Sermon Tone Analysis

, ;

“today we are going to talk…a lot, more than we have all semester on a Sunday Morning.

You guys are going to start and then me and then you again and then me again…and the conversation that we are going to have and that you are going to have with each other might be one of the most important that you have had in a long time.

This is also one of the topics that is deepest in my heart and that I am the most burdened for.

It is the blood that infuses the heart of discipleship”

Turn to and answer the questions around the table

1.How often is this true of you?

2.How often are you fighting it or giving in to it?

3.Have you ever thought about fighting the old nature as suffering?

If not why not?

transition from

what you have just read and talked about is getting you in the head space of this very real struggle in the life of a christian.

I have a new nature and it has a desire for the life of God and the things of God, but my habits my worldly desires I am finding them hard to leave behind - some not even trying.

*James Estep says it like this “while instantaneous transformation is made by God through receiving his mercy, learning to live in accordance with these re-orientations is not so instantaneous.”

Let’s turn to and take a look at the parable here...

Parable of the Sower

11 “Now the parable is this: the seed is the word of God.

12 “Those beside the road are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved.

13 “Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away.

14 “The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity.

each and every one of you in this room are in the midst of one of these scenarios.

Everyone of you has had seed sown in the soil of your life by the sower.

15 “But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.

there is a way to look at the 3 out of 4 of these scenarios as cautionary tales.

They can be things that happened.

You can be things that happened.

A cautionary tale of what not to do.

But each one of you by virtue of you being able to hear the sound of my voice are not a thing that has happened but are a thing that is happening.

and you need to understand some things better so that you don’t become a 1, 2, or 3 but that you get to 4.

Maturity

this practice is fighting/suffering

to being fully formed and established.

What is the benefit to being established?

WE CAN “REALLY” DO THE THING

Guys the issue is not where i am or what I am doing the issue is who you are and whose you are.

If you are God’s the reason that he called you to himself justified you and is sanctifying you is so that you will be mature!

The great enemy to the Lord Jesus Christ in the present day is the conception of practical work that has not come from the New Testament, but from the systems of the world in which endless energy and activities are insisted upon, but no private life with God

what does this cleansing look like?

SUFFERING!

2 cor

endurance in what?

fighting the good fight

By what do we fight the good fight?

God’s Promises

“The Good Fight of faith is the suffering/the struggle - reach, grab,pull

Our Passage

Christ suffered in the flesh

Christ suffered in the flesh

Arm yourselves with the same purpose

Suffering = dominion of sin has been overcome actually

He who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin

What He is talking about is Maturity

But wait what?

I am a sinner, how can I be done with sin in any way?But wait?

I can be perfect?

Perfectly perfect

1 peter 4

To what is this referring?

It is referring to a pattern of making decisions outside of God's purposes.

We see the decisions we make as important, because they affect my usefulness to God.

“I sincerely want to be a light where I am, but I don't understand that I have to learn to be a light and that being a light comes from Abiding in Christ in all the ways that God has designed

The christian life is a struggle even when I am learning and leaning and being cared for

It is going to be a lot tougher without those things.

That is why we provide them.

They are not perfect things but if you engage them, "your shoot will root", and you will be able to "weed" yourself with the help of others, and you will become a tree that others can't count on and God can use

We need to move from being a sappling farm to a grove

College can be that time for you…all 41 one of my years tells me, this is the best time

You are in one of three camps

(1) The past has been sufficient for you

It is going to be a lot tougher without those things.

That is why we provide them.

They are not perfect things but if you engage them, "your shoot will root", and you will be able to "weed" yourself with the help of others, and you will become a tree that others can't count on and God can use

(2) You are currently carrying out the "desire of the gentiles" at some level

(3)I have not but am tempted to do so

We need to move from being a sappling farm to a grove

(1) IN THIS 1ST POSITION, YOU GET WHAT IS WRONG WITH THAT COURSE OF LIFE AND YOU ARE OK TO LEAVE IT BEHIND FOR SOMETHING BETTER.

YOU EVEN HAVE EXPERIENCED VERSE 4, THAT THOSE WHO JOINED YOU IN YOUR FORMER LIFE ARE MAD THAT YOU ARE NOT CONTINUING TO DO SO - keep struggling, keep fighting!

(2) IN THE 2ND POSITION, THE PAST HAS NOT BEEN SUFFICIENT, YOU ARE SEEKING TO HAVE THE BENEFITS OF THE WORLD AND ENJOY THE BENEFITS OF GOD - AND I AM GOING TO GUESS THAT YOU ARE STRUGGLING WITH THIS.

College can be that time for you…all 41 one of my years tells me, this is the best time

THERE ARE SEVERAL LIES OF THIS NARRATIVE -

{1} AS LONG AS I DO SOME CHRISTIAN STUFF, OR DON'T DO ANYTHING TOO BAD, I CAN MAINTAIN A WITNESS.

{2} I CAN MAINTAIN FELLOWSHIP WITH THE WORLD AND I DON’T REQUIRE FELLOWSHIP WITH OTHER BELIEVERS.

{3} MY CONSISTENT PARTICIPATION WITH THE BODY IS NOT THAT BIG A DEAL.

3} MY CONSISTENT PARTICIPATION WITH THE BODY IS NOT THAT BIG A DEAL.

Katie Illustration - “in talking about this with Katie this week, she had a great insight...

She said this, our Christian lives sometimes feel like our dating lives.

Have you ever liked two people at the same time one you are currently dating and one that you should be.

The one that you should be, you have no experience dating someone like them.

This one I know, but I know its not good for me, but its familiar, it has lots of things I like, but none of the things I need.

I am stuck.

I like this but it is no good for me, and I am drawn to the other but I scared to really give it a try.

Loving the world and “wanting” to Loving God at the same time is like that.

(3)IN THIS 3RD POSITION, HAVING GROWN UP IN A CHRISTIAN HOME AND BEING PROTECTED AND ENCOURAGED, MY NEW FOUND COLLEGE FREEDOM GIVES ME "Fear of Missing Out." ON WHAT I MAY NEVER GET ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY.

It is as SAYS, I DON’T WANT TO NOT HAVE EXPERIENCED THOSE THINGS, IT LOOKS FUN, I AM A FUN PERSON, THEY SEEM TO BE OK AFTERWARDS."

THE LURE IS IN THE POSSIBLE AND THE UNLIKELY.

IT IS POSSIBLE THAT IT WILL BE LIKE A MUSIC VIDEO AND IT IS UNLIKELY THAT ANYTHING TO BAD WILL HAPPEN."

Let’s take some time around our tables and explore this a little bit

1.Have you seen people in these scenarios around you?

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2.Which one are you in?

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3.Which is the hardest to move out of?

the World is Passing Away