Sermon Tone Analysis

Opening

The word extreme can be used in several connotations.

It’s a word and concept that we will be exploring today, so I am going to take from from Websters dictionary what defines the type of extreme we will be talking about.

Extreme: going to great or exaggerated lengths “Extremism” advocacy of extreme measures or views

Before we begin today, I’d like half the church to discuss and answer one question, and the other half to answer another.

Before we begin today, I’d like half the church to discuss and answer one question, and the other half to answer another.

going to great or exaggerated lengths Before we begin today, I’d like half the church to discuss and answer one question, and the other half to answer another.

advocacy of extreme measures or views

Before we begin today, I’d like half the church to discuss and answer one question, and the other half to answer another.

Those of you on my left side, please answer this question: Are there dangers of being extreme in your faith, if so what are they?

to my right: Are there positives in being extreme in your faith, if so what are they?

Growing up a child of the 90’s and teenager of the early and mid 2000’s, (I know thats not that long ago)…we used phrases like “gnarly” or “radical” as words to describe daring or extreme acts of athleticism.

On a wakeboard, if I or a friend would land a big jump.

Our cool boat driver would say…dude that was a gnarly jump” or “that was radical man!”

I haven’t heard to many negative uses of gnarly, but today to be called radical makes people think in a different connotation.

Some think terrorist, some think elitism, or racism.

Because we are living in a society that feels it necessary label everything and everyone, being painted a radical or an extremist can often discredit someones entire identity, especially in regards to someones politics and more importantly, within their faith.

As faithful SDA Christians living everyday as another day closer to the coming of Christ, you should know, whether you are hold extreme views, or participate in extreme practices or not, that label of “extremist” will more than likely said about you.

And you know what, thats okay....if living in faithfulness as a response to God’s love for us, and our love for him makes us radical or extreme, I will gladly bear that label.

But the negative side, such as hatred, or violence…or maybe exclusivism, I’m not sure is the gospel that is alive in us.

Today we are actually going to talk about how to live in wisdom, and even discover what extreme wisdom looks like.

Before we go further, lets take a moment to pray.

Body

If you have your Bibles , I would encourage you to turn to the book Ecclesiastes, chapter 7.

The book of Ecclesiastes has several themes within its chapters, to some studiers, the author appears to have given up.

Depending on the translation you are using when studying, you hear the words, vanity, and meaningless to describe different life pursuits.

Ecclesiastes makes a point of showing that life is perplexing and short (1:2–11).

It also illustrates the confusion of life, questioning why the wicked prosper and injustice abounds (3:16; 4:1–5).

The author shows the limitations of wisdom while affirming its importance (2:12–17; 7:1–13).

Ecclesiastes exposes the utter emptiness of life without God.

The pursuits often thought to give life meaning—wealth, work, power, knowledge, and pleasure—are all fleeting.

They are ultimately poor substitutes for serving God (Eccl 12).

Likewise, learning cannot result in a meaningful life, because there will always be something that doesn’t make sense.

As the author discovers, self-reliance and reason are deceptive devices.

The pain of our struggles with futility and injustice should rightly prompt us to go to God.

The book talks largely about the human existence on earth has not very much to offer, in comparison with what God has in store those who turn to him.

God is the only one whom has anything to offer that is lasting.

I give you this introduction to the book, so that we can now focus on a passage that totally gave me a paradigm shift my sophomore year in college, which is found in verses 15-18 of chapter 7.

The author, thought to be Solomon, by some, or someone else speaking from or about his generation, is atleast someone who has lived a full life, and seen vanities of all sorts: says:

15 In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these:

the righteous perishing in their righteousness,

and the wicked living long in their wickedness.

16 

Do not be overrighteous,

neither be overwise—

why destroy yourself?

17 

Do not be overwicked,

and do not be a fool—

why die before your time?

18 

It is good to grasp the one

and not let go of the other.

Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes.

Its a profound message to say the least; to understand better we can look back at verse 14 where the the author says, there are times that will be joyful, but also days full of adversity.

People should accept both good and bad situations in life, recognizing that they are dependent on God, not their circumstances.

Verse 18 tells us fearing God, makes us avoid all extremes.

Yet if you look throughout history, we can think of all to many extreme examples of acts of violence, persecution, and even genocide, all in the name of God.

So how can this be true?

Many would say: these examples that come to mind are where the people who were acting in God’s name, were not truly God’s servants, but were acting for reasons other than God compelling them.

Let’s present and summarize the extremes:

Over-righteous—and overwise----leads to self-destruction

Overwickedness---becomes a fool----self-destruction which could have been prevented.

Logically, you may have questions with these Biblical assertions.

First off: Is there such a thing of being too righteous?

Or can someone really be to wise?

Those 2 descriptions seem on the outside as only positive.

On the other end, or ditch, one might wonder what the author means by saying not be overly-wicked----is that permission to be somewhat wicked?

Then you might wonder again, just simply logically, is the author trying to put us somewhere in the middle, because that would mean he wants us to be a little righteous, a little wise, but also a little wicked, and a little bit a fool.

My intention to say all this: is to muddy any pre-concieved notions you may already have about extremes.

Let’s look a little closer, starting with wisdom and righteousness.

The author points out that even the most righteous man or woman perishes.

What is being described here is acts of righteousness.

I say that because his working definition of someone who is righteous or overly righteous is based upon his/her acts of righteous living.

Good works, good deeds.

Jesus counseled a young rich, and by all accounts righteous man, addressing his question of what more could he do to be saved?

Jesus of course tells him to give up everything he has and follow him.

While the young man had outwardly done and said all the right things.

He was by all outwardly accounts a righteous man, but Jesus could see beyond the exterior and see what was at his core, and it was not God’s spirit that was driving him.

Salvation is not found in legalism, or righteous deedseither.

Strict adherence to a list of do's and don'ts is not what Christian salvation is about.

reads, "no one will be declared righteous in his [God's] sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin."

We all "fall short of the glory of God" ( NIV).

This overly righteous description used in Ecclesiastes can be a symptom of declaring you have found all the answers.

Salvation is not found in legalism, either.

Strict adherence to a list of do's and don'ts is not what Christian salvation is about.

reads, "no one will be declared righteous in his [God's] sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin."

We all "fall short of the glory of God" ( NIV).

Have you ever met that person who you felt was to smart for his own good.

When i was a student at Pisgah, there was a guy who was in our class, whose intelligence was off the charts.

He had no troubles academically.

In fact, the teachers had difficulty challenging him.

His struggles lied in his ability to cultivate meaningful relationships.

He rubbed many the wrong way, because most everything that came out of his mouth sounded condescending.

I really felt for this guy, because I knew he desired to have friendships, but it seemed he couldn’t help but make angry even those who were trying to be his friend.

He had all the knowledge and academic smarts one could ask for....overly in fact.

But I wouldn’t call him a truly wise person because he had very little discernment as to what to do with all that knowledge.

True wisdom is not just simply knowledge, but also discernment in making choices as to how to use knowledge.

I would suggest to you this being overly-wise statement isn’t any type of wisdom at all, but merely an imposter of wisdom, what that is full of knowledge but no sense in deriving purpose from it.

Throughout the book, Ecclesiastes calls such “wisdom” vanity and meaningless.

You can see this clearly in chapter 2 verse 15

Then I said in my heart, “What happens to the fool will happen to me also.

Why then have I been so very wise?”