Sermon Tone Analysis
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Introduction
Fasting is a short season that releases long-term rewards.
It is like taking the time to sharpen your ax before cutting down a tree.
[Illustration] lumberjack competition
“Son, what you don’t understand is that every time I sat down for what you call a break, I was sharpening my ax.
A well-sharpened ax makes for a lot less work, so trees fall faster.”
Don’t lose your Edge
[narrate the text]
young man, young prophet.
called to prophesy to the nations
swinging an ax.
an ax that falls in the water.
His word said that he was a prophet but his world said that he was tree chopper.
[POINT] YOU MAY BE IN A SEASON WHERE YOUR WORD DOESN’T MATCH UP TO YOUR WORLD.
FAITH IS TRUSTING GOD NO MATTER HOW IMPOSSIBLE THE ODDS MIGHT BE.
GOD LOVES TO SHOW UP TO DO THE IMPOSSIBLE.
3 steps to regain your edge
1. Make up your mind that you ARE going to regain your edge.
the young boy immediately went to Elisha for help because he knew Elisha was used to seeing the impossible become possible.
He didn’t try to hide the lost axe or sit there in defeat, he made up his mind to do the best thing possible to get back his edge.
2. Open Your Mouth and Confess that you have lost your edge
3. Move Into the Opportunity God Presents (v.7 he had to pick the axhead himself once it floated to the top)
If You have lost your edge, the question you have to ask yourself this morning is where did you lose your edge?
Was it due to life’s battles and disappointments sufferered along the way?
Was it due to some secret sin or stronghold that you just gave up on ever beating?
Points
[illustration] The shipwrecked sailor
Don’t let the crisis your going through drive you crazy, Let the crisis your going through drive you to your knees in a season of fasting and prayer.
Go back to the place where the edge was lost.
Go back to that place and get it under the blood of Jesus.
Bring that stronghold to the Master’s feet
Bring that sin and confess it at the altar before the Son
The altar is place for more than just first time people coming to the Lord.
It is a place to get free from that thing weighing you down and drowning out your fiery passion for God.
Alterations are made at the altar
[transition] After the axe came out of the water, the edge had to be sharpened.
Reminds me of Jesus coming up out of the water over 1200 years later and needing to be sharpened
Sharpen your Ax
Immediately after being baptised Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Spirit.
Why?
Because it is in the dry places that God can begin to sharpen our spirits.
It is in the cold nightime experiences when we feel like we’re all alone that God can begin to show us that He is always with us.
Sharpening occurs in the wilderness
Jesus Tempted In The Wilderness (at all points)
Turn to
Temptation 1: Bread (lust of the flesh):
luke 4
matthew 4:
...every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God...
Three times the devil tried to:
Cause Jesus to Question His Character (IF YOU BE…)
Cause Jesus to CORRUPT His Character (turn stones to bread…)
But, Jesus could not be questioned nor corrupted because He had received a word!
Word = rhema - a living word; not a word that's old and stale but a right now, right on time right when i need it word!
What was the word declared to Jesus?
Just back up to the last chapter when the Father declared Jesus to be His son.
ONE WORD DECLARED JESUS' IDENTITY
ONE WORD MEANS HE WOULD NEVER HAVE TO QUESTION WHO HE WAS
ONE WORD FROM GOD WAS SO STRONG THAT IS SUSTAINED JESUS FOR THROUGH 40 HOT DAYS AND 40 COLD NIGHTS
He sharpened His edge against the flesh!
Temptation 2: Shortcuts (pride of life):
matt
The devil knew scripture as well as anyone.
he knew the prophecies that the Messiah was to come to die for the sins of the people.
So, here he presents Jesus with an opportunity to shortcut the process and get on with it sooner.
Because he realized that if he could get Jesus to negate fulfilling even one prophecy then He wasn’t really the Savior.
So he gives Him a shortcut to the whole process.
Some of us face these issues today
we do not want to face the extremes of life,
we do not want the sharpening of the wilderness
of rejection
of isolation
TOO MANY DESIRE TO GO DIRECTLY FROM PROMISE TO POSSESSION AND FORGET ABOUT THE PROCESS
JESUS sharpened His edge against the eye!
Temptation 3: Stolen Glory (lust of the eye):
how could the devil tempt Jesus with stuff that was already owned by His Daddy?
Again Jesus knew His identity.
He knew He was the very Son of God, the bright and morning star.
Why would He worship anyone other than the Father?
Why would He give glory to anyone but the Father?
Jesus sharpened His edge against lust of the eye!
Conclusion
But how do we really know that Jesus was sharpened in the dessert?
How can we be sure that the wilderness experience gave Him a razor’s edge to do ministry?
For that answer you have to turn to
HE RETURNED IN THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT...
BEFORE HE HEALED ONE LEPER
CURED ONE BLIND MAN’S EYES
CAUSED ONE LAME MAN TO WALK
HE HAD TO SHARPEN HIS EDGE
THIS 21 DAY FAST IS OUR TIME TO SHARPEN OUR EDGE
WE CAN SHARPEN OUR WALK OF AUTHORITY AS CHILDREN OF GOD
WE CAN SHARPEN OUR IDENTITY AS SONS & DAUGHTERS OF THE ONLY TRUE AND LIVING GOD
WE CAN SHARPEN OUR FAITH TO CAUSE DREAMS WE THOUGHT LONG GONE TO COME BACK UP
WHAT HAVE YOU LOST?
WHAT HAVE YOU THOUGHT COULD NEVER HAPPEN?
TOO OLD, ITS TOO HARD, IT COSTS TOO MUCH?
ASK AND YE SHALL RECEIVE, SEEK AND YE SHALL FIND
Sharpening our edge will allow us to keep moving forward God’s way in a fallen world
MLK said: If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.
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