Sermon Tone Analysis

The Event that Changed Everything

Introduction:

What events have taken place in your life that have significantly changed everything?

Some have been tragic events that have impacted you with worry and great anxiety.

Others are events that simply brought peace into our lives.

I’m certain that we can all think of various things and when we share them with other, it triggers another memory.

Today I want to talk about an event that changed everything, bringing peace into our world, even though for some, anxiety because of uncertainty.

(my moment)

As a parent, it doesn’t take long to realize that God has not only blessed us with children, but he has given us the do diligent responsibility to raise them in such a way that when they leave the house at an appropriate age, they will be able to make it on their own.

I remember the day we took our oldest son to College.

We were down by the mailboxes of the Student Union and were preparing to say goodby, when another student came by and my son reached out his hand and said hello and introduced himself.

it was at that moment that I knew he was going to be ok and he would do well on his own as he depended upon God.

It gave to us great peace…

parent, we realize that God has blessed us with children and given us the do diligent responsibility to raise them in such a way that when they leave the house at an appropriate age, they will be able to make it on their own.

I remember the day we took our oldest son to College.

We were down by the mailboxes of the Student Union and were preparing to say goodby, when another student came by and my son reached out his hand and said hello and introduced himself.

it was at that moment that I knew he was going to be ok and he would do well on his own as he depended upon God.

We all have moments in our lives, some good and some bad, that stand out and mark a significant change in life.

Today, we want to talk about an event that changes “Everything.”

We know it as “Easter” or “The Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”

The truth be told, I never really got it as a Kid.

I mean, I never really quite understood the significance of what Easter was all about until I got older.

I remember easter being a time of treasure hunts… getting clues from my parents as to where I might find my Easter basket.

The very first one I remember took place at Grandma and Grandpa Walkers home.

I eventually found mine under a small white metal cabinet that my Grandmother had in her kitchen.

When she passed away, it was one of those things that you wanted to keep.

Another time was on an Easter morning, much like today, when the sun was shining, it was warm outside.

That particular Easter, I got a little football, and before church went out into the front yard to play catch with my Dad.

It wasn’t until later that I began to understand the significance of what Easter was really about.

I think it hit me in College when I attended an Easter morning worship service and heard one of my professors speak on the resurrection of Jesus that I began to understand what it meant for me personally.

It was a moment in life that changed everything for me and led me to do what I do today.

The question I have for you this morning, is How has the resurrection of Jesus impacted your life?

Maybe another way of looking at it is “How has it change your life?”

This morning we are exploring a passage of scripture that was written by Matthew, one of Jesus Disciples.

He talks about a particular teaching of Jesus that took place just before Jesus was crucified and then rose from the dead.

It’s found in

You may follow along with me as the scripture is put up on the screen or take your Bible or a Bible located in the pew in front of you and follow along...

According to this passage of scripture, we will all stand before Jesus someday and have to give account as to what we did with what we know about Jesus… About what we ‘Believe’ about Jesus?

I. What did we do with his teachings?

II.

What did we do with how to treat other people?

III.

What did we do concerning His resurrection from the dead.

Let me tell you a little about Matthew who wrote the book of Matthew.

He was a Jew… a Tax collector.

He collected taxes from the his own people and gave what was required to the Roman Government.

Tax Collector were not the most popular people at the time… Especially Jewish Tax collectors, who took from their own people and gave it to the Romans.

They had a reputation for collecting more taxes than were necessary, giving to Rome what they required, but keeping the rest for themselves.

In some ways, Matthew is trying to convince other Jewish people of who Jesus really is and How Jesus accepted him personally, a tax collector… considered by many Jews to be nothing more than a thief; and how Jesus changed his life!

So on a relational level, he wasn’t very popular with the Jewish people.

Now, as someone who became a follower of Jesus, he writes about all the teaching of Jesus.

So that his people so to speak may know how Jesus life changed his.

He tells them what Jesus would do in the end times; Not necessarily a popular topic.

