Sermon Tone Analysis

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We began this journey through Matthew in 2021.

But since that time we have stopped and started, when I have traveled and come back.

But today we finish the Gospel of Matthew, and we see the greatest event to ever happen in human history.

Al of the other events in history in the past and all those that will come will never be greater that what Matthew recorded here in chapter 28.

This morning I want to divide Chapter 28 into two sections.

The fist is seen in verses 1-17.

In Chapter 27, they crucified Jesus, he died on the cross, and they put him in the tomb.

Now it’s three days later, and the two Mary’s had come to anoint his body with perfume one last time.

They came to the tomb, and he was not there.

The stone was rolled away and there was an angel there saying that he had risen.

Now I believe the Bible.

I believe that the Words of Scripture are true and that this is truly a historical account.

But many people do not.

Many people have different answers to why he did not awaken from the dead.

So the question is DID JESUS RISE FROM THE DEAD?

How would you answer that question is asked?

You might say, well the Bible says it is true.

But what if the person asking doesn’t believe in the Bible?

How can you give a possible explanation?

There are different beliefs out there that Jesus was not resurrected.

And when I mean resurrected, I mean he was dead for three days, then came back to life.

The first belief is that when Jesus was on the cross, he didn’t die.

The Muslim faith believe that the person that went to the cross was only a man who looked like Jesus.

Muhammad taught this and it was written down in the Quran.

So the best way to answer this teaching from Islam is to see the eye witnesses from the Bible opposed to a man that lived 600 years after the resurrection.

Some people believe that he did not die, but fainted and they thought he was dead, they took him down, put him in the tomb.

And at some point in those three days, he woke up from his fainting and left he tomb.

But think about his physical condition at the time: beaten, scourged, nailed to a cross, no food, no water, and three days later he is to wake from his fainting move the stone and sneak past the guards?

TO believe that is ridicules.

2. The disciples stole the body of Jesus.

This was the fear that is seen in Chapter 27.

But think about it… how could a group of common Galilean men be smarter that the soldiers of the Roman Army.

How could they overpower them or even out smart them.

The Roman Guard were highly trained warriors for Caesar.

It simply was not possible.

3. The disciples who said that they saw the risen Lord were mad.

They were out of their minds.

They wanted something so bad that they told themselves he was alive.

But the Scriptures do say that over 500 people witnessed the risen Lord between the time of his resurrection and his ascension.

Are they all mad too?

Physically he came back to life…eating, walking, drinking, talking.

But think about this … how could anyone explain what happened in the years that followed Christs ascension into heaven.

How those 11 disciple plus Judas’ replacement began to spread the gospel and today 1/3 of the world has called on the name of Jesus Christ.

But also, the biggest opponent of Jesus, Saul, turned from being a persecutor to an proclaimer of this Jesus who died, was resurrected, and sits beside the Lord God on the throne in heaven.

So what does this event of the resurrection mean to you personally?

Paul wrote in Romans 10:9

This is what it means.

The resurrection matters.

Without the resurrection, the crucifixion doesn’t matter.

Without the empty tomb, the cross doesn’t matter.

The resurrection is what defines the way of salvation.

Let’s split this verse into two sections:

if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord...

and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead

YOU WILL BE SAVED

Over the last two weeks we have seen 12 people come to the front of the church and trust Christ as their Savior.

For those I talked to, I told them this verse....YOU have to confess with your mouth and YOU have to believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead.

Now it’s easy to do the first, but it is more difficult to continue with the second.

It’s easy to come forward and say that Jesus is Lord and I want to accept him, but the second part… BELEIVE IN YOUR HEART THAT GOD RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD is more than just understanding an event that occured, it is a daily laying down your life, following him, and striving to do his will according to the Scriptures.

Being saved is not a one time prayer that covers you so you don’t go to hell.

That’s not how this works.

I could ask Small Peter, do you want to go to hell?

No, then say this prayer.

BELIEVING IN YOUR HEART THAT GOD RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD means that a life change has begun in you.

The Bible says that we work out our salvation with fear and trembling.

When we come to Christ with a repentant heart, he saves us, but everyday we grow and continue to walk with him and help others to hear about this Jesus us saved us from a seperation from God.

And telling others about this resurrected Jesus, is what he wants us to do.

And it is part of his final words to his disciples then and now.

This is what is known as the Great Commission.

A commission is an order.

A directive to accomplish something.

Jesus made a way for salvation.

He came, he talked about a coming kingdom where those who believed, confessed, and followed would be returned back to God as his chosen ones.

She showed that he was the only way.

And now he showed God’s plan how every person or every generation, until the time he returns will hear and find out abut what he did 2000 years ago.

The way they would know is by those who had begun to follow him, would tell about him.

They would tell of his death and resurrection (also known as the gospel) and by the leading of the Holy Spirit some would respond and some would not.

Only God knows those who would chose him or not chose him, but commission was specific first to the disciples and then to ever believer since that time.

Look at what should happen...

Go

make disciples

baptizing them

teaching them

PROMISE: I will be with you always.

So what do we do?

WE TELL.

We tell.

We tell of the hope we have, and that hope is what Jesus did on the cross.

Why he did it, and they changed life that a person can have when they realize the person of that hope.

We tell.

We tell our friends.

Our family.

Those in our school.

We tell.

And when we have done that, we allow the Holy Spirit to do his job.

If you think that a person did not receive Christ because you didn’t explain it well.

That’s wrong.

They Bible say that it is the Father who draws men to him.

If you are following the Great Commission to go and tell, remember this: