Sermon Tone Analysis

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Emotion
Anger
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Anger
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liberty bible church          6~/10~/07 P.M.
By Tom Zobrist
“choose whom you will serve”
Genesis 14:18-24
introduction
Illus. of “Wealthy Eccentric” A wealthy eccentric died and left a million dollars to his nephew, John.
When the will was read at the lawyer’s office, the lawyer said to John, “According to your uncle’s instructions, payment of your inheritance will depend on choices that you must make.”
The lawyer held his two fists out in front of him and asked, “Do you choose what is in my right hand or in my left hand?”
John decided to take what was in the attorney’s right hand.
The lawyer opened his left hand to reveal a gold coin and a silver coin.
“Had you chosen this hand,” he said, “you would have received a substantial share in a gold mine or a silver mine in Chile.”
Then he opened his right hand to reveal a nut and a coffee bean.
“These represent a million dollars’ worth of nuts or coffee from Brazil,” said the attorney.
“Which do you choose?”
John decided on the nuts.
A week went by before John arrived in Brazil to take charge of his holdings.
In the interim, fire destroyed a huge warehouse where the nuts that John had inherited were stored and coffee prices doubled.
Since John hadn’t gotten around to insuring his holdings, he soon was bankrupt.
He barely had enough for his airfare home to New York or Los Angeles, where he could stay with a friend.
He chose Los Angeles.
Just before he took off, the New York plane came out on the runway—it was a brand-new super jet.
For the connecting flight to Los Angeles, the plane was a 1928 Ford trimotor with a sway back that took half a day to get off the ground.
It was filled with crying children and tethered goats.
Over the Andes one engine fell off.
Our man crawled up to the cockpit and said, “Let me out if you want to save your lives.
Give me a parachute.”
The pilot agreed but said, “On this airline, anybody who bails out must wear two chutes.”
John jumped from the plane and as he fell he tried to make up his mind which rip cord to pull.
Finally he chose the one on the left.
It was rusty, and the wire pulled loose.
He pulled the other handle.
The chute opened, but its shroud lines snapped.
In desperation the poor fellow cried out, “St.
Francis save me!” Suddenly a great hand reached down from Heaven, seized the poor man’s wrist and let him dangle in midair.
Then a gentle voice asked, “St.
Francis Xavier or St. Francis of Assisi?” /Bits & Pieces/, May 25, 1995, pp.
6-8
I realize that this is a dumb story, but it illustrates that our lives are full of a myriad of choices and we ourselves bear the consequences of each of those choices.
For the younger in the group, most have had parents that have made critical decisions for them.
As you grow older, you will begin to make choices on your own.
You will choose your friends, a career, perhaps a college.
As you continue to mature you will choose where to work, where to live, who to marry, and which church to attend.
These are just a sampling of critical choices that we all make at one time or another and which we choose will affect us and our families greatly.
As you face these decisions, it’s possible that you could begin to feel a bit overwhelmed.
I want to possibly help by simplifying things for you if I might.
OPEN to passage.
*Prop.
*In this passage, we see Abram make a critical choice that would have far reaching affects for himself and millions of descendents.
Open in PRAYER.
PREVIEW the passage.
Abram has just come off a great victory for his family and five cities from the southern plain.
Four kings had come from the northeast to deal with an uprising against their authority.
They conquered these five cities and several others on their way there and took much plunder and many captives.
Among the captives was Lot, the nephew of Abram, from whom he had separated previously because of the magnitude of their flocks and herds and people.
So, it is Abram to the rescue.
Cf. 14:13-16 As he returns, he is met by the king of Sodom, who previously had fled.
Needless to say, he is very grateful.
But, that’s not all who came to meet Abram.
And with this attention, Abram has a decision to make.
To whom would he credit for this great victory.
Was it by human power of the power of God.
That is where we find the greatest choice in life.
Whom will we serve?
If we answer this question properly, we will be able to make all the right choices in life.
In any decision, you can choose God’s Way or My Way.
(Your Own Way.)
If we are serving God, we will choose God’s way.
Abram had that choice here.
Let’s look at…  
 
 i.
God’s Way vs. 18-20
Illus. of “Pastoral Call” A minister received a call from a church that offered him a salary four times what he was then receiving.
Being a devout man, he spent much time in prayer trying to discern what God wanted him to do.
One day a friend met the minister’s young son on the street.
“Do you know what your dad is going to do?” he asked.
“Well,” replied the youngster, “Dad’s praying, but Mom’s packing!”
Is this how God leads?
a.
In God’s Way, God provides Guidance  
V 18a   1.
A second king meets Abram on his return from battle.
This king is much different than the wicked king from Sodom.
This is Melchizedek, king of Salem.
This was Jerusalem.
It is referred to as just Salem in Psalm 76:2.
Melchizedek means “righteous ruler.”
V 18b  2.
It says here he was “the priest of God Most High.”
Many believe that Melchizedek was a theophany or a preincarnate Christ.
(Jesus appearing in human form before he was born in human form.)
More than likely, this refers to a righteous ruler that was a leader in following the same God that called Abram to this region.
He was not involved in the idol worship of the Canaanites.
a.
David later prophesies that his descendant would be a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.
Cf.
Ps. 110:4 David saw beyond the Levitical priesthood that was temporary.
b.
Melchizedek is also referred to in Hebrews.
He was a type of Christ.
Jesus’ priesthood is superior to the Levitical priesthood.
Melchizedek has no recorded family genealogy and so his priesthood is seen as superior to the Levitical priesthood, since Abram paid tithes to him and Levi descended from Abram.
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