Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
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Prayer.... Lord, use your Word this morning to encourage me or to challenge me, AMEN.
“I have to tell you what happened...”
Acts 12:1-17
There’s a knock at the door.
But it’s too late for visitors, but then again this is the holiday season.
Before you can say anything, one of the kids runs to open it… you yell out find out who it is first because you know there have been problems with some of you Christian friends in town recently… even during the passover.
Yes, your friend Peter has been arrested for his preaching, but that’s not the worst of it, the King had your friend, John’s brother James killed.
He was in jail waiting trial and the King just killed him.
He couldn’t wait to see if he was guilty or not… he just murdered him.
John, his brother has had us all taking extra precautions since then.
So gathered with some family Mary, that is Mark’s mother, hear this knocking.
It’s late, who could it be?
Should we answer it?
While the adults talk it over, one of the kids, comes in all excited, It’s Peter; I can hear his voice.
Well you know that’s not possible, he’s in jail.
Better odds to be his ghost.
But she runs to open it anyway.
You can’t tell kids anything.
Well wouldn’t you know it.... it was peter....Hey Peter… It’s so good to see you… We were so worried… We've been praying all night for you.
Peter comes in and begins to tell us an amazing story.
You see he was arrested for preaching in town.
But he wasn’t just arrested, he was chained to two guards… he was guarded all day by 4 squads of 4 soldiers.
All day, There was one inside his cell and another one outside the cell door; but that’s not all.
Herod had him chained to one on his right and another one on his left.
All I could do is pray.
I fell asleep praying in fact.
Then just a few minutes ago, in the midst of a bright light, I was hit in the ribs.
I woke up thinking the beatings were starting again, but when I opened my eyes, I saw an angel of the Lord.
The angel told me… quick get up.
And in that moment the chains fell off my wrists.
I got up and got dressed and followed the angel just as he told me.
Now I didn’t think this was really happening to me… I thought it was a dream, because we walked right by the guards all the way to the town gate.
And when we got there the gate just opened as if by some unseen force… As we walked out, the angel sssshhhwwweeewwww.
He was gone.
At that moment, I realized this was real.
The Lord had saved me from death.
I had to come tell you because I knew you were praying for me.
Tell Jesus’s brother James and the other disciples for me.
I need to get out of here before the king finds me here and it causes you more trouble.
And with that he was gone.
This story is about Peter, sure, but really it’s about God.
It’s a story about God working in someone’s life.
It’s God’s story and Peter got to experience it.
Think of that.
The God of creation, who took dust and breathed into it and created a man.
Who put the stars in place.
Another of the fantastic stories of God is one of a man named Peter.
And Peter lived to tell it, and in telling his story, he was actually telling God’s story.
That’s what this choice is all about.
The Sharing Choice: I choose to yield myself to God to be used to bring the Good News to others, by both my example and by my words.
It’s based on the Beattitude from Matt 5:9
Peacemakers… we talked about it earlier in terms of making amends with people we had wronged.
But it’s also helping people make peace with God as we invite them into God’s story.
When we think of telling people God’s story, we have a word for it, Apologetics.
It means putting up a defense… defending God’s story.
But the best defense of God’s story is the part I have lived.
That’s what Evangelism is.... now I know many of us don’t like that E word.
That should make it easier for many of us, who think we don’t know enough about God to have a spiritual conversation with people, but you do.... you know what you have experienced.
Have you been healed?
Have you been able to forgive?
Have you made amends?
Have you been changed?
Tell that story.
Tell God’s story in you.
One reason we tell God’s story, our story is because it actually helps people who need hope.
Paul said it this way in 2 cor 1:4
But I haven’t gone through what they are going through… how can my story I help others?
Two ways, first, you can share how God got your attention.
That’s what it was like for Paul, remember he was struck blind… he was a pharisee among pharisee’s out to kill the church, who was now a preacher for the church.
Obviously something happened to him that hasn’t happened to any one else, so what can he share?
How God got his attention.
I can share how God got my attention
God loves us, the worst thing for us is to be separated from Him. Life’s hurts, habits, and hangups, can be the very things that get our attention and bring us to repentance.
Paul knew that
But let’s face it, our stories are different.
I think of people who have lived a pretty good life.
I wasn’t an alcoholic, I didn’t have an affair, I haven’t done anything really bad…you don’t have a dramatic salvation story like Peter, a dramatic transformation like Paul, and you don’t have a prodigal story.
You do have a story.
If you are a Christian you have been changed.
No one is born a Christian, we all at some point have to decide at some point that love for our LORD…that’s God’s story in your life…
Your story may be different, but you can share how God got you attention… that’s what we can all understand.
Maybe it was yorur feelings.
God got my attention through my: Feelings
I know especially guys don’t like to talk about feelings, but they are universal… we all have them.
Everyone can relate to being accepted, or loved.
God got my attention through my: Faults
Second our faults.
We all know what it’s like to be insufficient.
To not be able to live up to expectations.
God calls us to be holy and we all know what it’s like to not be.
We all have faults.... they are different, but they are the same.
Talk about yours… it’s part of your story and part of God’s story.
God got my attention through my: Failures
We all have failures, no matter how tall you are, you have fallen short.
Maybe we didn’t commit a felony, but when it comes to God’s standard, we all need a savior.
We all know what it’s like to fall short.
God got my attention through my: Frustrations
Feelings, faults, failures… they are universal, so are frustrations.
I have studied frustrations for all my life.... and I’ve been human for over 50 years now.
You know what I’ve discovered?
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