Sermon Tone Analysis

*Introduction:* Throughout the ages, God has referred to His faithful people as His servants.

The Bible even calls Jesus “His holy servant.”

Unlike the religious leaders who exercised unquestioned authority over the people, Jesus came not as a ruler, *but as a servant*.

From the example of His own life He teaches, “But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you shall be your minister and whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.

For even the Son of man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:43–45).

Christ ransomed us that we, too, might serve God and man.

In our zeal to serve, *we often overlook a critical truth: The servant does not choose his tasks.*

Our concept of serving God may be doing what we would like to do—for God.

We tell God what we will do for Him, and what we will not do; where we will go for Him, and where we will not.

We even tell Him what must not interfere with our plans.

In doing this we forget He is the Master, and that the Master assigns the task.

*Our part is to give ourselves to Him, accepting the assignment He gives to us.*

A servant is not free to serve on his own terms.

Jesus said, “You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you to go and bring forth fruit” (John 15:16).

So, we have been chosen to “run with patience the race that is set before us” (Heb.

12:1).

*The race set before us may not be on the track we would choose.*

Perhaps we would not choose the people God has placed around us, or the location or circumstances we find ourselves in, but a servant is not above his Master.

“A disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.

It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord” (Matt.

10:24, 25).

Christ’s life was one of sacrifice and doing the Father’s will.

Though He was rich, for our sakes He became poor (2 Cor.

8:9).

He counted equality with God a thing not to be grasped but emptied Himself and became a servant (Phil.

2:6, 7).

He came to do God’s will (Heb.

10:5–7).

As servants following in the footsteps of Christ, we must present our bodies as “living sacrifices” and say, “Here I am—I have come to do Your will,” regardless of what the task may be.

*We can take God's presence for granted.

We can assume that because Jesus said He would be with us /always, /He will follow us wherever we go*

 

*Point 1:* Jesus does not follow /us; /we are to follow /Him.

/You do not invite God to join you in your activity.

He invites you to become involved in /His /activity.

Jesus said: “You did not choose Me, but I chose you” (John 15:16).

There are those who *take God's presence for granted.

They assume that because Jesus said He would be with us /always, /He will follow us wherever we go.

I got into a conversation with someone early on this past week and they actually felt that the verse of scripture found in Psalms, Psalms 139:8 (NRSV) If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.

*They actually were trying to push the opinion that if there own actions pushed and placed them in hell God would be there to pull them out because they believe in him.

There is a large difference between standing on Holy Ground and on Dangerous Ground.

Three realms God operates in: 1. Heaven (Ps.

139:8) 2. Hell (Ps.

139:8) 3. Earth (Ps.

139:9-12)

 

In what sense is God in hell?

In the same sense that His presence is everywhere.

His personal body is not in hell and never has been there except to create it (Mt.

25:41), as far as we know.

Christ went to Hell during the three days and three nights His body was in the tomb (Ps.

16:10; Mt. 12:40; Acts.

2:25-32; Eph.

4:8-10; 1Pet.

3:19).

Though God's personal body is only at one place at a time, His presence is felt in all parts of the universe.

No man can escape His presence but God could never take up residence in Hell because if he did, it would no longer be hell!

The person who was speaking to me twisted scripture to suit their situation.

Psalm 139 verse 8 is not a literal description it is a verse that the psalmist uses to let us know that we can not outrun God’s presence, even if we run ourselves in to hell!

Now there are so many lessons within that verse, that verse contains both wisdom and warning.

When you make your bed doesn’t that mean that most of the time you plan on coming back to that spot?

When you make your bed most of the time doesn’t that mean that this is a place that you are going to rest in sometime during the night?

I did not come here to talk anybody’s business but my own I spent a large part of my life making a bed in hell!

I have had my days when I made a bed in some places and looked for rest with some people that I had no business being with.

*In no way, shape, form, or fashion when I was making my bed and sleeping with the enemy was I concerned about the nearness of God.*

What are you saying Minister Wright?. . . .

.Doesn’t the verse say: Jesus said He would be with us always. . .

.didn’t we read that we can make our bed in hell that he would be there?

There is a large difference between standing on Holy Ground and on Dangerous Ground.

Three realms God operates in: 1. Heaven (Ps.

139:8) 2. Hell (Ps.

139:8) 3. Earth (Ps.

139:9-12) Judging from everything that the Bible tells us God can operate in Hell but he can never live there.

That being the case, the question for us becomes, If we make our bed in hell and God does decide to for the moment be there, do we perceive his presence?

Those who have resisted God on earth continue in their hardheartedness thereafter We have no hint from Scripture of repentance in hell.

If unbelieving was what you were at death, that is how you will enter eternity. . . .

.rebellion, hate, and selfishness will continue.

*The rich man in hell (**Lk 16:19-26**) is remorseful, not repentant*—scripture shows him in hell not wanting to change but to find relief!

*Point 2:* Being present everywhere at once; one of God’s unique attributes.

Because God created the heavens and the earth (Gen.

1:1) and through His Son continually sustains all that is (Heb.

1:3), He is present to the whole of creation and to its parts.

King David realized that there was nowhere he could go to escape God’s presence (Ps.

139:7-12), and no conditions such as darkness could hide him from God. *Even though God is present everywhere, He is not perceived everywhere.*

*He can be fully present and yet hidden from the eyes of creatures, or He can make His presence felt either in blessing or judgment.

*

 

There is no mistaking the effect of light upon a darkened place.

Light boldly and unabashedly announces its presence and vigorously dispels darkness.

God's desire is to fill you with His light.

He wants you to shine as a brilliant testimony of His presence and power in your life, so that the darkness in the lives of those around you will be displaced by the light of God's glory.

In announcing His own coming, Jesus said, “The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, ~/ And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death ~/ Light has dawned” (Matt.

4:16).

There was no ignoring Jesus' arrival upon earth!

Darkness was dispelled!

Everywhere Jesus went, God's truth was boldly proclaimed, people were healed, hypocrisy was exposed, and sinners found forgiveness.

The world was never the same once the Father introduced His light through His Son.

It is always about holiness. . . .

The Hebrew word usually translated 'holy' had a much wider meaning than the English word 'holy'.

To most English-speaking people 'holiness' usually indicates some ethical quality such as sinlessness or purity.

To the Hebrews the word originally indicated the state or condition of a person or thing as being separated from the common affairs of life and consecrated wholly to God.

(In Hebrew, also in Greek, the words 'holy' and 'sanctify' come from the same root.)

God was considered holy, because he was separate from man, and indeed from all created things (Exod 15:11-12; Ps 99:3; Isa 6:3; 8:13; Rev 3:7; 4:8).

Israel was holy, because it belonged to God and was cut off from the religions and customs of the surrounding peoples (Exod 19:6; Deut 7:6).

The Sabbath and other religious days were holy, because they were separated from the common days of the workaday world (Exod 31:15; Lev 23:4,21,24).

Because holiness signified separation from all that was common and everyday, the word naturally developed a wider meaning that included ideas of excellence and perfection.

When applied to God this carried with it ideas of moral perfection.

God's holiness meant that he was separate not only from the common everyday world but, above all, from sin (Hab 1:12-13).

Please do not allow any misunderstanding of scripture to cloud your thought process, your judgment, your logic, or your ability to reason.

You can make your bed in hell but *Gods Holiness does not permit his presence to take up residence everywhere.*

There is only one way to insure that the presence of God is with you always and everywhere. . . . . . .

.*You have to follow him!