Sermon Tone Analysis

As *I was seeking* the *Lord* on *what* to *minister* *on* this week, I just felt so *impressed* to minister on the *subject* of “*Finding God’s plan for our lives*,” or you could even call it “*Finding God’s will for my life*.”

I’ve seen that there are a *lot of people* who *wonder* *what God wants them to do* in life.

*Many feel* that *if* they’re *not in the 5 fold ministry*, they’re *not doing enough for the Lord*.

Some of the *things* that *I’m going to minister on today* *and* in the *next few weeks* will *help you tremendously*.

I’m *not going to tell you exactly* *what* God wants you *to do*, *you* have to *find* *that out from the Lord*, *but I can share* with you what *the Word* of God says.

*I believe* that you will *see things in a new light*.

*I.

**/HEB 12:1/*

              *A.

**You have* a *particular race* that *God has set before* *you* *to run*.

It is a *spiritual race* that *has to do with* the *divine plan* that *God has set before you to fulfill*.

*1.

*(*/HEB 12:1/*) Says that we have a “*/race to run/*.”

*a.

*(Keep your finger there) Turn to */2 TIM 4:7/*

                                           *i.

**We have a race to run*, but we *also see* by *example* that *not only* are we to *run the race*, we are to *finish* *the* *race or course*.

*b.

**You are* *to fulfill God’s plan* for your *own individual life*.

*i.

*You *can’t run someone else’s race* or finish someone else’s course.

*ii.

*God has a *different course for each of us*.

*2.

**No one’s call or plan* that God has for them is *the same*.

*a.

**God has as many callings* *as there are believers*.

*i.

**Even if a pastor leaves a church* *and* a *new pastor comes in*, the *callings* may be *similar* *but* they will *differ in some areas*.

*B.

*Let’s go back to */HEB 12:1/*

                        *1.

**This V* *says* that *we are not running our race **/unobserved/*.

*a.

**While* we are *running* this *spiritual race*, the Bible says we are “*/Compassed about/*” by a “*/Great cloud of witnesses/*.”

?        *i.

**Who* is *included* *in this great cloud of witnesses*?

                        *2.

*If you remember the *writers* of the *Bible* *did not write in chapters and verses*.

*a.

*They *wrote 1 letter*.

*3.

*(*/HEB 11/*) *Talks* *about* those who we call the “*/Heroes of faith/*.”

*a.

**Paul talks about* *Abel*, *Enoch*, *Abraham*, *Sarah*, *Isaac*, *Jacob*, *Joseph*, *Moses*, and so on.

*i.

*(*/Hebrews 11:39/*) Says, “*/And these all, having obtained a good report through faith/*.”

(KJV)

                                  *b.

*I believe that *this* */V/* is *talking about* all *men* *and women* *of faith* are that have *died* *are* this *great cloud of witnesses* *that* the very */next/* */V/* is *talking about*.

*4.

**What does Paul mean when he says* *we are* “*/Compassed about/*” by this cloud of witnesses.

(*/HEB 12:1/*)

                                  *a.

*The */Living Bible/* says it this way, “*/Since we have such a huge crowd of men [and women] of faith watching us from the grandstands ... let us run with patience the particular race that God has set before us/*.”

*b.

**Paul* *uses* the *illustration* of *running a race* in this */V/*.

*i.

*This is in *reference to the old Grecian Games*, which is *similar* *to* our *modern day Olympic Games*.

*ii.

**In* the *Grecian Games*, *those who ran* in the *races* *were compasses* *about* *or surrounded by people watching them* *from* the *grandstands*, *cheering them on*.

*c.

*What *Paul is saying* is that *those* “*/Heroes of faith/*” *and all* the *believers* that have *ever died are watching us from the grandstands* *in heaven* *as we run our spiritual race*.

*C.

**That great cloud of witnesses* in Heaven, *as well as ever believer on earth*, are all *part on the family of God*.

*1.

*Paul said in (*/Ephesians 3:14-15/*) “*/For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, (15) Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named/*.”

(KJV)

                                  *a.

**We are all part of the Family of God* *and those* that are *in Heaven are cheering you on as you run* your race.

*i.

**They’re not interested in our natural lives* as in natural things; like if you *buy a car* or what color suit you where.

*ii.

**They are* *interested in your spiritual life*, *whether* you are *following God’s plan for your life or not*.

*2.

**Kenneth Hagin* *talks about a vision* that He had 20 or 30 years ago.

*a.

*He was *caught up to Heaven* the *same day* *His* only *sister died*.

*i.

**In Heaven he saw Jesus talking to his sister*.

*When he approached them his sister started talking to him*.

*ii.

**The sister said* that *she saw her Grandmother and her Grandfather*.

She *also* said that she *saw her daughter* (*Ann*) that was *killed* in a *car accident* at the *age of 25*.

*iii.

*The *daughter asked* *how her husband (Bill) and her 2 children were doing*.

*b.

**Ken’s sister didn’t tell her that Bill*, her husband, *remarried*.

*i.

**Ken’s sister said*, “*/You see, people up here are not interested in the natural side of life of those living on the earth/*.”

*a.

*“*/They’re not concerned about whether you buy a new dress or a new suit, or how much money your have in the bank/*.”

*c.

*“*/But they are concerned about spiritual things/*.”

*i.

*“*/They don’t know what happens in the natural, but they know everything that you are doing spiritually/*.”

*ii.

*“*/They know when you make a decision for Christ.

They know if you’re walking with God or not/*.”

*D.

**We have a great cloud of witnesses watching us from Heaven’s grandstands*.

*1.

**The Apostles and all the Heroes of Faith are part of this great cloud of witnesses*, and they are *watching us run* our *spiritual race*.

*2.

**If you have* any *loved ones* that have *gone on to be with the Lord*, you can *rest assured that they are watching you as you run your race*.

*a.

**They’re cheering you on as you follow God’s plan* for your life, because *they want you to finish your course*.

*3.

*It *helps* us *to know* that *there are those that are rooting for us*.

*a.

**When I was in baseball* *and* in *gymnastics*, I *always* *wanted to do my best when someone was there cheering me on and rooting for me*.