Sermon Tone Analysis

Living By Faith

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introduction:

the Readyness of Paul: “I am ready”

I THINK Paul might have used these words as his motto.

We had once a Saxon king called Ethelred the Unready; here we have an apostle who might be called Paul the Ready.

The Lord Jesus no sooner called to him out of heaven, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” than he answered, “Who art thou, Lord?” Almost directly after, his question was, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?”

He was no sooner converted, than he was ready for holy service; and “straightway he preached Christ” in the synagogues at Damascus.

All through his life, whatever happened to him, he was always ready.

If he had to speak to crowds in the street, he had the fitting word; or if to the élite upon Mars’ hill, he was ready for the philosophers.

If he talked to the Pharisees, he knew how to address them; and when he was brought before the Sanhedrim, and perceived the Pharisaic and Sadducean elements in it, he knew how to avail himself of their mutual jealousies to help his own escape.

See him before Felix, before Festus, before Agrippa, he is always ready; and when he came to stand before Nero, God was with him, and delivered him out of the mouth of the lion.

If you find him on board ship, he is ready to comfort men in the storm; and when he gets on shore, a shipwrecked prisoner, he is ready to gather sticks, to help to make the fires.

At all points he is an all-round man, and an all-ready man; always ready to go wherever his Master sends him, and to do whatever his Lord appoints him.

In talking at this time about Paul’s readiness, I shall, first, dwell for a little while upon the state of Paul’s mind, as indicated by his declaration, “I am ready.”

Secondly, I shall show that this state of mind arose from excellent principles; and, thirdly, I shall point out that this readiness produces admirable results wherever it is to be found.

What are the implications of living by faith?

Therein is the righteousness of God revealed (, cf.,; )

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1 Thes 2:17-20

What is “Faith to faith”

Romans 8:31,35

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2Cor 1:13-16

Clearly it takes faith to impact faith

Justified By or through Faith

Acts 13:238-41; 24:14-16; 26:21-23

Phil 3:9

Faith by or Through Hearing (Rom 10:17)

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Rom 3:22

Many unworthy to hear

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1 Cor 1:18