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
0.11UNLIKELY
Disgust
0.07UNLIKELY
Fear
0.11UNLIKELY
Joy
0.6LIKELY
Sadness
0.49UNLIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.76LIKELY
Confident
0UNLIKELY
Tentative
0.2UNLIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.92LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.74LIKELY
Extraversion
0.22UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.45UNLIKELY
Emotional Range
0.6LIKELY
Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
Intro
Has anyone ever had a set of optics go bad on them?
Maybe some binoculars, a rifle scope, or maybe just your glasses get pretty scratched or weak.
It becomes very difficult to accomplish your goal when the lens you are trying to look through is broken or out of focus.
When it comes to our lives, there are so many different lenses to look through that lead us down many different paths.
I am not so far removed that I don’t remember the feelings of both excitement and dread of what I am I going to do with my life after this.
There seem to be many different options out there.
The educational lens tells you to go to college, get more education, get a better job.
The fiscal lens tells you, get a job so you can pay for an education.
There is another lens that says to join the armed forces and serve for a time.
Then for believers there is a biblical lens that hopefully says, whatever you do, do it for the glory of God.
There of course are many other things grabbing for your attention at that time and continuing on into adulthood.
There is only one lens though that leads to the truth, that lens is the Bible.
Scripture.
God’s holy Word.
As we have been looking at the letter to the Colossians, Paul has been writing of these things that our focus should be on and the things that attempt to draw our focus away.
Paul’s focus has been that the false teachers are promoting ideas that draw attention away Christ and onto a person’s own self.
These things may have an appearance of wisdom but in reality they have no value.
As we move in to chapter 3 of Colossians, this proper focus is the intent.
This section is an appeal to live in a manner that is pleasing to the Lord.
The only way to live in a manner that is pleasing to the Lord is to live and walk with the proper focus.
The proper focus in the life of the believer is a life that is focused on Christ.
Seek the things above.
V.1
Chapter 3 begins If then you have been raised with Christ.
We begin by first picking this phrase apart a little bit.
We do this to specifically learn more about Paul’s understanding of what it means to live in a relationship with Jesus.
What it means to truly be saved.
Therefore if you have been raised with Christ.
The Anointed One, The Messiah.
The idea is that, if it is true that you have placed your faith in Christ, you have been raised with Him.
If you believe in Christ you have emerged into a new state of being.
No longer one of inactivity but now one of being awake.
You then have been raised, specifically to life.
The sense of the word here is one of waking up and arising as if out of bed.
Believers have been wakened from a state of sleepiness to a state of action.
This action has taken place and it has specifically happened with regard to Christ.
It is because of this action, that the believer is to be focused on Jesus.
The verse continues Seek the things that are above.
This focus is specific heavenly thinking.
These things that are being spoken of are literally things that are positioned above another.
Things that pertain to a goal that is upward.
Heavenly, good, righteous things.
And that the language here is quite strong.
Paul writes an imperative here, You do this.
You must seek these things, look for them, strive for them, aim at them.
What are these things you ask?
The things of God, the things of Christ.
The things that would be pleasing in the sight of the Lord for that is where Jesus is seated, at the right hand of the Father.
Asking the question, in doing this, am I loving the Lord or am I placing myself before Him.
Asking the question, in doing this, am I loving my neighbor as myself or taking advantage of my neighbor for my own gain.
Asking the question, in my actions, in my thoughts, am I striving toward a goal which is upward, a goal that is Christ.
Who remembers the wwjd bracelets?
That can be a serious question for us to ask.
We know that
Set your mind on things above.
V.1
We are not trying to possess the things above in a sense of controlling them but rather are to be orienting ourselves totally to heavenly realities.
We are not striving for heavenly status, it has been freely given through our faith in Jesus.
Rather we are to make that heavenly status the guideposts, or the guard rails for all of our our thinking actions.
The life of the believer is focused on Christ.
Set your mind on things above.
V.2
This continues to be shown in verse 2
This continuation is part further description and also shows a contrast of what is not to be sought after.
The same word is used here for above.
Seek those things that are upward, heavenly, good, righteous.
The ideas is that you must be intent on the things that are above.
We are to concentrate on them.
Direct our attention and our thought to righteous, heavenly, good things.
When we use the phrase I set my mind to it, what are we saying?
I intend to do it.
I intend to complete the task.
Paul is saying
Believers, set your mind to holiness.
Believers, set your mind to righteousness.
Believers, set your minds to thing things above.
Do this because of your relationship with Jesus.
Do this because you were raised with Him.
You have placed your faith in Jesus, now trust Him, seek Him, follow Him.
This is in essence a repetition of the phrase in verse one.
Repetition is a significant sign that something is important.
Something here needs to be paid attention to.
There is increased specificity here though as well.
Seek in verse one is kind of a general term.
He now states to be specific and intentional to think on these things and how they should apply to and direct your life.
The Bible is not just a book to make us feel good.
Has anyone heard the BIBLE acronym?
Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.
There are a couple of bands that have made songs with that in the lyrics that are rather catchy tunes.
The point though is not only a mental or intellectual one, but a fundamental orientation of our will.
The real point of the verse comes in the second half of verse 2.
not on things that are on earth.
Do all of this so as to not be focused on the earthly things.
It is likely that the false teachers that Paul is writing to refute had done this.
They had lost their focus on Christ and the things that glorified Him, and were now preoccupied with earthly things that only gave the appearance of changed hearts.
the false teachers, because of their preoccupation with their visionary experiences, would have been the ones bragging about their focus on the “things above.”
What Paul is trying to make clear here is that things above are tied to Christ, enthroned above, and must reflect the values of the kingdom that He has begun and represents.
Anything else is, or anything less than this, is no more than worldly thinking.
The further describe Paul’s teaching I would like us to look to
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9