Sermon Tone Analysis
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Pre-service Reading
Introduction
Whose advice do you follow?
Ideally, the advice of someone who has proved themselves trustworthy, full of wisdom, and dependable; someone you know well with a proven track record in your life.
Illustration
I recently read a fascinating story about a young preacher, still wet behind the ears, who had been called by his mentor to take over a church that was in a lot of trouble organizationally and especially spiritually.
At first, the church experienced good leadership and saw a lot of healthy growth.
Slowly, however, the leaders slipped into unbiblical teaching, developing sinful and prideful attitudes.
They began to manipulate weaker-minded people to follow their new teachings, leading the once healthy church down a destructive path.
The founding pastor of the church couldn’t get away, so he sent the young preacher to straighten out this church.
My question, “Why would a mature, Godly man, send his young, inexperienced apprentice, to the wolves?”
Even though this new pastor was young, he knew his stuff and he had a pure heart before the Lord.
He was raised up under solid biblical teaching...his calling to ministry was unquestionable.
If I were in his shoes, I would want sound advice to help me navigate this situation.
The leaders were much older than him and it would take Spirit-empowered strength and confidence to confront them and make the necessary corrections.
His mentor provided the young man very good advice.
It sounds much of the advice I have recieved over the years from my older mentors and advisors.
To make this long story short, let me summarize the advice he gave.
He clearly defined the problems…he didn’t hold back: false teaching, pride, manipulation
He reminded the young pastor that God had called him and prepared him for this very assignment
He instructed him to stand on the Word of God, without compromise or apology.
He had no other choice but to get the church back on track biblically and to root out the leaders who had led the people so far off target.
He encouraged the young pastor to keep a humble attitude and to constantly stay plugged into the Lord through prayer and study
If the young pastor followed his mentor’s advice, I know his efforts pleased the Lord.
By the way, the older Pastor’s name was Paul (as in the Apostle), the young pastor was Paul’s apprentice, Timothy (1 & 2 Timothy), and the church was in Ephesus.
PRAYER
Here’s our challenge & assurance today:
Commit to follow God’s Word and you will find comfort, confidence, and direction as you navigate through this life
Interrogatory: Whose advice do you trust?
Who in your life has impacted you the most?
We are all influenced by many sources.
Choose what will be the guiding basis for your life.
Transitional: The best advice I can offer is that you choose the Bible as the standard by which you live your life.
COMMIT TO OPEN YOUR HEART TO TRUTH
Commit to take Jesus’s Advice Seriously
It’s one thing to accept Jesus as Savior — but it’s much more serious, difficult, and life-changing to accept Jesus as Lord — King — Final Authority — Commander of your life.
We like the idea of being saved from our sins — but we are not as excited about giving God total control of our lives
It is the most important decision anyone ever makes — our decision is not complete if we simply say a prayer without making the commitment AND living it out, one day at a time.
…if you take Jesus seriously, and follow Him as Lord, you will...
Commit to Build Your Life on God’s Word
Application
Why is it so scary and difficult for people to surrender their lives to God?
…if the plane you were in was going to crash, you wouldn’t hesitate to strap on a parachute
We can trust God…His wisdom is boundless, as is His love for us
Would you rather build your life on sinking sand or on a solid rock?
God’s Word is solid…you can count on it…but you have to commit to it
Transitional: If you have any doubts about accepting the truth...
GOD’S WORD WON’T LEAD YOU ASTRAY
It has a proven track record / it interprets itself / test it out and you will see
In Reflections on the Psalms, C.S. Lewis compared life before and after believing in Jesus to the difference between walking on an icy path and then stepping onto solid ground.
Regularly Reading God’s Word Guides You
Regularly Reading God’s Word Helps You know Him Better
Regularly Reading God’s Word Enables You to Trust Jesus More
Application
God cares so much that Jesus came, a flesh and blood message from God
Are you willing to sacrifice your time, energy, and passion to know God better, discover His will, and trust Jesus more?
CHALLENGE
There is no shortage of people who are happy to give you advice in this life.
But there is a grave shortage of good advice, especially if you depend on social media, the news, or people who do not know the truth
Whose advice are you willing to trust today?
Commit to follow God’s Word and you will find security, clarity, and direction as you navigate through this life
Young pastor Timothy had to make a choice…give in to the pressures of the older leaders even though their advice was unsound, or listen to the Holy Spirit and act upon the truth of God’s Word.
Do you have a legitimate reason to hesitate in trusting God with you life?
If you want to follow God’s plan, you must take the time to read His Word
It might seem difficult, but the effort will pay off in amazing ways
Try different things...
write verses on index cards or sticky notes…leave them in places that will help you to memorize them
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