Sermon Tone Analysis

*Divine Provision for Desperate Days*

* *

*Text:  2 Thess.

3:1-5*

* *

*I.

The Reality of Wicked~/Evil Men - 3:1-3*

(2 Th 3:1-3 NIV)  Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you./ {2} /And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men, for not everyone has faith./

{3} /But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.

*A.

The Denial*

*Human belief that all people are by nature good.*

*Evolution*

*Liberal theologians*

*Post-modern culture*

* *

*B.

The Testimony of History*

*1.

Hitler*

* *

*2.

Stalin - killed 38 million*

* *

*3.

Mao - killed 80*

* *

*4.

Pol Pot - killed 1~/3 of citizens of Cambodia*

* *

*5.

Saddam Hussein*

* *

*6.

Islamic Terrorism*

Samuel G. Freedman writing in /USA Today/, December 23, 2002 states:

“Neither an ideological nor a military war against the Islamists can be won without recognizing the fact of anti-Christian hatred.

Yet, time after time, American leaders in media, religion and politics have downplayed the inescapable conclusion, as if the worthy goals of interfaith tolerance, ecumenical dialogue and diplomatic alliance require rationalizing away atrocities.

The very phrase ‘war on terror’ skits reality. . . .

Osama bin Laden’s own words could not be any more direct.

Al Qaeda merged with Egyptian Islamic Jihad in 1998 -- before the collapse of the Middle East peace process, before the election of George W. Bush -- under the name ‘World Islamic Front for Holy War Against Jews and Crusaders.’

‘There are two parties to this conflict,’ bin Laden told al Jazeera in 1998, ‘world Christianity’ and ‘the Islamic world.’

Repeatedly, al Qaeda has described its enemy as the ‘Jewish Crusade coalition.’”

*7.

Average people*

*Child abandonment*

How can a mother abandon her baby?

It goes completely against nature.

In 1991 there were 65-child abandonment’s in America.

By 1998 that number had nearly doubles to 105.

Child abandonment has become so rampant in America that 23 states have now enacted “Disposable Baby” laws to encourage parents to abandon their babies safely.

In Europe there are drop off chutes to make abandonment accessible.

* *

*C.

The Testimony of Scripture*

*Why is man so cruel?

The answer is found in Genesis 3.*

* *

*The Fall of Man*

The Fall of the human race into a state of sin and misery is the basis of the biblical doctrine of God’s great salvation.

The Bible teaches that man is totally ruined -- that he is in a state of guilt and depravity from which he is utterly unable to deliver himself, and that God would be completely just leaving him in that state to perish.

* *

*1.

Sinner by chance - Rom. 5:12, 18-19*

*Eve’s Sin - Deceived - 1 Tim.

2:14*

(1 Tim 2:14 NIV)  And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner.

* *

*Men would like to blame all the troubles of the human race on women.

*That’s what Adam did.

(Gen 3:11-13 NIV)  And he said, "Who told you that you were naked?

Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?"/ {12} /The man said, "The woman you put here with me--she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it."/

{13} /Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?"

The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."

 

*Men have been blaming women ever since.*

* *

*Adam’s Sin - Willful and deliberate*

In full consciousness of what he was doing and with perfect realization of the solemn consequences, Adam deliberately chose to follow his wife in her act of sinful disobedience.

*Warburton states:*

*“*It was this deliberate willfulness of man’s sin which constituted its heinous character.

Had Adam been attacked by Satan, and forced to yield through some overwhelming power being brought against him, we might have tried to find some excuse for his fall.

But when, with eyes wide open, and with mind perfectly conscious and fully aware of the awful nature of his act, he used his free will to respond to the claims of the creature in defiance of the Creator, no excuse can be found for his fall.

His act, in reality, was willful, defiant rebellion, and by it openly transferred his allegiance from God to Satan.”  (Warburton, /Calvinism/, p. 34.

Quoted in Loraine Boettner, /The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination,/ Eerdmans, 1954, pp.

73-74).

*Why does the Bible say that sin came into the human race through Adam if Eve was the first sinner?

* Here is a critical doctrine that sets the Bible apart from modern culture and all false religions.

*The Imputation of Adam’s Sin to his Posterity - Romans 5:12, 18-19*

(Rom 5:12 NIV)  Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned--

 

(Rom 5:18-19 NIV)  Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men./ {19} /For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

*The Bible describes the human heart as:*

*a.

Blind - 2 Cor.

4:4*

(2 Cor 4:4 NIV)  The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

* *

*b.

Hard - Ezek.

11:19; 36:16*

(Ezek 11:19 NIV)  I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.

(Ezek 36:16 NIV)  Again the word of the LORD came to me:

* *

*c.

Dead - Eph. 2:1-5*

(Eph 2:1-5 NIV)  As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,/ {2} /in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient./

{3} /All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts.

Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath./

{4} /But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,/ {5} /made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved.

* *

*d.

Lawless - Rom. 8:7-8 *(Unable to submit to the law of God)

(Rom 8:7-8 NIV)  the sinful mind is hostile to God.

It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so./

{8} /Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.

 

*e.

Angry - Eph. 2:3 *(By nature the children of wrath)

(Eph 2:3 NIV)  All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts.

Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.

*f.

Deceitful - Jer. 17:9*

(Jer 17:9 KJV)  The heart /is /deceitful above all /things, /and desperately wicked: who can know it?

* *

* *

*2.

Sinner by choice - *

*a.

God is holy demands holiness - 1 Peter 1:15-16; Lev.

11:44-45; 19:2; 20:7; Hab.

1:13*

(1 Pet 1:15-16 NIV)  But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;/ {16} /for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."

* *

*b.

We miss the mark of God’s perfection - Rom 3:23*

(Rom 3:23 NIV)  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,