Sermon Tone Analysis

Acts

Guys, I know that using this kind of platform to brag is in bad taste.

But you know......well here goes...

It seems that, and I have an email to verify it..that

I have been contacted by the prince, wealthy Prince of Nigeria, and he is offering me a heft sum, if I just write him a quick note with my bank information, and inviting him to my house.

I feel pretty secure in this and look forward to how my life is going to change when all this comes through!!

So, you know treat me nice.

PAUSE

When many people hear the gospel they probably think of it kind of like an email from a Nigerian prince!

When many people hear the gospel they probably think of it kind of like an email from an African prince!

You want it to be true but You would most likely dismiss it.

But the more you hear it the more information, the more you dig.

The gospel, this idea that the Son of God, the prince of Heaven, walked among us, as the Gospel of John says, and that whoever believes in him will have eternal life.

A new life.

A life that is defined by the love of God for you, and not what you can pull off.

That the creator of the universe knows you by name and wants to be in relationship with you and he only thing in the way of that our sin has been taken care of on the cross of Jesus Christ, and all we need to do to gain all the benefits of his death and resurrection is to place our trust in him!

At first glance that sounds like a scam letter!

But if you .....

If you received a letter in the mail, that had a return address of a relative, you would be more interested.

If on the inside of the letter it said that your rich uncle, who passed away, would like to leave you a large sum of money, it would seem more probable.

Still might seem far-fetched, in this day and age there so many people scamming, you figure there’s probably a way that someone got this information.

But, you would definitely want to look into it!

The people around you would probably say it would be ridiculous and not to look into it.

The ongoing message of the early church, was that there is news, there is a historical event, something has happened, that affects you!

Something amazing happened and you are the beneficiary if you so choose!

And the ongoing declaration of the early followers of Jesus Christ was look into this.

Even if there is a chance this is true, wouldn’t you want to know.

As one scholar says,..”Even if you don’t believe in the resurrection, the goos news of the Gospel, you should want it to be true!”

The first followers of the church made it their mission to explain the truth of the historical event of the resurrection, because if true. it changes everything!!

It changes how you view others, yourself, and God.

The Apostle Paul/or some may know him as St. Paul, had been in prison for two years in the city of Caesarea.

He was in prison because he would not shut up about the fact that a man named Jesus had risen from the dead.

A man that had made all sorts of amazing claims about himself, about how we understand God, and on top of that said, if you want poof about who Am, you just wait!

You will destroy my body and 3 days later, I will rise.

And Paul who one fought tooth and nail against this story soon learned the fact of the resurrection.

And everything changed.

And he has now found himself ....before two kings!!

Like a bit of entertainment he is brought before them, out of his prison cell to explain himself.

On this occasion,

When Paul was in front of Agrippa and Festus in , he was a prisoner.

Festus and Agrippa were two royal personages, and they had Paul come out and explain his Christian faith.

So he had an audience with these two kings.

He starts to talk about the gospel, and he talks about Christ’s death and resurrection.

When he’s in the middle of his discussion, suddenly Festus says, “Paul, your great learning has driven you mad.”

Festus recognized that Paul was a scholar.

Festus recognized Paul’s teaching and preaching was tremendously academically sound, but he says, “You believe somebody died for our sins and was raised again from the dead?

Your great learning has driven you mad.”

He comes back and says this, and it’s an amazing statement.

It shows you the in-your-face attitude of the heralds of the original Christian message.

He says, “I am not insane, most excellent Festus, but what I say is true and reasonable.

King Agrippa from Palestine knows about these things, for these things were not done in a corner.”

That’s amazing.

BUT..an this is what I want you and I to think on this morning....and this is really what Resurrection Sunday or Easter Sunday is all about.....

He turns to Agrippa, because Agrippa was Jewish, and Agrippa lived in Palestine during the life of Christ and during the death and resurrection.

What does Paul say? Paul doesn’t say, “Festus, if you want to understand Christianity, you have to apply the principles to your life and just simply live them out; then you’ll know.”

He doesn’t say that.

When Festus says, “You’re crazy, Paul.

Nobody could rise from the dead,” he turns to Agrippa and says, “Festus, I am not insane.

What I am saying is reasonable and true.

Talk to Agrippa.

He knows these things were not done in a corner.”

Christianity is not primarily a proclamation about a way of life!!

It is a proclamation about a historical FACT!

Hey you may not believe the facts but make no mistake, Christianity is not primarily out to proclaim a better way of life.

Hey you may not believe the facts but make not mistake, Christianity is not primarily out to proclaim a better way of life.

Christianity is primarily, and I mean primarily, the announcement of some historical facts.

It’s primarily the proclamation of certain world-changing historical events, and only secondarily is it a way of life.

Only secondarily is it a philosophy.

Only secondarily is it a set of principles for living.

PAUSE

When Paul writes about this event he says this in

What is he saying?

He is NOT saying ultimately guys, live better and say it is because of a good teacher named Jesus!

He didnt say ultimately, live this way and you are a Christian.

He said…something happened in time and space.

You can point to the spot where this event took place on a map.

It meant a herald.

One who gave you news.

Who stood in town square and let you know the stuff going one that will affect you.

You can point to a date on the calendar!

This is not a philosophy or an ideology this is history!

Even the word preacher, used by Paul.

Or the word preaching, was a strategic word, meant to differentiate Christians from those who offered a new philosophy.

It was very important to Early Christians that

They weren’t teachers, they were preachers.

The word was important.

The word for preacher is the same as Herald.

In the time of the early church the heralds would come to the centre of town and they would yell out important news, news that would affect how they lived their lives!

Sparta is attacking!

All first born men are being rounded up to serve in the military.

There is famine.

Taxes are rising.

Right!!?

Stuff that was important.

The Herald would not come into the town centre with suggestions!!

“Announcing 3 new principles to get the girl with the ringlets to fall for you!”

Heralds didn’t cover fashion!!

“Hey everyone, orange togas are now all the rage in Athens!!”

Paul and the other early Christians wanted to make sure everyone understood.

The Resurrection of Christ is actual historical news that WILL affect you.