Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction: Opening Questions

[Inspired by devo 1 in the UNCOMMEN book ROAR (Olive Tree)]

[What You’ll Need: For this Bible study, you’ll need a rock for everyone and several Sharpies for a short activity during the opening discussion time.

The rocks should be large enough on which to write two words—a name and the word PAST.

You’ll also need a heavy rope for tug-of-war (at least 40 feet), brightly colored tape or spray paint, and two feet of brightly colored ribbon.]

[TUG of WAR SET-UP: Stretch out the rope.

Mark off a circle (spray paint or tape) on the ground where the middle of the rope lay.

The circle should be large enough to hold all the rocks.

On the rope five feet from the center, tie colored ribbons.

Be sure the rope is still stretched out with the center in the middle of the circle on the ground.

Mark lines (perpendicular to the rope) on the ground where the colored ribbons are.]

What is something stupid you’ve done?

(Answer: Jumped off the back of a moving truck; jumped off a barn roof into a pile of leaves; went through a shallow pond collecting minnows and small snakes with my hands)

Have you ever regretted doing something?

(Answer: If we’re honest, we all have done something which we’ve regretted.)

Has someone ever brought up your past in order to hurt you? (Answer: Remember what you did back then?)

Short Rock Activity: We all have a past.

In fact, I’m going to give you a rock, and you’re going to write on it Your Name and the word Past, like Lance’s Past.

Have YOU ever brought up someone’s past for some reason?

(Answer: I can’t trust you because of what you did back then.)

Illustration: Christians are not accepted within the Taliban’s domain.

Christ-followers are persecuted, tortured, and executed, especially those who were once Muslim and have renounced Islam.

Imagine being a follower of Christ under Taliban rule.

You’ve renounced Islam, so you have a realistic worry and fear about the Taliban finding out about your belief.

One day, you meet secretly with other believers like yourself.

One of the fellow believers says that he met a Taliban official who has become a follower of Jesus Christ, and that believer wants to invite the Taliban official to secret meetings.

How would you respond to your friend?

(Answer: How do you know that we can really trust him.

He may be tricking us.

He may want to find us all and have us all killed.

He will have to prove himself over time for me to be able to trust him.)

Is it wrong to respond like that? (Answer: No, it’s just common sense and wise to distrust the official.

Yes, we should trust fellow Christians.)

There’s actually a similar totally true story in the Bible.

Let’s read Acts 9:26-30.

Acts 9:26—When he [Saul] arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, since they did not believe he was a disciple.

(CSB)

So that’s exactly how the disciples were in early church days, so don’t feel bad.

It’s easy to be skeptical when our safety is in question.

Acts 9:27—Barnabas, however, took him and brought him to the apostles and explained to them how Saul had seen the Lord on the road and that the Lord had talked to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken boldly in the name of Jesus.

(CSB)

Saul had a friend who took a big risk on him.

Imagine the disciples when Barnabas and Saul enter the room, and Barnabas introduces Saul to the group.

Who? Barnabas, what are you doing?

Are you crazy?

Acts 9:28-30—28 Saul was coming and going with them in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord.

29 He conversed and debated with the Hellenistic Jews, but they tried to kill him.

30 When the brothers found out, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.

(CSB)

So the disciples found out that Saul’s new faith really was true.

He was boldly serving the Lord along with the disciples in Jerusalem.

He even got on the Jews’ hit list.

Here’s how we can apply this event to our lives.

FOR THOSE WITH A PAST: Don’t get stuck in your past, but your past is part of your story.

FOR THOSE WITH A PAST: Your past may cause tension with other believers, but you have to keep moving past your past.

FOR THOSE WITH A PAST: You’re blessed if you have a friend who knows your past and accepts you.

FOR THOSE DEALING WITH SOMEONE ELSE’S PAST: Fear is a real emotion, but we must not let it rule us.

FOR THOSE DEALING WITH SOMEONE ELSE’S PAST: Allow other believers to move past their past.

FOR THOSE DEALING WITH SOMEONE ELSE’S PAST: When you know that God has forgiven your past, then you can walk with others who are trying to move past their past.

Closing: Tug of War

[Set-up: Be sure the rope is set up as mentioned at the beginning.

Have everyone pile their rocks at the center of the rope.

Each team has a colored ribbon and a line on the ground near them.]

[Objective: Team A will try to get Team B’s colored ribbon past the rock pile and then past Team A’s line and vice-versa.

When a team gets their cord past the rock pile and past their line, they win.

You may have to move youth around so that everyone has a chance to be on a winning side.

Because of the symbolism of the competition, it would be good if everyone could be on a winning side at least once.

We only had to play twice.]

How is this Tug of War competition like passing past your past?

It takes much effort to move past your past because at the same time people may be trying to get you to revisit your past.

Take heart especially when you have someone beside you who’s helping you move past your past, but even if you’re alone, take pains to move past your past through Jesus.