Sermon Tone Analysis

THE QUESTION RANG OUT ACROSS THE LIBRARY.

EVAN TODD HEARD IT.

HE SAID . . .

“I DIDN’T KNOW IT WAS CASSIE, BUT I HEARD A VOICE FROM A PART OF THE ROOM WHERE I LATER (LEARNED CASSIE WAS LOCATED.)

SHE WAS TALKING TO THE GUNMEN.

SHE WAS PRAYING OUT LOUD AND THEY ASKED HER IF SHE BELIEVED IN GOD AND SHE SAID YES.

THEN, THEY SHOT HER!” SO ENDED THE LIFE OF CASSIE BERNALL, APRIL 21, 1999.

ACCOUNTS LIKE THIS LEAVE ME FEELING BOTH SAD AND UNCOMFORTABLE.

I FEEL SAD BECAUSE, QUITE FRANKLY, THE THOUGHT OF SOMEONE AS YOUNG AS CASSIE DIE IS A VERY TRAGIC THING.

I FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE BECAUSE I AM LEFT WONDERING WHAT I WOULD HAVE SAID IF I HAD BEEN THERE AND HAD BEEN ASKED THE QUESTION.

BY THE WAY, WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE SAID?

I THINK WE ALL ARE GLAD THAT WE ARE NOT CALLED UPON TO MAKE SUCH STARK CHOICES.

TO STAND UTHE QUESTION RANG OUT ACROSS THE LIBRARY.

EVAN TODD HEARD IT.

HE SAID . . .

“I DIDN’T KNOW IT WAS CASSIE, BUT I HEARD A VOICE FROM A PART OF THE ROOM WHERE I LATER (LEARNED CASSIE WAS LOCATED.)

SHE WAS TALKING TO THE GUNMEN.

SHE WAS PRAYING OUT LOUD AND THEY ASKED HER IF SHE BELIEVED IN GOD AND SHE SAID YES.

THEN, THEY SHOT HER!” SO ENDED THE LIFE OF CASSIE BERNALL, APRIL 21, 1999.

P FOR CHRIST WHEN OUR LIVES ARE ON THE LINE IS A LEVEL OF COMMITMENT THAT MOST OF US DO NOT WANT TO THINK ABOUT.

BUT JUST BECAUSE WE ARE NOT ASKED QUESTIONS OF FAITH WITH GUNS POINTED AT OUR HEADS DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE ARE EXEMPT FROM DIFFICULT CHOICES.

THIS WORLD, ESPECIALLY IN THIS DAY IS NO FRIEND OF GRACE.

THE MARCH 2ND ISSUE OF THE CAPE COD TIMES THE FOLLOWING STORY ABOUT A FRAMINGHAM, MA HIGH SCHOOL APPEARED.

IT SEEMS THAT 2 OUT OF THE 10 HIGH SCHOOL SEX EDUCATION TEACHERS CHOSE TO USE A HANDOUT IN CLASS TO TEACH SEXUAL TOLERANCE TO THEIR STUDENTS.

APROXIMATELY 100 STUDENTS RECIEVED THE HANDOUT.

AMONG OTHER THINGS THE HANDOUT POSED THE FOLLOWING 2 STATEMENTS/QUESTIONS. "IF YOU HAVE NEVER SLEPT WITH SOMEONE OF THE SAME SEX, HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU WOULDN'T PREFER THAT?" "ISN'T IT POSSIBLE YOU NEED A GOOD GAY EXPERIENCE?" (TALK ABOUT AN OXYMORON!)

OR JUST CONSIDER THESE CULTURAL INDICATORS: SINCE 1960, VIOLENT CRIME HAS RISEN 560 PERCENT, ILLEGITIMATE BIRTHS HAVE INCREASED 400 PERCENT, TEEN SUICIDES HAVE RISEN 200 PERCENT, DIVORCE RATES HAVE QUADRUPLED, AVERAGE SAT SCORES HAVE DROPPED 80 POINTS, AND THE PROPORTION OF CHILDREN LIVING IN FATHERLESS FAMILIES HAS TRIPLED.

WE LIVE IN PERILOUS TIMES!

CHRISTIANS ARE CALLED UPON TO MAKE INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT CHOICES!

ONE BELIEVER, WORKING FOR A COMPANY THAT DID A LARGE PART OF ITS BUSINESS WITH MICROSOFT, WAS IN THE HABIT OF SAYING TO CLIENTS UPON FINISHING THEIR BUSINESS ON THE PHONE, “HAVE A BLESSED DAY!” WHEN SHE SAID THAT TO A MICROSOFT EMPLOYEE, THE EMPLOYEE ALLEGEDLY RESPONDED, “WE DON’T PLAY THAT GAME HERE.”

MICROSOFT CALLED THE COMPANY AND HAD THE LADY FIRED FOR INJECTING RELIGION INTO THE WORKPLACE.

NO, WE MAY NOT FACE A GUN POINTED AT OUR HEAD LIKE CASSIE DID, BUT WE ARE BEGINNING TO FACE INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT CHOICES.

