Sermon Tone Analysis

Renew A Right Spirit within Me

or

Revelation 1:4-20

-

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,

and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

11 Do not cast me from your presence

or take your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation

and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

The New International Version.

(2011).

().

Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

-12King James Version (KJV)

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God;

and renew a right spirit within me.

11 Cast me not away from thy presence;

and take not thy holy spirit from me.

12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation;

and uphold me with thy free spirit.

Hymn: “Create in me a clean heart, O God

Create in me a clean heart, O God,

And renew a right spirit within me.

Create in me a clean heart, O God,

And renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from Thy presence;

Take not Thy holy Spirit from me.

Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation;

And renew a right spirit within me.

Text: Matthew 12:43-50

What can we draw from this pericope today?

Through whose lens do we interpret this text today?

In His response…he doesn’t address them but instead points His response toward a wicked generation…He could be speaking to our current generation today.

But from what lens do we interpret this text today?

From the Pharisee?

From the Teachers?

Those in Seminary…If you don’t maintain the right relationship with Christ, then you are opening yourself up to demonic attacks.

From the Gentiles?

Did he just elevate the people of nineva?

From the Teachers?

From the Women?

Did he just elevate a foreign woman?The lens of Liberation: This is the lion of Juda that will liberate us from these wretched Romans or today…those in power.

The lens of thOn the surface, some might want to focus on the demonic spirits and the consequences rejecting Jesus…how these spirit return and what that implies…healing, God protection, Liberation or

We can try to understand the frustration of Jesus as these forces try to stop him from spreading the Gospel…about persevering, overcoming, remaining focused in our ministries... or instead, today I want us to see it as a motivation continuously ask the Father to RENEW A RIGHT SPIRIT WITHIN US...

From the disenfranchised?

From those in positional authority?

Jesus was warning His listeners that they are always but one decision away from drawing closer or moving away from the Father.

From the lens of a woman?

In the text…we see Christ painting three Pictures:

A - Christ wants us to examine the type of house we have...The Christian with a clean and empty house must fill it with something.

We can fill it with Indifference?

(Gamaliel) - - “15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot.

I wish you were either one or the other!

16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”

We can fill it with Pride?

(Pharisee) - says, “ 5 Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. 6 He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”

We can fill it with Ideology (Teachers) - “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil”

This is what I hear Jesus saying.... “By what spirit do you want to be led?

You know what I am saying is true but you are not willing because of fear to take a stand for me, you are so confident that you do not need my presence, and you are trying to push your agenda instead of mine as if I cannot get it done without you...”

B - Christ is also portraying a possible consequence of having the wrong mindset occupying the house.

Christians are always one decision away from shifting to an emotional extreme.

(My Facebook Post)

Leon Morris correctly describes this by stating that, “Jesus is talking about having a pleasant, moral reformation, but, [unfortunately], with the man [or woman] thinking that he [or she] is still in control of himself and yet have no [internal] reference to the Spirit of God.

The man [or woman] is empty; he [or she] is open to invasion from all kinds of evil, and in fact the original spirit comes back with reinforcements” [this is your old man, your dark side]

“There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death” .

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

In martial arts, I taught my students that when you turn away from your opponent, you lose your power…An example of the Holy Spirit departing can be found with King Saul who did not trust God and Samson who was self-confident.

These are examples of losing the presence of the Holy Spirit and not realizing it.

In martial arts, I taught my students that when you turn away from your opponent, you lose your power…King Saul and Samson are other examples of losing the presence of the Holy Spirit and not realizing it.

This also reminds me of a young man named Saul...

Listen to this text, , “Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul…And Saul approved of their killing him.”

You could argue that Paul had a clean house…Paul said in “as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.”

Paul’s confidence was based on the wrong premise…that his perceptions of reality was equal or greater to that of God’s expectation...

Notice how Paul, at the time named Saul, completely succumbed to his emotional theological perspective that shifted his mindset toward destruction once he approved of Steven’s death… from a spectator fueled by indifference, pride and ideology to a fanatic…

- “But Saul began to destroy the church.

Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.”

So what does the enemy do in ?

Steal, Kill and... Destroy - Paul’s decision created the opportunity to allow even more demonic spirit to influence and enter his house.

How can we discern between the Holy Spirit and Demonic spirits if we remove the essence of God’s Spirit…love, mercy and grace?

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

C - Lastly, Christ wants you to know that all who are in His presence are His disciples.

When Jesus pointed to His Disciples, he was including the Pharisees, teachers, tax collectors, blue collar, rich, poor…and especially women.

- “15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot.

I wish you were either one or the other!

16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’

But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.”

Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.

15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot.

I wish you were either one or the other!

16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’

But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.

They seemed to be indifferent…afraid to commit and wanting more confirmation…Jesus responds, not exclusively toward them, but to a larger audience, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign!”

This reminds me of

- “15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot.

I wish you were either one or the other!

16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’

But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.”

Leon Morris describes it this way, “Jesus is underlining the impossibility of being neutral on moral issues... ” Are you in or out?

Jesus in this story is trying to describe the clean empty house as a house that is not a home.