Sermon Tone Analysis

The Book of Proverbs has two purposes: to give moral skillfulness and to give mental discernment.

The Book of Proverbs has two purposes: to give moral skillfulness and to give mental discernment.

Psalm 23

Life is good when there is no pressure.

I have been off this week.

Life has been good.

We have seen politicians, businessmen and women, actors, and a lot of pastors that have fallen victim to pressures and commited sins that took them out of the game.

Pressures don’t only take us out fo the game.

Pressures can cause us to shrink in and never do or be who we want to be.

Who God wants us to be.

Pressure, anxiety, and worry can grab ahold of us and sit on top of us like a rock holding us in places that we don’t want to be

33I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace.

In the world you will have tribulation.

But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Today we will talk about rivers, trees, and roots.

Solid and unmovable.

How do we prepare for the pressures of life ?

25 “I have said these things to you in figures of speech.

The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father.

26 In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; 27 for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. 28 I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”

29 His disciples said, “Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative speech!

30 Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God.” 31 Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe?

32 Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone.

Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me.

33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace.

In the world you will have tribulation.

But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

25“I have said these things to you in figures of speech.

The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father.

26In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf;

27for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.

28I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”

29His disciples said, “Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative speech!

30Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God.”

31Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe?

32Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone.

Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me.

33I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace.

In the world you will have tribulation.

But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

tells us that Solomon wrote to his son

The Book of Proverbs has two purposes: to give moral skillfulness and to give mental discernment.

We have to Plan for the Future

We have to Plan for the Future

(ESV)

20My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.

(my words)

21Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart.

(don’t let them get away from you)

22For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh.

23Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.

The heart, v. 23 says, is “the wellspring of life.”

“Heart,” here as always, refers not to the physical organ but to the mind and even the whole personality of the individual.85

It is “the wellspring of life” in that the capacity to live with joy and vigor ultimately comes from within and not from circumstances.

The corrupt heart draws one down to the grave, but Wisdom protects the heart from that corruption.

We have to stay committed to the right Path

This is our part!

24Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you.

25Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you.

26Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure.

27Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.

Metaphoric use of body parts permeates this text.

The eyes are to stay fixed on right teaching (vv.

21, 25) as the feet are to stay in the right path (vv.

26–27).

The mouth and lips must shun using twisted words (v.

24).

Above all, the heart must be guarded by sound doctrine (vv.

21, 23).84

If the son listens to his father, the whole body will be healthy (v.

22).

We must prepare to give ourselves into the hands of Jesus

(ESV)

37On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.

38Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’

”

(ESV)

5You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

We have to plant ourselves firmly into God’s Word.

(ESV) (Jesus talking to the Pharisees)

33“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit.

34You brood of vipers!

How can you speak good, when you are evil?

For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

35The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil.

36I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,

37for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

(ESV)

1Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

2but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

3He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither.

In all that he does, he prospers.

Several years ago a man reported his observations of the effects of a hurricane on a southeastern Gulf Coast town.

As he walked up and down the ravaged streets, he observed that the palm trees had been uprooted and flung about.

Once tall and majestic, their root systems were too shallow to withstand the hurricane force winds.

But as he proceeded, he came upon a lone oak tree.

The leaves had been blown away and some of the smaller branches ripped off, but the roots had gone deep, and the tree held its position.

And in due season it would again produce leaves.

So it is with us.

If we are to endure in times of great stress and difficulty, we must beforehand have put down a depth of character that will sustain the blows of the trial.

4542 Never Found Time

I knelt to pray, but not for long.

I had too much to do.

Must hurry off and get to work,

For bills would soon be due.