Sermon Tone Analysis

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*/Psalm 92: /12 *The righteous will *flourish like a palm tree*, they will *grow like a cedar of Lebanon*; *13 **planted in the house of the Lord*, they will flourish in the courts of our God.

*14 *They will *still bear fruit in old age*, they will stay fresh and green, *15 *proclaiming, “The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.”*/

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*Oh this is one of those attendance sermons, where we are told the importance of going to Church, right?

Let’s see.*

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Most people today when they look for a Church they ask themselves the question *“What do I get out of it?”

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*OK God is not afraid of that question.*

* *The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon*

* The simple meaning of “the righteous” is the ones that have right standing with God.

* He has already made you righteous through the life, death, resurrection and ministry of Jesus Christ.

* He did a lot so you could enter in…

 

* Both evergreens

* Symbols of stability and fruitfulness

* Palm tree – fruitfulness, external

* The palm branch was a symbol of *triumph and victory* in pre-Christian times.

The Romans rewarded champions of the games and celebrated military successes with palm branches.

Early Christians used the palm branch to symbolize the *victory of the faithful over enemies of the soul*, as in the Palm Sunday festival celebrating the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.

In Judaism, the palm represents *peace and plenty*.

Today, palms remain a popular symbol for the tropics and vacations  

* Cedar tree – stability and fruitfulness spiritually

* The word used to build the temple of Solomon

* Used to make a special water to cleanse people of sin in the Old Testament.

Numbers 19

 

* *Planted in the house of the Lord *they will flourish in the courts of our God  

*Attendance is not being planted!*

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/I saw a show growing up where this young boy was told that he was going to be a father and have children because he held a girl’s hand.

Ridiculous right?

Well it is just as silly to think that attendance is being planted./

*Planted is*… On purpose, with purpose

 

*/1 Corinthians 12: /18 *But in fact *God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.**/ NIV/*

 

* Someone planted – God

* For a reason - fruit

* V:13 They will *flourish*

* Where?

…in the courts of our God.

* *they will flourish in the courts of our God*

* *in his presence* * You can meet God anywhere, but he does have a meeting place for his people and that is the local Church.

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* *They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green,*

* As I get older, I like the sound of that more and more.

* Fresh and green – not stale and dried up, bitter and pessimistic…

 

* *Proclaiming, “The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.”*

* I will live with and end with this testimony

* He is faithful!

Let’s plant an unmovable monument, pillar in our lives.

Let’s not neglect what is our heritage.

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*/Hebrews 10: /19 *Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, *20 *by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, *21 *and since we have a great priest over the house of God, *22 *let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

*23 *Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

*24 *And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.

*25 *Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.*/

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