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
0.12UNLIKELY
Disgust
0.07UNLIKELY
Fear
0.13UNLIKELY
Joy
0.59LIKELY
Sadness
0.53LIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.54LIKELY
Confident
0UNLIKELY
Tentative
0.5UNLIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.76LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.94LIKELY
Extraversion
0.32UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.87LIKELY
Emotional Range
0.76LIKELY
Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
I hope you had a Merry Christmas and are anticipating great things as we approach this new year.
Before we entered into the advent season, we were in a sermon series on the five major tenants of the Protestant Reformation.
We looked at the doctrine of “Sola Fide”.
Biblical Christianity is distinct from every other religion in that it is centered on what God has accomplished through Christ’s finished work.
If we abandon the doctrine of justification by faith, we abandon the only way of salvation.
Next, we looked “Sola Scriptura”.
All truth necessary for our salvation and spiritual life is taught either explicitly or implicitly in Scripture.
Scripture is the highest and supreme authority on any matter on which it speaks.
This is not saying that the Bible speaks on every matter, but rather that it is the authority on any matter on which it speaks.
Third, we considered “Solo Cristo”.
We are saved by Christ alone, apart from the merit of any other person.
Fourth, we talked about “Sola Gratia”.
Sola Gratia is a key doctrine because it distinguishes what cannot save from what does save.
The reason why people have trouble with this doctrine is because they fail to understand the depth of their own depravity.
You were dead and unless God did something, you would stay dead.
This morning we are going to talk about the subject of “Sola Dei Gloria” or “for the glory of God”.
Sola Dei Gloria - for the glory of God
The Westminster Shorter Catechism was written in 1647 and became the primary doctrinal standard for most evangelical churches, even until this day.
Even when I was a child, the catechism would be used to teach us about God and key theological principles.
The first question of the Westminister Shorter Catechism asks,
Q: “What is the chief end of man?”
The answer:
A: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.”
The chief end, the main purpose of all of mankind is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.
I don’t know about you, but just thinking about that makes my head hurt.
The main point of my life is to glorify God.
Everything about me is to be for the glory of God.
Everything about you is to be for the glory of God.
As I thought about living for the glory of God, I had to ask the question, “What does it mean to live for the glory of God?”
Even the concept of “glory” is tough for us to understand.
Sometimes “glory” is associated with battle.
A solider or group of soldiers do something incredible and by their feat they achieve glory, like the Civil War movie entitled “Glory”.
Sometimes we think of glory like royalty.
The pomp and circumstance surrounding royalty is said to be glory.
When we think of glorifying God, what we need to realize is that it is not just about believing in God.
Even the demons believe in God and they tremble.
Glorifying God is not just about doing good things.
Doing good can bring glory to ourselves and not to God.
Glorifying God is not about gaining God’s attention and admiration for the sake of gaining some blessings.
Glorifying God is when everything about my life points directly to God.
Originally, this verse was written to the people of Israel.
They were in captivity in Babylon when this prophecy was given.
God promised to restore them, not because they were an awesome people or because they deserved it.
He promised to restore them because of his great name.
They bore his name and if God could not deliver his people, then God would not be as great as he said he is.
God said the people who bear his name are created for his glory.
The word “created” is the Hebrew word
bara - created
This word is the same word used for the creation of everything.
God created everything that is by his word and it is for his glory it was created.
The creation of everything was no accident or some random explosion of particles.
It was purposeful.
God said he formed them.
The word “formed” is
yoser - a potter
A potter doesn’t just throw a lump of clay onto the wheel and hope it turns into something.
A potter doesn’t leave the clay to develop into whatever it wants to be.
The potter purposefully and methodically works and shapes the clay into a specific vessel for his use.
Often the Scriptures speak of God as a potter who is making us, molding us, and shaping us into a vessel for his glory.
The same God who brought the nation of Israel out of captivity is your God.
You are called by his name.
You are his people.
He will not allow his name to be dishonored.
You were made to glorify God.
For those of you who may not know, Karen and I have three children.
Karis is thirteen.
Kyle is twelve.
Koen is seven.
Parents, what is the best thing you can hear about your children?
You send them to school.
You send them to sports activities.
You watch them perform.
You take them to the store with you and to the restaurants.
What is the best thing you could hear about your children?
You want to hear how smart, how prepared, how well-behaved, and how wonderful your children are.
Why?
You want to hear those things because it means you are doing something right.
It speaks well of you and how you are raising them.
I think God likes to hear the same thing about his children.
God knows all and sees all.
He knows what people are saying and thinking about his children.
My children represent me, really, no matter how old they are.
Your children represent you, no matter how old they are.
This is why it breaks our hearts when our children aren’t doing what is right.
As children of God, we represent God.
What does your life say about him?
Does the way you are living your life make him proud or might you be embarrassing him?
King Saul, the first king of the nation of Israel became an embarrassment to God’s name.
He started off strong.
He was described in as an impressive man.
He was tall, dark, and handsome.
However, Saul’s life was characterized by unfaithfulness and a rejection of God’s way.
Saul was anointed king and he was to bring glory to God, but instead he lived by his own ways, according to what was right in his own eyes.
God, eventually said, “Enough!”
God will not allow his name to be dishonored.
David, the shepherd boy, became the next king of Israel.
Did King David have failures and shortcomings?
Oh yes.
Many of them.
They are recorded for us.
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9