Sermon Tone Analysis

Integrity and Invitation

ALIVE

Integrity –

Integrity –

1. four gospels telling the same story but with different details.

Black Panther.

We have been inundated with information, perspectives, opinions.

This is true not just of entertainment, but of relationships, music, history, every other facet of life.

If you’ve ever read the four gospels, you know they tell the same story but with different details.

With some exception of John, which has passages and parables largely unique to the book, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, the synoptic gospels, tell much of the same story.

When something is less significant or fictional, it doesn’t leave a lasting imprint.

But when something significant happens, people will talk.

People will write, people will sing, people will tell different accounts of the same event.

They all have:

We can trust the integrity of the story of Jesus

- John the Baptist coming to preach before Jesus.

- The calling of Simon, Andrew, James, and John

Follow Jesus with integrity.

Our methods may be different, but what matters is the road we take and the destination.

It doesn’t matter if I take 290 or 71 to I-10 going to Houston.

What matters if I drove in a way that honored the laws of the land and the brothers and sisters on the road beside me.

- Jesus calling storms, healing people

The gospels compliment each other, they don’t contradict each other.

Would it be said of us that we are a church that compliments, rather than contradicts.

They have same stories, but the order of the stories is different.

They are ordered in different ways most scholars think because the different authors are trying to emphasize different points about Jesus, both based on their own experience and the audience to which they are attempting to speak to.

Compliment the witness of the church, the calling of Christ—don’t live in contradictions.

Black Panther.

2. He is who he said he is.

Black Panther has made $1.274 billion.

It is a juggernaut.

No one was anticipating the film’s success and for people who live in perpetual displacement, the chance to escape to a space that was not centered European/White/Western American culture was a breath of fresh air.

Invitation

But the sheer volume of responses has been equally impressive.

The conversations, podcasts, blog posts, all of this material over one movie.

How can one thing create so many different responses?

- – But go, tell his disciples and Peter, “He is going ahead of you into Galilee.

There you will see him, just as he told you.”

- Last week, I stood up here and talked about “broken hearts and unshattered faith.”

I said an unshattered faith depends largely on where you are standing and that there were two places in that text: Mount of Olives and Galilee.

I said Galilee is the place where Jesus reminds us our broken hearts, our wayward hearts are not a surprise to Him.

This is true not just of entertainment, but of relationships, music, history, every other facet of life.

The diversity of responses indicates the impact of the moment.

When something significant happens, people will talk.

People will write, people will sing, people will tell different accounts of the same event.

Jesus predicted Peter’s denial.

In two chapters before this, he told Peter he would deny him.

After the resurrection, the angel tells the believing women, go tell the disciples—and Peter to meet him in Galilee.

On this April Fools Day, we can trust the integrity of the story of Jesus.

These four gospels, and the amount of books written and believers spanning centuries, echo what the angel said in front of the tomb: He is not here!

He is risen!

We can trust the integrity of the story of Jesus and we must follow Jesus with integrity.

Easter reminds us we serve a “But God,” we also serve a “And God.”

And I was right about you Peter.

Follow Jesus with integrity.

Our methods may be different, but what matters is the road we take and the destination.

It doesn’t matter if I take 290 or 71 to I-10 going to Houston.

What matters if I drove in a way that honored the laws of the land and the brothers and sisters on the road beside me.

The gospels compliment each other, they don’t contradict each other.

Would it be said of us that we are a church that compliments, rather than contradicts.

And I am still not done with you.

And my call on your life is not compromised Peter.

Compliment the witness of the church, the calling of Christ—don’t live in contradictions.

And you are still the rock.

Invitation

There remains always an invitation from the ALIVE Savior to follow him again and again.

Whether we walk with him, we deny him, in seasons when we may lose our way, He still invites us “And you coming too.”

- – But go, tell his disciples and Peter, “He is going ahead of you into Galilee.

There you will see him, just as he told you.”

- Last week, I stood up here and talked about “broken hearts and unshattered faith.”

I said an unshattered faith depends largely on where you are standing and that there were two places in that text: Mount of Olives and Galilee.

I said Galilee is the place where Jesus reminds us our broken hearts, our wayward hearts are not a surprise to Him.

Let us be grateful for the “And of God”.

Jesus predicted Peter’s denial.

In two chapters before this, he told Peter he would deny him.

After the resurrection, the angel tells the believing women, go tell the disciples—and Peter to meet him in Galilee.

Easter reminds us we serve a “But God,” we also serve a “And God.”

And I was right about you Peter.

And I am still not done with you.

And my call on your life is not compromised Peter.

And you are still the rock.

There remains always an invitation from the ALIVE Savior to follow him again and again.

Whether we walk with him, we deny him, in seasons when we may lose our way, He still invites us “And you coming too.”

Let us be grateful for the “And of God.”