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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Little Jackie Paper (Puff the Magic Dragon).
Peter Pan.
Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy Pevensie, from the Chronicles of Narnia.
Adam and Eve.
All have something in common - they all grew up and left an unseen kingdom.
Jackie Paper grew up and left Honalee.
Peter Pan grew up and left Neverland.
The Pevensies grew up and left Narnia.
Adam and Eve “grew up,” or so they thought and left Eden.
“Children sleeping.
Snow is softly falling.
Dreams are calling likes bells in the distance.
We were dreamers not so long ago.
But one by one we all had to grow up.” ~ Josh Groban, Believe.
What is it about “growing up” that causes us to stop believing?
Stop dreaming?
What is it about age that causes us to fixate upon the daily grind - “reality” - just trying to survive?
“We were dreamers not so long ago, but one by one we all had to grow up” and we leave “there” and become consumed with “here.”
Advent reminds us to believe
... to dream - that we are to live by faith, not by sight - for that is the way of Jesus.
Advent is a collision of two realms – the natural and the supernatural
... where the spiritual and the physical intersect.
It is where the Kingdom of God entered the kingdom of man.
It’s the collision of “there” and “here”
Curious - do we still believe?
Or have we grown up too much?
We are called to maturity in faith - but to “grow up” and stop believing is simply unChristian.
“Growing up” too much prevents us from seeing the unseen kingdom - a kingdom for which we were created - the Kingdom of God.
Growing up too much means we focus too much on “here” and not enough on “there.”
Advent is a call to believe - or for some, to “rebelieve.”
Curious - do we still believe?
Or have we grown up too much?
Have we grown up so much that the Kingdom of God is practically make-believe?
Being a Christian or attending church doesn’t mean we’re believers.
I think there is a difference between calling ourselves Christian and being believers.
Let me show you want I mean.
Zechariah - a priest, upright, honorable, righteous and blameless in conduct.
He knew the Scriptures.
He was dedicated to God and to the church.
Only one problem – he grew up.
Somewhere along the way he stopped believing – or so is my speculation.
Now, Zechariah was on duty, serving in the temple and burning incense - which was a once in a lifetime event.
This is what happened.
Startled can be translated as shaken up, troubled, great mental distress.
Stress card!
He was gripped with fear – we’re talking panic, terror, alarm.
He was terrified!
About to soil his tunic.
Jump down to verse 26.
Notice the difference in Mary’s response.
Greatly troubled is not the same as being gripped with fear.
There is no hint of shock, fear, or terror.
She was simply perplexed.
She was simply wondering, “An angel - talking to me? Whoa.
What this is all about?
This is cool.”
Totally two different responses to almost identical situations.
What’s the difference between Z and M? I believe Zechariah grew up and stopped believing in the supernatural, stopped believing the spiritual, stopped believing in an unseen Kingdom.
Because of he stopped believing he was terrified when his physical world collided with the spiritual.
I think it all comes down to belief or faith.
Having pondered this all week, there seems to be two kinds of belief or faith among God’s people.
Just because you’re a Christian doesn’t make you a believer.
There is …
1) A faith that is confined.
Sees only what is visible.
It is confined to the natural and the physical.
It’s a faith that’s confined to the Bible, meaning we believe all that spiritual stuff happened in there, back then, in those stories - but not now.
(a faith that is not connected to how I live - finances, careers, purpose ….)
We may not admit it, but some of us treat the Bible as if it were nothing more than children’s fables.
Some have a faith that’s confined to Sunday morning - it doesn’t expect much or do much or effect much after 12pm on Sunday.
It’s a faith that believes just enough to feel safe.
That was Zechariah - in my opinion.
2) A faith that is unconfined.
Sees the invisible.
It is open to the supernatural and spiritual.
It’s a faith that not only believes in the Bible but finds the connection between “there” and “here.”
It’s a faith that expects, it lives, it does – it believes.
It’s a faith that goes beyond Sunday morning service - it’s a faith that plays a critical part in everyday life.
This was Mary - in my opinion of course.
Back to Zechariah.
What we need to pay attention to is Zechariah’s reaction.
Not only is he gripped with fear, but he more than Mary should know and believe what God is capable of doing.
He’s a priest!
Mature!
However,
Literally - “By what will I know this?”
You know what he’s saying?
“Prove it - then I will believe.”
Sounds a little too grown-up to me.
We need to understand -
There are consequences for unbelief.
I didn’t say punishment - I said consequences and I believe there is a huge difference!
What stops people from entering the Kingdom of heaven?
Unbelief.
A father with a demon-possessed boy - the demon wouldn’t leave.
Why? Unbelief.
How many times did Jesus say, “Your faith has healed you?” Jesus’ ability to do miracles in Nazareth was hindered.
Why? Unbelief.
Unbelief limits the advancement of God’s purposes (1 Tim.
1:4).
Little Jackie Paper, Peter Pan, the Pevensies, Adam and Eve all had to leave their kingdoms - why?
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