Sermon Tone Analysis

INTRO: A middle aged woman had a heart attack and was taken to the hospital.

While on the operating table she had a near death experience.

INTRO: A middle aged woman had a heart attack and was taken to the hospital.

While on the operating table she had a near death experience.

Seeing God, she asked "Is my time up?" God said, "No, you have another 43 years, 2 months and 8 days to live."

Upon recovery, the woman decided to stay in the hospital and have a facelift, liposuction and a tummy tuck.

She even had someone come in and change her hair color.

Since she had so much more time to live, she figured she might as well make the most of it.

After her last operation, she was released from the hospital.

While crossing the street on her way home, she was killed by an ambulance.

Arriving in front of God, she demanded, "I though you said I had another 40 years?"

God looked closely at her, and then replied, "Oh Hey!

I didn't recognize you."

Seeing God, she asked "Is my time up?"

God said, "No, you have another 43 years, 2 months and 8 days to live."

Upon recovery, the woman decided to stay in the hospital and have a facelift, liposuction and a tummy tuck.

She even had someone come in and change her hair color.

Since she had so much more time to live, she figured she might as well make the most of it.

After her last operation, she was released from the hospital.

While crossing the street on her way home, she was killed by an ambulance.

Arriving in front of God, she demanded, "I though you said I had another 40

years?"

God looked closely at her, and then replied, "Oh Hey!

I didn't recognize you."

As funny as that story is, there is a very similar thing that will take place on the day of judgment that we all must go through.

That is why Jesus gave us the illustration of the Narrow and Wide Gates.

Many seem to think that this illustration shows a funnel-like image where the narrow gate is concerned.

But, not only is the gate narrow, so is the road.

The Narrow and Wide Gates

13"Enter through the narrow gate.

For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.

14But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Scripturally speaking, more people will find their way to destruction than will find their way to heaven.

Not that there won’t be a lot of people in Heaven, but proportionally, only a few.

What should this mean to the average Christ wanna-be?

(I am one!)

It means that the easy way out of this life is do nothing for, be nothing for, and know nothing about God.

Therefore, we should constantly be in a state of examination where our lives are concerned.

Many in the church reach a point where they think they have it all under control.

They have served their time in the trenches and now it is time to sit back and reap the benefits.

This creates a sense of entitlement, and that is not healthy in a society and certainly not in a church.

We must recognize that we are vulnerable without vigilance; unless we constantly seek the face of God any of us can be sidetracked by the Devil.

That’s why we must examine our lives.

That’s why we must submit to having others, in the faith, help us to correct our lives if they see a problem.

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.

Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?

What’s the test?

In a moment…

What’s the test?

In a moment…

Test everything.

Hold on to the good.

Avoid every kind of evil.

Not only should we test ourselves, but we should beseech God to test us, as well.

Through tests of our faith our faith gets stronger.

Not only should we test ourselves, but we should beseech God to test us, as well.

Through tests of our faith our faith gets stronger.

Test me, O LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind;

“But,” you might ask, “what are we testing for?”

“But,” you might ask, “what are we testing for?”

Contrary to the politically correct crowd of today, we must test ourselves, and others, to see if their life matches their words.

We must make a…judgment (Oh, my!).

And, the criteria we use for ourselves and others come from scripture.

In a section of titled A Tree and Its Fruit we begin to see, and should come to understand, that if someone claims to be one of God’s then there are certain ways one can tell if they have spoken the truth.

Jesus says,

"Watch out for false prophets.

They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.

What are fruits which a true Christian can bear?

False prophets are those who know the lingo, they know the actions they may even know scripture better than you, but they have ulterior motives for claiming to be sent by God.

Fame Fortune Ego Control Misinformation Whatever the case they are not to be believed, or followed.

How does one recognize these people?

16By their fruit you will recognize them.

Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?

17Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.

18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.

§ What are fruits which a true Christian can bear?

The N.T. gives several answers to the question.

1. Developing Christian character IS fruit.

· If the goal of the Christian life may be stated as Christlikeness, then surely every trait developed in us that reflects His character must be fruit that is very pleasing to Him.

If the goal of the Christian life may be stated as Christlikeness, then surely every trait developed in us that reflects His character must be fruit that is very pleasing to Him.

· Paul describes the fruit of the Spirit in nine terms in :

Paul describes the fruit of the Spirit in nine terms in...

:

Peter urges the development of seven accompaniments to faith in order that we might be fruitful in...

o But the fruit of the Spirit is (1) love, (2) joy, (3) peace, (4) patience, (5) kindness, (6) goodness, (7) faithfulness, (8) gentleness and (9) self-control.

Against such things there is no law.

:

· Peter urges the development of seven accompaniments to faith in order that we might be fruitful in :

Two of these terms are common to both lists: love and self-control.

o For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith (1)goodness; and to goodness, (2)knowledge; and to knowledge, (3)self-control; and to self-control, (4)perseverance; and to perseverance, (5)godliness; and to godliness, (6)brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, (7)love.

For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

· Two of these terms are common to both lists: love and self-control.

The others are joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, virtue, knowledge, endurance, piety, and brotherly love.

· The others are joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, virtue, knowledge, endurance, piety, and brotherly love.

To show these character traits is to bear fruit in one's life.

· To show these character traits is to bear fruit in one's life.

2. Right character will result in right conduct.

...and as we live a life of good works we produce fruit.

And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,

This goes hand in hand with increasing in the knowledge of God, for as we learn what pleases Him, our fruitful works become more and more conformed to that knowledge.

· This goes hand in hand with increasing in the knowledge of God, for as we learn what pleases Him, our fruitful works become more and more conformed to that knowledge.

When Paul expressed how torn he was between the two possibilities of either dying and being with Christ or living on in this life, he said that living on would mean fruitful labor or work.