Sermon Tone Analysis

Bible Reading

Introduction

1.

The Context

Mark again summarizes Jesus’ ministry in a word, “and he was teaching them” (edidasken; NIV, “and he began to teach them”).18

The term itself, and the way Mark repeatedly uses it to characterize Jesus’ ministry, indicate the essential role that teaching played in Jesus’ ministry

Video posted by Ligonier ministries, and in it a number of people were asked some questions relating to the faith…expand...

Levi was a minor official of the Jewish client-king Herod Antipas and not a Roman tax collector.

The Roman system of taxation depended on graft and greed, and it attracted enterprising individuals who were not adverse to such means.

Some of the above are criminal elements, but many are simply laborers and commoners, who were too busy, too poor, or too ignorant to live up to the rules of the religious authorities.

2. The Conflict Arises

In Semitic society table fellowship was one of the most intimate expressions of friendship.

Imagine that after a particular church service, as we’re gathered together outside having coffee and fellowshipping together, you ask me how my week has been.

And I explain to you that it’s been a good week, and the highlight of my week has been to go and have a very lovely dinner with some very well-known family.

And so you ask, “well where exactly did you go for this lovely dinner, and what was the family like?”

And my response is that the house that I went to is in a suburb known as Saxonworld, and I met and had a wonderful meal around the table with the family affectionately known as the Guptas.

And I go on to explain that I was not the only guest there, but there were a whole host of other people, most of them being very significant and high ranking politicians, and even a few guests as far afield as Dubai.

Now obviously this is a very far-fetched scenario…but if it had to be told, I’m quite certain that you would begin to have quite a sick feeling in your gut, and your mind would begin to work overtime, wondering precisely why it is that I was visiting such a family.

Whether or not the family, and those that they’ve gathered with are actually guilty of doing anything wrong or not is quite besides the point - the fact is that they have reputation, and anyone it seems who even goes to their house is automatically assumed to be linked in some way to corrupt dealings.

And so if you had to hear that the man who is supposed to be bringing God’s word to you is visiting with people of such questionable character, you would begin to ask some pretty serious questions, would you not?

3. The Response from Jesus

Application

A) Who Do We Evangelise?

B) How do we Evangelise?

C) Acceptance by Christ, Irrespective of Who you Are!

D) Legalism vs. Antinomianism

Conclusion