However, in light of his personal experience with Jesus, and having already seen him die, rise again, and ascended into heaven, he wants them to know that there will be a time, based on the teachings of Jesus, He will return.

Matthew tells them about how He is the shepherd and when he sits on his throne, he will separate the sheep from the goats.

The Jewish people understood the concept of shepherds, since they were a nomadic people and many of them made their living from herding sheep.

They understood the concept of separating the good from the bad, the healthy from the unhealthy.

Matthew could speak as one who had been raised knowing that there would be a coming Messiah; savior, someone to save his people from Roman oppressions.

As one who had come to know Jesus personally and how much Jesus loved him.

Matthew, is telling them about one of Jesus teaching moments and how when He does return a second time… we are all going to have to stand before him and be judged for our actions based on our faith.

No one really wants to be one of the ‘Goats’, but he is saying, fact is fact.

There is a difference between sheep and goats.

From what I understand, Not always easily distinguished.

So he is saying to them, when you stand before Jesus, you will be judged for what you did about his teachings.

Bonnie asked me one night as we drove by a ‘Kingdom Hall’ where Jehovah Witnesses worship, and asked what they believe.

So being the brilliant theologian that I am I said to her… Google it.

So she did.

I knew some of the things they believed, but one of the things that stood out was that they believe Jesus was God’s created Son and that he is not part of the trinity.

They do no believe, as Jesus teaches us in the Bible, that He and the Father are one.

He who has seen Jesus, has seen the Father.

Jesus said, “I and the Father are one.”

So what do we do with what Jesus teaches us? either we accept it or reject it.

The fact is, His teachings are not something where we can accept what you like, but not all of them.

Either you believe in all he said about himself and how to live, or you pick and choose what you want.

Matthew chose to believe all that Jesus taught and passed it on to others.

He did so because he witnessed Jesus living what he taught… He witnessed Jesus death… he witnesses he Resurrection... and His Ascension.

The rest of the Gospel accounts affirm what Jesus taught.

There might be variations in how they are written because they were written to different audiences, but not in what is meant.

(i.e.

… Young and old; church and unchurched)

So at this point Jesus is teaching about his return; separating the people like a shepherd separates sheep and goat; and they will be judged according to how they follow the teachings of Jesus as the Son of God.

II.

Secondly, how do we treated other people based on what Jesus taught?

He uses the illustration of those on his right and those on his left.

He talks about how some provided him with food, some with drink, and some with clothing.

Once again the Jewish people could understand this concept, because from sheep, one could be provided others with food, drink, and clothing.

The problem was, they didn’t know when they did these things, it was as if they were doing it for Jesus.

So Matthew is telling them this story that Jesus told... Simply pointing out that what you did to the least of these you did for me.

In other words, you did it too and for Jesus.

Earlier in his writings, Matthew said, “Anyone who breaks on of the least of these commandments and teaches other to do the same will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the Kingdom of heaven.”

Another key teachings of Jesus is that we are to “LOVE GOD with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.

And love your neighbor as your self.

We are all on a journey… That is why we are here today.

We are here, listening to the teachings of Jesus… being challenged by him as to what you have done with them up to this point and what will you do with them after today.

Another way of looking at this is to know that it was Jesus who said, You will stand before me someday and you will have to give account for how you lived your life… What Matthew and other writers of the Gospels are telling us about the death and resurrection of Jesus, is that He, himself was unselfish and thought only of the spiritual needs of those God created.

The second things he talks about is how we actually treat or respond to others.

Another way of looking at this is to know that Jesus said, You will stand before me someday and you will have to give account for how you lived your life… What Matthew and other writers of the Gospels are telling us about the death and resurrection, is that Jesus himself was unselfish and thought only of the spiritual needs of those God created.

Jesus wasn’t wishy washy in his teachings.

When he taught of love, he meant that it was to be given freely.

When he taught of obey his teachings, he didn’t say, obey what you like and forget about the rest.