Sermon Tone Analysis

Homecomings are a special time of year.

We celebrate the present, by reminiscing in past, hoping to renew lost relationships.

We speak of the good ole days.

We reflect on the joys the past victories.

For a fews hours today, we will find ourselves renewed, by the hope of redeeming the past.

We remember a time when life was simpler.

We long for a time when church attendance filled the pews.

Today we will wish to bring a time that our kids just joined us for special occasions like homecomings.

There is nothing wrong with missing the past.

There is nothing wrong with longing for time that we honored God, Country, Family, and Friends.

The problem is the let down we experience, after we conclude today’s activities.

Attempting to redeem the past, in order to restore hope for our future is an age old problem.

Every generation reaches a point of diminished hope for future generations.

As I grow older, I find myself repeating the same complaints that I heard, in the 1960’s and early 1970’s.

The complaints sound like:

The younger generation doesn’t respect God, country, or family values.

What happened to the loyalty we once shared in this Country?

Loyalty to hard work, Loyalty to those whom support us, Loyalty to God for his protection provision, and guidance.

I wish things were like they used to be.

If we could just go back to the good ole days.

This disappointment is an age old problem.

We find the same problem in .

The problem lies in our attempt to redeem our past, for the purpose of restoring relationships and renewing hope in the future generation.

teaches us that God doesn’t redeem our past, but that God raises up Spiritual leaders to redeem us from our past.

Friends we need to stop trying to redeem our past and trust God to redeem us from our past failures, as Spiritual Leaders.

We need to listen for God’s call to be the spiritual leaders, he uses to restores broken relationships with His people.

God calls spiritual leaders in every generation, and He uses, those who honor Him to redeem broken relationships with His people.

Let us Pray.

God Calls Spiritual Leaders, who listen for Him.

No one speaks for God, until they pause and listen for God to speak. 1 Samuel tells of a time when God’s people were in need of a priest to represent them faithfully before God.

A prophet to proclaim truthfully God’s word to them.

And a judge to lead them to live right and just before God and with each other.

Judges 2:6–13

God calls Samuel to be a prophet who faithfully speaks God’s word, and will anoint a king to lead them.

A king who will lead them, by faithfully representing God and His will for His people.

Jesus is that Prophet, who speaks faithfully listens for the words of God.

God Calls Spiritual Leaders, who listen for Him.

We must remain loyalty to God, by listening for Him to speak a fresh word of guidance to us.

We must forth-tell the next generation that God honors those who honor Him and Calls them to point the next generation to God’s king—Jesus.

God Reveals His Plans to Spiritual Leaders, who listen to Him.

God does not redeem our past.

God redeems us from our past failures.

More often than not God’s promises in the OT are conditional and their fulfillment depends on a proper response from the recipient . . .

God announces his intentions, but the recipient’s response can and often does affect GOd’s decision as to what will actually transpire (Robert Chisholm, Teach the Text, 17).

God Uses Spiritual Leaders, who Honor Him, to Restore Hope of Reconciliation for Future Generations.

We are to speak truth into all situations.

We should not forget the past or rewrite the past.

We should proclaim how Christ redeemed us from our past failures, gave us a renewed hope for the future, and honored us when we honored him.

On a mission trip I carried our teenagers on a tour of Portal 31 in Lynch Kentucky.

Portal 31 is a coal mine that is famous for bringing to the surface more coal in one shift than any other crew in history.

In 1917 the U.S. Coal & Coke Company, a subsidiary of U.S. Steel, built the community of Lynch, Kentucky, then the world's largest coal camp.

The coal camp was built on part of the 19,000 acres the company had purchased in the southeastern tip of Harlan County, near the Virginia border.

In 1917 the U.S. Coal & Coke Company, a subsidiary of U.S. Steel, built the community of Lynch, Kentucky, then the world's largest coal camp.

The coal camp was built on part of the 19,000 acres the company had purchased in the southeastern tip of Harlan County, near the Virginia border.

On February 12, 1923 the world's record for coal production in a single 9 hour shift was achieved when miners operating 40 shortwall cutting machines produced 12,820 tons of coal, filling 256 railcars.

On February 12, 1923 the world's record for coal production in a single 9 hour shift was achieved when miners operating 40 shortwall cutting machines produced 12,820 tons of coal, filling 256 railcars.

One may think the mine museum is a little cheesy for today’s teenagers, with all our technological advances.

But in spite of the talking mannequins and stuffed mine ponies, the recorded conversations reenacted the sense of loyalty and self-sacrifice that once united Americans to teach the next generation Honor God, Country and Family.

God Honors those who honor Him and God rejects those who reject Him.

God calls spiritual leaders in every generation, and He uses, those who honor Him to redeem broken relationships with His people.

God is not surprised that our spiritual awareness has grow dull.

God is not that as we age our faithfulness fades.

God is not even surprised that we are not watching for the spiritual leaders He will raise up for the next generation.

But God does redeem us for our Past, by calling us to help the next generation recognize the spiritual leadership void that comes with every generation.

God calls us today to point the next generation to the prefect priest, prophet and king.

Jesus is the perfect Prophet

There in no sin or failure in your past that from which Jesus will not redeem you

Jesus is the prefect priest

There is no sin greater than Jesus’ prefect sacrifice.

Jesus is the just Judge

Completely innocent Jesus offered Himself in place of sinners, a sacrifice for the sins of the world, and he proclaimed

Jesus died on a cross, suffering God’s judgment for our sins, and God resurrected Jesus from the dead for our justification.

Jesus is King who leads us, by faithfully representing God and His will for our life.

Prayer ourselves and the next generation:

Praying for you this morning.

May you be filled with the wisdom of Christ, behold His beauty, and proclaim His glory before His people.

May the confidence of His grace lift you up, the power of His Spirit fill you up, the beauty of His excellence light you up, so that you stand up, speak up, and fill up on the majesty of Christ’s kingship in your life.