Sermon Tone Analysis
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Advent
Introduction:
Back in 2008, a movie came out that I really wanted to see.
It was called “Wisegal” and it was based on true events.
The movie was about a young woman who found herself widowed early with two children.
Finances were difficult and she fell on really hard times.
In the course of this, she met a man whose family was in the mob.
I do not believe she knew he was mob in the beginning.
However, he offered her financial security.
He gave her funds to start her own business and in time, the mob wanted her to do them some favors.
She was determined to stay legal in all she did.
In time, things backfired and she ended up in protective custody.
In time, she was found and kidnapped.
At the very end, she was killed by her husband to save face with the mob.
I was so distraught.
I had expected the feds to find her and that she would give testimony.
The bad guys would all go to jail and she and her kids would live happily-ever-after.
The end of the movie was so far from what I expected or hoped, that I tossed and turned with nightmares all night long.
Lets face it!
There are just times in our lives that things transpire differently than we ever expected.
It can be very unsettling.
Today our story is just such a time for a man we look at as a hero of the faith.
Look with me at .
Pray
We all experience times of...
I. Doubt
The dictionary gives the following definition of doubt...
The noun form of doubt is...a feeling of uncertainty or lack of conviction.
The verb form…fear, be afraid
We have all been there from time-to-time.
Take a test and feel confident, but as you wait for your score you begin to doubt you did as well as you thought
You talk yourself up real good in a job interview, but as you wait to see if you are hired you begin to think you oversold your abilities
You have an argument with a loved one and as you wait to hear from them, you begin to doubt their love.
Thomas doubted Jesus was really alive and was labeled “doubting Thomas” and now anytime someone has doubts we call them a “doubting Thomas.”
The truth is...
A. Waiting and difficulties manifest doubts ()
This is normal and even the best of people have experienced this.
Look at John the Baptist, the bold proclaimer of the Messiah.
1. John had been in prison for some 12-18 months at this point.
Now it is easy to stay focused and bold when you are at work fulfilling a calling.
Doing what you were created to do and being good at it.
However, when you are not allowed to do what you want to do…When you cannot do anything but sit around, your mind begins to drift.
You begin to feel depressed and start questioning your existence.
That is exactly what happened to John.
Not only that, but...
2. John had certain expectations.
John may have been a special prophet of God, but John was still just a man.
He had a strong message, “Repent!
Turn from sin!”
He was expecting the same thing the other Jews were expecting from a Messiah.
Victory!
John may or may not have been expecting Jesus to overthrow Rome.
What he did expect was judgment of sinners.
He probably also expected that as a prophet of God, he would have a long life and ministry.
He may have felt bold confidence when he was first imprisoned that the Messiah would charge in and free him.
Now it is 12-18 months later.
His ministry had practically just begun and now he is sitting, unable to do the job he felt called to do.
Not only is Jesus not rescuing him, but word has gotten back to John that Jesus is eating with sinners.
This is just as disconcerting to him as it was to the Pharisees.
Hadn’t his job been to preach against sinners and sin?
Why would the Messiah then take up with them?
3. John is assailed by depression and uncertainty.
When things did not happen as John expected, he began to question the way he had spent is life and depression set in.
Was all he had done been a waste?
Was there a possibility he would die without having made a difference in the world?
Life application:
Ever felt like that?
Ever questioned the things you have believed and lived by? Sure you have!
That feeling is often what brings us to the Lord to begin with.
However, it creeps up again when the difficulties of life settle in.
When we first receive Jesus as our Savior, we are so excited!
We feel different!
We know that something has taken place and we see a difference in our life.
Then something tough comes along.
We begin to think, “Isn’t God suppose to protect me from this?
Why is He allowing this to happen?”
It may be the experience of a miscarriage…the loss of a job…the death of a spouse…foreclosure on a home…the loss of a limb that prevents us from living life in the way we expected.
Whatever the case, our minds begin to review our life and rethink it.
However, do not despair and feel you have failed God.
God knows we are human and there are certain ways our minds work.
Not only that, but Satan also knows and He uses those difficulties to create doubts.
God often uses those moments to shift our expectations to God’s true purpose.
We often get ahead of God and put our own expectations on Him.
However reminds us that...
John’s expectations had gotten the better of him causing him to be depressed and uncertain, however
B. Jesus gave no condemnation for the doubt ()
Jesus does not blame or rebuke John.
Jesus does not get defensive and try to justify Himself.
Instead, Jesus says,
1. Go and report to John what you hear and see
The blind see
The lame walk
Lepers are clean
The deaf hear
The dead are given life
And the good news is preached to the poor
This may seem odd, but one of the Jewish methods of teaching is called the Remez method.
They would give subtle hints and lead their student on a journey for them to experience what we would call an “Aha!” moment.
This is the way I like to teach.
I lead with questions, and sometimes those questions are very difficult.
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