Sermon Tone Analysis

FOUNDATIONS – SERMON 5

FILL YOUR TANK

INTRODUCTION:

WHEN KIMBERLEY AND I FIRST GOT MARRIED, WE DIDN’T HAVE MUCH MONEY.

I LIKE TO SAY THAT WE DIDN’T HAVE TWO NICKELS TO RUB TOGETHER.

OUR SON, BOOMER, WAS BORN WITHIN THE FIRST YEAR OF OUR MARRIAGE AND I GOTTA TELL YA, WE WERE JUST TRYING TO FIGURE THIS MARRIAGE AND PARENTING THING OUT.

AND WHEN I SAY THAT WE DIDN’T HAVE MUCH MONEY, I MEAN WE DIDN’T HAVE MUCH MONEY, TO THE POINT THAT THERE WERE THOSE TIMES WHEN I WOULD PULL UP TO THE GAS PUMP AND GET THREE DOLLARS WORTH OF GAS.

IF I WASN’T GOING VERY FAR, THREE DOLLARS WORTH OF GAS MIGHT GET ME TO MY DESTINATION, BUT SOMETIMES, I WOULD TRY TO STRETCH THAT THREE DOLLARS JUST A LITTLE FARTHER, AND MORE THAN ONCE, I RAN OUT OF GAS.

WHAT I LEARNED IN THOSE MOMENTS WAS THAT IF I WANTED TO GET FARTHER DOWN THE ROAD, I WAS GOING TO NEED A LOT MORE FUEL.

IT DIDN’T MATTER WHAT KIND OF CAR I WAS DRIVING, IF I WANTED TO TRAVEL FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD, THAT VEHICLE NEEDED FUEL.

AND SOME OF THE VEHICLES I HAVE OWNED OVER THE YEARS HAVE LOOKED BETTER AND WERE MORE MECHANICALLY SOUND THAN OTHERS, BUT NO MATTER HOW SHINY AND PERFECT THAT VEHICLE MAY HAVE LOOKED, WITHOUT FUEL TO PROPEL IT, IT WASN’T GOING ANYWHERE.

NOW I KNOW WHAT YOU’RE THINKING…THERE ARE OTHER WAYS TO GET DOWN THE ROAD, AND YOU WOULD BE RIGHT TO THINK THAT, BUT IF CHOSE ANY OTHER METHOD OF GETTING DOWN THE ROAD, I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO SACRIFICE SOMETHING ELSE.

FOR EXAMPLE, I COULD WALK, AND THERE’S NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT, BUT IF I AM TO WALK DOWN THE ROAD, I AM GOING TO SACRIFICE TIME, AND PHYSICAL ENERGY.

I’M GOING TO MOVE MORE SLOWLY, AND IT WILL BE MUCH MORE LABORIOUS.

I COULD GET MY CAR TOWED, BUT THEN I WOULD BE BOUND TO PAY THE TOW TRUCK, AND IF I COULD ONLY AFFORD THREE DOLLARS WORTH OF GAS IN MY OUT OF GAS CAR, THE CHANCES OF ME BEING ABLE TO SACRIFICE MY HARD-EARNED MONEY FOR A TOW TRUCK TO MOVE ME DOWN THE ROAD A LITTLE WAYS DOESN’T SEEM VERY LIKELY.

I COULD HITCH A RIDE WITH A FRIEND, BUT IF I DO THAT, THEN I AM BOUND BY THE DIRECTION THAT FRIEND WANTS TO GO AND THE DETOURS THAT FRIEND WANTS TO TAKE.

AND THE LIKLIHOOD OF MY FRIENDS WANTING TO END UP AT THE SAME DESTINATION I WANT TO END UP AT IS LOW.

MY POINT IS THIS: IF YOU WANT TO GET TO WHERE GOD WANTS YOU TO GO, YOU HAVE GOT TO BE FUELED WITH WHAT GOD WANTS YOU TO BE FUELED WITH.

