Sermon Tone Analysis

WE need a little proof...

Napoleon wasn't short?

Bananas don't grow on trees?

Here, the world's most contagious myths and misconceptions—debunked. Readers Digest

Updated: May 18, 2021

Napoleon Was Short

A tall tale.

At five six, he was slightly above average height for a Frenchman of the time.

Don’t Eat and Swim

This doesn’t increase the risk of cramps; alcohol is the biggest risk increaser.

But a full stomach will make you short of breath.

Salty Water Boils Quicker

Adding a sprinkle of salt to water makes no difference.

It can actually make boiling take longer.

Left and Right Brain

There’s no solid division between the talents of each hemisphere; the left brain can learn “right-brain skills” and vice versa.

Dropped Pennies Kill

Terminal velocity of a penny is 18 to 30 kilometres per hour.

Not fast enough to kill—but it sure would sting.

MSG = Headaches

There’s no scientific proof—just anecdotal evidence implicating monosodium glutamate.

These are the surprising things that could be triggering your headaches.

Great Wall of China

It’s not visible from space.

No single human structure is visible from orbit, but you can see cities at night.

Water Rotation

A flushed toilet does not rotate the other way in the Southern Hemisphere.

The Coriolis effect doesn’t alter water in toilets.

These are the myths you need to stop believing about your car.

Don’t Touch Baby Birds

Most birds have a limited sense of smell, so they won’t abandon babies who “smell” of humans.

Different Tongue Parts

There are not different sections of the tongue for each taste: bitter, sour, salt, sweet and umami (savoury/meaty).

Here are the body parts you never knew you had.

Only 10 Per Cent of the Brain is Used

The proportion of the brain “firing” at any one time is task dependent, but ultimately, every region is used almost every day.

You might be saying to yourself tonight Pastor none of that matters.

Which of course is right none of this is important.

But what John discusses truly is important.

“Behold”

Direct command (the purpose of this passage will stem from this command to behold)

Not an idle command

“Behold” in the New Testament always implies amazement

God is wanting us to Behold for the process of beholding will make a difference in the life of those that constantly behold the wrong thing or spend their life beholding nothing.

Literally John is inviting you and I to marvel, take it in, and let it wash over you.

There is a lesson to the subject you are to behold.

You are to stand in amazement as if watching a sunset you can’t stop or a tree you can’t grow.

It works this way whether you agree or not.

It starts moving and you can’t change it.

1. Behold, You are a child of God… (1)

We are the Children of God.

Remember how important this was… John would be familiar with the men in Jerusalem that wore the badge son of God to hold everyone else down.

The Pharisees of Johns day claimed a right to God because of their good works.

They lived lives of constant asceticism and sacrifice.

They measured out the Mrs. Dash in the cupboard to tithe on all that they had.

They lived by the strictest of rules… Yet behold you are the children of God.

The Father says it...

The Son says it...

The Spirit says it...

Behold means that God wants to see this love and He is not ashamed to show it to us.

“ ‘There,’ he says, ‘you poor people that love me you sick people, you unknown, obscure people, without any talent, I have published it before heaven and earth, and made the angels know it, that you are my children, and I am not ashamed of you.

I glory in the fact that I have taken you for my sons and daughters.’

” (Spurgeon)

The angels can’t claim it.

The lost can’t claim it.

The wisest, strongest and best can’t claim it.

Adam himself couldn’t claim what you and I have been given in Christ.

You are the child of God.

II.

God’s has a plan for his children… (2)

Look forward to beholding...

You are not yet what you shall be

For you have not yet seen what you will see.

v3.

For that process of beholding is changing the you now into that you will be when you behold then.

Beholding is transformational… because of where it places its hope.

“If I may use such an expression, this is not the time for the manifestation of a Christian’s glory.

Eternity is to be the period for the Christian’s full development, and for the sinless display of his God-given glory.

Here, he must expect to be unknown; it is in the hereafter that he is to be discovered as a son of the great King.”

(Spurgeon)1

1 David Guzik, 1 John, David Guzik’s Commentaries on the Bible (Santa Barbara, CA: David Guzik, 2013), 1 Jn 3:2.

Notes from David Guzik that give the real definition of what it means to be predestined:

The Bible speaks of God’s great plan for our lives like this: For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren (Romans 8:29).

God’s ultimate goal in our lives is to make us like Jesus, and here, John speaks of the fulfillment of that purpose.

This does not mean that we cease to be ourselves, full of the distinct personality and character God has given us.

Heaven will not be like the Nirvana of Eastern mysticism, where all personality is dissolved into God like a drop into the ocean.

We will still be ourselves, but our character and nature will be perfected into the image of Jesus’ perfection.

We will not be “clones” of Jesus in heaven!

The Christian should long to be like Jesus, yet remember that God will never force a person to be like Jesus if he doesn’t want to.

And that is what hell is for: people who don’t want to be like Jesus.

The sobering, eternal truth is this: God gives man what he really wants.

If you really want to be like Jesus, it will show in your life now, and it will be a fact in eternity.

If you don’t really want to be like Jesus, it will also show in your life now, and it will also be a fact in eternity.

We shall be like Him: This reminds us that even though we grow into the image of Jesus now, we still have a long way to go.

None of us will be finished until we see Jesus, and only then truly we shall be like Him.1

1 David Guzik, 1 John, David Guzik’s Commentaries on the Bible (Santa Barbara, CA: David Guzik, 2013), 1 Jn 3:2.

The mind that is thoughtful of Scripture may be running to the dipiction of Jesus in Scripture.

But there is a connection between what we will be and what we are right now.

Our lives when focused more the things above loose their hold on the things of this world.

There are two threats to this Transformational focus.