Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro-Just imagine a factory in the USA of about 40-50 employees;• The aim of that factory is to produce shoes.•

To help the factory become a success;• The management has invested great sums of money;• And many man-hours into the plant to produce the finest shoes possible.•

Money has been spent on salaries for the employees,• Machinery for shoe making,• And materials from which the shoes are to be made.•

The plant is in operation and many of the workers can be seen scurrying to and fro.•

Machines are running full blast,• And activity is at a maximum.•

Then one day the owner of the factory asks the production manager,• “How many shoes have we produced so far?”•

To his surprise the production manager answers: “None”• So the factory owner exclaims; “How long have we been in operation?”•

The production manager replies: “Years and years.”•

The factory owner can’t quite believe his ears and comments:• “Did you say years and years?

And still no shoes?”•

The production manager says:• “That’s right, no shoes, but we sure are really busy.•

In fact, we have been so busy that we are all worn out”• We all know what would happen in that situation:• The factory owner would not just be concerned,• He would probably fire somebody, and try to find out what the problem was.•

TRANSITION:• Now if we now put a cross on top of that building;• And transform it into the church in Glendale, Arizona!• Our church, we will find much activity going on.•

Men and women are working hard.•

But…what is our end product…how many shoes/disciples are we producing?•

Now I know people are different from a product;• And yet surely we should see results from time, money and effort invested!•

Remember that the objective of this local fellowship is to produce disciples.•

To help people of all ages and from all backgrounds come to a real faith in Jesus Christ;• And to help them grow in their faith!•

The biblical word for that is discipleship!•

That is our purpose as a Church – to bring folks to Jesus (make converts);• And then to bring them closer (make disciples).Quote: Alan Redpath the late great British evangelist, pastor and author."The

conversion of a soul is the miracle of a moment,but the manufacture of a saint is the task of a lifetime."•

Quote: "The conversion of a soul is the miracle of a moment,• but the manufacture of a saint is the task of a lifetime."Becoming

a Christian, a follower of Jesus starts suddenly; as soon as you invite the living Christ to be your saviour & Lord!•

But the learning process never ends this side of eternity!

• The aim of that factory is to produce shoes.•

To help the factory become a success;• The management has invested great sums of money;• And many man-hours into the plant to produce the finest shoes possible.•

Money has been spent on salaries for the employees,• Machinery for shoe making,• And materials from which the shoes are to be made.•

The plant is in operation and many of the workers can be seen scurrying to and fro.•

Machines are running full blast,• And activity is at a maximum.•

Then one day the owner of the factory asks the production manager,• “How many shoes have we produced so far?”•

To his surprise the production manager answers: “None”• So the factory owner exclaims; “How long have we been in operation?”•

The production manager replies: “Years and years.”•

The factory owner can’t quite believe his ears and comments:• “Did you say years and years?

And still no shoes?”•

The production manager says:• “That’s right, no shoes, but we sure are really busy.•

In fact, we have been so busy that we are all worn out”• We all know what would happen in that situation:• The factory owner would not just be concerned,• He would probably fire somebody, and try to find out what the problem was.•

TRANSITION:• Now if we now put a cross on top of that building;• And transform it into the church in Glendale, Arizona!• Our church, we will find much activity going on.•

Men and women are working hard.•

But…what is our end product…how many shoes/disciples are we producing?•

Now I know people are different from a product;• And yet surely we should see results from time, money and effort invested!•

Remember that the objective of this local fellowship is to produce disciples.•

To help people of all ages and from all backgrounds come to a real faith in Jesus Christ;• And to help them grow in their faith!•

The biblical word for that is discipleship!•

That is our purpose as a Church – to bring folks to Jesus (make converts);• And then to bring them closer (make disciples).Quote: Alan Redpath the late great British evangelist, pastor and author."The

conversion of a soul is the miracle of a moment,but the manufacture of a saint is the task of a lifetime."•

Quote: "The conversion of a soul is the miracle of a moment,• but the manufacture of a saint is the task of a lifetime."Becoming

a Christian, a follower of Jesus starts suddenly; as soon as you invite the living Christ to be your saviour & Lord!•

But the learning process never ends this side of eternity!

