Sermon Tone Analysis

INTRODUCTION

The name Christian is derived from Christ, and denotes one who is a disciple of Christ—one who follows his doctrine and life, and who, being engrafted into Christ, has communion with him.

There are two kinds of Christians; some that are only apparently such; and others that are really and truly such.

Those who are Christians merely in appearance, are those who have been baptized, and who are in the company of those who are called, and profess the Christian faith; but are without conversion, being nothing more than hypocrites and dissemblers, of whom it is said: “Many are called, but few are chosen.”

“Not every one that saith, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven,” &c.

(Matt.

20:16; 7:22.)

Those are true christians who are not only baptized and profess the doctrine of Christ, but who are also possessed of a true faith, and declare this by the fruits of repentance; or, they are those who are members of Christ by a true faith, and are made partakers of his anointing.

All true Christians are such also in appearance, because it is said, “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good work, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

“Show me thy faith by thy works.”

(Matt.

5:16.

James 2:18.)

But it is not true, on the other hand, that all who are apparently Christians are also such in reality; because it will be said of many, “I never knew you.”

(Matt.

7:23.)

; ; ;

The name Christian is derived from Christ, and denotes one who is a disciple of Christ—one who follows his doctrine and life, and who, being engrafted into Christ, has communion with him.

There are two kinds of Christians; some that are only apparently such; and others that are really and truly such.

Those who are Christians merely in appearance, are those who have been baptised, and who are in the company of those who are called, and profess the Christian faith; but are without conversion, being nothing more than hypocrites and dissemblers, of whom it is said: “Many are called, but few are chosen.”

“Not every one that saith, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven,” &c.

(; .).

Those are true christians who are not only baptised and profess the doctrine of Christ, but who are also possessed of a true faith, and declare this by the fruits of repentance; or, they are those who are members of Christ by a true faith, and are made partakers of his anointing.

All true Christians are such also in appearance, because it is said, “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good work, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

“Show me thy faith by thy works.”

(. .)

But it is not true, on the other hand, that all who are apparently Christians are also such in reality; because it will be said of many, “I never knew you.”

(.)

It is important to ask yourself these questions today.

How am I a Christian if (i) when the world designs their dress (revealing, short, exposing, flamboyant and provocative), I copy it and wear it?

How am I a Christian if (ii) when they play a tune of their worldly music, with corrupting lyrics, I enjoy sing it?

And am I you a Christian if (iii) when they devise a slang, a corrupting language, I speak it along with them?

A Christian must dress modestly, not exposing the parts of your body that are to be covered; not unnecessarily revealing contours of your body.

As a christian you should not be accepting and listening to worldly music, filled with worldly wisdom and corrupt language; videos filled with suggestive images, unacceptable and, ungodly language.

Listen what God commands you to do as a Christian ().

Ursinus, Z., & Williard, G. W. (1888).

The Commentary of Dr. Zacharias Ursinus on the Heidelberg Catechism (pp.

176–177).

Cincinnati, OH: Elm Street Printing Company.

1. THE SOVEREIGN GENEROSITY OF OUR HEAVENLY FATHER

; ; ;

As in many parables of Jesus, this parable explains how God deals with people called into the Kingdom of Heaven.

The Farmer represents God and the labourers are people called into God’s Kingdom (; ).

We see this in the parable we just read.

From this parable, we see:

(i) God’s Call (); The farmer hired all those labourers.

Both those who were hired early and those who were hired late, must show gratitude to the farmer.

If he didn't hire them, then they would not b hired at all.

We can also see his generousity in hiring people at different hours of the day.

He was not rigid with his time for hiring.

God is calling the whole world to repentance and to obtain salvation in Christ ().

If you got saved as a young person praise God.

You have been spared of all the terrible sins and mistakes that could have affected your soul, your life and your reputation.

But praise God you have been spared all that.

Continue to serve the Lord with all your heart like Timothy (; ).

And if you are a young person, a teenager and you have not been saved, I call you to salvation today.

Receive Christ as your Lord and Saviour, confessing your sin to Him right here, right now.

It will save you a lot of shame and heart ache as an adult.

If as an adult you are not yet saved, it is not too late.

Maybe you have seen the dangers of sin and the damage it can do.

You need to surrender your life to Christ today and be saved (; ; ).

You do not know tomorrow; Today is the day accepted for salvation; and God cannot always be found!

(ii) God’s Compassion (; ; ; ).

I don’t think any Christian will doubt the compassion of God through Christ.

It is because of the mercies of God we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not ().

Mercy is God’s compassion in action.

As this householder generously hired everyone who was available to be hired for work and paid them their due wages, so the Lord calls us and blesses us with the blessing of heaven, with salvation, sanctification, the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Christ would never send his listeners away hungry or thirsty.

This compassion brought about the miracle of multiplication of loves of bread and fish to feed first, 5000, and then 4000.

This compassion makes God to forgive those who are undeserving ().

(iii) God’s Charity ().

Where there is compassion, there must also be charity.

The householder was so charitable that he paid a day’s wage to all regardless of the time they started.

You get to go to heaven whether you are saved young or you get saved much later in life.

The thief that was crucified along with Jesus received instant pardon and the same day went to paradise.

Because of God compassion and charity he gives us what we don’t deserve and takes way the things we deserve!

For instance God took away the punishment due to our sins and gave us new life in Christ.

2. THE SOVEREIGN PREROGATIVES OF OUR HEAVENLY FATHER

; ; (); ; ;

Divine Prerogative is the exclusive power belonging only to God by which He choses what, where, how and when He deals with His creation.

This power belongs only to God and no one can question it.

Divine Prerogative is the exclusive power belonging only to God by which He choses what, where, how and when He deals with His creation.

This power belongs only to God and no one can question it when God choses to exercise it.

The complaint of the people who were hired early was unfounded.

Yes they did the most work of the day, but they agreed to the normal day’s wage.

If he chose to give a day’s wage to someone who worked for only one hour, or who did not work at all, that would be his prerogative.

Was he unfair to those who worked all day?

Psychology Today Magazine of May 11, 2013 gave three definition of fairness.

1. SAMENESS: The fairness where everything is equal.

So everyone pays the same price for a train ticket, whether a child, an adult or a senior citizen.

No one has more than another.

Everyone eats or no one does, for example.

Logically, then, an infant and an adolescent will receive the same amount of food.

It doesn’t matter that one needs more than the other.

Fairness is finding the average and applying it across the board.

Take salvation for example, God chose to save us in Christ Jesus.

He made both the choice and the provision for our salvation (; ).

Our salvation was effected by the sovereign prerogative of God (; ).

2. DESERVEDNESS: In this notion of fairness you get what you deserve.

If you work hard, you succeed and keep all that you earn.

Fairness means keeping what you deserve and deserving nothing if it isn’t earned.

The hardest working, most diligent, smartest and most talented should have more because of their attributes; the lazy, indifferent, stupid and inept deserve to have less.

Fairness is a rational calculation.

This is fairness as individual freedom.

3. NEED: The third idea of fairness is that those who have more to give should give a greater percentage of what they have to help others who are unable to contribute much, if anything at all.

Fairness here takes into account the facts that humans have obligations to one another and the more one has the more is demanded of that person to contribute to the common good.

Fairness and responsibility are linked.

Compassion plays a role in the calculation of fairness.

This is fairness as social justice.

All the above definitions have some truth in them, but that is as far as man is concerned.