Sermon Tone Analysis

Tried and Proved Like a Sailor

Psalm 17:3; 26:2; 66:10; Hebrews 5:8; James 1:12

Preaching Themes: Education, Pride, Suffering, Weakness

A man who has never been on board ship says, “I am a splendid sailor.”

I have heard such boasting often.

But I have seen that same gentleman, when we had started only a quarter of an hour, and he has learned that there is not so much of the sailor in him as he thought.

In a similar manner, some people are fine Christians until they are tried and proved.

They never have any doubt or fear whatsoever.

But put them in the circumstances of others of God’s children, and they are the very first to show signs of weakness.279

In Mark 14 we see that Peter has denied the Jesus that he has long loved.

Why?

Maybe it was fear of the flesh, maybe it was doubt that Christ was the Messiah.

For the 21st century christian it is easily seen that Jesus was the Messiah but for the first century Jew is was challenging to see how Jesus was the Messiah if he would be killed.

If we examine the gospel of Mark we can see that over and over again the disciples failed to see that Jesus would die.

How could he die?

He was not meant to die but to conquer.

He was not a sacrifice but a king.

So was the expectations of the apostle's.

Yet he was what they expected but their eyes had not yet been opened.

He was a conqueror.

He defeated death, sin, and the grave.

Yet, his victory was that which could not be seen with the human eye but rather only through the spirit.

There are multiple angles from which Jesus was rejected.

He was rejected by Peter in chapter fourteen.

He was rejected by the Jews in vs 6-14, 26-32.

He was rejected by the Father in vs. 34 Ps.

22.1

Peter rejected him because of concern for himself.

The Jews rejected him out of covetousness.

The Father rejected him out of divine character.

He was faithful to Peter.

He forgave the Jews.

He followed the Father.

However, we see that this is the same abandonment that the church is committing today.

Yet, God has promised to never abandon His people.

Matthew 28:20 (NASB95)

teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

As we look at the state of the SBC and the effects of Covid you may be saying this morning that the church is dead.

I’ve heard pastor after pastor say the SBC is dead.

However, the church lives because Jesus lives.

The gospel is greater than the SBC its greater than the U.S. government.

True Christianity Is Like a Larch Tree

Lamentations 3:27; Acts 14:22

Preaching Themes: Comfort, Conflict, Discouragement, Persecution, Suffering

Many years ago a larch was brought to England.

The gentleman who brought it put it in his hothouse, but it did not develop in a healthy manner.

It was a spindly thing, and therefore the gardener, feeling that he could not make anything of it, took it up and threw it out on the dunghill.

There it grew into a splendid tree, for it had found a temperature suitable to its nature.

The tree was meant to grow near the snow; it loves cold winds and rough weather, and they had been sweating it to death in a hothouse.

So it is with true Christianity.

It seldom flourishes so well in the midst of ease and luxury as it does in great tribulation.

Christians are often all the stronger and better because they happen to be cast where they have no Christian companions or kindly encouragements.

As liberty usually favors the hardy mountaineers whose rugged hills have made them brave and hardy, so does abounding grace, as a rule, visit those who endure the great fight of affliction and through much tribulation inherit the kingdom.280

Therefore the church must decide, what will we do now with Jesus?

This is a question that every child of God and every church must decide.

The Spirit of God has not lost His power, if the church is dead it is because we have abandoned our source of life.

If the SBC is dead it is because it has rejected the foundation of Gods Word.

If you are spiritually dead then I ask of you this morning to come to the foot of the cross where there is life and life abundant.

There are a few things that we must hold too.

I.

We must remember who we serve.

To often we are prone to

We serve God and not ourselves.

II.

We must remember why we serve.

We serve the Gospel

III.

We must hold to the assurance that Jesus is greater than our past.

Sometimes we stumble and fall.

There is no pastor that has ever minister4d who has risen above failures.

However, we have assurance that Jesus is greater than our humanly limitations.

Just like Daniel in the lions den, the three Hebrew children in the fiery furnace, and Samson after he had sinned.

God is able to take our circumstances and do what we are unable to do.

Peter had failed.

He had denied the God whom he loved.

Yet God still loved him and gave himself for Peter.

Likewise, even after the failure and forgiveness, we see that Peter was filled and used by God.

I’m glad this morning that God is able to take work through us to accomplish the task of His kingdom.

The question today is this, “WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?”

The world is looking down but the child of God is looking up.