Sermon Tone Analysis

! Introduction:

Welcome to this study in the class for Philosophy of Ministry.

In this week, Pastor Ronnie Mitchell will be speaking on the subject of The Character of the Minister.

And we know that the Lord’s desire that his servants would have a Godly character.

So Pastor Ronnie goes back to the Bible and gets some Godly examples that we can look to for our own lives.

Now, we look at the live of Ezra, Chapter 9 and starting off here this evening looking at a deep concern for God’s law, a deep concern for their well being.

If you are going to minister in any capacity I think that is what the Lord would want.

Peter says that the Elders should not Lord over the flock but serve them and be an example because they realize that the chief shepherd is the one that owns the flock and we are just His, the one’s that He’s placed in charge for a time but they ultimately belong to him, Acts Chapter 20 the flock which He purchased with His own blood.

So they belong to the Lord and I believe what the Lord desires to do is to gather a group of people, whether that is in a small context, in a Sunday School class with kids or adults or Pastor a church, God would want you to have the same love that Christ has for His flock and to treat them in that way.

And although this is a kind of a negative context in Ezra Chapter 9, that is not what I’m only focusing on is when people get into trouble but just the concern that He has for the flock is demonstrated here.

It says that when these things were done the leaders came to me saying, the people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands with the respect to the abomination of the Canaanites the Hittites the Terizites the Jezubites, the Ammonites the Moabites, the Egyptians and the Amorites.

For they have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, the holy seed in intermingled with the peoples of those lands.

And that was one of the purpose for marriage and the Book of Malachi was to raise up Godly seed and Godly offspring and so God said you are not to be unequally yoked as we call it today.

And they were doing that.

In deed the hand of the leaders and rulers has been foremost in this trespass, so when I heard this thing I just said, no big deal, let’s just move on . .

(chuckle . .

no) He say’s I tore my garments and my robe and plucked out some of the hair on my head and beard and sat down astonished.

Now , again, I’m going to look at this, it’s not only because something that was wrong but obviously it shows you the deep concern that he has for the people.

They are going in the wrong direction and it’s not a reflection on him, it’s a refection on the people, it’s a reflection on the Lord and he knows that consequences if these people continue in that direction and it just astonishes him.

And you know, I’m not telling you to go home and rip your clothes and pluck your hair out and you know sit down like that but it is a great concern that he has.

I think that’s what the Lord would desires for us in ministering the people that we would love the sheep that we care for.

In the Bible Jesus is our example, the Shepherd lays His life down for the flock and Jesus obviously did that and He would call us to do the same thing, through sacrifice, to do without, whatever it is, to see that God’s children are taken care of.

Otherwise, it’s a routine that you are going through, there is no real love, no real passion and when the times get difficult you may want to flee as the Bible says that’s the hireling who leaves the flock in danger where the true shepherd will fight off the wolves or whatever it is that is taking place.

And it starts with just that deep love, that s when you really have to find out, you know, what is it that God has called me to do?

Because I believe He will give you a deep love and concern for the people that you are ministering to and so not just looking at the function of your ministry but looking at your heart.

And only God could give you that type of love.

And you know, you will be tested, but the Lord gives you that staying power of love just to continue to want the best and to continue to be patient and loving and kind towards the people the Lord would give to you.

Look over at Nehemiah, there are lots of things to be said about the life of Nehemiah Chapter 5 - And I put Matthew 6:33 which speaks about seeking first the Kingdom of God and that is where our hearts need to be.

And Nehemiah the one concern that he had was getting this wall rebuilt and he had a pretty nice position coming from the government position that he had plus coming into the leadership position there is Israel, in vs. 14 of Chapter 5 - it says, moreover from the time I was appointed to be their governor in the Land of Judah, from the twentieth year until the thirty second year of King Artistries, 12 years neither I nor my brothers ate the governors provisions.

But the former governors who had been before me laid burdens on the people and took from them bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver, yes even their servants bore rule over the people but I did not do so because of fear of God.

And so he did not follow the patterns of the other governors who took the privileges that the governor was given but he feared God, he realized that people were burdened as it was.

And he was concerned again, he was concerned for the flock not for his own well being, and that is what it is often going to take in your life to serve God’s people is sacrifice on your own.

And you know, I know that in this church there are people who are just doing things all the time that no one knows about other than the Lord.

It’s sacrifices that they make.

Personal sacrifices, whether it’s from their own financial things that they would bring into the ministry, never asking to be reimbursed or giving things out or their time or effort or energy and labor and all that goes on because their heart is for the Kingdom of God.

And you see that here in Nehemiah, although he had the rights and it was accessible to him, he wanted to set an example.

It says, in deed I also continued the work on this wall, we did not buy any land all my servants were gathered there for the work.

So the focus was on getting this wall built, the Kingdom of God being furthered.

Moreover, there were at my table over 150 Jews and Rulers besides those who came to us from the Nations around us.  So, he also provided for others.

So, instead of taking he gave back.

Now, that which was provided for me daily was one ox, six choice sheep, also fowl were prepared for me, and once every ten days an abundance of all kinds of wine, yet in spite of this I did not demand the governors provisions because the bondage was heavy on this people.

Remembering my God for my good according to all that I have done for this people.

So, you say, well look at all that food he had in vs. 18, well it wasn’t coming from the people, there were provisions that were given to him and he dispersed it with all these people that came and ate at his table, something that he didn’t have to do.

But again, he identified himself with the people, he says their bondage is heavy and we are not going to make it worse and then he just says, Lord you remember.

There are a lot of sacrifices that you will make.

But, if your heart is in the right place you won’t consider it to be a sacrifice.

I hate when people make use of that term, and I think they do not quite understand.

