Sermon Tone Analysis

We’re going to *continue* our *teaching* on “*God turning your situation around*.”

*We all go through many different tests and trials* *in* our *life*, *and* we *face* different *storms*, *but* *God cares about us*, *and* *He wants to turn our negative situation around*.

*I) **Last time* we were *ministering on our ATTITUDE* and *how our* *attitude can make us or break us*.

It *can be* *the thing that will* *put us over* *or* *cause us to be defeated*.

*A) **Paul said* in (*Philippians 1:18), “I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice*.”

KJV

*1) *When *Paul* *wrote this* he was *in prison*.

*That’s a negative situation* that *he faced*, *but he said*, “*I rejoice and will rejoice*.”

*(a) *The *very next V* from the *Ben Campbell Johnson* translation says, “*I will keep on celebrating because I know this ATTITUDE will bring my deliverance*.”

(V 19)

*(b) **What ATTITUDE* *is he talking about*?

*(i) *An *ATTITUDE OF JOY*.

*(ii) *In (*Philippians 4:4*) Paul says, “*Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice*.”

KJV

*(c) **Notice* that *Paul says* that *we are to rejoice always*, *not just when things are going well*.

*(i) *You have to *keep joy in your heart* even when *things look* there *worst*.

*(ii) **How can we have JOY* when we’re going through some *negative things*?

*(iii) **Because* *we know* that *God will deliver* us *from* those *problem areas*.

*2) *Something that goes *hand in hand* *with* *JOY* is *THANKSGIVING*.

*(a) *We need to *have* an *ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE*.

*(i) **Sometimes people say* that *they will rejoice* *and be thankful* *when the answer comes*, *after the victory has been won*, but *that’s* *backwards*.

*(ii) *We need to *RELEASE OUR JOY*, *offer up* the *SACRIFICE OF JOY*, and *put on* *THE ATTITUDE OF THANKSGIVING while* we are *waiting* *for* the *answer*.

*(iii) *In fact, *JOY*, *THANKSGIVING*, and *PRAISE* are the *greatest expression of FAITH* *known to man*.

*(b) **If you’re* really *believing God* *to turn your situation around*, then *you have* the *assurance* that *God will come through*.

*3) *Turn with me to *1JOHN 5:14-15*

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*(a) **John says*, “*This is the confidence that should have*, *If we ask God for anything that is in line with His Word he hears us*, *and if He hears us we also know that WE HAVE THE ANSWER*.”

*(b) **This is really what faith is*.

*(i) **It’s a knowing*.

*KNOWING WHAT*?

*(ii) **?

That God will come through*?

*(iii) **Yes*, *but it goes* *1 step further*.

*(c) **The last thing* that *John said* in (*V 15*) is that “*WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE*.”

*HAVE WHAT?* *THE ANSWER*.

*4) **Faith* *in your heart* *knows* that it is *already yours* *before you even see it*.

*(a) **You don’t have to worry about what will happen*.

*If you have faith* in God, *you already know what will happen*.

*B) **If you* already *know* *what will happen*, *if you* already *know* that *the* *answer* *is yours*, *IT’S TIME TO REJOICE*, it’s time to be *putting on* the *GARMENT OF PRAISE*, it’s *time to be THANKING THE LORD* *before* you even *see it*.

*II) *Turn with me to *PSA 116:17*

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*A) **When is* the *giving of thanks* to the Lord *a sacrifice*?

*1) **When you don’t feel like giving thanks*.

*(a) *There are *many things* that can *STEAL our JOY* and *ROB us* of the *ATTITUDE OF THANKFULNESS*.

*(b) **This can cause* us to *have* a *negative attitude*.

*(i) **All of us have to guard against negativism*.

*B) *It *doesn’t matter* *if* *it’s a big thing* were going through *or* *something small* like losing a button.

*1) **Satan will try to come in* *and* *push us to our limits*.

*Getting us to lose our Joy*.

*(a) **Once he finds* *an area* *that causes you to lose your joy* *and* *get you into negativism*, *he’ll keep attacking in that area*.

*C) **Why is it so important* *for Satan* *to STEAL our JOY*?

*1) **If he can steal our joy he can defeat us*.

*2) *(*Nehemiah 8:10*) Says, “*The joy of the LORD is your strength*.”

KJV

*(a) **If Satan can STEAL our JOY* *then we have NO STRENGTH*.

*(b) *Turn with me to *JAMES 4:7*

*3) **The joy of the Lord is our strength*.

*If* *Satan can STEAL our JOY* *we LOSE our STRENGTH*.

*If we DON’T HAVE any STRENGTH*, *we CAN’T RESIST the Devil*.

*If we CAN’T RESIST the Devil*, *HE WON’T FLEE from us*, *and* *if he DOESN’T FLEE from us*, *we WON’T WIN*.

*Were DEFEATED and Satan will walk all over us*.

*III) **Satan wants to steal your joy*.

*He wants to steal your attitude of gratitude*.

*He wants to steal your EARNEST EXPECTATION* *of the promises of God*.

*A) **He wants you to wake up* *in the morning* *MURMURING and COMPLAINING*, *He wants you to say* *to yourself*, “*This is going to be a lousy day*; *I can already tell it*.”

*1) *There was a *cartoon character* that was out several years ago, and *every time something bad happened to him* *he* *would say*, *“I just knew this was going to happen*.”

*2) *But the *Christian should wake up* *in the morning* *with* the *scripture* *on their lips saying*, “*This is the day that the Lord has made I will rejoice and be glad in it*.”

*(a) **We should* *wake up with* the *attitude* that something *Good is going to happen*.

*Expect it*.

*B) *Now, *how* can you *keep this attitude* of *JOY and EXPECTANCY*?

*1) **Psa 34:19*

*(a) *The *NIV* says, (*Psalm 34:19*) “*A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all*.”

NIV

*(i) **This is a promise* that we have *from God*.

*He said* that *He would deliver us* *from* *ALL OF OUR TROUBLES* *and* *NEGATIVE SITUATIONS*.

*2) **Now that we have this promise*, *what should we do* right *now*?

*(a) **Exactly what it says* to do *in* (*HEB 12:2*) “*Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith*.”

*(b) **Keep on looking to Jesus* and *not* to *the problem* *and* *God will bring the victory*.

*3) **Life is good*.

*It’s enjoyable*.

*It’s fun to be a Christian*.

It’s *exciting to be a Christian*.

*(a) **Why is it so exciting to live for the Lord*?

*(b) **The world doesn’t know what tomorrow will bring*.

*But for the Christian*, *we know that we have God on our side*, *and* *VICTORY IS A HAND*. *God will come through*.

WOLCC Sunday 4~/27~/97