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
0.1UNLIKELY
Disgust
0.1UNLIKELY
Fear
0.07UNLIKELY
Joy
0.67LIKELY
Sadness
0.15UNLIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.78LIKELY
Confident
0UNLIKELY
Tentative
0.71LIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.78LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.61LIKELY
Extraversion
0.18UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.76LIKELY
Emotional Range
0.58LIKELY
Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
What is Prosperity?
Prosperity: the condition of being successful or thriving especially: economic well-being
successful - thriving - and economic well being
Does God want us to “prosper”?
Whether or not we pursue a thing ought to determined by this answer
Does God want us to have wealth?
Does God want us to be comfortable in our lifestyles?
What does the bible say?
Wealth comes from God
Wealth comes from God
to establish His covenant with us
ii.
– prosper
So God wants us to prosper in all things -
As our soul prospers
iii.
So, Abraham’s wealth was clearly a blessing from God.
2. Does the bible promise us wealth and prosperity?
We can conclude then that God’s desire for us is that we are prosperous
Does the bible promise us this wealth and prosperity?
If so, why is there so much criticism about the prosperity Gospel?
why do so many people criticise preaching about money?
Why are do so many people believe that Christians, especially ministers, should not be wealthy?
Why are there so many warnings in the bible about greed?
Why so much criticism in the Bible, especially New Testament, about the rich?
It may seem as if God has a desire for us to be prosperous and then condemns the very people who achieve this desire.
Or, is there more to the story?
What is “Biblical Prosperity”?
3. What is “biblical prosperity”?
By “biblical Prosperity”, I mean that type of wealth or other success which is commended in the bible instead of criticized.
We know that there is such a thing since we have examples in the Bible of people who were very wealthy, and pleasing to God
People such as Abraham, Isaac, David, Solomon, many of the kings, and others - Joseph of Arimathaea, Zacchaeus etc.
What is necessary on our part to achieve this kind of wealth?
We will look at a few more scriptures and a few of these people
There are Conditions
A lot of people don’t like to hear this
But there are conditions, or circumstances, which can cause God to be pleased by our blessings, or displeased ()
“… That He may establish His covenant with us...”
Mal 3.8-12
So here we begin to see a scenario whereby, although we have already concluded that God’s desire is to bless the people, He is intentionally withholding that blessing, based on their selfishness
God actually refers to their selfishness as “robbing God”
Which results in a curse - linked to their lack of giving
Yet it is clearly His desire to give them wealth, as we see in His pleading with them to “bring the whole tithe...
For an example of what this looks like, we can see in the life of Abraham
In Abraham we see a Godly attitude toward wealth
Abraham was very rich –
We can see in Abraham’s life a right attitude toward prosperity - an attitude that God approves
Abram did not think that this wealth was something to hold on to if it meant strife with Lot (compare to )
1st When God called him to leave his country - not knowing where he went
When there was strife with Lot - Abram did not think that this wealth was something to hold on to if it meant strife with Lot (compare to )
Abram was not willing to add to his wealth if it meant taking from Sodom or withholding from God -
So Abraham willingly gave a tithe of all
Yet, he refused even so much as a shoe lace from king of Sodom
what if we made choices like that?
Always placing God 1st -
1st in our giving to Him
1st in our relations with others
Never willing to be friends with the enemy in order to gain
What if we were not willing to compromise in order to get ahead?
How many people do you know who are willing to break their own moral code in order to fit in, or be accepted?
Compare this to Lot’s attitude toward wealth
Lot’s attitude was “me 1st” always
-23
i.
Even though Lot was very happy to go to Sodom
ii.
Compare this to Lot’s attitude toward wealth
He was not willing to simply back down in the dispute
More concerned with his own interests - unthankful
d.
Abram paid tithes to Melchizedek
He made sure that he took the best land for himself - probably telling himself that God wanted to bless him
He and his wife enjoyed the comforts of the city, even though the sin was rampant
We continue to see Abraham’s attitude even in offering up his son Isaac
So, with Abraham we see a person who has wealth, but is not had by wealth
although he has been blessed by God, he is willing to release it when needed
6.
Malachi and Tithing
Abraham is generous, kind, and faithful
unselfish
kind
Abraham believed God
unwavering in his convictions
This is why it seemed so easy for Abraham to trust God and let go of things
He believed God when he first left his home, before he was wealthy
Because he believed God, he could trust that God would take care of him
So, knowing God wanted him to avoid strife with Lot, he trusted God
Not out of fear, he was no pushover, as we see in battle to rescue Lot
Because of these characteristics, God was able to bless him abundantly
Believing leads to trusting
Trusting God leads to pleasing God
We find this principle supported throughout the scripture.
People who trust in their prosperity do not benefit from it or please God, while people who trust in God have both.
people who are self centered, or selfish do not please God
this is true even when they seem to be religious
7. The Pharisee and tithing
The Pharisee was not only outwardly religious, he was also a tither
Yet he was not pleasing to God - although he may have had money, he did not have “biblical prosperity”
Like good works, giving won’t save you
Like good works, giving won’t save you
Like good works, if you are saved you will have them, if you want biblical prosperity you will be a giver
Consider the contrast between Zacchaeus and the rich young ruler, who we mentioned last week
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9