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
0.09UNLIKELY
Disgust
0.07UNLIKELY
Fear
0.08UNLIKELY
Joy
0.63LIKELY
Sadness
0.53LIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.56LIKELY
Confident
0UNLIKELY
Tentative
0.18UNLIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.91LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.61LIKELY
Extraversion
0.35UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.69LIKELY
Emotional Range
0.59LIKELY
Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
Once upon a time, two brothers grew up on a farm.
One loved framing, the other hated it.
The one who hated farming eventually went away to college, earned a law degree, and became a partner in a prominent law firm in the state capital.
The other brother stayed on the family farm doing what farmers do.
One day the lawyer came and visited his brother, the farmer.
He asked, /"Why don't you go out and do something important, and make a name for yourself like I have so that you can hold your head up high in the world like me."/
The brother pointed and said, /"See that field of wheat over there?
Look closely.
Only the stalks with empty heads stand up straight and tall.
Those that are well filled always bow low."/
Said differently, /"The branch that bears the most fruit is bent the lowest to the ground."/
Jesus told his disciples: /"If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all."/
It was a lesson, however, that the disciples were slow to learn.
It seems that they each desired to be the best without necessarily doing their best.
Each was always trying to out-maneuver their fellow disciples and ingratiate themselves to Jesus.
In Matthew, chapter 20, we see the mother of James and John come to Jesus with a request: /“What is it you want?”/ he asked.
She said, /“Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”/
(Matthew 20:21, NIV84)
Learning that Jesus' aunt was actively promoting her two sons, the other disciples went spastic: /“When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers.”/
(Matthew 20:24, NIV84)
To put it mildly, it really bent ‘em out of shape.
Even at the Last Supper, envy, rivalry and pride surfaced among the disciples (Luke 22:24).
I can imagine on numerous occasions, Jesus saying to himself, /"Oi, vai, ain't these schlemiels ever going to get it?"/
I think that Jesus must look at us sometimes and still say, /"Oi, vai, ain't these guys ever going to get it?"/
We live in a proud and egotistical generation.
People push and promote themselves in ways that would have been abhorrent and totally unacceptable only a generation ago.
Yet in a great part of modern culture, /pride, exaggerated self-esteem/, and /shameless self-promotion/ have come to be redefined not only as /virtues/ but as the /supreme virtue/.
American's obsession with /self-esteem, self-fulfillment/, and /self-glory/ has become a major industry that ranges from exercise programs to motivation for executive success.
Tragically, the cult of /selfism/ has even found its way into evangelical Christianity.
Books, seminars, conferences, magazines, and organizations that promote self under the guise of personal spiritual development abound.
The movement has found little resistance in the church, which often seems determined to beat the world at its own fleshly game.
From countless sources, claims are heard that God's great design for His people is /health, prosperity, success, happiness/, and—of course—/self-fulfillment/.
The Bible's teaching of /suffering/ and /cross-bearing/ and /humility/ for Christ's sake are either ignored altogether or foolishly explained away.
Like the disciple's, we frequently argue about who's number one instead of becoming a slave to all.
This morning, I want you to consider cultivating an attitude of humility.
!
I. THE REASON FOR HUMILITY
#. the world says one ascends into greatness, but the Bible reveals that one descends into greatness
#. for the believer the way up is to go down
#. the word for this topsy-turvey attitude is humility
#. this is perhaps the most counter culture virtue in all of scripture, especially for people grasping for the top
#.
we are programed to be winners at all costs in our culture
* ILLUS.
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9