Sermon Tone Analysis

Proverbs 3:5-6

True change is the result of lather, rinse, repeat.

Have you ever read the instructions on most shampoo bottles?

American idol.

Last week I mentioned the stories of some of the contestants

Life is a tragedy life has hardship.

Why do some people survive?

What is it that allows some people to overcome their circumstances?

Congo refugee becomes guardians of his two younger brothers.

Adopted at 10 months.

Mom died of breast cancer.

American Idol - my dad was murdered when I was 5, my mom traded me for a car, my dad left when I was three.

I never knew my dad until I was 16.

The police showed up at my door with a social worker and a one week old baby - my sister’s.

The lazy Christian

Adopted at 10 months.

Mom died of breast cancer.

Stand up straight.

Take responsibility.

Clean your room.

Pick up YOUR cross

Pick up YOUR cross

Pick up YOUR cross

In this verse Jesus tells all of his followers to do something that many of his followers will refuse to do: Stand up straight.

Take responsibility.

Clean your room.

This is what he means when he tells you to deny yourself, pick up YOUR cross, and be obedient to him.

Many Christians do not want to change.

They merely want to take advantage of the grace and mercy of other believers.

This creates the wrong type of cycle.

You create a cycle of dysfunction where we spend all of our time ministering to people who don’t really want to do anything but rely on the grace and mercy of others.

Instead we should be in a cycle that sees growth and then a desire to witness and then a desire to mentor and disciple young believers and then entering a new cycle of evangelism and belief and growth and mentoring and evangelism.

Change is hard.

Change is difficult.

It demands new patterns of behavior.

New growth.

New responsibility.

What is true today was true over 200 years ago, 700 years before Jesus the Messiah would be born.

The people of God had abandoned true worship for ritual.

Many were abandoning the worship of the true God for the worship of demonic deities that demanded immorality and even the murder of children as a form of sacrifice.

This is the background of and 12.

If you were

has four main themes: restoration, salvation, exultation, and proclamation.

has four main themes: restoration, salvation, exultation, and proclamation.

- the coming of the Savior.

In we see the coming of the Messiah.

He will be of the lineage of David (1), the Spirit of the Lord will be upon him (2) giving him wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, and fear (he will live by God’s word, v3-4).

Notice that he will “decide with equity.”

There is a lot of talk today about equality.

Notice that the equality of the Messiah is not equality of outcome but equality of opportunity.

Everyone has the opportunity to be blessed by him but those who reject him will receive judgment (4).

What he does and how he does it is considered to be righteous and faithful (5).

There shall be a return to Eden during his millennial reign (6-9), a sinless paradise where the Lord’s knowledge shall be completely revealed and obeyed (9).

There will be unity and peace and all peoples shall be welcome in his kingdom (10-16).

This is the setting for chapter 12. Messiah has come in power and righteousness to set up his kingdom.

Chapter 12 is the response of his obedient followers.

A biblical cycle for true change.

Something to be removed.

Something to be applied.

Something to get into a lather.

Something to be rinsed.

Repeat.

Something to be removed

Something to be applied

Something to get into a lather

Something to be rinsed.

Repeat

has four main themes: restoration, salvation, exaltation, and proclamation.

Restoration:

Salvation:

Notice how verse 2 implies trust and faith whole verse 3 implies a chosen attitude of joy and responsibility “you will draw water from”.

Exaltation:

To exalt, means to glorify or elevate something, but to exult is to rejoice.

Exalt Jesus.

Exult when you get the last two tickets to see your favorite band.

Isaiah 12:4

Proclamation:

Isaiah 12:5

Isaiah 12:5-6

Worship on the inside, worship in the world, worship in the church

Worship on the inside, worship in the world, worship in the church

Worship Christ, Walk with Christ, Work for Christ, Witness for Christ

Example 

 You cannot achieve your purpose simply by being part of a group.

You need to have a personal purpose.

With respect to being a follower of Christ you don’t get to dictate your purpose.

Christ has given you your purpose.

Love God - love others - no limits.

If you are not holding up your individual responsibility to Christ you can’t expect the rest of the group to do it for you.

We hear people all the time say that America is a Christian nation without thinking it through.

It is true that the entire framework of our constitution and judicial system was based on the 10 commandments.

But how is America a Christian nation?

What kind of Christian?

Are we basing it on a percentage?

If we’re basing it on a percentage of people who call themselves Christian and yet don’t go to church, don’t obey the 10 Commandments, don’t follow the other commands of Christ,  then what kind Christian are we talking about?

People say they want America to be Christian but they themselves don’t live Christian.

They want the benefits without personally taking responsibility.

How does this work in the Bible?

A good example is to look at how the old testament was written.

Yes it talks about God, yes it talks about rules for living.