Sermon Tone Analysis

Worship Call 0803

January 18th 2023

Judge and jury

Friends, sow into the lives of people!

Mark 9:34-35 But they kept silent: for by the way they had disputed with one another, which one of them was the greatest.

And He sat down, and called the twelve, and said to them, "If any man desires to be first, he shall be the last of all and servant of all.

"Once there was a king who decided to set aside a special day to honor his greatest subject.

When the big day arrived, a large gathering took place in the palace courtyard and our finalists were brought forward.The first person was a wealthy philanthropist.

This man was deserving of the king's honor because of his great humanitarian efforts.

He had given much of his wealth to the poor, building orphanages, schools, and hospitals throughout the land.

The second was a celebrated physician.

This outstanding doctor was deserving of honor for rendering his faithful and dedicated service to the sick for many years and discovering medicines that saved many lives.

The third was a distinguished judge.

He was noted for his wisdom, his fairness, and his many a brilliant decision.The last person presented before the king was an elderly woman.

Her manner was quite humble, as was her dress.

She hardly looked the part of someone who would be honored as the greatest subject in the kingdom.

What chance could she possibly have, when compared to the other three, who had accomplished so very much?The king was intrigued, to say the least, and was somewhat puzzled by her presence.

He asked who she was.

Then the answer came: "Well, my king, do you see the philanthropist, the doctor, and the judge over here?

She was their teacher!"This

woman had no wealth, no fortune, and no title, but countless lives were helped, healed, and changed through her giving.We never know whose lives we're touching.

I'm sure someone prayed -- someone gave -- someone shared the Gospel with some of the greatest evangelists, preachers, and givers we know.

Friends, let's serve the Lord by sowing unselfishly into the lives of the people he's put in our path --- so that they may become great in God's Kingdom!

Your family in the Lord with much agape love,George, Baht Rivka, Obadiah and Elianna

And this is another fine day in the Lord

We have to admit, that Jesus was always out on that so called limb.

He did not tow the theological or doctrinal line that when he made a statement he wouldn’t have to walk it back under scrutiny and say,

“well I did not mean it like you took it, this is what I really meant.”

Jesus was never threatened by attacks and questions.

He presented the truth and stands as a rock refusing to give one toe into compromising.

Thank God.

Who would we be following if he himself had moments of doubts and come back with

“well, I didn’t mean it like that, the important thing in life is that we can all just get along.”

It is then we can doubt the gospel.

But no, Jesus would make a statement that I know would have made some of his own inner circle wince and say in their own hearts

“I wished he hadn’t said that!”

I’m sure that there were times when they themselves were confronted with this or that and they would him and ha and say, “well you will just have to ask Jesus.

Here he makes a claim to be God’s son and that He has the power of life and death.

Ladies and gentlemen, He is either off his rocker or he is telling the truth.

How many today is still a little queasy when it comes to mix company to make the bold statement that Jesus Christ is King.

Jesus Christ is my King.

Yes, I believe that he died was buried and rose again and has ascended into heaven at the right hand of the Father.

He is returning to take his rule upon this earth.

And will you stand firmly when you are attacked for your faith or will you cower away from the truth for a more comfortable position.

Your own testimony will depend upon how you answer the question.

John 5:21 (ESV) — 21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will.

5:21.

One of the prerogatives of Deity is the right over life and death.

(A king of Israel asked Naaman, “Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life?” [2 Kings 5:7]) One of Jesus’ “greater” works (John 5:20) is the giving of life.

While Peter, James and John and the others followed Jesus, their own testimony about Jesus is being written.

They will remember the words Just as John is writing them here.

Others will hear it as well.

And this falls in the line with Jesus’ statement;

So that you will know that the Son of man has the power for forgive sins, get up and walk.

And the man got up and walked.

Well Here Jesus says that he has power to raise up from the dead.

And then will come the day when Jesus will stand outside the tomb and give the command

Lazarus come forth!

And the one who had been dead for four days steps out of the tomb.

The word had gone out throughout the land leading up to the day when Jesus would ride in on a colt into the city as the people laid out their jackets and palm leaves hailing Jesus as the Messiah.

Now many walked back their statements.

Many turned from shouting Hosanna blessed is he who comes in the name of the lord to Crucify Jesus only a few days later.

But without flinching Jesus stood firm.

John 18:33–37 (ESV) — 33 So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” 34 Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” 35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew?

Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me.

What have you done?” 36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world.

If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews.

But my kingdom is not from the world.”

37 Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king.

For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth.

Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”

So bold of statements and Jesus backed them up with his resurrection, did he not?

What a audacious thing to say.

And perhaps it would be a fool who would follow this homeless type.

But when Jesus Died, despite all the miracles and despite the fact Jesus said he was going to be put to death and rise again, it crushed the spirit of his disciples.

Everything that they had believed in, they may have now thought was a lie.

And where did that leave them?

That is until they met the resurrected Christ and realized what Jesus meant that they would be astonished

(John 5:20 (ESV) — 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing.

And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel.

The resurrection validated everything that Jesus said and done was true.

His power over His own life as he had the power to lay it down and pick it back up was validated.

If Jesus did the most incredible thing as to come back from the death, something that no one else had ever done, should we, could we not believer everything else as well?

Can we not share that limb with Jesus as we proclaim that he is our Savior and our King and that he is going to return, and his enemies are going to be made a footstool for his feet?

John 5:21 (ESV) — 21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will.

Every funeral that you and I attend, there are those whose hearts are being grieved.

There before them is the reminder that death to us all is imminent.

No matter how we seek to ignore it, it is right outside of our door.

You are going to die.

I am going to die.

Maybe soon, maybe later but the time is coming.

That is the problem.

The greater problem is what do I do about your spiritual death which is separation from a right relationships with the Lord?

You see.

Physical death is only a physical manifestation of a spiritual reality.

I am dead in Christ.

As a progeny of Adam belonging to a fallen human race, I have no hope.

I am a sinner in Adam.

Estranged from God, under the penalty of death.

Oh, I have done some good things in life and maybe even over all moral.

But when it comes to justice, I know God cannot overlook my crimes against Himself.