Sermon Tone Analysis

*09~/30~/2007*

*Walking Jesus Intentionally Through Darkness!*

*MARK 4: 35-41*

* *

*I.

HIS INVITATION WILL BE REQUIRED!*

*~*~*We need to:*

            *A.

ANTICIPATE* Him speaking *EVENTUALLY*

*            4: 35    *On */that day/* . . .

*/He said to them/*

*/ /*

*            ~*~*Notice the very simple words in v: 35 *On */that day/* . . .

Jesus said something to them!

 

*            ~*~*One of the truly exciting things about “today” is that it very easily can become “that day”!

By that I mean it can become “*/that day you will remember for the rest of your time on earth!/

* *

*            ~*~*I still remember */that day /*when the Lord spoke to me in a way that I could understand it and convinced me that I was lost and a heart beat away from a devil’s hell!*

* *

*            ~*~*I still remember */that day /*when the Lord spoke to me and called me into the ministry!*

* *

*            ~*~*I still remember so many */natural/* days that the Lord turned into */supernatural/* days by “*/speaking to me/*” in a way that I could understand that He was speaking to me!*

* *

*            ~*~*By now I hope that you can realize that God chooses to operate within your Global Impact Celebration to */speak to so many people on an individual basis!/

* *

*            ~*~*That is what is so exciting about this Sunday evening service.

It is designed to be a *LIFE COMMITMENT SERVICE! *As you probably know by now the Life Commitment Service is the time when every person will have the opportunity to publicly respond in obedience to what the Lord as been saying to them over the course of lifetime but magnified over the last four days!*

* *

*            ~*~*Every GIC I have ever been part of has taught me to ANTICIPATE Him speaking to me EVENTUALLY.*

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*            ~*~*If we live every day of our life with the ANTICIPATION of Jesus speaking to us, then it is imperative that we are able to:*

 

*            B.

HEAR* Him speaking *CLEARLY*

*            4: 35    *He said to them, “Let us go to the other side

*            ~*~*Henry Blackaby states in the Experiencing God study that everyone that God spoke to in the Bible knew that it was God speaking to them AND they knew what God was saying to them!*

* *

*            ~*~*For example:*

*~*ADAM knew that God was telling him to CONFESS it*

*~*NOAH knew that God was telling him to BUILD it*

*~*ABRAHAM knew that God was telling him to SACRIFICE it*

*~*MOSES knew that God was telling him to CROSS it*

*~*JEREMIAH knew that God was telling him to PREACH it*

* *

*            ~*~*I have been a student of the Voice of God for several years.

I have concluded that */I do not have any confidence in my ability to hear the voice of God clearly!/

/ /

*            ~*~*Let me say that again, I have concluded that */I do not have any confidence in my ability to hear the voice of God clearly!/

/ /

*            ~*~*Now before some of you start trying to witness to me or start calling Pastor Tony and asking him why would he ask someone to preach who does not have any confidence in their ability to hear God speak clearly, let me tell you what I do have confidence in.*

* *

*            ~*~*I have complete confidence in */God’s ability to speak to me in a way that I can understand what He is saying!/

/ /

*            ~*~*What is the difference in those two statements?

If I have confidence in */my ability /*to hear the voice of God clearly, then I have put some measure of */confidence in the flesh /*but Paul says that we are */not to have any confidence in the flesh!

/

* *

*            ~*~*Now with that out of the way, let’s get on to the application from this passage.

Your Bible says that */“On that day . . .

Jesus said to them, Let us go to the other side” /*( 4:35**)!*

* *

*            ~*~*As you will see more clearly in just a few moments, Jesus was extending an invitation to them to WALK JESUS INTENTIONALY THROUGH THE DARKNESS!*

* *

*            ~*~*The disciples did not have a problem understanding WHAT Jesus was saying to them, but they were having a huge problem understanding WHY Jesus was saying this to them!*

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*            ~*~*I think there are many of you who have understood WHAT God has been saying to you but you are really struggling with the WHY and or the HOW of what you know Him to be saying.

*

* *

*            ~*~*I have come to understand that there are usually three obstacles that we need to confront in order for us to go ahead and begin doing WHAT Jesus is INVITING us to do with and for Him!*

* *

*            ~*~*For example, when God is asking us to join Him in His work:*

 

*            1)         *The *TIMING* may not seem *LOGICAL*

*            4: 35    *On that day, when */evening/* came, He said

*            ~*~*In v: 35 what time of day was it when Jesus asked them to “GO TO THE OTHER SIDE? (*/Evening/*)!*

* *

*            ~*~*For some of you it simply does not seem like the timing is right for you to do what God is asking you to do.

