Sermon Tone Analysis

Josh Turner

Romans 3:21-26

Introduction:

 

Secular:

Have any of you seen the movie The Mission?

I remember the first time that I saw it.

I was in high school, and we were studying about how the great empires expanded into the New World, and the effects.

It is a 1986 British film about the experiences of a Jesuit missionary in eighteenth century South America.

The film is set during the Jesuit Reductions, a program by which Jesuit missionaries set up missions independent of the Spanish state to civilize the indigenous peoples and to teach them about Christianity.

It tells the story of a Spanish Jesuit priest, Father Gabriel, who enters the South American jungle to build a mission and convert a community of Guaraní Indians to Christianity.

He is later joined by a Portuguese man named Rodrigo Mendoza (Robert De Niro), who sees the Jesuit mission as a sanctuary and a place of forgiveness.

The mission, which was once under Spanish protection, has been handed over to the Portuguese while the Vatican has ordered the Jesuits to withdrawal from the territory above the falls.

Eventually, a combined Spanish and Portuguese force attacks the mission and, failing to see the simple life of the Guarani as anything but threatening (contrary to Father Gabriel and Mendoza).

Mendoza and Gabriel try to defend the community against the cruelty of Portuguese colonials (who are trying to enslave the Guaraní under the new powers granted by the Treaty of Madrid), Gabriel by nonviolent means and Mendoza by means of his military training.

kill many of them as well as all the priests.

Mendoza ends up  dying trying to save Guarani children on a bridge.

But focusing more on Mendoza, there is a scene where Father Gabriel visits Mendoza to try and get him to come up and help at the mission.

To set the scene a little more, Mendoza has been a mercenary – he led groups of men to capture some of the indigenous people.

He has also killed his brother for sleeping with his wife.

He tells Father Gabriel to go away, because there is “no redemption for one such as me.”

Father Gabriel asks him is he is willing to seek and try.

Father Gabriel has Mendoza carry a large net containing his armor and weapons from the town all the way to the village the mission is located.

*Expand.

*At one point, they reach a waterfall, and Father Gabriel forces him to carry the load up the face of the cliff.

After this, one of the other Jesuits walks up to Father Gabriel and says something like this:  Why are you continuing to have him carry that net up the mountain – hasn’t he already done enough?

Why don’t you just tell him that his sins are forgiven?

Father Gabriel responds:  Because he feels that he must pay for his sins, and doesn’t feel like he has done so yet.

Personal: 

How often are we just like Mendoza?

Have you ever said “there can be no redemption for one such as me”?  Probably not – I am guessing here, but I would bet if you were asked that question your response would be something along the lines of, “we are Christians, we know that God forgives us.”

Yet I challenge you to look at your lives, do your actions reflect that knowledge?

I think that all too often, we mess up and feel that we must do something to make up for our sins.

Or maybe *.  *How is it in your life that you are trying to bear the weight of your sins?

Biblical:  The book of Romans was written by Paul to the church in Rome.

It was most likely written between 55 and 59 A.D.  The people Paul was writing to had never met him.

There was a fair mix of Jews and Gentile believers, starting in Chapter 1 verse 1 and going through 3:20, Paul talks about how man’s every inclination is to sin, regardless of their ethnicity.

He points out that all are guilty.

Yet starting in verse 21 of chapter 3, Paul switches his focus.

In this second part, which will continue through 4:25, Paul will talk about what God has done to make us right with himself.

Today we will be answering the question, how can we be right with God? How can we be counted righteous in God’s sight?

Textual:  Please turn in your bibles with me to Romans 3:21.

Subject: How can we be right with God?

Purpose:  To show that it is only by faith that we can be right with God.

I.

We can only be right with God by faith.

It is only by faith in Christ that we sinful people can be counted righteous.

(21-22)

a.       Exposition

                                                  i.