WE LIVE IN PERILOUS TIMES!

THEY ARE PERILOUS, BUT THEY ARE NOT UNIQUE.

IN FACT, PAUL WROTE ABOUT TIMES LIKE THIS IN THE FIRST CENTURY WHEN HE WROTE IN 2 TIM.

3:1-5 (READ THE PASSAGE).

NOW YOU MUST UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN PAUL WROTE ABOUT THE “LAST DAYS” HE CONSIDERED HIMSELF TO BE LIVING IN THEM.

HE FULLY EXPECTED THE RETURN OF CHRIST VERY SOON, AND IN THIS CHAPTER, HE TELLS TIMOTHY HOW HE CAN ENDURE THESE LAST DAYS.

THAT’S RIGHT PAUL TELLS TIMOTHY, AND, BY EXTENSION, YOU AND ME HOW WE CAN SURVIVE IN THESE “LAST DAYS.”

IF PAUL WERE HERE TODAY I BELIEVE HE MIGHT SAY, “THE GUN OF POLITICAL CORRECTNESS MAY BE POINTED AT YOUR SPIRITUAL HEAD; THE MUZZLE OF MORAL DECAY MAY BE DIRECTED AT YOUR SKULL; THE MAGAZINE OF THEOLOGICAL LIBERALISM MAY BE LOADED, AND THE GUNSIGHT OF SPIRITUAL COMPROMISE MAY BE AIMED AT YOU, BUT YOU CAN STILL SURVIVE.

MORE THAN THAT, YOU CAN THRIVE IN THESE “LAST DAYS.”

HOW, PAUL?

HOW CAN WE THRIVE IN TIMES LIKE THIS?

VV. 14-15 OF CHAPTER 3 GIVE THE ANSWER.

IT SAYS,

BUT YOU MUST CONTINUE IN THE THINGS WHICH YOU HAVE LEARNED AND BEEN ASSURED OF, KNOWING FROM WHOM YOU HAVE LEARNED THEM, AND THAT FROM CHILDHOOD YOU HAVE KNOWN THE HOLY SCRIPTURES WHICH ARE ABLE TO MAKE YOU WISE FOR SALVATION THROUGH FAITH WHICH IS IN CHRIST JESUS.

HOW DO WE THRIVE IN THIS ANTAGONISTIC CULTURE?

WE MUST “CONTINUE” IN THE THINGS WHICH WE HAVE LEARNED, PAUL SAYS.

AND HE IDENTIFIES VERY CLEARLY THE SOURCE OF THOSE THINGS IN TIMOTHY’S LIFE: THE SOURCE OF THOSE “THINGS” IS “THE HOLY SCRIPTURES.

SURVIVING AND EVEN THRIVING IN A HOSTILE WORLD WILL DEPEND ON HOW WE FOLLOW THE HOLY SCRIPTURES; HOW WE GET INTO THIS BOOK AND HOW WE ALLOW THIS BOOK TO GET INTO OUR LIVES!

DO STATEMENTS LIKE THAT EVER BOTHER YOU? DO YOU FIND YOURSELF ASKING WHY WE PUT SO MUCH EMPHASIS ON THE BIBLE?

DO YOU EVER WONDER WHY WE MAKE SUCH A BIG DEAL OUT OF BEING A “BIBLE” CHURCH AND WHY WE KEEP HARPING ON HAVING A “QUIET TIME” IN WHICH WE ENCOURAGE BELIEVERS TO STUDY GOD’S WORD?

WHAT MAKES THIS BOOK SO SPECIAL?

MORE SPECIFICALLY, WHAT IS IT ABOUT THE WORD OF GOD THAT WILL ALLOW YOU TO THRIVE IN DAYS LIKE THESE?

VERSES 16 AND 17 OF THIS CHAPTER GIVE US THE ANSWER:

ALL SCRIPTURE IS GIVEN BY INSPIRATION OF GOD, AND IS PROFITABLE FOR DOCTRINE, FOR REPROOF, FOR CORRECTION, FOR INSTRUCTION IN RIGHTEOUSNESS, THAT THE MAN OF GOD MAY BE COMPLETE, THOROUGHLY EQUIPPED FOR EVERY GOOD WORK.

WHY SHOULD WE STUDY THIS BOOK?

PAUL GIVES US THREE REASONS IN THESE TWO VERSES.

THE FIRST ONE IS THIS: WE SHOULD STUDY THE BIBLE:

DIVISION 1 - BECAUSE OF THE POWER IT HAS

EXPLANATION

PAUL INDICATES THAT THERE IS A QUALITY ABOUT THE SCRIPTURE THAT MAKES IT LIKE NO OTHER BOOK.

HE SAYS IT IS GIVEN BY “INSPIRATION” OF GOD.

THAT WORD, “INSPIRATION,” IS TRANSLATED FROM THE GREEK WORD, THEOPNEUSTOS.

IN GREEK THE PREFIX THEO ALWAYS STANDS FOR “GOD.”

