Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
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I. Introduction
I found myself with time to kill the other day, and my feet just automatically took me to this pastry shop on the Peninsula.
I had like six bucks of funny money in my wallet and a sweet tooth, so you know, It happened ok, it just happened...
I walked in and when I looked at the display case of various baked goodies, a fragrance symphony of baked goodness and carmelized sugar wafted over me!
It was almost as if I could imagine an angel choir singing in the background!
Only, I stood there for like ten minutes, just gawking..
Frozen in indecision!
They had fresh, cronuts!
You know what those are don’t ya? Half croissant, half donut with a ring of lemon bright custard on top!
They also had little apple filled pie pastry thingies!
Chocolate drizzled strawberries!!!
“Choices, choices, which one shall I choose?”
I kinda froze up!
They must have thought me strange, but finally, I settled on a light, buttery, almondpuff pastry and a coffee.
Totally worth my $6.00!
Now I’d like to tell you that when it comes to big, important decisions, I never freeze up with indecision.
I’d like to tell you that I always know what to do and I dive right in, every time.
Only thing is, my Bible tells me that Satan is a liar and the father of all lies and I don’t want any association in that area, so folks, I gotta be honest:
Sometimes we don’t know which decision is best!
Face it, we are not in heaven yet!
Sometimes we all loose sleep and suffer worry and heartburn, trying to make a good decision!
So this week, I said to myself, “Self, it might be a good idea to put together a little guide on how to make good decisions.”
“Like a little cheat sheet, to make things easy.”
See, I want to do things the right way!
And I know you do too!
And the right way is always the Bible way!
Heroes, men and women who made difficult choices.
Immediately, I began to think about different ones in the Bible, known for the choices they made!
I imagine Moses, running fugitive into a ink black desert night!
Hoping it will swallow him alive, if only to keep him from Egyptian wrath!
I think of Joshua who told the people: “Choose you this day, who you will serve, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!
You have Aachan who made an awful choice fed by greed, and his whole family paid the price!
Job’s wife told him to curse God and die.
And many a lesser man would have done just that!
Only he had something more.
That man had guts!
Then don’t forget: you’ve these strong, brave women like Rahab and Ruth who left their old life for a new one under God.
Naman, could have given up, after braking the surface of Jordan the sixth time unchanged!
But He didn’t!
And that choice made all the difference for him!
Esther took her life in her own hands when she chose to ignore royal protocol and approach the Emperor of the known wold, uninvited.
I really, really admire Nehemiah, who chose to leave a court position of great wealth and influence, to rebuild and remove reproach from the people of God!
I really like him!
I think of that armour stand in Saul’s tent.
The king offereing his armor to a boy who was crazy enough to try and kill the giant.
Somehow, I don’t think David would have brought Goliath down, in that get up!
Good thing he chose the sling, and five smooth stones!
Now if you jump over the judges, the OT prophets and their noble obedience, you land in the Gospels.
And here we see some awesome choices too:
Peter, chucking in the towel, giving away his fishing business, “You take the boat, you take my nets, take it all, I have a master, who bids me follow.
He’s gonna make me a fisher of men!”
I see Mathew stolling away from the tax booth, I see Stephen, preaching the sermon that kill him.
And then I see Paul....
He’s in that scene.
Yeah, there here he is...
A very intense man was Paul.
And idealist.
In the literary classic, “Les Misrable” I am fascinated with the character of Police Inspector Javert.
He is so intense and driven and honorable, and misguided!
I kinda see Paul in that light.
or Saul at least.
Stephen is stoned to death by the mob.
Murder it seems is hot work, and Saul holds the coats of the self righteous lynch mob.
Not his best moment.
So I was reading the book of Acts this week, and it occured to me, that one could learn much about choices, by watching Paul.
Paul, a life of choices.
Maybe it’s easy for me to relate to Paul, because he was an imperfect man who made mistakes and errors of judgement.
For instance, as we meet Saul, we watch him make a choice to go farther and hit harder in persecuting these Christians than anyone else had to date.
He even gets persmission to go to Damascus and cause havoc there!
And you know he was a hot head, since nobody else was lining up to travel to a foreign place just to hurt the Church!
Paul was zealous!
He started his own personal inquistition and he’s on the way there, when something happens that will change his life forever:
Just like most of us, Paul’s story begins with some bad choices, but notice how that Paul was able to do an about face!
A complete 180 Degrees!
Now, it took a meeting with Jesus to bring it about, but just like you and me, when Paul got a taste of Jesus’ majesty and power, his presence and perfection, change comes natually!
And when I say fast, I mean it!
“Who art thou Lord” The word I Kurios.
It can mean sir or master, but in almost every case, it is used as the proper way to adress God!
The first time he says Lord, It’s possible he may have meant sir, or master.
I doubt it, but it’s possible.
Personally, I think the experience was so powerful, Saul knew it had to be God!
Well, surprise surprise, this Kurios, this Lord, answers: “I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest!”
Then, Paul says Lord for the second time: “Lord, (Kurios) what will you have me do?”
I can’t gauranteed the first time folks, but I’d bet the farm, when Saul says “Lord/Kurios” the second time, he was fully aknowledging Jesus Christ as God!
Pause..
Then of course, he does everything Jesus instructs him too, even though that obedience will cost him his career, his influence, the respect of his peers, his personal property, his health and eventually his natural life!
Paul knew how to make a choice!
He made it that day, and when he left that dusty road, his feet moved onto a greater path, the King’s highway!
So here’s some cheat sheet advice on how to make decisions like Paul:
When you know God is speaking, do exactly what He says!
As Paul did in Acts Chapter nine, Follow Jesus’ instructions to the letter, no matter what!
The next few chapters center more on Peter, but by chapter 13, Missionary Paul is making more decisions and some of those have an edge!
Ambassadors are trusted to make hard choices!
When I read this, I understand that Paul was in a situation in which he was representing the Authority of God.
Like you, He was an ambassador, representing a spiritual Kingdom in a natural world!
And when wrong situation and a wrong person tried to impede the work of God, Paul made a choice.
It could have had serious reprecussions, but he did it anyway, because he was not simply representing himself!
He represented the authority of Almighty God!
And there will be times in your life and your family and your personal context, where you have to make the hard choices.
“This home is a Christian home!
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