Sermon Tone Analysis

I had the scariest thing ever happen to me when I was 14 years old.

God calling down from heaven, speaking into my heart and soul to tell me I was to be a preacher of the gospel and a pastor of His people.

Exciting.

Horrifying.

My preaching and pastoral ministries professor in College was called at 16, began preaching and pastoring at 16. H. B. Charles, Jr. - 17 in LA church.

“I really don’t want to but I can’t stand being a Christian and hate coming to church.

I don’t want to feel that way, but that is how I have been made to feel.

So many people are already look at us to criticize us.

Several people hear already judge us.

The experiences here of how some have treated us, the people I love dearly, have just ruined church for me.

I just can’t stand coming anymore or trying to be a Christian because I know I am not that good, but these other people, man.

You know we have a standard to live up to.

People in other groups they are not acting this

Not me......called at 14......lived as a prodigal son for the next 10 yrs because it was the scariest thing ever.

The first few months I was excited, but soon I began to think, “I have been a Christian for 5 yrs now, and I am not doing a very good job at being one.”

I also began to think, “if I am letting my parents down with all this behavior and lack of good grades then surely God is mad at me.” “If I cannot be a good Christian, then I sure will never become a good pastor.”

You know how church members are about pastors, their wives and kids......way up here as to the standards......everyone else......way down here.

I looked at my pastor as perfect, because I thought that is what he was and what I would have to become.

I knew there was no way I could ever be perfect enough to be a pastor let alone please God, so I gave up and kept up appearance at church, but turned to worldly living.

Doubt is a normal part of being human and being a believer, but for some Christians it goes beyond that.

In the area of Spiritual growth, it goes from doubt to depression.

You possibly have felt the pressure.

The expectations are way too high.

The goals are too far away.

The church asks too much.

Peer pressure is too tough.

You feel you just cannot do it.

No hope.

When I read this passage my hope is renewed because it lets me see me how God sees me.

It lets me love me how God loves me.

It motivates me the way God wants to motivate me.

It lets me know that no matter how many times I make a mistake or fail as a Christian and as a pastor, Jesus will pick me back up, because His hand never lets go of me.

My prayer is as we read it you will find the same kind of Hope because Together We Win

STAND AND GET THE BLOOD FLOWING.

STAND AND HONOR OUR HOLY GOD.

Hope: Together We Win

Philippians

Hope: Together We Win

Hope: Together We Win

Do you get that sense of hope Paul has as he seeks to finish his time on earth well, in living for Jesus?

There are several different approaches that people take in living out their Christianity and spiritual growth, besides what Paul does here.

Their approach is just that, theirs, not God’s intention for all of us.

Some people deal with their struggle for spiritual growth by:

Faking It

You have heard the phrase “fake it until you make it.”

In the psychological world it relates to imitating competence or having a positive mindset until a change in one’s behavior.

In the spiritual world it does not accomplish the goal Paul speaks of here because sanctification/spiritual growth is about heart transformation not behavior modification.

For these people what God and people don’t know won’t hurt them

this is pretending to have it all together,

pretending to have it all together, no problems in your home, in your head or in your heart.

Literally projecting the persona of perfection.

Churches can encourage this when they gather when they do not practice the “one anothers” No one shares because no one wants to be seen as having a problem or burden to bare.

Preachers create this culture in the church by perpetuating the persona of perfection, a holier than thou attitude.

Preachers, without that attitude, and their families can get burnout in the ministry by falling prey to the pressure of thinking they have to put up a good front to keep people from talking about them or trying to please everyone.

Paul was not a people pleaser.

He only sought to do what God asked of him.

We see in v. 14 he kept his eyes on the prize, Jesus Christ, which freed him from the worry of what others thought about him.

He kept a daily remembrance of his salvation experience - saying in v. 12 - “I make an effort for a reason”

Paul was not a people pleaser.

He only sought to do what God asked of him.

We see in v. 14 he kept his eyes on the prize, Jesus Christ, which freed him from the worry of what others thought about him.

He kept a daily remembrance of his salvation experience - saying in v. 12 - “I make an effort for a reason”

The best way to overcome this struggle is to pray, asking God to open your eyes so you can see spiritually.

You need humility to be honest about your current reality.

When we try to fake it we are the only ones being fooled.

We need God to remove our rose colored glasses of hypocrisy, and tear down our grandiose illusions of perfection.

His reason should be our reason - Jesus has taken hold of you in salvation - you have not forgotten the wonder of the gospel and God’s amazing Grace - your growth will be the outflow of His grace.

Maybe that is not you.

Do you struggle with your spiritual growth by trying to:

Force It

These people become super religiously organized

For these people, God and others (parents, spouses, bosses) have extremely high expectations and won’t be happy if all are not met.

They have several prayer plans and times.

Do at least two Bible reading plans a day, and they are a part of SS class and 2 other small groups.

Someone who is trying to force their growth as a Christian will become emotionally and spiritually OCD - compulsively controling their lives and trying very hard to control the lives of their loved ones and friends, to the point of overshadowing them to almost silence and non-existence.

They judge all other Christians as imperfect and not meeting the standards they think others should meet

These people are looking to keep things nice and neat.

They need order in their life so they have many plates to spin and chain saws to juggle.

They dare themselves and others to let something go wrong.

Parental or Personal - unrealistic expectations lead to unmerciful self-deprecation, where they express disapproval on themselves and belittle themselves habitually.

Those unrealistic expectations also lead to ungraceful self-deprivation, where they take this monk like attitude in treatment of themselves.

He began to study the NT and God opened his eyes to experience His grace.

Paul could accept his own imperfections because he understood Jesus had already over come them on the cross were Jesus cried out “Tel Telesti” - It is finished, Already but not yet.

Paul in v. 12 - is not beating himself up for anything he feels he failed God in.

He just pressed forward, in the power of the resurrection, v. 10, to reach the level he wanted.

Look in v. 16 at the word “mature” or “perfect” (KJV) - the Greek Word has the prefix - tele - The word here is not the sense of “free from flaws” but rather a sense of completion, and carries with it the idea of something at a distance -Telephone, Telescope - the process of covering the distance.

Spiritual Perfection is a process of already but not yet.

To overcome this struggle, pray and ask God to open your eyes to see the depths of Amazing Grace the way Scripture says He gives it.

Salvation/Redemption is The Amazing Grace of Love, reconciliation with God, and receiving His power for your transformation.

Begin to see you as God sees you.

Begin to love you as God loves you - unconditionally.

Replace your fear of failing with faith in the power of God’s grace to finish his work in you.

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When you sin ask His forgiveness and forgive yourself.

When you make an unintentional mistake or stumble ask Him to help you back up and keep reaching for the goal.

Replace you struggle for perfection with steadfastness in the process.

One of the issues that lead to the Protestant Reformation through Martin Luther was his despair over his spiritual condition, then being told by a Bishop to climb the high stairs at a Roman cathedral.

He thought is this it!

Immaturity is constantly saying - “Am I there yet?”

He began to study the NT and God opened his eyes to experience His grace.

Maturity is just enjoying the journey of arriving.