Sermon Tone Analysis
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The Road
This Thanksgiving week we had a wonderful family adventure and headed down to Colorado Springs for a few days.
We went to the North Pole on Pike’s Peak, drove and hiked through Garden of the Gods (that’s some beautiful country), a night at the Great Wolf Lodge, then headed back up Wednesday night to start cooking for Thanksgiving.
I don’t think much of it landed up here, but a storm rolled over Colorado Springs all Wednesday afternoon and evening, so by the time we got on the road things were pretty nasty.
Nothing really sticking, but everything slick and awful, traffic moving 5-10 mph, cars sliding all over the place.
Those long downhills coming down to Denver are a bit terrifying.
For most of the time we have the illusion of control.
Cars in an orderly line, moving on down, but one tiny thing goes wrong.
Maybe the car ahead brakes unexpectedly.
The guy in the right lane decides to swing across into my lane directly in front of me without signalling.
And you gently apply the brakes thinking that you’re in control...
And your car starts stuttering and shuddering, the traction control is scrambling through all the tires looking for something that isn’t sliding and you are a sled for two terrifying seconds...
and then things swing back into place.
And you put on a smile and reassure the family that everything’s probably fine.
Meanwhile cars are scattered on the sides of the road.
Trucks are doing occasional 360s.
This is fine.
I just want to get home safely.
And praise God, we did, had a beautiful and wonderful Thanksgiving feast on Thursday.
Extra extra thankful this Thanksgiving to be home safe and sound.
40 and Thankful
This week we reflect on Thankfulness.
Thanksgiving.
For family, for friends, for blessings, for home and health, for all the many many things that God has given us.
And today I celebrate the very last day of my 40th year.
For some, my kids will testify, that seems crazy old.
For some of you I’m still a punk kid.
Maybe that’s why they call it “middle age.”
But this is the oldest I’ve ever been :D.
They say 40 is “over the hill”, and if its just over the hill, doesn’t that mean I am currently on top of the hill?
Stretched out behind me is the road God has had me on.
Some of it, I’d say most of it, has been beautiful weather, full of blessings uncounted.
I have been so abundantly blessed with parents and siblings and kids.
Blessed in marriage, blessed with church family, with mentors and brothers and sisters in Christ who love me… blessed in ministry, blessed to be able and called to serve.
And I see the moments like the road at night from Colorado Springs… where the illusion of control and order disappears, where I tap the brakes and the car keeps moving or starts sliding.
Where life gets messy and ugly and out of control.
My sin and stupid and other people’s sin and stupid all crashing together to create a mess.
That is the nature of the world.
Our world.
We have the beauty and the blessings around us to give us a glimpse of the goodness of God, Creator, a glimpse of how things are supposed to be.
And that’s how we think of it deep down.
This is how things are “supposed to be.”
This is “right.”
And we see the brokenness and sin, that beauty defaced by destruction and death.
Not just in an abstract way.
My own life had been damaged and defaced by sin and stupid.
So in addition to all the things I am so thankful for in this time of Thanksgiving… I have been reflecting on this a great deal:
I am thankful that God knows I’m a mess.
That you all know I’m a mess.
I am thankful that God saves me anyways.
I am thankful that God uses me anyways
Recap God on Mission Series
The incredible scope of God’s mission - from Genesis to Revelation.
His mission, from the beginning, to reach and rescue all the lost, every tongue and every tribe singing “Glory to God.”
What incredible blessings He has given us… blessings and talents and time to be used for His glory.
God always gets the glory… we are invited to be part of it.
… and therefore, in everything we do, to “hasten the day” of Jesus’ return.
Holding everything we “own” with an open hand, ready to be used by God here in our neighborhoods and across the world.
Ready with eager anticipation that God is actually going to use us to reach the lost, unreached people groups here and around the world.
It’s just a question of how.
Not when.
How now.
And maybe a different “how” tomorrow, but always faithfully and boldly on mission.
What is that mission?
The Bible says it 100 different ways, but it’s all the same.
It is to proclaim God’s glory, it is to proclaim the gospel, the good news, it is to boldly witness who God is and what He has done.
It is Jesus, his life, death and resurrection.
So we are poised for the next month between this call to God’s Mission… and Advent, where we remember and celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus, the incarnation of God Himself, a profound moment in God’s Rescue Mission.
And we are called to go on this mission.
To be bold witnesses for Jesus Christ.
So we are going to walk a different road together today.
A simple presentation of the gospel through verses written to the Romans.
Sometimes called the “Roman Road”… or since it’s the season we could call it the “Christmas Road” because it leads to Christ.
For you who may be seeking, I don’t want to assume where you are with Jesus.
Hear Him calling.
For you who already know Jesus, this is the gospel in a nutshell and a great way to present it to your friends and family.
The Roman Road - the Christmas Road
The Problem
There is a great problem shared by every human being ever.
It is this:
I am thankful that I don’t have to pretend that I am perfect.
I am very much not.
I am thankful for community where I can be honest about my failings.
That isn’t always easy… and I can tell myself that people won’t understand.
But my actual experience when confessing my sinful or stupid mistakes?
Love and forgiveness, support and restoration, healing and hope.
The Solution
That’s that free gift from Jesus to you and me.
He didn’t wait for us to get right.
He didn’t wait for us to get clean.
He didn’t wait for us to even improve.
While we were still actively hurting him and others… Christ died for us.
The Response
This is how we are “saved”.
That simple.
Confess with your mouth face.
Believe in your heart.
You can fool me with your mouth, you can’t fool God with your heart.
And if you truly believe with your heart, well it can’t help but come out your mouth, “for out of the heart the mouth speaks.”
Everyone?
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