Sermon Tone Analysis

If I was going to pick the first book of the Bible that people should read when they come to Christ, I would pick the book of John.

Probably for the second I would pick 1 John.

Let me challenge you over the next few months to become familiar with the writings of the beloved disciple.

He knew Jesus like none of the others did.

He grasped the heart of Christ and with it His passion and the scope of his ministry on earth, present and to come as we see also in the book of revelation.

I believe that in these books there is great likelihood that a person wanting to discover the same heart could do so as well.

With all my heart, I’m convinced that a person lives as close to God as he~/she wishes.

Often in times of trouble or despair we wonder where He is or we struggle to stay afloat spiritually.

You see the storms only tell us how close we have been living to Him.

In fair seas we don’t check so often to see where He is or what his pleasure is for our lives.

When things are going fine we sail our own course without close consultation.

Why would we be overly concerned with our proximity to Christ when we need him for nothing in particular.

And then the storm.

We are tossed emotionally.

We are devastated by bad news.

We are faced with the loss of a loved one.

And in the storm we pray like we never pray otherwise.

We don’t stop to ask ourselves whether or not we feel like it or not.

*Cyrus Brown’s Prayer*

 

“The proper way for man to pray,”

Said Deacon Lemuel Keyes

“And the only proper attitude

Is down upon his knees.”

“No, I should say the way to pray,”

Said rev.

Dr. Wise

“Is standing straight with outstretched arms,

And rapt and upturned eyes.”

“Oh, no, no, no!” said Elder Slow,

“Such posture is too proud;

A man should pray with eyes fast closed

And head contritely bowed.”

“It seems to me his hands should be

Austerely clasped in front

With both thumbs pointing toward

the ground,”

Said Rev. Dr. Blunt

 

“Las’ year I fell in Hodgkins well

Head first,” said Cyrus Brown

“With both my heels a-stickin’ up,

My head a-pintin’ down;

 

“An I made a prayer right then an’ there

Best prayer I ever said,

The prayin-est prayer I ever prayed,

A-standin’ on my head.”

The situation makes us intense and desperate and so many times God comes through, no always God comes through.

If we were more consistent and serious, if we lived out daily the importance that we profess to assign to the practice of prayer, there would be fewer storms that would cause us to panic and we would discover that God is not farther away than we have been content to have him stay.

Well the “beloved” disciple was the one who was always closest.

He needed no storms to drive him to Christ.

He loved him deeply and in his writings he paints his favorite pictures and passes them to us.

I anyone could teach us to love Christ, John could do that.

\\ Tell me the story of Jesus

Write on my heart every word

Tell me the story most precious

Sweetest that ever was heard

Tell how the angels in chorus

Sang as they welcomed his birth

Glory to God in the highest

Peace and good tidings to earth

 

Tell of the Cross where they nailed him

Writhing in anguish and pain

Tell of the grave where they laid him

Tell how he liveth again

Love in that story so tender

Clearer than ever I see

Stay let me weep while you whisper

Love paid the ransom for me.

\\ Not only was John the “beloved” disciple.

At the time of his writing, he was the only surviving disciple of Christ.

He was the leader of the early church centered in Ephesus from app.

AD 68 – 100.

Paul was martyred two years earlier and he had fled Jerusalem during the Jewish War of AD 66 which precipitated the total destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.

He was charged with the responsibility of uniting the predominantly Jewish Christian Church (AD 30-44, led by Peter and James, the brother of Christ) and the Gentile Christian Church in Antioch (AD 44-68 led by the Apostle Paul)

 

As the leader of the church, he was concerned that people believed correctly and that they believed passionately.

If you were going to tell the story of Jesus, where would you begin?

At the cross?

In the cradle?

In the cosmos?

Really that’s where it all began.

Before there was human consciousness.

In one instant He was creating, in the next He was correcting the problem of man’s God given ability to deny his creator.

John says, “In the beginning was the Word . .

.”

He was one of the Sons of Thunder.

His brother James was martyred in the early chapters of the book of Acts.

("/ It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them.

He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword./"

(Acts 12:1-2, NIV) )

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Does it really matter what we believe?

Is it important that our understanding is correct?

If what we believe makes no difference to us then it will make no difference in us.

The difference between your beliefs and truth can be subtle and seemingly innocent but they can make a world of difference over time.

Our beliefs are as important as an accurate bearing on a compass.

It is crucial that we learn to evaluate what we hear based on our knowledge of the word.

Be careful about the things that you believe.

"/ Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: *Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God.

This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.*

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them.

We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us.