Sermon Tone Analysis

2 Corinthians 3:15-18

Whack a mole

 

I started out this past week intent on preaching about Sabbath keeping.

Seems like a harmless enough subject.

Then come the mine fields of legalism, Sunday Saturday fights among followers of Jesus, It all felt like Mole whacking.

Describe the game.

I am tired of whacking moles.

Often times life feels like a never-ending game of whack a mole.

I push one thing down in my life and another pops up.

I think part of this is due to the tendency that people have to fall into the Galatian trap – to begin by faith and try to continue by works.

We get started on something and fall back into an old pattern.

Rut syndrome.

We do as the Galatians did, start by faith and then try to carry on by works and personal effort; Mole whacking.

Read the Passage.

The law, the old covenant, causes us to see the moles in life and in ourselves.

Sin and it’s effects abound.

But the law was incapable of bringing us to right relationship with God, for on our own we are incapable of that.

The glory of God’s presence with Moses was a transitory fading thing, which could not be handled by the people, so Moses veiled his face.

Paul says the veil remains to this day when Moses, when the law is read.

It still reveals sin, It still shines a light on how far humans are from God, but it can not bring about the transformation God is after and that we long for in our hearts.

In this passage the tablets, the law, the glory on the mountain all point to Christ.

Apart from Jesus the glory of the giving of the Ten Commandments is “a ministry of death”.

Strong statement, enough to raise the hackles of the Jewish folks of Paul’s day.

But true!

The Law, the commandments, the whole Old Testament point to Jesus, and if one misses that, they miss everything.

All becomes meaningless mole whacking without Jesus; Veiled and blindfolded men and women wandering through the wilderness whacking moles.

Only in Jesus is the blindfold taken away.

It is removed in Christ.

The rest of the story, of the covenant was needed.

Jesus fulfilled the law.

When we turn to the Lord in faith, the veil is lifted.

The Spirit of God moves in our lives.

Liberty and freedom flow forth.

We behold God’s glory without a veil, in Jesus Christ our Lord.

And transformation begins.

What is God’s purpose?

To conform us to the image of his son, Jesus Christ.

This is how and who humans were meant to be; Sons and daughters of God, royal children.

There is no way to get there by human effort.

It is a work of the Spirit of God.

Titus 3:5 Tit 3:4-5 /But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, \\ 5 //He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,/ \\ \\

Col 3:10 /and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him—/

/ /

Our part in this – to lay aside the old self, to consider ourselves dead to all the old, and to take up the new self in Christ.

It is God who calls, God who renews, God who has poured out His mercy, God who transforms, God who confroms, God who is renewing us in the Image of Jesus Christ by the Spirit.

Regardless of how many moles pop up, God is the one who will do it.

Fix your eyes on Jeus the author and perfecter of our faith Hebrews tells us.

Moles will pop up, life will go south, temptations will come, Hebrews 12:1-3 1 /Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, \\ 2 //fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

\\ 3 //For// consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart./

\\ \\

failures may strike, But it is God who is at work in you to will and to do His good pleasure.

The moles distract us, old habits call us, the ruts of life may sidetrack us, but look to Jesus.

Put on the new self.

Lay aside the old.

So couple of things today.

When you find yourself whacking moles, look to Jesus.

If you are discouraged and feeling like life is just survival, look to Jesus.

IF you are tempted to say oh why bother, the moles will always win anyway, look to Jesus.

And see where God is taking you.

He is taking you on a journey that has as it’s purpose you looking like Jesus.

Manifesting a family resemblance.

Moving along and having people say, you know, something about you reminds me of Jesus.

It’s a family thing.

It’s a Holy Spirit thing.

Lay aside the whacker, the old self, the habit, the rut, and look to Jesus.

Let the light of His glory blaze in you, welcome the Spirit’s transforming touch, Bask in the warth of the Son of God.

Father, renew our minds, conform us to Jesus, open our eyes and hearts to your work in ,around and through us.

\\ *No Whack-a-mole*

2 Corinthians 3:15-18

 

 

Mole whacking and life

 

 

The law: __________________   eyes

 

 

 

Look to Jesus.

_________ your eyes.

Hebrews 12:1-3

Tit 3:4-5

 

 

Life Questions:

 

Welcome: Tell us about a time you wore a blindfold

 

Worship: Spend some time thanking God for his work in your life this week.

Word: Read 2 Corinthians 3:7-18 and Hebrew 12:1-3.

Who does the transforming in the Corinthians passage?

How have you seen the veil in your own life?

Where are you tempted to focus on mole-whacking?

Tell us about a time when you have fixed your eyes on Jesus.