Sermon Tone Analysis

*LESSONS FROM THE CEDAR TREE**PSALM 92:12** **               Just one verse of scripture, in fact one half of one verse of scripture I want to address tonight.

You know I have never done it but one day I might preach a series of sermons on the trees in the bible.

I thought of Adam behind the tree hiding, Elijah under the tree, Nathaniel beside the tree, Zacchaeus up the tree, and Jesus on the tree.

I mean there are all sorts of things you could preach on.

**               I want us to examine the Cedars of Lebanon.

The Psalmist said that the righteous man shall flourish like a Palm tree He shall grow like a Cedar in Lebanon.

The Cedars of Lebanon were used in the temple to make it beautiful.

God gives us some Cedars to make the church beautiful.

Cedars describe a Person (Righteous) Cedars describe a potential (Flourishing).

Why is there so little spiritual growth among many people in our churches?

** **1.

THE CHARACTER OF THE FLOURISHING MAN **               “He will flourish.”

It means to grow.

He thrives.

He blossoms.

He shall flourish like a Cedar of Lebanon.

Now maybe some of you think that there is only one kind of cedar.

There are actually four Cedars in Lebanon that we will look at.

**               A.

First the Little Cedar.

The little cedar was very small, very unimpressive, but very important.

It was named so because it wasn't very tall.

The little Cedar was small but it was very important.

It was used for fence posts.

It was used for studding in the walls.

It was used in the ceilings and even in the furnishing of the temple.

**               1.)

Now there is something very interesting about the little cedar.

When you go out to get them you cut them down and pile them on a cart.

It's not necessary for them to be tied on with a cord or a rope.

So you can just pile them on a cart and they will stay there.

You can whip those old oxen and down the road they go, around the curves, across the potholes, but not a one falls off.

Do you know why?

Because there is a certain "consistency," in the bark of the little cedar and they simply cling like glue to one another.

**               Now that's the kind of stuff that God is looking for.

He's not necessarily looking for the **beautiful oak or the polished maple tree.

But God is looking for some ruff, crude, if you will, little cedars in His church that will stick together no matter what.

**               As a pastor I spend a lot of my time going along behind the cart, picking up the little trees that fall off.

And about the time I think I have them all on another falls off.

The result is that most pastors don't have time to study, pray, or do the preparation of his sermons because too **much of his time is spent in picking up the little trees that fall off.

And then he can't find the time to go out to win the lost.

It shouldn't be that way.

There ought to be a certain consistency.

There ought to be a dependability of the little cedar that holds them together.**

2.)

Another thing about them is they are not usually the most outspoken, or the most visible, or the most impressive people, in God's church.

Did you know that many times the most important in God’s house are those who feel themselves to be most unworthy.

**               If you are here today and you feel you are small.

“I am too insignificant and preacher you know I'm not very talented.

You know I'm not very smart and there's really not much I can do for God.” Well I am saying to you are important to God.

You are important to the church.

You are important to me and to what God is doing in these last days in which we are living.**

3.)

Do you know what makes the difference in the little cedars?

They have developed a pattern of faithfulness.

They don't live by their feelings but they live by the quality decision that they have made.

They are faithful and they are not shaken by anything.

They are patterned to read the word of God and to pray.

It is their pattern to go to the house of God and to worship.

It's their pattern to witness for Christ.**

I heard about this young lady who after dating this boy for about three years was having second thoughts about marrying him because he was too predictable.

She knew every move he was going to make.

She said I am afraid I will get bored.

She said she wanted someone who was not so predictable.

She said I like a fellow that you don't know what he is going to do from one minute to the next.**

Let me tell you something, in marriage or your Christian life look for predictable people.

Someone you can count on today and tomorrow.

**               I get a little uneasy about those people that you don't know where they are coming from.

People scare me when they are sweet as honey today and tomorrow they are as sour as a dill pickle.

This week they are on fire for God, ready to turn the world upside down but the next time you see them they are cold and indifferent.

Be predictable.

God is looking for people who are consistent and who are faithful to the work of God.  **               Do you know the one sin that plagues the church above all others?

It's not the sin of murder or adultery.

It's the sin of inconsistency, not doing what I know that I should do.

But thank God for the little cedars.

They are faithful.

They hang in there and you can depend on them to do what God has called them to do.**

The 1992 Summer Olympics featured two tremendously poignant moments.

American sprinter Gail Devers, the clear leader in the 100-meter hurdles, tripped over the last barrier.

She agonizingly pulled herself to her knees and crawled the last five meter, finishing fifth—but finishing.

Even more heart-touching was the 400-meter semifinal in which British runner Derek Redmond tore a hamstring and fell to the track.

He struggled to his feet and began to hobble, determined to complete the race.

His father ran from the stands to help him off the track, but the athlete refused to quit.

He leaned on his father, and the two limped to the finish line together, to deafening applause.

**               My friend that's the stuff that little cedars are made of.**

Clarence Jordan was a man of unusual abilities and commitment.

He had two Ph.D.s, one in agriculture and one in Greek and Hebrew.

So gifted was he, he could have chosen to do anything he wanted.

He chose to serve the poor.

In the 1940s, he founded a farm in Americus, Georgia, and called it Koinonia Farm.

It was a community for the poor whites and the poor blacks.

As you might guess, such an idea did not go over well in the Deep South of the '40s.

Ironically, much of the resistance came from good church people who followed the laws of segregation as much as the other folk in town.

The town people tried everything to stop Clarence.

They tried boycotting him, and slashing worker's tires when they came to town.

Over and over, for fourteen years, they tried to stop him.**

**2.

THE COMMUNION OF THE FLOURISHING MAN**               Let’s look at another cedar.

The fire cedar got its name because it was saturated with a very oily sap and it was highly flamable.

In fact the shepherd used the fire cedar to light their campfire at night because it would ignite with a spark and burn almost indefinitely.

**               I believe we need some fire cedars in the church today.

I love to see people in our church who need no pressuring, no priming, no programming.

I am talking about seeing people come to the House of God soaked with the oil of the Holy Spirit and ready to catch fire and burn for the glory of God.  **               One of the most distracting things I see in some Churches today are preachers who get up and beg and plead and coax and try to get people to worship God.

But worship is not something that you whip up.

It is something that comes down from above.