Sermon Tone Analysis

INTRO:

Freedom has a high price tag.

Today is veterans day and we want to honor those who have fought, and those who are fighting for our freedom even as we sit here today.

I think sometimes we take our freedom for granted ....for over 200 years America has lost many men and women to war so we could have our freedom today.

So far, the freedom that they bought we can come together and praise God...the one who blessed this country.

To remain a strong nation, America needs people who are leaders, who stand up for what is right.

We need leaders who put others’ needs ahead of their own

Without courageous leadership, even the most technologically advanced military will stumble, as will every school, business, every church, and even family.

America’s continued success depends partly on today’s young people becoming the leaders we honor and the leaders we need them to be whether spiritual or militaristic.

May I have the veterans in this church here today please rise?

{{salute}}

I am not a veteran ...the closest I have been to being a veteran is… Civil Air Patrol.

Freedom has a high price which I have not paid....Mankind, over all, wants to hold others in bondage so the most powerful, the richest, can dominate and make the less blessed serve them as slaves; however, we have laws in our land and ....so far to a good degree to protect us from that.

Although many of us would agree that American government is far from perfect today, it’s still far better then many of the other countries around the world.

We are all stirred by tales of valor and bravery that our veterans have endured.

U.S. Veterans can serve us also as an example to what depth of a Christian walk we ought to live.

For example, we all wish we were braver.

As children, most boys played like they were a soldier in the thick of the battle or a ship’s captain riding a storm.

But our daydreams never gave us courage to face up to the school bully—it somehow takes more than a young imagination to be courageous.

Transition:

We need to raise more spiritual leaders in this country and it starts here.

The Apostles demonstrated a valor and a bravery worthy of our attention.

So instead of continuing in Revelation, I thought it best after prayer to take this morning and see how we here at Grace Baptist Church measure up.

In the early chapters of Acts, we find that the once cowardly disciples of Jesus, who had locked themselves in the upper room for fear, now stood boldly before the very men who had condemned the Lord.

They were no longer cowards.

With astonishing bravery, they declared the resurrection of Jesus.

Let’s turn to Acts chapter 4 and I want to try to cover the majority of the chapter, but let’s go ahead and start with verses 10-12

here is courage in action

I have often wished for the boldness to confront the world with my faith in Jesus Christ.

Serving God is never cowardly business.

The question is, How do I become brave?

brave enough to serve Him in every circumstance?

Brave enough

Transition:

there are three things I want to look at this morning which both honor our veterans, and honor our Christian walk.

As we walk in the spirit the first thing we see in Acts is:

I.

A PUBLIC CONCERN (vv.

1-4)

It is the military’s duty to have a concern for the safety of the public while risking themselves to ensure safety.

The chief priests and rulers were angry at the apostles first because the apostles were teaching the people.

These rulers cared little for the masses of people.

The apostles were well aware of the risk they put themselves in by speaking about Jesus, but it did not stop them.

They were well aware that they could get arrested, and that is exactly what happened, but notice that God did not abandon them.

Concerned for the safety of Jesus’s name, these war heroes did not have the fear of man and this bore fruit.

John wrote in 1 John 4:18 that love overcomes fear.

That is what happened to the apostles.

When Peter and John met the crippled man at the Temple gates, they looked on him with compassion and healed him in the name of Jesus.

They were not disgusted that he was a beggar.

Peter and John were concerned about the man.

They were not fearful of the authorities; they only cared about a man in need.

When we begin to see people’s needs with the eyes of compassion, our love will overcome our fear of man.

ILLUS:

In his sermon, "The Gospel of Jesus Christ," Wayne Ward told about going to a home to invite a family to church.

In answer to his knock, he heard little feet running to the door and a mother’s voice calling, "Jimmy, come back from that door!

Don’t you touch that door!"

"Not often do I pray for little boys to disobey their parents," Dr. Ward said, But on that morning, he slipped.

He found himself praying: "Lord, let this boy open this door.

I need to talk to these people.

They need Jesus, and they need the church."

I have sometimes thought of that prayer when I stood at an unfamiliar door and was tempted to pray, "Lord, don’t let them be home."

In those moments I have felt my fears turn into concern as I prayed, "Lord, let these people be home so I can tell them about You and invite them to Your church."

Transition:

In order to have that kind of a concern for strangers, conviction must be present

II.

A PERSONAL CONVICTION (vv.

19-20)

Every good soldier has a personal conviction to serve his people and his country, and it takes character for that kind of sacrifice

Let’s skip to verse 19:

These are mighty bold words

You can hear the conviction in Peter’s words as he spoke these words.

In later years, when writing his second epistle, Peter declared "We are ewitnesses of His majesty."

Peter was there on the mountain when Moses and Elijah appeared and Jesus was transformed into His glory before their eyes.

How is that?

how is it that the apostles can only speak the truth and nothing else?

It is a Divine human cooperation-- it takes the holy Spirit plus our character

What kind of character am I referring to?

Self-Discipline

This term self-discipline can be traced to the word disciple, which is of course a person who follows the instructions of their teacher.

Discipline is all about following the right instructions so that you achieve the right goals.

Self-discipline can be defined as the ability to direct your thoughts, emotions, and actions toward a meaningful purpose.

You do the hard things even when you don’t want to.

In short, self-discipline is willpower.

It is a deep sense of commitment.

A commitment to your creator.

If you do not control your emotions, your emotions will control you.

Recognizing this, a self-disciplined leader whether spiritual thinks before they act.

They choose to resist sudden impulses in order to fulfill their long term goals.

A disciplined leader remains cool and collected, even in a heated debate

John C. Maxwell, in his book: The 17 Essential Qualities of a Team Player says:

“If you do not control your emotions, your emotions will control you.”

or a great women once said,

“Your emotions are a gift from God, not a guide”

Integrity

The most basic textbook definition would be being the same in any context.

A more biblical definition would be: Integrity is the willingness to do what is right, even when no one is watching.

Think of it as the backbone to your conscience guiding your every decision.

A person of integrity is honest and morally courageous.

They can be counted on to fulfill their responsibilities, even in difficult circumstances.

They don’t blame others for their mistakes, and they don’t take credit for someone else’s work.

As the Civil Air Patrol teaches, Integrity is the cornerstone of military service.

Volunteer Service