Sermon Tone Analysis

*At Ease In Zion*

*TEXT: Amos 6:1-6*,

*/Isaiah 66:8/*/, "Who hath heard such a thing?

who hath seen such things?

Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day?

or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children."/

*Introduction:*

*A.     *"*/In Zion/*" --- This is often in */Scripture/* a name for the */Church/* on earth.

*B.     **/Many/* are at */Ease/* in the Zion (*/The/* */Church/*)!

*C.     *Though*/ /In* the church, they are *Not Of* the church.

*D.     *The */Characteristics/* of their life are */Not Those Proper to the Sincere Believer/*.

!

I.          The Meaning of Being "At Ease In Zion."

!! A.        Many are Preoccupied.

!!! 1.      Spiritual things ought to get our */First/* and */Best/* and */Continuous/* attention.

*/Matthew 6:33/*/, "//But *seek ye first* the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.//"/

*/Matthew 26:41/*/, "/*/Watch and pray/*/, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.//"/

!!! 2.      The */Careless/* eat, drink, marry, and are given in marriage.

*/Luke 17:27/*/, "//They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, *until the day that Noe entered into the ark,* and the flood came, and destroyed them all.//"/

!!! 3.      The */Householder/* relaxes */His/* */Watchfulness/*, and as a result his house is broken into.

*/Matthew 24:43/*, "But know this, that */if the goodman of the house had known/* in what watch the thief would come, */he would have watched/*, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up."

!!! 4.      The *Wise* virgins as well as the *Foolish* virgins *Slept* and the *Bridegroom Came Unawares*.

!!! */Matthew 25:5/*/,// "//While the bridegroom tarried, *they all slumbered and slept*.//"/

!! B.        Many are Blinded.

!!! 1.

The Natural man is Blind in Spiritual Things

!!! */1 Corinthians 2:14,/*/ "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."/

!!! 2.      He sees neither --- What Has Been --- What Is --- What Is to Come.

!!! 3.      The */Child of God/* can also be */Blind/*.

*/2 Peter 1:9/*/, "But he that lacketh these things is *blind*, and *cannot see afar off*, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins."/

!! C.        Many Are Presumptuous (Proud, Self-Confident)!

!!! 1.      Men do */Not/* adequately */Realize/* */Sin/* as to either its */Guilt/* or */Danger/*.

!!! 2.      They live in it */Calmly/* and */Without/* */Changing/*, as if it were the */Normal/* thing.

!!! 3.      They anticipate */No/* */Evil/* and */No/* */Disturbance/*.

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II.

The Varieties of Being "At Ease In Zion."

!! A.        Some are Secure in Sin.

!!! 1.

They */Expect/* to sin on and on and */Suffer No Evil/* --- Or

!!! 2.      They expect */Something to Intervene/* and stay proceedings before evil actually falls.

*/Isaiah 28:15-16/*/, "Because ye have said, We have made a *covenant with death*, and *with hell are we at agreement*; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it *shall not come unto us*: for we have made *lies our refuge*, and under *falsehood have we hid ourselves*: 16 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste."/

!! B.        Some are Secure in Morality.

!!! 1.

They Trust in the Arm of The Flesh.

*/Jeremiah 17:5/*/, "Thus saith the LORD; *Cursed* be the man that *trusteth in man*, and *maketh flesh his arm*, and whose *heart departeth from the LORD*."/

!!! 2.      They persuade themselves that they are but Little To Blame.

!!! 3.      They view the coming Judgments as Provoked By, and Meant For, Others.

!! C.        Some are Secure in Ordinances.

!!! 1.

They locate Spiritual Power in Church Forms.

!!! 2.      Regeneration with them means a Sprinkled Face.

!!! 3.      Justification to them means an Elevated Host.

!!! 4.      Sanctification with them means an exhaustive Observance of Ordinances.

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III.

The Occasions For Being "At East In Zion."

!! A.        Unvarying Prosperity.

!!! 1.

As life has been, so they easily assume that it will be.

!!! 2.      A Smiling world is a Dangerous Tranquillizer.

!! B.        Luxurious Living.

*/ Deuteronomy.

8:11-14/*/, "Beware that thou *forget not the LORD thy God*, in not keeping his *commandments*, and his *judgments*, and his *statutes*, which I command thee this day: 12 Lest when thou hast *eaten and art full*, and hast built *goodly houses*, and dwelt therein; 13 And when thy *herds and thy flocks multiply*, and thy *silver and thy gold is multiplied*, and *all* that thou hast is *multiplied*; 14 Then *thine heart be lifted up*, and thou *forget the LORD thy God*, which *brought thee forth* out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage;"/

!!! 1.

The */Flesh/* gets weak only by being */Crucified/*.

*/Galatians 2:20/*/, "I am *crucified with Christ*: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but *Christ liveth in me*: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and *gave himself for me*."/

!!! 2.      If the */Flesh/* be left alone it will */Grow/* */Stronger/* --- much more if it is */Pampered/* and */Fed/*.

!! C.        Companionship of the Ungodly.

!!! 1.      */Familiarity/* with sin breeds */Tolerance/* of it.

!!! 2.      A sinful Example Is a Temptation to sin.

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IV.

How To Overcome Being "At Ease Zion."

*/Isaiah 66:8, /*/"Who hath heard such a thing?

Who hath seen such things?

Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day?

or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children."/

!! A.        What does this travail of the church Imply?

!!! 1.

An Intense Prayerful desire for the Salvation of Lost Souls.

!!! 2.      A Strong and Unwavering Faith.

!! B.        Why is this travail Necessary?

!!! 1.

If there is */No Labor/*, there will be */No Profit/*.

!!! 2.      As it is in the */Natural/* */World/*, so it is in the */Spiritual/* */World/*.

!! C.        How can this travail be Realized?

!!! 1.

Not By Simply Desiring It.

!!! 2.      You must fix your Attention upon Facts Adapted to Induce It.

!! D.        What will be the Results of this travail?

!!! 1.

The Church will Increase Rapidly.

!!! 2.      When The Church Is Really Anxious For Conversions To Christ, Sinners Will Soon Become Anxious To Be Converted.

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V.       The Consequences of Being "At Ease In Zion."

!! A.        With the Godly, it comes before a /Fall/.

!!! 1.

The Church will Decrease.

!!! 2.      Souls will Not be Saved.

!!! 3.      We will be as the */Five/* */Foolish/* */Virgins/*.

!! B.        With the Ungodly, it comes before Destruction.

!!! 1.

The careless eat, and drink, and marry, and are given in marriage.

*/Luke 17:27/*/, "//They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.//"/

*/Revelation 14:10-11/*/, "The same shall drink of the wine of the *wrath of God*, which is poured out *without* *mixture* into the cup of *his indignation*; and he shall be *tormented* with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:11And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they *have no rest day nor night*, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name."/