Sermon Tone Analysis

*C H O I C E*

*(Acrostic, anangram, puzzle, jigsaw)*

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*JOSHUA 24:15*

*A**As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.**@*

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*A**We will**@** that is futuristic!

Tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, into the 21st Century and beyond.......*

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*C**   OURAGE TO BE DIFFERENT*

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*Do you have the COURAGE TO BE DIFFERENT?*

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*Different?

Different from what?  *

*Different from the murderers of this world?*

*Different from the hard core criminals in our cities?*

*Different from the prostitutes and the drug addicts?*

*Different from the people who live according to the standards of this world?*

*Different from those you work with?*

*Different from your parents, brothers, sisters?*

*Different from the non-Christians.*

*Different from the person setting next to you?*

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*Do you have the COURAGE TO BE DIFFERENT?*

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*Independent*

*Irregular*

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*Or are you one of those conformers (accommodator, adjusters, modifiers, fitters)  that goes along with the crowd?*

*Do you have the COURAGE TO BE DIFFERENT?**

*

*Individual*

*Conflicting*

*Opposite*

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*Hebrews 11:24©26  By faith Moses, when he had grown up, /refused to be known/ as the son of Pharaoh's daughter.

25 /He chose/ to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time.

26 He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because/ he was looking ahead/ to his reward.

(NIV)*

*Moses had the COURAGE TO BE DIFFERENT?**

*

*Unique*

*Unusual*

*Weird *

*Do you have the COURAGE TO BE DIFFERENT?*

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*            Peter & John* *had the COURAGE TO BE DIFFERENT?**

*

*Acts 4:13 When they saw the /courage/ of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

(NIV)*

 

*The priests and elders marveled (wondered) when they saw the boldness (freedom of speech) (backbone, bravery, daring, grit, gumption, guts, heart, nerve, boldness) of Peter and John, especially since they perceived they were unlearned (uneducated in the sense of not having attended a rabbinic school or having sat under a great rabbi like Gamaliel) and ignorant men (unprofessional men, laymen.)

This does not mean they were totally unschooled.

They had gone to the synagogue schools in their hometowns, but they were not professional teachers or trained speakers like the rabbis, scribes, and lawyers.

Ordinary men did not speak with such authority.

It must have been hard for Peter and John to face such snobbishness.

But the key to their boldness and freedom in speaking was, of course the new fresh filling with the Spirit.

*

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*They had the COURAGE TO BE DIFFERENT!** *

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*The Holy Spirit gave them the words to speak.

Then something else struck them **A**they were astonished and they took note....**@** *

 

            *(Joshua & Caleb)** **Numbers 14:6©9 6 Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes 7 and said to the entire Israelite assembly, "The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good.

8 If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. 9 Only do not rebel against the LORD.

And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up.

Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us.

/Do not be afraid of them./"

(NIV) *

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*Joshua & Caleb had the COURAGE TO BE DIFFERENT!*

*Hebrews 4:14©16 Therefore, since **we** have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, **let us** hold firmly to the faith **we profess**.

**15 **For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are -- yet was without sin.

**16 **Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

(NIV)*

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*Because the Son knows the power of sin and the means of success over temptation, believers can come to Him in prayer with confidence in His wisdom and ability to help them when they are confronted with temptation.*

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*The readers of this epistle were facing the temptation to abandon their profession of faith in the face of ridicule and persecution.

Most assuredly , the Son, who was abandoned by His disciples and forsaken by the Father while on the cross, understands the needs of those who are tempted to forsake Him in the hour of trial.

*

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*Our Lord Jesus Christ had the COURAGE TO BE DIFFERENT!

Do You?*

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*The word **A**courage**@** conveys a sense of openness, freedom, and confidence.

*

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*When Christians come to God in prayer through the Son, they receive not justice, but God**=**s grace and mercy.

This is available because of Jesus Christ**=**s sacrifice on the cross.

The help that is available through such prayer is timely, that is, it exactly fits the need at the right moment.*

*Hebrews 10:35©36 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.

**36 **You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.

(NIV)*

* *

*In order for believers to be certain about receiving this **A**great recompense of reward.**@**

one thing is needed: **/PATIENCE.

/**Hupomones describes one particular aspect of patience, the quality of endurance.

*

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*It speaks about enduring the afflictions and trials until those troubles are ended.*

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*Patient endurance to the end will receive the reward.

*

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*As believers you must respond to the current crisis in your lives in the same way you reacted when you first professed your faith in the Son of God.

With the eyes of faith, you must look beyond your present circumstances to the glory of your future inheritance.

*

* *

*Just as Jesus came to do the Father**=**s will and knew it would involve Him in suffering and death, so believers discover that for them God**=**s will also involves suffering.

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*When you have **A**done the will of God,**@** however, you will actually go beyond your knowledge of God**=**s promises and receive it for yourselves in your personal experience.*

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*Do You Have the COURAGE TO BE DIFFERENT?*

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*Hold On!  Don**=**t give in.

Jesus Christ has provided (them) you with **A**courage, confidence, boldness,**@** they were admonished not to throw it away because it had the prospect , not of fiery judgment, but of great reward.

*

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*Those who trust in the Son will enter into eternal rest as recipients of God**=**s eternal salvation.

Such an inheritance should not be abandoned.

Nothing should be done to jeopardize it.*

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*It takes the courage to be different.*