Sermon Tone Analysis

Man Survives Car Crash, Wanders into Stranger's House

1 cor

In the work of soul-winning, great tact and wisdom are needed.

The Saviour never suppressed the truth, but He uttered it always in love.

In His intercourse with others, He exercised the greatest tact, and He was always kind and thoughtful.

He was never rude, never needlessly spoke a severe word, never gave unnecessary pain to a sensitive soul.

He did not censure human weakness.

He fearlessly denounced hypocrisy, unbelief, and iniquity, but tears were in His voice as He uttered His scathing rebukes.

He never made truth cruel, but ever manifested a deep tenderness for humanity.

Every soul was precious in His sight.

He bore Himself with divine dignity; yet He bowed with the tenderest compassion and regard to every member of the family of God.

He saw in all, souls whom it was His mission to save.

1 cor 9.

In the work of soul-winning, great tact and wisdom are needed.

The Saviour never suppressed the truth, but He uttered it always in love.

In His intercourse with others, He exercised the greatest tact, and He was always kind and thoughtful.

He was never rude, never needlessly spoke a severe word, never gave unnecessary pain to a sensitive soul.

He did not censure human weakness.

He fearlessly denounced hypocrisy, unbelief, and iniquity, but tears were in His voice as He uttered His scathing rebukes.

He never made truth cruel, but ever manifested a deep tenderness for humanity.

Every soul was precious in His sight.

He bore Himself with divine dignity; yet He bowed with the tenderest compassion and regard to every member of the family of God.

He saw in all, souls whom it was His mission to save.

In the work of soul-winning, great tact and wisdom are needed.

The Saviour never suppressed the truth, but He uttered it always in love.

In His intercourse with others, He exercised the greatest tact, and He was always kind and thoughtful.

He was never rude, never needlessly spoke a severe word, never gave unnecessary pain to a sensitive soul.

He did not censure human weakness.

He fearlessly denounced hypocrisy, unbelief, and iniquity, but tears were in His voice as He uttered His scathing rebukes.

He never made truth cruel, but ever manifested a deep tenderness for humanity.

Every soul was precious in His sight.

He bore Himself with divine dignity; yet He bowed with the tenderest compassion and regard to every member of the family of God.

He saw in all, souls whom it was His mission to save.

Ellen White, Gospel Workers, (Review and Herald, 1915), 117.

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Man Survives Car Crash, Wanders into Stranger's House

It's 3:30 in the morning.

You're sound asleep, but suddenly the light comes on in your room.

You open your eyes only to see a stranger standing in your doorway.

It sounds like the beginning of a horror movie, but it's exactly what happened to Andy Armstrong of Alexandria, Minnesota—and the stranger in his doorway had just miraculously survived a devastating car accident.

Armstrong had "forgotten to lock a house door" before heading to bed that night; that's how James Sundby had found his way inside, staying inside the house for an unknown amount of time before he came into Armstrong's room.

Armstrong (forcefully) told him to leave, and Sundby—with "his face banged up, his sleeves bloodied"—replied, "Oh, man, I'm sorry.

I think I'm in the wrong house … I crashed my car."

He refused help, however, and left the house (with Armstrong's shoes on).

Checking his house, Armstrong noticed "blood on the kitchen counter and a little bit on the floor."

He called the police, who found Sundby in the neighborhood around 20 minutes afterwards.

In the morning, "it was clear what happened: [Sundby had blown] through the stop sign at a T in the road, barreled through a yard, and launched his car off a 35-foot to 40-foot embankment, clearing a span of open water on Lake Le Homme Dieu, before landing on the season's remaining ice."

Yet Sundby, who "had no drugs or alcohol in his system and [didn't] remember what happened," was—extraordinarily—alive.

Spiritually speaking, people like James Sundby may wander into our lives or into our churches.

After profound trauma or hurts, they come into our "house" dazed and confused.

Will we be ready to accept them, love them, and bring them to the Great Physician, Jesus?

Or will we let opportunities slip away due to an unwillingness, or fear, or lost passion for sharing the gospel.

Paul did everything for the sake of the gospel

This is the gospel

As we understand how great a gift it truly is, we overwhelmed with a desire to share it.

Cruise Line Trades Free Cruise for Snapchat Handle

Residents of a sleepy central Virginia town were surprised in March by a coordinated campaign to identify and woo one of their local teenagers.

Carnival Cruise Lines first posted signs all over town, then augmented their effort with a gigantic rolling billboard on a truck.

The sign featured a picture of "Chief Fun Officer" Shaquille O'Neal with the text "DOES ANYBODY KNOW DARIAN?"

The Darian in question was Darian Lipscomb, 15, owner of a Snapchat account with a distinctive handle: @CarnivalCruise.

Lipscomb had previously been on several Carnival cruises, and had such a good time that he started a Snapchat account to document his adventures and share with friends.

Carnival representatives eventually found Lipscomb, and surprised him by offering, in exchange for the desirable Snapchat handle, an all-expenses-paid cruise to Barcelona for him and family aboard its newest ship, Carnival Horizon—a trip with a retail value of about $5,000.

"We thought this would be a fun way to claim our handle and reward a 'superfan' at the same time," said Robyn Fink, a spokesperson for Carnival, who also referred to the trip as "a once-in-a-lifetime experience."

Witness - We should be as excited as Darian to "share" the Good News of our experience of salvation with others;

And just as the cruise line sought to find the owner of the handle, we are to be Seeking the lost.

Christians are on a mission to seek and find the lost and offer them a personal invitation.

A look at how the gospel changes our lives

Humbled himself to accept...

acts 20.19-

19 I served the Lord with great humility and with tears in the midst of trials that came upon me because of the Jews’ schemes.

20 You know I held back nothing that would be helpful so that I could proclaim to you and teach you both publicly and privately in your homes.

Common English Bible, (Nashville, TN: Common English Bible, 2011),

.

Suffer

shipwrecked, hungry, perils

Grew, matured, improved

Phil 3:14

Shared gospel

1 cor 9.19

He Adapted his approach

Adapted

Wedding feast at the beginning

Mathew’s house

Zachaeus

Ellen White, Evangelism, (Review and Herald, 1946), 54–55.

When invited to a feast, Christ accepted the invitation, that He might, while sitting at the table, sow the seeds of truth in the hearts of those present.

He knew that the seed thus sown would spring up and bring forth fruit.

He knew that some of those sitting at meat with Him would afterward respond to His call, “Follow Me.” Ours is the privilege of studying Christ’s manner of teaching as He went from place to place, everywhere sowing the seeds of truth.—Ellen

White, Manuscript 113, 1902.

Paul talked about not worrying about what we eat

Something that was used in secular and even pagan usage, but it isn’t a problem for him.

He’s not using it for that purpose.

He is saying it isn’t guilt by association.

But for the sake of the one he is working with directly, right there at that moment, over dinner, He will refrain.

So it’s not in his face.

Showing respect.

Converse application...

come to my birthday party.

New friend, co-worker… But we may be uncomfortable wondering what will be going on at the party.

A dJ with some music we aren’t comfortable with.

We don’t know if drinking…

And in their mind, if you are their friend you will go to the party, unless you have a legitimate excuse.