Sermon Tone Analysis

Day 305

Joel 1:1-2:17; Hebrews 3:1-19; Psalm 119:137-144

“Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love” (Joel 2:13).

The call to return to the Lord is an urgent call: “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts” (Hebrews 3:7-8).

Those who have returned to the Lord acknowledge that His way is best – “Righteous are You, O Lord, and Your laws are right” (Psalm 119:137).

They delight in doing God’s will: “Your commands are my delight” (Psalm 119:143).

Day 306

Joel 2:18-3:21; Hebrews 4:1-13; Psalm 119:145-152

As in Hebrews 3, we find again, in Hebrews 4, the words, “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts” (Hebrews 4:7).

The Word of God speaks of “the coming of the great and dreadful Day of the Lord” (Joel 2:31).

We are called to decision – “Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision” (Joel 3:14).

To those who are in the valley of decision, God says, ‘Everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved’” (Joel 2:32).

In response to this invitation, we are to say, “I call with all my heart; answer me, O Lord, and I will obey Your decrees.

I call out to You; save me and I will keep Your statutes” (Psalm 119:145-146).

Day 307

Ezekiel 1:1-3:27; Hebrews 4:14-5:10; Psalm 119:153-160

“Visions of God” – This is what we have in Ezekiel.

These visions are not easy to understand.

Their form emphasizes that God is beyond our understanding.

We see the glory of God, and we fall before Him in worship (Ezekiel 3:23).

We are not, however, to content ourselves with seeing the glory of God as we worship Him.

We are to share the glory of God as we witness for Him (Ezekiel 3:27).

As we consider this high calling – to worship the Lord and to be His witnesses, we become conscious of our weakness.

This is where Jesus helps us.

He is able “to sympathize with our weaknesses.”

Through Him, “we … receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:15-16).

Discovering the mercy and grace of God in Christ, we say to God, in worship, “Your compassion is great, O Lord” (Psalm 119:156).

Day 308

Ezekiel 4:1-6:14; Hebrews 5:11-6:12; Proverbs 26:23-27:4

“Alas! because of all the wicked and detestable practices of the house of Israel, for they will fall by the sword, famine and plague” (Ezekiel 6:11).

Alongside these words concerning Israel’s sin and fall, we place the solemn words of Hebrews 6:4-6, words which warn us of the danger of falling away, stressing the importance of pressing on in the “things that accompany salvation” (Hebrews 6:9).

“Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth” (Proverbs 27:1).

We must not take anything for granted.

Day-by-day, we are dependent on the mercy and grace of God.

Without His mercy and grace, we will fall.

Through His mercy and grace, we will stand.

Day 309

Ezekiel 7:1-9:11; Hebrews 6:13-7:10; Psalm 119:161-168

The prophet was shown “the utterly detestable things the house of Israel is doing here (in the Temple), things that will drive Me (God) far from My sanctuary” (Ezekiel 8:6).

There were, however, “those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it” (Ezekiel 9:4).

There was to be judgment, but it would not fall on those who loved the Lord and His House (Ezekiel 9:6).

As we read of the “sanctuary”, which was defiled, we read also, in Hebrews 6:19-20, of the sanctuary which will never be defiled: “the inner sanctuary ….

where Jesus … has entered on our behalf.”

How are we to respond to the defiling of the sanctuary?

We are to spend more time, giving our love to Jesus, entering “the inner sanctuary” where He is – “I hate and abhor falsehood but I love Your law.

Seven times a day I praise You for Your righteous laws” (Psalm 119:163-164).

Day 310

Ezekiel 10:1-12:28; Hebrews 7:11-28; Psalm 119:169-176

“The glory of the Lord” (Ezekiel 11:23) – This is what the visions are about.

The glory of the Lord is most fully revealed in Christ.

His glory is revealed in salvation, in His power “to save completely those who come to God through Him” (Hebrews 7:25).

