Sermon Tone Analysis

Open your Bibles to 2 Corinthians 4

The final topic for this section of the Believe series is Sharing My Faith.

The key idea for the week is

Key Idea: “I share my faith to fulfill God’s purposes.”

When it comes to sharing our faith, a lot of us want to know – how do we do this.

What’s the method or procedure?

If we have the right method - we have the solution.

If I have the right method and the right answers, people will believe.

We think that is the key to sharing.

Problem.

When sharing our faith is about a method, it’s no longer about faith, and it’s no longer about a relationship.

When it’s no longer about faith or a relationship, it becomes a chore - and there’s fear and guilt - it becomes about winning or losing - it’s about right or wrong, pass or fail - and it becomes a comparison game ….

If it were about methods, here’s another problem - how many of us have a method for sharing our faith?

No method, no sharing.

Not throwing out methods - or the need to learn - methods and training all have their place, all are important (I have in my Bible a list of salvation Scripture …) - however, we’re not called to methods - we are called to something else.

What?

We’ll answer that by the time we’re finished.

Ever been to a beach or on a ship and looked out upon the ocean?

We look at the waves, the colors, the sparkle of the sun - we’re captivated by the beauty of creation.

In reality, we’re in awe of what we see - on the surface.

Many of us are oblivious to the vastness of the ocean - its width and depth - especially what takes place beneath the surface.

There’s a world down there - fish, sharks, whales, jellyfish, eels, coral reefs, canyons, volcanoes ….

There’s a whole world down there - a world of survival, killing, eating, procreating, killing, eating … and for the most part we’re oblivious to it - even when we’re right next to it looking at it.

Similarly, we are surrounded by a spiritual realm that preexisted our physical realm.

Many who claim to be spiritual are oblivious to it.

If we could see beyond the veil, we would see elōhîm - spiritual beings of whom Yahweh is the Elōhîm Most High.

Elōhîm - Father, Son, Spirit, heavenly host - angels (good and bad), cherubim, seraphim and others.

This spiritual realm is not out there somewhere out there in space - but here, next to us.

There are powers, authorities and spiritual forces in the heavenly realm both good and bad that are at war and often intersect with our physical realm.

And sadly, many Christians are oblivious to it.

Think about this - at one point in history, the spiritual realm and the physical realm overlapped in a place called Eden.

There was a rebellion and humans were denied access to Eden.

God has been working in humanity to restore that access.

One day, God through Christ will unite the physical and the spiritual into one new creation - a new heaven, a new earth, a new Eden.

Until then, the spiritual infiltrates the physical.

Understand,

We coexist with unseen spiritual forces.

Politics - governments - cultural movements - philosophies - historical events - current events - are not always of human origin or design.

I don’t believe the spiritual influences everything, however, there are spiritual forces both evil and righteous at work in the world influencing the course of human history.

Do not separate what is going on in this world from the real possibility of spiritual involvement.

Sadly, however, many Christians are oblivious.

Does this sound too much like science fiction?

Fantasy?

Conspiracy theory?

Or Biblical?

So what does all that have to do with sharing my faith?

I’m beginning to believe that too many Christians are becoming too “theory-ess.”

Rather than believing the whole Bible - even the weird parts, we treat much of it as theory - thus being “theory-ess” - and being too “theory-ess” effects how we share our faith.

If we don’t believe, then why share?

So, I got to thinking - what kind of people boldly and genuinely share their faith.

My answer is not exhaustive, but this does give us a basis in which to compare ourselves.

Similar to last week, I’ll list several things to consider, and as we go listen to the Holy Spirit as He encourages and/or convicts.

People who share their faith are …

1) People who Believe

In chapter 4, the Apostle Paul is writing about sharing the gospel - the good news about Jesus Christ and His Lordship.

In 1 Corinthians, Paul said all I knew was Jesus crucified ….

We talk about all kinds of things - but when do we get to the gospel?

When do we get to spiritual things?

I wonder if we don’t have spiritual conversations is because of a lack of belief.

In

We have to ask ourselves - do we believe or do we treat Christianity as theory.

Do we believe what is beyond the veil?

Now,

To believe (pisteuō) is a verb.

It’s something we do.

Belief influences behavior.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but it’s easier not to believe.

When we don’t believe, then we’re not responsible.

When we don’t believer, we don’t have to deal with the spiritual - the weird, the bizarre, the unexplainable.

It’s easier to be sophisticated and proper - unlike those uncouth freaky people who believe in the paranormal.

Paranormal.

Should Christians believe in the paranormal?

Think about it

Paranormal - para = alongside the norm or natural.

Paranormal is synonymous with supernatural, transcendent, unearthly, other worldly - all Biblical terms.

People who share their faith are people who believe.

… we believe and therefore speak.

G. Campbell Morgan - “If you do not believe do not talk.”

Anyway …

People who share their faith are …

2) People who Long for Heaven

People who share their faith are …

3) People who have a Healthy Fear of God

Why do we persuade or convince or share …?

Because we know what’s coming.

People who share their faith are …

4) People who accept they are Loved

This is one of the most important aspects in sharing our faith - at least I think so.

The word compels in the Greek is synechō - it means to be seized.

Compel - synechō = to be seized.

What compels a person to share?

Repetition here - it is the acceptance of the reality of God’s.

At the root of sharing our faith is being seized by the unending unconditional love of God.

Sharing our faith is primarily about being loved.

Have I been seized by His love?

Love is the key to sharing our faith - not the removal of fear.

“If I wasn’t so afraid ….”

I understand - but perfect or genuine love casts out fear.

People will do crazy things, brave things, even overcoming fears in the name of love.

Love is the key to sharing our faith - not more knowledge or methods.