Sermon Tone Analysis

I want to start off this evening with an exhortation.

We know that every season is God’s season, but summer has a special power.

We know that our Lord Jesus Christ is refreshing.

But what happens in summer for many of us is

we tend to fly from Him into Christ-less leisure which makes our souls parched.

At first it may feel like freedom and fun to skimp on prayer and neglect the Word, but then we pay:

shallowness,

powerlessness,

vulnerability to sin,

preoccupation with trifles,

superficial relationships, and

a frightening loss of interest in worship and

the things of the Spirit.

Don’t let summer make your soul shrivel.

God made summer as a foretaste of heaven, not a substitute.

If the mailman brings you a love letter from your fiancé, don’t fall in love with the mailman.

That’s what summer is: God’s messenger with a

sun-soaked,

tree-green,

flower-blooming,

lake-glistening letter of love

to show us what He is planning for us in the age to come— “...What no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart has conceived— God has prepared these things for those who love him.”

()

Jesus Christ is the refreshing center of summer.

He is preeminent in all things (), including

vacations,

picnics,

softball,

long walks, and

cookouts.

He invites us in the summer: “Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” ().

This is serious summer refreshment.

Do we want it?

That is the question.

Christ gives himself to us in proportion to how much we want His refreshment.

13 "You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart.”

()

Peter has a word about this to us: "Therefore repent and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped out, that seasons of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord...” ()

Repentance is not just turning away from sin; it is also turning toward the Lord with hearts open, expectant, and submissive.

What sort of summer mind-set is this?

It is the mind-set of .

Piper, J. (1997).

A Godward life: savoring the supremacy of God in all life (p.

105).

Sisters, OR: Multnomah Publishers.

Paul has been expounding and exalting in the doctrine of Christ against the evil teachings which would have robbed the Colossians of their wholeness in Christ.

Paul has been expounding and exalting in the doctrine of Christ against the evil teachings which would have robbed the Colossians of their wholeness in Christ.

Piper, J. (1997).

A Godward life: savoring the supremacy of God in all life (pp.

104–105).

Sisters, OR: Multnomah Publishers.

Piper, J. (1997).

A Godward life: savoring the supremacy of God in all life (p.

104).

Sisters, OR: Multnomah Publishers.

Paul has been expounding and exalting in the doctrine of Christ against the evil teachings which would have robbed the Colossians of their wholeness in Christ.

1 "So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

3 "For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 "When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

5 "Therefore, put to death what belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry.

6 "Because of these, God’s wrath is coming upon the disobedient, 7 "and you once walked in these things when you were living in them.

8 "But now, put away all the following: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and filthy language from your mouth.”

()

Do you remember Paul’s exhortation in 2:6? "So then, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him,”

The following passages are a fleshing out of what it means to continue to live in Christ.

In fact our passage’s theme is this: Deep intimacy with Christ produces Kingdom life through the church.

What’s deep intimacy with Christ look like?

Think of these beautiful words spoken to the church: "See!

I stand at the door and knock.

If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” ()

Do you hear the language of intimacy?

“...I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”

To sit at the table with Christ, He enjoying His graces in His blood bought people, and those same people feasting upon His great glory!

This is the height of our spiritual delight!

I love these words.

See if you can hear how we enjoy communion with Christ?

13 "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”

()

While believers commune with the Father in love, we commune with the Son in “grace” specifically.

Personal grace -focusing on the Person of Christ.

In says that God sent His Song and that He was given the Spirit w/out measure.

Then in says that 16 "Indeed, we have all received grace upon grace from his fullness,” ().

Jesus has this complete suitableness to all the needs of the souls of people.

It begins when Christ gives himself to the soul, and the saints

receive,

embrace, and

submit unto the Lord Jesus as their

husband,

Lord, and

Savior.

This stirs the affections of mutual delight.

That focusing on the Person of Christ, Personal grace.

Then there’s Purchased grace - focusing on the work of Christ as Mediator.

All the purchased graces for us and eternal life are now supplied through the mediation of the risen, ascended, and enthroned Christ!

All the things that we do, we do out of the spring of His grace and is said to be in union with Him.

4 "Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life.”

() 20 "I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.

The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

() 5 "made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses.

You are saved by grace! 6 "He also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus,” () 12 "when you were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.

13 "And when you were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he made you alive with him and forgave us all our trespasses.”

() 1 "So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” () 3 "For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” () 11 "This saying is trustworthy: For if we died with him, we will also live with him;” ()

1 "So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” () 3 "For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” () 11 "This saying is trustworthy: For if we died with him, we will also live with him;” ()

And in being joined to Christ these various ways we have

full acceptance with God (justification),

our sanctification from God, and

all the privileges with God.

So lets zero in on our intimacy with Christ.