Sermon Tone Analysis

God Is For Us

WELCOME

Good morning family!

Hear the Word of the Lord from Psalm 19...

“The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether.

More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.”

(Psalm 19:7-10)

This is how much we should desire God’s Word, but we don’t desire it like we should

As we gather, God uses His Word to realign our hearts so that we want what He wants us to want

That’s what we pray happens in your heart and mine as we gather together today

In just a moment we’ll hear a reading from the text for today’s sermon beginning in Matthew 5. Turn there now.

While you’re turning, 4 quick announcements:

1) A word about PBC.

We are disciples.

One of our ministries to help you grow are the people serving at the white/blue flags

Like firemen—they’re not always needed, but they’re ready for you

Blue flag—want more information about PBC or an event

White flag—want someone to pray with you or talk with you about something God is doing in your life

2) Tonight at 5:30—Final lesson in our teaching series, “Should A Woman Be a Deacon”

3) Trunk or Treat

10/31 at 5 PM—need your help with cars, candy, and communication

Pick up flyers to pass out at blue flag

4) Afghan Workshop

November 20 from 9-12, register online

Now look in your Bibles at Matthew 5:1-2 as Holly comes to read for us.

Scripture Reading (Matthew 5:1-2, 7:28-29)

Prayer of Praise (God is Spirit), Holly Boutot

Good and Gracious King

Come Thou Fount

Prayer of Confession (hard-heartedness), Joel Whitcomb

Is He Worthy

NCC#43

Catechism questions about different essential ingredients in the life of the church...

Talking to God in prayer

Listening to God in His Word

Seeing God in baptism and the Lord’s Supper

Perhaps you’ve wondered why...

What are the sacraments or ordinances?

The sacraments or ordinances given by God and instituted by Christ, namely baptism and the Lord’s Supper, are visible signs and seals that we are bound together as a community of faith by his death and resurrection.

By our use of them the Holy Spirit more fully declares and seals the promises of the gospel to us.

PASTORAL PRAYER

Thanksgiving—authority of Scripture

Thank you that not one sentence of Scripture was the result of human ideas or opinions.

Your Word tells us that these human authors spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Thank you that the human authors of Scripture did not follow cleverly devised stories when they wrote about what Jesus said and did.

They were eyewitnesses of His majesty.

Thank you that in the Scriptures we something even more reliable than what the disciples had when they heard You speak on the Mount of Transfiguration

Help us to pay attention to Your Word, to believe it is a light shining in a dark place until the day Jesus returns.

Prayer for PBC—deacons

Steve Collins, John Curlee, Ronnie Evans, Stuart Holdren, Todd Holdren, Al Koth, Chuck Quilhot, Jake Rogier, Bobby Watkins

Thank you for how these men have so faithfully served us in everything from setting up for communion to scheduling greeters and reviewing our property insurance policies

The faithful service of deacons allows elders to more faithfully shepherd the congregation and minister the Word of God and prayer

Thank you for our deacons, help them to gain a good standing for themselves and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus

May our conversations about deacons on Sunday nights lead to more light than heat.

Give us unity and the willingness to defer to one another for the sake of your glory and the good of the church

Prayer for sister church—Petsworth Baptist Church

Pastor John Pouchot — thank you for his faithfulness to lead PBC!

Wisdom and fruitfulness in their church planting efforts

Bless their disciple-making and evangelistic efforts

Give them wisdom as they replace their student pastor

Give them unity!

Pray for US—against poverty

Some say as many as 38 million Americans live in poverty

Even if we define poverty differently than poorer nations, there are many here who are suffering and in serious need

Forgive us for cold and calloused hearts towards those in need

Grant our leaders wisdom to deal with the root causes of poverty

Help ministries in our area like Peninsula Rescue Mission and Thrive as they care for the poor in our area

Help us as a church to have a heart for the poor in our area

Especially the newly arriving refugees who have little access or knowledge to resources and programs that could help them

Prayer for the world—Burkina Faso [boor-keen-ah fah-sow]

Landlocked country in West Africa where over 21 million image-bearers live

President Roch Kabore [rock -kah-boor-ay] — justice for vulnerable, sanctity for unborn, flourishing for all

One of the world’s poorest nations, 77% unemployed, extremely high infant mortality, one of the lowest literacy rates in the world

Against the rise of radical jihadist Muslim groups

Some people say the population is “50% Muslim, 20% Christian, and 100% animist”!

Courageous pastors, healthy churches

Laborers

Pray for the sermon

SERMON

One of the most dreaded experiences in seminary is preaching class

You prepare a sermon, preach it before your professor and peers, then listen as they review your sermon

Since most of the guys in preaching class are just getting started learning how to preach, most of the comments were about things the preacher needed to do better

Don’t say “um”

Don’t speak in monotone

Make eye contact

Use more illustrations

Etc.

All this was hard to take, because usually you’d worked really hard!

One professor said doing sermon reviews in class was like “Getting paid to tell someone their baby is ugly.”

Today we’re going to do a sermon review.

But not to critique the preacher, but so we can better understand His sermon and better apply it to our lives.

Turn to Matthew 5

Jesus has begun His ministry in northern Israel around the Sea of Galilee

He’s already called at least four of His disciples, probably more

He’s been healing people throughout the region leading to massive crowds showing up from all around to see Him

In chapters 5-7, Matthew records Jesus’ teaching, which has been called “the sermon on the mount.”

Next week we’ll begin zooming in on the details of this sermon, but today we’re going to take a birds-eye view so we can better understand and apply it to our lives.

Let’s examine FIVE COMPONENTS OF THE GREATEST SERMON EVER PREACHED:

1) The LOCATION

A few weeks ago, we talked about how Jesus’ story is a new story that connects to an old story and completes it.