Sermon Tone Analysis

Today’s reading brings us to the conclusion of the book of Galatians.

During the past month we have had readings from Galatians but no sermons.

You may recall from the readings that the book of Galatians emphasizes the key teaching of the bible that we are saved by faith in Jesus and not by following religious rules and regulations.

It was written in response to those who taught that in order to be saved you not only had to believe that Jesus is the Messiah but you also still had to observe certain religious customs like circumcision, Old Testament dietary laws, and observe Jewish Festivals.

Christians seemed to have accepted the teaching of this letter because we no longer do these things for religious reasons and many Christians aren’t even sure when and how Jewish festivals like the Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Tabernacles, and Purim were observed.

We do know who Jesus is and what he has done to save us and we believe that we are saved by faith an not by observing the deeds of the Law.

As St. Paul concludes this doctrinal letter, he gives a series of exhortations (commands) on how the Christian is to express their faith.

We will briefly look at each of these and apply them to our own circumstances.

God’s goal for our lives is that we do not sin.

(NIV)

3 Know that the Lord has set apart his faithful servant for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him.

4 Tremble and do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent.

5 Offer the sacrifices of the righteous and trust in the Lord.

And yet, in the chapter before this John reminds us that we all do sin.

(NIV)

8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

The issue here is: “How do we treat a fellow Christian who has sinned?”

We are to seek to restore them gently.

Jesus tells us that this begins in private with a goal of winning them over.

As we are doing this, we must be on guard that we do not commit the same sins they have or fall into some other sin such as arrogance or self-righteousness.

By working together we support each other (carry each other’s burdens).

The next verses death with self-worth and comparing ourselves to others.

We seem to live in a world of comparisons.

Products.

Teams.

Schools.

People.

This is often encouraged by competition.

Perhaps with the goal of improvement but sometimes with the result of arrogance or the opposite — feelings of worthlessness.

Instead of being satisfied with our own progress on a skill, talent, work ethic, or production and seeking ways to enjoy what we are doing, we compare those things or ourselves to others and either become prideful because we evaluate ourselves as being better or feel inadequate because we aren’t as successful or talented as others.

St. Paul encourages us to evaluate what we are doing and instead of measuring ourselves against others, we are to just be concerned about what we are doing.

Although St. Paul does not here tells us what standard we are to test ourselves against, we know elsewhere that we are to use the teachings of the Bible to properly evaluate how well we are doing.

Are we keeping God’s law?

Do we confess our sins when we fail and trust in Jesus for forgiveness?

Do we seek to grow in our sanctification?

(NIV)

5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.

8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

9 But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.

10 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election.

For if you do these things, you will never stumble, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

St. Paul continues with a general principle that is still followed today.

We are to support those who teach us God’s word.

As a congregation, you are committed to providing your pastor with a salary, benefits, housing, etc.

During the recent power outage it was encouraging for one of our members to offer his home for a shower and to provide a hot meal concerned that we would be doing without.

Birthday greetings and well wishes are also greatly appreciated.

This is also a general principle.

The seed you plant will produce the produce that you expect.

It is a proven fact that the type of foods we eat will have a profound impact on our short term and long term health.

If we indulge in sinful fantasies and actions, we will become more corrupt.

If we focus on the fruit of the spirit, we will be more productive Christians.

This would remind us of the conclusion to previous chapter.

We are encouraged to do good to others.

Resources may prevent us from helping everyone so St. Paul does prioritize here.

But he does not exclude anyone nor should we.

St. Paul concludes our text with a warning against boasting.

Boasting is proclaiming to others just how good we are.

It is our way of saying, “I’m Better than you.”

The intention is often to elevate ourselves above others and to belittle who they are and what they have done.

It is also known as bragging.

A review of famous quote on bragging shows that this is not a desirable trait.

You have to give yourself credit, not too much because that would be bragging.

Frank McCourt

Do you wish men to speak well of you?

Then never speak well of yourself.

Blaise Pascal

Bragging is not an attractive trait, but let's be honest.

A man who catches a big fish doesn't go home through an alley.

Ann Landers

Bragging is an ailment, Bragging is a blight; Bragging is an attribute Of a silly wight.

RALPH M. THOMSON

It seems that at one time St. Paul would boast about his accomplishments as a Pharisee.

But he had come to believe that he worth was through Jesus Christ.

For this reason he would proclaim Jesus and what he had done to save us instead of what he, Paul, had ever done.

This is a good model to follow.

Giving credit to God for what we are allowed to accomplish rather than boast about ourselves.

Conclusion: Perhaps the people we know of who have the greatest reason to brag and boast about themselves are professional athletes.

As entertainers who excel in their endeavors, they have many reasons for bragging.

It is refreshing for us to hear well know successful athletes give glory to God for what they have done.

8. Kevin Durant – NBA Player for the Oklahoma City Thunder

15 POWERFUL QUOTES FROM CHRISTIAN SPORTS STARS

Jul 19, 2014📷

It’s always uplifting to see talented and successful athletes give God the glory.

There have been many Christian sports stars that allow God to use them to profess their faith to millions of people.

Running has been in my blood since I was little and I have always loved playing and trying new sports.

As a child, there were many athletes I aspired to be, but became disappointed after learning how many misused their fame and fortune.

Thankfully, there were and still are many Christian athletes who boldly defend and profess their faith.

For them, playing professionally is not for selfish reasons – it’s about God using their talents for His greater purpose.

Here are 15 powerful quotes from Christian sports stars.

15.

Eric Liddell – Professional Runner from Scotland in the 1920’s and 1930’s and Olympic Gold Medalist

“The secret of my success over the 400 metres is that I run the first 200 metres as hard as I can.

Then, for the second 200 metres, with God’s help, I run harder.”

14.

Case Keenum – NFL Quarterback for the Houston Texans

“God calls us to use our abilities to our greatest potential for His glory, and that includes whenever we step on the field,” Keenum said.

“It’s not to beat the guy next to you; it’s to recognize it as an opportunity from God to reveal His glory.”

13.

Morgan Shepherd – NASCAR Nationwide Series

“I still have great passion and a love for the sport,” Shepherd said.

“Undoubtedly the Lord wants me to be out here because I wouldn’t be out here and able to do it (otherwise).