Sermon Tone Analysis

THE DISTINCTIVE CHURCH

(An exposition of Romans 5:1-11)

 

I AM GOING TO PREACH A MESSAGE THAT SOME HAVE CONSIDERED TOO BOLD.

IT HAS RUFFLED FEATHERS AND UPSET CHURCH GOERS.

YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF THIS BIBLICAL MESSAGE WILL DEFINE *WHERE* YOU ARE SPIRITUALLY;  *WHOSE* YOU ARE; */AND/* *WHAT* YOU ARE NOT!

THIS MAY SEEM LIKE A BOLD AND ARROGANT WAY TO BEGIN A SERMON, BUT I AM NOT HERE TO STROKE ANYONE’S RELIGIOUS PRIDE, BUT TO PREACH THE TRUTH – ONLY THE TRUTH SETS FREE!

* *

*“Distinctive”*  - Dictionary:    *“**Different and easily identified”;  “A discrimination between things as different.”

*

Can YOU say that this Church, and You are “Distinctive”  - “Separated apart due to being different?”

\\ ?

“*BY DEFINITION, IS FINE CREEK A DISTINCTIVE CHURCH?”*

*Another Big Question*:  “*IF WE ARE DISTINCT, ARE WE LIVING DISTINCTIVELY?”*

 

Heb.

6:9 – READ  (There is more to learn & grow in)

 

There are things that make Christians distinctive from non-Christians.

These *“Distinctions”* are NOT tangible, they are not earthly (MATERIAL), they cannot be worked up, or purchased,….YET they are *Relevant* for Today, for Today’s culture - they are in fact NECSSARY—that is why they accompany salvation.

These *“Distinctions”* are for everyday life ==the class room at school, the work place, the market place, the ball field, the meeting rooms, Shopping Malls, and in the living room.

These *“Distinctions”*   are wholly ours as BA Believers, AND though they are intangible, when they are polished to maturity, they are to be *WORN* like you would wear a coat for the PURPOSE of:  *GLORIFYING the REDEMPTIVE WORK *of our SAVIOR!

I Am SET APART– *“DISTINCTIVE” – by the work of Christ* … ARE  YOU?

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* *

\\ *ROMANS 5:1-11 --- GIVES US FIVE CLEAR DISTINCTIONS**:  *

Ø     None APPLY to the non Christian.

None of them!

Ø     These 5 Distinctions should be CLEAR to us, for they make both: *(1)* The Child of God; *and (2)* The Church of God ---- *“DISTINCTIVE”* from those who walk in darkness and know not their Maker!

Romans 5:1-11 – “First notice the “Much Mores”

Mark these:    vs.3

“And not only that, but..”

                   Vs.9

“Much more then,..”

                   Vs.10

“Much more..”

                   Vs.11

“And not only that, but”

 

 

*5:1*

I.                   “*Therefore*” – “Because”  -   you are Justified by Faith in Christ……

“*JUSTIFIED*”  = Define::  “Acquitted”……of what?

II.

*/1st DISTINCTION/*:     “*/Peace With God/*”

A.               Two Kinds of Peace - “Peace OF God” and “Peace WITH God”

B.               How many times have you heard, /“Make peace with your creator”/ or  /“Hopefully he made peace with God before he died.”/

C.               ?

– Why would there not be peace b~/w an individual and God?

                                                 i.

*Vs.6*

– “UN”godly

                                               ii.

*Vs.8*

– “Sinners” – in God’s Eyes - breakers of God’s moral law

                                            iii.

*Vs.10*

– “Enemies” of God

                                            iv.

*Vs.

9* – we need saved from His Wrath?  (

D.               Man Alone does not have a Peaceful relationship with his Creator, but the opposite!

= Man is in the cross-hairs of His Anger~/Wrath.

– man *NEEDS* to have Peace With God!!!  ==  *Eph.

5:6* /“//Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.//"/

\\ ILLUSTRATION OF PEACE

Only two kinds of peace follow war b~/w enemies, said a States man after WWII.

*First,* is the Peace *IMPOSED* upon the defeated by the conquered;  

*Secondly*, is the Peace *ACCEPTED* by the defeated thru Surrender.

There is a vast difference Between:   “The Peace which one imposes” *AND* “The peace which one accepts.”

The Peace Treaty signed on the deck of the battle ship Missouri after WWII was IMPOSED by the Allies and Forced to be ACCEPTED by the Japanese.

Can you not see the difference?

If there is to be Peace with God the terms must be IMPOSED by God Himself.

WHY? = b~/c  HE is Right & HE is the Conqueror, & You are Not!

If a person is to have PEACE /WITH/ GOD, it MUST be on His Terms!  = What are His Terms? --- KEEP LISTENING!

YOU’LL LEARN HIS TERMS AND HIS KINDNESS TOWARDS THOSE WHO SURRENDER.

*NOTE:*

*The wording of Verse 1:   Peace With God is THROUGH Jesus Christ & HIS Lordship!*

 

\\ III.             *2nd Distinction*:   Rom.

5:2 = */“Access”/*

A.               B~/c  JC Justified us by His Blood, we have Peace w~/ God, We also have */ACCESS/* to the Father.

ILLUSTRATION: \\ The story of Abraham Lincoln’s Son

 

B.

??

Why don’t I pray to the Virgin Mary, or to a Saint?

=  *2 REASONS*

*#1*   I have Access to the Father *myself* thru JC, why go thru a human?

* - (I Tim.2:5) “There is ONE mediator b~/w God and man, the man JC.”*

*#2*   The Bible shows us that death separates the two worlds.

The dead have no dealings with this world.

(/no matter what TV shows tell us/)

 

Any approach to God that “LEAVES OUT” or “ADDS TO” the Blood of Christ is a dead-end = FUTILE; WORTHLESS; VAIN

 

IV.

*3RD* *DISTINCTION -   /“..AND….Rejoice”/*

A.               REJOICE in what????  IN the hope of the glory that awaits us =

                                                 i.

“*Hope In God*”  = defined = *NOT* a hope that Maybe Will or Maybe Won’t, *but *HOPE that is described as /“Something guaranteed ~/ Assured, and Looking forward to receiving w~/ anxiousness.”/

= Vs.5 says it is a Hope That Does Not Disappoint..B~/c He has given us Himself to us NOW to guaranteed we’ll be with HIM forever!!

                                               ii.

Colossians 1:7 – “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

iii.

We have joy b~/c we will enter into HIS Glory b~/c we are in JC.

B.               Why aren’t more Christians living this 3rd Distinction?

*Possibility #1*:  Haven’t learned what awaits them, therefore cannot put their Hope in something they know not of.

*Possibility #*2:  They d~/n understand their Justification in Christ

*Possibility #3*:  They are basing their joy on temporal circumstances.

C.      Non Christians differ:  *Eph.

2* – “Having No hope and without God in this world”

4th  *DISTINCTION *Vs. 9 – “Much more….. Saved from Wrath”

C.               Why do we need saved from WRATH?  -  *Vs.

10* = “Enemy of God”

D.               *Vs.