Sermon Tone Analysis

Homiletical Bridge

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*/Phil 2:12-18/*

*Prior Context: * encouragement and exhortation to grow into worthy citizens of the Gospel kingdom looking to the example of Christ.

*Immediate Context: *Christ provided Christians with the perfect example of sacrificial humility and obedience to the will of God.

 

12 Therefore my *beloved*,              /{dearly loved, prized, valued; special relationship}/

            as you have always *obeyed*, so now      /{to follow instructions; to grant a request}/

                        not only as in my presence but much more in my absence

     *work out* your own *salvation  */{achieve, accomplish, do; bring about; prepare                someone; overpower, subdue conquer} {deliverance, preservation; salvation}/

                        with *fear* and *trembling */{fear, alarm, fright; reverence, respect} {trembling, quivering}/

 

13 for it is God who *works* in you   /{work, be active, operate, be effective; work, produce, effect}/

            both

                        to will

                       and                   .

to work

     for His *good pleasure*/    {good will; favor, good pleasure; wish, desire}/

 

14 Do all things

            Without *grumbling *or *questioning*/   {behind the scenes talk; complaining} {reasoning; opinion; argument, dispute; doubt}/

15  that you may be children of God*  *

                                    blameless and innocent

                                    without blemish

                        in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation

                        among whom you *shine    */{produce light, shine; be visible, appear; be recognized, be apparent, be revealed; to make an impression on the mind}/

                                    as *lights* in the world*   */{star; splendor, radiance}/

 

16 holding fast to the word of life

            So that in the day of Christ

                        I may be proud

                        That I did not run or labor in vain

17 Even if I am poured out

            Like a drink offering

             Upon the sacrificial offering of your faith

     I am *glad* and *rejoice   */{be glad, cheerful; happy greeting} {experience joy in conjunction with someone else; congratulate}/

            With you all

18 Likewise you also should be *glad *and *rejoice* with me.

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*M.O.T.: *Christian Life

*C.I.T.: *Paul reminded them that the example of Christ should motivate them to pursue the Christian life through obedience in the midst of sacrifice.

*Thesis*: The example of Christ and His willingness to sacrifice should motivate us to pursue obedience in our Christian lives.

*Proposition*: I want my hearers to consider the example of Christ and the seriousness of their common pursuit of the Christian life.

*Probing **Question*: “How are Christians to model obedience in their pursuit of the Christian life?”

*Unifying Word*: directives

*Title:* “Obedience: It’s a Light in the Dark”

* *

*Outline*:

I. Rely on the Power of God to Live Obediently in Your Relations with God (vss.

12-13)

II.

Resist Complaining in Your Relations with Each Other (vs.

14)

III.

Resolve to Show Integrity in Your Relations with the World (vss.

15-16)

IV.

Rejoice When Offering Your Sacrifices in Your Relations with God (vss.

17-18)

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* *

* *

* *

\\ *Introduction*

* *

For the past several weeks I have been reading on the Herald Leader website about the ongoing tragedy that has been occurring in our communities of Lexington and Winchester.

Do you know what tragedy I am referring too?

Does anyone wish to make a guess.

>>>>>>>>>> The Herald Leaders publishes and average of 71 obituaries each week in for residents of Lexington and Winchester.

Now you might be saying that death is a sad event, that it happens to us all, you might be wondering how the death of 71 people a week is a tragedy among such a large population.

Well I am going to tell you.

Last summer for a church growth class I had at seminary I was required to develop a church growth plan for Cornerstone Baptist Church.

As part of my research I gathered demographic data on our community.

Statistically, in our communities of Winchester and Lexington 29% of the population have no faith tradition at all and 31% have a non Christian or unbiblical faith tradition.

By unbiblical I mean they are not trusting in Christ and Christ alone for salvation through faith.

This means that last week in Lexington and Winchester the odds are statistically, that 60% or 43 of the 71 people who died, died without having a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.

Now some might say that 43 lost people dying in their sins without Christ is sad but not a tragedy.

Well how about two thousand two hundred and thirty six people dying and going to hell?

Because at an average of 71 people a week, that is how many have died without Christ in the past year alone in Lexington and Winchester, *2,236*.

2,236 people in the last year dead without having a saving relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now for those of you who still might not think that that many lost people dying without Christ here in our communities constitutes a tragedy.

Let me put it in perspective.

Since the founding of Cornerstone Baptist Church by the charter members listed out in the vestibule, more than 29,000 lost people in our community have died and gone to hell.

My brothers and sisters, if that is not a tragedy, I don’t know what is.

Brothers and sisters we live in a dark world filled with those who are hurting and in need and their greatest need is to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, to trust in Him and Him alone for their salvation.

Jesus command us who would be called His to be light in this darkness.

In  Matt.

Chapter 28 verses 19 and 20 He gives us our marching orders.

We are to go into all the world, making disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

This means that we are to evangelize the lost.

We are to be a light through which God shines His love and brings the good news about Jesus into a dark and lost world.

We are then to teach our new brothers and sisters to observe all that our Lord Jesus commands.

And we are to do this trusting in His promise to be with us always even until the end of the age.

This brings us to our text that we will be studying tonight.

Turn in your Bibles with me to Philippians chapter 2 verse 12.

I will be reading verses 12 through 18.

 

*Lights in the World*

*Christ is our example.

Summarize verses 1-11.

Christ is our perfect example *We are commanded to have the mind Christ.

We are to do nothing out of conceit or rivalry.

*Obedience: it’s a light in the dark.*

*    Being afraid of the dark – tell story*

*We are lights in the world only to the degree that we are obedient to the commands of Christ.

*

* *

* *

* *

*I.                  **Rely on the Power of God to Live Obediently in Your Relationship with God (vss.

12-13)*

* *

*          Discuss works and salvation and explain this difficult passage.*

* *

*          *In Luke chapter 10 Jesus tells us who the was who truly loved his neighbor, it was not those who simply claimed verbally to love others, it was not the religious, not those who worship regularly at the temple, it was not the priest, it was not the Levite, it was the Samaritan, it was the man who ministered to the one in need out of what God had provided him.

Be it little or much, make no mistake God not only expects, but He command us to minister to others using the resources, and by resources He means all of the resources if necessary with which He provides us.

I ask you my brothers and sisters, are you using what He has provided you sacrificially to evangelize and minister to others?

We should stand reminded that Jesus routinely taught in the synagogues and the temple.

But who was he teaching?

He was teaching the religious, the people who were getting it wrong.

We must be vigilant that we have not become like the scribes and Pharisees, that religion, that coming to this building one, or two , or three times per week has not replaced our desire to be obedient to our Lord.

Because brothers and sisters no where in this book does God teach us to build building, go inside, close the doors and feel good about ourselves.

As brother Cameron told us this morning, we need to step up, get out of our comfort zone and be willing to be used by God.

Make no mistake, it is God who does the work, He just commands us to be obedient by stepping out in faith, by taking a risk, by surrendering our will to His.