Sermon Tone Analysis

Formal Elements / Descriptive Data

Text: a complete thought-unit of Scripture providing the sermon’s basis

Central Idea of the Text (CIT): details of text summarized in a complete, past tense sentence

Jesus Explained His Example of Washing His Disciples' feet:

1.

Its firm foundation (vv.

12-13)

2. Its Binding Obligation (vv.

14-15)

3. Its Blessing for Obedience (vv.

16-17)

Loving obedience like Jesus brings the blessing of His Father

Proposition: major idea of sermon summarized in a complete sentence using present, active, future indicative or imperative mood; in direct relationship to the CIT

Realizing the blessedness of serving other disciples occurs when:

1.

You build your serving on the firm foundation of who Jesus is (Jn.

13:12-13).

2. Your Binding Obligation to serve is rooted in your deep devotion and love for your Master (Jn.

13:14-15)

3.

You Base your Obedience on your knowledge of Jesus' perfect example (Jn.

13:16-17).

Statement of Purpose:

(1) Major Objective (MO) – only ONE of six possible (doctrinal, devotional ethical, evangelistic, consecrative, or supportive)

Ethical

(2) Specific Objective (SO) – focuses on only one; calls for specific action (“I want my hearer to . . .

“)

I want my beaver to realize the blessedness of serving other disciples out of his own love for Jesus.

Title (Topic/Name): 2 to 4 words with a key or arrow word usually common to all major ideas; innovative, interesting, contemporary; indicative of general sermon content; not sensational or cute

The Blessing of Christ's Example (Jn.

13:12-17)

Informal Elements / Rhetorical Data

Introduction:

Get Attention/Raise Need/Orient Theme/State Purpose

- strong, attractive, and interesting opening sentence

- personal and social material; personal bridge; social bridge

- textual material (CIT); textual bridge

- focus the sermon’s intent (Proposition)

- relational and transitional material; structural bridge

When one is a disciple of Jesus Christ, one does not look upon his work for God as just a job.

If you're a disciple of Jesus Christ, you're just as much interested in a hole in the carpet in your church as you are in a hole in the carpet in your home.

You're just as much interested in the plumbing and the heating of the church as you are in your own home.

Of course, in most cases, you can only be interested vicariously, but I'm using this as an illustration to show that a disciple is interested in everything that concerns the life and the work of the Lord, and not merely in giving the Lord the shag end of what is left over.

Years ago I heard a story that shows what so many people do in relationship with their surrender of Christ.

There was a girl who lived in a rich suburb of one of our great cities.

She went to a certain church and belonged to a certain Sunday School class.

One day a big car with a chauffeur came up to her house.

The chauffeur came in and handed her a box from her Sunday School teacher, who was a very wealthy woman.

The box contained roses, but instead of being fresh and dewy, they were just beginning to fall.

The petals were discolored, the leaves were withered and one could see that the roses had been picked for several days.

Well, the girl thought to herself, maybe Mrs. So-and-So gave the chauffeur that box several days ago and he just forgot to deliver it.

So when she met her Sunday School teacher on the street, she emphasized the word today and said, "Oh, I want to thank you for the roses you sent to me today."

The woman said, "Yes, several days ago I was out in our greenhouse and I saw these roses.

They were so beautiful, they made me think of you, so I cut them, and I've had them in our room and we've been enjoying them tremendously the last two or three days.

When I saw that the petals were beginning to fall, I put them in a box and sent them over to you today."

The girl looked at her and said, "But, but, I don't understand."

And then the woman explained.

"Listen dear," she said, "the other night my husband and I were driving down in the village, and he went into the store to get something.

While I sat in the car waiting for him, half a dozen high school girls came along, talking about the special meetings over at the church.

I heard one of the girls say, 'Well, of course, I expect to be a surrendered Christian some day, but while I'm young I want to have a good time.’‘’

Then the stunned girl said, "Why, why, I said that!

But I didn't know that you were in the car and heard it."

