhere to let people know that a follower of Jesus has passed this way.

An eerie silence comes out of most churches with regard to the needs of their communities. Have you noticed? Do we not know that the King is coming and we need to get our neighborhood and our town ready?

WE ALSO NEED TO GET OUR FAMILIES READY. After all, our first responsibility is to those closest to us.

We can appreciate her confusion. There is a lot to learn about Christmas. Who does the teaching in your home?

Most of us are familiar with a colorful Texas billionaire by the name of Ross Perot. Perot is one of the richest men on earth. He is the founder of a major computer firm and is a mover and shaker around the world. He has developed an international reputation for daring exploits generally initiated for humanitarian reasons. What you may not know is how much Ross Perot loves his mother. He loves her so much that when he went to buy back a house the family once owned and found that the bricks had been painted, he had the workmen take all the bricks out and put them in backwards so the house would look as it did when his family lived in it.

Ross Perot still talks a lot about his mother. In fact, he wants to build new subdivisions of homes in Texas, putting quality schools in each one to insure that future generations are raised with the same kind of quality education his mother gave him.

Perot says that the little things she did taught him a lot and prepared him to be the kind of man he is today. During the Depression, hoboes would regularly visit the Perot household. One day one of the hoboes told Perot's mother why. Earlier destitute wanderers had put a white mark on the curb in front of the Perot home so that new hoboes would know this particular house was an easy mark. One day young Ross asked his mother if she wanted him to erase the white mark. She said no. Perot never forgot that tiny act of compassion. He said in an interview, "You sit there and see your parents doing things like that - it's the greatest lesson in the world!" Young Ross was so influenced by his mother's life that he adopted her values; they live on in him today. Her lifestyle had prepared him to accept her value system once he was on his own. (2)

FINALLY, WE WOULD WANT TO PREPARE OURSELVES.

Motivational speaker Billy Zeoli speaks of the importance of being ready in life. He defines being ready as "the right person in the right place at the right time with the right thing to do and to say and doing it and saying it."

He tells of being on the sideline with the Dallas Cowboys in San Francisco for a play-off game. The Cowboys were trailing by 15 or 16 points going into the last two minutes. Cowboy coach Tom Landry turned to a young quarterback not too long out of the Navy named Roger Staubach. Staubach was not yet Dallas' starting quarterback.

In this critical situation, with Dallas trailing in a playoff game Landry turned to Roger Staubach and said simply, "Roger, go in." Many people might have questioned a move like that. Anyone who knew Landry would not imagine that he was throwing in the towel this soon. Still he said, "Roger, Go in."

Staubach replied, "I'm ready." And he was ready. In the next one minute and 57 seconds Staubach led Dallas to two touchdowns and a field goal. Dallas won the playoff game because this young man fresh out of the Navy was ready. Are you ready?

General Douglas MacArthur, from his own experience once said, "Preparedness is the key to success and victory."

Henry Ford put it this way: "Before everything else, GETTING READY is the secret of success."

1. FUNNY, FUNNY WORLD, July, 1985
2. WASHINGTON POST MAGAZINE, April 12 and 19, 1987.

Dynamic Preaching, Collected Sermons, by King Duncan