Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
This automated analysis scores the text on the likely presence of emotional, language, and social tones. There are no right or wrong scores; this is just an indication of tones readers or listeners may pick up from the text.
A score of 0.5 or higher indicates the tone is likely present.
Emotion Tone
Anger
0.08UNLIKELY
Disgust
0.08UNLIKELY
Fear
0.11UNLIKELY
Joy
0.62LIKELY
Sadness
0.51LIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.26UNLIKELY
Confident
0UNLIKELY
Tentative
0.23UNLIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.42UNLIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.95LIKELY
Extraversion
0.15UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.8LIKELY
Emotional Range
0.89LIKELY
Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
What Makes Sunday Special?
Series: MythBusters
Scripture: Exodus 20:8-11
The Point: Worshipping on Sunday shows God that He is important to us.
Items Needed: PowerPoint slides
Oil can
Childrens’ Heroes From Christian History (Volume 3) video – optional
A. What makes Sunday special?
Before you try to answer this question, look at this oil can.
In a little bit, I am going to tell you how this oil can will answer that question!
1. Sunday is special because it is the Lord’s Day.
A. In the Old Testament, the Israelites kept the Sabbath Day.
There were rules on the Sabbath.
The biggest one was that you weren’t allowed to work.
It was a day of rest and worship.
B. Today, we don’t keep the Sabbath Day like they did in the Old Testament.
If you did, you would worship on Saturday and you wouldn’t be able to do any work – you couldn’t even work in the kitchen to make lunch.
The strict laws of the Old Testament don’t have to be kept anymore because Jesus came and died on the cross.
C. Today, we still have a special day when we rest and worship God - Sunday.
In the New Testament, Christians began to honor the Sabbath Day on Sunday.
Do you know why the early Christians began to worship God on Sunday instead of Saturday?
Sunday was the first day of the week and was the day that Jesus rose from the grave.
2. God said, “Don’t forget!”
A. God said to remember the Sabbath Day (Exodus 20:8).
B. God knows how quickly we can forget that Sunday is a special day.
You need to make it a priority to be in church on Sunday.
When we take one day every week and make it our special day to worship God, it shows Him that He is important to us.
3. God said, “Keep Sabbath special!”
A. God also said to keep the Sabbath Day holy.
This means keep it special.
Sunday should be different than other days of the week.
B. Sunday is not a sabbath.
For Christians Sunday is a special day of worship.
They assemble to break bread on that day, but the first day of the week is never called a sabbath in the Scriptures.
Jews who became Christians were allowed to continue observing the sabbath (see Romans 14:5, 6).
There is nothing wrong with resting on Saturday!
But sabbath observance was never a requirement for Christians.
When certain Jewish Christians insisted that Christians had to keep the law of Moses, this was rejected by the Holy Spirit (Acts 15:28, 29).
Paul specifically states that one is not to be judged with regard to sabbath-keeping:
Why is Sunday a special day for Christians?
The greatest event in human history occurred on Sunday.
Jesus rose from the grave on the first day of the week, which is the New Testament term for Sunday1.
Mark 16:9
I.
Although it was late, they immediately returned to Jerusalem
While they were together, Jesus appeared among them:
“After eight days,” which would be the next Sunday (since the starting day was also counted), Jesus stood in their midst again while they were assembled (John 20:26
Thus the Holy Spirit specifically states that Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week, and also that Jesus appeared to the disciples when they were assembled on the first day of the week.
The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, and the testimony of those who experienced these events, form the foundation of the Christian faith.
Paul wrote:
Sunday is a special day for Christians because of memorable events on that day!
The Holy Spirit came on Sunday!
Sunday was the day on which the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles (Acts 1:8
The first Christians assembled on Sunday.
In the New Testament, Christians came together on the first day of the week to remember Jesus, as He had asked them to do, by dividing a loaf among themselves and drinking from the cup.
This was referred to as “breaking bread.”
The first day of the week is the Lord’s day.
In Revelation 1:10 John says:
This distinctive expression “the Lord’s day” is found in early church history as a designation for the first day of the week and is presently the common name for Sunday in Greece.
The Didache, for example, written between 70 and 120 AD, states in section 14:1: “But having assembled on ‘the Lord’s day’5, [the day] of the Lord, you must break bread and give thanks” (Translated from Greek by RD).
Many people view Sunday as their day, a day on which they can do whatever they like!
But for Christians, the first day of the week is the Lord’s day, a day of assembly with other Christians to remember and worship their Lord!
It is not a family day
It is not a free day
The Christian assembly may not be neglected.
On Sunday a collection was held.
That a Christian was to give
This was not just a local arrangement because Paul gave the same orders to other churches6.
This was not done at home as some claim, because then there would be no collection at all and why would it need to be on Sunday?
Also, there would then be collections when Paul came, which he wanted to avoid.
On the first day of the week a collection was taken7.
Illustration: Eric Liddell ran in the 1924 Olympics in Paris.
His best event was the 100m.
There was only one problem - the heats were on a Sunday.
Liddell pulled out.
While the heats were taking place, he was preaching in a church.
Some days later, he ran in the 400m.
Nobody gave him a chance.
What happened?
Eric Liddell won gold, breaking the world record in the process.
God was pleased that Eric Liddell kept Sunday special.
Sunday is not a day like every other day.
You need to keep Sunday special.
God said to keep it holy.
What can we do to keep it holy?
By doing holy things.
Closing Story (from Keys for Kids)
"Don and Jack asked me to go to Ski Valley with them tomorrow, Uncle Bill," said Aaron.
"The snow is just right!" Uncle Bill didn't say anything as he opened the hood of his truck, but Aaron was sure he knew what his uncle was thinking-tomorrow was Sunday.
"I'd miss Sunday school just this once!"
Aaron added.
"That wouldn't hurt, would it?"
"You've already missed more than once."
Uncle Bill spoke kindly to his nephew.
The two were especially close since Aaron's parents didn't have much interest in church.
Aaron's face fell.
"Yeah, I guess," he muttered.
"There were a few times when my parents had special plans.
But there haven't been many good ski days this winter, and I'd sure like to go!
What can it hurt to miss once more?"
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9