Sermon Tone Analysis

Secular:

* *Sir Walter Scott o*ften quoted …

*  “Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive”

*  Bad choices… tend to multiply

* Ever watched someone spiral

* Bad choices in Lying

* Bad choices in Relationships

* Bad Choices w~/ drugs or alcohol

* Starting from a bad premise…

* Manipulating truth…

* Progressively bad choices…

 

Biblical:

NAU John 18:33 Therefore Pilate entered again into the Praetorium, and summoned Jesus and said to Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?" 34 Jesus answered, "Are you saying this on your own initiative, or did others tell you about Me?" 35 Pilate answered, "I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered You to me; what have You done?" 36 Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world.

If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm."

37 Therefore Pilate said to Him, "So You are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say /correctly /that I am a king.

For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth.

Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."

38 Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?"

And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews and said to them, "I find no guilt in Him.

39 "But you have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover; do you wish then that I release for you the King of the Jews?" 40 So they cried out again, saying, "Not this Man, but Barabbas."

Now Barabbas was a robber.

Personal:

* Ever made a decision based on wrong information…

* Every person who bought a Skoda…

* Every person who bought a Hyundai in the first years

* Every person who believed 8-track tapes and BETA where the future…

* Every person who held onto to their ENRON stock thinking it would recover…  

* Every person who thought Bre-X was their gold mine…

*  The right questions don’t always get the right answer… what we need to seek truth… and act based on truth…

 

Bridge:

* Pilate asked the right question…

*  But did not respond to truth…

*  He made a BAD personal choice…

* We want to ask the right questions… seek truth and make Good Choices!!  

*  It is all about Knowing Jesus… and making him Known

 

Body:

Question:

33 Therefore Pilate entered again into the Praetorium, and summoned Jesus and said to Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?" 34 Jesus answered, "Are you saying this on your own initiative, or did others tell you about Me?" 35 Pilate answered, "I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered You to me; what have You done?" 36 Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world.

If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm."

* At some point (if not raised in a Christian Home) we asked the question…

* I mean the first time someone presented Christ to us…

* That is the question…

* Who is this Jesus…

* King of the Jews

* Nut case

* Good man ~/ prophet?

* Someone brought the message to you

* Why me… introduced to him (King comes to visit)

* How is it that I didn’t know…

* Skeptical

*  What is the answer…

* Jesus questioned the assumption Pilate made in his question… /Are You the King of the Jews?" 34 Jesus answered, "Are you saying this on your own initiative, or did others tell you about Me?"/

* Do you know it…

* Head – don’t check your brains at the door

* And Heart – takes residence in your heart… (even Satan has head knowledge)

* Makes a difference in who you are… how you live… the peace you have… the hope you have…

*  That’s the question… Jesus Who are you?

* Spend some time…

* Josephus, history

* Scripture

* Prayer

* Fellowship

* HEAD and HEART

* That is the world’s question… who is this Jesus?

* What answer can we give…

* What answer can we live…

* Jesus who are you?

* Mark’s account… in 14:62 He answered… *Jesus* *said*, "*I* *am*; and you shall see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, and COMING WITH THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN."

*  Jesus is God… King of the Jews… the Messiah

* Do you know who Jesus is…

* Can you give an answer?

* Can you live an answer?

* /Toothpaste/

 

Truth?

37 Therefore Pilate said to Him, "So You are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say /correctly /that I am a king.

For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth.

Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."

38 Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?"

And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews and said to them, "I find no guilt in Him.

* Jesus said He came to testify to the truth…

* "What is truth?"

* How we perceive?

– that’s truth to me…

* What we think?

– Everyone has their own truth… Well that’s what I think…

* “No wrong answers” – there are wrong answers

* Is truth about Science? – human reasoning

* Something that a majority of rational and competent individuals would agree on…?

* Jesus said… Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice – truth is knowing God.

* Pilate responded… "What is truth?"

* Jesus was giving an answer to that very question…

* John 14… Jesus said to him, "*I* *am* the way, and the *truth*, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

* Truth is that which is anchored in God…

* An essential component of the Reformation ~/ Enlightenment mentality was that truth points toward God…

* Genetic discoveries… point to God

* Discoveries in the Universe… point to God

* Discoveries in the diversity of humanity… point to God

* Truth in creation… points to the creator…

* And Jesus is the way, the truth and the life…

* Reconciling a lost world to truth… the one True God…