Sermon Tone Analysis

!! Illustration of our Tree

!!! 1.    It’s not very often that a personal life experience can be used as an illustration for a message, but several weeks ago, when we had that massive thunder storm, I was able to add two potential illustrations to my inventory, only one of which I’ll relay to you this morning.

*(ADVANCE SLIDE) – HOUSE WITH TREE*

!!! 2.    If any of you have visited our house, you’d recognize this Tree that stood in our front yard.

!!! 3.    When we first moved in, this huge willow tree was a picture of health, strength, and vibrancy. .

!!! 4.    The leaves were green, the trunk was massive, the branches were full

!!! 5.

But when the winds came from that storm, THREE of huge branches split off from the trunk and crashed to the ground, revealing the truth of what was going on under the surface.

*(ADVANCE SLIDE) – TREE SPLIT IN TWO *

!!! 6.

What appeared to be a picture of health, was just a façade for a bug infested, disease ridden, and rot dominated tree.

!!! 7.

And the extent of the decay was so pervasive that only a rim of life remained.

*(ADVANCE SLIDE) – TREE STUMP *

!! B.   Startling reality – move to 1st application

!!! 1.

This picture is indicative of our culture . . .

!!! 2.    A recent survey, just put out this week by the Barna Group underscored this startling reality.

!!! 3.     “American society has become more intrigued by moral issues in recent years

!!! 4.    But a nationwide survey indicates that Americans have also redefined what it means to be moral.

!!! 5.    Researchers asked adults which, if any, of eight behaviors they had engaged in during the past week.

The behaviors included exposure to pornography, using profanity in public, gambling, gossiping, having sex with someone to whom they were not married, retaliating against someone, getting drunk, and lying.

A majority of adults had KNOWINGLY engaged in at least one of those eight behaviors during the past week.

!!! 6.    YET somehow they believed themselves to be moral.

!!! 7.    The statistics are staggering in adults, but truly alarming when compared to the morality of college age students ages 18-25.

!!!! /a)    /2~/3 of them use profanity in a given week

!!!! /b)   /They were 9 times more likely to have sex outside of marriage

!!!! /c)    /They were 6 times more likely to LIE

!!!! /d)   /3 times more likely to get DRUNK

!!!! /e)    /AND 1 out of 3 views pornography in a given week.

!!! 8.

This is what I call a moral downgrade.

!!! 9.    BUT I believe this TREE is not only a picture of our CULTURE, it is also a picture of our CHURCH today.

!!! 10.

A DILEMA that exists because of the ABSENCE of a MORAL STANDARD in our lives

!!! 11.

Another survey conducted in 2000 indicates

!!!! /a)    /Only 44% (less than half) of born again adults and only 9% of teenagers are certain of the existence of absolute moral truth

!!!! /b)   /Only 1% of all born again adults firmly concurred with each of the 13 basic belief statements from the Bible.

!!! 12.

Is there any mystery why we face such a moral dilemma in our country today?

!!! 13.

Just like this tree, we are struggling for life but leading everyone to believe that everything is okay.

*(ADVANCE SLIDE) – THE TEST FOR TRUTH *

!! C.   Proposition

!!! 1.    SO what about us at GBC?  We’re committed to the TRUTH, RIGHT?   

!!! 2.    We are taught faithfully from the WORD

!!! 3.    We have regular Bible studies

!!! 4.    And we have discipleship for Men and Women

!!! 5.    Certainly, we don’t have a problem with TRUTH.

!!! 6.

This morning we’re going to see that there is a TEST for TRUTH.

!!! 7.

There is a way to know whether or not TRUTH DOMINATES a LIFE

!!! 8.

And it boils down to THREE fundamental elements.

If you have the TRUTH 

*(ADVANCE SLIDE) – ALL TRHEE POINTS (1 CLICK) *

!!!! /a)    /You will RECONGNIZE sin in your life

!!!! /b)   /You will REPENT before God and others

!!!! /c)    /You will RETURN to God in obedience

* *

*(ADVANCE SLIDE) – EZRA 8:35 - 9:5 *

*Read Ezra 8:35 - 9:5*

* *

*TRANSITION*: Do you believe that you are committed to God’s TRUTH.

If you are, then you will FIRST . . .

* *

*(ADVANCE SLIDE) – YOU WILL RECOGNIZE SIN *

!

II.

You will RECOGNIZE sin in your life

!! A.   God’s standard proclaimed

!!! 1.

What must have been going through Ezra’s mind?

!!! 2.    Born into the second most prominent line in the OT. the line of Aaron 

!!! 3.    Meant to carry out a holy ministry.

Meant to devote his days in the temple before the Lord, offering sacrifices and worshipping God.

!!! 4.    A man who endowed with special giftedness; an ability to discern God’s Word and to effectively teach God’s people.

!!! 5.

But a man who grew up in Exile, unable to fulfill the full range of duties associated with his heritage.

!!! 6.

And now Ezra has finally come to Israel.

He has finally come to the land of Promise, a land marked out for God’s people.

!!! 7.

And he has come to Jerusalem, the city of the temple; the place where God’s earthly presence was known.

!!! 8.

And the only place on earth that legitimate sacrifices could be made, and sanctified worship could be practiced.

!!! 9.    Imagine his excitement in finally coming to this great city that he had dreamed about all his life.

!!! 10.

And in his excitement, Ezra begins his ministry.

A ministry of priestly duties.

A ministry of careful study, and a ministry of faithful TEACHING.

*(ADVANCE SLIDE) – STANDARD PROCLAIMED*

!!! *11.

**EZRA was COMMITTED to PROCLAIMING GOD’s STANDARD*

!!! 12.

He had been dreaming about this his whole life.

!!! 13.

And it is likely he began in his exposition in Deuteronomy

!!! 14.

It was this book that summarized God’s standard for ISRAEL most effectively.

And it was this book that underscored God’s blessing for obedience and His cursing for disobedience.

!!!! /a)    /Right out of the starting blocks in Chapter 5 we’re given the 10 commandments

!!!! /b)   /Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (NIV) 4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.

5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.

7 Impress them on your children.

Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.

9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

!!!! /c)    /Deuteronomy 7:1-3 (NIV) 1 When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations—the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you— 2 and when the Lord your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally.

Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy.

3 Do not intermarry with them.

Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons . . .

6 For you are a people holy to the LORD your God.

The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.

It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love on you and chose you . . .

but because the LORD loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers . .

.”

*TRANSITION*: God’s standard was conveyed, BUT as a result A major problem was uncovered . .

.

*(ADVANCE SLIDE) – PROBLEM UNCOVERED*

!! B.   A major problem uncovered (9:1-2)

!!! 1.

Only four months had gone by since Ezra first came to Jerusalem.

And it is not clear how long it was before Ezra began his teaching ministry or how often he met with the people.

!!! 2.    But one thing that is clear, it didn’t take long for CONVICTION to set in, for SIN to be RECOGNIZED.

!!! 3.    All Ezra had to do was to PROCLAIM the STANDARD.