Sermon Tone Analysis

Scripture Introduction:

There is a Proverb—chapter 29—that I’ve read numerous times and it always leaves me really bothered.

“He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck, will suddenly be broken beyond healing.”

Broke beyond healing.

Those words bother me, deeply.

I have a couple of boxes of broken things that I refuse to get rid of because I am convinced that someday I’ll be able to fix them.

Guys, I’ll be honest I’m struggling with how to start this sermon and get you to the place mentally and emotionally where you and I need to be in order to really feel the weight of this text—and ultimately in order to really experience the hope of this passage.

And it’s hard because we don’t like that phrase “broken beyond healing”.

Here is the image that we have to get to.

You have to be able to see yourself sitting broken hearted, hopeless, outside on a curb unable to enter into this tremendous and wonderful party.

The difficulty is that words escape me in helping you to see what’s inside that party.

It’s the place where all of your dreams come true.

It’s the place that every longing in your heart is meant to drive you.

It’s that place where your deepest needs and longings and hopes and dreams and wishes all meet into one.

Every smile you’ve experienced and every tear that has fallen to the ground is connected to this party.

You want to be there.

But here you are on the curb.

You had a ticket to get in there.

You are supposed to be in there.

But you sold your ticket.

You gave it up.

And it wasn’t some heroic sacrifice it was stupid.

You gave it up for nothing.

And here you are broken and battered and sad and guilty and hopeless and wrecked and empty.

Beyond healing.

You can’t fix this.

Ever.

The broken pieces will never be brought back together.

You can’t get this back.

There is absolutely positively nothing you can do to get back in there.

There’s nothing a bit of time can’t fix.

Well this is one of those things.

Time isn’t going to make it better.

It’s only going to deepen the darkness.

Broken beyond healing.

Forever.

It’s tough to sit here.

You can’t get this back.

There is absolutely positively nothing you can do to get back in there.

I’m struggling because I don’t like this spot.

I don’t want you to be in this spot.

I want to very quickly come in and repair the broken things.

I want to pour hope all over this situation.

I want to give you some tips, some Bible verses, something you might be able to do to get that ticket back.

I want to tell a different story if I can.

Or maybe tell you that party isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be.

We can maybe create our own little sideshow.

It might not be quite as good as the thing going on over there but it’ll be ours and we can have the best little party outside of Eden that we can throw.

Yeah, we’ll find some hope here.

And we’ll survive and try to find a bit of beauty somewhere in these ashes.

But if we do that...If we try to set up shop outside of Eden then we’re going to miss the rescue of .

You have to be on that curb.

No hope.

No rescue.

Absolutely positively nothing you can do.

Broken beyond healing.

But if we do that...If we try to set up shop outside of Eden then we’re going to miss the rescue of .

You have to be on that curb.

No hope.

No rescue.

Absolutely positively nothing you can do.

Broken beyond healing.

So I’m going to read through now and here is what I want you to do as you listen.

I’m going to be saying a word here in the beginning “promised eternal inheritance” that’s the party.

You receive this passage on the curb.

No hope.

In the wilderness.

You can’t do anything to get back in there.

Now listen to this.

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Sermon Introduction

There is lots of talk of blood, and maybe some confusing old testament stuff, in that passage.

Quite a bit of big religious words that you might not fully understand.

So let’s work together to see what Hebrews is saying to us.

Those of us sitting on the curb.

No access.

No hope.

Broken beyond healing—as in you cannot fix this.

You cannot get that ticket back.

Your hope isn’t that you’ll get cleaned up and able to get access to the party.

Your hope isn’t personal transformation.

You don’t get in that way.

You cannot get your ticket back.

It’s gone.

Shattered.

You’ve forfeited your ability to claim that “promised eternal inheritance” as your own.

What is that promised eternal inheritance?

I want to say heaven but when I say that I think we might tend to go to streets of gold and mansions and angels and harps and say things like, “so and so died and so now he got his angel wings”.

But that’s not what heaven is about.

It’s not about going to see your dearly departed loved ones.

As wonderful as that is.

Heaven is more about this big story that God is telling.

It’s more about all those longings that you have in your heart.

It’s about shalom.

Love.

Joy.

Peace.

All that stuff.

It’s about a completely redeemed creation.

Enjoying God forever.