Sermon Tone Analysis

What a glorious day today is what a glorious day today is.

This is the day that we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

I suppose that all of us have different customs and traditions for Easter morning.

For some of us it may involve sharing presents and perhaps eating a hard-boiled egg or two.

For others perhaps the best celebration they can think of is just the ability to sleep a little bit later.

Well for some reason I found myself looking at the obituaries and I was exceedingly glad not to see my name in there.

There was however an obituary which I read that really struck close to my heart.

I thought that I would share that obituary with you today.

Jesus Christ, 33, of Nazareth, died Friday on Mount Calvary, also known as Golgotha, the place of the skull.

Betrayed by the apostle Judas, Jesus was crucified by the Romans, by order of the Ruler Pontius Pilate.

The causes of death were crucifixion, extreme exhaustion, severe torture, and loss of blood.

Jesus Christ, a descendant of Abraham, was a member of the house of David.

He was the Son of the late Joseph, a carpenter of Nazareth, and Mary, His devoted Mother.

Jesus was born in a stable in the city of Bethlehem, Judea.

He is survived by His mother Mary, His faithful Apostles, numerous disciples, and many other followers.

Jesus was self educated and spent most of his adult life working as a Carpenter and a Teacher.

Jesus also occasionally worked as a Medical Doctor and it is reported that he healed many patients.

Up until the time of His death, Jesus was teaching and sharing the Good News, healing the sick, touching the lonely, feeding the hungry, and helping the poor.

Jesus was most noted for telling parables about His Father`s Kingdom and performing miracles, such as feeding over 5,000 people with only five loaves of bread and two fish, raising Lazarus, a local man, from the dead; and healing a man who was born blind.

On the day before His death, He held a Last Supper celebrating the Passover Feast, at which He foretold His death.

The body was quickly buried in a stone grave, which was donated by Joseph of Arimathea, a loyal friend of the family.

By order of Pontius Pilate, a boulder was rolled in front of the tomb.

Roman soldiers were put on guard.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that everyone try to live as Jesus did.

Donations may be sent to anyone in need.

I was sorrowful when I read that obituary because of the sufferings that Jesus went through on my behalf.

But I was also full of joy for I knew that the obituary was printed prematurely.

I knew that Jesus the Christ was not in that tomb anymore.

I knew that under his own power he walked out of the tomb alive.

I knew that he had kept his promise, and was resurrected from the dead.

There are two words which we use which can be confusing if we are not sure of their exact meaning.

Those words are resurrection and revival.

Both words are for ever important in Christ’s church.

Both words help shape our future lives as Christians.

Both words involve a change that occurs in connection with death or dying.

The word resurrection can be found in several places in the Bible.

Over the years of biblical history its meaning has changed to what we know it as today.

In general the resurrection, according to the Holman illustrated Bible dictionary, is a future, bodily rising from the dead of all persons.

Believers in Christ rise to eternal life and bliss with God; unbelievers to eternal torment and separation from God.

If you remember from last week I talked about the rapture of the church, whereby the dead in Christ shall rise and those Christians still living will be called up to meet Jesus in the air.

This is the resurrection of the saints.

This is when our sad, diseased, aching, wrinkled, and some decaying bodies will be transformed into a new glory filled body where none of the effects of time, sin, and satisfaction of our lusts will no longer have an effect; rather the only effect on our bodies will be the glory of the everlasting God.

Similar also is the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

I’d like to read from the same source as to Christ’s resurrection.

It says the resurrection of Jesus the Christ is an historical event whereby Jesus came back from physical death to newness of life with a glorified body, never to die again.

The bodily resurrection of Jesus is one of the central tenets of the Christian faith.

His bodily resurrection validates the claim that he is both Lord and Christ.

It substantiate it’s the proposition that his life and death were not just the life and death of a good man but that he indeed was God incarnate and that by his death we have forgiveness of sins.

This quote I just read states some very bold things.

First, it states that the resurrection is an historical event.

You know what that means?

It means that it is not a legend.

It is not a myth.

It is not a story or a cover up.

It actually happened.

Second, it states that he has a glorified body, never to die again.

That statement is not an exaggeration.

That statement is a profound truth.

The glorified body does not age, or whither, or die.

Third, it states that he is both Lord and Christ.

Jesus is the Christ, the anointed one, who was sent into this world to save mankind from their sins.

But even greater, he is Lord.

He is the authority of God.

He is God incarnate ( in the flesh).

And fourth, it states that thru him we have our sins completely and permanently forgiven.

The other word I wanted to talk about was the word revival.

Oftentimes, we think that resurrection and revival mean the same thing, but that is not true.

Revival is a resuscitation.

It is the process of bringing back to life someone or something that is dead.

However, the person will still be subject to the effects of time, sin, and death.

Revival is a temporary return to life which could last minutes or years.

Whereas resurrection is a permanent return to life, in a position better than before which will last through all eternity.

Often times we hear about revivals occurring in churches.

Or a revival movement that occurred sometime in the past.

According to Walter Boldt “revival is God at work, restoring his church to health.”That is an acceptable definition provided that the church is doing the work that the Gospels call it to.

Revival must always result in reaping, in growth.

Revival is something that can be experienced through the whole body of Christ—all Christians everywhere.

It can be experienced within the local church.

It can even be experienced in one single Christian.

We read in Psalm 85 verse six "Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?*" Psalm 85:6*

So what is the psalmist saying here?

He is praying to God to resuscitate his people.

The people had become distant from God.

They seemed to have lost their connection to God because they couldn’t rejoice in him.

The first step in revival is the obvious, and that is to recognize that you’re not experiencing the right relationship with God.

You come to a point in life where that relationship with God just seems so empty, so void of joy.

You may even experience the doldrums of repetitive, ritualistic, and some times just plain, boring, almost dead perceptions and devotions to God.

So the psalmist recognizes the need of his people.

He recognizes that they have lost their way and their joy has fizzled out.

And so he prays for revival.

All revivals must begin in prayer.

DL Moody once said “every great work of God can be traced to a kneeling figure.”And

that is what we must do if we want to see a revival in our church or even in ourselves.

We must come before him in prayer.

In the second Chronicles Chapter 7 verse 14 it says"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.*" 2 Chronicles 7:14* you hear that church?

Pray in all earnestly and have a desire to do good then will not only God hear your prayer but he will forgive your sin and heal your land.

He will restore you to who you should be.

Often times it is so lonely when we are not walking with the Lord.

Often times we just don’t feel complete.

In acts chapter 4 verse 31 it says "And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.*"