Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro

1chron 12

Cf bumper stickers—van covered in messages about Jesus and sinners—what is the effect?

Look at some more of the “Christian” side.

The result?

Take a look at the world’s responses.

(show bumper stickers)

Being distinct from teh world around us is unavoidable for anyone who expects to make a difference.

** No one ever made a difference by being teh same.

Yet sometimes we have made a difference in ways now so desireable, and we have left a mess in our wake.

tells of an array of fantastic things that should lay in the path behind us.

According to God’s ideal, in the wake of the church as it moves through history would lie testaments to restored homes, renewed health, refreshed souls, revitalized dreams, renewed courage and strength, renewed vision and direction, and an unending list of bounty and blessing.

Yet somehow, the testimony isn’t so clear.

Such has been the impact of the centuries of Christianity that not only is it often not in favor in our culture, but in fact many have sought to actually free teh world from its grips.

In his book The Mark of Jesus, [T George] points out that the students of Kar Marx

viewed the Christian religion as an ideological tool which for centuries the rich and powerful had used to keep the working poor in an impoverished state.

In the flow of teh 20th Century reaction to a religion that tehy believed only served to stifle their humanity and control them with the force of religious culture, John Lennon consolidated the mindset of his and following generations with his song, “Imagine.”

What he imagined was this:

[quote Imagine]

For Lennin and the millions like him—getting rid of religion was a prerequisite for world peace.

In his day, it was the call of the Marxist.

Today, it’s the call of the capitalist.

Indeed in our very state, in the wake of CO bakers and florists…, GA like many otehr states sought...

When forced with a choice, a governor of GA who has positioned himself… shut down the movement.

Not because he agrees with John Lennon or Karl Marx about the … but rather because corporate leaders from organizations like Home Depot, NFL, NCAA, and a number of Hollywood studio heads urged him that the economic intersts they represent are more critical to our state’s future than the interests of the people of faith who were concerned about teh future of the culture that many of us see experiencing faith shrink like raising in the sun.

It is in that context that we find ourselves facing an election season that is more heated than any mid term cycle possibly than we have seen since teh rise of the tea party.

And probably teh most expensive ever.

As of tody, in teh US Senate races for only 35 seats teh two parties have collectively spent 825 Million.

And in the US House…, spending has topped 1.3 Billion, with at least another 200 million ready to go today.

https://www.opensecrets.org/overview/index.php?cycle=2018&display=T&type=A

In GA’s Gov race we had already set a record with 33 Million spent just in the primaries back in June.

And both money and star power are pouring in from all over the from Oprah, Will Farrell, and Barak Obama to Mike Pence, and even President Trump himself!

And early voting has reached stratospheric numbers.

And what may be most pronounced is teh heat of teh language and the ___ of teh mud being slung.

BUt not just y teh candidates.

Division is rampant down to the street level.

And not teh courteous kind of division of well-wishing patriots, but rather vitriolic division and character assassination with people on opposite sides taking things very personally.

It seems to be more than politics.

And if you ask most of teh people who even give a little bit of attention to it, it is more than politics.

It’s teh heart and soul of the state, the future of our ____, the debt we owe to the generations who will follow.

And at the center of so much of all of this lie issues that are anchored deeply in th arena of faith.

Issues that many of us would say call out our own personal response to God, as a matter of conscience.

And yet oddly that isn’t leading us all to the same conclusions.

In GA, for example, it’s the tightest governor’s race in modern history—more votes will be cast for each candidate than ever before.

And it will likely be a nail biter all night long.

And that’s not to mention the other states with close gubernatorial, house, and senate seats up for grabs.

The control of the majority of state governments, the house, and the senate are all up for grabs and it’s anyone’s guess who will walk away teh winner.

So what does it mean that we have such division.

Deep division.?

Is it bad?

I think the answer is yes and no.

DIvision isn’t something that surprises God.

But did you know that He actually planned for it.

Jesus may be rightly called the Prince of Peace, but that doesn’t mean he expected to make people automatically join hands and sing kumbaya until He returns.

In fact, quite the opposite.

Jesus Knows that There is no Easy Way to Do The Hard THing

And he never avoided the hard thing.

Fire—occasionally indicates the Holy Spirit but here as is most often, judgment

Jesus saw a world with qualities that still need to be addressed

Impurity that kept them from living their best

Ignorance that caused them to hold onto things that harmed them

Relational Allegiance that kept them trapped in unhealthy living

Jesus Realized That He Would Create The Clarifying Contrast

[illus re contrast—green fire trucks, blue lights, something else that’s meant to get attention]

Contrast is yoru friend when danger is disguised

Most of us realize that

Our problem is thinking of Jesus that way.

We’re used to silent night and “peace on earth...”—Doesn’t seem to reconcile...

atthew records these words--

But if you’re familiar with jesus, yo umay recall some of the ways he divides.

Fr example,

They will ask… He will answer…then th eother side (GOATS!)

** Critical to know this—picture of the way true followers will care...

But notice __ important distinctions--

The Diivision is AGAINST one another and Jesus is the dividing line

It’s not passive

It’s not pleasant

and it’s not as clear cut as yo umight imagine

Consider how John saw this issue—the disciple who walked with Jesus for 3 years almost daily—who was one of his 3 best friends in the world, and who was so close to tha Savior that when Jesus neede trust ]Mary\… He wrote more about love than eery other NT writer put togethre.

And even with all that love talk, notice what He said...

1 john 1:15

Why?

He understood...

Jesus’s othe close friend was Peter.

He was so extraordinarily trusted by the master that apart from any of the others, He entrusted with a unique call to help establish teh beginning of the church itself.

Jesus charged him, and created him to be the pastor of all pastors.

And what did this shepherd of the sheep take away from 3 years of devotion as a disciple of Jesus?

And-

And in case the point wasn’t clear, Consider Paul.

He wasn’t around Jesus while he was here to begin with, but he was so important that Jesus came to him specially after He had already gone into heaven and assigned him to carry the message of Christianity to cities all over the known sorld.

IN doing so he wrote half of what we now call the NT, and spread Christianity from Syria to Rome.

He made it clear that God bery much meant to create a contrast between the old you and the new you, and between the new yo uand the old world that the old you once fit so well

And in case he hadn’t been clear enough, he wrote again to this same church--

But uderstand that this (PHp 2) was the point.

It’s not to create a combative contrast, but rather an inviting one

[ here]

2co 2:14-16

So clearly-Jesus Brings Divisino Because Jesus Adds Distinction

An for teh believer to try to nack away from that dos no one any favors—not the least of which is Jesus!

Why would He create distinction only for use to cover it up