Sermon Tone Analysis

*Get On Your Feet** *

* *

*Acts 3:1-10** (**NIV**) *

 

\\ *IT WAS A DAY, JUST A DAY LIKE ANY OTHER DAY.*

 

HIS BROTHERS HAD GOTTEN HIM OUT OF BED AND GOTTEN HIM DRESSED.

AND ON THEIR WAY TO WORK THEY CARRIED HIM TO HIS USUAL SPOT AT THE TEMPLE GATE.

*IT WAS JUST A DAY, *

THE SKY WASN'T ANY BLUER, THE BIRDS DIDN'T SING ANY LOUDER,

THE SUN DIDN'T SHINE ANY BRIGHTER, IT WAS JUST A DAY.

 

*JUST A DAY, LIKE ANY OTHER DAY.

*

AND YET BEFORE IT WAS FINISHED IT WOULD BE *UNLIKE *ANY OTHER DAY IN HIS LIFE.

\\ \\ *BUT FOR NOW, IT WAS JUST A DAY. *

AND AS HE LAY THERE WITH HIS SHRIVELLED TWISTED LEGS CRUMPLED UNDERNEATH HIM

 

HE THOUGHT OF ALL THE DAYS THAT HE HAD LAID HERE

IN FRONT OF THE TEMPLE GATE

THOSE DAYS SEEMED TO STRETCH OUT LIKE AN ENDLESS HORIZON BEFORE HIM.

\\ \\ *IT WAS JUST A DAY. *

AND HE LOOKED DOWN AT HIS USELESS LIMBS THERE ON THE BLANKET.

THEY WERE HIS, BUT THEY WEREN'T REALLY A PART OF HIM,

HE HAD NEVER FELT THEM, HAD NEVER MOVED THEM.

HE NEVER RAN AS A BOY, NEVER WALKED AS A MAN.

 

*AND TODAY WAS JUST A DAY, *

NO BETTER AND NO WORSE THEN ALL THE OTHER DAYS THAT HAD MADE UP THE LIMITED LIFE OF THIS POOR CRIPPLED BEGGAR.

*BUT* UNKNOWN TO HIM AND EVEN, WITHOUT HIS CONSENT

….. TODAY WOULD BECOME

*A DAY HE WOULD NEVER FORGET.

*

 

*TODAY* WOULD TAKE HIM FROM BEING A BEGGAR DESTINED FOR AN OBSCURE LIFE AND AN OBSCURE DEATH.

*TODAY* WOULD PROPEL HIM INTO IMMORTALITY.

WHO WAS THIS MAN?  

WE DON'T KNOW HIS NAME.

THE SCRIPTURES TELL US NOTHING ABOUT HIS LIFE UP TO TODAY,

AND WE KNOW NOTHING ABOUT HIS LIFE AFTER TODAY.

\\ \\ *BUT TODAY,    THIS DAY,    THIS ORDINARY DAY *

WOULD BE WRITTEN ABOUT BY A DOCTOR

AND READ ABOUT BY MILLIONS UPON MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD.

DOCTOR LUKE WROTE ABOUT THIS MAN AND THIS DAY IN

*Acts 3:1-10 (NIV) *

*One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer--at three in the afternoon.

2 Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts.

3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money.

4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John.

Then Peter said, "Look at us!" 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.

6 Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you.

In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk."

7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong.

8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk.

Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9 When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

\\ * \\ *WHAT A DAY.*

* A DAY THAT WOULD NEVER BE FORGOTTEN.*

AND THIS MORNING WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT THAT DAY.

\\ *Point  1) -FIRST OF ALL, THIS MAN WAS NOT WHOLE.

ACTS 3:2 *

HE WAS A MAN WITH A PROBLEM.

 

HIS PROBLEM WASN’T OPEN TO DISCUSSION.

IT WASN'T DEBATABLE,

IT WASN'T ABSTRACT OR SOME KIND OF "IFFY CONCEPT",

 

HE HAD A DEFINITE PROBLEM.

HE WAS A MAN THAT WAS CRIPPLED, AND NOT ONLY THAT BUT HE WAS CRIPPLED FROM BIRTH.

