Sermon Tone Analysis

For you and I *to be the best Christian witness*, *and* to *have the very best from God*, we *need to **have* a *Spirit of Excellence*.

It *doesn’t matter where* it is; *we nee**/d/* to *operate* *in excellence*.

*I.  **God expects our excellence*, *whether* it’s in *our **job*, our *life style*, in our *service to the Lord*, or in *ministry*.

*A.

**We’re going to be touching* on *all of these* areas, *but 1* of the *main**/ /**areas* that we’re going to be *on* is *Excellence in Ministry*.

*1.

*We’ve *all* been *given* a *ministry* from the Lord.

*a)  *That ministry *might be* a *nursery worker*, Part of the *music**/ /**team*, *children’s** worker*, *cleaning** the church*, a *greeter*, an *usher*, a *prayer leader* or a *prayer warrior*, *ministry of reconciliation*, a *pulpit ministry*, or *Fellowship** coordinator*.

*b) **Wherever we are*, *God expects excellence*, *our **very best*.

*i)   **Sometimes **CHRISTIANS LACK EXCELLENCE* *when it comes to* *service to the Lord.*

*B.

**As a Christian*, *we expect excellence** **from** our **heavenly Father.*

*1.

*We just *can’t picture God* as *being a failure* in any area.

*a)  *We *expect* *perfection* from Him.

*2.

**Not only* do *we **expect* the *very **best from God*, but *He** has also **set the standard of excellence** **for us*.

*3.

**MATT 5:48 *

*a)  **/When /**/he says/*, *“Be ye therefore perfect,”* *the word* *“Perfect”* *means*, *“to carry through completely,** **to accomplish,** **finish,** **bring to an end.”*

*b) **Listen to the AMP* *“You, therefore, must be perfect [growing into complete maturity of godliness in mind and character, having reached the proper height of virtue and integrity], as your heavenly Father is perfect.”*

*c)  **A **definition** of** **“**INTEGRITY**”** is **“the quality of possessing and steadfastly adhering to high moral principles or professional standards.”*

*i)   **This* is what *God says* *should be part of our character.*

*d) **Along with these characteristics*, *come* the *quality* of *being**/ /**a **man or woman** **of our word*.

*i)   **Christians* above all other *should be people of their word.

*

*ii)  **If we say* that *we’re going to do something*, then we *should keep our word* and do it.

*4.

*But *all of the things** *that we just mentioned are *part of God’s character.*

*a)  *The *last part* of that *V** says*, *“Even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”*

*i)   *The word *“Perfect”* is the *same Greek word.*

*ii)  **God doesn’t just do a job ½ way*, *He **brings it to completion.** *

*C.

*Turn to *EPH 4:1.*

*1.

**Eph 4:1-3* *(AMP)* *“I THEREFORE, the prisoner for the Lord, appeal to and beg you to walk (lead a life) worthy of the [divine] calling to which you have been called [with behavior that is a credit to the summons to God’s service, **(God has placed you in your job and ministry position.

** \\ Living as becomes you] with complete lowliness of mind (humility) and meekness (unselfishness, gentleness, mildness), with patience, **(Notice the qualities that come with a Spirit of Excellence)** bearing with one another and making allowances because you love one another.

\\ Be eager and strive earnestly to guard and keep the harmony and oneness of [and produced by] the Spirit in the binding power of peace.”*

*2.

**Paul says* that we are to *walk worthy of the **Vocation* *or* the *calling* that *we have been called to.*

*a)  *The word *“Worthy”* in this V *means*, *“Suitable or Good, Properly**,* *It has to do with,* *“an act that “deserves” praise or punishment*, *it also means* *“equivalent or of equal weight”.”*

*b) **We are to **fulfill the call* that *we have* *in a **good** and **suitable way**.*

*i)   **In other words*, *we are to **do a good job in the things that God has called us to**.*

*ii)  * It *doesn’t matter* if you know that the thing that you’re doing now for the Lord is *just temporary* or not.

Regardless, we need to *give** our **best** to the Lord*.

*3.

*This *same principle* is *true in the work place*.

*a)  **As** you are **a Christian*, *the **enemy* *will try to stop you** wherever he can.*

*i)   **(REV 12:10)* *refers** **to** **Satan* *as the* *ACCUSER of the BREATHERN.*

*ii)  **So, we need to **maintain* that *same** **Spirit of Excellence* even *in the work place** **so that Satan cannot get a foothold.*

*iii)      **But* *not only that*, *the **world** is looking at you* and *they will **magnify any problem* area that *they see*.\

*4.

