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
0.07UNLIKELY
Disgust
0.05UNLIKELY
Fear
0.06UNLIKELY
Joy
0.61LIKELY
Sadness
0.49UNLIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.36UNLIKELY
Confident
0UNLIKELY
Tentative
0.33UNLIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.91LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.54LIKELY
Extraversion
0.18UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.62LIKELY
Emotional Range
0.7LIKELY

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
Introduction:
Illustration - The Reality of Trials
It's been said concerning trials and storms of life that, "Either you just came through one, are now entering one, or one looms on your horizon."
Main Thought: Prepare today for the persecutions of tomorrow looking for the promise of eternity.
Sub-intro: Recall briefly the context for those who are just joining our study.
Destination:
Smyrna (2:8-11) “bitter” NT- Myrrh
Trade center
Beautiful City
Free City
Center for worship of Caesar- Christians were considered unpatriotic because they did not offer incense to him
Jewish Population
The Lord:
The Guarantor of the resurrection- keep on being faithful, and I will give thee…
Omniscient- they were physically poor but spiritually rich; Knows who is of the synagogue of Satan
Commendation:
Spiritual wealth during poverty and persecution
EG- Polycarp killed
Condemnation:
Not mentioned
Be faithful (crown of life awaits) 10 days- many hold to ten Empirical persecutions.
But it could be a brief period of intense persecution.
Literally could mean ten days.
Exhortations:
Do not fear
Promise: (1 Jn 5:4-5)
Resurrection to life
No part in the second death- double negative for emphasis (Rev 20:14)
Body:
I.
The Praise of Christ (Rev.
2:8-9).
A. The Letter's Greetings (Rev.
2:8).
1.
The Pastor (v.
8a).
Make allusion to the singular and plural pronouns throughout the passage.
2. The People (v.
8b).
3. The Place (v.
8c).
B. The Lord's Greatness (Rev.
2:9).
1.
His Compassion Toward Them (v.
9a).
a.
His Eternality.
b.
His Resurrection Power.
2. His Concern Over Them (v.
9b).
a.
For Their Works.
b.
For Their Tribulation.
c.
For Their Poverty.
i. Physically Poor.
The church at Smyrna was not having an easy time of it!
The members were persecuted, probably because they refused to compromise and say, “Caesar is Lord.”
Smyrna was an important center of the Roman imperial cult, and anyone refusing to acknowledge Caesar as Lord would certainly be excluded from the guilds.
This would mean unemployment and poverty.
The word used here for poverty means “abject poverty, possessing absolutely nothing.”
[Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 573.]
ii.
Spiritually Rich.
d.
For Their Persecutions.
i.
The Slander Was False.
ii.
The Synagogue Was Fake.
See Rom.
2:17-29
iii.
Satan Was Fierce.
Note the play on words here with Satan first, then devil next.
II.
The Persecution of His Church at Smyrna (Rev.
2:10).
A. The Lord's Foresight (Rev.
2:10a).
1. Tried By the Devil.
Note the irony of the devil casting them into prison, when his fate is ultimately to be the same.
The source behind their tribulation was that supernatural agent of evil known as “the devil” (...[319]).
Scripture identified him as “the great dragon,” “that old serpent,” “the Devil,” and “Satan” (cf.
Rev. 12:9), so that the Lord’s assemblies would not be mistaken about their ultimate foe.
He it was who tempted the Savior (Lk.
4:2), against whom believers must stand (Eph.
6:11), who accuses the brethren (Rev.
12:10), and who will be cast into the Lake of Fire (Rev.
20:10).
The purpose of this diabolical personage was exposed by Christ, Who revealed that the church members at Smyrna would “be tried”...,[320] having been cast into “prison” ....[321] {[319 The noun occurs 38x in the NT (Mt.
4:1-Rev.
20:10).]
[320 The root verb peira,zw (to tempt, try) occurs 39x in the TR, but only thrice in Revelation (Rev.
2:2, 10; 3:10).]
[321 Contextually, this prison may have been the waiting cell for execution (cf.
Acts 12:4).
The Lord Jesus Christ will reciprocate the same judgment of imprisonment on Satan that the archenemy brought on these Christians (cf.
Rev. 20:7).]
[Thomas M. Strouse, To the Seven Churches: A Commentary on the Apocalypse of Jesus Christ, Selected Works of Dr. Thomas M. Strouse (Bible Baptist Theological Press, 40 Country Squire Rd., Cromwell, CT 06461, 2013), 105.]}
2. Tribulation Ten Days.
Make some observations about how others have taken "ten days" and reiterate the Bible principle of study to lean toward literal first.
B. The Leader's Faithfulness (Rev.
2:10b).
Observe the point that the pronoun here is singular, speaking to the angel (or pastor) of the church at Smyrna.
1. Fearless Allegiance.
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9