Sermon Tone Analysis

PRAY

I dearly love Buzz.

I say that in the present tense because Buzz’s earthly body has worn out and breathed its last, but his eternal soul is alive and well.

Better than he has ever been!

But even for many of the recent years of his life on earth, the Buzz that I have known exemplified steadfast love and faithfulness that are truly abnormal in this world; a man of integrity whose wife and children, as you have heard, have been richly blessed by his walk of faith in God.

William Miles Newton is truly a man after God’s own heart.

But how can we say such a thing, even in moments of sentimentality and remembrance?

If we are honest, in this life, was Buzz perfectly righteous in all his deeds, in all his words, in all the thoughts and motivations of his heart?

He would emphatically tell you, “No, absolutely not.”

So how can Buzz, or anyone for that matter, be truly called righteous?

We have a copy of Buzz’s testimony that we encourage you to read, if you haven’t already.

In it you will find that God transformed Buzz’s life through faith in Jesus, but Buzz would not have claimed to be perfectly righteous.

So how is Buzz perfectly righteous now to be in the presence of God, and how did God change Buzz so that he was able to become increasingly more like God as he walked on the earth?

When compared to the sinless perfection of God, and his worthiness to be worshipped, the Bible rightly says of us that…

“We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.”

(Is 64:6a) And...

“We all like sheep have gone astray, each one has turned to his own way.”

(Is 53:6a)

In a letter written to the Corinthian church, Paul says, “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?” 1 Cor.

6:9a

To the church in Rome, the Apostle Paul explains,

If no one is righteous, and no one can earn or merit his or her way into God’s favor, how can anyone be saved?

How can anyone love God and serve God as he should?

… “the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe” - Right standing with God comes through faith in the atoning work of Jesus on the cross.

There are most likely three kinds of people here celebrating Buzz’s life this morning.

Scoffers (atheists) -“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’”

(Prov.

14:1a) The person who waits until after his death to find out if there is a God is to be deeply pitied.

Because then it will be too late to reverse course and cast yourself on the mercy of God.

That will be the hour of judgment.

(Heb 9:27)

Doubters (agnostics) -The one who believes that God possibly or probably exists, and that perhaps it is sufficient to be a pretty good person, to perhaps do more good than bad, and ultimately hoping that God will weigh your deeds thus on a scale against the bad.

God isn’t interested in us thinking maybe he’s there and trying to be sort of good.

God wants to reveal himself to you and he wants all of you.

It’s all or nothing.

Maybe you even think that Jesus died and rose again to save us from our sin, but you still want to live your life the way you want to live it and you haven’t really submitted to Jesus as Lord, as Master, and asked him to save you.

Again, God wants your whole life.

Jesus isn’t interested in pseudo followers.

At the judgment, such people will find themselves on the outside looking in, separated from God.

(But finally,) Repentant sinners who cast themselves on the mercy of God through Jesus Christ to save us - There are those of us who know we cannot boast in ourselves but only in Christ, and yet we are growing to be more like him and we are eagerly awaiting his return.

Is Buzz perfectly righteous now?

Yes, he is.

Because God himself has completed his redemption.

Buzz wouldn’t want us to be boasting in his achievements, but rather to submit to Jesus as Lord and to boast in the grace and glory of God through Jesus Christ.

PRAY

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