Sermon Tone Analysis

RECORD

This morning I want to talk to you about Easter and while I’m sure that this comes as no surprise to you my concept might surprise you

Some of you are probably thinking that if I am trying to preach 3 of my own sermons this morning we will probably be here until Pentecost 40 days from now

But let me set you heart at ease, I have NOT written 3 sermons that I am going to try and preach this morning

This morning I want to summarize Easter for you in 12 words

Actually I have only one sermon made up of the usual 3 points but each of the 3 points is based on a different Easter sermon that we can find in the New Testament

No my sermon will not be restricted to just 12 words because I have already gone over that

But I will warn you right off the bat that the message this morning is a little bit different than my usual because I will focus a little bit more on theology/doctrine side of things but make no mistake that I do so because these doctrines will have a major impact on our walk with God

What I want to do is to give you 12 words from the scriptures that if we let them permeate into us will forever change us

So let’s get right to it with our first text this morning which comes from the Apostle Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians, “but we preach Christ crucified”

Not only is this the first text that we are going to look at this morning but it is also our first 5 words of Easter that can forever change us

But I wouldn’t hold my breath if I were you

So let’s look at it, Paul is reminding the Corinthians in this passage that when he came to their city his message was singular and simple, Jesus Christ was crucified as an atoning sacrifice to redeem them

In fact just a few verses later at the beginning of chapter 2 he says,

1 Corinthians 2:1-2

Paul was a brilliant man with a high level of education, the proof is found in that 2/3’s of our New Testament and all the theology it contains is credited to Paul

Yet with all of that great knowledge and understanding he says my message was this and this only, Christ was crucified for you

‘But I did some terrible stuff in my past’ ‘But Christ was crucified for you’

Ya well you don’t know the kind of person that I am’ ‘But Christ was crucified for you’

But the family that I am from...’ ‘But Christ was crucified for you.’

Whenever we get caught up in those things that we consider barriers to Christ receiving us we need to remember this important fact, ‘but Christ was crucified for you’

And then there is the other side of the coin where we have come to Christ but get caught up in all the peripheral stuff and forget about what is really important

‘We heard you Paul, but what about transubstantiation?’ “Christ was crucified for you!’

‘But what about divorce and remarriage?’ “Christ was crucified for you!’

‘But what about idols and meat sacrificed to them?’ ‘Christ was crucified for you!’

But when will He return to establish His kingdom?’ ‘Christ was crucified for you!’

‘But I did some terrible stuff in my past’ ‘But Christ was crucified for you’

Ya well you don’t know the kind of person that I am’ ‘But Christ was crucified for you’

But the family that I am from...’ ‘But Christ was crucified for you.’

Whenever we get caught up in those things that we consider barriers to Christ receiving us we need to remember this important fact, ‘but Christ was crucified for you’

Alexander MacLaren wrote, “The cross is the center of the world’s history; the incarnation of Christ and the crucifixion of our Lord are the pivot round which all the events of the ages revolve.

The testimony of Christ was the spirit of prophecy, and the growing power of Jesus is the spirit of history.”

Everything in scripture points to one event and one event only and that is the cross, the Old Testament points ahead to the cross and the New Testament points back to it for it is the single most important event in the history of the universe

Even the future events recorded in Revelation have as their central theme the lamb that was slain

So when the enemy tries to run us down and put us out of commission what we need to do is go back to the cross because it is the only thing that matters

The reason why can be seen in this quote from Thomas a Kempis who wrote, “In the Cross is salvation; in the Cross is life; in the Cross is protection against our enemies; in the Cross is infusion of heavenly sweetness; in the Cross is strength of mind; in the Cross is joy of spirit; in the Cross is excellence of virtue; in the Cross is perfection of holiness.

There is no salvation of soul, nor hope of eternal life, save in the Cross.”

No wonder wrote in his letter to the Galatians,

Galatians 6:

I want you to realize this morning that it doesn’t matter how much you know, how much theology is in your head or even how many scripture verses you can quote from memory

The only thing that matters is do you know the cross, not just know about it but do you know it?

Have you experienced it and the tranformational power that it contains in your life?

Do you mind if I mash up a couple of my favourite hymns for you?

I won’t sing them I’ll just read them

Or even m

“When I survey the wondrous cross on which the prince of glory died, my richest gain I count but loss and pour contempt on all my pride.”

“Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were an offering far too small.

Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life my all”

“My sin, O the bliss of this glorious thought, my sin not in part but the whole.

Is nailed to the cross and I bare it no more.

Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord o my soul.”

“Mercy there was great and grace was free, pardon there was multiplied to me, there my burdened heart found liberty, At Calvary”

This one was actually preached by Jesus Himself

No it has nothing to do with any of the 7 things that He said from the cross, although a number of you have told me that my message a few years ago called “Crosswords” was your favourite and you’d love to have another one like it

No believe it or not this sermon by Jesus actually takes place after He died and before He rose

in the original NIV says, “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.

He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison”

1 Peter 3:

through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison

I’m curious how many of you remember reciting or hearing the Apostle’s Creed as a part of your upbringing

Let me read it for you as a reminder,

I believe in God, the Father almighty,

      creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,

      who was conceived by the Holy Spirit

      and born of the virgin Mary.

He suffered under Pontius Pilate,

      was crucified, died, and was buried;

      he descended to hell.

The third day he rose again from the dead.

He ascended to heaven

      and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.

From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

      the holy catholic* church,

      the communion of saints,

      the forgiveness of sins,

      the resurrection of the body,

      and the life everlasting.

Amen.

The reason I bring it up is that there is a line in there that is very confusing and I believe has led to some false doctrine about that first Easter

Near the middle of the Creed it says of Jesus that he, “ He descended to Hell”

I do not agree with this statement as it is presented and I want you to know that it wasn’t even a part of the original Creed but was added some 300 years afterwards to combat a heresy going around that Jesus didn’t have a human spirit

‘But Pastor you just read which says that He descended to Hell and so too does ,

Ephesians

Let me explain what I believe,

Before atonement was made by way of the cross, the Old Testament taught that after death the spirit went to a place called in the Hebrew, Sheol

Now the O.T. also taught that Sheol was divided into two sections, upper Sheol which is where those who by their faith in God were considered righteous went and lower Sheol which is where the unrighteous went

In Jesus tells the parable/story of the rich man and Lazarus during which He alludes to this teaching and refers to this as He talks about Lazarus dying and being carried by the angels to “Abraham’s Bosom” AKA Paradise, while the rich man died and went to “Hell” which the Jewish Annotated Bible more accurately translates as “Hades”

The Jewish Annotated Bible more accurately translates that word as “Hades”

When Jesus died, He died!

1 Peter 4:6-

What I mean by that is Jesus became a victim of death and as such He went where everybody else up to that time went, Sheol

remember what He said to the thief on the cross?

And while He was there Jesus took advantage to proclaim the message of the gospel to all of those to whom up until now it had been veiled

The word that the NIV translates as “preached” in the 1 Peter text is misleading because it was not the same word so often used in the scripture to describe the preaching of the gospel, this word is better translated as “proclaimed”

Jesus as a prisoner of death was taken to Paradise and began to show those who were righteous how it was that their faith in God was being fulfilled by what had just taken place up on Golgotha

They were waiting for the time when they would get to leave Paradise and enter into the presence of God Himself for all of eternity and Jesus explained to them how this was about to happen

I could continue but let’s go onto our second text which is found in Acts chapter 2 and is a part of the sermon by Peter on the day of Pentecost

Acts 2:22-24