Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction:

Do you have a Plan for Spiritual Growth?

We all know that healthy things Grow?

sanctuary—- Don’t worry we recovered them a year later..

ADOBE SOIL it turned out… this is a fertile land..and perfect ...Environment for growing Rice…

My first experience with Adobe soil was when Lee and Jack Galles helped us install the speakers here at the Church… Jack went underneath the building… and us adults were giving directions from the top… He did really well… but somewhere under the building and at one point he got stuck....

I think we all got worried there for a few seconds…It took a few minutes and he got out… but unfortunately his Nike Sneakers never made it… So Jacks Sneakers were under the building for about a year before we retrieved them…

So Jacks Sneakers were under the building for about a year before we retrieved them.

He got out but unfortunately his Nike Sneakers stayed behind.…

None of us wanted to back underneath to retrieve them.

But we did get them out about a year later....

ADOBE SOIL as it turns out is not good for growing orchards but it is excellent for growing Rice…

area was the wrong environment for growing Almonds or Amonds… but as it happens Adobe is the perfect soil “environment” for farming rice…

When it comes to Growth the Environment matters… ADOBE SOIL as it turns out is not good for growing orchards but is excellent for growing Rice…

Environment for crops is important...

What nature teachers us is that you need the right environment for growth.

When it comes to Spiritual Growth Environment matters…

In the parable of the sower in where he likens the Gospel to the farmer sowing of Seeds… The seed is scattered… but got different results

In the parable of the sower in where Jesus teaches the same lesson…That Spiritual growth happens in the right environment.

Seed is scattered sown and some fell along the path but the seeds were wasted because the birds of the air came down and devoured the seed

Seed scattered on hardened soil but but because they lacked depth it didn't take root ---

Seed scattered on thorny ground and for a moment it looked hopeful but they choked up by the cares of this life.

Then there was the furtile ground...And some [fell] into good soil and grew and [yielded] a hundredfold.”

Jesus taught the word of God has to fall on good ground to bare fruit.

In the Chapel of Gordon Conwell Seminary in Charlotte NC...

There is this beautiful Fresco of the Parable of the Sower… And its one of these pieces of Art that the longer you look at it the more meaning you can draw out of it…

In the Chapel as GCT is there this fresco by by Gerald Steinmeyer,

Sower is sowing seed and there is different responses..

You have centurion who saw Christ Crucified on the Cross and yet the Gospel never took root… You have this couple who are caught up in the cares of life… and then on the RIGHT you have the abundance — that comes with seed sown on good soil… And what is amazing is that it looks like the Sower is stepping out of the Fresco into the Chapel… The symbolism being that Gospel is still being sown through out the world…

You have centurion who saw Christ Crucified on the Cross and yet the Gospel never took root… You have this couple who are caught up in the cares of life… and then on the RIGHT you have the abundance — that comes with seed sown on good soil… And what is amazing is that it looks like the Sower is stepping out of the Fesco into the Chapel… The seed of Gospel is still being spread and

The seed of the Gospel is still being sown today

and you can see how it is impacted by the different soils… You have centurion who saw Christ Crucified and even said this must be the Christ but Gospel never took root… You have this couple who are caught up in the cares of life… and then you have the abundance — that comes with seed sown on the right soil..

This tells us that Environment matters..

8 And some [fell] into good soil and grew and [yielded] a hundredfold.”

Not only do we need to plant crops there is the farming or the nurturing of crops..

We see it in the agricultural world… If we just planted crops without nurturing them

When it comes to Spirtual Growth we really need to think about our approach

T/S How does Spiritual Growth or life Change happen?

life Change…James Emery in his book Rethink Church talks about this mathematical equation formulated when it comes to the process of our own Spiritual growth… This is something either we have consciously thought about or just something that we may assumed but the formula goes like this..

…James Emery in his book Rethink Church talks about this mathematical equation when it comes to the process of our Spiritual growth… He tells us that we have thought about this consciously or just something that we have some how assumed - but the formula goes something like this..

Now this equation is something either we have thought about consciously or just something that we may assumed - but the formula goes something like this..

Salvation + Time (over) + Will (choices) + Individual Application = life Change

Impressions

There are assumption in this model the first is that.... Life Change happens instantaneously at Salvation..

Salvation + Time + Will + Individual Application lets think about this formula for a second...

lets think about this formula for a second...

The assumption is this.... Life Change happens instantaneously at Salvation..

Comedian Yakov Smirnoff says that when he first came to the United States from Russia, he wasn’t prepared for the incredible variety of instant products available in American grocery stores.

He says, “On my first shopping trip, I saw powdered milk—you just add water, and you get milk.

Then I saw powdered orange juice—you just add water, and you get orange juice.

And then I saw baby powder, and I thought to myself, What a country!”

