Sermon Tone Analysis

The other night, Krista and I were invited to a lovely dinner party at the home of a church member.

On a table in their den, was a picture book showcasing Cambridge’s history - I don’t recall the name of the book.

But it was fascinating to flip through the pages, see these old photographs and listen to the memories shared among those in the room.

The skipsjacks that used to fill the harbor, the bustling downtown with all the various stores, the railway that used to run up to area near the drawbridge, the massive fairground, the opera house, Cambridge Creek frozen over with crowds of people ice skating.

There was a section on the 1967 race riot - an event deeply embedded in the psyche of this town.

When I visit people in their homes and listen to their stories, at some point in the conversation the memories of that time period will come out.

2/3 through the book, the photos flip from black and white to color.

We see the newer bridge being built over the Choptank, the purchase of a fire truck, marching bands on parade, and a few other ‘modern’ pictures taken back in 90s.

And then the book ends.

That broad segment of history is captured and the story is told and the book closes.

But the story of Cambridge is not over.

There is more to come.

We jump ahead to the present day and we see signs of renaissance and renewal.

A new waterfront on the horizon that will reshape part of the city.

New businesses being established, new challenges having to be met.

We can look back at the age that was, hopefully learn lessons from it - the good and the bad.

We can give thanks for the many blessings we have received from those who came before.

What we cannot do is return to the past, time doesn’t work that way.

We must keep our eyes on what is to come.

When we read the Big Story of the Bible, we find that there is a beginning and an end, Genesis to Revelation, but that the end is simply an end to an age, not the end of the story.

There is more to come.

The Big Story of the Bible begins and ends with God.

As we heard this morning, Rev 21:6

Revelation 21:6 (ESV)

“It is done!

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.”

This is God’s Story, it is also our story.

The author of the Universe writes us into His Story and we are the audience.

This is the story by which He reveals himself to us and the main thrust of the story is that God desires to be with us.

To be present.

We find this in the very beginning.

God creates.

He creates the sky, the stars, the planets, the earth.

He creates the oceans and calls forth the dry land to appear.

He creates vegetation, sea creatures, every specie of animals, and as a finishing touch, the pinnacle of his creation - he creates rationale, intelligent, self-aware humans.

And all is good!

In fact, God declares it very good.

He takes his Sabbath Rest and He walks with man and woman in the Garden.

He is present.

They interact directly with Him.

He places them in a position of stewardship - they are to oversee all of Creation and to enjoy it.

One boundary they could not cross - eat anything you desires, but don’t eat fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil for you shall surely die.

They already possessed knowledge of Good.

Everything around them was good.

very good.

Because God was present - and God is good.

That lacked nothing.

The spiritual realm and the physical realm were one and the same.

But it did not last.

Chapter 2 of the Big Story - what is commonly referred to as the Fall.

The deceiver, the serpent, entices the first couple.

Where God’s word brings life, Satan’s words bring death and chaos.

I’m sure the Apostle John was contemplating Genesis 3 when he wrote the warning in 1 John 2:16-17

the fruit looked good for food - desire of the flesh

the fruit was a delight to the eyes - desire of the eyes

the fruit was to be desired to make one wise - the pride of life.

Humanity reasoned that God was holding something back - that there was better things to be obtained by following our own desires.

We know best, we are our own gods.

Sin enters God’s Creation and the consequences are catastrophic.

A chasm is created that separates the holiness of God from the rebellion of humanity.

God is no longer face to face with humanity - Adam and Eve are expelled from the garden.

To be separated from God is to die - since God is the giver and sustainer of life.

In his book Genesis for Everyone, John Goldingay shared the following story:

I was once walking through the seminary campus when I spotted a former student, whom I had known quite well, sitting in a patio area with rather a disconsolate look.

When I asked him if he was OK, he replied, “I’ve made a train wreck of my life.”

He had had an affair, his wife had walked out on him with their children, and she was not interested in having him back.

In a class soon afterwards, we were discussing Genesis 3, and I thought the image of a train wreck was an appropriate one for the consequences of Adam and Eve’s action...One mistake can have disastrous consequences for many people other than oneself, and you can’t undo the consequences.

“The first human beings decided to do the opposite of what God said, an act that had a devastating effect on everyone who was to follow, thus the expression “original sin.”

Sin does not remain stagnant - and it does not decrease without intervention.

Sin grows.

It spreads like a cancer.

As humanity populates and flourishes, so does sin.

Early in the Story, Judgement comes in the form of a Great Flood.

Yet God does not wipe away everything and everyone.

There is a remanent - a righteous few who chose to follow God.

Noah, his family and two of every creature are delivered through flood.

God is present with them through the Flood, it was God himself who shuts the door to the Ark when the rains began to fall.

Chapter 3 is Israel.

God chooses a specific tribe of people to become his own children and to be present among them.

He rescues them out of slavery to the Egyptians, bringing his people to freedom through the parting of the Red Sea - the Exodus story.

The Spirit of God is present with them throughout their deliverance - in the form of a pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night.

They were rescued, redeemed and set apart.

Deut.

7:6

I need to move us forward, but Israel was set apart, given the Law to follow, and provided a sacrificial system that would atone for their sins - enabling them to stand in the presence of a holy God.

They were to bear witness to the power and goodness of God to a wicked world.

God also gave them certain promises - the most important was that from this tribe of people would come a Messiah who would save people from their sins.

Enter Jesus, chapter 4. God in the flesh.

Do you see the pattern - God desiring to be present with His people?

The deceiver, the Satan, tries to tempt Jesus - like he did with Adam, but he fails miserably.

Jesus remains faithful to God the Father and by his words and miraculous works - he points people toward right standing with God.

Many can’t stand him because we love our sin, and so men nail him to a cross.

But that was God’s plan all along.

The perfect sacrifice, the unblemished lamb of God, dies for the sins of the world.

Jesus rises from the grave, tells his disciples to go to Jerusalem and wait.

When the Spirit of God comes upon them, they are to go out in His power and spread the Gospel throughout the world.

Sin has been defeated, eternal life is found in Christ.

Enter the Church, chapter 5. God is present, through the agency of the Holy Spirit, in every believer.

We demonstrate the now and the not yet.

New life is available now.

One can be reconciled with God now.