Sermon Tone Analysis

*/A Refreshing of the Soul/*; NV 10~/17~/04 a.m.

*OS:* *A* At Chancy Lutheran Church in Clinton, Iowa, the kids from VBS were preparing for their grand finale production of "The Good Shepherd."

Guests slipped into their seats and checked their watches.

The special stars of the show were two sheep, kept in a pen outside the church.

Then things got complicated.

Ten minutes before the play was to start, the sheep…well…they were lost.

They ran away.

Just got scared (stage fright, maybe?), hopped over the fence, and lit out for points unknown.

The play's director, Sandy Mussman, along with her two kids, ran through town, chasing the sheep.

"At one point," she later reported, "we passed a lady who was out in her yard.

She said, 'Did I just see what I thought I saw?'"

Eventually, they tracked one of the sheep down near Clinton Community College, but at last report the other one was still on the lam, though several people reported seeing it around town.

The church's preacher was even out looking.

According to Mussman, "When people asked what he was looking for he'd say, 'A lost sheep.'

Then he'd have to tell them he really was looking for a lost sheep, that he wasn't looking for sinners."

The first act was entitled "The Lost Sheep."

*I.       **Last week we began a series as a church to prepare for selecting and appointing additional shepherds for all us sheep.*

A.     David (Sunday am class) Qualifications and Duties

B.     Rather than duplicating these things I’ve decided to spend our time in worship on things that will prepare us spiritually to be good sheep.

C.

Last week: God’s way, not man’s way brings success in all we do…

                       1.       *B* The selection and appointment of elders should be so God centered that on January 9th when we officially appoint these new shepherds we do so with absolute conviction that God has chosen these men to shepherd this church.

2.

But if you are sick to your soul you will not discern God’s way.

So, we need refreshing of the soul.

*II.

**To be a part of God’s church brings responsibilities to all.*

A.     Shepherds have a tremendous responsibility before God.

                       1.

Many churches have an eldership that functions as a board of directors.

I am thankful for the shepherds we have at Northview.

2.

Our shepherds take their responsibility seriously.

Many nights I’m sure they lay in bed and count sheep literally as they try to fall asleep.

B.     Sheep have a tremendous responsibility as well.

1.

Responsible for being good sheep who don’t wander off from the flock, and who don’t undermine the shepherds with the agenda’s of men.

2.       *C* Hebrews 13 17 /Obey your leaders and submit to their authority.

They keep watch over you as men who must give an account.

Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you./

                       3.

One of the worst things that any church can do is frustrate the leadership.

*III.

** D To be refreshed now is imperative.*

A.     Building Program – it is big and also a re-location

B.     Holiday season is upon us – Fall Fling ~/ Thanksgiving ~/ Christmas

C.     Selection and Appointment process.

D.     We have a lot on our plate so how do we handle it?

– Take a step up spiritually, be refreshed in our soul.

E.      Illustrate – Teacher with an easel: What tends to emerge in the life of a person who neglects his or her soul?

What symptoms creep in?

                       1.

Anxiety, self-absorption, shame, apathy, toxic anger, chronic fatigue, lack of confidence, isolation, no compassion, self-oriented, loss of vision, etc.

                       2.

Then asked: What emerges in your life when you’re deeply connected with God, when your soul is healthy?

a.       Love, joy, compassion, giving and receiving grace, generosity of spirit, peace, ability to trust, discernment

                       3.

Vote: Which do you want?

F.      The truth is, you vote for one or the other of these two lists every minute of every day.

*TS]* How can you refresh your soul and choose God’s way most minutes of most days?

*I.       **E Develop Spiritual Friendships.*

A.     Define: The intentional pursuit of friends who help you remain open to God.

                       1.

Spiritual friends help one another stay connected with God.

                       2.

Peer pressure doesn’t just affect teenagers.

3.

Be careful who your friends are – real friends.

B.     If you don’t see anyone from church except on Sunday morning you are putting yourself in a dangerous position spiritually.

1.       *:*Acts 2 46 /Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts.

They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people./

2.

Small Groups

C.     In his book /Bowling Alone,/ Robert Putman says the following statistics are indicators of the decline in community life in America over the past 25 years:

                       1.

Attending club meetings: down 58%

                       2.

Family dinners: down 33%

                       3.

Having friends over: down 45%

If you want to take a step up spiritually, and help Northview face the challenges of the day pay close attention to who you hang around with and be sure they are people who will make you stronger as a Christian.

*TS]* How can you refresh your soul ~/ choose God’s way most minutes of most days?

*II.

**F Improve your prayer life.*

A.     The early church was a praying church!

(Acts)

                       1.       1:14, all jointed together constantly in prayer

                       2.       1:24, they prayed before selecting a new apostle.

3.       2:42, the new believers devoted themselves to prayer.

4.       3:1, Peter and John were going to the Temple at the time of prayer.

5.       4:24, When Peter and John were released from the officials they raised their voices together in prayer to God.

                       6.       4:31, after they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken.

7.       6:4, Apostles said they would give their attention to prayer.

8.       7:59-60, Stephen prayed … Lord, do not hold this against them.

9.       8:22, Peter to Simon: Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord.

B.     Jesus sets the prime example:

                       1.

We are in the middle of a selection process, and Jesus spent all night praying to God before He selected the 12.

                       2.       *:*Luke 6 12 /One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. 13 When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles:/

                       3.

Luke 5 16 /But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed./

C.     Prayer will set you free to be a wonderful blessing to your family, those people you are around on a daily basis, and a blessing to this church.

1.       “Those people who pray know what most around them either don't know or choose to ignore: centering life in the insatiable demands of the ego is the sure path to doom….They know that life confined to the self is a prison, a joy-killing, neurosis-producing, disease-fomenting prison.”

/Citation:/ Eugene Peterson, /Earth and Altar: The Community of Prayer in a Self-Bound Society/ (Paulist Press)

                       2.

People who pray understand that.

D.     Have you ever just spent time praying with no agenda, no request, no thanksgiving, just time with the Father – Try it.

If you want to take a step up spiritually, and help Northview face the challenges of the day pay close attention to who you hang around with and be sure they are people who will make you stronger as a Christian.

And, take a step up in your prayer life.

That’s a sure way to set yourself free from those things that really don’t matter.

*TS]* How can you refresh your soul ~/ choose God’s way most minutes of most days?

*III.

** G Learn and Practice some Solitude.*

A.     When I was a kid I was mostly alone.

– I despised solitude at times, but for the most part it was a blessing.

1.

Solitude is no phone, TV, radio, book, or person.

2.

Time with God.

                       3.       “Without solitude it is virtually impossible to live a spiritual life.”