Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro:

I love my brother, he is a pretty awesome dude and I have the privileged to see him grow up in life.

Look my brother is not a saint by any means and he would be the first to admit this.

Hey bro if your watching, love ya man, but I am going to tattle on ya a bit.

He made just about every mistake a person can make in their lives, but he persevered.

And I still love my brother even through the tough stuff.

But there was nothing me or my Dad could ever tell him that he would listen, he was the kind of guy that just went his own way.

In a way he was like a pharisee, trust me brother it gets better at the end!

But its just like what Jesus says to the Pharisees in

But can’t we all have a pharisitical heart.

Sure its easy to pick on your big brother in a sermon, but I am not picking on him, what I am saying is that like him, I had my own pharisitical heart for sure.

My sin looked different, but that’s only because I got good at hiding my sins from people.

It was easy to look like the good son because I could follow the rules in public and sin in private, it was so easy and that’s what the Pharisees of Jesus day were doing, they were all good and proper in the light but in darkness their hearts were black as night.

That’s why Jesus isn’t just proclaiming his witness in this passage but he is rebuking the men that were stealing and murdering their own people for their own gain.

Witness of Man

A. Testimony not Valid?

1. Cannot be sole witness

a. Two or more witnesses bare weight

b.

Person could not be accused without two or more witnesses

2. Jesus holds to the Law

a.

Not as written but as God intended

b.

Working within even the Pharisees frame work

c.

They would no longer have an excuse

Who was Jesus human testimony?

Why not say one of the disciples - because he was God’s chosen witness

B. John Testified

1. Testified to the Truth

a. Truth of Christ

b.

The Truth of the Word made flesh

2.

Not that I accept human testimony

a. Again to appease the crowds

b.

That you may be saved

i.

That you would listen

ii.

The great lengths Jesus is going to present love

3. Listened to him for a time

a.

Means they also rejected him

b.

Even though he obviously was sent from God

i.

But people who are just following will only do so for a while

Who do we follow?

We love to go to Branson and Silver Dollar City.

One of my favorite things to watch is the glass blowing.

I could sit and watch that all day probably.

But, we never do get to do it ourselves and you will see the crowds diminish after the first one and then the second and even I walk away after a while.

And its because we are merely spectator watching and not participating.

Witness of Works

What are the works Jesus has done?

A.

Not just miracles

1. Standing up to the Pharisees

a.

Not just anyone stood up to them

b.

They were the Spiritual leaders

2. Tossing temple tables

a. Actually causing a fuss in the temple

b.

Like doing it here in the sanctuary on a Sunday

3. Speaking to Samaritans

B. But the Signs as well

1.

Healing and water

2. What do signs point to?

3.

All these things are from the Father

C. His Teaching

1.

This is the true work of Christ

a. Bring the message of salvation

b.

Though his words and works

2. They were powerful

a.

Just like this conversation with the Spiritual authorities

b.

Pointing out the flaws in their logic

c.

Moving them to repentance

d.

His teaching had authority

i.

Why they had trouble getting ahold of him

Witnessed of the Father

A. The Authority

1.

Not on His own

a.

But by the Father

b.

Who sent Him

B. You Have not Hear Him

1.

They aren’t paying attention

a.

They had the Law and the Prophets