Sermon Tone Analysis

My brothas and sistahs it’s a known fact this morning that we are living in some perilous times.

I think that all of you would agree today that we are living in some dangerous times.

Everyone here today desires to have a certain amount of peace.

Some husband and wife today, you have said over and over again; when am I gonna get just a little peace.

Some parent here today who’s wrestling with a disobedient child utters these same words; when are you going to give me just a little peace.

Some parent here who’s wrestling with a child who seems to stay out all night long, you’re wondering when in the world will you get a little peace.

Some child here today who is wrestling with a drug-addict parent, a parent who is on alcohol and who appears don’t love them anymore; in your own little way you are wondering when in the world will you get a little peace.

I think that this is the cry of all of humanity we just want some peace.

There is somebody here right now who will wave their hand and say “reverend I would just do a little better if I could just get some peace.”

I don’t bother anybody, I go to work and I am honest, I try to be fair, I try my best to give everything that I have but I just can’t get any peace.

I go to bed at night and try to go to sleep and I toss and turn all night long and all I want is a little peace.

Somebody here right now, on your job you worked all week long with people trying to get you fired, you don’t bother anybody you just go to work and you try to do your job and you go home and while you are there at work – somebody trying to get you a pink slip.

And so you might say this morning “reverend, all I need is just a little peace.”

Is there anybody here right now that just wish they had just a little bit of peace?

You might need to turn to somebody and tell them “if I could just get a little bit, I’d be alright.”

And I think that is the cry of mankind today.

I think that is your cry and my cry.

We just need a little peace, a little tranquility a little peace to help us get through the days, months, and years of life.

We’d feel a little better if we could pick it up at a department stores, or maybe down at the */Publix or Winn Dixie/*; if they had it bottled up or canned up!

If we could just find it in a store somewhere…  Many of us try to take vacations to get a little peace but when we come back same old thing!!!  Our world is crying out for the same thing with ambulances driving by and police constantly running here and there the whole world is crying out, “just a little peace!”  Wars in the desert, cars piling up on the highways, men throwing their children off bridges and we are all crying out with schemes and plots and plans and mankind seems to be in an upheaval, and all we want is just a little peace!

And we begin to wonder if that angelic host had it right when he said /peace on earth, good will toward man/.

Maybe somebody wrote the message down wrong, maybe the transcriber of what was heard over the PA system of heaven, maybe they didn’t record it right when they stood out there early that morning at the birth of Jesus and said “/peace on earth, good will toward man/.”

My cry and your cry this morning, just give me a little peace.

Some pastor this morning is crying out with hellish and hateful members, all I want is just a little peace.

I want to be able to go home and lay down without somebody calling and complaining.

That’s your cry and my cry; I could feel a little better if I could just get a little peace, a little peace and tranquility it would help me in all of my situations.

You, who are employed, just want a little peace.

You want it on your job, you want it in your home, you want it in your neighborhood, and you certainly want it in your church.

And the terrible part about it is the place that it look like we ought to be able to get it, we can’t get any.

You ought to be able to find peace in the church.

And so maybe the angelic host maybe they might have got it wrong when they said peace on earth…  But I want to suggest this morning that if you want to have peace, you have to follow a prescription.

It won’t just show up, you have to follow a prescription.

And I think that you will agree that these days are days of conflict, these days are days of confusion and challenge.

And many of us spend a great deal of time trying to get a little peace.

And we wonder if Jesus was really sincere when He uttered the words found in John 14:27 when he spoke to His disciples that day and said “/peace I leave with you, My peace/.”

And so automatically I come to the conclusion that there must be another peace.

If the Master would say “/My peace, I leave with you/…”  Then He turned around and said “/not as the world giveth/,” for that’s another kind of peace.

You see my brothers and sisters this peace cannot be bought with credit cards; you cannot charge it to your accounts.

This peace cannot be derived from going to the shopping mall and buying a lot of stuff.

Because then all you’ll have is a bill later on in the month.

And there are a lot of people who are trying to conjure up artificial peace and we are trying to make peace when we already have we just got pull down off the shelf.

The writer says here, Jesus’ words, “/my peace I give unto you/.”

It’s already been given I just have to receive it.

“…and it is not as the world giveth give I unto you.”

And then He says something that is astounding, “…/let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid/.”