\\ \\

THE TRUTH IS,

IT WASN'T HIS FAULT THAT HE WAS CRIPPLED.

YOU KNOW,

SOMETIMES OUR TROUBLES ARE CAUSED BY SOMEONE.

OFTEN THE PERSON RESPONSIBLE IS OURSELF.

*IF YOU SMOKE AND DIE OF LUNG CANCER, *

DON'T STAND THERE SHAKING YOUR FIST AT GOD DEMANDING "HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME."

 

*IF YOU ABUSE ALCOHOL* AND GET CIRRHOSIS OF THE LIVER.

*IF YOU COMMIT ADULTERY* AND YOUR SPOUSE LEAVES YOU,

DON'T BLAME EVERYONE ELSE.

THE BLAME RESTS SOLIDLY IN YOUR CORNER.

MY FRIEND; YOU'RE THE ONE THAT'S PADDLING YOUR OWN BOAT.

YOU GET TO CHOOSE WHERE YOU STEER YOUR BOAT

BUT, BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU CHOOSE TO DO,

BECAUSE YOUR ACTIONS AFFECT THOSE AROUND YOU TOO.

THERE ARE ALWAYS CONSEQUENCES FOR YOUR ACTIONS.

BOTH GOOD OR BAD.

 

 

 

 

*WELL, AS FAR AS WE KNOW IT WASN'T THIS MAN'S FAULT THAT HE WAS A CRIPPLE. \\ * \\ AND IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT WAS THE FAULT OF ANYONE ELSE EITHER.

* *

*SOMETIMES OTHERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR PROBLEMS.

*

 

*A SPOUSE THAT BREAKS THE MARRIAGE VOWS* AND CAUSES A DIVORCE

HURTS THEIR MATE, THEIR CHILDREN, AND THE REST OF THE SURROUNDING FAMILY AS WELL AS THEMSELVES.

*BABIES WHO ARE BORN TO PEOPLE WHO SMOKE OR DRINK,* OR TAKE DRUGS DURING THEIR PREGNANCY

ARE MORE APT TO HAVE PROBLEMS THAN OTHER BABIES.

*SOMETIMES PHYSICAL ABUSE OCCURS, *

OR AN ACCIDENT WILL HAPPEN THAT WAS SOMEONE ELSE'S FAULT.

THERE 'S A MAN NAMED ROD LEWIS.

HE'S A CRIPPLE TODAY BECAUSE OF A DOCTOR WHO HAD BEEN OUT PARTYING BEFORE THE DELIVERY AND SEVERED ROD'S SPINAL CORD AS HE WAS PERFORMING THE CAESAREAN SECTION.

/ /

*/SOMETIMES OUR PROBLEMS ARE CAUSED BY OTHER PEOPLE./*

*BUT WITH THE CRIPPLED MAN IN ACTS 3, THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT IT WAS ANYONES FAULT.

*

ALL WE KNOW IS THAT HE WAS A MAN WHO WASN'T PHYSICALLY WHOLE.

HE WASN'T EVERYTHING THAT PHYSICAL MAN IS SUPPOSED TO BE,

HE WAS A CRIPPLE, A MAN THAT COULDN'T WALK.

IN TODAY'S CLIMATE WHERE EVERYTHING HAS TO BE SAID IN THE POLITICALLY CORRECT WAY

WE WOULD HAVE TO SAY THAT HE WAS

*"PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED".

*

 

A MAN WHO IS BALD MIGHT SAY THAT HE IS

*"FOLLICLEY CHALLENGED" *

 

DOES THAT MEAN THAT SOMEONE WHO IS SHORT IS *"VERTICALLY CHALLENGED".

\\ * \\ MOST OF US ARE PHYSICALLY WHOLE

THERE ARE VERY FEW OF US WHO HAVE A SERIOUS  PHYSICAL HANDICAP.

BUT WE’RE ALL BORN WITH A SERIOUS SPIRITUAL HANDICAP.

PAUL TELLS US IN

*Romans 3:23 (NIV)** *