Sermon Tone Analysis

Reaching the Summit

So every summer when I was in high school, a few friends and I took a trip deep into the Rocky Mountains.

We explored caves, mostly, which is a lot of fun.

But we also built fires, climbed rocks, explored the woods, gazed at stars - all the normal stuff.

And I have a lot of fond memories from those trips, but one stands out especially.

The trip was led by a guy named Don.

And one day, unexpectedly, Don stood up and said, “I’m going on a hike.

Anyone who’s interested is welcome to join me.”

And then he grabbed his walking staff and made his way into the woods, on a well worn path.

I went with him, along with two others, not because I particularly wanted to, but because I was afraid he wouldn’t have any takers and I didn’t want to be rude.

If you’ve never been on a hike in the Rockies you probably think it’s a lot more glamorous than it actually is.

Because honestly 90% of the time it’s just hard work and trees, in various states of growth or decay.

The air is thinner there, so walking uphill is truly taxing.

And while you’re walking you have a decision either to look at the rear end of the guy in front of you, or to look around.

And once you’ve seen three trees you’ve seen every tree.

Animals typically stay away from hiking paths, and other than the occasional decaying log the scenery there isn’t much to capture your attention.

After about 20 minutes, I was tired and I was bored.

So I’m thinking, “This has been a nice little jaunt, when shall we return?”

But Don kept going.

No joke, for miles.

There are so many forks and turns in this trail that it’s not really an option to turn back alone, unless you have a map and a good head on your soldiers, both of which I was lacking.

So I followed Don with my buddies deep into the mountain forest, exhausted and regretting every minute of it.

Until, in a moment, everything changed.

The tree line broke, the sky opened, and we reached the crest.

I honestly don’t have words to express the beauty that unfolded before our eyes.

We crossed the summit of the mountain, and on just the other side was a massive green valley, miles and miles of unadulterated life.

And that valley folded into a vast forest of dark green pine, which climbed the heights of another lesser mountain, miles and miles away.

We could see the whole world from that summit, if the air were clear and our eyes were strong.

We could see for hundreds of miles, hundreds of miles of unadulterated life, dark green forests, vibrant valleys, icy cold lakes.

One of the few moments in my life that beauty has taken my breath away.

I forgave all the drudgery of that hike for the beauty of that moment.

It takes, sometimes, hours upon hours of drudgery to reach the summit, but from that summit you can see for miles and miles.

All the drudgery of that hike

The scriptures work this way, I think.

Sometimes you work for hours and weeks and months and years through stories which seem, at the time, relatively unimportant, relatively meaningless.

But there are summits in the scriptures, all of the sudden, peaks emerge from which you can with crystal clarity all that has passed and all that will come to be.

And every step through the forest was worth it, for the beauty of the summit.

Today, we’re going to read a summit passage - perhaps one of the most important summit passages in the Bible.

And from this peak we will see with crystal clarity everything that God has been doing to rescue his people, and everything that God will do.

That’s all the introduction we need.

Turn with me to .

The Son of David:

Now when the king lived in his house and the LORD had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies, the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent.”

And Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the LORD is with you.”

But that same night the word of the LORD came to Nathan, “Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD: Would you build me a house to dwell in?

I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent for my dwelling.

In all places where I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?” ’ Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel.

And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you.

And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth.