Sermon Tone Analysis

GREATER

SERMON 1

THE DANGER OF SPIRITUAL APATHY

INTRODUCTION:

SOME OF YOU MAY REMEMBER THE WIRELESS PHONE SERVICE COMMERCIAL WHERE A MAN IS SITTING AROUND A TABLE WITH CHILDREN, AND HE USUALLY ASKS THEM A QUESTION LIKE, “WHICH IS BETTER, BETTER OR WORSE?” TO WHICH THEY INVARIABLY ANSWER, “BETTER!”

ONE OF THE POINTS OF THAT COMMERCIAL IS THAT IN THE WORLD OF WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS, THERE IS AN EASY, OBVIOUS CHOICE.

AS A MATTER OF FACT, THE CHOICE IS SO EASY, THAT EVEN A CHILD CAN UNDERSTAND IT.

THAT COMMERCIAL GIVES US SOME IDEA ABOUT ONE OF THE MAIN THEMES OF THE BOOK OF HEBREWS, WHICH IS WHERE WE WILL SPEND OUR TIME TODAY.

THE TITLE OF THE SERMON SERIES IS “GREATER” AND THE IDEA IS THAT JESUS IS GREATER THAN ANYTHING ELSE, GREATER THAN THE ANGELS, GREATER THAN MOSES, GREATER THAN ANY RELIGIOUS SYSTEM, HE IS GREATER THAN ANYTHING.

AND BECAUSE THIS IS TRUE, PEOPLE SHOULD HEED HIS MESSAGE, FOLLOW HIS COMMANDS, MATURE IN THEIR FAITH, AND SO ON…

TAKE YOUR BIBLE AND TURN WITH ME TO HEBREWS, CHAPTER 2.

WE WILL TAKE VERSES 1 THROUGH 4 AS OUR TEXT THIS MORNING, AND TALK ABOUT THE FACT THAT BECAUSE JESUS IS GREATER, WE MUST GUARD AGAINST SPIRITUAL APATHY.

LET’S READ HEBREWS, CHAPTER 2, VERSES 1-4.

READ – PRAY

GEORGE GUTHRIE, IN HIS COMMENTARY ON THE BOOK OF HEBREWS WRITES THE FOLLOWING:

“WE HAVE BECOME A SOCIETY OF CONSUMERS WHO ARE CONSTANTLY “SHOPPING” FOR EVERYTHING FROM NEW MATERIAL GOODS TO NEW PHILOSOPHIES AND EXPERIENCES.

WE MAINTAIN COMMITMENT TO VALUES AND INSTITUTIONS ONLY AS LONG AS THEY FULFILL OUR NEEDS OF THE MOMENT.

SADLY, THE CHURCH HAS NOT BEEN IMMUNE TO THESE TRENDS.

MANY PROFESSED CHRISTIANS FLOAT FROM CONGREGATION TO CONGREGATION IN SEARCH OF THE RIGHT WORSHIP SERVICE, BIBLE STUDY, CHILDREN’S CARE, OR TEEN MINISTRY, SOMETIMES PARTAKING OF DIFFERENT PROGRAMS AT DIFFERENT CHURCHES AT A GIVEN POINT IN TIME.

WE IN THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY TOO OFTEN MIRROR THE BROADER SOCIETY, LIVING AS SPIRITUAL CONSUMER-DRIFTERS WITHIN THE BROADER CULTURE OF CONSUMER-DRIFTERS.”

IT IS IN THIS CONTEXT THAT HE WRITES HIS COMMENTARY ON THE BOOK OF HEBREWS.

AND IT IS IN THE CONTEXT OF THIS CULTURE THAT THE CHURCH NOW EXISTS.

THE CHURCH IS EXPERIENCING UNPRECEDENTED LOSSES IN ATTENDANCE, IN BAPTISMS, IN GIVING, AND IN GENERAL COMMITMENT, AND MY HOPE IS THAT WE CAN BE CHALLENGED AND ENCOURAGED THROUGH THIS SERIES OF MESSAGES IN HEBREWS TO EVALUATE OUR OWN PERSONAL WALKS WITH CHRIST, AND REDOUBLE OUR EFFORTS TO BE SOLD-OUT SERVANTS OF CHRIST AND PRODUCTIVE FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

SO LET’S SPEND OUR TIME THIS MORNING WALKING THROUGH THIS PASSAGE AND TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE MESSAGE OF HEBREWS AND HOW IT APPLIES TO OUR OWN PERSONAL WALK.

THERE ARE FOUR TRUTHS THAT I WANT TO TRY TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION THIS MORNING.

HERE IS THE FIRST TRUTH…NOTICE

1. THE SERIOUS DANGER OF DRIFTING.

(VERSE 1)

a. LOUIS KRONENBERGER IS CREDITED WITH SAYING, “THE TROUBLE WITH OUR AGE IS THAT IT IS ALL SIGNPOST AND NO DESTINATION.”

b.