Our passage this evening is a reminder that discipleship is a process!

The aim of that factory is to produce shoes.•

To help the factory become a success;• The management has invested great sums of money;• And many man-hours into the plant to produce the finest shoes possible.•

Money has been spent on salaries for the employees,• Machinery for shoe making,• And materials from which the shoes are to be made.•

The plant is in operation and many of the workers can be seen scurrying to and fro.•

Machines are running full blast,• And activity is at a maximum.•

Then one day the owner of the factory asks the production manager,• “How many shoes have we produced so far?”•

To his surprise the production manager answers: “None”• So the factory owner exclaims; “How long have we been in operation?”•

The production manager replies: “Years and years.”•

The factory owner can’t quite believe his ears and comments:• “Did you say years and years?

And still no shoes?”•

The production manager says:• “That’s right, no shoes, but we sure are really busy.•

In fact, we have been so busy that we are all worn out”• We all know what would happen in that situation:• The factory owner would not just be concerned,• He would probably fire somebody, and try to find out what the problem was.•

TRANSITION:• Now if we now put a cross on top of that building;• And transform it into the church in Park Gate, Southampton!•

Our church, we will find much activity going on.•

Men and women are working hard.•

But…what is our end product…how many shoes/disciples are we producing?•

Now I know people are different from a product;• And yet surely we should see results from time, money and effort invested!•

Remember that the objective of this local fellowship is to produce disciples.•

To help people of all ages and from all backgrounds come to a real faith in Jesus Christ;• And to help them grow in their faith!•

The biblical word for that is discipleship!•

That is our purpose as a Church – to bring folks to Jesus (make converts);• And then to bring them closer (make disciples).Quote: Alan Redpath the late great British evangelist, pastor and author."The

conversion of a soul is the miracle of a moment,but the manufacture of a saint is the task of a lifetime."•

Becoming a Christian, a follower of Jesus may start suddenly;• Can happen this morning, if you are willing to take a step of faith;• And invite the living Christ to be your saviour & Lord!•

But the learning process never ends this side of eternity!

• Just before we look at the four pictures of a solider, athlete, farmer, and victor :

• I want you to notice two things from verses 1-2;FIRST:

• A disciple is someone who has come to faith i.e. conversion;

• That is where the process of discipleship starts.

• This letter was written to Timothy;

• Who was the Pastor, one of the leaders of this local Church

.•

In the previous chapter (2 Timothy chapter 1 verse 5) we are told:“I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also”.

• Timothy had a big advantage in his life that I for one did not have:

• He had a Christian parent and grandparent.

• He had a Jewish grandmother called Lois, who was converted to Jesus Christ.

• She was the first one in the family to come to faith.

• He also had a Jewish mother called Eunice;

• She too became a follower of Jesus Christ.

• As for his father we know very little;

• All we can glean about him in the Bible was that he was a Greek.

• The important bit is that:

• Timothy heard the truth of the Christian faith from family members and believed.

• For him the process of discipleship had begun!

Quote: BILLY GRAHAM who said:“Children will invariably talk, eat, walk, think, respond, and act like their parents.Give them a target to shoot at.

Give them a goal to work toward.

Give them a pattern that they can see clearly, and you give them something that gold and silver cannot buy”.

• Timothy’s mother and grandmother had given him something that gold and silver cannot buy.

• A sincere faith, that brought him into contact with the living Christ.

• Notice that although his mother Eunice & grandmother Lois

• Had sown the seed of faith in his heart(chapter 1 verse 5)

• It took a travelling preacher, the apostle Paul to come along and reap that harvest

• It was Paul the visiting preacher who led Timothy to the Lord