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
0.08UNLIKELY
Disgust
0.12UNLIKELY
Fear
0.66LIKELY
Joy
0.61LIKELY
Sadness
0.16UNLIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.68LIKELY
Confident
0.01UNLIKELY
Tentative
0UNLIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.82LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.69LIKELY
Extraversion
0.44UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.45UNLIKELY
Emotional Range
0.65LIKELY
Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
Base Scripture
Illustration of Sponkey.
When I was young, my father surprised my mom with cat that she in turned named Sponkey.
Sponkey was a falsely good cat, meaning after Sponkey became familiar with the place and us, there was a change.
The cat would hiss and claw us all the time.
I particularly remember brushing my teeth to get ready for school and the cat jumped up and dug its claws into the skin of my back straight through my pajamas.
My father, even though he bought the cat, could not rationalize how we feed the cat, give water to the cat, change the litter box, but yet the Sponkey demonized us daily.
My father required some sort of respect from the cat, but we all experienced the opposite from Sponkey.
Needless to say, Sponkey had to go.
In the similar way, God the Father requires us to “fear” Him.
God doesn’t want any negative attitudes toward Him.
God requires honor, reverence, obedience, and love.
Let’s talk about the “Fear of The Lord.”
The Fear Of The Lord
What does it mean to fear the Lo
Paul states how believers are to live before God.
Paul states how believers are to live before God.
Phi
Paul was addressing his letter known to us as the Book of Philippians.
Paul was talking to all of the believers in Philippi.
Why?
A brief history of the city and people of Philippi
City Of Philippi
Philippi’s inhabitants included residents of Thracian, Greek, and Roman descent.
Greek was widely spoken throughout the area and continued to serve as a commercial language.
its citizens were granted the ius italicum—meaning they had land and poll tax exemptions, authority to buy and sell property, protection by Roman law, and various other rights and privileges (compare Acts 16:12).
The citizens of Philippi thus benefited from the city’s status as a Roman colony and provincial municipality.
The Religion of Philippi
Philippi was a center of worship for various deities
This is not the type of fear that we hear and know
Early settlers introduced the cults of the Thracian god Liber Pater and the goddess Bendis, as well as that of the Thracian Rider.
Greek historian Herodotus
Herodotus mentions a Thracian oracle of Dionysos
Who Is Dionysos?
The Greek god of wine, merry-making, and insanity.
Followers of Dionysus partook in outdoor festivities and rituals that ranged from quiet contemplation to bouts of frenzied violence
The believers in Philippi were surrounded by pagan worshippers that were not too kindly to the true God worshippers.
Fear and Tremble Before The Lord
Again, why was Paul talking to the believers in Philippi about fear and trembling?
This fear is not walking around trembling and shaking as one that is terrified.
Paul was speaking about obedience to the Lord.
That “working out your salvation” has to do with “obedience”
Before we can understand what type of “fear” Paul referred to here, let’s examine the area and the people of which Paul spoke directly to.
Philippi’s inhabitants included residents of Thracian, Greek, and Roman descent.
Greek was widely spoken throughout the area and continued to serve as a commercial language.
its citizens were granted the ius italicum—meaning they had land and poll tax exemptions, authority to buy and sell property, protection by Roman law, and various other rights and privileges (compare Acts 16:12).
The citizens of Philippi thus benefited from the city’s status as a Roman colony and provincial municipality.
Paul was telling his listeners, including us today that we are to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” for it is God that works out His will and work for His pleasure.
The Religion of Philippi
“work out your own salvation with fear and trembling”
Philippi was a center of worship for various deities
We are to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.
Early settlers introduced the cults of the Thracian god Liber Pater and the goddess Bendis, as well as that of the Thracian Rider.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .
Greek historian Herodotus
Herodotus mentions a Thracian oracle of Dionysos
Who Is Dionysos?
Scripture:
The Greek god of wine, merry-making, and insanity.
Followers of Dionysus partook in outdoor festivities and rituals that ranged from quiet contemplation to bouts of frenzied violence
Fear
meaning of awe, respect, reverence.
Trembling
“make yourself humble” or “make yourself low.”
When we serve the Lord and work out our own salvation, we need to respect and reverence our Lord with a lowly or humbled attitude.
When we come into the presence of the Lord, we need to pay homage to Him with a bowed heart before Him.
The Joshua promise :
Josh
Many of us want the “good success”, but we don’t want to get low (“tremble” - ).
Illustration of basketball training to jump higher
When I played basketball 9th grade, I wanted to jump higher.
One of the exercises I did to help me jump higher was to take free-weights.
I used two 10lbs.
weights, one in left hand and the other in my right hand.
I would squat all the way down and jump as high I can twenty times, for three reps.
I put in the work and the results came.
Church goers want good success with no labor.
The problem with many church goers is that they want “good success”, but they don’t want to put in the work.
In order for you to have “good success”, you must get low.
You must serve the Lord with “fear and trembling”.
You cannot compromise!
Sometimes we as Christians have problems getting low because of influences.
Outside Influences
We live a loud and brute-force world
There are so many influences that bite at the heels of Christians everyday to try and make us bend and bow.
These type of influences are contrary to what God requires, but yet try to justify by referencing biblical scriptures.
Let’s equate these influences to gods.
The god of money
The god of achievement
The god boastfulness or pride
The god of education
The god of self
The god of someone (i.e., wife, husband, pastor)
These gods are hiding in plain sight, but present everyday.
We as Christians need to remain in the fear of the Lord, because if we continually serve God with “fear and trembling”, we have our covering.
Protection From Influences
The fear of the Lord is a covering
When you reverence and respect God with gratefulness and humility, no matter the outcome, God covers you!
Recall Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego:
Daniel 3:16-19,
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9