Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Begin with wedding season and weddings.

Vows and lifelong relationship.

Celebrated our own 34th anniversary last weekend and it takes work, two-way communication and serving and giving.

You enter a marriage with high hopes and wanting to make it work.

The only way to keep the person you love is to keep investing in the relationship ongoing.

Daily.

Moment by moment.

It’s a life-long commitment.

Especially if you are following the Scriptural model for marriage.

Scripture gives us the picture of marriage as our relationship to Jesus.

What if you stand at the altar and when time to read vows your spouse asks what is the minimum amount I have to do to stay married to you? Ok, I’ll give you some money sometimes and tell others you are my spouse, and come see you once a week or so.

I’m looking forward to being married and living in your nice house and you’ll give me stuff that I need and make me happy.

Sadly, the American Church approaches salvation in this same way, not as a true marriage, but as a transaction with minimum requirements.

We want to avoid hell, we hear heaven is a great place and we want to go there, but our sin keeps us out.

Thankfully, Jesus died for our sins so we can accept this free gift of salvation by praying and asking His forgiveness, asking Him into our heart, and then we’ll go to heaven.

Is that right?

Is that really what it means to be saved?

Holy Spirit keeps bringing me back to Mark 8 passage that we’ve covered several times.

We need to go deeper into what it is saying and what that means for us.

Over the next several weeks we will also be checking out the parallel passages in Matthew and Luke along with some other input.

Salvation is about transformation, not just saying a prayer.

Read Mark 8:34-38

The first phrase of Mark 8:34 If anyone wants to follow me, If anyone wants to be my disciple

To follow .

To come to where I am and to be with.

To follow in order to learn from.

more place and status.

Second follow in v.34 is To follow behind, must actively follow where I lead, direct, go, etc.

Why would anyone want to follow Jesus?

Is He talking here about just going with Him on this journey, or anyone in any time going with Jesus?

Is this a requirement or something optional?

Is that something extra?

Bonus credit?

Is this true salvation and belief?

There is a lot in that passage.

Not just a leisurely walk with the Savior.

Life and death, giving up and receiving.

Is this in addition to “praying a sinner’s prayer of forgiveness and asking Jesus into your heart so you can go to Heaven?” Or is it different?

Following rules and being obedient is viewed sometimes as a means to get to Heaven, and sometimes more as a means to be acceptable to God after we have been saved.

Maybe to become a better person.

Transformation

In His sermon on the mount Matthew 5-7 including beatitudes, Jesus taught it was not about following the rules but living out a transformed heart.

A heart brought alive by the Holy Spirit.

Living a Spirit-filled life which then produced transformed behavior.

Do we understand that transformation means our lifestyle is impacted?

Our activities are impacted?

More importantly, our attitudes are impacted.

Our thought life is impacted.

Our core affections are impacted.

The desires of our heart are impacted.

Salvation is about coming back into right relationship with the Father, not just going to Heaven.

Begin reading John 14:1-4

not about Heaven and a personal mansion.

About being with the Father.

home, rooms

where I am you may also be - not about place but about being together

Continue John 14:5-6

way, truth, life come (not to Heaven) to the Father, through Jesus.

Also John 14:23 Father and Son make their home with us now

It really is about living in the presence of God now

Again in John 15 with the relationship Father, Vine, Branches.

Jesus often referred to as Son of God.

He referred to Himself frequently as Son of Man.

Jesus came down from God = Son of God.

Establish the Kingdom.

Seek and save lost.

Bring life.

Son of Man = Jesus represents man to God.

Jesus leads the way back to the Father.

Jesus rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and death.

Gave His life for ours.

Conquered death and hell.

Rose to give us new life.

returned to the Father to represent us and lead us back to Him.

How do we respond to this rescue?

Bob Hooper story.

needed a kidney, woman gave.

He continually showed gratitude and they celebrated the anniversary of his second chance at life.

Gratitude, celebration, relationship

Salvation is about completely selling out to Jesus, not just a spiritual transaction.

Read Philippians 3:5-14

Mark 8:34 if any want to be my follower.

Conclusion

Why do we need to get back to the Father?

We’re lost and wandering in darkness without Him.

He created us and loves us and invites us back.

Why do we need to follow Jesus?

Because He is our only way to the Father.

Big Idea: True salvation is evidenced by a transformed heart and sold out living.

If you are not impacted by what Jesus did for you, if you are not changed, if you are not willing to give up everything to follow Jesus, then it’s time to go back and assess whether you are truly saved or just hoping to miss hell and go to “heaven”.

What About You?

Why are you here this morning?

Out of obligation?

Someone makes you come or you feel it is your duty to be here?

Out of Fear?

Fear that you will upset God if you don’t come to church?

I hope you are here to follow Jesus with the rest of us.

To hear from Him and apply His word throughout the week.

To worship and praise and fellowship.