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
0.5UNLIKELY
Disgust
0.11UNLIKELY
Fear
0.13UNLIKELY
Joy
0.56LIKELY
Sadness
0.57LIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.56LIKELY
Confident
0UNLIKELY
Tentative
0.31UNLIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.91LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.66LIKELY
Extraversion
0.21UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.63LIKELY
Emotional Range
0.68LIKELY
Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
How do people reject God?
Intro
Jesus: The parable of the tenants
Matthew 21:33-
Problem: How can Christ allow such a good deacon to be stoned for telling the truth?
How is it that some people become Christians and others do not?
How could people reject
Drama
Stephen had spoken the truth about the Jewish leaders rejection of Jesus as the Son of God, Messiah.
Stephen presented an OT lesson for them to see that the gospel offered in Jesus was the same as what the Patriarchs believed
The charge:
“uncircumcised in heart and ears” - people outside of the covenant
Their response was from their depravity - murder of a man of God
“Ground their teeth” - idiom that denotes their anger and hatred
The stoned him
Saul was present - persecutor of the church - believers in “the way”
Notice who Stephen sees when he looks up
Imagery:
Heavens and Earth collide and Jesus is seen by Stephen:
2 Request: 1) Receive my Spirit and 2) forgive the sinner
Doctrine
Election: those not elect cannot hear the gospel
Man chooses to reject God due to our depravity and sin
Ez 12:2
Jesus assumes rejection
Matt 11:15
Man rejects God unless he intervenes!
God chooses whom he will save
Micah
Dr. Kelly - We ask the wrong question when we ask “Why does God only chooses some?”
We should ask: “Why does God choose any at all?”
Holy Spirit Quickens
God sends his Spirit to those who he chooses to reverse the effects of sin
Ezek 36:27
God’s Kingdom is one in which Men reject unless he sends his spirit to quicken their hearts and ears to hear and believe.
In this Kingdom we must remember we are in a spiritual war!
We are still at war.
Spiritual War: Satan is attempting to stop the gospel and all belief in it
You are in that war, the world will despise and reject God
They will reject you a they rejected Stephen
We are in a spiritual war
App: As Christians we need to be balanced living in the physical but aware of the spiritual.
Jesus tells us that the Kingdom will be spiritual and hard to see with eyes.
We are to be Kingdom minded people!
Grace: Unmerited favor
Stephen clings to God’s grace in Jesus Christ
Acts 7
Stephen seeks mercy for those who hate him
Acts 7:60
Learn to live in God’s Grace
App: When we believe ourselves to be special outside of the gospel we fool ourselves.
Unity in a diverse culture
Diversity training: Starbucks, US Navy
Christianity is the only truth that answers the tough question of diversity and how we should approach it.
Doxology
Praise God that you have heard the gospel.
Some of us still walk around and act as if we have never heard or believed the gospel
“Turn your frown upside down.”
Toys R Us
Praise God that Jesus is King
We are in a war but we know how it ends and Jesus has already won the victory
This is how Jesus can stand there and watch Stephen being stoned to death
He knows how it all ends and that the final day of judgment is to come
Illus: There is a scene in LOTR: The Return of the King that I love.
Aragorn the King who is wrestling with his call to be the King of men stands before an altar which contains a broken sword.
The sword reminds him of the fall of man from the past and the potential to reunite all of the kingdoms and realms under his rule.
He stands as a man conflicted.
As I have read and watched the movies I have a different perspective.
I know that these shards will be reunited into a new sword and that he will bring people together to stop Sauron and destroy the evil in the world.
Tow perspectives: Aragorn is distressed and stuck in the past wondering what he should do.
I know the ending and know that he makes the right choice.
While life isn’t a movie, the ending is set and Jesus knows how it ends.
We do too, if we hav read the book of Revelation.
We know our King prevails.
App:
Cling to King Jesus and His victory to respond to the things of this world:
Speak Boldly the truth about Jesus Christ
Be ready to lay down your life for Jesus Christ
beat down spiritually
Show the world grace and mercy
This is how Grace prevails over everything else in this world.
God extends his grace to men
Men extend their grace toward other men by the holy Spirit
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9