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
0.12UNLIKELY
Disgust
0.07UNLIKELY
Fear
0.1UNLIKELY
Joy
0.62LIKELY
Sadness
0.51LIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.5LIKELY
Confident
0UNLIKELY
Tentative
0.46UNLIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.86LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.82LIKELY
Extraversion
0.13UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.66LIKELY
Emotional Range
0.63LIKELY
Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
Prayer
So what’s been interesting to me - as we’ve made our way through this book of Ecclesiastes...
is that week after week, it seems as though Solomon is writing 2 sermons/messages
And what I’m referring to is - up to this point.
Week after week so far, he’s been laying out for the world - THIS is vanity...
THIS is a Chasing after the wind!
And so each week, we’ve seen the perspective of FALLEN MAN....under the sun!
And so - as I stated last week - it’s as though Solomon is - making it a point to STAY Under the Sun...
Here’s what I mean - Solomon wants the world to see that its own view of itself - is DISTORTED!
Solomon wants to HOLD up a mirror to the world - and say - Ok world, what you’re seeing right now - is NOT REALITY!
What YOU see in the mirror is -
the BEST opportunity for happiness
the BEST opportunity for success
But I’M here to TELL you…that’s not true - Let me show you...
And so the way that he does that is to - STAY under the sun...
IN A WAY where it seems that - for a lot of this book....Solomon’s main concern doesn’t even seem to be to - HIGHLIGHT the truths found OVER the SUN...
This is why you’ll read things like this in this book -
“THIS is better than THAT....but in the end (ultimately), it’s ALL vanity!”
It’s like he doesn’t ELEVATE them, most times in this book, ABOVE the SUN...
And so - just like last week - we’re going to march through our text...
And then circle back and actually focus on the first verse we’ll discuss today…but we’ll elevate it above the sun...
Let’s get started:
The topic that Solomon addresses today is one that we’re all prone to...
And the plot line is one that many have tried to figure out...
Some believe he’s talking about Joseph and Pharaoh...
Some think Saul and David...
And there are others...
But the point that’s being looked at here is one that he’s touched on a bit - before...
And we’ve ALL experienced this from one side or the other...
OK - I’m going to give you now - the ANSWER before we even look at the test...
I’m going to give you the story line - before we even watch the movie...
HERE IT IS:
SUCCESS - ADVANCEMENT - POWER - POPULARITY...
SLIDE: Earthly Glory Under the Sun: Fleeting
Earthly Glory Under the Sun
All of these things - are - fleeting
So THIS is the answer - the final conclusion, BUT HOW did Solomon get to this conclusion?
So Solomon here points to a scenario - where a POOR KID - grows up and takes over for an OLD KING...
Now - this sounds like a “rags to riches” story if i ever heard one…right?
We always seem to be DRAWN to the stories where the UNDERDOG overcomes the odds on favorite - do we not?!
Let me know if you know what these phrases are referring to:
“Do YOU BELIEVE in MIRACLES?
YES!” (1980 US Hockey Team defeats Russia)
“There’s a long drive ball....deep to right field…it’s a gonna be a homerun....UNBELIEVABLE!” (Kirk Gibson 1988 World Series)
“It’s OVER…it’s OVER…Cleveland is a city of Champions once again!!” (2016 NBA Championship)
All of these examples - UNDERDOGS overcoming the odds...
And the ONE determining factor that makes ALL the difference in this SCENARIO…in v13....
is WISDOM...
NOW - what Solomon is trying to do is to - GIVE the world - UNDER the sun....a scenario where everyone UNDER the sun....
would JOIN Solomon on the SIDE OF THE UNDERDOG and say -
YES - we’re with you - THAT’S a GREAT scenario that we would ALL like to be a part of!
Yes - we would ALL PURSUE that kind of wisdom...
OR AT LEAST - get behind someone who did!
REMEMBER - Solomon is trying to get the world to see that LIFE UNDER the SUN - is VANITY...
REGARDLESS of how NOBLE the cause - or how INSPIRING the STORY!
AND SO - he highlights the ...
“NOBLE CAUSE”
“INSPIRING STORY”
and gets everyone - heading in the same direction down this path...
And he CONTINUES to build on the story....
WOW - from PRISON to the Throne!
…from rags - to - riches
And so THE WORLD - LOOKS at this STORY being painted by Solomon and ...
they are ALL IN...
*We hear the stories of KIDS who grew up poor…and yet turn out to be VERY SUCCESSFUL (in the world’s eyes…)
Makes you think of people like:
Oprah* (do people GRAVITATE toward her? - rags to riches)
LeBron James* (no dad, single mom - rags to riches)
We’re ALL drawn to stories like these...
It’s no different today and then back then...
And we see this as we continue with the text...
So ALL the people were behind THE NEW YOUNG GUY!
His story was INSPIRING...
In the world’s eyes - he was WORTHY to follow!
ALL the people put their HOPE in this NEW - king...
The old KING had become - Out-Of-Touch with the people...
AND SO - it was ALL about the NEW GUY!
The WORLD is RIGHT THERE with Solomon....
He’s brought them to the end of this path now!
He’s held up before them - EARTHLY GLORY...
The carrot he’s dangling in front of the world is - Earthly Glory...
…and they’re RIGHT THERE…waiting to be:
AFFIRMED in their pursuit...
They’re at the end of this path with Solomon - waiting for him to say - “THIS is what LIFE’s ALL about!
But what does he say?
What’s the big finale?
If you remember back to chapter 1, Solomon points to the fact that -
generations come and generations go - (repeat)
and there is nothing new under the sun!
Not only that…but he said - “There is NO remembrance of former things!”
What does he say here -
He says - There was NO end to all the people who now FOLLOWED the NEW, young KING...
They now had someone they could TRUST in!
Someone they felt would - WORK FOR THE PEOPLE!
And yet - what?
Those who come later will NOT rejoice in him....in the new young King...
All the people LOVE him now…but the next generation - THEY WON’T love him
That next generation - they’ll have their own “NEW young king”
And in ALL of this we SEE...
SLIDE: Earthly Glory is Temporary Glory: Not Worthy of Our Worship
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9