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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Anger
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Openness
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Conscientiousness
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Extraversion
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Tone of specific sentences
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Intro
Distinctive?
Show Pics
1 Thess 4
The Christian life is both distinctive and secure.
We’ll look at both aspects this morning.
The distinctive nature of the Christian life points to our secured future.
And our secured future provides strength to live now.
Distinctive
Our Story is Distinctive
Distinctive lifestyle
The way Christians are to live is distinctive.
Moral norms may change but Christians do not.
Paul has urged them to live a life that pleases God, now he pushes further.
He wants to push them further into God’s will.
What is God’s will?
For you to be Sanctified
Paul’s concept of “sanctified” comes from Temple.
One went to the Temple to be with God.
The problem was sin.
One would have to be purified (sanctified).
Of course, we have been cleansed by the cross of Christ.
Now Christians together are the Temple of the Holy Spirit.
That being said, Paul warns of three areas where we need to particularly cautious, distinctive.
These are three areas where we need to be sanctified.
First, distinctive sexual ethic
control that is holy and honorable, not crazy
control that is holy and honorable, not crazy
Paul says that we should avoid sexual immorality (πορνείας).
πορνείας
Love one another
πορνείας is a catch-all word for all sexual activity outside the bounds of heterosexual marriage.
This isn’t simply for the believers in Thessalonica.
This matter was settled at the Jerusalem Council in .
Paul insists that Christians have to learn to control their bodies.
St. Francis called his body “brother donkey.”
In other words, he loved the donkey but it needed to be trained.
He was supposed to be in control but it seemed the donkey had a mind of its own.
The Holy Spirit must experience something similar as he guides our lives and yet we keep going in our own directions.
Let’s not assume this is something for someone else.
Is God’s sexual ethic constraining/unfair?
First, God created sex as the ultimate expression of love and intimacy that a man and woman can have for one another (refer to Tough Topics)
Second, true freedom always is always experienced in boundaries.
Fish
Anniversary
It’s better to stick with the manual!
Second, distinctive love
In v. 9 Paul says “about your love for one another, we do not need to write to you.”
In other words - you’re doing good but lets talk about it.
“more and more”
If you struggle with someone, pray for them.
Third, distinctive mannerism
No Drama
imperturbability
Lead a quiet life
Mind your business
Work hard
Respect of outsiders
Independence
This is a pure life
Secure
Our Story is Secure
Secure Future
Context
Paul says, “I don’t want you to be in the dark.”
We believe that Jesus died and rose again!
This is one of the earliest Christian creeds.
All of the Christian faith, flows from this reality.
Paul helps the church to understand what will happen but remember, he wants to stretch their understanding and provide comfort.
We don’t grieve like those who don’t have hope.
How do you explain something that someone has no baseline for a reference?
You give them pictures.
Jesus himself with return with a loud command (word describes the shouting of a military order) and a trumpet blast.
Popular books would have us believe this is a secret event where believers disappear.
If that’s the case, the heavenly trumpet works like a dog-whistle.
It just doesn’t seem to fit the picture Paul paints.
Dead in Christ will rise first.
Dead in Christ will rise
Did you notice something odd in the text.
It states Jesus will bring with him Christians who have died.
Then it states the dead in Christ will rise.
What gives?
There is a funny difference in the original language.
They are in different tenses.
Scholars seem to think Paul has in mind, Christians who have died and Christian who are at the point of death, the dying.
Then believers will be “caught up” or “raptured.”
Actually, we need to focus elsewhere.
We need to focus on meeting Jesus in the clouds.
What’s the deal with the clouds?
Clouds at Sinai
Clouds at the transfiguration
Jesus disappeared into a cloud.
Clouds represent the glory and presence of God.
Paul says that at the return of Jesus, we’ll be taken into the the glory of God.
What about this idea of meeting?
This word has the idea of going out to meet and returning with the person.
Acts 28:15
The word is used in ancient Greek of a party going out to welcome the visiting dignitaries.
This is the idea of the wedding party going out to escort the Groom back!
It doesn’t matter if you are living, near death, or died.
It doesn’t matter is Satan is whispering in your ear that you aren’t good enough or that you’ve made too many mistakes.
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