Sermon Tone Analysis

Formal Elements / Descriptive Data

Text (focused on a complete thought-unit of Scripture providing the sermon’s authoritative basis & biblical affirmation): Ps101

Central Idea of the Text (CIT; details of text summarized in a complete, past tense sentence): “A manifesto of ethical standards of King David for himself (vv.

1-4) and for his administration (vv.

5-8), only perfectly practiced by Messiah in His future kingdom” [Ryrie, KJV Study Bible, p. 902]

Proposition (major idea of sermon summarized in a complete sentence using present active, future indicative or imperative mood; the message): Live with integrity now, in light of one day leading others with integrity also.

Statement of Purpose:

(1) Major Objective (MO; focuses on only one of six possible [doctrinal, devotional, ethical, evangelistic, consecrative, or supportive]) – Ethical (need of congregation for proper relationship with the Lord and neighbors).

(2) Specific Objective (SO; focuses on only one; calls for specific action [“I want my hearer to . .

.”]) – Live and lead others now being committed to strive for how they will one day be in Christ’s coming kingdom.

Title (Topic/Name) (2 to 4 words with key, arrow, or unifying word usually common to all major ideas; innovative, interesting, contemporary; indicative of general sermon content; not sensational or cute): Conduct <— Character <— Commitment.

Structural Pattern (1 of 8 possible [enumeration, exploration, biographical, narrative, analogical, causal, problem-solution/question-answer, elimination]): Exploration

Informal Elements / Rhetorical Data

Initiation — Life Interest — Beginning Movement/Episode/Issue:

Life Material (LM) = “LIFE MATERIAL”: The telling/re-presenting of supportive life-material; compelling, fresh, interesting, believable; clearly related to the general conflict, mystery, question, problem, etc. being dealt with; use various sources or types; connect with listener’s experiences; strong, interesting opening sentence(s):

Limitations: observing from a distance; consider the scandals rampant in our nation’s leadership.

Discuss an “American David” who, for all his strengths remains with a black blot of sin and corruption on his biography.

Scandal is no stranger to the Biden administration and family.

A hundred years ago, in 1921, scandal was not absent from then Republican sitting president, Warren Harding.

As relevant as a hundred years ago as to today’s sitting leaders, Psalm 101 presents an ideal that none, not even the greatest of leaders has achieved in perfection.

Life Issue (LI) = “LIFE ISSUE”: Posits question; creates problem; establishes mystery; arouses curiosity, anticipation; imposes conflict; establishes suspense, ambiguity, or bind:

Does that mean that we then discard the unattainable?

Chock it up to futility and say, “Why try?” Let’s just give in to the whims of whatever breeze blows for the hour.

Why board up when the storm is approaching?

Why not just ride the tide, and do whatever is right in every persons eyes at the moment?

Rather than aim for the humanly impossible, just throw conviction to the wind and get all you can while the gettin’s good.

Continuation — Progress — Middle Movement/Episode/Option:

LM:

Sadly, this type of mindset has issued from the top-down, and you find it in so many living rooms today.

Come with me to the living room of an average American home.

Husband and wife look at each other, then she blurts out desperately: “It would be hell to go on living like this.”

In another living room the young wife says, “I have a wonderful family, a fine husband with a good job, two fine children, home paid for—if only life had some meaning.”

[Ralph L. Lewis and Gregg Lewis, Inductive Preaching: Helping People Listen (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 1983), 186.]

Here is a man who has given up his character, who sits in the shadows of his man-cave or his corner where he thinks no one else sees, and rips his wife’s heart out because He just cannot control his thought-life.

Here is a wife who decides she’s not getting what she needs at home, and so begins finding consolation on a willing shoulder, only this shoulder then turns into a couch, and the couch a bed, and now, she’s an adulteress.

Go with me to another home, where two partners are simply trying to “do life together” and from the outside, it looks like they are enjoying the pleasures of sin for a season, and to the world it looks as though they have it all, and yet, because their relationship is unbiblical, ungodly, and not built on the biblical foundation that marriage is honorable in all and the bed undefiled, but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge, the day comes when, in bitterness and anguish, the sin has lost its sparkle, and the heart has been devastated beyond human help.

Oh friend, the scandal doesn’t just visit the White House, or the State House, no the scandal sits in your own living room, waiting to devour.

Scandal comes from the greek “scandalizo” which means to “stumble.”

Friend, David knew it all to well, the world, the flesh and the devil would love nothing more than to see you stumble, and fall in sin, and then be pulverized by the weight of it until you are completely devoured.

Biblical Material/Exposition (EXP) = “EXPOSITION”: Summary of biblical material & identification of text(s) by vs. no.; exposit only from selected text; 3rd person pronouns; past tense; expresses the “then-ness” aspect:

David knew the higher a person rises in any capacity of leadership, the more he must die to his or her self, and see the dangers of even a little leaven in the ranks.

Godly leadership doesn’t begin at inauguration, it begins at home.

The dangers that David sought to keep out of his administration as the newly appointed King of a very much hurting and divided nation, first at Hebron, then at Jerusalem after the death of King Saul, are spelled out for us in Psalm 101, which one preacher said we could rightly call, “Leadership 101.”

In verse 1, David knew he would be in danger of losing his song - the sweet psalmist of Israel, without a song to sing to the Lord!

In verse 2, David understood that without the Lord to help him walk uprightly, like Noah did, or like Job did, then he would never be whole in his life.