TOO MANY PEOPLE TODAY ARE SLOW-WALKING THEIR FAITH, WHEN THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT WE ARE TO LIVE AS IF WE’RE RUNNING A RACE.

OTHERS ARE LETTING THE CULTURE TOW THEM ALONG, UNAWARE THAT THE CULTURE WILL ONLY TAKE YOU SO FAR, AND THAT THE PRICE YOU PAY TO FOLLOW CULTURE IS A VERY HIGH PRICE.

OTHERS ARE PIGGY-BACKING ON THE FAITH OF OTHERS, HOPING THAT OTHERS WILL SHOULDER THE LOAD, DO ALL THE HEAVY-LIFTING OF FAITH, AND HOPING THAT GOD WILL BE OK WITH THEM BEING UNAWARE OF GOD’S WILL FOR THEIR LIVES, UNWILLING TO STEP OUT IN FAITH (WHATEVER HAPPENED TO GOD’S PEOPLE TAKING LEAPS OF FAITH?), AND UNABLE TO MUSTER UP ENOUGH HORSEPOWER TO TRAVEL DOWN THE PATH GOD HAS LAID OUT FOR THEM.

WHAT WE NEED IS A RETURN TO THE FUEL THAT HAS FUELED THE PEOPLE OF GOD FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS.

WE NEED TO RETURN TO THE WORD OF GOD.

HOW AMAZING IS THE BIBLE?!?

IT IS A BOOK OF:

66 BOOKS

1189 CHAPTERS.

WRITTEN BY 40 AUTHORS OVER A PERIOD OF 1500 YEARS.

CONTAINING 7 MAJOR GENRES:

- 1. NARRATIVE

- 2. POETRY

- 3. WISDOM

- 4. PROPHECY

- 5. GOSPELS

- 6. EPISTLES

- 7. APOCALYPSE

IT IS FILLED WITH TIMELESS TRUTH, RELEVANT TO EVERY CULTURE.

DR.

TONY EVANS SAYS THIS ABOUT THE BIBLE: “THE BIBLE IS NOT INFORMATION ABOUT GOD, IT IS THE VOICE OF GOD IN PRINT!”

IF WE ARE TO BE PROPERLY FUELED FOR THE CONTINUOUS SHIFTING OF CULTURE, AND THE CALL THAT GOD HAS PLACED UPON HIS CHURCH, WE HAVE GOT TO GET AWAY FROM THE “THREE DOLLARS WORTH” MENTALITY WHEN IT COMES TO READING, UNDERSTANDING, AND APPLYING THE WORD OF GOD TO OUR LIVES.

WE HAVE GOT TO START FILLING OUR TANKS WITH THE ONLY FUEL SUFFICIENT TO TAKE US WHERE GOD WANTS US TO BE.

WE MUST ONCE AGAIN BECOME PEOPLE OF THE BOOK!

AND WE CAN, AND FOR JUST A FEW MINUTES, I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU WHY WE CAN AND MUST RETURN TO LIVING BY THE TEACHINGS OF SCRIPTURE.

1. IT IS DIVINELY INSPIRED.

a. –17.16 ALL SCRIPTURE IS BREATHED OUT BY GOD AND PROFITABLE FOR TEACHING, FOR REPROOF, FOR CORRECTION, AND FOR TRAINING IN RIGHTEOUSNESS, 17 THAT THE MAN OF GOD MAY BE COMPLETE, EQUIPPED FOR EVERY GOOD WORK.

b.

BF&M – “THE HOLY BIBLE WAS WRITTEN BY MEN DIVINELY INSPIRED AND IS GOD'S REVELATION OF HIMSELF TO MAN.

IT IS A PERFECT TREASURE OF DIVINE INSTRUCTION.

IT HAS GOD FOR ITS AUTHOR…”

c. INSPIRATION – WE HAVE MISAPPLIED AND REDEFINED THE WORD INSPIRED OR INSPIRATION THESE DAYS.

i. WE OFTEN WILL REFER TO SOMETHING AS AN “INSPIRED PERFORMANCE” OR AND INSPIRING PORTRAIT.

ii.