Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
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John Barry: “How can we process a passage like this?
How can we handle this kind of depression?”
He’s got a point!
Lamentations is full of really depressing stuff… That’s why it’s titled “Lamentations”!!!
It is full of the writers “Laments”… His “whining” about the issues of the world… His tears are full of remorse, sadness, confusion, and heartbreak…
John Barry goes on to say that when he first read the book of Lamentations, “He wept.”
Because he understood the writers feelings…
Jn 11:35, the shortest verse in the Bible tells us simply:
When we look at the context, we see that it was (1) because of His compassion for people… He saw their heartbreak, their sorrow at the death of Lazarus, and He felt the loss of His friend…
But… On a deeper level, Jesus saw just what the writer of Lamentations saw… a lack of understanding… a lack of Faith…
We see this all the time… People who are lost… broken… misunderstanding…
People who have let the harshness… the brutality… the unloving and unjust ways of this world cause them to “lose Hope”…
We’ve all heard them…
“Why is the Bible so brutal?”
“Why would a ‘loving God’ allow children to die?”
“Why would a ‘loving God’ allow death, disease, abuse to run rampant in this world?”
“Why do bad things happen to good people?”
We have seen, met, even know… people who have lost Hope… lost Faith… in God because of something that happened in their lives…
So, What do we do in the face of the depravity and ungratefulness… the selfishness and greed of this world?
How do we answer these people?
How do we reveal a “Loving God” in the midst of these depictions of such a harsh, broken, and cruel world?
We celebrate!
We realize that these stories… these moments of violence and horror depicted in the Bible were meant to reveal the “rawness of humanity”… in all its ungratefulness and depravity…
These stories reveal people’s need for a savior!
But… the question is: “What does this have to do with ‘Authentic Christianity’?”
Simple…
Authentic Christianity celebrates our salvation… not just at Christmas… not just at Easter… But EVERYDAY!!!
Authentic Christianity is meant to reveal Christ to a lost and broken world…
Look at Romans 15:5-6
That word “Glorify” is “doxazomai”, it means “praise, speak words of glory.”
Paul uses that word over and over in this passage.
Romans 15:7–9 (NIV)
7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.
8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed
9 and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy…
Then he quotes from the OT:
Romans 15:9–12 (NIV)
9… As it is written: “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing the praises of your name.”
10 Again, it says, “Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people.”
11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles; let all the peoples extol him.”
12 And again, Isaiah says, “The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; in him the Gentiles will hope.”
Look at verse 13
Paul’s words here are full of Joy… of Hope… of Celebration… amen?
Look at what he says after this:
There is no doubt that Paul is celebrating his salvation and the work God has given him… amen!
We are supposed to live in celebration of our salvation every day!
Celebration of what God has done for us should infuse our lives… our work… our play… our worship…
So… Why don’t we?
Sometimes I wonder… Do we “get it”?
Do we really understand what Christ has done for us?
Look at 1 Peter 1:1-2
1 Peter 1:1–2 (NIV)
1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia,
2 who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.
Peter calls us “Those who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God”
Do you know what that means?!?
You have been predestined to be with God.
— How? (What does that mean?)
Why did God… the God who created Adam and Eve… who loved them… kick them out of the Garden?
Was He just being cruel?
Punishing them?
Do you “know” what His actions mean?
Do you really understand it?
God chose you, Right Then!
God began His work of Redemption, Right Then!
He didn’t wait… and He didn’t risk YOU being stuck in Sin…
One moment after “the Fall”… God chose YOU!
Do you get that?!?
One moment after we stepped away from Him, God RECLAIMED us!!!
1 Peter 1:2 (NRSV)
2 who have been chosen and destined by God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ and to be sprinkled with his blood: May grace and peace be yours in abundance.
You have been “REDEEMED” by God!
The moment you looked to the Cross… the moment you put your FAITH in Jesus… in what He did… and in what the Cross means…
God set you free!
It was God’s plan… from the very beginning…
It was God’s Purpose in Jesus… to REDEEM you and RESTORE you to Himself!
God has REPURPOSED you life!!!
1 Peter 1:2 (NIV)
2 who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.
What does that mean?
What is that work?
Notice--- God did not say “to follow our own thoughts”… “to do what ‘feels’ good”… “to just take care of ourselves”… or even “to do good works”… but to “Be Holy because I am Holy.”
We are called… we were chosen… to be made holy… to be sanctified by the Holy Spirit… in order to reveal God to the world!
Do you truly understand what that means?!?!
God CHOSE US!!!!
He reclaimed us!
He restored us!
He has repurposed us!!!
How awesome is that?!?!?!!!
Paul tells us in Rom 3:23
and in Rom 6:23
But look at Rom 7:22-25
We have something to Celebrate!!!!
So why don’t we?
Why don’t we celebrate?
Why aren’t we dancing in the streets?
Shouting for Joy from the rooftops?
Look at 2 Sam 6:12-16
King David was so full fo Joy over what God had done and was doing … over the PROMISE and HOPE of what was to come… that he couldn’t help but sing and dance!
But…
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