Sermon Tone Analysis

Overall tone of the sermon

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Anger
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Agreeableness
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Emotion
Anger
Disgust
Fear
Joy
Sadness
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Analytical
Confident
Tentative
Social Tendencies
Openness
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Extraversion
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Anger
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Introduction
Do any of you like Irises?
The first time I saw them they looked like this (S).
I was doing yard work for a couple in the church and they asked me to pull the weeds from around the irises.
I thought the irises were the weeds!
But then, they bloomed.
And they were beautiful (S)!
It was a total transformation!
There are many things in nature that transform.
Deciduous trees lose their leaves every winter (S).
They look kind of ugly without them.
But when they are full, they are wonderful (S)! Butterflies start out life as fat ugly worm-like creatures we call caterpillars (S).
But when they emerge from their cocoons, they are beautiful (S)!
The transformations we find in nature demonstrate what God is doing in you and me.
God is about transformation!
He is about taking men and women who we would write off and remaking them for His purpose and glory!
God is about transformation!
He is about taking men and women who we would write off and remaking them for His purpose and glory!
God is about transformation!
He is about taking men and women who we would write off and remaking them for His purpose and glory!
As we mentioned last week, Saul is an incredible picture of transformation.
From enemy to son, from persecutor to proclaimer, from destroyer to builder.
The greatest evidence of transformation is the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The greatest evidence of transformation is the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Last week we learned about the price of proclamation.
Today we will see the profit and product of proclaiming Christ.
Today we will see the profit and product of proclaiming Christ.
We are going to be challenged to proclaim Christ.
Through learning these three outcomes of proclamation we will be motivated to proclaim Christ.
When we proclaim Him we give evidence that He has transformed us.
As Saul begins to proclaim Christ we learn…
As Saul begins to proclaim Christ we learn…
1.
The Price Of Proclamation vv.
20-25
Persecution
a.
The motivation for persecution vv.
20-22
Motive = clarity, confusion, conviction.
b.
The method of persecution vv.
23-25
Murder.
They plot to kill Saul.
He finds out, keeps preaching.
Disciples deliver him.
When we are effective in our work for Christ, opposition will come.
It will be organized and well funded.
But there is something that we must never forget.
(S).
(p.
1347)
​ NKJVFor we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
This is very hard to remember when people are plotting against you.
However, we must always bear in mind that they are not the true enemy.
The enemy is sin.
The enemy is Satan.
The enemy is the hosts of darkness working to keep people spiritually blind!
This means that when we face opposition, when we face plots and trials, we keep our cool and we give them the Word of God.
It is never worthless!
It is always living, active, and powerful.Saul learns of the plot, he knows they are watching the gates just waiting for him to try and leave.
In v. 25, Saul escapes.If you want to do an interesting study, look at the various roles baskets and inanimate objects have played in Scripture.
Moses’ basket, this one, Gideon’s pitchers, Jael’s nail.
There are some fascinating tools God has used for His purpose and glory.
You and I are tools for His purpose and glory.The disciples rescue Saul by lowering him through the wall to avoid the gates and at night so he wouldn’t be seen.
This is wisdom.
Saul is being hunted, get him out.
This teaches us an important lesson.Avoid persecution and martyrdom when possible.
Something we will see several times in Acts is that the followers of Christ leave town when there is trouble.
Yet at other times we see them sticking around and being arrested.
There is discernment necessary to know the difference.
The principle seems to be that we avoid persecution when we can do so without compromise.When we proclaim Christ, there is always a chance that we will face persecution.
Will that stop us?
That is the price to proclaim Christ, persecution.
There is another outcome of proclaiming Christ.
We next learn…
2. The Profit Of Proclamation vv.
26-30
When we proclaim Christ, good things happen.
People hear the gospel, they are convicted, and some come to Christ and are converted.
Another benefit of bold proclamation is
Fellowship
Through proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ we are able to fellowship with other like-minded believers.
Saul experiences that here.
These verses deal with what are almost three stages of fellowship.
a. Fellowship Prevented v. 26
We are explicitly told what prevents fellowship here.
What prevents fellowship?
Fear.
The power of Saul’s preaching has led to him fleeing Damascus.
He arrives at Jerusalem and the disciples are too afraid of him to let him fellowship with them.
This is exactly what happened with Ananias when the Lord first told him to go talk to Saul! Saul’s past continues to haunt these believers.
Especially those in Jerusalem where he had carried out the majority of his activities.
When we know someone who has been antagonistic, caustic, and belittling we can often struggle to believe they have changed.
There is something within us that finds it difficult to believe that sinners can become saints!
Part of that may be our struggle to accept it for ourselves.
Do we really believe that all becomes new in Christ?
Saul has been transformed!
It has been three years and he has been powerfully preaching Christ.
Yet still he is not trusted.
Fear prevents fellowship.
This is catastrophic because fellowship is vital for the Christian life!
The end of v. 26 reveals that the cause of their fear is faithlessness.
They didn’t believe the conversion of Saul.
I can understand this.
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