Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

It is a joy and privilege to be with you all.

I praise God for the work going on in all of our churches, and we are grateful to Grace Life for hosting us all this evening.

We had a wonderful night together last night at Providence Village, and we are thankful for their hospitality as well.

If you have a Bible, turn with me to .

While you’re finding your spot, let me start tonight by asking this question....

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The church's one foundation

is Jesus Christ, her Lord;

she is his new creation

by water and the Word:

from heav'n he came and sought her

to be his holy bride;

with his own blood he bought her,

and for her life he died.

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“The grace of God has reached for me

And pulled me from the raging sea

And I am safe on this solid ground

The Lord is my salvation

I will not fear when darkness falls

His strength will help me scale these walls

I’ll see the dawn of the rising sun

The Lord is my salvation

CHORUS

Who is like the Lord our God?

Strong to save, faithful in love

My debt is paid and the vict’ry won

The Lord is my salvation

--- THEN YOU HAVE the following....

“You didn’t want heaven without us,

so you brought heaven down to us.”

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The fact is, a lot of songs we sing in church, could be sung by the mormon or the muslim.

There’s nothing distinctly Christian about them…because singing is supposed to “wow” us, not make us think…right?

Why....do churches give in... to gimmicks and tricks to get people to come to church?

What is the reason we seem prone to use all sorts of things to get people excited about, what they would call, “serving Jesus?”

One reason of course, is that we’ve forgotten the doctrine of Sola Scriptura.

The idea that we draw everything for faith and practice entirely from God’s Word.

That the Scriptures are sufficient in and of themselves.

But, it seems that even in churches who would verbally affirm Sola Scriptura, and would affirm that we do not need gimmickry, the nagging temptation still abides.

The pressure to make things exciting.

To attract and maintain interest in what’s gong on at your church.

I know that’s true in churches that are less than a year old....and I’m sure it’s true within us all.

Pastors and congregations, are presented with the temptation, to offer and ask for....that which is new, fresh, relevant, moving, and powerful.

But I ask you, what could be more powerful, more moving, more relevant, than Jesus Christ and the work He has accomplished?

In the April 2019 edition of Tabletalk magazine, Burk Parsons wrote the following:

“One of my greatest fears for the church today is that we will become bored with the cross of Christ.

I am concerned that any mention of Christ and Him crucified is leading many professing Christians to say to themselves: ‘Yeah, I know all about Jesus dying on the cross for my sins— let’s move on to something else.

Let’s get past the basics, and let’s deal with bigger theological issues.’

I firmly believe that Satan is set on trying to destroy us, but he’ll settle with just getting us to lose our astonishment of Christ and Him crucified.”

I wonder sometimes, if we aren’t far more ignorant of Satan’s devices, than we’d like to admit.

Because I believe the warning from Parsons is a warning of real danger even for churches that verbally embrace Sola Scriptura, and reject the pragmatic creating of sensational experiences.

That we can be tempted to move outside of the realm of the simple gospel.

There are a million ways we are tempted to move, to what we would consider “beyond” the cross....but it is my prayer tonight, that we would be reminded of the glory of the cross.

We’d be reminded of the splendor of our Savior, and the wonder of His finished work on our behalf.

Because when we lose our astonishment of Christ and Him crucified, it’s a short step to lose our astonishment and confidence in His Word.

We need to dwell often, we need to meditate much, on Christ and Him crucified.

So you may be here, bordering on growing weary in well-doing.

Or, you may be here, battling for assurance of your salvation.

Or maybe you’ve lost your zeal and passion to obey Christ, and your boldness to witness and evangelize has all but evaporated.

I’m convinced, that the best method to rekindle the flame within, to set us ablaze with passion to live our lives to glorify God and enjoy Him forever…is not for us to create an experience for you....but it is to think deeply upon Christ and His work for us.

Last night, we heard about the beginning of that work…tonight, we see its finish.

I want to look at verses 28-30 of , and give special attention to verse 30…and reflect deeply upon the main thought that John seems to be stressing to us…and that is, that....

Jesus Finished the Work

Now, as we pick up in verse 28, Jesus is already on the cross.

He has been suffering physical abuse for some time.

And in our passage, we’re focusing on the moment of His actual death.

We’ll read verses 28-30, and our focus will be upon Jesus’ words in verse 30.

We pick up in John as Jesus is already on the cross.

Much has obviously already transpired.

Jesus has just finished speaking with Mary and John, and now He is about to die.

We’ll read verses 28-30, and our focus will be upon Jesus’ words in verse 30.

Jesus finished the work.

That is the reality of this text.

But that raises some questions we must consider, questions that will serve as our headings, or our points for tonight’s sermon.

Question…#1

1.

What is finished?

On the cross, Jesus declared “IT” is finished.

To what does “it” refer?

Is it in reference to His life that is now finished?

Is it that all the prophetic details surrounding His crucifixion is now finished?

In one sense, the answer to that is yes.

It refers to both of those…I mean, John has helped us see in verses 28-29, that Jesus consciously fulfilled ALL that the Scriptures foretold about Him.

Even down to fulfilling the prophecy of His thirst.

It’s amazing to consider, that the One who offered the Samaritan woman water that would quench her thirst forever…the One who is the very Water of Life Himself....dies thirsty.

But yes, generally speaking, the “it” in Jesus’ statement deals with His life being over, and deals with these prophecies being fulfilled.

But specifically, the “it” can be summed up this way, “The mission of God.”

The mission of God the Father, to send forth God the Son to the earth.

The eternal plan of the Father to save a people for Himself.

Not save them from a bad marriage, in order to place them in a good marriage.

Not save them from poverty in order to make them wealthy.

No, the eternal plan of God the Father was to save His people from His own wrath and judgement.

And it would be carried out by

The whole human race is a rebel race.

We have sinned…we are guilty…and we deserve His punishment.

God created a perfect world…a beautiful paradise.

He placed mankind in this paradise.

He blessed them, and called upon them to display His image to the world.

Yet…they rejected Him.

God creates the world in , and by , humankind has rebelled.

But it doesn’t take long to figure out, that this didn’t take God by surprise.

Prior to the Fall in the Garden, God had a plan to save His people.