Sermon Tone Analysis

INTRODUCTION.

Illustration -

How many of you remember singing a song on the church bus or in Sunday School that went like this:

How many of you remember singing a song on the church bus or in Sunday School that went like this:

“I’m inright, outright, upright, downright happy all the time… (repeat)

Since Jesus Christ came in, and cleansed my heart from sin,

I’m inright, outright, upright, downright happy all the time!”

In this message, let’s do some communion contemplation, and consider some sights that we see from the various gazes that a believer naturally takes when engaged in meaningful partaking according to Jesus’ command for this wonderful Ordinance He gave to His blood-bought church.

Of these two passages that we read in opening,

—The first reference is to one of many monuments left along the path of the past.

The second is to the monument set up by the Lord in memory of their ascended Lord.

It is good that we come to these high places for reflection, meditation and survey.

Let us note the view seen from the communion.

[Lappin, S. S. Lappin’s Sermon Outlines.

Cincinnati, OH: Standard, 1925.]

INTRODUCTION.—The

first reference is to one of many monuments left along the path of the past.

The second is to the monument set up by the Lord in memory of their ascended Lord.

It is good that we come to these high places for reflection, meditation and survey.

Let us note the view seen from the communion.

I.

The Backward Gaze.

“This do in remembrance of me.”

Note - Jesus must be the focus point of this gaze - “in remembrance of ME”

Note - the point of reference when He made this statement was the anticipation of His disciples gathering in His physical absence, after His ascension, to keep the faith He once delivered unto them as they continued in the Apostles’ Doctrine, and in fellowship, and in breaking of bread.

At that future point, though His disciples couldn’t see it in its fullness when He said it to them, in His omniscience, Christ looked forward, past the Cross, past His death and burial, according to the Scriptures, and past His three-day journey into the heart of the earth, past His breaking the chains of death and winning the keys of death and hell, past His resurrection and physical exiting of the tomb He would borrow from Joseph of Arimethea, past His many appearances as recorded in the Gospels and Acts, past His Great Commission, past His promises of empowerment to His disciples, and past His glorious ascension into the clouds… to that yet future day, when His followers would sit down with the Apostles, and look back… Jesus said: “Remember ME!”

Note - There are many things that we could look back on, but don’t get distracted by all the details so that you forget to see how it all ties back to Jesus.

It’s not just a memorial slideshow of all of our great accomplishments (because we never look for our failures to highlight and put in our slideshows…), no, we are to look back at Christ’s great accomplishment!

Who He is, as God’s only begotten Son, and what He’s done, in all His redeeming grace!

Take a look backward, and make sure you look close enough to see Jesus.

II.

The Forward Gaze.

“Ye do show my death till I come.”

Note - When you’ve looked back, don’t stop there, because you also need to turn around and gaze forward.

Christ Is Coming

Christ is coming, He is coming,

And we do not know the hour.

O Sinner, you’re not ready

Till you taste His saving pow’r.

As He went up into heaven,

So He cometh from the sky.

O Christian will you serve Him?

O Christian will you serve Him?

For redemption draweth nigh.

He will come in pow’r and glory,

And the dead in Christ shall rise.

Then we who still are living,

Shall be caught up in the skies.

Lord Jesus, come quickly,

And take Thy children home.

Are you ready for His coming?

When Jesus claims His own.

Note - Look forward, and consider that you might have some days filled with sunshine, and how pleasant those will be.

Note - Look forward, and prepare yourself to wait on the Lord, no matter what comes, because there may be some darkness and shadow, and storms that you’ll need to endure as you’ve put your hand to the plow.

Note - Look forward, because as the seasons come and go, the season of the summer’s pleasures of this world’s sin will pass away, and winter set in, and this old world will be purged and judged.

With a forward look, you’ll not want to waste any time to let those you love pass through judgment without hearing of God’s saving grace and you’ll get busy redeeming the time, for the days are evil.

Note - With a forward look, you can be prepared to face persecution for serving Christ, “yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”

Heb.

12:

III.

The Inward Gaze.

“But let a man prove himself and so eat and drink of this cup” ().

[DBT -] 8477 self-examination - Reflection on one’s own character, motives and actions, in order to judge whether they are truly in accordance with Christian values.

8477

self-examination

Reflection on one’s own character, motives and actions, in order to judge whether they are truly in accordance with Christian values.

8478 self-examination, teaching on - Self-examination should take place on the basis of God’s revelation of himself and the example he sets believers in Jesus Christ.

It is especially important before confessing one’s sins.

self-examination, teaching on

Self-examination should take place on the basis of God’s revelation of himself and the example he sets believers in Jesus Christ.

It is especially important before confessing one’s sins.

The importance of self-examination

See also ; ; ; ,; ; ;

Hag. 1:5

Hag.

2:15

A lack of self-examination leads to pride and self-delusion

See also ; ;

Self-examination is not easy because of humanity’s fallen nature

See also

This now leads us to take:

See also ; ,; ; ; ; ;

The purpose of self-examination is to lead people to God and amendment of life

See also ,; ;

Self-examination is especially important when ministering to others

See also ; ; ;

Martin H. Manser, Dictionary of Bible Themes: The Accessible and Comprehensive Tool for Topical Studies (London: Martin Manser, 2009).

IV.

The Upward Gaze.

“I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God.”

God helps believers in their self-examination

See also ; ,; ; ; ; ;

Ps. 139:

Pr. 5

The purpose of self-examination is to lead people to God and amendment of life

See also ,; ;

Ps. 42:11

Self-examination is especially important when ministering to others

See also ; ; ;

[Martin H. Manser, Dictionary of Bible Themes: The Accessible and Comprehensive Tool for Topical Studies (London: Martin Manser, 2009).]

Conclusion:

When you gaze backward, do you see Jesus?

Promised as coming, born of virgin, sinlessly living, compassionately healing, agonizingly dying, vicariously buried, powerfully resurrected, and gloriously ascended?