Sermon Tone Analysis

Title: Three deceptions that will keep you from eternal life

Text:

Fake Injury

F. E. Smith was a capable lawyer with a quick wit who served as the British attorney general from 1915 until 1919.

On one occasion he cross-examined a young man claiming damages for an arm injury caused by the negligence of a bus driver.

“Will you please show us how high you can lift your arm now?” asked Smith.

The young man gingerly raised his arm to shoulder level, his face distorted with pain.

“Thank you,” said Smith.

“And now, could you show us how high you could lift it before the accident?”

The young man eagerly shot his arm up above his head.

He lost the case.

Today in the Word, July 1995, p. 27

Introduction:

The gospel of John is entirely written with on express purpose -

Eternal life is NOT that you get to live in Heaven forever.

That is one of the by-products of eternal life.

Explanation:

God is the Source of eternal life

Because of our sinfulness we have been severed relationally from the Source of eternal life.

The punishment is called “death”, which is a separation.

As the soul/spirit separates from the body at death, there is a separation that exists between men and the Source of life.

If men and women die physically, while they are separated from the Source of eternal life, they will be eternally separated from God.

Special Weapons

Deception has been a part of warfare since the Trojan horse.

During WWII, it became high art.

Members of the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops used special “weapons” like dummy planes, tanks, antiaircraft guns, and amplified recordings that created war sounds to fool the German high command.

To enable a combat unit to change positions or even attack when the Germans thought it hadn’t moved at all, the 1800 men of the 23rd impersonated entire divisions.

They would move in at night, change insignias, and inflate their rubber decoys.

Meanwhile, the troops they were replacing sneaked away.

Such deception was a major factor in the success of the Allies’ D-Day invasion, as the German 15th Army waited elsewhere for an assault that never came.

Today in the Word, November 10, 1991

There are various things that can keep us from receiving eternal life.

Some are very obvious like: willing rejection of the Lord.

The most dangerous hurdles to eternal life though are NOT so obvious.

They are the things we are blinded to.

Jesus called Satan a liar in

Special Weapons

Deception has been a part of warfare since the Trojan horse.

During WWII, it became high art.

Members of the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops used special “weapons” like dummy planes, tanks, antiaircraft guns, and amplified recordings that created war sounds to fool the German high command.

To enable a combat unit to change positions or even attack when the Germans thought it hadn’t moved at all, the 1800 men of the 23rd impersonated entire divisions.

They would move in at night, change insignias, and inflate their rubber decoys.

Meanwhile, the troops they were replacing sneaked away.

Such deception was a major factor in the success of the Allies’ D-Day invasion, as the German 15th Army waited elsewhere for an assault that never came.

Today in the Word, November 10, 1991

Proposition:

Proposition:

There are deceptions that will keep you from eternal life, and I want you to be aware of them.

Don’t fall prey to these deceptions.

Today, cast off the blindness of these deceptions that receive the eternal life, where you are TRULY reunited with God.

You see, that’s the real trick.

The real trickery of Satan is to cause people to think they are united to God when they are NOT.

So, the scriptures gives to us accounts, like this, where deception is exposed.

(1) The deception of a religious (moral) upbringing can keep you from eternal life (v. 1 - 3)

(a) the implication of Nicodemus’ statement: the miracles have given me glimpses of something glorious, and I want to see it.

(v. 2)

A Pharisee, A ruler, of the Jews

A ruler

of the Jews

(b) the implication of Jesus’ response: a religious upbringing, a righteous standing in the eyes of men — do not allow you to even see the kingdom of God (v. 3)

(Application):

If such a man, like Nicodemus, would have to come to Jesus, what does that say for many of us?

This means that (i) a religious upbringing (ii) conservative political standings (iii) good dietary habits (iv) a good family life (v) good religious works — ALL cannot bring eternal life to me.

This then alerts me to the first deception that no matter how good I live, none of my goodness can deliver me from being separated from eternal life.

Illustration: The night I believed on Jesus Christ....I was not a horrible person…, but my best friend was forced to think about his eternity.

He went home and believed...

(2) The deception of self-sufficiency (self-dependency) can keep you from eternal life (v.

4 - 8)

(a) The implication of Nicodemus’ question: can I do this?

(v.

4)

This must have been tremendously difficult for a man who was able to make himself feel sufficient by a life of doing good deeds.

ILLUSTRATION / Pharisee and Publican in the Temple [TELL IT IN MODERN TERMS AS A STORY].

[NIV]

(b) The implication of Jesus’ response: full dependency upon the Lord is required (v. 5 - 8)

Spiritual cleansing is required (v. 5 - 6)

Spiritual cleansing comes only by the work / will of God (v.

7 - 8) ()

(Application:)

The deception of self-dependency is quite common among those who have had some measure of human success.

It is quite common among those who: have graduated high school, gone to higher education, have careers, have families, have steady flows of income…WHEN YOU ARE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF TEMPORALLY, WE CAN EASILY BE DECEIVED INTO THINKING THAT WE WILL BE OK ETERNALLY.

(3) The deception of sufficient knowledge can keep you from eternal life (v.

9 - 15)

(a) The implication of Nicodemus’ question: I need to know more in order to believe

(b) The implication of Jesus’ response: you have exercise faith in what you do know

(v.

13) The Son of Man has come from Heaven

(v.

14) The Son of Man will be lifted up -

...

Jesus insisted that he would be “lifted up,” a word used elsewhere for crucifixion (8:28; 12:32–34).

Tenney, M. C. (1981).

John.

In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.),

The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: John and Acts (Vol.

9, p. 49).

Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.

(v.

15) The Son fo Man believed brings eternal life

“eternal life” - life of the age to come; resurrection life

- This life is in Jesus Christ

“perish” - loss, ruin, not extinction, destruction

(Application:)

The deception of sufficient knowledge is not uncommon in an age of information.

Some believe that if they just knew a little more, then they would believe; but the truth is that if you would know more, then you must believe what is plainly, already in front of you.