Sermon Tone Analysis

AS WE COME UPON CHRISTMAS DAY….WHICH IS ONLY 14 DAYS AWAY, MANY ARE PREPARING OUR SHOPPING LIST…..TO BUY CHRISTMAS GIFTS FOR OUR LOVED ONES……MANY ARE PREPARING OUR GROCERY LIST AND PLANNING THE MENU FOR THE GREAT FEAST WE WILL HAVE ON CHRISTMAS DAY.

MANY ARE DECORATING THEIR HOMES WITH FESTIVE CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS…..PUTTING LIGHTS UP OUTSIDE THEIR HOMES…..DRAPPING THE FIREPLACE WITH GARLAND…PUTTING UP THE STOCKINGS…..SETTING UP THE NATIVITY…WITH LITTLE BABY JESUS IN THE MANAGER.

PUTTING UP CHRISTMAS TREES…..AND TRIMMING THEM WITH ORNAMENTS….. YES THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE DO IN THE CHRISTMAS SEASON…….

ALL OF THESE ARE WONDERFUL TRADITIONS THAT WE HAVE IN THIS SEASON…… THAT WE CELEBRATE THE BIRTH OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS THE CHRIST.

LET ME REMIND YOU THAT THIS IS ALSO A TIME OF THE YEAR THAT WE SHOULD REFLECT ON THE GOODNESS OF GOD AND HOW HE HAS BLESSED US AND COVERED US THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

YES MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS ….GOD HAS BEEN GOOD TO US…GOD HAD BLESSED US…..…HIS MERCY AND GRACE HAS CARRIED US THROUGH THIS YEAR………AND WE SHOULD NOT FORGET IT…….YES I MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS…..I PRAISE THE LORD TODAY AND EVERY DAY!

I PRAISE GOD BECAUSE HE IS MY ALL AND ALL.

I GIVE GLORY TO GOD BECAUSE HE IS WORTHY OF ALL GLORY…….

OUR SCRIPTURE FOR THE SERMON IS A SONG OF PRAISE….PRAISING THE LORD FOR WHO HE IS.

SOME OF YOU MAY BE THINKING …..PASTOR….I DIDN’T HEAR YOU SAY THE SUBJECT OR TOPIC OF YOUR SERMON….. WELL I’M GLAD YOU WERE PAYING ATTENTION AND LISTENING……

FROM OUR TEXT THIS MORNING I’D LIKE TO USE THE TOPIC ……”WHAT THE LORD IS TO ME”….

YES I BELIEVE THIS SONG OF PRAISE THAT THE PROPHET ISAIAH GIVES US ….CAN BE A PERSONAL TESTIMONY FOR ALL OF THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN THE LORD THIS MORNING…

IN THIS HYMN OF PRAISE MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS…..ISAIAH GIVES A PROPHECY OF THE PEOPLE’S JOY WHEN CHRIST COMES TO REIGN OVER THIS EARTH IN THE HIS KINGDOM, WHICH IS YET TO BE.

BUT IT IS ALSO DESCRIPTIVE OF THE HERE AND NOW CONCERNING A CHILD OF GOD.

LOOK AT THE TEXT……IN VERST 2 THE A CLAUSE......IT SAYS…

Isaiah 12:2 (NRSV)

2 Surely God is my salvation;

I DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU.....BUT I BELIVE THAT........

1. GOD IS MY SALVATION

THERE WAS A TIME IN MY LIFE.....WHEN I WAS STUCK IN SIN.....WHEN I WAS LOST AND TRYING TO LIVE LIFE MY WAY.

THERE WAS A TIME WHEN I WASN’T LIVING FOR THE LORD.

I FELT EMPTY AND WAS TRYING TO FILL THE VOID IN MY LIFE.....ON MY OWN.

AND IF I CAN BE REAL WITH YOU THIS MORNING......I WAS CONDEMNED AND GOD WAS ANGRY WITH MY WICKED WAYS.

I WAS ON MY WAY TO ETERNAL CONDEMNATION.

BUT I WILL NEVER FORGET THE DAY IN OCTOBER 1997 THAT I WAS AT SUNDAY SERVICE AT POPLAR GROVE BAPTIST CHURCH IN DARNESTOWN, MD WITH MY MOM.....AND THE LATE REVEREND JOSEPH AUSTIN (WHO WOULD LATER BECOME MY FRATERNITY BROTHER) ....PREACHED A SERMON THAT PRICKED MY HEART.....AND I REMEMBER I CRIED LIKE A BABY....I WAS CONVICTED OF MY SINS........ YES MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS.....SCRIPTURE TELLS US...

