Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
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Intro:
Hi Everyone.
Welcome to Church Online.
As always, we appreciate you taking the time to worship with us!
Depending on when you’re watching this, Thanksgiving is just a few days away.
It’s the season when we take time to remember and celebrate the things we are thankful for - like family and friends… AND FOOD.
Let’s have a little fun and participation.
Of the following Thanksgiving sides, which one has to go?
If you’re watching on Facebook or YouTube, use the emoji next to side to make your choice:
Wow for Stuffing/Dressing.
Sad for Mashed potatoes.
Angry for Cranberry Sauce.
Haha for Mac and Cheese.
… if you’re listening on the podcast, yell out your answer.
It’s okay, people already think you’re crazy because you believe in Jesus.
You randomly yelling out “Cranberry Sauce” isn’t going to change your reputation.
You know, Thanksgiving has a special place in my spiritual journey.
Those of you who know my story know it was Thanksgiving Day, 2003 that my uncle invited me to church… and I actually said, “Yes.”
And since that time, God has radically changed my life and I’ve passionately followed Jesus.
Thanksgiving reminds me that I have a huge reason to be thankful.
Jesus has saved me.
He’s rescued me.
He’s forgiven me for my sin and given me eternal life.
He’s given me hope, joy, and purpose.
He’s done far more abundantly than all I could ask or think… and I know I’ve kinda gotten off on a tangent, but I just want to personally thank God and give Him glory!
…but I don’t want to just be thankful about this on Thanksgiving.
I want to be thankful every day.
In fact, I believe the Bible instructs us to live this way.
The apostle Paul wrote to the Thessalonians...
In other words, God’s will for your life (what your life should look like) is that you would be thankful everyday.
And today, in our “Finding Life in the Psalms” series, I believe we will see we have reason to be thankful - every day!
We will be exploring Psalm 22 and I believe you’ll connect with this psalm.
Even though this was written thousands of years ago, it feels like someone wrote it today!
For example… how many feel like life is an emotional rollercoaster?
Your circumstances go up and down?
Your emotions are up and down?
Your faith is up and down?
Well, the psalmist felt that way too.
Look at verses 1 & 2...
Obviously, this is the “down” part of the rollercoaster… how many have spiritually felt like this? Like, “God, where are You?!?”
A quick thought to this question… sometimes we ask this question, but we don’t want to hear answer.
Many ask, “Where is God?” when bad things happen, but want nothing to do with Him any other time.
The truth is, sometimes, God isn’t present because our sins have separated us from Him. We’ve rejected and rebelled against Him.
So, you can’t tell God, “Go away!” and then, when times get tough, ask, “God where are you?”
If today, you identify with this question, I think another question you must ask is, “How’s your relationships with God?
Is He invited to your home for Thanksgiving Dinner?”
… that being said, that’s not the case for the psalmist.
He had a relationship with God.
This was a real question filled with real pain.
But look what happens next...
All of a sudden, the rollercoaster heads up! “God, my life is in the pit.
Why have you forsaken me?
Where are you?”
But then, “You are holy and I remember that you have faithfully saved people in the past!”
Have you ever been in a crisis and then heard a story that changed your emotional direction?
You were down but are now are up?
That’s what happened here.
And it highlights the power of our God-stories (stories of the goodness of God in our lives).
When we remember what God has done in the past...
When we tell others what God has done in our lives...
It can change the direction of a life.
One can move from defeat into victory.
Therefore, my question for us is:
Have you shared your God-story?
Or, have you taken the time to listen to someone’s God-story?
There are people in our church who need to hear your story of God’s faithfulness.
God can use it to change a life.
… however, the ride isn’t over...
He was up, but now he’s back down.
But this time, something interesting has caused the shift of direction...
Apparently, the psalmist is now ashamed.
And the shame is sourced from a specific place: the people in his life.
You see, the psalmist is very public about his faith.
In the past, he’s boldly declared God’s goodness!
Maybe he’s shared on Instagram a verse image that read ...
Or he told co-workers the promise of God that says...
And yet, currently and circumstantially, neither of those things seem true.
And so his community mockingly says, “Where is your good God now?” in an effort to shame him.
Have you ever experienced this?
Where you’ve begun to doubt your faith, doubt God’s love, DOUBT GOD, because in the “fire” God seems absent and the people around you are quick to emphasize and remind you of that!
And you feel down and ashamed of your public faith.
If you have, you’re not alone.
In a moment of honesty and vulnerability, that’s what the writer is communicating.
That’s what I love about the Bible.
It’s a real book about the relationship between a real God and real people.
It’s not a polished book set in a fairy tale.
This is real life faith!
It’s messy but beautiful!
And God can handle the mess.
God’s not shocked or afraid of our honesty.
He actually uses it as part of His faith-building process!
I mean think about it… God included this messy psalm into his eternal Word!
A psalm that shows us how to get back up when we’re down...
When your down, remember what God’s done.
That’s the sense here.
He remembers how God has faithfully rescued and cared for him all his life.
And it lifts him up… temporarily...
Verse 11...
Let me summarize simply… The psalmist says.
“I am facing trouble like never before.”
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