Sermon Tone Analysis

*Don’t Take My Word For It!!!*

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John 1:35-46

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*          * There is a proverb or wise saying that goes*, “give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, teach him to fish and not only will he eat, but he can feed his whole family.”

*There is a truth in that saying.

But what does it have to do with the people of God?  Far to often we want to be feed, but we don’t want to do the cooking.

Far to often we want to be taught but we don’t want to do the teaching.

Far to often we take the word of just about anybody that comes along with a sad enough story to tell or an honest enough looking face with out checking it out for ourselves.

What do I mean?

When you watch the TV evangelist, Joyce Meyer, Dr. RWF, Rev. William Jasper, and TD.

Jakes and the likes.

How many times do you go and get your bible to follow along or do you just take their word for it?

How often after the preacher done said amen do you go over the text for yourself when you get home.

The bible says we are to study to show ourselves approved unto God, a workman that need not be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth.

The only way we can do that is by opening the bible for ourselves.

Don’t take my word for it read 2nd Timothy 2:15.

Sometimes we take the word of folks just because somebody called them Dr. this or that, or just because they name end with PhD, or MBA.

This is not to say that they are not creditable, but what about when you are along and Dr. PhD isn’t there when you need strength for your trial, courage for your fears.

What do you do then?

If moma never taught you how to cook, and the restaurant is closed you will starve to death.

My point is this; don’t be so quick to take the word of every body that comes along.

Is there biblical support to this statement?

Yes!

 

!!! TEXT

 

          *          * Our text today is a call of faith.

A challenge for obedience.

A cry for action on our part.

In this text John uses a lot of action words.

Notice John, he* looked *and* beheld.

*The two disciples they *heard* and *followed.*

Jesus *turned* and *commanded.

*But don’t take my word for it.

The disciples *inquired* and Jesus *responded*, *“come and see.”*

The disciples *came, saw and stayed.*

Action words.

After spending time in the presence of the Lord Andrew was moved to action, he hurried off to find his brother, one Simon sir named Peter.

So the question here is where is your brother?

Every Sunday you are here in the presence of the Lord, and if you believe that Jesus is the messiah, go get your brother.

And if he wont take your word for it, Jesus himself is every present for the text says Jesus found Philip, and Philip responded in obedience.

Look at Philip running like he just found a lost treasure, running to find his brother Nathaniel.

Nathaniel was like many of us today, full of doubt.

And we must be careful when we witness to that doubting soul, careful not to argue or fuss about what the scripture says.

Our duty is simply to do what Philip did, Philip told him they had found the messiah, and Nathaniel doubted.

So Philip simply echoed the words that Jesus himself utter to Andrew and the other disciple, “Come and see.”

When you come in search of the Lord for yourself, God will reveal himself to you in ways you never imagine, For He will *abide* with you.

He will give you a new *name.*

He will be your *persona*l friend.

He will remove all your *doubt*.

But don’t take my word for it; let’s look at the text.

!! Verse 35-39

 

*1)      The Lord wants to abide or stay with you.*

John the Baptist had shown the Savior to his disciples, for as he gazed or studies Jesus, John said, *“Behold the lamb of God.” * And the disciples who had been longing for the Savior and listening to the message of John, John the one crying in the wilderness, John whom they trusted.

When John pointed the way to the Savior the disciples left following the one preparing the way to follow the one who is the way, the truth and the light.

*But don’t take my word for it.*

Now there may be somebody here today who has been longing and search for Jesus.

We stop by today to let you know that today salvation has come to you.

You say you got problems that you just can’t solve, *Behold the Lamb of God.  *You say you are tired of carrying your burdens from day to day and week to week, *Behold the Lamb of God.*

You say you are tired of living a life of sin, pressed down and bend over by the weight of it, *Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.

*Somebody you trust, mother, father or a faithful friend has been pointing you to Jesus for years, but you won’t take his or her word for it.

How long must they cry behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world?

How long before you come to Jesus for yourself?

How long before you let him take up residence in your heart?

Jesus said if you abide in me and my word abides in you, you can ask what you will and according to the will of God it will be done unto you.

*But don’t take my word for it.

*Ask Samson, as long as Samson stayed in the will of God, he was able to do great things.

Killed a thousand men with the jawbone of a donkey.

But when he went his own way, when he did his own thing, when he would not see with his spiritual eye any longer the enemy came in like a flood and put out his physical eyes as well.

Jesus did not force the disciples to follow him and he won’t force you either, but I can hear the Lord saying, “Whosoever will, let him come.”

But don’t take my word for it.

Read it in Revelation 22:17.

*“The spirit and the bride say, come.

And let him that heareth say, come.

Let him that is a thirst, come.

And whosoever will let him come and take of the water of life freely.”*

!! Verses 40-42

 

*2)      *Not only does the Lord want to abide with you, but he want to give you a new name.

God knew what your name would be before you was even born.

Jeremiah 1:5 prove it.

For the Lord told Jeremiah, “before I formed you in the belly I knew you.”

It does not matter what name folks have called you in the past, God has a new name for you.

You see Folks will give you a name based on your character, based on your actions.

You may be a thief to somebody, or a liar to somebody else.

Your wife may call you lazy or you may call her trifling.

But God has a new name he wants to give you.

Before a butterfly becomes a butterfly, he is a caterpillar, ugly to look at and creepy to the touch.

But when he puts off the shell that has him bound, every child want to play with him, every adult marvel at him.

The bible says if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.

Old thing have passed away, and when you come to Jesus, the name you have now won’t fix the person you will become.

God want to give you a name that is written in the lamb’s book of life.

But don’t take my word for it, ask   Saul.

Saul did all he could to destroy the name of Jesus and those that walked in the way.

But one day he came in contact with a man named Jesus.

Saul had a little talk with Jesus, and when Saul humbled himself under the might hand of God, the Lord change his name from *Saul the sinner*, to *Paul the preacher.*

But don’t take my word for it.

*Jesus is on the main line;* just tell him what you want.

Ask Jacob whose name was changed to Israel after a night of wrestling with an angel of the Lord.

One day somebody told me about a man named Jesus, but I wouldn’t take their word for it, I was stubborn like Saul I was crafty like Jacob, but one day I met the Lord for myself, and I don’t know if you know it or not, but at the name of Jesus every knee must bow, but don’t take my word for it, try him for yourself.

!! Verses 43 & 44

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*3)      *Not only will he abide with you and give you a new name, but also he will be a personal friend no matter where you are from.

Here in these verses we see how the Lord makes a personal connection with a man from a town that was not well respected, a town where the people did not receive the word of God with favor.

For it’s recorded in Matthew chapter 11:21 that Jesus pronounced judgment on this city for their lack of faith in the might works that God had done in their presence.