Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction: (Have you even found yourself running on empty?)

Good Morning!

This morning I want to talk about running on empty.

As we begin I would like to ask you to turn with me in your Bibles to .

When you here someone make the statement that they are “running on empty” that can describe several different circumstances that they are facing in life.

What comes to your mind when I use the phrase “running on empty?”

It could mean you are almost out of gas in your car...

So I have to ask a question this morning and I need for you to be honest with me.

How many of you have the tendency to let the fuel gauge get just a little too close to the “E” in your vehicle?

(thank you I appreciate your honest answers)

So, I realize that there are two very different reactions that people have when they realize the vehicle that they are driving is on or nearing empty.

The first reaction is E, “no worries” E stands for enough.

“I’m sure that there are plenty of miles left before we actually run out of gas.”

The second reaction is “oh no I’m on E” - followed by a moment of panic and frustration, and thoughts of begin stranded on the side of the road.

so if some people panic when on empty and others have a desire to see how much further they can go, what is your reaction?

Story of me and Ellen and out opposite views of running on empty.

Maybe this morning when we here me use the phrase “running on empty” you think of being really hungry.

Hunger is a condition that we all understand.

You know we don’t like to be hungry and, food is a huge part of our lives on this earth.

We hunger for it…we work so that we can feed our families…we take pleasure in preparing it and we enjoy eating it.

It nourishes our bodies so that we can live on this earth.

Did you know that the average American eats 2,000 lbs. of food each year.

As humans we are very hungry creatures.

You know, food is a huge part of our lives on this earth.

We hunger for it…we work so that we can feed our families…we take pleasure in preparing it and we enjoy eating it.

It nourishes our earthly bodies so that we can live on this earth.

Let me share with you so interesting statistics about food.

Did you know that the average family spends between $150 and $180 dollars on food each week?

Each year fast food companies spend $117 Billion dollars in marketing their products so that we will go out and purchase them to meet our hunger needs.

Now here’s one that shocks me when I read it: The average American eats 2,000 lbs. of food each year.

As humans we are very hungry creatures.

Illustration:

Christian speaker Mike Benson tells how one night, as his family was finishing dinner, his eight-year-old daughter left six green beans on her plate.

She normally ate her veggies, and Mike did not usually allow this sort of thing to bother him, but this night he was irked and said to her, "Eat your green beans."

She replied, "Dad, I'm full to the top."

"You won't pop," he responded.

"Yes, I will pop!" she said.

"Risk it!" he said.

"It will be okay."

"Dad, I could not eat another bite."

Mike knew that night they were having her favorite dessert, pumpkin pie squares.

So he asked, "How would you like a double helping of pumpkin pie squares with two dollops of whipped cream on top?"

"That sounds great!" she responded as she pushed her plate back, ready for dessert.

"How can you have room for a double helping of pumpkin pie squares with two dollops of whipped cream, and not have room for six measly green beans?"

She stood up tall out of her chair and pointing to her belly said, "This is my vegetable stomach.

This is my meat stomach.

They are both full.

Here is my dessert stomach.

It is empty.

I am ready for dessert!"

What we eat reveals what we hunger for.

When I say the phrase “running on empty” could mean that you are really tired.

Life for most of you sitting her this morning is very busy.

Many of you are burning the candle at both ends and life just seems to be getting busier.

The world around us is unpredictable and seems our of control.

Work is hard, finances are hard, family situations are hard, marriages and relationships are under stress and seem too difficult.

Add to these normal stresses an unexpected event or circumstance and we are overwhelmed.

We begin to feel as through we are running on empty.

Read Scripture:

People who starve to death each year: 11 million

Overweight U.S. adults: 34 million

Money Americans spent eating out, 1980: $52 billion; 1990: $236 billion.

U.S. expenditures for overseas food aid, 1980: $1.4 billion; 1990: $1.6 billion.

Average calories consumed daily, North Americans: 3500; Africans: 2100

People who are continually hungry; Ethiopia: 20%, Sudan: 20%, Mozambique: 30-40%, American adults currently on diets: 19%

U.S. News and World Report, October 21, 1991.

Insert Photo Here in PPT -

Tabgha.

On the north-western shore of the Sea of Galilee.

This is the Arabic name of Heptapegon, “Seven Springs” in Greek, that bubbled here.

Of the seven springs the best known are the hot mineral spring of Ein Nur, Ein Sheva and Ein Job.

From the sky the Church of the Loaves and Fishes is seen as a cross covered with red tiles.

The church was built to commemorate the miracle of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes, when Jesus fed five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fish, as told in the Gospels of Matthew (14:13–21), Mark (6:30–44) and John (6:1–14.)

This morning I want to ask the question: “What do we do when I am running on empty?”

Join me as I read from our passage this morning .

Scripture:

Matthew 14:13-21

Now, no one knows for sure if this is exactly where the feeding of the five thousand took place, but images like this can help us paint a mental picture of what this event looked like.

Insert Photo Here in PPT -

Tabgha.

On the north-western shore of the Sea of Galilee.

This is the Arabic name of Heptapegon, “Seven Springs” in Greek, that bubbled here.

Of the seven springs the best known are the hot mineral spring of Ein Nur, Ein Sheva and Ein Job.

From the sky the Church of the Loaves and Fishes is seen as a cross covered with red tiles.

The church was built to commemorate the miracle of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes, when Jesus fed five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fish, as told in the Gospels of Matthew (14:13–21), Mark (6:30–44) and John (6:1–14.)

Verse 13 begins by refers to previous events in the Gospel of Matthew so when we come a cross a verse like this you need to look backward and see what is taking place in order to have the proper context of the passage.

Now, no one knows for sure if this is exactly where the feeding of the five thousand took place, but images like this can help us paint a mental picture of what this event looked like.

Matthew begins this passage by giving us some personal details about what was happening in Jesus’ life and ministry at this point in time.

John the Baptist, Jesus’s cousin and the forerunner of the Messiah had just been killed, (beheaded), and his followers had just buried him.

John’s disciples had come to Jesus and told him what had happened and Jesus withdrew with his disciples to a remote place to rest.

Jesus knows what it is like to be tired, to hunger for rest - Jesus knows what it is like to be running on empty.

Matthew begins this passage by giving us so personal details about what was happening in Jesus’ life ministry at this time.

John the Baptist, Jesus’s cousin and forerunner had just been killed (beheaded) and his followers had just buried him.

John’s disciples had come to Jesus and told him what had happened and Jesus withdrew with his disciples to a remote place to rest.

Have you ever yearned for time away from the riggers of what you were going through in life?

Have you even felt as if you simply needed some time away?

In this life we experience times of deep grief and sorrow when all we want to do is to withdraw from everyone.

That’s where we find Jesus as this passage begins.

Jesus needed to grieve.

Jesus needed time with His Father.