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
0.19UNLIKELY
Joy
0.52LIKELY
Sadness
0.52LIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.39UNLIKELY
Confident
0UNLIKELY
Tentative
0.18UNLIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.73LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.91LIKELY
Extraversion
0.09UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.65LIKELY
Emotional Range
0.72LIKELY
Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
August 2, 2015
*Intro* – Several years ago the CT State Police were required to put on chains when it snowed.
One trooper failed to do so and ended up in a skid that flipped the car onto its roof.
A caller reported, “Well, he seems okay, but you better get someone out here quick.
He’s standing on the car putting chains on the tires!”
He was just a little late, not ready!
That is what Jesus is urging in this passage.
He’s coming again.
Be ready.
Too late to put chains on then.
This follows on the heels of His warnings about greed and anxiety.
Those are red flags showing we’re not ready -- focused on the wrong things.
Stonewall Jackson was a devout believer, but kind of quirky, absent-minded prof prior to the CW.
But following his early brilliant, daring campaign in the Shenandoah, one contemporary wrote: "No one would have thought one year ago that Jackson’s fame would be spread the wide world over as one of the greatest captains.
He may well be fearless, as he is ready to meet his God; his lamp is burning, and he waits for the bridegroom."
When we’re ready to meet Jesus any time, anxiety vanishes.
Be ready!
That’s what Jesus is urging.
So, how do we do that?
In vv.
35-40 He urges that we Wait Expectantly.
And in vv.
41-48 He urges that we Work Earnestly.
Both waiting and working are part of being ready.
There are 4 elements to waiting expectantly.
*I.
Assurance of His Coming* – This passage revolves on v. 40. 2 key things.
First, the Son of Man is coming.”
The world may mock all it wants, but Peter says they forget 1,000 years is like a day to the Lord!
What is huge delay to us is a couple of minutes to Him.
The great proof that He is coming again is that He came the first time.
He fulfilled scores of OT prophecies to the letter and there is no reason to doubt that He will do so again “in the same way” (Acts 1:11) as the disciples saw Him go.
The doubts of scoffers never slowed Him down before and it will not then either.
He’s coming again!
*II.
Astonishment of His Coming* -- 40 You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
Thousands have thought they had it figured out.
None has been right.
None ever will be right.
Nothing prevented Jesus’ return in Paul and Peter’s time and nothing prevents Him now.
But the timetable is His.
It will be when least expected, not when most expected.
Many will be astonished.
To not be we must live ready!
So, v. 40 has set the tone – be ready.
Now to further develop this theme, we will go back to v. 35 to develop how we do that – wait expectantly by:
*III.
Anticipation of His Coming – 3 things we to in anticipation!*
*A.
Be Unencumbered*
35 “Stay dressed for action.”
Literally this reads, “Gird up your loins.”
It was a common expression in Jesus’ time.
Everyone wore long, flowing robes or togas.
Often they hung loose for comfort.
But that made work difficult.
So, when they labored, they tucked their togas into a belt to keep the long, flowing garment out of the way.
That’s the picture: “Stay dressed for action.”
What action does He have in mind?
Service for the King who is coming.
Jesus elaborates on this point by parable in Lu 19:12 He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return (that’s picturing Jesus returning to the Father).
13 Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’
We’re to be about His business until He returns.
It is not our own concerns that are primarily to occupy us, but His.
It is not our own kingdom we are to seek, but His.
It is not our agenda, but His.
We can’t do that if we’re too entangled in the affairs of this life.
Sure we must make a living.
Sure we must engage our culture.
But also, we must hold this life loosely.
It’s not the end game.
This life is just the means to a much greater end!
Paul tells Timothy in II Tim 2:4, “Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.”
That’s Jesus’ point.
This world isn’t home anymore.
Phil 3:20, “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Priorities have changed and we need to make sure we don’t have too many loose ends in this life keeping us from engaging in the mission God for which God created us.
I was saddened watching the Academy Awards last year.
Here were people whose whole life was focused on getting a little gold statue to put on the fireplace.
Life is all about seeing and being seen and looking glamorous.
Host Ellen Degeneres commented at one point, “I’m not saying movies are the most important thing in the world, because we all know the most important thing in the world is youth.”
It was a joke, but when you saw what some had done to look young, it wasn’t funny.
All they have is “now”.
How desperate it must feel to see it slipping away, first slowly but with greater speed every year.
How fortunate for those who know Christ to know this is not all there is.
Youth is not the end all, because there is more to come.
Listen, we’re in a foreign country, awaiting our King who is invading soon.
His priorities must be our priorities, not those of this world.
It’s so easy to get distracted with things, toys, hobbies and habits – not bad in themselves, but devastating if they shove Christ aside.
A real and present danger.
During the CW this was Pres Lincoln’s constant struggle.
His many generals demanded tons of supplies.
Lincoln did his best, but he knew the Union was in danger of losing the war – slowed by its abundance of supplies.
The enemy moved twice as far with half as much.
Lincoln wrote McClellan in 1862, “this expanding and piling up of impedimenta, has been, so far, almost our ruin, and will be our final ruin if it is not abandoned.”
Things changed when Grant and Sherman got into command.
Sherman abandoned supplies altogether when he made his march to the sea living entirely off the land.
It broke the Confederacy’s back.
They finally learned what Stonewall Jackson always knew: “The road to glory cannot be attended with much baggage.”
We must travel light!
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9