Sermon Tone Analysis

FOUNDATIONS – SERMON 4

WHAT THE CHURCH NEEDS

INTRODUCTION:

OUR CULTURE IS IN A CONSTANT STATE OF CHANGE.

WE’RE DIFFERENT…

IF WE HAVE LEARNED ANYTHING IN RECENT DAYS, WE HAVE LEARNED THAT WE ARE FAR FROM WHERE WE ONCE WERE AS A NATION AND AS A SOCIETY…AND NOT NECESSARILY IN A GOOD WAY.

SOME THINGS ARE MUCH BETTER.

TECHNOLOGY, FOR EXAMPLE.

WE NOW HAVE THE CAPACITY TO STAY IN TOUCH WITH EACH OTHER, MAKE NEARLY ANY PURCHASE, TO TRANSFER MONEY, TO SELL ITEMS, AND TO CONTROL THINGS WITH THE TOUCH OF A FINGER ON OUR MOBILE DEVICE.

YOU CAN READ YOUR BIBLE, OR LISTEN TO IT, YOU CAN READ A BOOK, LISTEN TO A PODCAST, HEAR YOUR FAVORITE MUSIC, JUST ABOUT ANYTHING YOU WANT TO DO, RIGHT ON YOUR MOBILE DEVICE.

BUT THE SAME TECHNOLOGY THAT BLESSES US ALSO HAS THE CAPACITY TO CORRUPT US.

HATE IS OFTEN SPEWED THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA;

CHILDREN AND TEENS HAVE MORE ACCESS TO DAMAGING CONTENT THAN EVER BEFORE;

UNCORROBORATED NEWS REPORTS CAN GO VIRAL IN A MATTER OF MINUTES, IMPACTING THE OPINIONS OF LITERALLY MILLIONS OF PEOPLE.

WE’RE DIFFERENT.

THE CULTURE IS CHANGING.

AND IT IS SENSELESS TO BELIEVE THAT THE CHURCH CAN REACH A CHANGING CULTURE WITHOUT AT LEAST RECOGNIZING AND SEEKING TO UNDERSTAND THE CHANGES AFFECTING THAT CULTURE.

LET ME BE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT I’M NOT SAYING.

- I’M NOT SAYING THAT THE GOSPEL IS UP FOR REVISION…IT IS NOT, AND NEVER WILL BE.

o IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN, AND WILL ALWAYS BE JESUS, PLUS NOTHING.

- I’M NOT SAYING THAT THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH IS UP FOR REVISION…IT IS NOT.

o THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH IS STILL CLEARLY DEFINED BY .

§ WE ARE TO MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS.

BUT WHAT I AM SAYING IS THAT THE CHURCH SHOULD BE THE MOST WELL-INFORMED, AND MOST CULTURALLY ENGAGED ORGANIZATION OF ANY.

IN THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, WE’VE LOOKED AT WHAT A CHURCH IS, WHAT A CHURCH DOES, AND WE’VE LOOKED AT THE REALITY OF CREATION.

THIS MORNING, I’D LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU WHAT THE CHURCH NEEDS.

HERE’S THE FIRST THING…

1. THE CHURCH NEEDS TO STOP EXPECTING NON-CHRISTIANS TO ACT LIKE CHRISTIANS.

a. - 18 “IF THE WORLD HATES YOU, KNOW THAT IT HAS HATED ME BEFORE IT HATED YOU.

19 IF YOU WERE OF THE WORLD, THE WORLD WOULD LOVE YOU AS ITS OWN; BUT BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT OF THE WORLD, BUT I CHOSE YOU OUT OF THE WORLD, THEREFORE THE WORLD HATES YOU.

20 REMEMBER THE WORD THAT I SAID TO YOU: ‘A SERVANT IS NOT GREATER THAN HIS MASTER.’

IF THEY PERSECUTED ME, THEY WILL ALSO PERSECUTE YOU.

IF THEY KEPT MY WORD, THEY WILL ALSO KEEP YOURS.

21 BUT ALL THESE THINGS THEY WILL DO TO YOU ON ACCOUNT OF MY NAME, BECAUSE THEY DO NOT KNOW HIM WHO SENT ME.

b.

ALL THESE THINGS THEY DO, THEY DO THEM BECAUSE THEY DO NOT KNOW GOD.

c. IT IS ACTUALLY QUITE RIDICULOUS TO EXPECT NON-CHRISTIANS TO ACT LIKE CHRISTIANS, BUT THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT WE OFTEN DO, AND WE PROJECT OUTRAGE TOWARD THEM WHEN THEY DON’T ACT IN CONCERT WITH WHAT OUR EXPECTATIONS FOR THEM ARE.

d.

AND THIS TYPE OF EXPECTATION OFTEN TURNS TO JUDGMENT.

i. NOW THE BIBLE EXPLICITLY SPEAKS AGAINST JUDGING OTHERS, AND THIS INCLUDES THOSE WHO ARE NOT MEMBERS OF THE BODY OF CHRIST.

ii.

SCRIPTURE SPEAKS IN MORE THAN ONE PLACE ABOUT THE DANGER OF BEING JUDGMENTAL.

iii.

THE ONE WITH WHICH WE ARE MOST FAMILIAR IS FOUND IN MATTHEW, CHAPTER 7.

1. JUDGE NOT, THAT YOU BE NOT JUDGED.

a. THE CONTEXT IS THAT OF JUDGMENT BETWEEN CHRISTIANS.

iv.

BUT THE BIBLE ALSO CAUTIONS US ABOUT JUDGING THOSE OUTSIDE THE CHURCH, ENCOURAGING US TO LEAVE THAT TO GOD.

v. YOU CAN READ ABOUT THIS IN 1 CORINTHIANS, CHAPTER 5.

e. CHRISTIANS OFTEN VILIFY OTHERS SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY DON’T AGREE WITH OUR POSITIONS OR OUR WORLDVIEW.

i. THEY ARE OFTEN CATEGORIZED AS EVIL AND CONSIDERED TO BE BEYOND THE GRACE OF GOD.

ii.

BUT WE NEED TO BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO TAKE THIS POSITION.

1. PEOPLE ARE NOT EVIL BECAUSE THEY DISAGREE WITH US.

2. BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE NOT EVIL BECAUSE THEY ARE DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN.

3. PEOPLE ARE NOT EVIL BECAUSE THEY ARE CONSERVATIVE OR LIBERAL.

4. PEOPLE ARE EVIL BECAUSE EVERY PERSON POSSESSES A SINFUL NATURE.

f.

SO OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS NOT TO JUDGE THE WORLD, OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO WIN THE WORLD TO CHRIST.

g.

TO DO THIS, WE NEED TO STOP EXPECTING NON-CHRISTIANS TO ACT LIKE CHRISTIANS.

h.