AND IT WAS AT THAT MOMENT.....I KNEW THAT I NEEDED JESUS....... IT WAS AT THAT MOMENT THAT I THE POWER OF GOD WAS UPON MY SPIRIT.....AND I KNEW I WANTED TO GIVE MY LIFE TO CHRIST.

YES I WENT FROM BEING CONDEMNED TO ETERNITY IN THE DEPTHS OF HELL....TO BEING SAVED..... GOD SAVED ME.

B. YES GOD SAVED ME!

I DON’T KNOW WHO NEEDS TO HEAR THIS....

BUT GOD IS MY SALVATION......AND HE IS YOUR SALVATION TOO!!!

AND FOR THOSE WHO ARE HERE OR WATCHING THIS MORNING.......IF YOU NEVER GAVE YOUR LIFE TO CHRIST......I’M HEAR TO TELL YOU THAT HE HAS HIS ARMS OPEN AND WAITING.....

HE WILL HEAR YOUR CRY......HE WILL DRAW YOU UP OUT OF YOUR PIT.......

WHAT THE LORD IS TO ME.....HE IS MY SALVATION......

ILLUSTRATION: ON OCTOBER 14, 1987, 18 MONTH OLD JESSICA MCCLURE FELL INTO AN ABANDONED MINE SHAFT IN HER AUNTS BACK YARD IN MIDLAND, TEXAS.

THE WORLD WATCHED THE 58 HR ORDEAL AS RESCUERS DRILLED INTO THE BEDROCK, AND WENT DOWN INTO THE HOLE TO GET HER.

THEY CUT THE PIPE BENEATH HER AND WERE ABLE TO GET HER FREE FROM THE 8” PIPE THAT HELD HER.

THE PICTURE OF THE RESCUE WORKERS COMING UP FROM THAT HOLE AND HANDING THE LITTLE GIRL TO THOSE WAITING TO SAVE HER LIFE, WAS ONE OF THE MOST DRAMATIC MOMENTS ON TV.

HER RESCUE REMINDS ME OF HOW JESUS RESCUED MY SOUL.

HE DIDN’T JUST REACH DOWN TO WHERE I WAS.

HE DID NOT LOWER SOME DIVINE ROPE TO PULL ME OUT OF MY PIT.

JESUS BROUGHT ME UP!

I BELIEVE THAT THE TEXT GIVE US ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF WHAT GOD IS TO ME........

LOOK AT THE B CLAUSE OF VERSE 2.......

2. GOD IS MY STRENGTH

Isaiah 12:2 (NRSV)

2 I will trust, and will not be afraid,

for the Lord God is my strength and my might;

YOU CAN GO A LONG WAY IN YOUR OWN STRENGTH.

IT IS AMAZING WHAT A HUMAN CAN DO.

BUT, THERE WILL BE A TIME WHEN YOU FIND YOU NEED STRENGTH BEYOND YOURSELF.

IT MAY BE WHEN YOU LOSE YOUR JOB… OR HEALTH… OR STRUGGLE IN YOUR MARRIAGE OR WITH YOUR CHILDREN… THE DAY WILL COME WHEN YOU NEED GOD’S STRENGTH!

THEN YOU WILL FIND THAT LIFE IS SO MUCH BETTER WHEN YOU RELY ON HIS STRENGTH.

YES....YOU CAN BEAR A LOT ON YOUR OWN, BUT WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO?

(PSALMS 18:2 NLT) THE LORD IS MY ROCK, MY FORTRESS, AND MY SAVIOR; MY GOD IS MY ROCK, IN WHOM I FIND PROTECTION.

HE IS MY SHIELD, THE STRENGTH OF MY SALVATION, AND MY STRONGHOLD.

(PSALMS 27:1 KJV) THE LORD IS MY LIGHT AND MY SALVATION; WHOM SHALL I FEAR?

THE LORD IS THE STRENGTH OF MY LIFE; OF WHOM SHALL I BE AFRAID?

