Sermon Tone Analysis

Overall tone of the sermon

This automated analysis scores the text on the likely presence of emotional, language, and social tones. There are no right or wrong scores; this is just an indication of tones readers or listeners may pick up from the text.
A score of 0.5 or higher indicates the tone is likely present.
Emotion Tone
Anger
0.17UNLIKELY
Disgust
0.14UNLIKELY
Fear
0.12UNLIKELY
Joy
0.56LIKELY
Sadness
0.5LIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.5UNLIKELY
Confident
0UNLIKELY
Tentative
0.03UNLIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.72LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.91LIKELY
Extraversion
0.22UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.95LIKELY
Emotional Range
0.74LIKELY

Tone of specific sentences

Tones
Emotion
Anger
Disgust
Fear
Joy
Sadness
Language
Analytical
Confident
Tentative
Social Tendencies
Openness
Conscientiousness
Extraversion
Agreeableness
Emotional Range
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
Philemon #3
Philemon 16-25
He Took My Place
Today we take one more look this beautiful letter of intercession from Paul to Philemon
But sometimes when we receive news, we need to put it in perspective
<Illustration>
/“Dear Mom and Dad, I’m sorry to be so long in writing, but all my writing paper was lost the night the dormitory burned down.
I’m out of the hospital now, and the doctor says my eyesight should be back to normal sooner or later.
The wonderful boy, Bill, who rescued me from the fire, kindly offered to share his little apartment with me until the dorm is rebuilt.
He comes from a good family, so you won’t be surprised when I tell you we are going to be married.
In fact you always wanted a grandchild, so you will be glad to know you will be grandparents early next year.”
Then she added this postscript: “Please disregard the above practice in English composition.
There was no fire.
I haven’t been in the hospital.
I’m not pregnant.
And I don’t have a steady boyfriend.
But I did get a ‘D’ in French and an ‘F’ in chemistry, and I wanted to be sure you received the news in proper perspective.
Love, Mary.”/
Perspective … Well Paul didn’t go to that extreme but while placing a life changing decision in front of Philemon he finishes by putting things in perspective.
In this last part of the letter, Paul teaches us the most important perspective in Forgiveness.
He also reminds us that we have ALL be forgiven and when we remember that, we can also forgive.
If we can keep Christ in front of us … then we should be able to see our way clear to forgive others when they request our forgiveness.
So, look at the beautiful gesture that Paul makes to Philemon on behalf of Onesimus.
Before I read it, let me say something about forgiveness: Forgiveness is MORE than just overlooking an offence.
When there is a debt, then forgiveness involves bearing the weight of the offense.
In order to forgive … someone must bear the weight of the offense.
If you owe me $1000 and I “forgive” the debt.
I can’t just FORGET or OVERLOOK the debt but I choose to bear the weight of the debt.
Now, if you owe me $1000 and a 3rd Party agrees to pay the debt you owe on your behalf.
They are agreeing to bear the weight of the debt.
You must choose to accept their gesture, and I must choose to receive their gesture on your behalf to satisfy the debt.
So, let’s read and see the forgiveness enjoined by Paul as well as the forgiveness enjoyed by all who know Christ and thus know God’s forgiveness
*READ 17-25*
Remember last week, we saw that Paul was interceding for Onesimus asking Philemon to forgive him.
Paul reveals that Onesimus has come to salvation and has started growing in the faith and become a servant to Paul.
As if sensing the questions that would be going through Philemon’s mind … Paul answers those questions.
Questions like: (1) How should I respond to this runaway slave?
(2) Who’s going to pay back what he owes me? (3) How do I know this request really came from Paul?
And Paul responds … receive him like you would me, I’ll pay the debt, and I wrote this myself …
Let’s look more closely at his response, because there is a good offer and argument for forgiveness.
But Paul was talking about more than what is on the surface
I want you to see two things now as you listen.
(1) Realize today as we journey that every one of us today is Onesimus.
We are all people who are slaves to sin.
We all run far away from God.
We are all guilty and worthy of Punishment.
We want to be right with God but we can’t be.
We can’t pay back our debt and we can’t buy our freedom.
Unless someone intercedes for us, we are doomed.
So, see yourself today as Onesimus and see what Jesus did for you or what he offers you if you haven’t received it …
“Because he Loved Me
He Took My Place”
But also today, (2) I want you to realize that we all are or have been Philemon.
Someone, sometime has wronged us.
When we are faced with the question of forgiveness … we need to remember what has been done for US and for the one we are asked to forgive
Remember last week, we saw the deeper picture here.
This is one man writing a letter of intercession for another.
But also, imagine Christ going before the Father for you.
Paul says “Receive him …”
!
*1.
As You Would Receive Me*
The NIV says “Welcome Him as you would welcome me” … Paul is clear and gives several parameters
!! A. If We Are Partners
The word is /koinonos = companion, associate, partners/ … One writer offers a bit of conjecture … Could it be that in their friendship, Paul and Philemon had become business associates?
This writer offers that perhaps Philemon or his scon Archippus had taken the place of Priscilla and Aquila as partners in Paul’s tent making business.
It is an interesting thought.
But certainly as fellow believers and laborers in the gospel they were partners in the business of the Gospel.
Paul says “if we are partners and I know we are … then ..”
!! B. Receive Him / Welcome Him
/Proslambano – to take to one’s self; draw close; to lead aside/
But he wasn’t saying pull him aside to do harm or to impart justice but he says “welcome him …”
!! C. *AS* you would Welcome Me
This word for welcome understands that the intent behind it is for kindness and warmth
Paul says “if you are wondering what to do with Onesimus … out of respect for our partnership in life and for the gospel, when you see him, see me and treat him like you would treat me
Folks Onesimus had no right to stand before Philemon and we have no right to stand before God.
But Paul was placing HIMSELF between Onesimus and Philemon.
Job 9:33-35 - /If only there were someone to arbitrate between us, to lay his hand upon us both, 34 someone to remove God’s rod from me, so that his terror would frighten me no more.
35Then I would speak up without fear of him, but as it now stands with me, I cannot./
We need someone to mediate between us and God the Father.
And Jesus, when we come to him … he says, to the Father, “if we are business associates … since together we created this world.
Since together we have always known the fate of every man, woman, boy and girl.
Since we purposed in our hearts from the beginning to redeem those we foreknew and choose; then Father, this one comes guilty as charged but since they have come through me, and because we are partners ….
Draw them close, welcome them, show them the same hospitality that you would show me.”
Oh People when God sees us he sees JESUS
“Because he Loved Me
He took my place”
What a beautiful request that Paul makes to Philemon for Onesimus and what an overwhelming request Jesus makes for us with God the father when we come to God through Christ.
And through Christ IS the ONLY WAY to Come
John 14:6 – /I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father, but by me”
Jesus is our ONLY way to God. /
Now, that’s a nice gesture you may say, but what about the debt we owe?
I don’t know what Onesimus owed Philemon, but there WAS a debt and Paul addresses that need and says
! *2.
Charge it to My Account*
He begins … “If he has …”
!! A. Done You Wrong
This phrase is worded in such a way as it is assuming there HAS been wrong.
The reality of wrong is implied
“done any wrong” is the word /adikeo (ad-ee-keh-o) = to act unjustly, wickedly, to sin/
How had Onesimus “wronged” Philemon?
Forget for a minute the issue of slavery.
The offense was that he offended Philemon by leaving him.
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9