Sermon Tone Analysis

INTRODUCTION

SLIDE 1 I want to tell you about this vision I had last week.

I’m not claiming it came from God, it’s just this picture that came to mind.

As I was lying in bed drifting off to sleep I saw this picture.

In my mind it’s very clear, but trying to explain it to you may not be quite so clear so I’ve tried to find some pictures to illustrate it.

I’m also going to give you the cleaned up version that I have as I think back on it.

It wasn’t quite this clear as I originally saw it.

SLIDE 2 I’m lying on my stomach looking off the ledge of a tall building.

I’m lying down because I don’t want to get that close to the edge standing up.

I’m not afraid of heights, but I am afraid of falling from tall heights.

There’s no reason to mess around from this high up so I lay down so I can get a good view.

If you look out from this height you can see for miles.

It’s a great view of the city.

However, if look straight down SLIDE 3 you see the shorter buildings around you, and the streets below you, but you can’t see any people because their too small.

Even the care and buses look smaller than ants at this height.

If you have any fear of heights this view makes you a little queasy.

As I lie there on my stomach taking in the view I hear a voice behind me telling me to stand up.

And I heard verses like:

SLIDE 4 Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.

(1 Corinthians 16: 13)

SLIDE 5 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.

(Ephesians 6:11)

SLIDE 6 . . .

because it is by faith you stand firm.

(2 Corinthians 1:24)

SLIDE 7 Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ.

(2 Corinthians 1:21)

SLIDE 8 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends!

(Philippians 4:1)

I didn’t want to stand up.

It looked like it was a long way down.

SLIDE 9 But as I began to stand up the view changed.

Then I saw I wasn’t actually lying on the ledge of a tall building, SLIDE 10 but on a step.

Lying on my stomach I couldn’t get a correct view.

But after I stood up I could see things more accurately.

I think that is a picture of our obedience to God.

God calls up to step out in faith and obey him.

As we consider what he’s called us to do it looks like that ledge.

It looks dangerous.

We’re not sure it’s safe.

But if we’ll stand firm in our faith and see it from God’s eternal point of view it’s not a ledge but only a step.

What is God calling you to do?

Where do you need to step out and obey him?

What’s stopping you?

Is it a fear of the unknown?

Paul wrote to Timothy – who must have experienced some fear in his life – and said: SLIDE 11

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

(2 Timothy 1:7)

Or as the NLT puts it:

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

(2 Timothy 1:7)

Maybe it’s a lack of faith that keeps you from obeying.

Paul reminded the Corinthians: SLIDE 12

For we live by faith, not by sight.

(2 Corinthians 5:7)

And John wrote: SLIDE 13

And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands.

(2 John 6)

Where do you need to step out in faith and obey God?

SERMON

We are finishing Matthew 14 this evening.

Just to remind you what has preceded this passage, the chapter opens with the death of John the Baptist.

When Jesus hears about it he heads out on a boat alone.

However, the crowds follow him along the shore.

Having compassion on them he lands the boat and begins healing their sick.

As evening approaches the disciples encourage him to send the crowds away to get something eat, but Jesus suggests they feed the crowd.

They protest that they don’t have enough food – only two fish and three loaves – and Jesus feeds the crowd of five men plus women and children with the little bit of food they give him and has twelve baskets full of leftovers after everyone has eaten.

Sensing that the crowd wants to take him by force and make him king, Jesus sends the disciples off in a boat.

That’s where we pick up for this week’s video.

Video

You’ve probably heard the quote: SLIDE 1

Into every life a storm will come.

I was looking for that quote and came across these quotes about the storms of life.

SLIDE 2 We simply can’t abandon ship every time we encounter a storm in our marriage.

Real love is about weathering the storms of life together.

SLIDE 3 Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain.

SLIDE 4 When you come out of a storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in.

That’s what the storm is all about.

SLIDE 5 God’s peace is not the calm after the storm.

It’s the steadfastness during it.

There were lots more, but I won’t show them.

Why are there so many quotes about facing storms in our lives.

There are so many because we all face storms.

Not to be a pessimist, but someone has said that we are either in a storm, just leaving a storm, or heading into a storm.

That’s because we all have storms.

You may be in a storm right now and know exactly what I’m talking about.

Or, it may be peaceful for you right now, but we all face storms.

In our passage the disciples had a storm – a physical storm.

As we think about this passage there are several truths I want to point out that we might draw from this story.

SLIDE 6 The first truth is that Jesus sends you there.

Why were the disciples on the lake in the middle of that storm?

They were in that storm because that’s where Jesus had sent them.

Jesus is the one that told them to get into their boat.

Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd.

(Matthew 14:22)

This was his idea.

This is exactly where Jesus wanted them.

They weren’t in the storm because they were disobeying Jesus.

They were facing this storm because they were obeying Jesus.

Jesus is on the mountain praying and the disciples are out on the lake battling a storm only because Jesus sent them there.