Sermon Tone Analysis

INTRODUCTION:

ILLUSTRATION:

When I was a kid, I loved croutons.

I hated salad, but I loved crutons.

my mom would give m

I hated salad, but I loved croutons.

(An irony there, right)

And so for years when we went out to eat I would ask my mom for her croutons.

So long had my mom given me her croutons … that I assumed she didn’t like croutons.

Until one day I am probably 10 years old … and were eating out and happen to say >>>> Mom, since you don’t like croutons can I have yours.

And my mom starts laughing … and she says I like croutons.

Of which I say - then why do you always give me your croutons.

Because you like them.

The consistency of my mom’s love in giving me her croutons dulled my senses to the gratitude that I should of had.

May I say on a grandeur scale,

The Consistency of God’s Love shed through the cross sometimes dulls our sense of gratitude for the cross.

(Adapted from Green, see above)

The very consistency of God blessing us through Christ in some ways dulls our gratitude for the cross.

(Adapted from Green, see above)

That is - we get so use to God’s grace and love … that we forget to be thankful.

The very consistency of God’s blessings sometimes seems to dull our gratitude.

It becomes routine and normal …

even though it came at a great price

and in no way do we deserve it.

As Christians,

Everyday we enjoy the peace, wisdom, and love that is found in God.

Because of God’s great love on the cross

We live according to the perfect wisdom of His word.

(Colossians 3:15)

We live knowing that our guilt and shame is gone.

()

We live free from the bondage of sin and in the newness of life.

()

We know that God answers our prayers because Jesus is our advocate.

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We know that God cares for us because we are his children.

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And we don’t fear the present because God’s surpassing glory is coming.

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But it is to easy for these blessings to become so normal and routine … that we forget to be grateful.

But may we be careful not to loose our gratitude for the cross.

The remembrance of that bleeding body hanging upon the cross is ever present to our faith.

The nails and the spear, his griefs, the anguish of his soul, and his sweat of agony, make such tender touching appeals to our gratitude—these will prevent us always from ceasing our songs, and sometimes fire our hearts with rekindling rapture in praise of the man Christ Jesus.

Yes, we will bless thee, dearest Lord; our souls are all on fire.

Peace

Wisdom

Steadfast love

CAVEAT:

As we begin to read this text, I want to note that I am fully aware that thankfulness is not a main point of the text.

That is >>>>>>>>> it is not the main idea.

Yet, I also acknowledge

But as we explore this text, you will find that although thankfulness is not the main idea … the main idea is always accompanied with thankfulness.

We as a body ought to live in gratitude for the cross.

So may I say it this way >>>> let’s read what thankful people do.

Colossians 3:15-17

15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body.

And be thankful.

16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Did you notice how Paul emphasized thankfulness three different times.

According to our text

Based on this passage,

PROP: Everyday we ought to live thankful for the Cross.

TRANS: and this text gives us 4 Ways for how grateful people live.

According to our passage

Grateful people have lives that are:

First,

1) Ruled By Christ [Our Heart and Relationships].

()

Consider this, let Christ be their King.

Look down at your text -

1) Ruled by Christ

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body.

And be thankful.

What does Paul mean - that the peace of Christ rules in our hearts.

We might ask the question, who is king of your life?

And what kind of king is it?

Our natural way of living is to let sin rule us and be king in our life.

[Ex.

sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, covetousness, idolatry (self-worship), anger, wrath, malice, slander, obscene talk, and lieing ()]

>>>These sins often control us.

In addition,

b) We often allow hopelessness to control us.

Fear, anxiety, worry.

And what kind of king are these sins?

What kind of king is fear, and anxiety, and worry?

And how do they destroy

EXHORTATION:

These are the kind of kings that suck the life out of us.

They leave us exhausted, tired, broken, alone, and oppressed.

Have you ever saw drug addict five years into their addiction?

John Stott - once

One famous preacher once said this about Alcohol.

Or an Alcoholic 5 years into their addiction.

And though we could say this about Alcohol … you really could fill in the blank with any of our sins or struggles.