Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

For those joining us online, you’re listening to the Services of the Broomfield Baptist Church.

This is the Pastor bringing the Sunday Morning message entitled “Why Try?” We invite you to follow along with us in your Bible in the Second Book of Corinthians, chapter five, and verses 10-20.

In this great chapter—penned by a great man—inspired by a greater person—for the greatest purpose in the world.

We cannot all be: Pastors, Evangelists, Missionaries etc.

But we can all be Soul Winners.

God is a God of Three’s.

We’ve seen two great revivals in our recent American History, is America ripe for a third?

Will the history books some day look back and tell how there was a resurgence of faith in our generation?

If we win this generation to Christ it will not be by mass evangelism, it will be by face to face, person to person contact.

Notice five reasons why every born-again person should try and win the lost to Christ.

I. THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST—2 Cor.

5:10.

[START LOW.]

A. Different Rewards.

Note - “every one may receive…according to that he hath done...”

B. Special Reward.

Note - Apart from all other crowns

Note - Five Crowns

Illustration - As seen in ISBE:

There are five uses of the crown as seen in the Scripture references studied, viz.

decoration, consecration, coronation, exaltation, and remuneration....

(4) Exaltation.—The ‛ătārāh, the Stephanos and the diadēma were used as crowns of exaltation.

Stephanos was the usual crown of exaltation for victors of games, achievement in war and places of honor at feasts.

The ‛ătārāh was worn at banquets (Cant 3:11; Isa 28:1, 3), probably taking the form of a wreath of flowers; also as a crown of honor and victory (Ezk 16:12; 21:26; 23:42).

Stephanos is the crown of exaltation bestowed upon Christ (Rev 6:2; 14:14; He 2:9).

“Exaltation was the logical result of Christ’s humiliation” (Vincent).

The Apocalyptic woman and locusts receive this emblem of exaltation (Rev 12:1; 9:7).

The symbolic dragon and beast are elevated, wearing diadēma (Rev 12:3; 13:1).

The conquering Christ has “upon his head … many diadems” (Rev 19:12).

See further Tertullian, De corona.

(5) Remuneration.—Paul,

witnessing the races and games, caught the vision of wreath-crowned victors flush with the reward of earnest endeavor.

See Games.

He also saw the persistent, faithful Christian at the end of his hard-won race wearing the symbolic stephanos of rejoicing (1 Thess 2:19 AV), of righteousness (2 Tim 4:8), of glory (1 Pet 5:4), of life (Jas 1:12; Rev 2:10).

Paul’s fellow-Christians were his joy and stephanos (Phil 4:1), “of which Paul might justly make his boast” (Ellicott).

Long before Paul, his Heb ancestors saw the ‛ăṭārāh of glory (Prov 4:9) and the ‛ăṭārāh of a good wife, children’s children, riches and a peaceful old age (Prov 12:4; 14:24; 16:31; 17:6).

For Apoc references see 1 Macc 10:29; 11:35; 13:39.

[William Edward Raffety, “Crown,” ed.

James Orr et al., The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia (Chicago: The Howard-Severance Company, 1915), 762–763.]

C. Soul Winner’s Reward.

Illustration - Leading a Man on His Dying Hospital Bed (at Good Sam) to Christ and the Joy and Rejoicing that filled the room.

II.

THE TERROR OF THE Lord—2 Cor.

5:11

[GO SLOW.]

Note—If you doubt this notice:

A. People of Noah's Day

Note - Many today are lacking in a healthy dose of the “Terror of the Lord”, but this is exactly what brought me to my knees before a thrice holy God to plead for His mercy to save my wretched sinful soul!

I didn’t know just how He could do it (except for what He had said to me in His Word), and I surely didn’t know why He would ever do it for a sinner like me, but just like Paul said, and as Spurgeon recounted that is was none of me, and All of Grace, I found it to be so for my soul:

B. Sodom & Gomorrah.

Note - Thank God for the prayers of Abraham that moved the hand of Jehovah to snatch the soul of carnal, backslidden Lot out of Sodom just before the fires of judgment fell, and thank God for a dear sainted grandmother who moved the heart of Jesus to intervene in the life of a stubborn, rebellious, living for himself teenage boy, or else, surely I’d not be standing before you today, having met my fated doom determined against my wayward soul!

C.

Last Judgment.

Note - Two ways to reach the lost, and discernment must help you determine whether the lost soul with whom you witness needs to be won with compassion or terror.

None can be saved until he is certain he is lost.

He must know that he has fallen short of God’s grace, and that in his flesh dwells no good thing, and that there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Only then is he ready to consider that God would have grace undeserving to save his fallen, dead soul.

III.

THE LOVE OF CHRIST—2 Cor.

5:14.

[CLIMB HIGHER!]

Note —In His Love He:

A. Called Us.

Note - Four calls.

Four times did the LORD call unto Samuel, who finally said, “Lord, here am I.” Four times throughout Mark’s Gospel and chapters one through eight, Jesus calls His disciples with the purpose of making them fishers of men.

Four times has the Lord called me personally, at great altar moments in my life for Him, first for salvation, then for preaching, third for missions, and fourth for church planting.

Four callings in the church does Paul mention in Ephesians 4:11-12.

And yet, four times did God call to Israel in her gluttonous idolatry through the prophet Amos.

How many times, friend, has the Lord called you?

More importantly, how have you responded to that call?

The Four Calls

The Spirit came in childhood and pleaded, “Let me in,”

But oh! the door was bolted by thoughtlessness and sin;

“I am too young,” the child replied, “I will not yield today;

There’s time enough tomorrow.”

The Spirit went away.

Again He came and pleaded in youth’s bright happy hour;

He came but heard no answer, for lured by Satan’s power

The youth lay dreaming then and saying, “Not today,

Not till I’ve tried earth’s pleasures.”

The Spirit went away.

Again He called in mercy in manhood’s vigorous prime,

But still He found no welcome, the merchant had no time;

No time for true repentance, no time to think or pray,

And so, repulsed and saddened, the Spirit went away.

Once more He called and waited, the man was old and ill,

And scarcely heard the whisper, his heart was cold and still;

“Go leave me; when I need thee, I’ll call for thee,” he cried;

Then sinking on his pillow, without a hope, he died!

Our Daily Bread, February 22 [Galaxie Software, 10,000 Sermon Illustrations (Biblical Studies Press, 2002).]

μαθητής always implies the existence of a personal attachment which shapes the whole life of the one described as μαθητής, and which in its particularity leaves no doubt as to who is deploying the formative power.

[Karl Heinrich Rengstorf, “Μανθάνω, Καταμανθάνω, Μαθητής, Συμμαθητής, Μαθήτρια, Μαθητεύω,” ed.

Gerhard Kittel, Geoffrey W. Bromiley, and Gerhard Friedrich, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1964–), 441.]

B. Chosen Us.

Note - Not angles.

Matthew Mead said something to the effect that if the gospel is to the world foolishness, then disciples of Christ must be to the world fools.

"He is no true Christian who is not the world's fool."

Strange that today we should expect to be popular, for our Lord said, "If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you" (John 15:19).

[Vance Havner, Pepper “N” Salt, Vance Havner Bundle (Baker Publishing Group, 2009).]

C. Commands Us.

Note - Has never changed.

Note - Evangelize, Baptize, Disciple.