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.
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Emotion
Anger
Disgust
Fear
Joy
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Language
Analytical
Confident
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Social Tendencies
Openness
Conscientiousness
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Agreeableness
Emotional Range
Anger
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Knowing God is Finding Life
We will be studying theology for the next few weeks.
Thought the phrase sounds intimidating, theology is defined as the study of God.
I am reluctant to even tackle this issue.
There is so much about God that I don’t know.
Many people have questions about God.
If there are answers to their questions, some we can answer with authority, others are beyond our knowledge.
We are like Anton van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723), a Dutch scientist who invented the compound microscope.
He was the first to see bacteria and all the little creatures that live in a drop of water.
What he saw only touched the surface of what was out there and raised more questions than it answered.
Nothing can bless us more than knowing all we can about God.
Creation screams out in worship of our God.
Behind the wind, waves, mountains and seas is a mighty power and a divine being that we call God.
God will never be discovered by scientists, recorded by historians, or seen by human discovery.
The only way one can ever know God is when God chooses to reveal himself.
And reveal himself he has done!
He has given us hints of his being in his creation.
We see him more clearly through Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who was with God and came to us to tell us what God was like.
Other religious people and those who claim to believe in God and do not consider themselves to be part of any religion, guess what God is like.
Jesus came knowing what God was like and revealed him to us.
Because Jesus has made God known, God is knowable.
The more we know God, the more we will experience real life.
The key verse for this series is John 17:3.
Many people know God through a religious experience.
They were sick and cried out to God and God healed them.
They know it was God.
They were in trouble and begged God to help them.
He did help them and they knew it was God who helped them.
Some of them made a decision to come to church.
Because God was real to them, they felt the right thing to do was to go to the place where God was honored.
So they came.
While here, they heard about Jesus.
They heard how God loved them, how Jesus died for them, was buried and rose again.
They heard how salvation was a gift of God, not of works.
They put their trust in Jesus.
Now God had done two great things for them.
God had healed or helped them.
He sent Jesus to die for them.
They were connected to God.
So they had this spiritual life and they had the rest of life.
They knew they were going to heaven, but sometimes wondered how they would survive life.
They may have gone through divorce, lost a mate or child to death, been fired, had past crimes catch up to them, or faced a lot of stress in their relationships.
Though heaven was a sure thing, life was not.
The life that the Bible promises was not fully realized.
How does a person deal with the garbage that comes at them and is in their life?
I would propose that your ability to deal with garbage is strongly tied to your theology.
In other words, the more you know and believe about God, the more you are able to deal with life’s problems.
We deal with our problems in two ways.
We deal with problems emotionally and logically.
We see this in John 11.
The fact that Jesus wept is astonishing.
This is the emotional side.
Before the emotional side kicked in, Jesus deals with the death of Lazarus logically.
Logical
First, Jesus told his disciples that Lazarus’s death would be for the glory of God.
Why would one weep if God is going to be glorified?
Second, If Jesus loved them, why would he stay two days longer?
There is a logical reason.
Third, Jesus said that he was glad that he was not there to heal Lazarus so they would believe.
Then he goes to the home where the funeral party is gathered and things change.
Jesus moves from the logical to the emotional.
His spirit is moved and troubled.
34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?”
They said to him, “Lord, come and see.”
Jesus is surrounded by emotional people.
Lazarus’ death has deeply touched those he loves.
The event goes from a logical event, (this is for the glory of God, staying two days longer to make a point, being glad he was not there), to an emotional event.
What does Jesus do?
Does he share theological truths?
No,
Many people don’t like to be around emotional people.
One reason is that emotional people make them emotional.
So?
What is the problem with that?
What is the problem with you becoming emotional and being around emotional people?
Do you consider it a weakness?
One trait of a weak person is fear.
They are afraid to climb the mountain.
They are afraid to sleep in a dark room.
They are afraid to travel in high traffic areas.
They are afraid to confront their boss or coworkers.
Fear is the trait of a weak person.
Some people who want to be strong are afraid of showing their emotions.
I would say that people who live with the fear of letting their emotions becoming visible are the ones who are weak.
Those who can be emotional and can still function and do the right things are the ones who are strong.
Like Jesus!
Jesus wept!
Why did Jesus weep?
Jesus wept because he loved Mary, Martha and Lazarus.
This was obvious to those who were around.
Jesus was strong enough to let the tears flow.
God created people with emotions and Jesus didn’t deny them.
He let them come out.
When he did, people knew he loved Lazarus.
Some were angry at him.
This was an emotional response as well.
It sounds logical and it is.
But the question is tainted by the emotions behind it.
I doubt at that moment any answer, no matter how logical, would have satisfied those who were grieving Lazarus’ death.
There were logical arguments.
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