Sermon Tone Analysis

! THE FIVE ESSENTIALS OF LIFE

*Essentials for 21st Century Living*

*Part 1 of*

*Rick Warren*

!! August 28-29, 1999

 

 

 

*1.

I NEED ____________________ TO ____________________*

 

       /“Even youth grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength.

They will mount up with wings like eagles.

They will run and not get tired.

They will walk and not become weary.”/

Isa.

40:30-31 (NASB)

 

/“Be still, and know that I am God.”/  Ps.

46:10 (NIV)

 

 

 

*2.

I NEED ____________________* TO ____________________  

* *

       /“God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone…’”/  Genesis 2:18  (niv)

 

/“Two people are better than one, because they get more done by working together.

If one falls down, the other can help him up.”/

Eccl.

4:9-10a (NCV)

 

       /“Let us not neglect our meeting together…”/  Heb.

10:24-25 (NLT)

 

 

 

*3.

I NEED ____________________ TO ____________________*

 

       /“I am a pilgrim here on earth; I need a map – and Your commands are my chart and guide.”/

Ps.

119:19 (LB)

 

       /“Everyone who hears My words and obeys them is like a wise man who built his house on rock.”/

Matt.

7:24 (NCV)

 

 

 

*4.

I NEED A ____________________ TO ____________________*

 

/“God has made us what we are, in Christ Jesus, God made us to do good works, which God planned in advance for us to live our lives doing.”/

Eph.

2:10 (NCV)

 

/“God gives us many kind of special abilities, but it is the same Holy Spirit who is the source of them all.

There are different kinds of service to God, but it is the same Lord we are serving.”/  1 Cor.

12:4-5 (LB)

 

 

\\  

*5.

I NEED A ____________________ TO ____________________*

 

       /“The most important thing is that I complete my mission, the work that the Lord Jesus gave me – to tell people the Good News about God’s grace.”/

Acts.

20:24 (NCV)

 

       /“The thing you should want most is God’s kingdom and doing what God wants.

Then all these other things you need will be given to you.”/

Matt.

6:33 (NCV)

 

 

       /“Jesus has the power of God.

His power has given us everything we need to live and to serve God.

We have these things because we know Him.”/  2 Peter 1:3 (ICB)

 

\\ !

THE FIVE ESSENTIALS OF LIFE

*Essentials for 21st Century Living*

*Part 1 of*

*Rick Warren*

!! August 28-29, 1999

 

 

If you were to ask a biologist, “What are the essentials of life?” he’d answer, air, food, water, light.

If you were to ask a pharmacist, “What are the essentials of life?” he’d probably give you a long list of trace minerals, and important vitamins that you need.

If you were to ask a survivalist, “What are the essentials of life?”, he’d say a shotgun, bottled water and a bunker.

But you are more than just physical life.

Life has a spiritual element and life has an emotional element and there are spiritual and emotional factors that are just as essential to life as air and water and food and you need these to really live.

In fact without these you’re not living, you’re just existing.

You’re not thriving, you’re just surviving.

We want to look at the essentials of life for a balanced life.

We’re four months away from a brand new millenium and it is my job as your pastor to prepare you emotionally and spiritually for the 21st century because it’s going to be very different in ways that many of us have never even imagined.

We need to get ready for it.

So we’re beginning a new series today that I'm calling “Essentials for 21st Century Living.”

What is it going to take to live in the 21st century?

Today I just want to give you an overview of the five essentials of life and then after Summer’s End we’re going to come back and drill down deeper and look practically, in a detailed way, how to build these into your life.

The first thing you’re going to need in the 21st century regardless of what happens – and by the way, you don't know what’s going to happen (and I don’t either) tomorrow much less next year or the next 100 years.

Nobody could have predicted what was going to happen in the 1990’s ten year ago, all the things we have today like cell phones, CD’s, the Internet that were not even widely used ten years ago.

When you’re in a time of rapid change you need to focus on the things you know are going to not change.

Regardless of what happens in the 21st century you’re going to have these five spiritual needs in your life.

*1.

YOU NEED POWER TO LIVE ON*

 

You need that because there are a lot of things in life that drain your life of power, drain your life of energy and strength and vitality and stamina.

Change definitely can rob you of energy.

Stress can rob you of power.

Conflict can drain your life.

Delay can drain your life of energy.

Frustration can drain your life of energy.

And everyday work can drain you of the power in your life.

You’re working longer than you used to.

A recent study just came out shows that in 1973 the average American worker worked 40.3 hours a week.

In 1999 that had risen to 50.6 hours a week.

So the average American is working ten hours a week longer than they were 20 years ago.

It’s no wonder you’re tired!

Where do you get the energy and the stamina and the power to live on?

Where do you get the energy to just keep going when you feel like giving up?

People try different things: fads, therapies, pills, things like that.

But the real secret of power to live on is this: focus on God.

The more you focus on God the more power you’re going to have in your life.

God is the source of all power.

God has all the power you need.

Just look around nature.

His power is evidenced everywhere you look.

The Bible says, /“Nothing is impossible with God.”/  He’s got more power than you could possibly imagine.

That power is available to you but you get it by focusing on God.

You get your eyes off your problems and you get your eyes onto God, onto Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 40:30-31 /“Even youth grow weary and tired and vigorous young men stumble badly yet those who wait for the Lord /[circle “those who wait for the Lord”]/ will gain new strength.

They will mount up with wings like eagles.

They will run and not get tired.

They will walk and not become weary.”/

God has all the power you need and you get it by waiting on Him or by focusing on Him.

The more you focus on God the more you plug into His power.