Sermon Tone Analysis

From this week’s reading:

To truly know the God of the Bible is to be under constraint to tell of His glorious and unique being.

We must present the distinguishing character of this only true and living God of Abraham.

What are those distinguishing characteristics?

the distinguishing character of this only true and living God of Abraham.

Build a foundation:

Understanding the meaning (freedom from sin, availability of relationship with God) of the cross and resurrection and experiencing the Spirit brings an enlightenment that causes Christians to see things and other persons in new ways.

No longer measuring one another with a worldly yardstick, we begin to place on people a value that is measured according to the grace offered us by Christ.

So the events of crucifixion weekend and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit CHANGE OUR PERSPECTIVE.

This places in us a longing to connect with people who need this same transformation.

It spurs us on to befriend and love them.

And prepares us and them for the sharing of the gospel and our faith with them.

The call goes out: Be reconciled to God! ()

Frances Chan - the point of our life is to point others to faith in Jesus

Build on our foundation: knowledge of God and the action of proclamation

the person God has given audience with.

Relationships - My relationship with God allows my human relationships to point to God - only as deep as I am

Did any of us come to Christ because of someone we were not related to?

Not born into?

Personal response: I do things myself because I know they will be done right.

I like showing other how to do because I wont always be able to myself.

My relationship with God allows my human relationships to point to God - only as deep as I am

I like to learn from someone who knows how.

Are you one of (or somewhere between) these?

If we can become 2 or 3 in this list, we can build relationships for faith sharing.

Building relationships

With people I already know - include them in what I am doing/join them in what they are doing.

One of the ways our group connected and grew when we were young marrieds was to help each other.

We built barns and fences, put together trampolines on Christmas eve, camped out and fellowshipped.

The group was very fluid and always changing because people were inviting others to join us.

Your ideas?

With people I used to know - research former co-workers or classmates.

Pray about which of them the Holy Spirit might be drawing.

Contact for the purpose of catching up.

Genuine interest or concern.

Pastoral warning:

With people I want to know - seeing people where I frequent.

Restaurant.

Grocery.

Hair place.

Understanding they matter to God even though they might not know Him yet.

Bryce haircut guy.

In all three, let the Holy Spirit lead!

Pray.

Be patient.

Mention spiritual matters early.

Watch for the reaction.

No masks allowed - if our motives are masked, failure is certain.

So my motive must be...

Boy meets girl.

Girl seems to have it all together.

They fall in love.

But she holds a mask that hide the hurt of an absentee dad.

Never received the affirmation and love a father should show his daughter.

Deep hurt.

Boy doesnt know this.

Fell in love with the girl who had it together, not the one who is scarred so deeply.

What happens?

What are some reasons God might have you in a relationship BEFORE you get to share the gospel with them?

When they see us in the ‘realness’ of life, there is a genuine trust that grows.

If we only show them the mask, they only get to know the mask.

That just wont do.

Ordinary people with an extraordinary message - starting spiritual conversations

Bridging video -

Breakaway podcast - When you believe in Jesus but dont tell others about Him

https://subsplash.com/breakaway/media/mi/+sx596hx?autoplay=true

Cocoon

Our mentality must break out of the cocoon.

There have to be lost people we are around to have an audience.

Seeking them ( or )

Our message includes the value God has placed on them.

Our mission

Our motivation