Sermon Tone Analysis

series review (leaving good things behind - started with Pentecost)

Baptists - no food in church - can you imagine a church w/o desserts?

go to quaker church w/grandma for birthday cake on Christmas and Pentecost Sunday: Pentecost is the birthday of the Church - followers of Jesus Christ were filled with the Spirit of God;

go to quaker church w/grandma for birthday cake on Christmas and Pentecost Sunday:

no food in church - go to church w/grandma for birthday cake on Christmas and Pentecost Sunday: kid in a quaker church

Pentecost is the birthday of the Church - followers of Jesus Christ were filled with the Spirit of God;

golf course: I had the beliefs, but they were just in my head; they became real to me; I didn’t just know what I believed, I knew God personally; being filled with the Holy Spirit does that

golf course: I had the beliefs, but they were just in my head; they became real to me; I didn’t just know what I believed, I knew God personally; being filled with the Holy Spirit does that

that’s what happened to the disciples of Jesus - Jesus became real; they took their relationship with God to a whole new level; rather than getting comfortable and settled, they had this incredible joy, power boldness to go anywhere and do anything in the name of Jesus

Why Listen?

Faith become boring?

Time to take that next step into ministry; dissatisfied?

take the 2nd, 3rd step;

f

growing, maturing as discipleship means change - taking that first, second step;

3.

problem student; now ordained - pic with 3 pastors, we joked that we had one thing in common: she made our lives difficult (e.g.

obnoxious; rude; mean; sarcastic; disrespectful - hardly leadership material; but she wanted to follow Jesus so she took a huge step - we see rude, obnoxious people; Jesus sees as disciples; mission trip; worked hard; end of week worshipping; testifying; still rude, obnoxious, but God was at work; she took that bold step - uncomfortable ministry

(examples of change: priorities; God is first; your ministry

Pentecost: disciples took step after step in ministry (); Discipleship means taking new, bold steps

Taken a first step?

mission trip?

service?

healing broken relationship?

overwhelmed with life; fear; think we need more down time than we actually do

left the bad behind, but also the good; church/synagogue is good, but was no longer the focus, wealth is good, but no longer the focus;

Taken that second step?

Third step?

The next step?

Off to a good start (small group, service; prayer); what’s next?

answering the call - short term, long term

found a new purpose; following Jesus doesn’t just mean better behavior, getting our lives right - leaving behind bad things; following Jesus means sometimes leaving behind good things; what is God calling you to leave behind?

what changes are you being called to make? (examples of change: priorities; God is first; your ministry

this series is about how discipleship includes change, growth; not becoming settled, comfortable; if we aren’t experiencing change, not growing, becoming comfortable with way things are, we may not be doing bad things, but we are falling short of discipleshipleaving behind ministry: not doing ministry??

Pentecost was the birthday of the Church - when it first came into existence; from that moment on the disciples way of life was never the same; I’ve tried to demonstrate that when God through the Holy Spirit shaped the church

leaving behind ministry: not doing ministry??

really our problem?

not in ministry?

not serving?

missed opportunities to give;

reasons why we aren’t in ministry: busy time (caring for sick relatives; medical challenges; don’t know where to help; want to but not confident;

negative reasons: we have convinced ourselves that we need more down time than actually need (the opposite of burnout, when we don’t realize we need a break);

problem youth ordained, picture with her pastors (3 of them) we joked that we had one thing in common: she made our lives difficult; actually: we watched her grow (both) changed on a mission trip; still experienced her as obnoxious, mean, (we can still be annoying while going through spiritual growth) but she talked about Jesus for the first time; see her serving, studying, changing

where would her life be without meeting Jesus on the mission field?

life changed because of selfless ministry; not experiencing God - try serving Him (working in kitchen, get to know people really well)

taking that step of faith; doing ministry is a powerful step - get to know God that way; imagine it as working with God, not for God; you are on God’s worksite, God’s ministry; get to know God when you work close to Him

the problem with not doing ministry - you miss that mission trip with God;

How do we know when it is time to take that next step?

We know we need to take that next step because: 3 ways

3 ways

1.

The needs have changed (even when successful) or new needs have arisen

e.g.

monument church: RABC; VBS; all white church visiting all black people; teaching - white teachers teaching black students; okay?

not attracted to their church

e.g.

monument church: RABC; VBS; all white church visiting all black people; teaching - white teachers teaching black students; okay?

not attracted to their church; did they are good at, but not what was needed.

e.g.

shooting, large church neighborhood; prayer vigil not held at church; successful, but not missional; blind to the needs of the community; needs weren’t church programs; violence, drug problem; rather than address a confusing, complicated new need; rather than retooling, changing their mission, did what they were good at; but not what was needed

e.g.

Pioneer girls: don’t pray, look!

the danger of success

the danger of success

sticking to a successful ministry = routine, habit, overlooking specific needs, needs change; here it gets to bad that we have a racial issue (racism?)

2. Our calling has changed.

2. Our calling has changed.

2. Our calling has changed.

not leaving behind good for more pleasant

Our calling has changed.

left good for painful privilege greater

Our calling has changed.

We’ve done good, important work, but God is pushing us out.

Apostles are trying to do it all, and realizing they can’t.

See our workplaces and neighborhoods (planted), everywhere also calling - you are put there, it is a calling

How do we know?

Burned out - take a break, or stop working against your calling.

Take a break?

Stop working against your calling!

Stop trying to follow your calling while sticking to your old one.

Really good at it - do it in your sleep; routine

have the gifts

Either way- invite others into ministry

The next opportunity is more difficult.

get rid of it because we’re tired, or want to follow Jesus on the mission field (he doesn’t stay put, neither should we)

overextending

e.g.

good things we do, need to move on...

no gifts or passion?

do you have a ministry or a jobwe are called to our neighborhoods and workplaces - not opportunities; we are called

we are called to our neighborhoods and workplaces - not opportunities; we are called

tired?

take a break?

or maybe our calling has changed - exhausting to work against our calling; really good at it?

routine? to the point you can do it in your sleep?

calling has changed to something more difficult; change of calling means difficult, not easier

who is going to do this if I don’t?

7 people to fill slots?

filled with the spirit

making a job a ministry (HS has called you) - caring for an aging parent, children, filling in SS,

this is mine.

enjoy it,