Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro- have you ever had plans not work out how you wanted?

trust the process…gone wrong....

Our culture normalizes the idol of the individual but the truth is following Jesus requires that we live differently.

That our life because more focused on others than ourselves.

The New International Version (Chapter 2)

17 But, brothers and sisters, when we were orphaned by being separated from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you.

18 For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan blocked our way.

19 For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes?

Is it not you?

20 Indeed, you are our glory and joy.

Do you have people you invested in that bring you joy seeing them succeed?

So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens. 2 We sent Timothy, who is our brother and co-worker in God’s service in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, 3 so that no one would be unsettled by these trials.

For you know quite well that we are destined for them.

4 In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted.

And it turned out that way, as you well know.

5 For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith.

I was afraid that in some way the tempter had tempted you and that our labors might have been in vain.

connect the idea of the parables of the soil

There is a tempter, we have an enemy, and the truth is he comes to steal, kill, and destroy.

The New International Version (Chapter 3)

6 But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought good news about your faith and love.

He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you.

7 Therefore, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith.

8 For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord.

9 How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you? 10 Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith.

Sometimes the faith of someone else can strengthen your own faith.

11 Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. 12 May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.

13 May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.

Only God can make our love for others grow.

As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living.

Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

Once you experience true heart transformation, your only real desire is to live in a way that pleases God.

3 It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should learn to control your own body a in a way that is holy and honorable, 5 not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; 6 and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister.

e

Sanctified means to be made holy, to be set apart for God in total surrender to Him.

The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before.

7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.

8 Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.

You are called to live a different life than everyone else.

9 Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other.

10 And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia.

Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, 11 and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, 12 so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

Your life is your greatest witness to the power of the Gospel.