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
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Fear
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Joy
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Analytical
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Social Tone
Openness
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Conscientiousness
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Extraversion
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Agreeableness
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Emotional Range
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Series Review
Over a decade ago I spent 2 weeks in a hospital.
I had lots of time on my hands, so a parishioner brought me a copy of David McCullough’s extensive biography of John Adams.
Studying American History in high school I remembered one thing about John Adams: He was the second president of the United States.
I enjoyed the book, and got to know our 2nd president better.
I also concluded that I would probably not have been best friends with him.
He was intelligent, and he was a visionary, but he was also rude, bombastic and impatient with people who did not agree with him.
McCullough’s biography did not gloss over these details.
Despite Adam’s character flaws, he helped build the foundation for our country.
It’s similar with Peter - the biblical authors did not try to portray Peter as someone he was not - he was not a natural born leader.
He was not a quick learner.
He was quick to put his foot in his mouth.
And yet God made Peter an important foundation of the Church of Jesus Christ.
In the story that Jim told us Peter says with absolute confidence that he would never deny Jesus.
Peter’s story hits a low point when he does indeed deny Jesus.
At that point it’s hard to imagine that Peter would be that rock, that foundation on which Christ will build His Kingdom.
But that’s what God does - like a potter working with useless clay, He makes us into something beautiful and useful.
Sermon Introduction
Have you ever said something that you regretted?
Sometimes out of anger we say terrible things.
We can make excuses, or beg for forgiveness, but the hurt caused by our words lingers.
Have you ever made a commitment and later regretted it?
Or have you ever been like Peter and made a promise that you did not or could not keep?
That’s what Peter does when Jesus predicts that all of his disciples will “fall away” because of him.
Some translations say “lose faith.”
He quotes the Old Testament to bring home his point:
The imagery is clear: Beating up the shepherd spells trouble for the sheep.
Jesus predicts, as he has done many times, that he will be handed over to be executed, so there is nothing new here.
He also predicts that when this happens, the disciples will run away out of fear, out of self-preservation.
Peter immediately speaks up:
,
Matthew 26:
Peter does fall away.
When Jesus, the good shepherd, is beaten down, Peter and the other disciples run away out of fear.
We also know that Peter, as we waited outside during Jesus’ trial, was confronted 3 times:
Matthew 26:
We are no different from Peter - it’s easy to be a devout follower of Jesus Christ when nothing to lose.
It’s easy to be vocal with your faith when you’re surrounded by Christians or people who are respectful and tolerant of Christian beliefs.
Peter does fine until danger comes, then he runs.
He fails the real test.
Jesus saw this coming, but Peter did not.
How could Peter feel so certain in his faith, and yet quickly lose faith?
If we look at Peter’s story, I think we can see some warning signs.
Signs that indicated that Peter’s faith was still on a soft foundation.
I’m going to name three.
We are no different from Peter - it’s easy to be a devout follower of Jesus Christ when nothing is at stake, when there is nothing to lose.
It’s easy to be vocal with your faith when you’re in an environment where Christianity is tolerated or embraced.
Peter does fine until danger comes, then he runs.
He fails the real test.
Jesus saw this coming, but Peter did not.
How could Peter feel so certain in his faith, and yet quickly lose faith?
How could Peter
3 Warning Signs
Resisting the Cross
Desire for Control
Peter was in for a shock when Jesus started predicting his own death.
Peter lashes out and corrects Jesus - this will never happen to you! Jesus doesn’t gently correct him - he torches him in front of everyone.
He calls him Satan, the Adversary of God.
You do not share God’s concerns, just your own.
Peter continued to resist the cross - we see this when Jesus was arrested:
To Peter, he was protecting his master.
To Jesus, Peter was protecting his own agenda and opposing God.
Discipleship without the cross is no discipleship at all.
If anyone wants to be my disciple must take up his cross and follow me.
Forget yourself, your dreams, your plans, your expectations - put them all aside for me.
Peter wasn’t ready to do this.
Lack of Sustained Prayer
Matth
The transfiguration of Christ.
The veil that hid Christ’s divine nature was removed on that mountain and His glory was revealed to Peter, James and John.
They saw Moses and Elijah.
They heard the audible voice of God.
They went down the mountain, probably excited and full of confidence.
So confident that when a demon possessed boy was brought to them they tried to cast out the demon.
They could not.
Jesus could and did, and when they asked he told them, you can only come from a lifestyle of prayer.
This only comes from prayer and fasting.
Jesus doesn’t mean that Peter tried to cast out a demon without first saying a prayer - he said that you cannot be a faithful disciple without a sustained practice of prayer.
Another example comes right after the story Jim told - Jesus took his disciples to Gethsemane to pray.
Have you ever tried to pray and fallen asleep?
I did that in a Presbyterian Church - I wasn’t sure if the pastor was praying or delivering a sermon.
Jesus tells the disciples that he is sad to the point of death, and that he’s going to pray.
Peter was so concerned that he takes a nap. 3 Times!
Peter’s inability to engage in focused, disciplined and sustained prayer was a warning sign that his faith was not as strong as he thought.
It is amazing how we can get side tracked.
We get so busy doing ministry that we have married the work of the ministry and we are dating Jesus on the side.
We cannot do the work of the ministry without God’s power, and we cannot have that power without sustained prayer.
I hope there are no young people here who are so caught up in doing the work of the ministry, that we don't even have time to spend with God.
Following at a distance
Matthew 26:
Give Peter some credit - he is still following Jesus, but he’s keeping a safe distance.
He is concerned about Jesus, but he wants to do so anonymously.
He shrinks back from the hardship of the cross, he has no sustained prayer life, which leads him to follow Christ at a distance.
Forget to read the Bible one day, it becomes easier to skip the next day.
Then it becomes easier to stop reading altogether.
The same with prayer.
The same with corporate worship.
Skip one Sunday, and another, then altogether.
Make one compromise, the next one comes more easily.
We go from walking and talking with Jesus, to being interested in him.
We take the label, but not the liability.
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