Sermon Tone Analysis

*No More Delay*

*Text*:  Revelation 10-11

*Big Idea*:  God's imminent coming will require great sacrifice.

*Purpose*:  To reassure that the sacrifices we make for God's Kingdom will be worthwhile.

*Introduction*:

I was five years old

            -and had just been in a bad accident

            -been riding on the back of an older neighbor boy

            -while running a race – he tripped

                        -I flew over his shoulders – face first in a puddle in the gravel driveway

                        -as I stood up, noticed a red stain in the gravel – from my blood

                        -and my mom heard me screaming – drove me to the doctors office

While driving there

            -I thought about how much I disliked being at the doctor’s office

            -we always had to wait

            -probably never had an appointment that didn’t cause me to wait for 20 minutes

I later found out that our neighbor called ahead

            -but I was so surprised to see the doctor and nurse come out of the office

            -and take me to a room right away

                        -I didn’t even need to check-in, or wait, or look at a silly magazine

            -because of the nature of my injury – they made space for my appointment

                        Made a sacrifice of their time – to take care of an urgent situation

Time becomes very important at crucial moments.

Some obligations can be put on the back burner, but not all.

Medical Emergencies vs. Elective procedures

There is a difference between paying for a vacation, and paying to replace a roof damaged by a storm.

The damaged roof is time-sensitive, and to repair it in a timely fashion, you will make a significant sacrifice.

In our text today, we get the message that there is an urgency – a time sensitive nature to Christ’s final victory, and that this urgency will require God’s children, God Himself, to make sacrifices in order to complete His plan.

Describe scene of Rev. 10-11.

Angel standing with scroll open

            Declaring No more delay

            Witnesses dying for Christ’s testimony

            Seventh Trumpet Sounds and Christ returns

  

*Sermon Body*:

Movement 1:  ~*Great planning does not preclude urgency.

Purpose:  To show that important occurrences almost always involve a sense of urgency.

Content:

 Illustration of Wedding

            -have a plan, but inevitably it gets urgent

            -rehearsal – people come late, who has the ring

                        -it all needs to come together in a short period of time

                        -and even the best plans call for urgent, hasty reactions

Speak of God's plans for Israel

–        well made, but still urgent in the end

–        He knew what He was doing, He set everything in place

–        Yet there were many instances when critical decisions were made – urgent times

In this text, a sense of urgency is developed

            Angel has open scroll

            Christ is about to return

            Last opportunity to witness

~*God desires the salvation of His creation.

-which is why it becomes urgent

            -even once the battle has begun

                        -Christ sends witnesses to proclaim His power to the nations

                        -it seems even in the middle of the battle

                                    -you can switch sides – declare loyalty to Christ

            -NOTE THIS:  It was important for the Apostle Paul

                        -who at one time had persecuted the church

                        -and became a great missionary for the church

God is in the business of changing lives

            -and while the battle rages – be certain

            -He wants to see your life transformed

            -He wants to see people know His power and grace

Let that be a reassurance to you

            -even if you have rebelled in the past

            -and though you may know your own sin

            -he wants people in the battle to switch sides

                        -and declare their loyalty to Him

This desire – reaches an urgent status in the last days

            -when the time is short, urgency overwhelms

 

Movement 2:  ~*God's plans reach an urgent point in our lives.

Purpose:  To help people uncover God's working in their lives.

Content:

Question:  Have you ever had an urgent moment in your walk with God?

            -facing a crisis, longing for God’s presence

            -maybe at a death, illness, financial strain,

                        -and you didn’t know where to turn

~*Urgent needs often make us turn to God.

            -God is often found in the middle of crisis moments

            -even in the book of Revelation

                        -when He is declaring judgment

                        -sends the witnesses

                                    -to testify, prophecy

            -because He is still looking for His children

                        -He is powerful and gracious

                        And he knows the power of crisis

Crises present opportunities.

-usually means danger is present

            -but also a possibility for a change

                        -crises make us take stock of what is important

 

Movement 3:  ~*The sacrifices made for God's Kingdom will be worthwhile.

Purpose:  To reassure that God's Kingdom will not be delayed.

Content:

1260 days explained – three and a half years (like three and a half days of death)

            -not a terribly long time

            -but long enough to be an enduring struggle

These 1260 days – represent a danger

            -a struggle

            -real losses will be experienced

                        -life is not without heartache