And her teacher said, "Yes, 'I heard it and I thought to myself: There is Mary, just like a bouquet of beautiful roses.

And she says, 'Lord, here is the blossom of my life; it is so fragrant and so beautiful, I wish to enjoy it.

In a little while, when the beauty of it has worn off and when it is beginning to droop, then I will hand over to Thee that which is remaining.

But in the strength and vigor of my life I wish to live it for myself.' " That incident was the means of turning the girl to see exactly the way she was treating the Lord Jesus Christ.

There are too many people who are like this with the Lord.

We give Him a wilted flower, but we do not give Him ourselves.

Now, Christ gave Himself for you-and there was no holding back.

It meant the cross.

It meant the tearing of nails in the flesh.

It meant the hanging of the weight of a body on those torn places in the hands and the feet.

The Bible says, "Christ gave Himself for you."

Yet it is a fact that most Christians would have to say, "I believe that Jesus Christ gave Himself for little bits of me, and I give Him little bits of myself from time to time when I have something left over.

I give Him a tip Sunday morning from 11:00 to 12:00.

And I give Him some more once in a while here and there."

But, true discipleship is something far different.

True discipleship is expressed in 2 Corinthians 8:5 where it says they "first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God."

They first gave their own selves unto the Lord.

[Donald Grey Barnhouse, The Love Life, A Study of the Gospel of John, n.d., 162–165.]

Sub-Intro:

Jesus knows that the hour has come for his return to the Father.

Having loved his own on earth, he now returns to the Father (13:1).

The disciples are swept up into Jesus’ love, despite their failure, ignorance, denial, and betrayal (vv.

21–30, 36–38).

They have a part with Jesus (see v. 8), symbolized in his washing their feet and his gift of the piece of bread to Judas (vv.

2–17; 21–38), accompanied by his words that link these gifts to the challenge of discipleship.

Jesus gives an example, that they are to do to one another as he has done to them (v.

15); and a new commandment, that they are to be known as his disciples because they love one another as he has loved them (vv.

34–35).

In this is Jesus glorified, and in him God is glorified (vv.

31–32).

The love Jesus will reveal in his self-gift will continue in the lives of “his own,” whom he leaves in the world (vv.

12–17; 33–35).

Jesus tells these things to failing disciples, whom he has chosen and whom he will send out, so that in the moment when he is glorified, they might believe that he is the revelation of God: “so that you might believe that I am he” (vv.

18–20).

[Francis J. Moloney, Love in the Gospel of John: An Exegetical, Theological, and Literary Study (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2013), 22.]

Body – Development – Outline:

I. State major idea drawn directly from the text, in a brief, complete sentence using present active, future indicative or imperative mood, strong verbs (avoid “to be” and its forms); (vs ?)

I.

An Opportunity to Learn from the Master (John 13:12-13).

Explanation (EXP): from only the selected text; 3rd person pronouns; past tense; express the “then-ness” aspect of the text itself in its historical context

A. The Posture of Fellowship: Position Yourself to Learn from Jesus (John 13:12a).

John 13:12a (KJV 1900)

12 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them,

His Return to His Place Around the Table (v.

12a).

1.

He completed the Washing.

But the foot washing is not a mere metaphor.

There are two specific applications that should be derived from this text, one passive (receiving the washing of Christ) and one active (following the example of the washing of Christ).

First, passively we are to be “spiritually” washed by Christ on a daily basis.

This is done by accepting the washing Christ performed upon us, which involves sharing in the practices and life of the church—not a full cleansing, for we are already “completely clean” (v.

10).

Second, actively we are to be serving others as Christ served us.

This is done by emulating Christ’s washing of us, which involves a heart and mind bent on serving others in a posture of humble service.

There is no need to choose between the passive and active applications of this text, since together they serve as the two legs of the Christian walk: “We [serve] because he first [served] us” (cf. 1 John 4:19).

[Edward W. Klink III, John, ed.