Sermon Tone Analysis

ATTENTION:

God has enlisted us in his navy and placed us on his ship.

The boat has one purpose-to carry us safely to the other shore.

This is no cruise ship; it is a battleship.

We aren’t called to a life of leisure, we are called to a life of service.

Each of us has a different task.

Some, concerned with those who are drowning, are snatching people from the water.

Others are occupied with the enemy, so they man the cannons of prayer and worship.

Still others devote themselves to the crew, feeding and training the crew members.

Though different, we are the same.

Each can tell of a personal encounter with the captain, for each has received a personal call.

He found us among the shanties of the seaport and invited us to follow him.

Our faith was born at the sight of his fondness, and so we went.

We each followed him across the gangplank of his grace onto the same boat.

There is one captain and one destination.

Though the battle is fierce, the boat is safe, for our captain is God.

The ship will not sink.

For that, there is no concern.

There is concern, however, regarding the disharmony of the crew.

When we first boarded we assumed the crew was made up of others like us.

But as we’ve wandered these decks, we’ve encountered curious converts with curious appearances.

Some wear uniforms we’ve never seen, sporting styles we’ve never witnessed.

“Why do you look the way you do?” we ask them.

“Funny,” they reply.

“we were about the ask the same of you.”

The variety of dress is not nearly as disturbing as the plethora of opinions.

There is a group, for example, who clusters every morning for serious study.

They promote rigid discipline and somber expressions.

“Serving the captain is serious business,” they explain.

It’s no coincidence that they tend to congregate around the stern.

There is another regiment deeply devoted to prayer.

Not only do they believe in prayer, they believe in prayer by kneeling.

For that reason you always know where to locate them, they are at the bow of the ship.

And then there are a few who staunchly believe real wine should be used in the Lord’s Supper.

You’ll find them on the port side.

Still another group has positioned themselves near the engine.

They spend hours examining the nuts and bolts of the boat.

They’ve been know to go below deck and not come up for days.

They occasionally are criticized by those who linger on the top deck, feeling the wind in their hair and the sun on their face.

“It’s not what you learn,” those topside argue.

“It’s what you feel that matters.”

And, oh, how we tend to cluster.

Some think once you’re on the boat, you can’t get off.

Others say you’d be foolish to go overboard, but the choice is yours.

Some believe you volunteer for service, others believe you were destined for the service before the ship was even built.

Some predict a storm of great tribulation will strike before we dock, others say it won’t his until we are safely ashore.

There are those who speak to the captain in a personal language.

There are those who thing such languages are extinct.

There are those who think the officers should wear robes, there are those who think there should be no officers at all, and there are those who think we are all officers and should all wear robes.

And oh, how we tend to cluster.

And then there is the issue of the weekly meeting at which the captain is thanked and his words are read.

All agree on its importance, but few agree on its nature.

Some want it loud, others quiet.

Some want ritual, others spontaneity.

Some want to celebrate so they can meditate, others meditate so they can celebrate.

Some want a meeting for those who’ve gone overboard.

Others want to reach those overboard but without going over board and neglecting those on board.

And, oh, how we tend to cluster.

The consequence is a rocky boat.

There is trouble on deck.

Fights have broken out.

Sailors have refused to speak to each other.

There have even been times when one group refused to acknowledge the presence of others on the ship.

Most tragically, some adrift at sea have chosen not to board the boat because of the quarreling of the sailors.

What a shame!

It’s a terrible shame that, among those who should be unified there exists such disharmony.

And I hear what some might be saying.

“Well, Rusty, that may be true of other churches, but its not true of us!

Our church is absolutely together.

We’re all about spreading the gospel here at Peace and Satan cannot get any daylight between us.”

Well, I know we’d like to think that, me especially, but I must tell you that we are not unified in every area.

In fact there is one area where we are divided and we just don’t recognize it.

NEED

What is that area?

It is our stewardship.

This may be the greatest area of division and disharmony in our church.

It is glossed over because we do not, nor are we about to publish what each person gives.

But if you were to get Dave, our bookkeeper’s password and open up the church database today, when you looked at the giving report, you’d find a divided congregation.

Now, let me just say from the beginning that I know the danger of this message.

Few people like to hear it and I really would rather not preach it, but facts are facts!

When it comes to giving, this is a divided congregation.

We are divided into at least three groups.

Group one I call the “excuse-makers.”

For whatever reason . . .

or should I say, for whatever excuse they find available, they do not give.

They may even act like they do and they might even talk about others who don’t, but they never give.

They may claim to be on board with reaching this town and this world or touching the lives of children through this wonderful new facility we are building, but they have never and will never put their money where their mouth is.

They excuse their lack of participation by saying things like, “I can’t afford to tithe,” or “I just don’t like the way the church spends the money.”

By the way, 408 of our 1008 members, which is fully 40% of the people that are members of this church, never give one red cent.

They are excuse makers.

And then there are the convenience bankers.

These are the people who actually do give, but they do not tithe.

Their gifts range from a penny to what would almost be considered a tithe for the average job in our area.

But, for whatever reason, they never fully come on board.

In most cases, it is simply because their giving comes last.

They give God the left-overs when it is comes handy, or when some dire need ravages their emotions.

Simply put, convenience rules their giving plan.

394 of our members, or, again, about 40% of our church family fits this category, and, in case you wonder how much they give it’s around . . .

are you ready for this? . . .

18% of the money given.