Comedian Yakov Smirnoff says that when he first came to the United States from Russia, he wasn’t prepared for the incredible variety of instant products available in American grocery stores.

He says, “On my first shopping trip, I saw powdered milk—you just add water, and you get milk.

Then I saw powdered orange juice—you just add water, and you get orange juice.

And then I saw baby powder, and I thought to myself, What a country!”

The preacher is warning of the danger of apostacy---Denying Jesus- Turning away from faith.

Avoid stagnation in your spiritual growth is to push through towards maturity..

This model says the work of salvation is complete as at conversion but your

Intention: There is no middle Ground in Christianity... Either you are moving forward towards maturity or you are drifting towards apostasy...(unbelief) --- If you are being stretched you are growing if your are complacent you are drifting..

Salvation being E

This Means that the moment someone gives his or her life to Christ, there is an immediate, substantive, in-depth, miraculous change in habits, attitudes, and character.

In other words disciples are born not made.

Since salvation alters a person’s eternal destiny and introduces the power and work of the Holy Spirit into his or her life, immediate and substantive change is not only expected but assumed…

In other words disciples are born not made.

But here is the problem with this thinking is what about about our thinking and behaviors that are not lining up with Christlike values ?

We are in this series in the book of Hebrews where we are given a different picture of Salvation..

We have full assurance at the moment of Salvation because you were declared righteous — but there is also this active part of Salvation where we have perverse to enter into Rest.

It’s what Paul meant when he said work out your salvation with fear and trembling....

There is this active part of Salvation where we have perverse to enter into Rest or the promise that God has ahead of us.

It’s what Paul meant when he said work out your salvation with fear and trembling....

Rather than Salvation being instant liberation from every bad habit or character flaw we have ever possessed, what takes place is more like the landing of an army on a beach and the routing out of the enemy as the army makes its way inland…

There is this active part of Salvation where we have perverse to enter into Rest or the promise that God has ahead of us.

It’s what Paul meant when he said work out your salvation with fear and trembling....

Now as we have been going through Hebrews we see another picture of Salvation.

There is this active part of Salvation where we have perverse to enter into Rest or the promise that God has ahead of us.

It’s what Paul meant when he said work out your salvation with fear and trembling....

But that’s not exactly how it works Salvation is also progressive..

The preacher of Hebrews tells us to strive to enter into the rest… Paul the apostle says work out your salvation with fear and trembling…

The book of hebrews teaches us that Salvation is progressive.. we are to strive to enter into the Rest…The event of salvation is best seen as the beginning of the pilgrimage toward life change…rather than an end itself.. It’s what Paul meant when he said work out your salvation with fear and trembling....

rather than instant liberation from every bad habit or character flaw we have ever possessed, what takes place is more like the landing of an army on a beach and the routing out of the enemy as the army makes its way inland.

“Life is a pilgrimage of learning, a voyage of discovery, in which our mistaken views are corrected, our distorted notions adjusted, our shallow opinions deepened and some of our vast ignorances diminished.”

Yet rather than instant liberation from every bad habit or character flaw we have ever possessed, what takes place is more like the landing of an army on a beach and the routing out of the enemy as the army makes its way inland.

The event of salvation is best seen as the beginning of the pilgrimage toward life change.

Even the celebrated case of Paul’s conversion is simply that—the story of his conversion.

“Life is a pilgrimage of learning, a voyage of discovery, in which our mistaken views are corrected, our distorted notions adjusted, our shallow opinions deepened and some of our vast ignorances diminished.”

this active part of Salvation where we have perverse to enter into Rest.

It’s what Paul meant when he said work out your salvation with fear and trembling....

Life Change Is Best Accomplished Alone

The final part of most discipleship equations is independence.

A personal relationship with Christ has become synonymous with a private relationship with Christ.

Books, seminars, classes, messages, videos, websites, and DVDs are increasingly designed for personal, private life application—and under the assumption that this is all that is needed.

Even the celebrated case of Paul’s conversion is simply that—the story of his conversion.

The another assumption in this model is that maturity occurs Naturally over time..

According to this belief, when someone gives his or her life to Christ, there is an immediate, substantive, in-depth, miraculous change in habits, attitudes, and character.

As a result, disciples are born not made.

The model is the “Saul to Paul” experience on the Damascus Road.

Since salvation alters a person’s eternal destiny and introduces the power and work of the Holy Spirit into his or her life, immediate and substantive change is not only expected but assumed.

The idea is that being a Christian will automatically translate into becoming Christlike.

Therefore, a five-year-old Christian will have five years’ worth of spiritual maturity, a ten-year-old Christian will have ten years’ worth of spiritual maturity, and so on.

The longer you are a Christian the more mature you are... Therefore, a five-year-old Christian will have five years’ worth of spiritual maturity, a ten-year-old Christian will have ten years’ worth of spiritual maturity, and so on.