Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

When the work of God is not according to our plan or desire, we aim for a quick solution but this brings its own problems and calamity.

In this lesson we are going to the time of God.

May the Lord bless us mightily as we study at his feet in Jesus Name.

Amen!

Why do we come to church?

We do so because we are instructed to - forsake not the assembly of one another

Why do we read the bible?

We do so because we are instructed to - keep the word in your heart, study to show yourself approved

Why should we watch our ways?

We should because we are required to do so - Let your light shine before men

Why did the apostles wait in Jerusalem?

because they were ordered to do so.

- wait for the promise of The Father

They saw themselves as slaves of the Lord and when and express command came from him, they sought to obey it.

In Acts we see the early believers proceed to tell the story of Jesus

The interest that brings people to Acts, therefore, causes a great deal of selectivity to take place as they read or study.

For the person coming with devotional interests, for example, Gamaliel’s speech (Acts 5:35–39) holds far less interest than Paul’s conversion somewhat later (9:1–19) or Peter’s miraculous escape from prison (12:1–19).

Such reading or study usually causes people to skip over the chronological or historical questions.

Our assumption, shared by many others, is this: Unless Scripture explicitly tells us we must do something, what is only narrated or described does not function in a normative (i.e.

obligatory) way—unless it can be demonstrated on other grounds that the author intended it to function in this way.

There are good reasons for making this assumption.

In general, doctrinal statements derived from Scripture fall into three (or four) categories: (1) Christian theology (what Christians believe), (2) Christian ethics (how Christians ought to live in relation to God and others), (3) Christian experience and Christian practice (what Christians do as religious/spiritual people).

Within these categories one might further distinguish two levels of statements, which we will call primary and secondary.

At the primary level are those doctrinal statements derived from the explicit propositions or imperatives of Scripture (i.e., what Scripture intends to teach).

At the secondary level are those statements derived only incidentally, by implication or by precedent.

Can we force the hand of God to work according to our plans?

What happens when God does not grant our request or our program and plans?

The texts below are scenarios where people and events did not go inline with what someone wanted and they did something different from what has said.

We need to remember that

1.

Old Testament narratives are not allegories or stories filled with hidden meanings

2. Individual Old Testament narratives are not intended to teach moral lessons

3.

However, even though the Old Testament narratives do not necessarily teach moral values directly, they often illustrate what is taught explicitly and categorically elsewhere

So that we can consciously recall what was communicated directly that we learn from the word of God.

1.

An Old Testament narrative usually does not directly teach a doctrine.

2.

An Old Testament narrative usually illustrates a doctrine or doctrines taught propositionally elsewhere.

3. Narratives record what happened—not necessarily what should have happened or what ought to happen every time.

Therefore, not every narrative has an individual identifiable moral application.

4. What people do in narratives is not necessarily a good example for us.

Frequently, it is just the opposite.

5.

Many (if not most) of the characters in Old Testament narratives are far from perfect—as are their actions as well.

6.

We are not always told at the end of a narrative whether what happened was good or bad.

We are expected to be able to judge this on the basis of what God has taught us directly and categorically elsewhere in Scripture.

7. All narratives are selective and incomplete.

Not all the relevant details are always given (cf.

John 21:25).

What does appear in the narrative is everything that the inspired author thought important for us to know.

8. Narratives are not written to answer all our theological questions.

They have particular, specific, limited purposes and deal with certain issues, leaving others to be dealt with elsewhere in other ways.

9. Narratives may teach either explicitly (by clearly stating something) or implicitly (by clearly implying something without actually stating it).

10.

In the final analysis, God is the hero of all biblical narratives

Texts from the Guide

Wisdom of Ecclesiastes

understands the book more positively, as an expression of how one should enjoy life under God in a world in which all die in the end