Sermon Tone Analysis

Many Convincing Proofs

(That He was ALIVE)

It would be remiss of me not to spend a little time talking about the “Many Convincing Proofs” that Jesus was in fact alive.

If you ask any one of my youth, what is the single most important event in all of scripture?

They will, or at least better, answer the resurrection because

If the resurrection is true everything is true

If the Resurrection is a lie then everything is a lie

The entirety of the gospel hinges on this truth Paul says it this way:

So Paul tells us:

Our Lord Himself deliberately staked His whole claim to the credit of men upon His resurrection.

When asked for a sign He pointed to this sign as His single and sufficient credential.

B. B. WARFIELD*

WAITING for GOD

Waiting is a concept seen throughout scriptures

Waiting seems to be normal.

Abraham had to wait on a son (Gen 21:5; Rom 4:18)

Jacob had to wait on a Woman (Rachel) (Gen 29:18)

Joseph had to wait for a dream (Gen 50:20)

Even Jesus had to wait to begin his ministry (Luke 3:23)

The disciples had to wait for the Spirit (Acts 1:4)

We are waiting for Jesus to return (Phil 3:20)

God things come to those who wait

Renewed strength (Isa 4:31)

The goodness of God (Lam 3:25)

The Harvest comes (James 5:7-8)

Produces character (Romans 5:3-4)

He will fight our battles (Titus 2:13)

Instant (Temporary) Gratification

A desire to avoid delay: it’s uncomfortable to engage in self-denial, and all of our instincts are to seize any opportunity for pleasure as it comes.

Uncertainty: generally, we are born with nearly infinite certainty and trust in others, but over time we learn to be less sure of the reliability of others and of our future; this uncertainty can cause us to value the less beneficial but certain-and-immediate over the more beneficial uncertain-and-long-term.

Age: as you have likely already noted, younger people have a tendency to be more impulsive, while older people with more life experience are better able to delay and temper their urges.

Imagination: choosing delayed gratification requires the ability to envision your desired future if you forego your current desire; if you cannot paint a vivid picture of your future, you have little motivation to plan for it.

Cognitive capacity: higher intelligence is linked to a more forward-thinking perspective; those who are born with more innate intelligence have a tendency to see the benefits of delayed gratification and act in accordance.

Poverty: even when we see the wisdom in delaying gratification, poverty can make the decision complicated and even more difficult; if you have an immediate, basic need that is begging to be met (e.g., food, shelter), it’s unlikely you will choose to forego that need in order to receive any future benefit.

Impulsiveness: some of us are simply more impulsive or spontaneous than others, which makes delaying gratification that much more difficult; this trait is associated with problems like substance abuse and obesity.

Emotion regulation: individual differences in emotion regulation also impact our tendency towards instant vs. delayed gratification; emotional distress makes us lean towards choices that will immediately improve our mood, and those who have developed emotion regulation problems are especially at risk.

Mood: even those with healthy emotion regulation can be led astray by their current mood; we all experience bad moods, boredom, and impatience—all of which serve to make immediate desires that much more seductive.

Anticipation: finally, the experience of anticipation can influence our decisions to delay gratification or seek it immediately in either direction; humans generally like to anticipate positive things and dislike the anticipation of negative things, which can lead to decisions to put things off or to engage in them as quickly as possible to seek pleasure or avoid discomfort.

Waiting on the Promised Gift

Waiting on His Return

While we wait

Set our "house” in order

Spend time in Prayer

Fast and Worship

Stir one another up