Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro

Intro

Growing up in the city of Chicago there were a lot of different things I loved to do.

My friends and I took the “EL” into the heart of city and would hang out by the beach playing soccer, at summer festivals and eating lots of great food, mainly tacos.

One thing I also came to love is golf.

Sometime I think about as a bit strange for a Mexican kids from Chicago because golf is usually thought of as a game for older richer people.

But I love to play golf and when I watch it on T.V. it seems so easy, the idea of hitting a small little ball towards the direction of the flag.

In reality, while I love to play and watch golf I know that I have not put in enough time to really develop the skills and muscles needed to play well and my wife reminds of this and also doesn’t understand why I like to play if I’m not good, as she puts it.

I’ve not hit thousands of golf balls, walked miles and miles on the golf course, or studied golf courses enough to know how the ball will react on each inch of it.

I’ve not built up the callous on my hands needs to swing a golf club all day long and not get tired.

In order to be the best at something it involves giving it our time, energy, and spirit.

This is true for sports, school, work… all of those thing we care about and want to be the best at.

Becoming really good at some thing doesn’t happen over night.

Even the greatest of all time spent years of their lives honing their craft to be the best.

They gave up, at times, their friends, special events, or family time to work on the things they loved.

When hearing the word perseverance, what comes to mind?

Maybe for some it is athletes, or musicians.

Maybe it is someone you know who has battled an illness or a war hero.

For most, the word perseverance is one that bring up emotions of hardship, maybe a memory of pain or hurt, but also triumph or victory.

Tension

I love to play golf and when I watch it on T.V. it seems so easy, the idea of hitting a small little ball towards the direction of the flag.

In reality, while I love to play and watch golf I know that I have not put in enough time to really develop the skills and muscles needed to play well.

I’ve not hit thousands of golf balls, walked miles and miles on the golf course, or studied golf course enough to know how the ball will react on each inch of it.

I’ve not built up the callous on my hands needs to swing a golf club all day long.

Golf can be hard, and to be really good can be really tough and the same can be said about life.

Life can be hard and to be productive or successful in life can also be tough.

Have you ever wanted to learn something new and said “this time I’m going to do it?”

or maybe you’ve been in a situation that really tests your ability to keep going.

I know I have.

When you have been or are in those situations, what do you think the easiest thing to do would have been?

(allow to answer) To just give up.

Have you ever thought about why that is?

Why does it feel easier to give up in that moment or on that dream?

Why is our natural response to say to ourselves or others, “ugh well maybe next time” or “this isn’t worth it.”

Maybe you’ve been there before and as you think back you still think about the what if?

There are consequences to everything we do, and because of that there are also consequences for things we don’t do.

Sometime quitting has consequences that we feel or experience for the rest of our lives.

In the same way we can also deal with issues as a result of quitting and play the viticim card, which made lead to more consequences.

Other times our dreams or situations call for us to fight back and we don’t, that can resolve in consequnces.

This morning I want to spend time in a section of scripture that talks about why perseverance, or not giving up , is important and what that looks like in our lives.

When hearing the word perseverance, what comes to mind?

Maybe for some it is athletes, or musicians.

Maybe it is someone you know who has battled an illness or a veteran.

For most, the word perseverance is one that bring up emotions, maybe a memory of pain or hurt, but also triumph or victory.

Sometimes it can bring to mind the hard seasons of life.

Perhaps for you this word is how you fell right now during your time here at Whites.

You are persevering to get through your time here.

Often during those hard times we may not think about ourselves as persevering.

Perseverance is often the time of the in-between.

This morning I want to spend time in a section of scripture that talks about why perseverance is important and what that looks like in our lives.

Passage:

Context

Paul, is writing to the church in Ephesus.

Ephesus was a big, culturally diverse city, like New York City or Washington D. C. The Christians there were trying to change the way they lived to match up with Jesus’ teaching but the pressure and backlash from the people there to be like them and worship their gods was immense.

I want to spend the next few minutes looking at the passage we read and what perseverance means for us today.

Before we can do that though we need better understand what the word Persevere even means.

Who: Paul is writing, while a prisoner, to the church in Ephesus.

Made of Gentiles (non-jews).

Where: City of Ephesus, which was a major city.

It was located on the coast of the Aegean sea so it made it a perfect place for trade and travel.

Ephesus was a major cultural center in term of the arts, politics, and religion.

Think of a combination of New York City and Washington D.C. that was Ephesus.

When: Paul is in Jail 2 years after he had start the church there in Ephesus.

Why: Paul is writing to Gentile (anyone who was not jewish) he tells them the story of how God worked through the Jewish people and how Jesus allows for all to have that a similar relationship.

The second half of the letter to the church in Ephesus is about how to be a Christ, what it means and what it looks like.

We are going to pick up in the last chapter of the book where Paul is talking about living in a place that thinks, worships and lives differently than the christians in Ephesus.

Remember Ephesus was a major religious center for the Roman Empire and there were a lot of different types of gods and temples to worship.

Paul reminds the church that Christ is the only true God and the means that Christians are to live differently.

10 Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength.ak

11 Put onal the full armoram of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil.

12 For our struggle is not against fleshan and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities,ao against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil,ap spiritual forces in the heavens.aq

13 For this reason take up the full armorar of God, so that you may be able to resistas in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand.

14 Stand,at therefore, with truthau like a belt around your waist, righteousnessav like armor on your chest,aw 15 and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace.

16 In every situation take up the shieldax of faithay with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.az

17 Take the helmetba of salvation and the swordbb of the Spiritbc—which is the word of God.

18 Praybd at all times in the Spiritbe with every prayer and request, and stay alertbf with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.

19 Pray also for me, that the message may be given to me when I open my mouth to make known with boldnessbg the mystery of the gospel.

20 For this I am an ambassadora in chains.