Sermon Tone Analysis

Thesis: Christ welcomes us into life with Him through his death and resurrection.

For Kids:

Why is it hard to be good sometimes?

Lying

Being mean

Taking things that are not yours

Jesus took the nails for us, but they could not hold Him down forever.

Jesus took the nails for us, but they could not hold Him down forever.

Sermon

Me

Not your typical Easter scripture

Not Pentecost either

This is Easter for the rest of us

We

Why do we need an Easter?

Christmas and Easter stories carrying the whole of our faith

Two holidays that sit on the edges of winter.

Jesus in a nice, neat package

Sometimes it makes the first Easter seem like it was not for us.

Like finding out you can get free coffee once you retire if you move to Sweden.

Jesus was born, Jesus died, He rose from the dead... your sins are forgiven and you can go to heaven when you die.

That is life changing when you are dying, but when you are still in the spring, summer, and fall of your life, it can be hard to see why it is important.

If we are not Jews, what does any of this have to do with us?

Why do we need an Easter?

God

The first sermons

Peter's first sermon was not particularly deep.

The Savior came

You killed Him

Now what are you going to do?

Something changed when the Holy Spirit moved the apostles out of Jerusalem

Peter got a new understanding of Easter when he stopped focusing on

(NIV): 34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.

36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.

37 You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached—38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

Gospel accounts

Peter's personal experiences

Jesus was:

Chosen by God

Doing good

Healing those under the Devil's power

God was with Him

39 “We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem.

They killed him by hanging him on a cross, 40 but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen.

41 He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.

42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead.

43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

Witnesses

Witnesses of His work

Witnesses of His death

Witnesses of the resurrection

Witnesses chosen by God

Like Jesus was chosen by God

Commanded to preach and testify

Just as the ancient prophets had

everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.

Abraham

Moses

David

44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message.

45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles.

46 For they heard them speaking in tongues  and praising God.

Participating or Spectating

Spectators

Spectators

Those were constantly trying to figure out who God's true people were going to be.

Placing their bets relationally

Deciding who they did and did not want to be standing next to when judgment day came.

Spectators often long for judgment day

Either out loud or secretly in their hearts

They are ready for this game to be over.

Spectators are continually surprised by the miraculous

They focus on what they can do to earn miracles or find ways to at least be around them when they happen.

Participants

Don't care who is in or out because they know they are in the game and there is work to be done.

People don't get saved by themselves

The one biblical exception of the apostle Paul proves the rule

Jesus revealed himself to pull in struck him blind on the road to Damascus

However, this happen soon after Paul observe the execution of Stephen, first Christian martyr

Just before he died, Stephen preached one of the best recorded sermons we have in the new testament

Paul himself would later write to the Romans, "How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in?

And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?

And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?"

Participants are busy sharing that message of saving grace that is transforming their lives

They pray like Peter, that God would continue his patience and hold back judgment against our world so that more can be saved

Participants are usually less surprised by miracles because they recognize that God is at work within themselves to make a miracle out of their very lives.

Then Peter said, 47 “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water.

They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.”

48 So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.

Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.

So how do you move from being a spectator to becoming a participant?

Adoption

You will certainly find yourself working - giving up time, energy, money, sleep, etc. in the service of God.

However it is not the work itself that changes you.

It is the relationship you begin to foster with God and with those you serve in His name that begins to change you.

You can serve without building relationships

But you won't change unless you invest in those relationships

Baptism in early church was not about water

It was an adoption

It meant changing your last name