Sermon Tone Analysis

*The Church A Witnessing Community *

*Conversion of St Paul.

St Mary's Comberton~/ St Peter's Coton 25~/1~/2009*

*Galatians 1:11-end; Matt 19:27-end*

/*Summary: Witnessing means pointing to transformation*/

/*Aim: That we would be witnesses to God's transforming work [in us.]*/

\\ *INTRO *

A worldwide community -->

Because it has been a witnessing community

\\ /'witnessing'/ religious jargon.

offputting

“/*Jehovah's Witnesses”*/, black suits, twos, knocking on doors, handing out tracts.

\\ Put religious jargon to one side

*WITNESSES IN EVERYDAY SPEECH*

/*1.

Witness: (traffic accident).

*/Person waiting at a bus stop, sees a dog run out into the road just as a car pulls out to overtake a lorry.

S/*aw something happen*/ – maybe no one else saw.

Key qualification: *eyes*

\\ /*2.

Witness: (in court) */gives a testimony about what they saw.

*Mouth.

*Words need not be* *articulate or clever to convince a jury.

/*Say plain and simple what they saw*/.

Key witness confident scientist giving the results of forensic test.

Child shaking at the knees – thief running down alley.

\\ /*3.

Witness: (signing legal document).

Draw up*/* **will.**

Asked my sister and her fiance.

solemn moment.

*Testifies to what someone else has done.

*Point away from themselves*

eyes – mouth – hand

\\ *WITNESSES IN THE EARLY CHURCH*

*SAW* transformation happen.

*Paul* (v23) /“The one who formerly was persecuting us is now proclaiming the faith he once tried to destroy.”//

/*Resurrection*.

*New community* where people shared their possessions with one another.

\\ *SPOKE* about what they had seen.

articulate *educated men like Paul*.

Uneducated galilean fishermen *Simon Peter*.

Seen something – couldn't help but talk about it.

\\ *POINTED* to God.

v11-12 /“For I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel that was proclaimed by me was not of human origin [sell philosopy] for I did not receive it from a human source, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.”/

placement in NZ accent “sound so learned”.

Point about preaching~/ speaking about our faith

NOT “wow - isn't he clever”, “Wow – isn't God amazing.”

*Full circle – *pointed not just with words, but with how they lived their lives.

Slaves and masters sitting round sharing bread and wine together – all servants of the One Master.

\\ *US TODAY - WITNESSES*

Eyes – mouth – hands /*working in tandem*/.

--> Place to start eyes – mouths and hands

Recognise God's transforming work taking place – natural to point towards in actions and talk about it with words.

What are we looking for?

Something more than what we expect on a human level.

* Seeming coincidence – through which God reunites 2 members of a family.

* Mother who tragically loses a child but through all the pain and grief learns more about God as a Father.

* Someone who asks for friends to pray for a bad back, and the complaint disappears

* Sewing machines story p103, Mission shaped and rural

\\ witnessing is* always about pointing to transFormation.*

NOT just about advertising church services better.

Always pointing away from ourselves to God who transforms.

\\ *CONCLUSION*

*Eyes:* Looking expectantly for God at work

*Mouths:* Talking about what we see – not needing to be articulate.

Best evangelists

*Hands:* Pointing people not to ourselves, not to the Church, but to God who calls us all to a life of transformation.

\\ \\