Sermon Tone Analysis

Strength to Endure

In the darkest moment of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, Sam, the Hobbit, looks up into the poisonous skies of Mordor, and receives an unexpected comfort:

There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while.

The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him.

For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty forever beyond its reach.

For the first time in days, Sam curled up into a deep untroubled sleep.

He once again had the strength to endure.

This story of little Sam being heartened by the star is so poignant because it resonates with the Christian experience.

Every Christian knows what it is like to want to give up and just surrender if that will quiet the world’s constant battering.

The early Christians who read the book of Hebrews knew that feeling well.

However, the author of Hebrews told them, “So do not throw away your confidence; it holds a great reward” (Heb.

10:35).

John makes a great declaration in

What I will be one day greatly impacts my present discipleship.

What I will be someday will mold and shape how I live for today.

Daniel 12 teaches us how to live as faithful exiles in a world that is not our home.

We are constantly made painfully aware that this is not our home.

This constant reminder should compel us towards what we are presently doing for the kingdom of God.

This helps us answer the following pressing question.

How can we live as kingdom citizens, dedicated disciples, in a land that is strange and even hostile towards us?

Scripture promises us that the last days (that is, the period between Pentecost and the return of Christ [Acts 2:16–17]) will be punctuated by times of special stress and danger (2 Tim.

3:1).

This will reach a climax at “the time of the end”: “there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time” (v. 1).

Daniel, however, must not allow himself to be overwhelmed with despair because God will provide His people with protection, specifically in the work of Michael

A GREAT PRINCE WILL STAND WATCH OVER YOUR PEOPLE

Michael (meaning who is like God) He is one of the chief princes mentioned in scripture, he is an archangel.

Michael is seen throughout the battle as one who battles on behalf of God’s causes.

Since Michael was instrumental in the dragon (Satan) being cast out of heaven in Revelation 12 some have speculated that he is the same one who binds the dragon for 1,000 years in Revelation 20.

We do know that Michael not only leads a victorious war against Satan.

He is also a ministering spirit “sent out to serve those who are going to inherit Salvation.”

Big Idea: God’s people must pursue Faithfulness and Fruitfulness to the end.

How do we remain faithful and fruitful till the end?

1.Make it your goal to win others to Christ.

For our own sake: “Self-preservation is the first law of nature.”

The Bible is a book about winning people to the Lord.

Daniel writes how some who sleep will awake to everlasting lives in Heaven while others will awake to eternal shame and contempt.

We live in a Christian culture today where it has become increasingly frowned upon to ask people the most important question you could ever ask.

Do you know Jesus?

Do you know my Savior?

Its nothing flashy or hard to remember, its really very simple.

We have become more concerned with peoples reaction and our own comfort that we refuse to let the questions cross our lips.

In essence what we are saying is that we have got our golden ticket to the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, however, who cares about those who will wake to eternal damnation.

Why is this such a hard question to ask? Perhaps its because we have lost the faith that Jesus can really save that person or that he will save that person.

Winning People back from Satan’s grasp began in the Garden.

Remember that God called out to Adam in the garden and asked “where are you.”

Why should we make it our mission to win others to Christ?

Imagine that we are correspondents sent out to a dangerous battle zone.

We expect to see battle-weary soldiers in combat fatigues, dirt on their faces, living in the most difficult conditions, carrying their weapons at the ready at all times.

But, instead, at the battlefront we’re surprised to find the soldiers dressed in civilian clothes, playing volleyball, ping, pong, lying around the swimming poos, If such an army was defending our country from a hostile enemy, we’d have good reason to be alarmed!

The problem is that the army has forgotten its mission.

It things that its mission centers around its own comfort and having a good time.

Having forgotten its mission, it would easily fall to a hostile enemy.

If that enemy attacked, the members of the army might try to desert, claiming, “I didn’t sign up for this!

I signed up for all the benefits, but I had not idea I might get shot at!”

The American Church is allot like the army I have just described.

We have promoted the Christian life for all its benefits: “Come to Christ and He will give you peace and happiness.

He will help you overcome your problems.

The scriptures are clear that the Christian life is not a playground but a battlefield.

1)We own Jesus mission as our mission.

Paul says that he does all things for the sake of the gospel of Christ.

I want you to fully understand and take in what this text this morning is talking about.

There will be those on the day of judgment who will awake to be forever excluded from the kingdom of God and doomed to live forever in their shame and guilt.

Now on the other hand, it talks about the saints of God who will shine like the glory of God.

Nothing will be able to undo the final transformation, it will last forever.

The great commission given to us is not about cultural transformation, you may see churches today that are trying to be culturally relevant.

What is given to the bumbling band of Jesus disciples was not cultural transformation though that would actually come as a result of their message but a mission of gospel proclamation.

God’s cosmic plan is so much greater than the great commission, but what it is telling the Church to participate with God in his restoration and renewal of all things which would include not only re-creation but His fiery judgment.

We must understand that our witnessing and our proclaiming the gospel is the means by which God has chosen to bring people to Christ.

2) We own the goal to save some.

This is a sobering though for all of us, and it helps us understand the enormous task in front of us.

Maybe I can be Gods’ instrument He uses to save some.

It is a realistic goal to pray that God will use you to save some.

Nothing is more worth our time then to help others to get in a right relationship with God.

Nothing will help the world more than leading people to saving faith in Jesus Christ.

Nothing will help families more than leading family members to Christ.

We cannot save anyone, but the gospel has the power of God for Salvation.

3) We own the attitude of a servant.

Some translations use the word slave here.

Notice that Paul never thinks of himself first, but of those he serves and is compelled that God use him to draw them to himself.

Do you view the lost as an enemy to be fought or as those whom you are called to serve?

Do you look for opportunities to serve your neighbors or your lost family members?

If an unbeliever is rude to you do you act in anger towards them or look for an opportunity to show humility and grace.

2. Make it your Goal to Pursue Holiness.

“Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined, but the wicked shall act wickedly.

And none of the wicked shall understand, but those who are wise shall understand.”

The Danger of "Hydraulic Fluid" Holiness

There was quite a mix-up at the Duke University Hospitals in Raleigh and Durham, North Carolina.

Sometime in November 2004, maintenance workers had drained hydraulic fluid from the hospital elevators into empty detergent drums and then didn't get rid of the drums.

Through a strange series of events, the drums were mistakenly redistributed to the people who clean surgical instruments.

It took two months and 3,800 surgeries before anyone figured out something was wrong.

Washing the instruments in hydraulic fluid was not an effective means of sterilization.

The biggest question is, what kind of damage has been done to the patients?

No one was sure what the petroleum residue might do to people.

The hospital's head honcho assured the public, "We want to give people the message that we care about our patients," and no doubt they do.

But if their instruments weren't safe, they were a threat to their patients no matter how much they cared.

A church careless about holiness is like that!

We may care about our people, but we're a danger to them nonetheless.

It isn't enough to share the gospel with the lost; we must also be sure we act in holy ways and teach holiness as a way of life, lest we harm the people of God.

Is Holiness even a possibility since only God is holy?

Not only is holiness possible but it is necessary for the Believer.

Out of all the characteristics of God none is more significance than His Holiness.

His Holiness is listed 900 times in scripture.