How many are the ways we find in this day of medical marvel to numb ourselves to the point where we think we’re functioning okay, but deep down inside, there’s a vacuum that goes unfilled and at the end of the day, we say, “There must be more to life than this.”

Notice his words, “O when wilt thou come unto me?

In verse 3, David knew that the way down begins not with our feet, but with our eyes.

He desired to hate what God hated, to not allow wickedness to cleave (or be superglued) to him.

In verse 4, David understood that who he had in his close cabinet, his friends if you will, would either lead him closer to the things of God, or further away.

Like our Savior, he was ready in his heart, as the King to say, “Depart from me, ye that work iniquity, for I never knew you.”

In verse 5, David made a commitment that slander would never find a seat at his table.

Those that cut others down with their words would have no place in his courts.

Here is a father that taught his son among other things that, “a proud look, and a lying tongue doth the Lord hate” (see Prov. 6).

David knew, according to verse 6, that he would only be as strong as those he surrounded himself with.

He made a commitment to seek out those who walk in faithfulness.

If he was to keep his way perfect, then those he walked with everyday must also be walking that same road with him.

In verse 7, David knew the damage that lying does to not only a home (Amnon, Tamar, Absalom), but also in the palace.

God hates lying.

There’s simply no place for those who lie and do not the truth in the ranks of leadership.

David, in verse 8, made a commitment to deal with sin speedily, and even result to capital punishment if need be to keep his administration free from scandal, and sin, and lies.

His would be an open administration, and it would impact the entire city, the entire nation of Israel would either rise or fall on David’s leadership, whether he led with integrity or not.

Tentative Resolution (TR) = “TENTATIVE RESOLUTION”: Temporary, incomplete, or incorrect conclusion; using present active, future indicative, or imperative mood, strong verbs (avoid “to be” or “to have” etc.):

Our changing world is full of compromise, of twisting the clearly revealed truths of God’s Word to fit our own fancy, and we are the easiest people to deceive ourselves into excusing sin that is right in the midst of our lives, our homes, our places of work and service, our community, and we tend to turn a blind eye rather than turn up the lumens on what God says He clearly hates.

Transitional Sentence (TS) = “TRANSITIONAL SENTENCE”: Indicates change & progression of thought or direction; needs to achieve smooth, logical transition:

If you were to take Psalm 101, and use the opposite of every idea and principle expressed, would you not have tomorrow’s headlines, from the White House, to the School House, to the Church House, and God forbid, even to your house and my house today?

Consummation — Climax — Ending Movement/Episode/Option:

LM (most effective material used closer to climax):

I mentioned Warren G. Harding earlier.

Now, the books have yet to be written on Joe Biden, but I tend to believe that if everything could be known that has been done in secret up to now, we would learn of things that would make the worst of us blush with shame.

Harding died prematurely in office, and was succeeded by his vice president, Calvin Coolidge during the “Roaring Twenties” leading up to the Great Depression.

After his death, Harding’s once popular reputation was tarnished by scandal after scandal that came to light once he was gone.

But it doesn’t matter where you look friend, what about the sports world?

What pop-icon has come through with a sinless reputation?

What CEO or CFO has conducting every business transaction without sin?

What well-meaning small-business owner has in every situation said and done the right thing?

None.

What church has lived her life without sin in the ranks?

What congregation has come through unscathed?

Only two in human history that I am aware of, and I can only say that based on the omniscience of Jesus Christ, who wrote two letters among seven to the churches of Asia in the first century that came away unscathed by His flaming eyes of Judgment.

The first was a church persecuted to no end, Smyrna, and the second was the church of gospel mission, Philadelphia.

No condemnation recorded for these two congregations.

You see, though we may throw stones, and say “all have sinned,” friend, there does remain those who seek to do things God’s way, though they are not sinlessly perfect.

David, even with his black blot, can say with utmost integrity at this juncture of his ministry, that he would walk in his integrity.

We say, rightly so with the Savior, there is none good, save God, but friend, that doesn’t change the fact that the Bible, in divine inspiration, did call one other man in the Bible good, that man’s name was Joses.

You might also know his surname, Barnabas.

What makes the difference between a Joses (Barnabas) of Acts 4 and an Ananias of Acts 5? What makes the difference between a David and a Saul as king of Israel?

What makes the difference between a George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Ronald Regan and that of a Warren Harding, Andrew Johnson, or James Buchanan?

What is the difference between a Ward Snyder and a Kenneth Copeland?

Is not the heart of the matter the matter of the heart?

What makes the difference between a home wrecked with sin and scandal, and one blessed by the Lord?

Oh, friend, it is not whether that man or woman, that president or vice-president, that Governor or Lt. Governor, that Principal or teacher, that athlete or astronaut, that policeman or fireman, that Pastor or church member, that husband or wife, that father or mother, that son or daughter is sinless.

But rather, what commitment have they made in their heart to the God of heaven that shapes who they are when no one else is looking, and thereby informs and impacts everything they say or do, because their heart and mind are filtered by the Word of God.

EXP:

You see, it starts at home.

It begins where you live and dwell.

Maybe its just you there by yourself, maybe there’s a family there with you, but regardless, obedience to the good and right way begins with a commitment like David made here, “I will walk within my house with a perfect heart” (Ps.

101:2).

If you want to know how to pray for our leaders as well as how to conduct yourself, then Psalm 101 is where you need to go.

By the time you get to the office, or the schoolroom, or the grocery store, or the workplace, or the church house, friend, its already too late.

You need to have a right walk with God behind the closed doors of your home.