Sermon Tone Analysis

AS I look at America, I look at the failures, divide and the hate filling the air waves.

I say to my self, What is wrong with America.

Faithlessness among the ungodly

In their character and lifestyle

;

See also ; ; ; ;

Examples of faithless men

Nabal; Haman; Herod the Great; Demetrius

The faithless appear to prosper

See also ; ; ;

Faithlessness results in judgment

;

See also ; ; ; ; ; ;

Faithlessness among the Jews

Their failure to trust God for deliverance

See also ; ;

Their rejection of the gospel

See also ; ; ; ;

Specific examples

the people of Nazareth; the rich young ruler; Many Jews reject Paul’s ministry in Rome; Paul’s own persecution of the church arose from unbelief in Jesus Christ.

Israel’s estrangement from God

See also ; ;

The acceptance of the Gentiles

The Jews’ rejection of the gospel opens the way for Gentiles to be incorporated into the people of God, represented here as branches grafted onto a cultivated olive tree.

Israel’s faithlessness is partial and temporary

Though the people as a whole have rejected Jesus Christ, a faithful remnant remains; ; God’s purpose for the faithful of Israel is their ultimate salvation.

Faithlessness among believers

Lack of faith is rebuked

See also worrying about food and clothing; Fear during a storm at sea; inability to cast out a demon

Causes of faithlessness

failure to learn from the lessons of the past; failure to accept teaching that has been given

We Are to Grow in Faith

Examples of growing faith

​ ESV We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.

See also ; ;

Weak faith

Weak faith rebuked

​ ESVAnd why are you anxious about clothing?

Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

See also ; ; ;

Other examples of weak faith

; ; ;

Strong faith

Strong faith commended and encouraged

​ ESV let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

See also ; ;

The faith of OT leaders

Obadiah; Hezekiah

The faith of Christian leaders

; :7See also Stephen; Barnabas; Paul

Paul’s encouragements to Timothy:

;

Other examples of strong faith

​ ESVThough the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.

See also ; ; ; ;

The growth of faith

Praying for more faith

​ ESVThe apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”

See also

The encouragement of others

; :10See also ; ; ; ; ;

Faith strengthened through testing

​ ESVIn hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.”

He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb.

No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.

See also ; ;

Doing Church God’s Way

God’s Plan for the Church

1.

We exercise His gifts for ministry (4:7–10).

a.

We received a spiritual gift when we were saved (

; ; ).

;

).

b.

We each need to discover our spiritual gift.

c.

We each need to exercise our spiritual gift .

d.

We need to build the ministries of the church around spiritual gifts.

2. We implement His plan for ministry (4:11, 12a).

a.

His plan is for gifted leaders to equip gifted people (4:11, 12).

b.

His plan is for equipped and gifted people to do the work of the ministry (4:12).

i.

It means that every believer is a minister.

ii.

It means the success of the church’s ministry depends on the people.

iii.

It means the ministries of the church are to be born out of the heart of the people who make up the body.

Read Verse 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,

ESV And he gave

The body has many members, the church has many members and leaders.

Jesus/ God has called and given the church many leaders over the years, from Pentecost to now.

He gives these men for teaching and leadership for our walk and daily lives.

To build us up and to teach us and help prepare and encourage us to go out.

To do the work of Christ, to share/ to care/ to love/ to be more Christ like.

Read Verse 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,

ESV unity of the faith

These teachers should be bringing us together, not dividing us.

Christ tore down the veil/ wall and no man shall build it back.

We should stop being so critical of others as we grow together at different speeds. 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ,;

ESV mature manhood

We are not to stay as babes, We are to mature in our faith.

We are to progress from milk to solid food of the gospel.