Let me ask you a practical question.

“When is it ever going to be the right time to get out of your comfort zone?

(smile).

*

* *

*            ~*~*For many of us once we decide to “Go to the Other Side” there is something else that we will discover.

*

 

            *2)       *The *CROSSING* may not seem *COMFORTABLE*

*4: 36 *. . .

they took Him along with them in the boat, */just as He was . .

./*

*/ /*

*~*~*When we begin */Walking Jesus Intentionally Through The Darkness /*we can’t walk the man made Jesus through the darkness.

*

* *

*~*~*Your Bible says that they */took Him along with them in the boat, JUST AS HE WAS . .

./

* *

*~*~*Anytime we are letting God be God our flesh is not going to be comfortable but our spirit is going to thrive!*

* *

*~*~*There is one other thing that I need to let you know about */Walking Jesus Intentionally Through The Darkness.

/

*/ /*

 *3)        *The *VICTORY *may not seem *POSSIBLE*

*4: 37 *And there arose a */fierce gale of wind/*, and the waves were breaking over the boat . .

.

*            ~*~*How many of you missionaries have every faced */a fierce gale of wind/* in your life while you have been */Walking Jesus Intentionally Through The Darkness?/

/ /

*            ~*~*These disciples have gotten into a boat they didn’t want to be in, during a time they didn’t think was right, the crossing was very uncomfortable AND the VICTORY did not seem POSSIBLE!*

* *

*            ~*~*I can pretty well guarantee you that when you decide to */Walk Jesus Intentionally Through The Darkness /*that there are going to be times when you *can’t see where you are going, you don’t know why you are doing it and it does not seem like you will be victorious, *however you will be able to CRY OUT to Jesus and He will be able to speak to your storm and bring a GREAT CALM to it and to your life!*

* *

*            ~*~*So let me summarize for just a moment.

Whenever we begin */Walking Jesus Intentionally Through The Darkness, /*The INVITATION has been REQUIRED.

Since and invitation is required we need to ANTICIPATE Him speaking to us EVENTUALLY and we need to HEAR Him speaking to us CLEARLY!*

* *

*            ~*~*As we are walking by faith the time will come when the second principle will become a reality to us:*

* *

* *

*II.

HIS MOTIVATION WILL BE REVEALED!*

*            ~*~*Why would God want to get you out of your comfort zone and call you to short term missions, vocational missions, or to serve on your Global Outreach ministry team of your Church?*

* *

*            ~*~*Obviously I do not know all of the reasons God would want you to get out of your comfort zone but there are two reasons that I am sure of:*

* *

*            ~*~*If you have heard God speak to you Clearly and you choose to join Him in His work, then the firs thing that I want to remind you of is that:*

* *

*~*~*A new level of:*

*            A.

MINISTRY *is *AWAITING* you*!*

*5: 2 *When He got out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met Him

*            ~*~*Now when you begin */Walking Jesus Intentionally Through The Darkness /

* *

*~*~*The GREETING you receive may not seem REASONABLE to you: */When they got out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with and unclean spirit met them/* (5:2) *

* *

*~*~*This man was from the region of the */gadarenes/* and the religion he had been exposed to had not been able to help him get out of the bondage he was living with!*

* *

*~*~*The Invitation that God is extending to you and that you are going to respond to is being extended to you because a new level of MINISTRY is AWAITING you!*

* *

*~*~*If you respond to this Invitation God is going to take you to a new level of ministry.

*

* *

*~*~*Just ask the Stubblefields, Mirabella’s, Melissa Frady if a NEW level of MINISTRY was AWAITING them after they PUT THEIR YES ON THE ALTAR!*

* *

*~*~*Not only is there a new level of ministry awaiting you but:*

 

*~*~*A new season of:*

*            B.

MIRACLES* are *AVAILABLE* to you*!*

*5: 21*When Jesus had crossed over again in the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around Him . .

.

~*~*DEMONS:

 

~*~*DISEASE: The woman with the issue of blood had it for 12 years.

~*~*DEATH: Jairus’s daughter was 12 years old.

Is that just a coincidence?

I think not!

What is God trying to telling us?

 

*~*~*The woman with the issue of blood represents the TRADITIONAL Church.

Now there is nothing wrong with the TRADITIONAL Church accept it is simply INADEQUATE!*

 

~*~*There is nothing wrong with it but there is just something that is NOT RIGHT (smile)!

 

~*~*Just like the woman with the issue of blood, the traditional Church has lost it’s BLOOD and therefore has lost its POWER!

 

~*~*I don’t want to be crude but as a result of this hemorrhage of blood she was not able to be INTIMATE with her husband!