Sermon Tone Analysis

We’re going to *pick up where we left off last week*.

We’ve been teaching on “*God turning your situation around*.”

*I) *Turn with me to *PHIL 1:15-18*

The (*18th* *V*) *from* the *NIV* *reads*, “*But what does it matter*?

*The important thing is that in every way*, *whether from false motives or true*, *Christ is preached*.

*And because of this I rejoice*.

*Yes, and I will continue to rejoice*.”

*NIV*

*A) **As we’ve seen*, *Paul is in prison* for preaching the Gospel *when* he was *writing this letter*.

*1) **From* *reading* after *Paul’s writings* *and* by *seeing the example of his life*, *Paul expected God to turn every negative situation into a positive one*.

*(a) **He fully expected every crisis to be transformed into a victory*.

*(b) **He said* in (*PHIL 1:18*), “*I rejoice and I will continue to rejoice*.”

*(c) *(*PHIL 1:19*) *form* the *Ben Campbell Johnson* translation called “*The Heart of Paul*,” *says* this “*I will keep on celebrating because I know this ATTITUDE will bring my deliverance*.”

*2) **Paul was not* what you would *call today* a ‘*Positive Thinker*.’

*(a) **Paul’s optimism was based on the Word of God*.

*He kept his eyes on* the Lord *Jesus* Christ.

*(b) *(*Psalm 118:24*) Says, “*This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it*.”

KJV

*(i) **Can you wake up in the morning and face the situations that you’re going through with this attitude*.

*(ii) **Christians need to have a little spring in their step*, *a little hop in their skip*, *a little zing in their zang*, *a little zig in their zag*.

*(c) **I’m **not talking about being phony*.

I’ve *seen that too often*.

*(d) **We need to **base our attitude on the Word** of God*.

*(i) **As the* *Palmist said*, “*We will rejoice and be glad in it*.”

*(ii) **You have to tell yourself to rejoice*.

*(iii) **As Paul said*, *It’s this attitude of JOY that is going to bring about your deliverance*.

*(iv) **Again from the book of* (*Philippians 4:4*) *Paul said*, “*Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice*.”

KJV

*B) *In (*PHIL 1:20*) *Paul said*, “*According to my earnest expectation and my hope*…”

*1) **We receive* *in direct proportion to what we expect*.

*(a) **Jesus expressed the same idea*.

*(i) *(*Matthew 8:13*) Says, “*And Jesus said unto the centurion*, *Go thy way; and* *as thou hast believed*, *so be it done unto thee*.

*And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour*.”

KJV

*(b) **Jesus said something very similar* to that *in* (*MAT 9:29*) *when* He was *talking to the 2 blind men*, *He said*, “*According to your faith be it unto you*.”

*2) **Faith produces a very positive attitude*, *an attitude of EXPECTANCY*.

*(a) **Faith is not pretending** that there is **no problem*.

*Many believers have this **misconception*.

*(b) **When I twist an ankle, I don’t go around saying*, “*That’s not pain I fell*.

*I don’t believe in pain*.”

*(i) **When the house payment is due*, *I don’t go around saying*, “*I don’t have a house payment*.

*I don’t owe any money*.”

*(ii) **The scriptural principle* *that we get from God according to* (*ROM 4:17*) *Is to call those things which be not as though they were*.

*(iii) **He doesn’t say* that *we should* “*Call those things that* *BE AS THOUGH THEY BE NOT*.”

*(c) **In other words*, *you don’t say that your situation doesn’t exist*, *you speak the answer to the problem*.

*(i) **If your sick and in pain*, *you don’t deny the sickness and pain*, *but you speak the answer*.

*By Jesus strips I am healed*.

*(ii) **If you lack finances*, *you don’t deny the lack*, *you speak the answer*.

*My God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus*.

*(d) **Denying the problem is not going to get you anywhere*, *but when you speak the answer* *and believe it in your heart*, *it will come to pass*.

*(i) **Now when I say* *you don’t deny the problem*, *you don’t want to go around speaking the problem EITHER*.

*(ii) **When you speak the problem*, *you’re going to make the situation worse*.

*(iii) **Whatever it is that’s in your heart*, *when you speak it*, *you’re releasing a spiritual force*.

*3) *Turn with me to *MARK 11:23*

*(a) **Notice* the *last ½ of this V*.

“*But shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith*.”

KJV

*(i) **If you believe* that *something is going to happen* *and* *you speak it out of your mouth*, *Jesus said* that *you are going to have it*.

*GOOD OR BAD*

*(ii) **That’s why I said*.

“*You don’t want to go around speaking the problem*.”

*You could make things worse*.

*(b) **If you have thoughts that are negative*.

*Thoughts like*, *every year I get into a car accident*, *or* *every winter I get the flu*, *or maybe* *I can never keep a job*, *and* *if you believe those things*, *when you speak them out of your mouth you’re going to have those things*.

*(i) **But there is a way* that *you can* *put a stop to those things from happening*.

*DON’T LET IT COME OUT OF YOUR MOUTH*.

*(ii) **Train yourself to speak the answer*, the Word of God, and *not the problem*.

(*RENEW* YOUR *MIND* TO THE Word of God).

*4) *But *this coin has 2 sides*; *you can also stop a miracle from being birthed* *BY NOT SPEAKING IT OUT*.

*C) **If you want your situation or problem to turn around* *or* *if your want things to get better* *1st* *you have to believe* *what God says about your situation*.

*1) **If you really believe God’s Word* *you’re going to act like its so*.

*That’s where your attitude comes in*.

*(a) **Your attitude towards the problems you face* *is a picture of the faith that is in your heart*.

*(b) **If you believe God’s Word*, *your attitude is going to reflect* *your knowing* *that God will come through*.

*2) *The *3rd* *thing* that *you need* *to do* *to turn* your *problems into victories* *is to speak the answer*, *not the problem*.

*3) **# 4 we need Patience*.

*(a) **Wait and see God* *will turn it around*.

WOLCC Sunday 4~/20~/97