Sermon Tone Analysis

What should be the heartbeat of a healthy church?

Human heart

No human can live without a heart - its the beating heart that keeps the whole body functioning and flourishing as it pumps oxygenated blood and other vital substances around the body.

If you heart isnt doing its job, your whole body and your ability to function in world suffers.

The longing for revival

Look at your own life, long for revival - want to experience the victory of Jesus

Look at church in UK and see it in decline and in dissaray

Look at the world - War, Long for the gospel to bring about change in world

As a church where do we begin?

And where do we focus?

OUr heartbeat?

Social action?

heart for helping people

Social justice?

heart for standing for oppressed and marginalised?

Political influence?

Heart to bring change within power structures?

Cultural influence - Heart to stay relevant and attract people?

Passage this morning tells us what heartbeat of church is to be if we are to function properly as God intended in all areas of life.

Be Word centered worshippers.

Journeying with people of Israel as they live out promises of God, as they depend on God’s power, they are to go to war with God’s enemies, confident that the victory is sure in the power of their God, given through their leader.

Yet they still have to fight.

We’ve read of one battle already, next few weeks we will read of battle after battle, as they seek to occupy the land God has given, and expand God’s Kingdom on earth.

And that is true for Christian life.

Sitting in Coffee shop.

Explitives and

2 things dawned.

There are so many lost people who need the gospel

We are living time of war.

Spritual war against sin, world and devil.

If we are to see Jesus Kingdom grow in our lifetime we are to go to war.

Thought last wee about call to be dependent and proactive.

But what does it look like - where does it begin.

Dedicate yourself to God

Having conquered Ai - might assume natural thing for ISraelites to do - go towards next battle in conquest of Canaan.

But unexpectantly pause.

Just like they did in chapter 5. Writer reveals to us core of Israelite life and foundation of success.

Spiritual renewal.

It’s not an impulsive decision.

Don’t just suddenly feel need.

It’s something that Moses commanded back in Dueteronmy 27

As people live out promises of God, as they experiencing his Victory, but seek to continue to progress, they are to continually dedicate themselves to the Lord.

Alter is to be of uncut stones possibly symbol that it is not work of man but of God that people can come to him.

Make fellowship offering - this is similar to atonment offering, except that people would keep a part of the animal to eat, representing their fellowship with God.

Gather together to meet with God, which included a peace offering - giving thanks to God for his goodness.

Context Deuteronmy 27 (backdrop for Joshua - read Deut)

2 mountains, Ebal and Gerizim.

Two side of coin of relationship with God, one Gerizim - pepole will hear read aloud blessings for obedience to God,

Ebal - hear curses - penalties inflicted on those who break the law - place where guilt and burden of sin would be most felt.

Yet this mountain also where God would make provision for forgiveness and fellowship.

Incredible picture of the gospel

Exactly what we see at the Cross on Calvary Hill.

Where was the weight of sin’s curse felt the most?

Where did God’s judgement fall with such intensity that the sun was darkened so that no one could witness the agony of the awful exhange?

At the cross, the very place where, through the sacrifice of Christ Jesus, God held out his mercy.

On the mountain where the curse fell, God offered a lamb as the terms of peace

Where our battle must begin.

It’s as we come to the Cross, and see both the weight of our sin but also the cure, and from there surrender ourselves completely to Jesus as natural response to his mercy.

“If Jesus gave his all for you to secure your eternal salvation, why would you hold anything back from him.”

We never move on from the cross.

athelete

Atheletes sacrifice relationships, family time, comforts - surrender themselves completely to their discipline.

Ronnie Lott - sacrificed his pinky finger to keep playint

We are called to dedicate ourselves to Jesus completely and give ourselves to his mission.

Why are we called to gather as a people of God Sunday by Sunday.

Not just stay at home.

Because it’s as we gather together that we also meet with God, unite Spiritually around the cross and renew our minds and hearts, preparing us for battle - to serve him in the week that follows.

Before the church can do Battle with Satan we must completely surrender to Jesus.

Let us dedicate ourselves to him afresh this morning.

What will that look like in practice.

What is to be at the heart of church life if we are experience victory of Jesus.

What is to be our priority if we want to see the his Kingdom come.

Dedicate yourself to God’s word!

All kinds of things we are tempted to prioritise as a church.

Lots of good things, social justice, social action, community programs, global concerns.

right that we play our part in relation to whats going on in Ukraine.

But practice must be driven by belief - truth.

Listen to God’s voice, center around his word to us.

What are we to be about as a church?

People of the word.

Notice the word ALL.

appearing several times.

ALL of God’s people are to gather to hear ALL of God’s word.

All of God’s people v33, including elders, officials, judges, foreigners and native born, women and children v35.

Notice how they gather, half on one side, half on the other, and what is at the centre - The ark - with ten commandments - law of Moses written on stone.

Word of God - stone tablets picture?

Word of God is the lifeblood for the people of God.

It’s the heart of the existence.

It’s as they live by God’s word that they know how enjoy relationship with him, experiencing his blessing as they live lives that please him.

Where they are - Mount Gerizim and Ebal is in place called Shechem - same place God made promises to Abram, and same place to which Jacob returned after a long exile.

Significamce as people gather here, its a pause to look to truthworthiness - the faithfulness of God, and commit themselves to live by his word as its read aloud.

Because that is where the power is for the journey they are on.

Victory belongs to the Lord, and it’s as they dedicate themselves to live by his perfect word that they will experience the blessing.

God’s word is truth

God’s word is life

God’s word is forever

thomas jefferson, once president in 1804 began cutting up his bible, keepimg bits he believed and removing what he didn’t

Temptation to think that way to change world is compromise on bible.

But only way see world changed is as we uphold authority of scripture.

Let the word be the lifeblood, because its God’s word that is perfectly true and powerful.