Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro

I must tell you this was the most challenging week I’ve ever experienced attempting to write a sermon, but only for good reason.

I think many, if not most of you know by now, Meggan and I finally had our dreams realized and prayers answered.

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On Wednesday, April 13 at 6:43 PM our little Elizabeth was born into this world, Meggan was able to be in the delivery room with the birth mother.

And on friday evening, the birth parents, who we grew to love over the course of those 2 days and really the 7 weeks since they had selected us, signed her into our custody.

Speaking for my wife and I both, we just wanted to give our utmost thanks to those of you who have spent any amount of time praying for us since the first Sabbath of last May when we shared with you our not yet completed testimony.

Thankyou for praying, and although that day we shared we weren’t intending to ask for financial support, thankyou to those of you contributed financially.

Some of you gave anonymously, and some gave with a name on it.

We can’t express our gratitude to you all enough.

When the discharge nurse met with us before it was time to go home, I’ll admit I was having trouble focusing on what she was saying because all I could do was stare down at my little girl I was holding.

I was proud of Meggan for doing a better job listening.

The nurse was sharing important information.

It felt as though I blinked, and the nurse was saying, “alright, lets get her in the carseat and lets get you guys on the road home.”

Wait we are leaving this place, that had 24 hour baby service, with unlimited expensive formula and diapers at our disposal, not to mention baby doctors and nurses all around us to help if there is any problem and their to answer any questions we have.

I blinked and now its time to go home, and I don’t know enough information, certainly we need more training, maybe there is parent certification class we can sign up for, maybe…nope, its time.

We got home around 9 PM with our early Easter weekend gift, and suffice to say as the Sun had set and the Sabbath began, lets just say, not much Sabbath rest found.

We were on high alert monitoring every sound and movement, no wonder the baby couldn’t sleep, we couldn’t sit still ourselves.

God had blessed was with the baby we had prayed for, even before we began praying.

I had a passage shared with me this week, that gave me some added perspective of this adoptive journey my wife and I have been on.

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Isn’t that cool!

You yourselves have been adopted by Jesus, and rescued from this dark world of sin.

verse 7 reads change slide

Some of you have been Christians your whole lives, and some of you may consider yourselves babies in the faith, the ones who are growing, and need more support.

Today thats what we are going to be talking about.

By examining examples in scripture, we will look at our to support and nurture new believers, as well as understand just how much God can use even a baby in the faith to accomplish mighty things for His kingdom!

Before we go any further, lets pause for prayer.

Prayer

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If you have your Bibles I want to encourage you to turn to Acts 3.

If you have spent any time reading in the preceding gospels about Peter and John as well as the other disciples of Jesus, you would know they were not capable of accomplishing such a miracle.

For 3 years we read of mostly greedy actions and child like silly questions from these particular disciples of Christ.

What has changed in these men that recently the Holy Spirit been poured out among the people.

What had changed in these notoriously bumbling disciples that had allowed them to speak with such courage and assured faith?

What had changed that they were able to speak with such boldness?

Had they grown up?

Today’s message is about babies in the faith.

When I say babies I don’t mean neccarily the famous babies of the Bible, baby Moses, baby Samuel, Baby John the Baptist, or of course baby Jesus.

No I am referring to either new believers, or believers still looking to grow.

I would suggest to you that even though many of the original 12 disciples of Christ were in fact grown men, who had grown up faithful Jews, they would learn they were still babies in the faith.

I’d like to define babies in the faith a little bit, because it is not meant to be derogatory.

A baby in the faith has a spiritual foundation with the potential for great growth.

A baby in the faith is not beneath the quote on quote “mature Christian.”

In a world of mature wisdom filled mature religious leaders, Jesus said himself, change slide

The great commentary of the gospel writers: Desire of Ages reads: change slide

Before honor is humility.

To fill a high place before men, Heaven chooses the worker who, like John the Baptist, takes a lowly place before God.

The most childlike disciple is the most efficient in labor for God.

White, E. G. (1898).

The Desire of Ages (Vol.

3, p. 436).

Pacific Press Publishing Association.

My wife and I have really enjoyed the ongoing streaming series, “The Chosen.”

which depicts the ministry of Jesus and the calling of his disciples.

I’ve never in my life seen the gospel stories come more alive.

It takes a few narrative liberties but none that I’ve seen that has been opposing or dishonest to the scriptures.

One of these fictitious portrayals is tension between chosen disciples Simon Peter, and Matthew the former tax collector.

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Following his calling by Jesus, Matthew is portrayed as the formerly unreligious seeker who is attempting to learn all the scriptures he can that he didn’t previously know.

He calculates things, he writes things down.

Peter is disgusted he is journeying with a tax collector, one specifically who would have caused him to lose his livelihood before Jesus called him to follow.

Peter sees himself, as Jesus personal protector, even from himself and the men he chooses to have follow him.

Every chance he gets to belittle or shame Matthew, he chooses to do so.

He views himself as most mature and street smart Christ follower.

Jesus saw them both for what they were, two young men with raw untapped potential for soul winning!

As the narrative moves forward Jesus continues work on Peter’s pride as it is his ultimate stumbling block.

In the same chapter read earlier from Desire of Ages, Mrs. White comments: change slide

But when men exalt themselves, feeling that they are a necessity for the success of God’s great plan, the Lord causes them to be set aside.

It is made evident that the Lord is not dependent upon them.

The work does not stop because of their removal from it, but goes forward with greater power.

It was not enough for the disciples of Jesus to be instructed as to the nature of His kingdom.

What they needed was a change of heart that would bring them into harmony with its principles.

White, E. G. (1898).

The Desire of Ages (Vol.

3, pp.

436–437).

Pacific Press Publishing Association.

Tori being baptized today and some of her classmates and schoolmates in the coming weeks.

These kids have the Spirit that Jesus was looking for in soul winners.

They have the undefiled love of Jesus in their hearts with out the life experience that can sometimes lead to a hardening of hearts.

As we have spent time studying all school year long, our goal was never to know the most information or to be able recite the longest most complicated texts.

What we were doing was laying the foundation for a life spent following Jesus and preparing them for the temptations to follow.

Its the same thing we seek to do when baptizing someone older.

Listen we have a bad tendency in the church sometimes.

We do a good job discipling and leading people to the river for baptism, but then at times abandon them believing the job is done.

Baptism is a building block to a new life in Jesus.

Its not a graduation ceremony.

Again Jesus explained to the disciples that His kingdom is not characterized by earthly dignity and display.

At the feet of Jesus all these distinctions are forgotten.

Jesus has a precious work for the new believers and for the babies in the faith, and for the children and young people who sit before His feet.

Back to this encounter of Peter and John with the lame man begging.

Peter tells the man to rise up and walk.

This was far from the first time the disciples had attempted to heal or cast out demons.

In fact Matthew 17 and Mark 9 depict a man approaching Jesus to cast out a spirit afflicting his son, he tells Jesus, his disciples had tried and had failed.

What was different about these disciples now?

Their pride was gone.

Their status didn’t matter.

Their bravery and faith was at an all time high.

The 3 years of investment and their gaining the Holy Spirit leading them empowered them to do something magnificent.

Rise up and Walk.