Sermon Tone Analysis

Subject: What am I talking about?

Why is Paul criticizing the Jews?

Complement: What exactly am I saying about what I’m talking about?

He is criticizing them because their lives do not reflect their identity as a people created to be God’s ambassadors to the world.

The Big Idea:

The identity of God’s chosen people is not shaped by written codes or social belonging, but by the inward change of heart by the Holy Spirit.

Subject: What am I talking about?

Why is Paul criticizing the Jews?

Complement: What exactly am I saying about what I’m talking about?

He is criticizing them because these Jews he speaks of place their identities in written codes and their social belonging as God’s chosen people rather than in obedience unto Him.

The Big Idea:

The identity of God’s chosen people is not shaped by written codes or social belonging, but by obedience from the heart by the Holy Spirit.

Exegetical Observation:

This passage is a continuation on the discussion of the spiritual disposition of Jews who depend on the Law and circumcision (self-righteousness) over the heart-changing movement of the Holy Spirit.

What is the homiletical idea of the sermon?

A praise-worthy identity to God comes from a heart-driven obedience through God.

What is the purpose of preaching this sermon?

My purpose is to have my listeners repent from their self-righteousness and turn towards an obedience that reflects their identity in Christ.

What is the need for this sermon?

If an often response towards Public Safety from both students and staff is that of disrespect.

If this is an indication of anything, it is clear that our community’s perspective of the Christian identity is malformed.

If it is unacceptable for the Jews to have their identity misplaced, how much more then is it for the one who calls themself a follower of Christ?

Intro:

I have come to find that one of the most respected roles to take on at this campus is Public Safety.

It’s a job where the main focus is to ensure that everyone who is on the campus rightfully belongs on the campus.

It’s a job taken up by brothers and sisters in Christ as they pursue an education to enhance their ability and competency to function in ministry to the glory of God.

And how praised they are by students and staffs alike.

In my short time working with Public Safety, I have seen brothers and sisters mocked, insulted, ignored, belittled, and disrespected.

Not by strangers on the street.

Not by those who openly hate the God these Christians worship.

But by men and women who identify themselves as Christians.

Hell hath no pride like a student asked to wear their ID.

The Big Idea:

But where does this sort of sin come from when we look at the spiritual anatomy of the Moody Bible Student.

Why the indignation towards another believer who is merely being paid to enforce a policy all students have agreed to abide by.

Love is not indignant.

Love is not proud.

It does not mock, insult, ignore, belittle, or disrespect.

The identity of God’s chosen people is not shaped by written codes or social belonging, but by obedience from the heart by the Holy Spirit.

It edifies.

It builds up.

It unites.

It submits.

It is obedient to the will and desire of God.

So why the disunity?

Why the pride?

Why is there a falling short of the calling of God?

The religious Jews often appeared to have a severe case of amnesia, often forgetting their call and purpose, their identity established by God.

To clarify, the Jews had no problem acknowledging they were chosen of God, that they were given the Law, they just had some trouble living it out, being consistent, being obedient.

*REPEAT x2*The problem is that they couldn’t seem to figure that the identity of God’s chosen people is not shaped by written codes or social belonging that stems from some covenant, but by obedience from the heart by the Holy Spirit.

It’s somewhat humorous when you think about how Paul is addressing these Jews.

It’s akin to those memes we often see, “What my friends think I do, What society thinks I do, What I think I do, What I really do.”

Only here, were we to memify Paul’s observations of the religious Jews, we’d find three particular points he has to make in light of his discussion starting from the beginning of this chapter.

What they thought they were

What they really were

What they really should be

P1.

What you think you are: These proud Jews thought they were the bees-knees; they had the Law and the covenant of the circumcision.

v. 17-20

They were the chosen people of God Himself.

But these proud Jews severely misplaced their spiritual disposition before God.

But it’s curious isn’t it?

If you are God’s chosen people, how do you get it wrong?

Paul seems to have a pretty good idea as to how.

In verses 17-20:

Rely on the Law (v.

17)

Boast in God (v.

17)

Know God’s will (v.

18)

Approve things essential, as instructed from the Law (v.

18)

A guide to the blind (v.

19)

A light to those who are in darkness (v.

19)

A corrector of the foolish (v.

20)

A teacher to the immature (v.

20)

To be a guide, light, corrector, and teacher was to be rooted in the Law, from where the embodiment of knowledge and truth was to come

To be a guide, light, corrector, and teacher was to be rooted in the Law, from where the embodiment of knowledge and truth was to come

· To be a guide, light, corrector, and teacher was to be rooted in the Law, from where the embodiment of knowledge and truth was to come

These people saw themselves guides, lights, correctors, and teachers who were rooted in God’s Word, from where the embodiment of knowledge and truth was to come.

These were good Jews.

Or at least they thought.

Do you personally know of anyone who meets that description?

You might be thinking, “It should be all of us, but we fail so much.”

Humility is a very good place to be in, but don’t be deceived.

It was God who established these people to be guides, lights, correctors, and teachers who were rooted in God’s Word rendering it to nothing more than self-deception.

Pride tends to blind those who drink from its cup with a subtle deception.

*APPLICATION* And it really pushes us to wonder.

Do you, O Christian, see yourself as a guide?

A light?

A corrector and teacher of fools?

*ILLUSTRATION*

What Paul observes is a kind of deception that flourishes when you are religious.

They are self-deceived.

How can we know?

Because there appears to be a disconnect from their perception of reality and reality itself.

They can’t see how their identity as God’s chosen people isn’t shaped by written codes or social belonging.

They can’t see that it is only by an obedience from the heart empowered by the Holy Spirit that their identity is defined.

P2.

What you really you are: These proud Jews were severely blinded to their physical disobedience to God, v.21-24

Paul brings the focus of his reality check into full force:

You, therefore, *therefore, in light of what you think you see*

You who teach the Word of God, do you not teach yourself that very Word?