Sermon Tone Analysis

Secular -

Here are a couple of stories about people who faced consequences for their actions, lack thereof, or someone else’s actions.

A pastor is walking down the street one day when he notices a very small boy trying to press a doorbell on a house across the street.

However, the boy is very small and the doorbell is too high for him to reach.

After watching the boys efforts for some time, the pastor moves closer to the boy’s position.

He steps smartly across the street, walks up behind the little fellow and, placing his hand kindly on the child’s shoulder leans over and gives the doorbell a solid ring.

Crouching down to the child’s level, the pastor smiles benevolently and asks, “And now what, my little man?”

To which the boy replies, “Now we run!”

A Baker was asked to print 1 John 4:18 on a wedding cake.

He forgot, and instead printed John 4:18.

1st John 4:18 (ESV) reads “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.”

John 4:18 (ESV) on the other hand reads “For you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband.”

Historical/Cultural Context -

Paul preached the gospel in Corinth in the early 50s AD during his second missionary journey (Acts 18:1–18).

When opposition grew fierce there, the Lord Jesus spoke to him in a vision assuring him that he had ‘many people’ in the city (Acts 18:10).

With this encouragement, Paul stayed on for eighteen months, ‘teaching them the word of God’ (Acts 18:11).

God used Paul’s ministry to bring about the birth and establishment of the church in Corinth.

Biblical Text -

-[Prayer]-

Life Principle - Christians Can Still Face Consequences For Our Sin, But God Made A Way For Us To Escape Our Temptation To Sin.

Life Point- The God of The Old Covenant Is Still The God of The New Covenant

Exegetical -

Homiletical -

Has Paul stopped talking to and about other Christians?

The answer is no

He is talking about all of these calamities that befell the people of Israel as the left the land of Egypt for their sins and that it was an example for us.

As in things not to do.

Do not be caught in these sins you who have become Christians who have tasted of the Spirit of God, who have become regenerate in His presence.

The Christian, can and still does sin.

Just because you are a Christian it does not excuse your actions.

Sin is still sin and God still says “Stop doing it!”

They all ate the same spiritual and physical food in the desert.

That is what was called manna from heaven.

Jesus is compared to manna and water hear because He gives life.

There are a lot of people who will say this is Just talking in parables, he isn’t being literal.

In a sense they are correct and in a sense they are completely wrong.

If you have had that born-again experience you know that you were changed you can feel the spiritual difference it is almost tangible.

This change this spiritual experience is one that you are supposed to keep going back to Jesus to get more of.

When we are in sin, we stop that work in us.

That experience seems to wane and even go away some, until we repent.

Let me tell you Christian, we are subject to Judgement just as they were for their sins.

God forgives sin, but sometimes there is a physical consequence that must still be paid.

Let me say it another way.

Just because you have been saved of an eternity in torment it doesn’t mean that every sin you commit or omit moving forward will not have some kind of consequence or judgement on it.

Especially those habitual sins that so many people are guilty of.

Those sins that just seem too linger and hang on.

The problem is that if we keep holding on to the habitual sins and then surrender to them and quit fighting against sin, then you can bet you will have some very real consequences in this life.

The most obvious and most precious consequence for us is the grieving of The Holy Spirit.

It is a kind of hinderance or stop on your soul and can cause you emotional issues, even depression in your life.

Because you know what it is like to walk with God and then all of a sudden that river, that newness, that power is significantly decreased.

This is a command.

Don’t grieve God.

Sin grieves God.

Repent of sin and turn away from it, and come back into right relationship with Him.

Let me give you a very real sin that has very real problems for both clergy and the layman.

Pornography - it is pervasive, a sin, and is evil.

A while ago I wash watching this thread online, it was about spiritual discussions amongst people and a man got on there and stated that his addiction to that stuff was so bad that he couldn’t walk by his computer room without being sucked into that evil for 8-10 hours at a time.

He lost his job, his wife, and his kids.

Not once, but twice.

Some Statistics on this:

47% of families in the United States reported that it is a problem in their home.

The use of it by men or women increases the adultery rate by more than 300%.

56% of American divorces involve one party having an “obsessive interest” in it.

68% of church-going men and over 50% of pastors view it on a regular basis.

Thats not have seen it, but actively view it.

This sin doesn’t just affect men.

It affects women and is becoming an epidemic and growing addiction for them

31% of women 18-34 purposely watch it.

1 out of 3 women will watch at minimum once a week.

That is the minimum

Only 13% of Christian women say that hey don’t watch it on a regular basis.

That leaves 87% of Christian women who do watch.

50% of all women in the U.S. say that it is a perfectly acceptable thing to be involved in.

We will get to this in an upcoming chapter but:

I have been looking at counseling books, from a Christian perspective, as part of my ongoing education as a pastor.

I believe that when you stop learning, you stop living.

Everyone should be life-long learners.

New research is showing that your brain has electrical impulses that work along the neural pathways.

When one is exposed and bound up in this sin, it literally creates new neural pathways in your physical brain.

Your dopamine levels increase, which is the same thing that a drug does on the brain.

It literally rewires how you think.

Studies show that those involved in this habitual sin become desensitized to it and need it more and more to get the same high.

If you have ever met someone on drugs, who then comes off drugs and stays off of it for a year or more their personality literally changes and always for the better.

The same is true with this sin.

It’s not just that doing this circumvents your normal response to your spouse, it’s not that it is taking your time away from those who need you and want to be with you, it’s not just the fact that it opens you up to more and greater sins in this physical arena, but you are literally changing who you are and who God wants you to be.

You are messing yourself up spiritually, emotionally, relationally, and even physically because of this sin.

God wants better for us.

He didn’t want to stop your fun, He wants you to live to your best potential.

Sin will take you farther than you want to go, cost you more than you want to pay, and keep you longer than you want to stay.

We are not to be Idolaters, which means putting anything in front of your priorities to God.

You can put your car, motorcycle, boat, wife and even Kids in front of God.

They can become an idol to you.

This has consequences for your life.

We are not to tempt Christ.

Don’t walk out of here and say to yourself “I know what the preacher said, but I don’t believe him.

I am going to do what I want.”

Christian that is a mistake.

We are not to complain to God about everything He provides.

The Israelites complained about the manna God provided because they wanted meat.

They complained later that there were giants in the land that God had provided them.