Sermon Tone Analysis
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Introduction
If you are Christian, you have a conversion story.
Every story contains a path, a journey.
Although different for all us in how it was realized, all conversion stories include elements of self-realization, confession, repentance, faith, and trust in Christ.
As a result, we become a new creation.
We begin to have a greater passion for things that we never before.
Our hearts start to long for things that we never thought it would ever happen, and such was the story of St. Augustine.
Augustine’s life was characterized by a quest for knowledge.
He lived loosely and in search for the fundamental questions of life.
He tried different religions and philosophies to find answers.
He began with Manicheism, then Neoplatonism.
He sought to find a solution to the origin of evil, which plagued him for some time.
He concluded that evil was not a substance, but a perversion of God’s will.
That realization brought him closer to the Christian faith.
He also began to realize the extent of his own wickedness.
Augustine’s life was characterized by a quest for knowledge.
He lived loosely and in search for the fundamental questions of life.
He tried different religions and philosophies to find answers.
He began with Manicheism, then Neoplatonism.
He sought to find a solution to the origin of evil, which plagued him for some time.
He concluded that evil was not a substance, but a perversion of God’s will.
That realization brought him closer to the Christian faith.
Consequently, he also began to get a sense of sin and the extent of it in his life.
One day he heard the preaching of Ambrose, a bishop from Milan.
He was caught in a battle of wills, and his heart began to rage with fear and anxiety.
He was in agony and began to despair.
Shortly after he was outdoors with his friend Alypius, feeling ashamed and remorseful.
He began to hear the voice of a child singing, “Pick it up and read it.
Pick it up and read it.”
At first he thought it was some sort of children’s game, but he couldn’t remember ever hearing such song.
One day he heard the preaching of Ambrose, a bishop from Milan.
He was caught in a battle of wills – relent or continue with a sinful lifestyle - and his heart began to rage with anxiety and greater fear.
He was in agony and began to despair.
Shortly after he was outdoors with his friend Alypius, feeling ashamed and remorseful.
He then heard the voice of a child singing, “Pick it up and read it.
Pick it up and read it.”
At first he thought it was some sort of children’s game, but he couldn’t remember ever hearing such song.
He realized that the words from the child were a command from God.
He looked for a Bible and began to read the letter of Paul to the Romans.
“Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy.
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”
(, ESV) Reading it, he felt as if his heart was flooded with light, and he finally surrendered.
He confessed and repented He gave his life to Christ.
He realized that the words from the child were a command from God.
He looked for a Bible and began to read the letter of Paul to the Romans.
“Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy.
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”
(, ESV) Reading it, he felt as if his heart was flooded with light, and he finally relented.
He confessed and repented, and put his trust in Christ.
As one reflects Augustine’s life, his hunger and passion for Scripture, his love for God led him to be one of the greatest theologians of our Christian faith.
He became known as the Doctor of the Church, and Catholics and Protestants alike consider him to be their theological father.
Augustine wrote his famous prayer, “You have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until they rest in you.”
Such was also the effect of what see in .
A quest for knowledge that led to God, and restless heart to honor him in full.
Today’s sermon is titled, “The Path to the Almighty God.”
I will give you three points regarding this passage and I hope God will speak to you.
As one reflects Augustine’s life, his hunger and passion for Scripture, his love for God led him to be one of the greatest theologians of our Christian faith.
He was later nicknamed the Doctor of the Church.
Today Catholics and Protestants alike consider him to be their theological father.
Augustine wrote his famous prayer, “You have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until they rest in you.”
Such was also the effect of what see in .
A quest for knowledge that led to God, and restless heart to honor him in full.
Today’s sermon is titled, “The Path to the Almighty God.”
I will give you three points regarding this passage and I hope God will speak to you.
Confess in Humility before the Almighty God (1-4)
Who is Agur?
Nowhere outside of this book is this name ever mentioned.
There are a lot of speculations as to the identity of Agur.
The word Massa perhaps gives us some ideas regarding him.
Massa can be a place in northern Arabia, but it can mean an oracle, as noted in our ESV translation.
If it is a place, then Agur wasn’t an Israelite, and if that is true, then it is interesting that wisdom can be found outside of those who do not belong God’s people.
It also affirms that there is such a thing as a general revelation in which some wisdom can be known.
Wisdom is wisdom, truth is truth, and in this case worthy enough to be included in Scripture.
A Message (1a)
What we know about Agur is that God inspired Him and his message has God’s divine imprints.
The word oracle or “Massa” in our Bibles could have a double function, which would be to indicate a place as well as denoting a pronouncement.
In Hebrew “Massa” is sometimes used to represent a prophetic utterance that carries significant weight.
For that reason, we need to listen, regardless who God chooses to deliver His wisdom.
The Students (1b)
The names Ithiel and Ucal are also a mystery.
Some theologians believe they were the students of Agur, but the Bible doesn’t certify it.
Agur is making an appeal to Ithiel (God is with me), and Ucal (I am consumed).
Translators again have to make a decision on how to render this appeal.
In ESV it reads “I am weary, O God, and worn out,” while in the NKJV it reads to “Ithiel and Ucal.”
A Humble Confession (2-3)
Agur makes a powerful confession.
It appears that Agur has low self-esteem as has declares to be too stupid to be a man.
Some theologians think that Agur is being sarcastic because he is confronted by people who believe that they know more than him about God.
Thus, he responds by describing himself as totally ignorant.
But I believe, people who see it that way are wrong.
I think Agur is trying to tell us something more profound.
The word stupid is powerful and quite rare in the OT.
He goes on to deny that he has any sort of understanding.
In this case, Agur is affirming his stupidity.
In other words, he is saying that he is far too stupid to be considered a man.
Then something happens, and Agur clarifies why he is so stupid.
Rather than being stupid in general sense, he lacks the knowledge of God.
He is saying that he hasn’t formally learned the things of God.
Therefore, he has yet to become wise.
He has not learned true wisdom.
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