Sermon Tone Analysis

SCRIPTURE READING:

How many of you have ever read a book and afterwards said, “I wish I could get the author to help me understand and do the principles in this book?”

How many of you have ever read a book and afterwards said, “I wish I could get the author to help me understand and do the principles in this book?”

How about a school text book with accompanying homework...students ever wish the teacher could be there to help you?

How about parents helping your children with homework...ever wish the teacher could help you help your children?

What cruel person thought up this idea in the first place?

You go to school all childhood and young adult years, and then you go back to school every evening, helping your kids!

You know, people and corporations pay big bucks for authors to teach, coach, and consult based on their books.

Some books become websites, videos, technology, consultant teams, conferences, and even movements.

BUT...I only know one author committed to personally teaching and tutoring people through his book for their entire lives...and for an unlimited number of people.

Surprisingly, this same Author has paid the cost for us to access this relationship with Him.

Strangely, such an amazing offer goes unnoticed and underutilized by many.

As I am sure you have figured out, the Author I am speaking of is God, and His book is the Scriptures.

ILL--Atheist Learned/Quotes the Scriptures (without faith)

While studying in the Holy Lands, a seminary professor of mine met a man who claimed to have memorized the Old Testament—in Hebrew!

Needless to say, the astonished professor asked for a demonstration.

A few days late they sat together in the man’s home.

“Where shall we begin?” asked the man.

“Psalm 1, ” replied my professor, who was an avid student of the psalms.

Beginning with Psalm 1:1, the man began to recite from memory, while my professor followed along in his Hebrew Bible.

For two hours the man continued word for word without a mistake as the professor sat in stunned silence.

When the demonstration was over, my professor discovered something even more astonishing about the man—he was an atheist!

Here was someone who knew the Scriptures better than most Christians ever will, and yet he didn’t even believe in God.

Folks, I’m here to say, this isn’t just another book written by another author.

It’s not to be a mechanical book simply for history, philosophy, or even religion.

It’s God’s way for us to follow

It’s God’s truth for us to stand on

It’s God’s incorruptible seed to give us life

It’s God’s spiritual bread for our nourishment

It’s God’s revealer of the thoughts and intents of our hearts

It’s so much more than all that.

But today, I want us to see it’s an invitation for interaction with it’s eternal, loving Author.

1) God’s Word invites us into relationship with its Author.

Notice this first with me in Psalm 119:

With Its Author

Let us rest in God’s promise, for God’s Word powerfully exposes our hearts nakedly before God so that we will be without excuse when we give account to Him.

But I was wrongedBut I didn’t understandBut I was given bad examplesAll excuses that God sees through

With Oneself

Look into the mirror of God’s Word and do something about it in the liberating power of the Gospel and the Holy Spirit!

ILL--Bible translation to the Macuna People

With Its Followers

Ethiopian Eunic

With Our Neighbors

ILL--Exhortations of Scripture (full of like a sponge)

The apostle Paul told us the time would come when men would not put up with sound doctrine ().

However, with over 70 percent of adults under age 25 thinking all beliefs are equally valid (according to Barna Research), sound doctrine is exactly what is needed.

It is the Word of God that plants the seed for the new birth (), and the Word must be taught for the purpose of “teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work” () and for taking the true message out into the world ().

the Simple

, , , , , , , , , , (26 verses)

v. 18 Open my eyes.

Teach me and make me to understand Your precepts so that I can talk of them.

Graciously give me Your law.

Enlarge my heart.

Teach me the way of Your statutes.

Give me understanding.

Make me to go the path of Your commands.

Incline my heart to Your testimonies.

Turn my eyes from vanity, and revive me in Your way.

Establish Your word to me.

Teach me (2x).

v. 67 God sometimes uses afflictions to get us teachable: “Before I was afflicted” . . .

“But now”

Enable me to keep Your testimonies.

Teach me Your judgments.

I wait for Your word to be fulfilled.

Teach me Your statutes.

Give me understanding to know Your testimonies.

I expect God to judge those who disregard His word.

Therefore, I love and obey Your commands.

I cry to God for salvation and for the ability to keep His testimonies.

I praise God with my lips when He teaches me His statutes.

1) God’s Word invites us into relationship with its Author.

2) Jesus demonstrated and promised this for His disciples after His resurrection.

With Its Author

Luke 24:13-

Luke 24:27

Luke 24:

Luke 24:44-

Luke 24:

In & 16, Jesus promised the disciples that He would send the Holy Spirit to teach them all things and bring to remembrance Jesus’ words—that’s how we got the New Testament!’

,

Let us rest in God’s promise, for God’s Word powerfully exposes our hearts nakedly before God so that we will be without excuse when we give account to Him.

1) God’s Word invites us into relationship with its Author.

2) Jesus demonstrates and promises this for His disciples after His resurrection.

3) Without the Holy Spirit, no human can understand the things of God.

But I was wrongedBut I didn’t understandBut I was given bad examplesAll excuses that God sees through

Paul writes corrective words to a carnal church in Corinth who were full of divisions.

He explains to them that he came to them with simple, powerful words of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

He states that unsaved, unregenerate people cannot understand or accept the Gospel or "things of the Spirit of God” apart from the Spirit of God Himself.

Paul then goes on to rebuke them for acting as though they are natural and not born again with the Spirit of God in them.

He says he chooses to limit what spiritual things he will teach them because they are not walking in the Spirit.

We will consider three truths from this passage:

1. Natural humans cannot understand the spiritual things of God without yielding to and receiving the Spirit of God.

v. 12 We “received” the spirit which is of God “that” we might know…

We “received” the spirit which is of God “that” we might know… in verse 12.

v. 14 Natural man receiveth not the “things” of the Spirit of God…

2. The Spirit of God fully comprehends the thoughts and deep things of God.

1 Co 10-11)

“Things” of God in both verses are revealed by the One Who knows them—the Spirit of God.

“Things” of God in both verses are revealed by the One Who knows them—the Spirit of God.

3. The Spirit of God indwells every born-again believer and enables them to understand the things of God when believers walk in the Spirit and not the flesh.