(PSALMS 46:1-3 NLT) GOD IS OUR REFUGE AND STRENGTH, ALWAYS READY TO HELP IN TIMES OF TROUBLE. 2 SO WE WILL NOT FEAR, EVEN IF EARTHQUAKES COME AND THE MOUNTAINS CRUMBLE INTO THE SEA. 3 LET THE OCEANS ROAR AND FOAM.

LET THE MOUNTAINS TREMBLE AS THE WATERS SURGE!

INTERLUDE

(1 CHRONICLES 16:11 NIV) LOOK TO THE LORD AND HIS STRENGTH; SEEK HIS FACE ALWAYS.

GRACE IS GOD PROVIDING, “ENABLING” GIVING US THE POWER WE NEED FOR LIFE…

FBC YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO IT ALONE.....FB LIVE WORSHIPPERS.....NO NEED TO TRY TO DO IT BY YOURSELVES..

LIFE CAN BE HARD.......LIFE CAN BE DIFFICULT AT TIMES.......

WE ALL FACE UPS AND DOWNS.......AND WHEN YOU’RE DOWN......WHEN YOU’RE FACING TROUBLE.........WHY TRY TO DO IT IN YOUR OWN STRENGTH?

I’M A LIVING TESTIMONY TO TELL YOU.....TRYING TO DO IT BY YOURSELF.....WILL ONLY LEAVE YOU DEFEATED.

GOD IS MY SALVATION.........GOD IS MY STRENGTH......AND WHEN YOU HAVE HIS SALVATION AND STRENGTH......

WHO CAN BE AGAINST YOU.....

GOD IS MY SALVATION......AND MY STRENGTH......

I BELIEVE THAT VERSE 3 TELLS US THAT GOD IS MY PROVIDER......

IN CHAPTER 8 ISAIAH HAD USED IMAGERY OF WATER TO SYMBOLIZE DIVINE SUPPLIES THAT ARE TOTALLY RELIABLE AND CAN BE TRUSTED......

HE SAYS......IS 8:6

THE WATERS OF SHILOAH FLOWING GENTLY AND CONSTANTLY.....INTO THE CITY ARE REPLACED BY WELLS OF SALVATION.

WHEN THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL WERE IN THE DESERT GOD PROVIDED THEM WITH WATER....

Exodus 15:25–27 (NRSV)

25 He cried out to the Lord; and the Lord showed him a piece of wood; he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.

27 Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees; and they camped there by the water.

THE WATER IN THE WELL IS NEVER ENDING AND IS AN UNFAILING SOURCE.

AND MY BROTHERS AN SISTERS......GOD IS A NEVER ENDING SOURCE OF EVERYTHING WE WILL EVER NEED.

HE IS JEHOVAH JIREH.....THE ONE WHO PROVIDES.....OUR PROVISION......HE IS THE LIVING WATER......THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE.....

DAVID USES THE IMAGERY OF WATER IN PSALM 23:2

GOD IS MY PROVIDER.........

BUT NOT ONLY IS GOD MY SALVATION.....MY STRENGTH......MY PROVIDER....HE IS ALSO MY SONG.....

YOU SEE HE WILL GIVE YOU A NEW SONG TO SING WHEN YOU HAVE HIM IN YOUR LIFE....

BUT NOT JUST ANY OL SONG....HE WON’T GIVE YOU A SINGLE.....HE WILL GIVE YOU MULTIPLE SONGS.

YOU WILL HAVE WHAT THEY CALL IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY.....AN EP.....ALSO KNOWN AS AN EXTENDED PLAY.....SEVERAL SONGS YOU CAN SING....

3. HE IS MY SONG

THE NKJV OF ISAIAH 12 AND 2 READS LIKE THIS.....

YES HE IS OUR SALVATION.....OUR STRENGTH AND OUR SONG....

BUT WHAT IS THIS EXTENDED PLAY.....

LOOK AT IS 12:4

I BELIEVE THAT THIS TEXT TELLS US THAT WE WILL HAVE A SONG OF THANKS......

AND YOU WILL SAY IN THAT DAY......GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD.....

YES YOU WILL SING A SONG OF THANKS.....

BECAUSE YOU KNOW THAT IT WAS NOTHING BUT THE LORD.....

THAT BROUGHT YOU UP.....AND BROUGHT YOU OUT

GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD......

BUT YOU WILL ALSO HAVE THE SONG OF TESTIMONY......

Isaiah 12:4 (NRSV)

4 make known his deeds among the nations;