Sermon Tone Analysis

2 Chronicles 1:1-2:18

Lord, we need Your wisdom (2 Chronicles 1:10).

We need Jesus – He is Your wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:30).

Without Jesus, we’re fools.

We may think that we’re wise – but we’re not.

Jesus makes us wise.

True wisdom comes from Him.

When we build our lives on Jesus, we are truly wise (Matthew 7:24-27).

Lord, give us Your wisdom – the wisdom that knows the most important thing: Jesus is our Saviour.

2 Chronicles 3:1-5:1

Lord, You call us to work for You, to “work in the Temple of the Lord” (2 Chronicles 4:11; 2 Chronicles 5:1).

This is no ordinary work.

It’s spiritual work.

It is “most holy” (2 Chronicles 3:8,10; 2 Chronicles 4:22).

Real work come for You emerges from true worship of You.

Before we can be Your workers, we must be your worshippers.

Teach us, Lord, to worship You.

As we worship You, may we receive from You the strength that we need to work for You.

2 Chronicles 5:2-6:42

Without Your blessing, Lord, our worship is empty.

We need Your blessing.

We pray for Your blessing.

May “the glory of the Lord fill the House of God” (2 Chronicles 5:14).

This is our prayer.

We pray for the preachers.

We pray for the people.

May each and every one of us be blessed by You.

May we be “clothed with Your salvation.”

May we “rejoice in Your goodness” (2 Chronicles 6:41).

2 Chronicles 7:1-22

Lord, You’re calling us to pray – and You’re giving us Your promise of blessing (2 Chronicles 7:14).

We ask, “Where is the blessing?”

You turn our question around.

You say to us, “Where is the prayer?”

This is challenging, Lord.

Help us to keep on praying – and to keep on believing that there will be blessing, Your blessing – the forgiveness of our sin and the healing of our land (2 Chronicles 7:14).

2 Chronicles 8:1-9:31

Lord, we look at Solomon – and we see ourselves.

There is strength (2 Chronicles 8:16) – and there is weakness (2 Chronicles 8:11; 2 Chronicles 9:12).

We want to love You more, but the world keeps on pulling us back – away from you and into sin.

We come to You, Lord.

We come in our weakness.

We ask for Your strength.

May our comfort and convenience never become more important to us than our consecration and commitment to You.

2 Chronicles 10:1-11:23

Lord, we see division among Your people: "Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day" (2 Chronicles 10:19).

You are not pleased.

You say, "Do not go up to fight against your brothers" (2 Chronicles 11:4).

This is not just ancient history.

It's our problem.

It's a big problem.

We still need to hear the words of Jesus - "a house ... divided against itself cannot stand" (Mark 3:25).

There are to be "no divisions" among us (1 Corinthians 1:10).

We are "all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28).

Lord, help us, in our praying and our living, to echo the prayer of Jesus: "May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me" (John 17:21,23).

2 Chronicles 12:1-13:22

Lord, You're calling us to make our choice - What kind of life will we live?

Will it be "He did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking the Lord" (2 Chronicles 12:14)?

or Will it be "As for us, the Lord is our God and we have not forsaken Him" (2 Chronicles 13:10)?

When, Lord, unbelief and disobedience are threatening to take over our lives, help us to hear Your Word of warning: "Do not fight against the Lord ... you will not succeed" - and help us to speak the words of faith: "God is with us; He is our Leader" (2 Chronicles 13:12).

2 Chronicles 14:1-16:14

Lord, we see so much of ourselves in Asa.

He started well - "Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God" (2 Chronicles 14:2).

He ended badly - "He did not rely on the Lord his God ... even in his disease he did not seek the Lord" (2 Chronicles 16:7-9,12).

Help us, Lord, to hear and heed the words of Jesus: "No-one who puts his hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the Kingdom of God" (Luke 9:62); "He who endures to the end will be saved" (Mark 13:13).

Help us to "go on" with You and for you (Hebrews 6:1).

2 Chronicles 17:1-18:34

Lord, we read of “the first ways of … David” (2 Chronicles 17:3).

He had started off so well – “the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power” (1 Samuel 16:13).

Sadly, he took his eyes off You – and he fell away from You (2 Samuel 11:2-5).

What about us, Lord?

Have we “lost our first love” (Revelation 2:4)?

You’re calling us back to Yourself.

Help us to return to You – “Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.

Break me, melt me, mould me, fill me.”

2 Chronicles 19:1-20:37

Lord, we see two sides of Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 19:2-3) – two sides of ourselves!

There is the godly side – “O Lord … our eyes are upon You” (2 Chronicles 20:12).

There is the sinful side – “Jehoshaphat … made an alliance with Ahaziah … who was guilty of wickedness” (2 Chronicles 20:35).

Lord, You know our weakness.

Help us to come to You, in our weakness.

Help us to receive new strength, Your strength, the strength that we need to live a more godly life, a life that brings glory to You and blessing to us.

2 Chronicles 21:1-23:21

Lord, we live in difficult times.

Many are choosing to do what is “evil in the sight of the Lord” (2 Chronicles 21:6).

Help us to make another choice, a better choice.

Help us to choose to “be the Lord’s people” (2 Chronicles 23:16) – “O happy day! that fixed my choice on Thee, my Saviour and my God … ‘Tis done, the great transaction’s done!

I am my Lord’s, and He is mine!

… High heaven that heard the solemn vow, that vow renewed shall daily hear… “

2 Chronicles 24:1-25:28

Lord, we read the words – “He turned away from the Lord” (2 Chronicles 25:27), and our hearts are sad.

Is this only the story of other people?

Is it not also our own story?

You’re calling us to stop turning away from You. You’re calling us to start turning to You.

Help us to walk with You in the light of Your Word – “Be watchful, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13).

2 Chronicles 26:1-28:27

Help us, Lord, to learn from the failure of King Uzziah.

He began well – “He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord … He set himself to seek God” (2 Chronicles 26:4-5).

He lost his way – “When he was strong, he grew proud, and he was false to the Lord his God” ( 2 Chronicles 26:16).

Help us, Lord to become better people – not bitter people!