Sermon Tone Analysis

I. God is working all things for your good.

A. Life is the discipleship journey of faith.

Illus: Often when tragedy strikes in our lives one of the first and often contrived sounding condolences given is, “well, God is going to work this our for your good”, or “you may not see it now, but something good will come out of this.”

In the moment it seems like a shallow and contrived statement that leaves us with little comfort, which is why God working all things together for your good must not my a sympathy verse, but instead a way of life.

It is a statement of faith.

Deep within us we all live with the false belief that the best we have is this world.

When tragedy hits, what drives us is the pursuit of momentary relief and happiness.

Our hope is rooted in this world.

As believers we have forgotten that this world is not our home.

This world is the training ground for our future home.

Life the moment before our eternity with God.

Every part of life is an opportunity to prepare us for eternity.

Discipleship for God is not a class to be taught, but a life lived in pursuit of Him.

When we walk through the joys of life we should learn to enjoy the wondrous gifts of God.

When we walk through the sorrow, we learn to lean in on God who gives us strength.

God does not waste a moment of our lives, but instead uses every part build our faith and prepare us for eternity.

Look at what David says:

( is not about getting through life, but instead embracing God in every place of life)

Does your faith journey lead you to humility?

Illus: God’s plan on this earth is not our temporal happiness.

He led the people of Israel fro 40 years in the wilderness.

The time in the wilderness was not a happy time for them.

It was a time of hunger, pain, dissatisfaction… Just because we don’t seem to be “winning” does not mean that God is not working.

God was leading his people through misery for a purpose.

They were a prideful people who loved their comfort more than God’s plan.

They were a people who longed for the affluence of a godless slavery.

They were a people who did not want to follow the hand of God.

Let’s be honest.

If you considered the radical life God is actually calling us to, we are no different that the people of Israel.

We do not live for God, yes we may add a little church to our lives, and attempt to be a little more moral in out lives, but our lives are not marked by the mission of God.

We love comfort more than God’s plan of reaching our city and world with the gospel.

Be honest, on the small things, when it comes between a choice of your slavery to comfort, money, hobbies and God you would choose a godless slavery to your idols over losing them to follow God.

When God is working, he will tear the idols you cherish out of your hands walking you through misery for your good.

Why, because life is the training God or learning to trust and cling to God alone.

Look at paul:

II.

God is teaching you to depend on him.

Without valleys we see little room for God in our lives.

Illus: The American dream leads us to the pursuit of happiness.

We run from pain looking for the quick solution to avoid suffering.

Good is calling us to the pursuit of Him.

Pursuing God means embracing pain when God walks you through pain because God has a plan for your pain.

One way that God does this is by allowing you to minister to others who will walk down the same road you do.

But this is not God’s primary purpose for your pain.

God uses your pain to draw you to him.

Pain is not something to be run from, but instead an opportunity to God God through.

Pain teaches us that we are not strong enough.

You have heard the phrase, “God will not give you more than you can handle.”

This is a lie.

God will always give your more than you can handle because it is only through pain and weakness that you finally give up your pride and self sufficiency and say, God alone is enough.

Do you embrace the seasons of pain in your life?

(We tend to waste pain hoping for escape, not as a place to be refined)

Illus: Look at the way we pray over those walking through illness.

We pray for their escape.

We view that the only way God will work is to either heal the person, or not to.

When pain comes to your life, welcome it as a friend.

Welcome it knowing that you may not receive physical healing, emotional relief, or escape from the pain.

Welcome pain knowing that it is an opportunity to know and depend on God in a way that only complete weakness can bring.

Pain is not your enemy, it is your friend.

It is a tool used by God for your good.

In pain we learn to lean on God because he alone gives us strength in our weakness.

III.

God cares and loves you enough to discipline you.

Think differently about discipline.

Illus: Did you know that discipline and discipling come from the same root word in Hebrew?

Keep in mind that Lord your God has been discipling you just as a man disciples his son.

God sometimes allows, and sometimes brings pain into our lives.

God uses ever pain as an opportunity for discipleship.

When you walk through pain, I don’t want you to ask, “how might I escape this pain”.

Instead embrace the pain and ask, “How might I cling to God through this pain, and be transformed by his hand which works all things for His good.”