As we read in Scripture of this great salvation, we must pray, from our hearts: “I long for Your salvation, O Lord, and Your law is my delight” (Psalm 119:174).

Salvation is not a self-centred experience, all for me, no give and all take.

It is a God-centred experience which leads to service, a life committed to doing His will.

Day 311

Ezekiel 13:1-15:8; Hebrews 8:1-13; Psalm 120:1-7

God speaks against “those who prophesy out of their own imagination … who follow their own spirit” (Ezekiel 13:2-3).

In the face of such false prophets, we must pray, “Save me, O Lord, from lying lips and from deceitful tongues” (Psalm 120:2).

How does the Lord save us from lying lips and deceitful tongues?

He leads us to the One who is the Truth, our Lord Jesus Christ “who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by man” (Hebrews 8:2).

How does Jesus save us from lying lips and deceitful tongues?

This is what He does: “I will put My laws in their minds and write them on their hearts” (Hebrews 8:10).

Day 312

Ezekiel 16:1-63; Hebrews 9:1-15; Proverbs 27:5-14

The promises of God are given in Ezekiel 16 – “I will remember the covenant I made with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you … So I will establish My covenant with you, and you will know that I am the Lord” (Ezekiel 16:60,62).

These promises are fulfilled in “Christ … the Mediator of a new covenant.”

Through Him, we “receive the promised eternal inheritance.”

Through His death “as a ransom”, we are “set … free from the sins committed under the first covenant” (Hebrews 9:15).

“Take the garment of one who puts up security for a stranger” (Proverbs 27:13) – Through faith in Christ, we receive the garment of His perfect righteousness.

Trusting in Him, we are no longer strangers to God.

We are secure in His salvation.

Day 313

Ezekiel 17:1-18:32; Hebrews 9:16-28; Psalm 121:1-8

The Word of God calls us to repentance – “Repent and live!” (Ezekiel 18:32).

This repentance does not earn salvation for us.

While we are called to “repent and live”, we must understand that eternal life is God’s gift, given to us on the basis of Christ’s death as the perfect sacrifice for our sins: “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22).

The foundation of our salvation is Christ’s death for our sins: “Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people.”

There is an appropriate response to His saving death.

We are to wait for Him – He “brings salvation to those who are waiting for Him” (Hebrews 9:28).

As we wait for Him, we look forward to life “both now and for evermore” (Psalm 121:8).

Day 314

Ezekiel 19:1-20:44; Hebrews 10:1-18; Psalm 122:1-9

God is gracious.

Despite all the sin of Israel, described in great detail in these chapters of Ezekiel, God still says, “I will accept you as fragrant incense” (Ezekiel 20:41).

He still says, “I deal with you for My Name’s sake and not according to your evil ways and your corrupt practices” (Ezekiel 20:44).

How does God deal with us in mercy and grace?

He does so through Jesus Christ: “we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10).

Concerning Jerusalem, the Psalmist prays, “May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels” (Psalm 122:7).

This is what we have “in Christ” – peace and security.

In Him, we have been removed from the realm of our own sin and guilt.

we have been placed in His peace and security.

Day 315

Ezekiel 20:45-22:22; Hebrews 10:19-39; Psalm 123:1-4

Human sin and divine judgment, described in such detail in these chapters of Ezekiel – this is the backcloth against which we are called to go on with the Lord: “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God” (Hebrews 10:26-27).

In the face of our sin and God’s judgment, “our eyes look to the Lord our God, till He shows us His mercy.”

We pray, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us” (Psalm 123:3).

Day 316

Ezekiel 22:23-23:49; Hebrews 11:1-16; Proverbs 27:15-22

The contrast between a life of sin and shame and a life of faith and blessing is highlighted in the comparison between the passages in Ezekiel and Hebrews.

The contrast is between living for the things we see – “She saw men … As soon as she saw them she lusted after them” (Ezekiel 23:14-16) – and living and “longing for a better country – a heavenly one” (Hebrews 11:16).