Ragtime
SUMMARY
This sermon, part of a series called "The Gospel According to Broadway," uses the musical Ragtime as a lens to explore one of the deepest longings of the human heart: the dream that this broken world can become something more. Set at the dawn of the 20th century, Ragtime weaves together the stories of three groups divided by race, class, and nationality, each searching for a better life and a better future. The sermon connects this longing to Hebrews 11, where the faithful are described as strangers and foreigners who desired a better country, and to Revelation 21, where God promises to make all things new. Pastor Raigan challenges the congregation to understand that the Christian hope is not simply about escaping to heaven, but about God's kingdom coming down to earth. Christians are called to live between the "already" and the "not yet" of God's kingdom, acting as a preview of the world God is redeeming. Just as the musical's anthem "Make Them Hear You" calls people to carry the story forward, the church is called to make the world hear the gospel not by shouting louder, but by living differently: welcoming strangers, feeding the hungry, working for justice, and embodying the reconciliation and renewal that God has promised.
INTRO PRAYER
Heavenly Father, we come before You today as people who live between promise and fulfillment. We have glimpsed Your kingdom from a distance, and we long to see it more clearly. As we gather together now, we ask that You open our hearts and minds to what You want to speak to each of us. Set aside our distractions, our assumptions, and our defenses. Let Your Spirit move freely in this group, convicting us where we need conviction, encouraging us where we need encouragement, and challenging us where we need to grow. May this time together draw us closer to You and to one another. In Jesus' name, Amen.
ICE BREAKER
What is one dream you had as a child about what your future would look like, and how did it turn out?
KEY VERSES
QUESTIONS
The sermon describes three groups in Ragtime, each longing for a better life. What is a longing in your own life that you believe reflects something God has placed in your heart?
Hebrews 11 describes people who saw God's promises from a distance but never fully
received them in their lifetime. How do you personally hold on to faith when the fulfillment of God's promises feels far away?Pastor Raigan draws a contrast between the American Dream and God's dream. In what ways have you seen those two dreams conflict in your own life or in the culture around you?
The sermon introduces the theological idea of the "already and the not yet," meaning Christ has come and conquered death, but pain, injustice, and brokenness still exist. How does this tension show up in your daily life as a follower of Jesus?
Pastor Raigan describes Jesus as a "proleptic" presence, meaning the future God has promised broke into the present through Christ's life, death, and resurrection. Where do you see glimpses of God's promised future breaking into the world today?
Coalhouse Walker's dream unravels when he encounters racism and injustice, and the sermon asks: what do you do when the dream and the reality are miles apart? How have you personally wrestled with that question in a season of loss or disappointment?
The sermon says the church is called to be a "preview of coming attractions," giving the world a glimpse of what God is doing. What would it look like practically for your small group or your church to be that kind of preview in your community?
The closing challenge is to "make them hear you" not by shouting louder, but by living differently. What is one specific area of your life where you feel called to live in a way that points others toward God's kingdom?
LIFE APPLICATIONS
This week, identify one concrete way you can be a "preview of coming attractions" in your everyday life. It might be showing generosity to someone in need, extending forgiveness to someone who has hurt you, welcoming a person who feels like an outsider, or advocating for
justice in a situation where it is lacking. Choose one action, commit to it before the group, and come back next week ready to share what happened. Remember: the world will begin to believe that another world is possible when it sees that world taking shape in you.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Deep human longings, such as the desire for peace, justice, and belonging, are not accidents. They point us toward the better country that God has promised and that our hearts were made for.
Christians live in the tension of the "already and the not yet." God's kingdom has broken into the world through Jesus Christ, but its fullness has not yet arrived, and we are called to live faithfully in that in-between space.
The biblical story does not end with humanity escaping a broken earth. It ends with God redeeming creation, as Revelation 21 shows heaven coming down and God making all things new.
The American Dream and God's dream are not the same. The gospel calls us away from self-advancement and toward self-giving, community, reconciliation, and justice for all people.
The church is called to "make them hear you" by living differently, embodying generosity, forgiveness, welcome, and justice so that the world can see a glimpse of the world God is bringing.
ENDING PRAYER
Lord God, thank You for the time we have shared today. Thank You for the reminder that You are not finished with this world, and You are not finished with us. We confess that we do not always live as people who believe that You are making all things new. Forgive us for the times we have settled for lesser dreams, turned inward, or lost hope when the world felt too broken. Renew our vision of the better country You have promised. Send us out from this place to live as people of that promise, to welcome the stranger, to work for justice, to extend grace, and to point everyone we meet toward Jesus Christ. May our lives be a witness that another world is possible, because You are already at work bringing it. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.
