Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction- 8 Hour Home Going Celebration For Aretha Franklin two days ago

Aretha Franklin wearing gold fit for royalty.

A gold casket.

A thousand pink Cadillacs.

Who’s who of celebrities and “mainstream” popular culture clergy.

I started to wonder who was not there besides Nikki and myself.

After seeing so many people both known and unknown in attendance, I begin to think I would see some of you there too; especially with it being a three day weekend- You could haven flown or driven to Detroit and still made it back in time for church worship today.

It was a glorious home going celebration that took place for everyone to enjoy together and remember Aretha Franklin’s life and what she meant to them.

Everybody is gathered together at a Greater Grace Temple in Detroit singing the songs and classic hymns of the church as well other popular songs I am sure many of you probably know well:

Praise breaks

Chaka Khan- “Going Up Younder”

Jennifer Hudson- “Amazing Grace”

Gladys Knight- “You’ll Never Walk Alone/Bridge Over Troubled Water”

Bishop Paul Morton and Yolanda Adams- “Mary Don’t You Weep”

Clark Sisters- “Is My Living In Vain”

Faith Hill- “What A Friend We Have In Jesus”

Jennifer Holliday- “Climbing Higher Mountains”

Vanessa Bell Armstrong and The Williams Brothers- “Precious Memories”

Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, Professor of Sociology @ Georgetown University quote:

Some cosmic ethnographer were to drop down here and do a biopsy and extract of living tissue of Black Genius- here today would be the veritable cornucopia  of its radical expression.

We done had all kind of sangin’ up in here from high European derived classical composition,

To Gut bucket gospel grueling reality of our blues and soul tradition.

We have heard singers hit high notes and pan the depths of the range and scale of American voice.

But we are hear for one voice, one reason, one woman- a bronze wunderkinder of the Gospel.

wunderkinder play \ˈvu̇n-dər-ˌkin-dər\

: a child prodigy; also : one who succeeds in a competitive or highly difficult field or profession at an early age

In classical antiquity, the cornucopia /ˌkɔːrnjəˈkoʊpiə, ˌkɔːrnə-/ (from Latin cornu copiae), also called the horn of plenty, was a symbol of abundance and nourishment, commonly a large horn-shaped container overflowing with produce, flowers or nuts.

But not all in attendance understood the true significance of the occasion.

In fact not even some of the speakers and eulogists.

Many of the famous dignitaries were recognized during the opening remarks of most of the eulogies; even Louis Farrakhan was greeted.

But what about Jesus in His own house.

Even the media sought to find fault with some of the comments and behaviors of the clergy assembled.

Transition to the Celebration Scene of the Text (versus 1-5)

Heaven Sent & Urgent

Then I saw another angle flying directly overhead

angels are human messenger serving as an envoy, one who is sent or a supernatural being that attends upon or serves as a messenger of a superior supernatural entity

2 Cor 5:

With an eternal Gospel (good news), word from which we get evangelize

God’s last appeal for repentance from those about to be judged

Permanent & Enduring

With an eternal gospel to proclaim

The Gospel message is permanently valid

versus the transient gospel of man

eternal = unlimited duration of time, always valid

To proclaim= announce, communicate, preach

Universally Applicable

Attention Getting & Dramatic- To those who dwell on earth

One Message For Everyone To Hear

Whose audience is:

Illustration: Jeremiah & t

Hosea 1:2

those who dwell on earth- dwelling place of man, geographical sense.

the gospel message is meant for humankind.

It comes from heaven down to earth

On earth

dwell= to remain for some time in a place, often with the implication of a settled situation

Exodus 3:14

Counter-Cultural- to every nation

body of persons united by kinship, culture,and common traditions

Crosses Familial Boundaries- to every tribe

group bound together by common descent or blood-relationship.

subgroup of a nation which is regarded as being more closely related biologically then the entire nation.

crosses family boundaries

Breaks Language Barriers- to every language

Illustrate: Our current political discourse within the USA of shouting at one another and making one another out to be enemies.

dialect, speech

to every people- the largest unit into which the people of the world are divided on the basis of their constituting a socio-political community.

Nation as any large group of people sharing common ancestry, geography and/or political realm

One Clear Message!

One Message For Everyone To Hear

Fear God

judgement is a necessary implication of the gospel

Give God Glory

Judgement Is Coming

Worship Your Creator

Judgement is a necessary implication of the gospel

Transition to Close with last sub-point

Worship Your Creator!

Psalm 107

Close:

TO THE CHOIRMASTER.

A PSALM OF DAVID, WHEN NATHAN THE PROPHET WENT TO HIM, AFTER HE HAD GONE IN TO BATHSHEBA.

Psalm 51:1-4

-2`1