Sermon Tone Analysis

Good Morning…Welcome to New Hope...

Series info...

Imagine with me for a few moments… Think about that someone in your life that is closest to you.

Who is the person, or persons, that you’ve grown so very close with?

Maybe it began as a casual friendship - you weren’t looking for a close friend, but that’s what it turned in to.

Maybe it was even a person that you used to despise and they turned out becoming one of your best friends (The guy who turned out to be my best friend in high school, couldn’t stand him in junior high).

This is someone you trust wholeheartedly - You’d trust this person with your checkbook

This is someone you’ve shared life with - You’ve been through thick & thin

This is someone who’s been there for you - Even in your highs & lows

This is someone who you’ve been there for - Sacrificed time

This is someone who you know you can call & they can call you any time

This is someone that can finish your sentences

Best friend from high school; Friend from work; Spouse; Someone in your family; Someone you share life with

Now… Here’s the next step… And for some of you this morning this could be incredibly sensitive.

I want you to know that I get it and understand that this might stir up some things in you that you’d rather not think about or you’d rather forget or you’d rather not remember.

Honestly, it stirs up some stuff in me, so I don’t do any of this lightly.

But it’s important this morning.

Maybe who your thinking of is a best friend from school; maybe it’s a close friend you work with; maybe it’s someone in your family; maybe it’s a spouse.

The next step is to imagine (and some of you may not need to go far because it’s happened to you, or it’s a reality in your life) that this person has betrayed you.

They have deeply wounded you in some fashion.

Now, I don’t mean they necessarily hurt you physically, but they have wronged you.

They’ve broken a promise; They’ve talked about you behind your back; They’ve been disloyal to you; They’ve let you down; They’ve deceived you; They’ve stabbed you in the back; They’ve cheated you in some way; They’ve denied that they even knew you

Let me pause and ask you a question.

What are thinking of this person?

What would you like to do to this person?

How would you like to treat this person?

What do you wish would happen to this person?

Mark 11:25

I don’t know about you, but I’m done.

How could they?

Why would they?

What did I do to deserve this?

Why does this have to happen to me?

I thought we were close.

I thought we were friends.

In we find Jesus and his disciples together in Jerusalem celebrating the Passover.

He took some wine and gave thanks for it and said, “Take this and share it among yourselves.

For I will not drink wine again until the Kingdom of God has come.”