Sermon Tone Analysis

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Intro:

The Bible continually reminds us…

Exciting / Wonderful Opportunities to Equip / Taught @ GFA

Benefits of Vs. by Vs. teaching / Exemplified I Tim

Our Team also did some work w/Widows Orphans / painting / devo’s w/children /

Church service @ leprosy hosp..

Workshops (prophecy / worship / IBS)

IBS

Great excitement / especially amongst pastors

Many only have 8-10 sermons..

When I found out about this, from one of our translators..

I talked about American Pastors.

Many only have 5 or 6 topics..

Essentially.. 5 or 6 sermons.. taught over and over again..

Different words.. different analogies.. same content.

IBS = not only a way to learn a passage..

But also.. a way to TEACH a passage.

Encouragement.. because.. they begged for more info on IBS..

We were able to learn more about the church in Nepal..

How to more effectively minister in future..

Those close to Katmandu:

Have opportunities.. many of them.

Koinonia Patan Church / very active in hosting conferences / training the believers..

We are now seeing some doors open.. for more rural opportunities:

E. Nepal

Because of the strikes / political unrest: = Low Attendance!

mixed blessing!

Not as many people to participate in the training:

Left us w/excess funds:

Furnished orphanage – up to 12 children.

Joining w/Lynchburg in helping to fund a translation project of Expository Teaching thru whole Bible in Nepalee.

Funds set aside for monthly allocation to orphanage.

W/in next month or 2 / We should be getting an extensive report: Carl..

Hopefully, by next week, I can have some pics put together..

I know that this trip:

Continuing and compounding effect on the church in Nepal..

But @ same time.. it also had an effect on me.. and hopefully.. a compounding effect upon all of us..

For it was very cool to see.. how the H.S. put together a mixture of several elements..

It became very obvious.. that not only was I trying to teach something to the Nepalese pastors and church leaders..

But.. the Lord was definitely trying to teach me something too..

And it came.. as a mixed package..

The two chapters I taught in I Tim.. carried a common theme..

A theme that falls right in line with our previous study in chapt 10.. and our current study in chpt 11.. of II Cor..

It was obvious… that He was showing me something..

.. between the believers in Nepal..

And the believers here..

It was obvious.. that He was showing me something..

.. between the blindness and despair of their culture..

And the blindness and despair of our culture..

When I taught & 4.. it became obvious to me.. that both had a common theme:

WARFARE.

That the enemy wants to destroy our faith..

But His means of destruction… is often, very subtle.. and patient..

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For… we could take a building down.. w/a bulldozer.. or w/dynamite..

But the termite.. he could take the building down..

By chewing away it’s timbers..

And by weakening it’s support..

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One method.. is pretty easy to identify..

If someone was strapping a bunch of TNT to our house..

We’d recognize that.. we’d get upset..

We’d call the cops..

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If someone was in our front yard with a bulldozer..

And they were coming towards our house..

We’d throw a fit.. We’d lay down in front of that bull-dozer..

We’d take that driver out of his seat and beat him off of our property w/a bat..

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But.. the termites.. they’re quiet.. they’re sneaky.. they’re patient..

And on the outside.. everything looks just fine..

We don’t even realize we’re experiencing damage..

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But in reality..

Our timbers are being reduced to dust..

And one day.. our structural integrity.. is going to lack..

And we didn’t even see it coming.

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Four years ago, when we were given this building… we noticed something strange about some of the walls down-stairs.

If you leaned against them, they would move.

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After a little investigation, we found out that all of the 2x4 studs along the back wall, and some on the side… were the consistency of paper.

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The previous owners knew there were termites.

They killed the termites.

But… they left the damage in place.

On the surface… it wasn’t noticeable.. but, just below the surface… all the structural integrity, was reduced to dust.

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This is how spiritual warfare usually happens…

We don’t even see it coming..

But one day.. this is where we could end up also..

Our spiritual integrity.. is going to lack..

It’s going to look good on the outside..

But inside.. it’s being reduced to saw-dust..

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And of this very thing.. Paul is warning us..

Not only was it in and 4..

right here.. in chapter 11 of II Cor..

The termites were creeping in..

And the church at Corinth didn’t even see it happening.

Look again at the first two verses…

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When Paul says folly.. he does not mean: “foolishness”..

In the Gk.. the word “foolishness” generally refers to perversity.. or wickedness..

But it also.. speaks of “indiscretion, imprudence, or carelessness..”

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So, in a way.., Paul confesses right up..

He asks the church in Corinth..

To patiently put up with his.. imprudence.. his carelessness of speech..

For what he’s about to say..

Is necessary… Paul is sorely concerned about a threat that is taking root below the surface in this church.

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And even as they are growing expectant that speakers and teachers and leaders should have impressive appearance and impressive speech… Paul is going to declare… even though his appearance and his speech might seem foolish… he has something very important to say.