Sermon Tone Analysis
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Introduction
Well I would like to welcome you back to our Sunday morning fellowship.
I’d like to say to all you new comers…and I think I can speak for all of us, especially Nadine…we’re are glad you are here.
In fact we are privileged to see fresh new examples of folks stepping out in faith and obedience to join in the work God has prepared here.
Thank you for joining the team.
Let’s Pray
It is my great joy to worship with all of you in song.
I am thankful to for technology that creates an artificial worship band...but it isn’t quite the same as a live music...is it?
Many many years ago Jacqueline and I went to a concert where we sat in VIP seating away from the general crowd.
It was kinda cool because we had fancy food and actually were provided with the band’s song list.
The music was great, but we missed out on the energy of the rest of the crowd…the crescendos just fell flat.
UNLIKE
...a Chris Tomlin concert we attended in 2014.
At that concert the seating was on this huge lawn that slopes down towards the stage.
There we were with the rest of the crowd and could totally feel the energy.
We could feel every crescendo BUILD up BUILD up and BUILD up until every hand was raised and mouths were singing in joy and praise to our Lord and King.
This word crescendo is primarily a musical term that is used to describe a gradual increase in loudness of a piece of music.
Its design is to increase excitement in a musical passage...until that passage reaches its climactic point.
If you’re not sure what I mean by this crescendo, I’ve prepared a little sample from one of my current favorite worship bands.
If you’re not sure what I mean by this crescendo, I’ve prepared a little sample from one of my current favorite worship bands.
SLIDE
VIDEO Jesus I Come Elevation Worship***
Crescendo can also be used in a non-musical sense.
It can be used to describe a steady increase of excitement, danger or action.
In our text today we will experience a crescendo…building until it reaches its climatic point which is Zacharias’ song of praise.
Please open your Bibles to starting at verse 57.
While you’re turning I will recap because its been a while since we studied Luke.
Mary has just been visited by Gabriel and set off to see what God has done for her cousin Elizabeth and to tell of what God has done for her.
Upon her arrival, we are told that both Elizabeth and the child growing inside her are filled with the Holy Spirit.
Then all kinds of Joy broke out.
Joy of the unborn JTB.
We’re told that he leaped in his mother’s womb but not a little kick here or there but SKIRTAZO a continuous leaping for joy as you might see at a futbal match.
The Joy of Elizabeth.
We saw how Elizabeth was crying out with great volume with blessing to Mary and her Messiah child that just arrived.
This great joy was not for Mary, but for the Messiah.
The Joy of Mary.
Mary’s joy was so great it compelled her to break out into singing a song of praise because of:
What God did for her.
For saving her and choosing her to bear the Messiah.
What God did for us.
He was pouring out his grace on us by sending the Messiah.
What God did for Israel.
Because God was keeping His promises through this Child and showing His great mercy to them.
Lastly, we learned 3 ways we could and should demonstrate joy.
Joy of the believer’s faith and obedience.
Joy of the believer’s love and concern.
Joy of the believer’s partnership in the gospel.
Now to the crescendo.
Starting off low…lets start at verse 57.
SLIDE
Luke 1:57-58
This is where the excitement begins.
The statement Her neighbors and her relatives heard implies that Elizabeth remained in seclusion throughout her pregnancy.
So let’s paint the picture of this scene.
Last thing anyone heard of Zacharias and Elizabeth is Zacharias went to Jerusalem 9 months ago to perform his duties at the temple and came back unable to speak or hear.
Could you imagine?
Ok, so let’s paint the picture here for a minute.
Last thing anyone heard of Zacharias and Elizabeth is Zacharias went to Jerusalem 9 months ago to perform his duties at the temple and came back unable to speak or hear.
In their minds, Zacharias must have done something to make God mad to have such a judgement placed on him.
On top of that, they were both well passed childbearing years and everyone knew Elizabeth was barren.
ANYONE else would also have kept themselves in seclusion to escape the shame they must be feeling.
So they haven’t seen Zacharias and Elizabeth for 9 months and then out of the blue there’s the sound of a new born baby.
Could you imagine?
What a GREAT SURPRISE for the neighbors.
What a MIRACLE!
Zacharias and Elizabeth knew it, but now everyone else knew it too and they came to rejoice with her.
But we can’t assume that they were rejoicing with her JUST because she finally had a baby.
No, verse 58 says:
Her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had displayed His great mercy toward her...
This word displayed in my translation...Yours might render it the Lord had shown great mercy to her or shewed great mercy upon her.
In the Greek this word is Magalyno.
Your translation might render it the Lord had shown great mercy to her or shewed great mercy upon her.
Because if we’re not careful we might be read into this that we should celebrate Elizabeth.
This word displayed in my translation...Yours might render it the Lord had shown great mercy to her or shewed great mercy upon her…these English words are just not sufficient to describe what is going on here.
This words is Magalyno.
Which brings me to my first point!
to increase honor ⇔ magnify v. — to cause something to be held in greater esteem (with oneself or others); conceived of as physically enlarging it.
Are they celebrating with her because God performed a miracle in her?
Is she being held in greater esteem because of this?
A resounding NO for both questions which brings me to my first point.
SLIDE
1.
We have a tendency to read passages about God as if it is primarily about us.
I’m going through this devotional called Behold Your God: Rethinking God Biblically by John Snyder and it is opening my eyes to a lot of ways I fail when I comes to seeing God in the Scriptures.
This point I made didn’t just prick my heart it drove a dagger into my heart!
Snyder says:
So much of what God the Father and God the Son has done for us is not primarily a picture of salvation as much as it is at its heart a revealing of God’s glory.
to increase honor ⇔ magnify v. — to cause something to be held in greater esteem (with oneself or others); conceived of as physically enlarging it.
to increase honor ⇔ magnify v. — to cause something to be held in greater esteem (with oneself or others); conceived of as physically enlarging it.
He says:
When we read Scriptures, we must constantly ask ourselves the question:
What do I see God revealing about Himself here?
Conversely, if we begin with asking the question:
What do I see God doing for me....OR in this passage What is God doing for Elizabeth?
Snyder says
If we begin reading Scripture with this question, than we may very well live our whole life without knowing God.
This Jewish community has read all about the mercy of God in the Law and the Prophets.
SLIDE
Is
God has shown not just His mercy, but He has shown HIMSELF!
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