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
0.11UNLIKELY
Disgust
0.1UNLIKELY
Fear
0.16UNLIKELY
Joy
0.51LIKELY
Sadness
0.58LIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.48UNLIKELY
Confident
0UNLIKELY
Tentative
0.07UNLIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.82LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.83LIKELY
Extraversion
0.25UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.92LIKELY
Emotional Range
0.77LIKELY
Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
Easter Can Change Everything for You
Matthew 28:1-10
Sermon by Rick Crandall
Grayson Baptist Church - April 20, 2014
*In November of 2001, "Sports Illustrated" covered the World Series in which the Arizona Diamondbacks came back to beat the Yankees in the last inning of the last game.
That inspired the editors to think about the greatest comebacks in history, and they published their list of the "Top Ten Comebacks of All Time."
*It was a very broad list.
Elvis Presley was on it, due to his TV special in 1968 that revived his sagging career.
President Harry Truman made the cut, because of his 1948 victory over Thomas Dewey after all the polls had Truman losing by a huge margin.
Michael Jordan's return to basketball made the list.
So did all of mankind for recovering from the Black Plague in the 14th century that killed 25 million people.
*The number two all-time comeback was a tie between Japan and Germany for their recovery after World War II.
Of course, that never would have happened without our generous help.
*But the number one, greatest comeback of all time, named by the editors of "Sports Illustrated" in their Nov. 12, 2001, issue: It was Jesus Christ coming back from the dead in 33 AD! (1)
*That first Easter was the best day ever in the history of the world.
Easter changed everything!
And Easter can change everything for you, because Jesus is alive!
1.
That's why Jesus can turn our darkest night into day.
*Jesus Christ can turn your darkest night into day.
Verses 1-3 help us to see this resurrection truth:
1.
Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.
2. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it.
3. His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.
*Think about those ladies on the way to the grave that day.
They weren't going to a party.
They were going to finish preparing Jesus' body for the grave.
They had great adoration in their hearts for the Lord.
But there was no celebration, because they were sure that Jesus was dead.
*Jesus had told His disciples many times that He would rise from the dead, but for some reason it never sunk in.
This was not a new dawn for them.
Emotionally and spiritually, it was still the darkest night of their lives.
*But everything changed on that first Easter morning!
That angel shined as bright as lightening.
But his light was just a spark of the light they would see that day, because Jesus was alive!
And Jesus can turn our darkest nights into day.
*Some very hard things are going to happen in your life.
Where are you going to find the comfort you need?
*When Dan Yeary was the Pastor of North Phoenix Baptist Church, he had a big medical scare.
Just after preaching one Sunday, Dan suddenly lost his balance, as his blood pressure shot up, and he began sweating profusely.
Dan was rushed to the Emergency Room, and his heart checked out fine, so they continued to run tests to find the cause.
*Of course the people in his church were praying, visiting, calling and sending cards to their pastor.
Those things helped comfort Pastor Dan, and he appreciated it all.
He told his church about two of the cards he received from young children.
Dan said, "My favorite get-well card was handmade with construction paper, glue, glitter and delightful misspellings.
It said, 'Pastor Dan, I am sorry you are sick.
-- I hope you get well before you die!'"
The other kid's card said, "Pastor Dan, I like to hear you preach.
I hope your sermon doesn't make you sick next time."
(2)
*God's people can surely help us find the comfort we need in life.
But the best comfort comes from God Himself.
He can put light in our darkest days.
Jesus Christ is alive, so He can turn our darkest night into day.
2. And He can put a new perspective on our problems.
*Remember what the women were worried about on the way to the tomb that day.
Mark 16:2-3 tells us that:
2. Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.
3.
And they said among themselves, "Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?''
*That heavy gravestone was far too big for those women to move by themselves.
But vs. 2 here says, "Behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it."
*Those women were worried about a problem they never had to face.
What are you needlessly worried about today?
The resurrection of Jesus Christ can put a brand new perspective on our problems, because it reminds us of God's amazing power.
*We are going to come up against stones too heavy for us to budge, but nothing is too hard for Jesus Christ.
And we know this because He even rose from the dead.
Nothing is too hard for our God!
His infinite power can shrink our problems down to size, so He can put a new perspective on our problems.
3.
And He can give us the faith to overcome our fears.
*In vs. 3-5, that angel was a terrifying sight:
3. His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.
4.
And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.
5.
But the angel answered and said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified."
*I don't know what fears you have in your life today, but if you will seek the Lord, He will seek to calm your fears.
*Most everybody knows the Old Testament story of how young David killed the giant Goliath.
David used his sling, and then he finished the job with the giant's own sword.
But sometime later, King David was taken captive by the men in Goliath's home town of Gath.
That's when David wrote Psalm 56, and the terrified young warrior opened his Psalm with these words:
1. Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me.
2. Mine enemies would daily swallow me up: for they be many that fight against me, O thou most High.
*Then the Lord must have given David a new burst of courage, as he remembered that God really is the most High!
And David said:
3. What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.
4. In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.
*No matter what fears you have in your life today, if you will seek the Lord, He will seek to calm those fears.
Down in vs. 10, one of the first things Jesus said to those women was, "Do not be afraid.
Go and tell My brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me."
*"Jesus said, "Do not be afraid.
Go and tell My brothers. .
."
If you have received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, then He is your brother too!
And it's comforting to know that the world's biggest big brother is on your side!
*Jesus wants to help us overcome our fears.
Years ago, our Katie and I were on a trip to Georgia, when we happened to hear Janet Parshall speak on American Family Radio.
Janet is a Southern Baptist radio host for Moody radio.
That day, Janet told about the time she was supposed to go on a TV show to talk about abortion and other hot political issues.
*Before the program, they told her that the panel would be two conservatives and two liberals.
But when she got to the studio, Janet she found out that she was facing a panel stacked seven to one against her.
All of the radical feminist heavyweights were there, like Patricia Ireland and Gloria Steinem.
*Janet was scared to death, and wanted to back out.
Off by herself, she began to complain to God about how bad the situation was.
But the Lord put this thought in her mind: "Janet, when you are in the lions' den, your job is not to count the lions.
It's to count on ME!"
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9