Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Welcome my friends, It is so nice to see you again and to be able to worship with you today.

Its good to be back home.

We had a good time visiting family and spending some time together as a family.

But here we are together to worship.

To worship and to join together as the body of Christ, how precious it is to encourage one another and build each other up, to pray for one another and then to leave this place and go forth as the disciples of Jesus!

Now when I say that, what do I mean?

And in our going, we are on the mission field.

you see everything beyond these doors and walls is uniquely our mission field.

And I am asking the question, how can we ( the church) best be on mission for Jesus.

This question my friends is one we should endeavor to understand, Where is the Lord leading us?…

What does God desire of us as we live and move in this world?

I know at the very heart of our existence is for us to be mission minded in all that we do...

Now Jesus has already given us the parameters for our work… Acts 1:8

When the Holy Spirit comes, you will be my witnesses.... Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the end of the earth.

And so we know the first part of that has happened, we received the Holy Spirit when we received Christ as our Savior.

He, the Holy Spirit is the Godly power and presence in us that leads us, walking alongside of us , empowers us, convicts us when we are in error and leads us into all truth.

And we know where we are to go… here and there.

The will of God is for us to go!

We have to expand, more people must find and understand their calling and reach out even when we are uncomfortable, unsure, sacred and are full of doubt.

We have to expand, more people must find and understand their calling and reach out even when we are uncomfortable, unsure, sacred and are full of doubt.

Why must we do this...

Without a doubt, God is calling each of us to go and be on mission for Him.

So this morning I want us to go to and remind you of just how special it is, what God has set before us.

2 Cor 4:1-

1.

We Have a Wonderful Ministry...

One of the greatest blessings we have as a child of God, is the simple truth that God has chosen to use us to help reach the world with His wonderful message.

Now let me ask you.. what excites you?

We have so much in life that just thrills us… That we are passionate about…

But here is a critical question: Are we just as passionate about the ministry God has called us too?

Are we just as passionate about Jesus?

To understand this better, lets look at our text more closely...

To understand this better, lets look at our text more closely...

verse 1

So that first word is that word of transition (therefore), Paul has been talking about the life giving nature of the Spirit of God, So here is the effect of the Spirit of God in us… ministry, ministry we are blessed and called to do...

So the key phrase here in this verse is the “mercy of God”

The key here in this verse is the phrase the “mercy of God”

Consider this, where would we be if it were not for the “mercy of God”.

The work we do is not something that can be attributed to our own human will or merit.

Not at all…

In and by His mercy, He has saved us.

The mercy of God through the free salvation we have received in Christ has cleansed us, it made us acceptable and righteous in the sight of God, it was because of this mercy and we were brought into the family of God by adoption; .

In and by His mercy, He has saved us.

The mercy of God through the free salvation we have received in Christ has cleansed us, it made us acceptable and righteous in the sight of God, it was because of this mercy and we were brought into the family of God by adoption; .

So through the life giving mercy of God, and through the Holy Spirit who walks alongside of us, who empowers us and helps us has now take n us who were broken, sinful and lost..

But....here is the good news… He has made us ministers of the gospel.

here is the good news… He has made us ministers of the gospel.

Listen to Paul in chapter 3… verses 5-6

2 cor

It is not our work, it is God’s work in us..

He has given us work to do..

I love this verse, God knew us (beforehand) and has prepared the work we should do (before hand)

Now listen..

He chose us to be those who minister.. those who share the greatest message, the greatest truth, the greatest hope for all man kind, that they can be forgiven.

Now listen..

He chose us to be those who minister..

This is a wonderful ministry..

Now back to verse one...

But the task is hard, difficult and exhausting and yes can be discouraging at times, but Paul says we do not lose heart.... Paul is saying here, in the midst of trials, he did not sink down under the weight of it all… For he was sustained by the Lord himself.

As we minister my friends, know that the Lord is with you, he will never leave you and He will help you as you walk with Him in this world.

How blessed are you today… blessed that He has saved you prepared you and called you to walk with him and serve in this world.

And we have the greatest opportunity in the world.

But let me ask you a question, are you living for Him today?

How is your walk with and before the Lord?

But let me ask you a question

If you are hear today and you think , you know, I haven’t lived for Jesus like I should, you can change that today.

You an ask him right now… Lord forgive me of this....... whatever it is, what ever has caused the disruption and ask for forgiveness and ask the Lord to return to you joy, joy not only in Him but as you serve.

Now let me take you to the second thought....

2. We have a Powerful Message

The message we share with the world is not ours, it is not something made up by the cunning practices of men, no not at all.

The message with have is the gospel… its about the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Look back at our text...

You know there are many who we might describe as “Wolves in Sheep's Clothing” they preach a message that is so far form the truth, or is just their truth.

There are people out there, who have distorted the Word of God for years for their own gain and or popularity, hoping to make gains with the world.

All it does is cheapen the Word of God in the eyes of the world and hurt the name of Christians ....

We have a powerful message.

Verse 2… Paul says he refuses to do anything that might tamper with the Word of God.. To refuse means to literally “to bid farewell” to such things… listen to verse 17....

Instead they are bold in proclaiming the message of Jesus Christ… Paul says this in

Instead they are bold in proclaiming the message of Jesus Christ… Paul says this in

Paus

The hope we have in Christ is a powerful message, it saves from the utter-most to the gutter-most as those preachers from years gone by used to say..

I think often of Paul speaking in …

:

The message is life and light… it pulls people out of darkness, and moves them from death unto life...

There in verse 5, Paul shares the central person of this message, He shares Jesus Christ…

The message is Jesus… Jesus came to this world, born of a virgin, grew and lived until the appointed time when God directed him to begin His public ministry.

And there for 3 and half years we see him preached the message of God, healed the lame, raised the dead and He himself was murdered, died, was buried and on the third day rose again.

and after 40 days he ascended to the right hand of God, where he now is until the day of his return..

Listen tot he beloved disciple from , verses 1-4

This is the message, and we continue to have the joy of sharing this with you.. and with others..

His is the great message and the wonderful ministry we have…

Aren’t you glad you heard and believed… and aren’t you glad you get to share in this message.

The wonderful truth is we are ministers of the gospel, each of us.

We are part of tis wonderful ministry..

And we proclaim it to a audience....

Here is my last thought my friends...

2. We have Men and Women to Reach...

We have a audience my friends, we have men and women around us, those who are perishing that we must reach with the message of Jesus Christ.

We have Men and Women to Reach

Lets look at what Paul is saying again...

verses 3-5