Sermon Tone Analysis

Not in fear…but to live in confidence

ME: Inspired by Jack Ryan

Netflix is terrible for my TV watching.

On a rainy night, to sit and watch show after show.

A new series based on a character in Tom Clancy’s books and movies Jack Ryan.

Michelle and I were binge watching it last night.

It’s a great story…we are in it.

WE: We all love a good story don’t we.

Good stories inspire us.

I remember my grandfather telling me how he had sold everything he had in order to buy a farm in Mississippi.

How he and my dad had cleared the land and built a farm for our entire family.

When I think back on that story, it inspires me to believe that I too can accomplish more than I might have believed.

Good stories do that.

They inspire us, they make us want ot change, they make us want to believe.

They give us hope.

Hope allows us to deal with our struggles unafraid

And one thing the world needs is change.

What he world needs is inspiration.

What the world needs is hope.

GOD:

God uses the pain for his purposes; sometimes as punishment…

David:

David experienced pain as

But suffering for our mistakes isn’t inspiring.

It may be a warning, but it’s doesn’t inspire us to make a difference.

It’s the people who lived their lives for God who overcame the suffering of their circumstances that inspire us.

People like Job, who faithfully served the Lord, lost all he had including his entire family.

While his wife and friends urged him to curse God and die, he refused.

He was honest with God about his doubts and questions, but he never turned his back on the Lord and God restored him.

People like Joseph, sold into slavery by his brothers, but God used him to make provision for the people of Israel

People like Ruth who’s husband died and instead of returning home as a young woman to live out her days as a widow, she was used by God to accomplish great things for His people

So what makes the difference in pain being our punishment and pain becoming our platform?

Peter described it in out text for today:

Real quick we hear the recipe for our pain to be used as a platform.

First, be eager to do good.

Are you going to be perfect?

No, but if you have a repuation for being zealous for doing good, people will know.

Second, don’t worry.

Don’t fear what people fear.

This is a quote from the book of Isiah, where the Israelites were about to be over run by

Many people in this world fear tomorrow or yesterday.

Many people fear failure, or success, or being judged.

People commonly fear being alone or being embarassed.

Peter

Sure pain tells you something’s wrong.

Don’t medicate it, face it and don’t worry.

Third, Know Christ as Lord

When Christ is Lord, He gets priority.

He is our Lord when we surrender to Him.

IF Faith is the most important thing for my relationship with My Lord…then anything good for my faith is good for me.

Pain can be good when it develops perseverance in me.

Fourth, Be prepared to tell your story.

Old Life

Jesus

New Life

God doesn’t waste a hurt. he uses it.

I know in my life I experienced a real pain in my life when my parents divorced.

I didn’t understand what was happening.

I didn’t understand why she moved away.

I didn’t understand why my grandfather would get so angry with my dad.

Nothing made sense and it hurt.

But what it also did was create in me a commitment to my own marriage so that I wouldn’t allow my kids to experience that pain.

It has made me aware fo how much I am like my mom and my dad…especially the parts I didn’t liek then....and you know what I don’t like them now in me and I strive to surrender them to my Lord on a daily basis that he might transform them.

God wants to transform your pain.

We know this hope when we know Jesus.

It’s not that we create this platform, but God uses

YOU:

What’s Your story?

Before Christ, how you met Christ, your new life in Christ.

WE:

What’s your story?

We all have a story to tell.

When we face trials,