Sermon Tone Analysis

Lead by the Spirit

Talk about my kid’s belongings, access and privileges they experience because they are my children and therefore, my responsibility.

Logan would come over and experience the same access, play with the same toys, and even eat the same food but at the end of the day he had to go home.

His experience was always temporary because he was not my son.

Now, when Logan comes over, he is expected to obey the rules of the house but unlike my own children, Logan has never been expected to do chores.

This might seem unfair to a child, but when you consider the big picture you settle your heart on the matter because you know that you are still daddy’s child and that means that you not only have access but you are part owner, or heir to all that is in his house.

Logan’s joys are temporary.

To be sure, the experience does not make him my son.

He has access but it’s limited.

He can hold a toy but he can’t claim it.

He can request shelter but we are not obligated to grant it.

It is the same with God who, according to Jesus, causes the sun to rise and the rain to fall on the righteous and the unrighteous.

In fact, why don’t we lay our hats there for a moment.

For context, let’s find Sir Logan in the words of Christ.

As we read the text, I want you to pay attention to the greater demand, the burden, the suffering of those who would call themselves children of God.

Matthew 5:43-48

I believe it takes a certain level of maturity to appreciate this because we love the benefits that come with being a child of God, we like being blessed and highly favored, we love being blessed in the city… the head and not the tail… but we don’t like the part about carrying our cross.

We expect to be perfectly blessed but don’t expect us to be perfect.

Only God is perfect.

Do you really expect us to be like God?

And the answer for those who claim to have His spirit is, “Yes.

I do expect you to look more like God than anyone else.”

How else will I know that you are who you claim to be?

I mean, you are a Christian right?

What separates you from the pagan, if not a godly life?

Paul says it this way Romans 8:16

That’s not fair to jump to a single verse to make my point so let’s go back to verse 14 for clarity.

The imagery we get here is that to live in Christ, we must follow him not just to the miraculous and joyous experience, but through the raging storms of life that lead us to the cross.

But don’t get it twisted, the cross endured by Christ is a cross conquered and defeated.

The chore of the cross leads to eternal victory.

That means at the end of my life, I don’t have to return home like Logan, I get to experience eternal sonship in the house of God!

It is my sonship that makes me an overcomer, my sonship that gives me victory, my sonship that helps me to do what’s right when I have the opportunity to do what’s wrong.

It’s my sonship that gives me the courage to say, where Your spirit leads me, God I will follow.

Lead me through the valley and I’ll follow, lead me to the mountain and I’ll follow.

I’ll follow you into my healing, I’ll follow you to my breakthrough, I’ll follow you to my miracle, for the rest of my life, I’ll follow through the storm and rain, the heartache and pain because I know at the other side of it all, there are the nailed scarred hands of Christ, stretched wide for me.

I may be a grown man, but I’m never too big to rest in the arms of the savior.

I know you’re an independent woman, but you’re still a child of God.

If you’re glad about it, put your hands together and shout thank you Jesus.

The song writer said, “It could’ve been me outdoors, no food and no clothes.

I could’ve been alone, without a friend.

Or just another number with a tragic end…”

Lift your hands and say, “Holy Spirit, where you lead I will follow.

Because I know that your leading will always bring me closer into the arms of Christ so that when Hod looks at me, he can’t help but see the one he loves.”