Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Called as Pastor of FBC Bagdad five years ago yesterday.

We must continually place ourselves under the authorities set over us by God, or we will eventually walk out from under authority and do what is right in our own sight.

True joy is deeply rooted in knowledge of God’s law.

We will see five exhortations for each of these.

Five exhortations for obedience to the spiritual authority God has placed over us, and five exhortations for blessing in that obedience.

Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint

Imagine we woke up tomorrow and every speed limit sign, stop sign, and traffic signal was gone.

Every sign indicating street names, points of yielding traffic, one way roads, merge lanes, pedestrian crossings, construction zones… all of it gone.

Every lane marker.

Every railroad warning and barrier.

Every “no parking” sign.

Every weight limit sign.

Every school zone and warning of children at play.

Not only that, but no city police officer, county sheriff, or state highway patrolman cared to stop traffic violations any more.

There are many in our world that say we need to be treated as adults and trusted to be responsible.

That the elimination of rule of law is better for society.

That personal freedoms should never be restricted or regulated by government.

Yet I observe that within the past two weeks traffic backed up for more than two miles on Nine mile road and Guidy lane in Pensacola because the traffic light stopped functioning as it was supposed to and reset to flashing yellow for those driving east to west, and flashing red for southbound traffic from Guidy lane.

FIVE EXHORTATIONS FOR OBEDIENCE

The first three:

1. Remember your leaders

a.

The message they spoke

b.

Their way of life

This is a capstone to teaching about the qualifications of elders within the church.

2. Imitate their faith

Paul expressed this in 1 Cor 11:1 as

This is why leaders are held to a higher standard, because they are meant to be the example to be followed and emulated.

This principle was in place at the very founding of the church.

3. Do not be led away by strange teachings

Our world is filled with bodies of people who claim to follow Christ and yet pervert His words

As you deepen in your faith you must come face to face with bad doctrine and rebuke it.

Illustration: Being challenged as a young believer that if one is saved they must speak in tongues.

How can we possibly know how to rebuke tongues of salvation, prosperity gospel, unitarianism, praying to saints, indulgences, decisional and baptismal regeneration (or the ideas that by your own actions you are justified)?

Wednesdays we are finishing our series on Creeds, Catechisms, and Confessions with the Second London Baptist Confession of 1689.

It is a study that requires work, but it is rich, informative discussion that helps us stand firm on good doctrine that is backed up by scripture.

FOR OUR FOURTH EXHORTATION

4. Obey your leaders and submit to them

If you are a church member, you are called to place yourself before the pastors of the church for instruction, and before the membership of the church for accountability.

FOR OUR FIFTH EXHORTATION

5. Pray for your leaders

How do you pray for the ministers in your church?

Blessed is he who keeps the law

Blessed - In the Hebrew, the root is the same as HAPPY/HAPPINESS.

We see this concept of deep joy and happiness throughout the scriptures.

One more: What we just read in Hebrews 13 speaks of the joy that is brought to your leaders

FIVE EXHORTATIONS FOR BLESSING

Flee from ungodly teaching

Confess your sins before God and stand on the Solid Rock of Christ

Let your speech be seasoned with grace

Delight in the scriptures, for within them God reveals our salvation

Study the scriptures, for they are the divinely preserved Word of the God we love