FOR INSTANCE, THE WORD, “THEOLOGY,” MEANS “THE STUDY OF GOD.

THE SUFFIX OF THE WORD, PNEUSTOS, ORIGINATES FROM THE SAME WORD FROM WHICH WE GET THE WORD, “PNEUMATIC.”

A PNEUMATIC DRILL USES AIR TO DRILL IT’S HOLES.

NOW WHEN YOU PUT THE TWO WORDS TOGETHER YOU END UP WITH THE WORD, “GOD” AND THE WORD “AIR.”

YOU MIGHT SAY IT LIKE THIS “GOD-BREATHED.”

THE BIBLE IS A “GOD-BREATHED” BOOK.

IT IS INSPIRED IN SUCH AWAY THAT WHEN YOU READ THE PAGES OF THIS BOOK, ITS WORD IS SO CLOSELY ASSOCIATE WITH GOD THAT IT IS LIKE FEELING HIS BREATH ON YOUR NECK.

GOD SPEAKS THROUGH HIS WORD.

THIS BOOK IS HIS VERY BREATH.

AND THAT QUALITY OF INSPIRATION IS INCLUSIVE.

NOTICE THE FIRST WORD OF V. 16.

PAUL SAYS ALL SCRIPTURE IS GIVEN BY INSPIRATION OF GOD.

ARGUMENTATION:

NOW SOME MIGHT ARGUE ABOUT THIS.

I MEAN AFTER ALL, THE BIBLE IS, IN ESSENCE, FUNCTIONING AS ITS OWN WITNESS HERE.

THE BIBLE CALLS ITSELF INSPIRED AND THAT CLAIM CARRIES WITH IT, IN THE OPINION OF SOME AN INHERENT CONFLICT OF INTEREST.

I MEAN, IF I WERE TO STAND IN FRONT OF YOU AND TELL YOU THAT I’M THE BEST LOOKING MAN ALIVE, YOU MIGHT TEND TO DOUBT THE CREDIBILITY OF MY CLAIM (OR PERHAPS, JUST THE RELIABILITY OF MY EYESIGHT).

WHY? BECAUSE I HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN MAKING THE CLAIM.

FOR THAT REASON, MANY PEOPLE HAVE SOUGHT TO PROVE THE BIBLE TO BE INACCURATE: IT CLAIMS ITSELF TO BE THE VERY BREATH OF GOD.

BUT TIME AFTER TIME THE BIBLE HAS SHUT THE MOUTHS OF ITS CRITICS.

FOR INSTANCE, CRITICS CHARGED THAT THERE HAD NEVER BEEN ANY ROMAN GOVERNOR OVER PALESTINE BY THE NAME OF PONTIUS PILATE, AS THE GOSPEL WRITERS CLAIMED.

“THE STORY OF CHRIST IS PARTLY FICTIONALIZED,” SAID THE SO-CALLED SCHOLARS.

“THERE IS NO RECORD IN ANY HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS OF ANYONE BY THAT NAME.”

BUT THEN A STONE EXCAVATED IN CAESAREA FROM THE FIRST CENTURY CONTAINED THE NAME PONTIUS PILATE, PLAINLY ENGRAVED FOR ALL THE WORLD TO SEE.

AMAZINGLY, MANY SCHOLARS OF THE NINETEENTH AND TWENTIETH CENTURIES DOUBTED THE EXISTENCE OF KING DAVID.

THEIR OBJECTIONS CENTERED ON TWO THINGS.

FIRST, THE STORIES ATTRIBUTED TO HIM ARE FANTASTIC—THAT HE WAS A YOUNG SHEPHERD BOY WHO KILLED A LARGE PHILISTINE WITH A SLINGSHOT AND LATER ESTABLISHED A ROYAL DYNASTY.

SECOND, THERE HAS NEVER BEEN ANY HISTORICAL CONFIRMATION OUTSIDE THE BIBLE OF A KING NAMED DAVID.

BUT IN 1993, A DISCOVERY AMONG THE RUINS OF THE NORTHERN ISRAELI TOWN OF DAN CHANGED THAT.

WE NOW HAVE A MONUMENT FROM ANTIQUITY INSCRIBED WITH REFERENCES TO THE “HOUSE OF DAVID.”

THIS WAS THE FIRST REFERENCE TO THE PERSONAGE OF DAVID OUTSIDE THE BIBLE, BUT IT CONFIRMS HIS EXISTENCE.

SOMEONE ONCE SAID THAT THE CRITICS KEEP BURYING THE BIBLE, BUT IN REALITY THE ARCHAEOLOGISTS KEEP BURYING THE CRITICS AND DIGGING THE BIBLE BACK UP.

YES, THE BIBLE CLEARLY STATES ITS OWN INSPIRATION, BUT THAT STATEMENT IS CONFIRMED OVER AND OVER AGAIN BY ARCHAEOLOGY.

BUT, THERE’S AN EVEN BETTER WITNESS

YOU SEE, THE BIBLE PROVES ITSELF TO BE THE WORD OF GOD BY THE POWER IS HAS TO CHANGE LIVES.