If you think it’s a BIG giant sacrifice that you are making, you know for the ministry then something is wrong.

I like that in the Old Testament where God says “Quit saying that phrase, a burden of the Lord,” you know, the Burden of the Lord, the Burden of the Lord, you know, it’s not a burden.

I mean, if God’s called you to do it, it’s no BIG burden, and it’s no sacrifice, you are willing to lay your life down, let alone food or finances or whatever it is, when God puts that call upon your heart.

Again, seeking first the Kingdom of God, then you pray, Lord, remember me.

You know, you’ve seen this good that I’ve done.

And you know when I first started pasturing here, we definitely had to walk by faith because what happened was the pastor that I took over, passed away from cancer and he by God’s grace bought a life insurance policy like the week before he went to the doctor to find out about his sickness, made the first $50.00 payment or $30.00 whatever it was and it was right after that week he got sick and went to the doctor.

Now, the Life Insurance Company said, Hey there is something fishy here and they wouldn’t pay his widow the money.

So the church could not afford to bring me on and pay, well basically they had this board meeting, like what are we going to do to support the pastor’s wife, and so basically all their money went to that to help sponsor here which meant I was going to school and working full time and also pasturing full time.

That’s just the way my life has been, I’ve always just been real busy, real active and just laboring up until about 2 years ago, I worked a side job along with pasturing the church and I just didn’t want to be a burden or have to come to the board and say I need more money or I need this or that, I wanted God to put it in their hearts to want to provide for me, in a way that I wouldn’t have to ask, I mean you think about it, do you want to go to somebody and say, can I have a raise, I need more money and you’re a pastor of a church?

So, you just kind of do what you need to do.

There are a lot of times that you know, financially our church went up and down and I knew when there were finances available to have an increase and I knew when there wasn’t.

And so I never saw it as a sacrifice or some great big burden, I just did what I had to do.

And now, we’re at a point where praise the Lord but that’s not even a concern and the Lord just keeps blessing my life in so many different ways and so many little things.

And I think the Lord remembers those things that you have done unto the Lord and He makes up for it.

And let me just give you an example tonight when I got here, some guy gave me an envelope and said, here these are for you.

I didn’t know what was in it, and so I opened it up when I got here and two tickets to the Phantom of the Opera, my wife loves that, just a gift, a token.

Those are expensive things to you know, a special night out.

So, it’s just like the Lord gives you these things on the side and provides for you and He more than makes up for anything that you would ever think you sacrificed for God.

And I know when you get to heaven, He is going to reward you on top of that, the Lord wants to give.

The Lord loves to bless his kids.

And so, like Nehemiah he saw the burden, he didn’t want to be a burden, he didn’t want to increase the burden to anybody so he took the burden.

And that’s what a ministry does.

If you are truly called of God for the ministry.

Just like the Father of his kids.

They need something, you go out and you provide for, you do whatever you have to do, you work a little overtime or whatever it is, you’ll chop a tree down somewhere or mow someone’s lawn, you do what you have to do to provide those things, and you don’t say, you have to sacrifice, it’s just you love and out of love you’re willing to give.

And in the process, the beauty of it is that you are blessed because Jesus said it’s more blessed to give than to receive.

You feel like, hey I’m somewhat giving back unto the Lord, all He has done for me at the cross.

And that is where the heart needs to be.

So if you see it as a burden or a sacrifice then you really need to go before the Lord and ask Him to do some work there in your heart.

It should be Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God, and the rest you let Him take care of it and He’ll take care of you.

Let’s go over to Timothy, we’ll spend some time in 2nd Timothy this is where the bulk of our study will be tonight.

2nd Timothy Chapter 2, this is a passage that I think you just need to meditate on, you don’t really need a Greek analysis of the passage and this verb and this form, you just need to read it over and over and over again.

You need to meditate on this portion in the Word of God.

I find myself going back to this over and over and over again for added strength and insight and wisdom, just keeping me on the straight and narrow.

Because Paul does say, in vs. 7 - consider what I say and may the Lord give you understanding in all things.

So there he is asked to stop and consider these things, and so often we just read right through it on our own.

But he says consider and the Lord will give you understanding.

And I have found that this portion of Scripture, almost like any other is one that you do need to stop and consider and God will speak to your heart.

As long as I have been studying the Bible and teaching and been in ministry these truths come back to me over and over again, for principles for your life.

It’s one of those you just contemplate, yet it’s not meant to be dissected like the Book of Romans you are working through and its all doctrinal and each has part has its point, God wants you to speak to you from this portion of the Word.

And in vs. 1, He says you therefore my son be strengthened in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

Be strengthened by the grace of God.

And that’s where it starts in real life that we don’t have strength, we need strength and that comes from God.  Ministry is going to take the power of God to endure the things that you go through to give you the stamina, to give you the freverentcy, the continued fire, the continued zeal to study.

I know for myself, I love to study.

I could study for hours on end, yea my neck gets a little kinked and I have to stretch a little, but that is about it.

I find I do not have enough time to study.

So, it’s not like, Oh, I have to study the Bible and give a study, No, it’s like, I just want to dig in and get into it.

And I know that is the grace of God’s strength in my heart to do that.

Because there are other people, you know that they’re ministry is prayer and they just love to pray and it’s like God just gives them a grace to pray and they are prayer warriors, and I just love to pray with people like that because it’s like when they pray they touch the Lord and it’s like, ah, I wish I could pray that way, but you know God has given them the grace to have that ministry.

Others may be for the kids, others may be for junior and high school or evangelism or outreach, street witnessing, it’s how is God going to strengthen you?

What area is He going to grace you so that you could do the work of God?

And this is where we have to be careful, see I can’t place on you what God’s expectations of my life are.

I just have to be obedient to His call and He is going to give me the grace to do that.