Sermon Tone Analysis

Coming to Nothing But Jesus

I am not one for Christian clichés, for Christian tag lines, but I know that in an organization, in a church, it is so important for everyone to be pulling in the same direction.

So when I became the Senior Pastor four years ago, we began the process of developing a mission statement.

What is our church called to?

How could we build on the great history of our church?

And after a lot of prayer, of discussions there were three words that won the day.

Nothing But Jesus.

We believed we were called to not only define who we are…but who we aren’t.

And these three words weren’t copied from someone else, they weren’t something I thought about and imposed on everyone else.

And I think I can speak for our staff and session when I say that I could have never imagined that Nothing But Jesus would become the heartbeat of who we are.

That IS what a mission statement should do.

Our whole mission statement is:

We live to reach all people with Nothing But Jesus.

Criticism for Having a Mission Statement (and not)

And it is interesting to me, not surprising, but interesting, that when a church doesn’t have a mission statement the church is criticized for not defining where the church is going, “where there is no vision the people will perish,” but when a church DOES have a mission statement, we get criticized for “branding it” or for using platitudes.

And that doesn’t bother me much because if you aren’t being criticized as a leader as an organization you probably aren’t doing much.

But what DOES bother me is when a mission statement like “living to reach all people with nothing but Jesus” is misunderstood or ignored or is picked a part by those who claim to be Jesus followers.

Who would have thought that even a mission statement such as “living to reach all people with nothing but Jesus” could actually be criticized by those who claim to be saved by nothing but Jesus?

When you are a leader, you turn in your victim card.

You can’t pout when things don’t go your way, except when you do.

Questioning in My Own Heart

We have been in the process of bringing another school into Reach Christian Schools and there is all the drama and criticism that comes with that…and we have been right in the middle of it…and you would think it would be that stress or whatever that would get to me.

But this past week it wasn’t that at all.

But the thing that got to me is the same thing that gets to many of us…is all this really true?

It is hard enough to believe in Jesus in the traditional way that people believe in Jesus.

But is it really true that Jesus is more than enough?

Is it really true that It is Finished?

Is it true that God won’t love me less if I am bad and fail and he won’t love me more when I’m good?

Is it true?

Isn’t there more to this, aren’t there more topics, more to doing church, than unpacking week after week and month after month what living to reach all people with Nothing But Jesus looks like.

Isn’t it not Jesus plus nothing equals everything but Jesus plus something?

What about ?

And then I read …the very last chapter.

When I first planned this series I wondered what in the world I would preach when we came to .

It seems like Paul has said all he is going to say when ends.

seems not even like a post script.

Paul thanks a bunch of people.

This is like the credits at the end of a movie.

Purpose of Marvel Scenes after the Credits

One of the really cool things about the Marvel superhero movies…not only that they get to the heart of the human condition and basically re-tell the story of redemption over and over again because that story is embedded in our hearts…not just that aspect, but when the movie is over, and the credits run, you know not to leave.

Why?

Because there is always a scene at the very end, after the credits…a little scene that gives you a clue about a future movie or reminds you of a theme in the movie you just saw...usually though it is a warning of some kind not to forget what you just heard and not to let your guard down because the story isn’t really finished…

And that is what Paul does in .

The credits run and even in the credits as we will see next week there is something going on there as well, but the credits run and then there is one last scene.

Paul warns the readers and warns us to watch out, to even AVOID those who cause divisions and CREATE obstacles that are contrary to the message, to the doctrine that he has taught them.

And then he says those people aren’t really in it for Jesus Christ.

What a huge statement.

17 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.

18 For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites,[f] and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.

19 For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil.

20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Paul warns the readers and warns us to watch out, to even AVOID those who cause divisions and CREATE obstacles that are contrary to the message, to the doctrine that he has taught them.

And then he says those people aren’t really in it for Jesus Christ.

What a huge statement.

Paul warns the readers and warns us to watch out, to even AVOID those who cause divisions and CREATE obstacles that are contrary to the message, to the doctrine that he has taught them.

And then he says those people aren’t really in it for Jesus Christ.

What a huge statement.

What IS the message that Paul has preached in Romans?

What is the message that Paul preaches?

2 And I, when I came to you, brothers,[a] did not come proclaiming to you the testimony[b] of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

There it is, Nothing But Jesus.

There it is, Nothing But Jesus.

Paul says at the end of Romans watch out for those who create stumbling blocks…who even cause divisions…in other words, in our context, watch out for those who throw a road block and create stumbling blocks for the message of Nothing But Jesus.

And our questions become the SAME questions that the early church had.

The book of Galatians, which Paul wrote first, is known as the mini-Romans.

If you know the music of Beethoven, you know that his compositions are divided into three eras within his life, there are the early Beethoven works, the middle Beethoven works, and the late Beethoven works.

And it isn’t that the late Beethoven works are greater than the early Beethoven works, they just go far deeper.

And the same thing can be said about Galatians compared to Romans.

Galatians is the bud and Romans is the flower in full bloom.

And in Galatians, it is the only letter where Paul doesn’t say anything nice in the opening…he gets right to it, he says,

6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.8

But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.

9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

And how were the Galatians distorting the Gospel?

By adding qualifiers to it.

By adding works to the Gospel.

By adding things that we DO to the Gospel.

Paul says at the end of Romans watch out for those who create stumbling blocks…who even cause divisions…in other words, in our context, watch out for those who throw a road block and create stumbling blocks for the message of Nothing But Jesus.

Now it is good to wrestle with our mission statement.

I did this past week.

Is it really true?

Is Christ more than enough?

So I thought we could answer some of the questions that arise when we ponder our mission statement of living to reach all people with nothing but Jesus.

First Question: What about Other Topics?

Doesn’t Nothing But Jesus mean that we won’t cover a bunch of different relevant life topics?

No one who is asking this question is suggesting that we are saved apart from nothing but Jesus, but what about other topics, like marriage, and friendships, and parenting, and lessons on how to be humble and how to speak kindly, and on and on?

And no one is saying that you don’t apply Jesus to these topics?

But doesn’t Nothing But Jesus become repetitive?

Paul’s Message in Romans

Paul says avoid those who distort the message I have given you.

What message is that?

Paul’s message is in three parts.

is Paul’s diagnosis of humans.

-chapter 11 is the deliverance of humans through a savior.

And is the description of what our lives can be when our lives are gripped by the grace of the Gospel, that is why this current series is called, what your life could be.

So the question of covering different topics is answered in Paul’s message.

Because chapters 1-3:21 and even to an extent chapters 12-16 are all about the Law of God.

The Law of God: WWJD

The Law of God is any time we are given a command in Scripture.