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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Disgust
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Fear
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Joy
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Sadness
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Language Tone
Analytical
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Confident
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Tentative
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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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Tone of specific sentences
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Anger
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Engage
Something
Think long and hard about how you can do your best to get their attention.
Tension
VIDEO: Famous Last Words
You all ever hear someone use the phrase “famous last words”?
Typically, that phrase is used to point out something that was just said as being inherintly and patently dumb.
And perfectly exemplifying exactly what could go wrong.
VIDEO: Famous Last Words
By the way, hello.
My name is Elliot, I’m the Student Minister here at Wildwood Christian Church.
I have the distinct honor and privilege of working with an amazing group of students and volunteers here.
And in return they put up with me.
I’m so happy to be here with you all.
I’m downright excited you have joined us here this morning.
As I’ve been preparing this sermon, message, lesson, whatever you want to call it, homily (why doesn’t anybody use that word anymore?).
Jesus has hit me square in the heart.
I am so sure that he’s got something in store for us today, and I couldn’t be happier to share it with you.
So, thank you.
Thanks for being here.
Thanks for spending your Sunday morning with us.
Anyway, this game’s about real last words, from some famous(-ish) people.
So, here’s what I want you to do: in your bulletin, down one of the sides, number 1-7.
I’m going to prompt you with a famous person, and you’ll have four choices of what their last words were.
Choose the one you think is the right phrase, and write down A, B, C, or D, depending on whichever choice you’re making.
You guys know how this works, right?
I mean, for some of us, remembering all the way back to multiple-choice tests in school is an accomplishment!
At the end, we’ll count up who got the most right, and we might have a prize for them.
PLAY GAME: Famous Last Words
Something
Something
ILLUSTRATION: What do I want on my tombstone?
Truth/Application
Tension
Something
What you’re doing here is bringing up some kind of a problem.
The tension you create should make people lean in and give them an opportunity to anticipate the tension being resolved.
We carry along the legacy of Jesus, but that’s a difficult thing to live up to.
We hear that God has forgiven us, but we haven’t forgiven ourselves.
Scripture says not to worry about tomorrow, but that’s all we ever do.
Start With The Text Every Time
Last words are fascinating to me because they sum up and put a bow on somebody’s legacy.
Like that “dictionary” guy.
His last words encapsulate his life’s work and accomplishments.
What do I or others believe that goes against this text?
Inspiration
What do I or others do that goes against this text?
How might some people interpret this text in a way that resolves the tension of application and action?
What problem in life does this text address?
How do people justify that problem in their lives so they don’t have to deal with it?
Expose The Tension
Last words can live on, too.
For those who knew the deceased, the final, parting words can inspire and motivate them to carry that legacy into the future.
To live out the embodiment of that person who is no longer with us.
The last words of Jesus did exactly that.
If you boil this down to essentials, Jesus tells his disciples to continue spreading his name and message, to carry his legacy, with them everywhere.
You may have heard this kind of thing called spreading the Gospel, witnessing, sharing the good news, evangelizing (how’s that for an old-timey, baggage-laden word?).
Whatever you want to call it, it’s this message that Jesus entered, retained divinity, made things right through sacrifice.
Jesus entered, retained divinity, made things right through sacrifice
retained divinity
made things right through sacrifice
It’s more.
When you get past checklists, and religion.
You quit trying to fix your life on your own.
You realize, “I can’t do this, and I can’t pretend anymore.”
We receive God’s grace.
Jesus forvies us, restores us.
Sends us right back into the world, and says go tell that story.
He gives them a strategy, too.
Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, to the ends of the earth.
Without getting too lost in the geography of the time, this is what that looks like for them: Start at home, and work your way out.
Jesus is saying walk across the street.
Walk across the hall at work.
Walk across the living room and talk to someone in your family.
Tell them the story of hope.
Why?
You still have people in your life, on your team, in your class, who need to know about second chances and hope.
There is this thing called forgiveness, and life with God.
More than anything, they need to know about Jesus.
The power of his life, death, resurrection.
Some of us here, in this room, need to know him, too.
If you’ve never experienced the grace, hope, second chance, forgiveness, and life with God that Jesus has offered.
Then you need to know, he’s calling out for you.
He’s pursuing you.
He’s chasing you down, ready to lavishly pour out his love and mercy on you.
If that’s you today, don’t leave here without talking to someone.
Without doing something to take the next step.
We’re not asking anybody to be perfect.
We all know we can’t do that.
All we’re asking, of you, of me, of everyone in here, is just to take the next step.
Take one step closer to Jesus today.
This is the story we tell.
This is the legacy we carry.
This is the legacy we carry.
If you think about that, if you pause for a minute and let it settle in: we are the representatives, you could say ambassadors, of Jesus Christ on this earth.
And, it is our job to faithfully carry the legacy of Jesus into the far corners of our lives and this world.
If you’re not careful, that can feel overwhelming.
I mean, to the ends of the earth!?? Everywhere?! That’s a lot of pressure.
Plus, if we did the math, there’s no way that you or I could reach everywhere.
It’s not that we don’t want to, it’s just a huge task.
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