Sermon Tone Analysis

Life happens

(insert slide with cop pulling someone over)

So you got pulled over by the police.

What is the first thing the officer more than likely says to you? Can I have you licence, registration and proof of insurance please?

Life happens, sometimes unexpectedly, tonight we are looking at the freedoms we have in our life here, but those freedoms come with conditions too, don’t they?

Don’t let your life get so cluttered by life that you forget the conditions and privileges you have in your freedom in Christ.

So you are wondering why you got pulled over, right?

Apparently the officer thinks you broke the law.

(Rom3:9-10, 23)

In reality, we all break the law, we all fall short

Before you got your license you were made aware of the law (Rom3:19)

And as a Christian we are to adhere to the law, rulers and authorities (Tit3:1-2)

So, why do you think people may get pulled over?

Beyond speeding.

Maybe it is something does not look right

Maybe something is burned out, or is out of place

Life can get messy, it can get cluttered and sometimes we need to clean up the clutter before we can get things that don’t look right back in place or the thing that is burned out replaced.

I. Clutter

(insert picture of a cluttered glove box)

For us to deal with issues that come up in our life we sometimes, well maybe even oftentimes, need to get the clutter out of the way first.

When you open your glove box, what would you find there?

Now in spiritual sense, what can clutter up your spiritual life?

Items that can clutter up your spiritual life (Gal5:16-21; Eph5:4-7)

(expand on what we are to do; walk by the Spirit, etc.)

(expand on the items that can clutter our lives and take away our freedom) - focus on (v.21)

(expand) no inheritance; wrath of God will come

In looking at these verses can you see the importance of not allowing clutter to come in the way of your spiritual life?

So remember the first thing the officer asked you?

Licence, registration and proof of insurance, so now let’s look at these things.

II.

License

Having a license is a privilege and not an unconditional right, is it?

You have to meet certain terms don’t you?

So it is with our spiritual license too, it is available to all, but all do not receive it or apply it do they?

(Insert picture of grace card; saved as grace card on computer)

So when you were young you studied to be able to get a drivers license right?

You studied, you took the drivers test, then even the road test, upon passing you were granted a license.

Passing drivers test comes with responsibilities; receiving God’s grace card comes with responsibilities too.

(Rom5:20-6:2)

Just because you have a license it does not mean you can do anything that you want to do, does it?

Eventhough we are recipients of God’s grace

Rom6:1-2

Speaking of a drivers license, what rights do you have?

Can it be taken away from you?

Now when it comes to your grace card, can you loose it (Gal5:1-4)

(expand: “a yoke” and “fallen from grace”)

Having grace that can be denied and taken away, we need to be diligent to protect it (2Tim2:15; Heb4:11; 2Pt1:10)

(expand)

(expand)

(expand)

There are ways to assure your license does not get revoked (Psm119:1-3, 11; Deu11:18-20)

Your way, your walk is in your observance (or obedience) to the Lord from the heart!

treasure His word in your heart!

lay up, bind them as sign,make then frontlets before your eyes.

Teach them, talk about them, write them!

We need to be diligent to protect what we have, the freedom we have!

Just as today people gather to celebrate this country and the freedom we have from the oppression of England then, with the freedom comes responsibility too, we need to remember that.

So we have been pulled over, we have presented the documents requested and now the documents are being inspected.

How about that registration, is it up to date?

Is it valid?

Registration does matter!

III.

Registration

Registration matters, we register to vote, we register to receive gifts for weddings, or baby showers and the like.

Yes, we register our car’s too, but only one registration truly matters.

(Rev21:27)

Rev21:27

Unlike a ,car that is inspected and registered yearly; your registration in the lambs book of life does not need to be renewed but it can be restored.

(expand)

You have an eternal registration (if you keep the conditions)

We should always check the owners manual for proper maintenance of a car; and the owner manual for proper maintenance of our spiritual life too (expand).

We already cleaned out the glove box and our heart of the things that can clutter it up, so finding, reading and applying the owners manual should be easier now!

Registration sticker (window; license plate) it is always to be visible right?

Maybe it is easy to get mud on it and cover it up, or dirt, maybe you just keep the registration in the glove box, but to the Christian may our registration be clearly visible all the time (expand).

Still we have one more piece of information the officer asked for, proof of insurance.

IV.

Proof of Insurance

Do you keep proof of insurance in your glove box?

Do you have proof of insurance for your spiritual life too?

(Insert proof of insurance card: saved on computer already)

What can happen if you do not have proof of insurance for your car?

Now, what about if you don’t have proof of your Christianity?

(Mt7:21; Lk9:62)

Present your proof of insurance (Jn13:35)

(expand)

Keep your insurance up to date (Jn8:31)

(expand)

Summary: One day we will be inspected asked have to account for our licence, registration and proof of insurance, so we need to be sure not to allow things to clutter up the glove box of our heart so that we may have easy access to our owners manual.

Benefits of owners manual (expand) - lead to encouragement and invitation

(Insert encouragement slide)