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
0.13UNLIKELY
Disgust
0.45UNLIKELY
Fear
0.6LIKELY
Joy
0.6LIKELY
Sadness
0.21UNLIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.13UNLIKELY
Confident
0UNLIKELY
Tentative
0.5LIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.79LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.82LIKELY
Extraversion
0.21UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.82LIKELY
Emotional Range
0.65LIKELY

Tone of specific sentences

Tones
Emotion
Anger
Disgust
Fear
Joy
Sadness
Language
Analytical
Confident
Tentative
Social Tendencies
Openness
Conscientiousness
Extraversion
Agreeableness
Emotional Range
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable to you, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer."
Page #
"We Are Witnesses"
(Luke  24:36-48)
*INTRODUCTION:*
            Have you ever been afraid?
Of course you have, we all have.
We've all had those times like the little boy who came running into to the kitchen and asked his mother if he could watch a wildlife special on the educational channel.
/"Hurry, Mom, it's got lions  and tigers and snakes and all kinds of wild animals.
Please Mom, can  I watch it?"/
/            /Mom said, /"Well, sure, you know it's alright to watch that station.
And that sounds like a wonderful program for a brave little guy like you to watch."/
/            /The little boy looked up at his mother and asked, /"Will you come watch it with me?"/
            /"I'm  sorry,"/ Mom said, /"but Mommy's kind of busy right now."/
/            "But Mom!" / the little boy insisted, /"You don't understand.
You gotta watch it with me!!  I'm  too a-scared to watch it by myself."
/(1)
            At other times we've been like the little boy who was in bed one night and hollered out to his Mom.
/"I'm afraid of the dark!"/
            Mom tried to relieve his fears by saying, /"There's no reason to be afraid of the dark, God made the dark as well as the light!"/
The little boy thought about it a minute and then said, /"Yeah, but God made alligators, too!" / (2)
            Sometimes we're just afraid and want someone else's company throughout the adventure of life.
Other times we're afraid and we don't really want our fears removed.
We resist help from others or from God.  We're like the second little boy and we find lots of reasons not to trust God.
The scripture tells us that the disciples experienced fear also.
They had heard the good news of the resurrection.
Some of them had made it out to the tomb and seen that it was empty.
Two men had spoken with Jesus on the Road to Emmaus.
Others had even seen the risen Christ when he stood in their midst, not once but twice.
Thomas had even been asked if he wanted to touch the wounds.
And yet here they were too a-scared to go on by themselves.
And they were thinking of all kinds of excuses not to trust God's promises.
But the Son of God wasn't about to give up.
He was alive.
He had defeated both sin and death.
He had wiped out the main source of all fear.
And he wasn't about to let the disciples or his mission for them to become immobilized by their fear.
So, Jesus just kept popping up all over the place like some Easter Jack out of the box.
The stone had been rolled away, the tomb was empty and Jesus wanted them to be excited and empowered by this Good News.
*I.
WE ARE WITNESSES OF THE RESURRECTION:*
*            A.
*The disciples used the Upper Room as their headquarters after the crucifixion and resurrection.
They were gathered there because there really is safety in numbers.
Together they could encourage one another.
Besides, they hadn't quite figured out all of this stuff about the resurrection.
All of a sudden, Jesus pops up out of nowhere.
While they're talking and whispering about all these resurrection stories, suddenly, right in their midst, stands the one they were talking about.
It was like talking about someone and turning around and that person is standing right there.
They were startled and they were afraid.
And who wouldn't be in that or a similar situation.
But the triumphant Christ simply says, /"Peace be with you."/
And then he asked, /"Why are you afraid?
Why are you doubting?
This is what I said would happen.
This is how I said it would be.
Why are you afraid?"/
Then he proceeded to show them his hands and side like he had done for Thomas.
Why was it so hard for them to believe?
Well, haven't you ever been told some piece of news that puzzled you or that just didn't sink in right away?
Back in 1980, Mary and I had been trying to have another child.
We had Paul but we wanted a larger family.
I came home from Seminary one Friday night ready to unwind and get ready for Sunday.
I was sitting in my chair watching TV.  Mary came in, sat in my lap and told me she thought she was pregnant.
I don't remember what I said.
I'm sure it was the appropriate thing but to be real honest, it wasn't until Monday morning when I was headed back to Dallas that it finally sank in.
The more it sank in, the more excited I became.
But it took awhile for the news to penetrate this thick head of mine.
I think that's what happened to the disciples.
It wasn't that they didn't believe, it's just that the News of the Resurrection was so good it was almost too good to be true.
Consequently, it took awhile for it sink in.
And when it did, there was the risen Jesus standing right in their midst munching on bread and fish, to show that he wasn't a ghost, but alive and real just like them.
And then he put the finishing touches on the whole purpose behind calling them to follow him.
With crumbs in his beard and broiled fish in his hand, the risen Son of God said,/ "it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
You are witnesses of these things."/
*B.
*The disciples carried the message of  repentance and forgiveness of sin to the far reaches of the world.
they proclaimed the Good News and witnessed to the Resurrection.
And we are called to do the same.
The Son of God calls us to be witnesses, too.
And we are witnesses.
When we look through the eyes of faith, we see evidence of the risen Christ every day.
Every time  we give ourselves in ministry, every time we extend a helping hand, every time a meal is shared with someone in need, whether at the Night Shelter or within the membership of this Church we experience the resurrection.
Every time the Bell Choir or the chime choir or the adult choir or the children's choir play or sing, we see signs of the resurrection.
Every time someone makes an act of renewal or we baptize a baby, we see signs of the resurrection.
The Risen Christ is with us, that's why we do these things.
Just like the disciples, we are witnesses.
*II.
WE ARE GOD'S CHILDREN, NOW:*
*            A.
*But we are more than witnesses, too.
We have seen the risen Christ but that's not the whole message.
That's only part of the message.
The rest of the message is that the risen Christ has come to take away and forgive our sins.
Maybe you're familiar with Shel Silverstein.
He's a modern poet who has written such things as "The Giving Tree" and a couple of books of poems.
In his book, A Light In The Attic, he has a little poem that reads:
                                    /"If we had hinges on our heads/
/                                    There wouldn't be no sin/
/                                    'Cause we could take the bad stuff out./
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9