Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro

Good evening everyone!

I’m so glad that yall are here!

I’ve been thinking about something.

It can be tough reading the Bible, can’t it?

One of the biggest issues that i hear when it comes to being a Christian, is that people just “can’t get into” reading their Bibles.

And I’ll be real, It’s tough for me too.

Book of ELI

There was a movie that came out back in 2010, that i believe gives great perspective.

The idea of the movie is that there has been a a nuclear war among all of the nations, Literally an Apocalypse where everything is gone.

We find ourselves following a mysterious traveler who makes his way into one of the few surviving towns to restock and continue on his way.

The Leader of the Town takes notice of the man, and asks the man where he was headed.

“West” was his reply

The man becomes suspicious, and because of the world they live in, locks him away without cause.

Then we find out that the leader of the town has been searching for a long time for something that would make him the most powerful man in the world!

And it just so happens that our traveler has what He has been searching for.

The remainder of the Movie is our traveler trying to escape so he could make it “west” to complete his task.

Our traveler was carrying the last known Bible on Earth, and the town leader would do anything to get it.

You see the Town leader remembered the power that the Bible had once held over the people of the world, but misunderstood the root of its power.

The Power of the Word

Questions:

How can a “Boring Book” change everything?!

Matthew Chapter 1 is one of the places where i used to skip every-time i would read through this section of scripture.

It was boring and pointless.

Why do I care about someone’s family tree?

Get me to the good stuff, the miracles, the intense actions scenes, etc.

But then I started to notice something.

The more of the Bible i read, i would look back and see certain peoples names in sections like Chapter 1.

So, Over the next few weeks, I want to address some of the cultural statements that you or someone that you know may have said.

“The Bible isn’t really God’s words” “I don’t need religion in my life, to be happy” “There is no God, Just us then we die.”

Body

In Matthew, 1 We see mention of a man names Abraham

Abraham was a big deal!

Abraham is one of the great grandson’s of Noah, yea the Boat guy...

and when we first meet Him, His name was Abram, and He was 75 years old.

He is married to a woman named Sarai, whom was barren, aka Couldn’t have children

God calls Abram to uproot His family to go to a new place, where He will:

God says: “Go to this place, and I’m gonna do a mighty work in and through your life.”

So at 75 years old, He sets off!

Along the way, we see the Lord take care of them when they were threatened, when they were uncertain, and even when they didn’t have any food or resources, God paved the way!

And this may seem like a fairy tale, but things get tough along the way.

Abram is getting tired… He’s getting discouraged… He’s starting to doubt.

10 years, or more have passed since God sent Abram out on this Journey.

So the Lord reminds Abram, and even gives him a little bit more, of the plan that He has for Abram and his Family!

The lamp unto my Feet

The Bible says that God doesn’t burden us with the entire plan, but lights the path just enough for us to keep walking!

Unfortunately, Sarai became impatient, and took things into her own hands.

She did the same thing that most of us do every day!

She took what was meant to be God’s job, and tried to do it herself…

And we see Ishmael come into the world.

Ishmael represents what happens when we refuse to surrender control and try to do it “our way”

Chapter 16 speaks of Ishmael in this way:

But Here’s the awesome thing!!

Even though we make mistakes; God will forgive us, and use us if we are willing to let Him.

13 years later, God showed that He does what He says He will do!

Sarai didn’t believe it, The Bible says that She even laughed at God’s words.

But God used Abraham.

And We see that, Abraham would go on to have 9 children, and they would grow to become the Nation of Israel, The Line of David, the Lineage of Jesus Christ.

Which person are you tonight?

Are you more like Sarai, The one who laughs at God, the one who is impatient and tries to take matters into her own hands?

or are you more like Abraham?

One that makes mistakes, but in your mistakes you come to the Lord and ask for His forgiveness and allow Him to continue to do His work through your life?

Without the faithfulness of Abraham, we wouldn’t have Jesus.

That’s why these family trees are so important, and why when we know their purpose they become exciting!!

Conclusion

The Bible is the most influential and powerful book on earth, and similarly to the example i gave at the beginning of our time, i’m afraid that we take it for granted now, but our lives would be hopeless and without meaning or direction without it.

You see, in our movie, the bad man does get the Bible from the traveler, but He can’t read it because it’s written in Brail.

While the Traveler has memorized it from cover to cover.

In the same way, i’m afraid that many of us can’t seem to “read” the Bible because one can only truly know the language and understand it through a relationship with Jesus.

Through making Him a priority in our lives.

Maybe it’s not the Bible that’s hard to read, maybe it’s all the stuff that you have in your life that’s keeping you from truly seeing the Importance and Power that the Scriptures have!

How can a “Boring Book” change everything?

By allowing it to Change you!