Sermon Tone Analysis

*PAUL AND FELIX; OR PREACHING AND PROCRASTINATION* *PAUL WAS NOT DETERED BY THE AUDIENCE ALTHOUGH MANY WOULD BE*

*( felix was ........*

*DRUSCILLA -- HER FATHER *Herod Agrippa I (Drusilla, Mariamne, Bernice).

Her father murdered James, her great-uncle Herod Antipas slew John the Baptist, her great-grandfather (Herod the Great) killed the babes of Bethlehem.

NOTE: PAUL'S 3 POINT SERMON PAGE 3

time past~/

THIRST, they had to do something about /yesterday's sin/ ("righteousness").

word /sin/ has gradually dropped out of our vocabulary, "the word, along with the notion."

We talk about mistakes, weaknesses, inherited tendencies, faults, and even errors; but we do not face up to the fact of sin.

"People are no longer sinful,"

They are only immature or underprivileged or frightened or, more particularly, sick."

But a holy God demands righteousness; that's the bad news.

Yet the good news is that this same holy God /provides/ His own righteousness to those who trust Jesus Christ (Rom.

3:21–26).

We can never be saved by our own righteousness of good works.

We can be saved only through Christ's righteousness made available by His finished work of salvation on the cross.

time (CURRENT) /today's temptations/.

Man can control almost everything but himself.

Here were Felix and Drusilla, prime illustrations of lack of self-control.

She divorced her husband to become Felix's third wife, and though a Jewess, she lived as though God had never given the Ten Commandments at Sinai.

Felix was an unscrupulous official who did not hesitate to lie, or even to murder, in order to get rid of his enemies and promote himself.

time to come

JUDGEMENT

not about a feeling, but a decision... felix felt conviction, but was ready to make a decision.

Men seem to think they shall see the Holy Ghost as it were with their very eyes, if He comes.

They have exceedingly vague and often mystical notions about his work.

You will observe that Jesus said of the Holy Ghost, that when He should come, "He should not speak of Himself," but should only "bear witness of the truth."

He should come to "reprove the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment

* Convicted sinners generally suppose they need to have great feeling before they can repent.

They assume that they must act under the influence of feeling--than which a greater mistake can hardly be made.

One is amazed to see how strangely they talk and think of this subject.

Do they not know that God expects them to act intelligently, and according to the decisions of an enlightened conscience?

And yet they will tell you they cannot come to Christ because they have not feeling enough.

They must wait for more feeling.

Do you tend to put things off until the last minute?

How many of the students in here delay doing your home work on the weekend until late Sunday night?

How many husbands in here have jobs your wife has asked you to do for sometime and you keep putting it off.......??

WHY do we procrastinate?

*WHAT IS PROCRASTINATION*

*SLUGGARD*

*Procrastination is the avoidance of doing a task which needs to be accomplished.

This can lead to feelings of guilt, inadequacy, and self doubt.*

*William Knaus a psychologist, estimated that 90% of college students procrastinate.

Of these students, 25% are chronic procrastinators and they are usually the ones who end up dropping out of college.*

*the bible call it slothfulness or a sluggard*

*the sluggard will not finish things.

*

*It takes so much effort to begin , that with all that effort, the impulse to finish dies quickly.*

*SOLOMON SAYS A SLUGGARD GOES HUNTING, BUT CAN'T BE BOTHERED WITH COOKING OR ROASTING HIS CATCH... HE LEAVES IT OUTSIDE TO ROT*

*Proverbs 12:27*

The slothful /man/ roasteth not that which he took in hunting: but the substance of a diligent man /is/ precious.

*HE SITS DOWN TO EAT,,,, BUT EATING REQUIRES SO MUCH WORK THAT HIS MEAL GETS COLD ON HIM*HE SITS DOWN TO EAT,,,, BUT EATING REQUIRES SO MUCH WORK THAT HIS MEAL GETS COLD ON HIM

*Proverbs 19:24*

A slothful /man/ hideth his hand in /his/ bosom, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again.

The Sluggard is full of excuses.

He's got a thousand excuses for why he can't start or finish planting,,, plowing, harvesting, or whatever

*Proverbs 22:13*

The slothful /man/ saith, /There is/ a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets.

* It's always easy the night before to get up early the next morning.

* singing voice~/ insurance ~/ george burns Avoiding difficult work situations, hoping they will change if you wait long enough.

Putting off routine or menial tasks, i.e., responding to letter, cleaning your files, organizing your desk.

Staying with a job or position long after it has stopped being a challenge.

Being afraid to relocate to another town, fear of any kind of change or risk.

Frequently getting sick or having minor accidents when faced with a difficult or unpleasant task.

Delaying something or doing it so badly that someone else finally does it.

Avoiding confrontation with others, even when you have a legitimate grievance or a just cause.

Blaming outside forces for your lack of successes and happiness.

Using negativism and criticism to get out of doing something.

Refusing to get a physical check-up when you suspect something is wrong, putting off professional help to kick drinking, drug or smoking habits.

* Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave, whither thou goest."

Planning but never putting into action your major goals in life

* rebuilding the \temple

* *Luke 14:18-20 **And they all with one /consent/ began to make excuse.

The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.

19And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.

20And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.*

LUKE 14

In Jesus' day when you invited guests to a dinner, you told them the day but not the exact hour of the meal.

A host had to know how many guests were coming so he could butcher the right amount of animals and prepare sufficient food.

Just before the feast was to begin, the host sent his servants to each of the guests to tell them the banquet was ready and they should come *In other words, /each of the guests in this parable had already agreed to attend the banquet./

The host expected them to be there.

*

* v18 - Business and Career excuses - "I have bought a piece of ground"...

Have you told God that you can't fulfill your duties to Him right now because of your responsibilities at your job or career?

Work too many hours?

Can't commit?

Too tired during weekend?

Only time with family and hobbies is weekend?

v19 - Financial excuses - "I have bought five yoke of oxen and I must go prove them"....

Do you have financial obligations now that keep you from living for the Lord the way you would like?

Perhaps debt or payments have you working long hours or two jobs?

No time to serve the Lord right now at this point in my life?

v20 - Family Responsibilities - "I have married a wife"....

Do family responsibilities keep you from carrying out your pledge of serving the Lord?

Perhaps when babies get older?

In grade school kids have soccer and dance lessons and Little League?

Maybe when they get older things won't be so hectic?

Maybe in High School........

What's Holding You Back? sermon series \\ \\ THE PROBLEM OF PROCRASTINATION \\ "If you know the right thing to do and don't do it, that, for you, is evil."

* James 4:17 (KJV) Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

* \\ I. THE CAUSE* \\ *~* Indecision* (James 1:8) A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

\\ \\ Jesus said, "No procrastination!

...You can't put God's kingdom off till tomorrow.