And so with the peace that the Master has, you don’t have to have heart trouble and you don’t have to be afraid.

One of the tragedies of this day and age is that we are so fearful and so afraid.

We spend most of our time afraid.

We spend most of our time fearful.

We are fearful about living and we are fearful about dying.

If it ain’t one thing then it’s another.

And everyone of us here this morning we are fearful of the future, we are fearful of people who might try to do us wrong, we are fearful of life’s turmoil, we are just fearful people.

You know we hear about peace on the TV, we read about it in the newspapers, we hear about it on the radio…  The peace accord, gangs are being challenged to have peace agreements, peace in the Middle East, brothers don’t say good bye any more now it’s peace, men are dying for peace, and all of us want that Shalom; that wholesomeness; that wellness.

And I think that the world would relinquish a whole lot if it could just get some peace.

You know all of us here right now would relinquish our */pain/* in a minute for some */peace/*.

We’d put our */confusion/* on the shelf for some */contentment/*.

We would just set our */conflict/* aside if we could just get some */comfort/*.

*/Turmoil/* would be a thing of the past if we could just get some */tranquility/*.

We would just tell */worry/* to sit down over there if we could just get some */wholeness/*.

I think every one of us here would tell */anxiety/* “we don’t want you in our lives” if we could just get some */abundance/*.

We are searching for it.

We are looking for it in our homes, in our lives, in our relationships, in our neighborhoods, in our cities, in our states, in our world…  And with the absence of peace, worry, the greatest thief of joy, takes over.

And somebody here right now, I don’t know you but God told me you’d be in church this morning, you’re worried.

You are worried about your life, you’re worried about your children, you are worried about the people that you have come in contact with on the journey, you’re worrying about relationships, you’re worrying about your health, you’re worrying about not having enough money to make ends meet, you’re worrying about this one thing or another.

Because at some point in time in all of our lives we have been left out there seemingly in the cold and found ourselves worrying over and over again.

(Yes) We sing God will make a way but we still worry.

Worry finds its way into our hearts and our minds.

That’s why that song, that worldly song you know.

And some people know that better than they know Amazing Grace.

Man wrote the other day, don’t worry be happy.

And every time you turned on the radio back in the day, y’all did here that one didn’t you?

I didn’t wanna be the only one that heard it.

And every time you turned on the radio – don’t worry be happy.

And that was a good anecdote to the anxieties for a world that had been tossed to and fro with its problems and difficulties.

Somebody right now needs to turn to somebody and tell them “don’t worry, be happy!”

That’s a good message this morning.

Because of your needs of prayer and because of your petitions, maybe every now and then we need to tell people – don’t worry, just be happy.

Don’t worry about what you are going through, it’ll be alright.

Don’t worry about those little storms that are blowing in your life, it’ll be alright.

Don’t worry about that sickness, it’ll be alright.

Don’t worry about that relationship problem, it’ll be alright.

Don’t worry about those children that you have been badgering and trying to keep under control, it’ll be alright.

Don’t worry about the conflicts and confusions in your life, it’ll be alright.

And maybe that’s what we need to here, every now and then someone needs to pat us on the back and tell us, it’ll be alright.

And so I want you to turn to somebody and tell them it’s gonna be alright.

No matter what you are going through, no matter how difficult it might seem, no matter how hard it seems, no matter what the problem is, no matter what the trouble is, no matter hard it might appear, no matter what the weight seems like on your shoulders, turn to somebody on the other side and tell them “it’s gonna be alright!”

And you know I believe that, I just kind of believe that I have a God that’s able to make it all right!

Have not you seen him do it for other people?

Don’t you know that he can do it for you?

I have watched God take others off of sick beds, He can do the same for you!

I have watched God make a way for other folks, He can do the same for you!

I have watched God help other people pay their bills, He can do the same for you!

I have watched God bring other peoples’ children back home, He can do the same for you!  I’ve watched God heal broken hearts, He can do the same thing for you.

I have watched God!

I believe that He is able, if He can do it for other people, He can do it for you!  Oh, I tell you this morning, He can do it for you!

He can do it for you.

You have watched Him do it for other people – but He can do it for you.

He can make your enemies leave you alone; He can do that for you.

He can help you carry your heavy burdens; He can do that for you.

He can ease your troubled mind; He can do that for you.