Sermon Tone Analysis

There has been a large push within the last 5-10 years for unity among faith’s.

Now, there are different types of unity.

Can we and should we be able to live alongside one another without a significant conflict?

Yes.

Can our faith’s be woven together?

No.

In that regard there cannot be unity.

It is a triangle peg for a square hole.

They will not fit because of the distinct declarations of the faith itself.

Christendom has many separations among their own, and some point to this as a justification for not trusting Christianity.

I do not believe this holds water as it shows an ignorance for the splits.

Do we see people leave the church because the carpet color has been changed?

Yes.

Petty people can find petty reasons to leave.

But churches split resulting in a denominational development because of theology.

They read Scripture and wrestle with the deep teachings of it and when their theology develops they see that it is at odds with another.

They wrestle with it and find that there is no middle ground which they agree upon without compromising Scripture.

Throughout Christendom there are still debates regarding Baptism, the Sovereignty of God, and qualifications for Elders or clergy.

This is not a “I am going to take my ball and go home” kind of thing.

For the same reason, you are here is because you feel this is a place which will help you to grow in the LORD and be discipled.

If that latter part is true, we are looking to start two more discipleship groups one for men and one for women.

We need leaders, so talk to me if you have even the slightest interest.

But, these branches developed over theology and accumulating people who agree with their interpretation.

But for the vast majority of Christendom the divisional aspects are not salvific disagreements.

The major theology is still in tact and we dispute the other stuff.

This is why I can and have served alongside far more than I cannot.

But then there are those who claim to be of the same tree, but they have not been grafted in.

In broad strokes we have the name it and claim it prosperity gospel.

We have the gospel my motivation.

You know, half a Bible verse and a 40 minute motivational speech.

There are the hyper charismatics, who we saw spring up from the so called Toronto blessing back in the late 90’s, who say it is always God’s will to heal you.

These branches profess to be a part of the same tree but they have altered the root, so it cannot be.

They have changed Jesus, and to change Jesus is to change everything downstream, which is significant because Jesus is where the spring of water begins.

Why are we covering this, because there has been a major push for the church, who worship the God of the Bible to have unity with those who have changed Him.

Again, you can go to your building and I will go to my building, we can eat fried chicken, and talk football.

We can certainly have that unity.

But for me to have unity in faith with them, it would mean I would have to change Jesus and I can’t.

Often times we see Jesus as a meek and gentle person who threw out wise sayings like a fortune cookie.

But when we read today’s passage, you see very quick that Jesus did not seem to have the same approach to unity that we see being pushed on the church today.

Luke 12:51-53 “51 “Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth?

I tell you, no, but rather division; 52 for from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three.

53 “They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

When we read this we are faced with an onslaught of questions.

Some in the form of panic because this is not the Jesus we envision.

This guy seems mean.

“I thought Jesus was about unity and now I am reading this and it seems like it is more about division than He is unity.”

I mean, one chapter He is sweet and nice to children the next he talking about dividing households!

That’s messed up! Thanksgiving is already a minefield, and now Jesus wants to make it impossible!

But is that was Jesus is doing?

Is Jesus having a bad day or something?

You should read this and have questions, my hope is to answer those today, if I do not, come and speak to me about it because I may need to do more study to address some of your concerns.

One of the very clear and consistent teaching which Jesus does throughout His ministry is self-centered.

Now, don’t hear what I am not saying, I am not saying Jesus is self-centered.

I am saying His teaching is.

All the great teachers before Jesus, the prophets of God, when they spoke they would teach, “Don’t look at me, look to God!” George Whitfield used to say, “Let the name of Whitfield perish!” Amen!?

But why would they say this?

Because they knew that their lives, their name, and who they are, were not the means by which anyone would be saved.

But when we read the Gospels Jesus says the opposite.

He says, “Look to me! Follow me.”

He was saying that by His life, through His name, and because of who He is our eternities are decided.

While others would say, “Look away from me,” Jesus kept saying, “Look toward me.”

So we see here first in Luke 12 that Jesus says He has not come to bring peace.

Jesus then goes on to describe what He will bring, division.

There are two texts we will look at to bring clarity here.

The first is found in the Old Testament with the prophet Micah.

The verse we will need to focus on in verse 6 but I want to begin ins verse one for the context.

Micah 7:1-6 “1 Woe is me!

For I am Like the fruit pickers, like the grape gatherers.

There is not a cluster of grapes to eat, Or a first-ripe fig which I crave. 2 The godly person has perished from the land, And there is no upright person among men.

(What is the prophet saying?

Where are God’s people?

Where are those seeking after Him?

They are gone.)

All of them lie in wait for bloodshed; Each of them hunts the other with a net. 3 Concerning evil, both hands do it well.

The prince asks, also the judge, for a bribe, And a great man speaks the desire of his soul; So they weave it together.

4 The best of them is like a briar, The most upright like a thorn hedge.

The day when you post your watchmen, Your punishment will come.

Then their confusion will occur.

5 Do not trust in a neighbor; Do not have confidence in a friend.

From her who lies in your bosom Guard your lips.

6 For son treats father contemptuously, Daughter rises up against her mother, Daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; A man’s enemies are the men of his own household.”

I think its clear Jesus is alluding back to Micah in His provocative statement in Luke 12. Micah begins by saying he feels like a fruit picker who has nothing good to pick from.

He cannot find no upright person.

When we read this what comes to mind for me is the fruit of the spirit.

The fruit which God the Holy Spirit will produce in us is the fruit of God’s own nature.

It also brings to mind other passages in Matthew 3 & 7 where Jesus says to bear fruit in keeping with repentance and that God will prune the person that they would produce more fruit.

This is not the case for Micah, he is saying, “I cannot find one.”

There are two reasons why this might happen, that the upright are nowhere to be found, and we see these still to this day.

There are more but we will only look at two for today.

First, we see it through cowardice.

So-called leaders backing down for fear of the mob or for fear of not being liked.

Paul speaks of such a person and their people, 2 Timothy 4:3-4 “3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.”

I love you, but I am not here to tickle your ears.

I love you enough to tell you the truth, even if it hurts.

Where I want to grow is to say the truth with the proper tone, and I may fail in this at times, and in those times I will need you to give me Grace.

But a preacher who will tickle the ears of the congregation does not love them, rather, they hate them.

I could tickle your ears, and you can leave feeling so good about yourself, and you will leave this church every Sunday feeling so good about yourself.

Then a day will come, when you will die, feeling good about yourself, because your name has been the only name that mattered.

Because every Bible verse I preached from, there you were, conquering giants, telling mountains to be caste into the sea.

Your name was the only name that mattered.