**ISA 54:17 **(no weapon)*

*a)  **The AMP adds so much to this veres.**

“But no weapon that is formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment you shall show to be in the wrong.

This [peace, righteousness, security, triumph over opposition] is the heritage of the servants of the Lord.”*[1]*

*

*II.*For us *to have EXCELLENCE* *in* our *life* *we’re** **confronted** with **2 responsibilities.**

*

*A.

**1st* to *MAINTAIN EXCELLENCE* *in all that we do*.

*B.

**2nd* to *DEAL With SATAN.*

*1.

*What *Satan is concerned* *with* is *a **Christian** who is **walking with God**.*

*a)  **This is the person* *that is **going to **effectively** **use** the **Sword of the Spirit**,* the *Word of God*.

*b) **This* is the *person* that *Satan wants to stop*.

*i)   **HOW?*

*III.

**Through deception  *

*IV.

** *

*1.

*But that’s *nothing to fear*.

*All the powers of darkness are not powerful enough to stop us.*

*a)  **2COR 10:4*

*i)   *The word *“MIGHTY”* here means *“To excel above, or having power for something.”

*

*ii)  **Amp says*, *“For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow /and/ destruction of strongholds.”*[2]*

*

*iii)      **The weapons *that *God has given us** are** more powerful than the enemies**.*

*That means*, *through God*, *we can pull down the enemy’s strongholds.*

*b) **(1JOHN 4:4)* tells us that *the greater 1 lives in you.*

*2.

**However, we do have to** **guard against the FLESH**, Heb 6:12 **(Not lazy)** *

*a)  **(Mark 14:38)** **Says**, **“The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.”**

*

*b) **We need to become more spirit conscious**.

The only way we do that is by** doing thing **that are of** the Spirit.

*

*i)   **Jesus said in **John 6:63** **that ‘my words or Spirit and life.’**

*

*ii)  **Worship **has a spiritual quality to it**.

**Jesus said in **JOHN 4:24** **“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”***[3]**

*iii)      **Prayer has spiritual to it**, **especially** **when we are praying in the spirit.

*

*/(a)            /**Jude 20** says,** **“But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,***[4]*** *

*/(b)           /**And there are many others**.

**God is a spirit, but God is also love.*

*iv)**Being “WILLING AND OBEDIENT” to God is another way of flowing with the voice of the Spirit.

*

*v)  **If God has placed you in this church, he has done it for a reason.

*

*/(a)            /**To learn, to grow, to do, to help out, to hook up with the vision.*

*/(b)           /** Dying to your seed** 1COR 15:36*

*B.

*In order for us *to walk in that Spirit of Excellence**/,/* *we are going to have to deal with the enemy.*

*1.

**Example*, *Suppose you have a ministry*, (*Pulpit or ministry of helps*) *or* in your *job*, *and* *Satan puts something on you*, *like* the *spirit of **slumber*.

*a)  **You can’t do you job with excellence*.

It’s the *same thing* */if /**Satan** **puts a sickness on you**.

(Or sin)*

*i)   **We need to deal with him** (Satan) so *that *we can **walk in excellence** *in all that we do.

*V.   *In order for us *to obtain excellence* *and* *walk in it**/,/* there are *some steps* that *we**/ /**need to take*, *things* that *we need to do*.

*1st* we need *DEDICATION*.

*A.

**DEDICATION** is a quality decision*.

(once again, the flesh is weak)

*1.

**What I mean by* *“Quality Decision”* is that *you have to decide that there is **no turning back*.

*a)  **Dedication* *and**/ /**a **decision* *to do something**/, /**does not change** **because of feelings or emotions*.

*i)   **Feelings and emotions are the greatest area of attack from the enemy.*

*ii)  **The battle ground is in the soulish realm.

* 

*b) **Sometimes* *we let **people change* *our dedication* *and* *commitment* *to what God has given us through emotions.*

*i)   **(Cor 5:7) tells us that we are to walk by faith and not by sight.*

*ii)  *But again, *it doesn’t matter what man*, *woman*, *feelings, or emotions* *tell us*, *we should keep our word* *and* the *decision we made to be dedicated**.*