Sermon Tone Analysis

We’ve been looking at the stages of spiritual journeys.

We’ve covered the first three steps:

Recognition of God

The Life of Discipleship

The Productive Life

 

We said

Stages were cumulative: one builds upon the other

Stages were also fluid: we moved back and forward throughout our lives.

Those things are readily apparent when we recognize God meeting us along the journey and in the discipleship process.

We will never fully understand or have complete knowledge of who God is.

He reveals himself to us new everyday.

That’s why it’s called “revelation knowledge”.

Our mentors along the road will change.

We will never get to the point where there isn’t something new someone can teach us.

A difficulty arises when we move into the arena of working for God.

And that’s probably why the discussion last week wasn’t as lively as it has been.

Many people in the church today do not see their contributions of time and talent as working for God.

The person who unlocks the doors and turns the air conditioner on is just as valuable to God as the person who preaches from the pulpit.

Jesus died for them both.

In the same way, God judges both of their labors based on the intent of their hearts.

Are they doing their task because they love God and want to serve Him by serving his people?

Or are they doing it for esteem in the eyes of their fellow man?

When the action is based on right motives, willingness, and obedience the task or job becomes a productive life.

You are in stage 3 - working for God.

Before we move on to stage 4, I‘d like to say something about promotion.

Trust me on this; I have walked around this mountain more than once.

Here it is: God promotes in God’s time.

When we put ourselves in the position to be promoted before we are ready, or expect to be promoted and we’re not, we are just setting ourselves up for heartache.

We are putting ourselves in the path of pride.

When that happens, we lean on our own understanding.

We become double minded.

James 1:8 says:                                                      /a double minded man is unstable in all he does./

Pride can destroy a man.

Proverbs 16:18 tells us:                          /Pride goeth before a fall./

Remember last week, we looked at the account of the sons of Skeva,                                                                         /“Jesus I know, Paul I know, but who are you?”

/

The point is: just because you have the knowledge or training, that doesn’t necessarily mean you are ready for promotion.

We have a freebie rule in our house.

Generally we make our own decisions.

If we ask each other for input we have the freedom to accept or reject the other’s advice.

We do this because we believe that too many people today do not accept responsibility for their own actions, and we are trying to teach our son and those under our authority that they are accountable for what they say and do.

However, we also serve a gracious God.

And there are times when we need to dispense grace.

The freebie rule gives us the right to say, “Trust me, been there, done that, and paid a heavy price for the mistake.

Don’t go down that road.”

With that said, here’s a freebie, I’d like to share with you regarding promotion.

I have learned the hard way that

/If a man or woman does not humble themselves, God will./

And when God humbles, he does it in a public venue.

We have all seen Bill Clinton’s dirty laundry.

We saw Jimmy Swaggart and Jim Baker fall.

We know how powerful they thought they were at the height of their popularity, and we know just how human each of them actually are.

Paul warns us in Rom 12:3

/Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you./

When God call you into his service, there are no small jobs.

No matter what task he asks you to perform, it is important to him.

And it is equally important that you do the job with humility.

That takes us to* Stage 4 – the Journey Inward*

 

In stage 1 we met God personally - one on one.

In stage 2 we were discipled in a church or a group.

In stage 3 we either serve in front of people or behind the scenes, but we didn’t do it alone.

In stage 4 we meet God again one on one,

Only this time it’s not a natural awe inspiring event.

God isn’t meeting a need.

We are coming face to face with God and bringing our preconceived notions of who we think He is with us.

In stage 4 we are forced to put aside our religious understanding and get God out of the box we put Him in.

Stage 4 is almost always precipitated by a life or faith crisis.

Someone dies, gets seriously ill, loses their job after long years of faithful service, divorces…

 

What ever the case, the person in crisis feels that his faith is simply not enough.

They feel immobilized, unsuccessful, hurt, and ashamed -- God has not provided what they needed to be soothed, healed, or fulfilled.

God didn't answer their prayers.

He did not fulfill their wishes.

He did not change their circumstance or solve their problems.

And as faith servants, true disciples, workers in His kingdom – it shouldn’t happen that way.

/Wait a minute God, that’s not fair./

For some people it is more crisis of faith than a personal crisis.

This is common for people raised in the church with a clearly defined belief system.

Perhaps a faith block crumbled.

They discover that some teaching they had been taught and believed for many years was not true.

Or person of faith whom they idolize fell from grace.

/Wait a minute God, why did you let that happen?

How could you let that happen?/

This period is plagued with gnawing questions.

And these questions are too loud to ignore.

A biblical example of some one in Stage 4 would be Peter.

Peter had left his family and home and business to follow Jesus.

In front of Jesus and all his friends he boldly confesses that Jesus is the messiah.

Suddenly on Good Friday, he finds that the answers he has, do not add up anymore.

The arrest of Jesus placed all of Peter’s beliefs in crisis.

Peter felt so abandoned that he actually denied any knowledge of Jesus.

Peter faced a crisis of faith.

We know what eventually happened.

Jesus is resurrected and the angel at the tomb tells the women “Go tell Peter to meet Jesus in Jerusalem.”

Unfortunately for us, our experiences in the stage 4 will not be remedied in three days.

Stage 4 may last years.

In this stage the quest for knowledge and understanding becomes insatiable.

Those with a strong educational background will find that their answers do not come from books.

Those who have relied on the instruction of their mentors will find that their mentors do not have the answers.

Those who come from a strong ritualistic religious experience will want to return to those rites and exercises.

What used to work, no longer works.

*/How do people enter Stage 4?/*