Sermon Tone Analysis

Overall tone of the sermon

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Tone of specific sentences

Tones
Emotion
Anger
Disgust
Fear
Joy
Sadness
Language
Analytical
Confident
Tentative
Social Tendencies
Openness
Conscientiousness
Extraversion
Agreeableness
Emotional Range
Anger
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/Pastor Stu Webber relates a story from his experience at the U.S. Army Ranger School at Fort Benning, Georgia./
I can still hear the raspy voice of the sergeant: "We are here to save your lives.
We're going to see to it that you overcome all your natural fears.
We're going to show you just how much incredible stress the human mind and body can endure.
And when we're finished with you, you will be the U.S. Army's best!"
Then, before he dismissed he announced our first assignment: "Find yourself a…buddy," he growled.
"You will stick together.
You will never leave each other.
You will encourage each other, and, [if] necessary, you will carry each other."
[i]
     /Who would you pick for this assignment?
Which one of your friends could you depend on to stick with you, to never leave you, to encourage you, and if necessary, carry you?
Whoever this is, they are more than your buddies—they are your friends.
/
/            The Bible offers us this piece of advice on friendship in  /
*Pr 17:17 */A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
/
/            //Tonight I want to share with you a true story about just this kind of friendship between a man named David and a man named Jonathan.
The story is found in *1 Sam.
20*, and it is a beautiful picture not only of how to identify your true friends—it is a perfect story about how you can be this kind of friend to somebody else.
Let’s begin reading in *vs.
1-23*.
/
*I.
A FRIEND IS SOMEONE YOU CAN TURN TO IN TIMES OF TROUBLE (v.
1-23)*
A fair-weather friend is one who is always around when /he/ needs /you/.
- Bob Phillips[ii]
*            *You know some folks like this, don’t you?
When they need you, they stick to you like glue.
When you need them they can’t be found.
But a real friend is a person you can turn to when you need them---they are /…brothers~/sisters who are born for adversity…/In fact, it’s usually when hard times hit we find out who our true friends are.
That is certainly true for David.
David is a man on the run.
God chose Him to be King of Israel, but right now another king is on the throne—a man named Saul, a man who wants to kill David.
David’s been hiding out with the prophet Samuel but now he needs someone else  to turn to who will help him figure his next move.
Ironically, the friend David turns to Prince Jonathan, the son of Saul, the man who wants to kill him.
Only a step ahead of Saul’s assassins, David turns to the best friend he has.
Jonathan doesn’t let him down.
/“Whatever you yourself desire, I will do it for you.”
/*(v.
4).
*
Together these two friends come up with a plan to see if Saul really intends to kill David.
David suggests he go back to Bethlehem and see his family instead of attending the New Moon feast with Saul and his cohorts.
If Saul accepts his absence with no suspicion, they will know all is well.
But if not, then Saul will reveal his hatred for him.
Either way Jonathan will meet David back at this same place, and let him know whether or not it is safe for him to return.
There is a tender moment recorded in *vs.
13b-17*: Jonathan knows David will someday be king.
He makes a covenant with David.
It was often the custom when one king would come to power he would slaughter all of the family of the fallen king.
Jonathan calls David to honor their friendship not only by how he treats Jonathan, but how he will treat Jonathan’s descendants.
(cf.
*v.
15*).
/…indeed the Lord be between you and me forever.”/*
(v.
23)* /Don’t forget me when I’m gone /Jonathan says to his friend /because I will never forget you.
/
/You know a lot of people who call themselves your friends, but how many of them can you turn to when you’re in trouble?
How many folks could you pick up the phone right now and say, “I’m in trouble I need you,” and they’ll come running?
Those are your true friends, because a friend is someone you can turn to in times of trouble.
Friends are born for adversity.
/
/ Are you that kind of friend?
How many people can turn to you when they’re in trouble?
If you want a friend like that, you have to be a friend like that.
That’s the kind of friendship David and Jonathan had.
That’s the kind of friendship you want, too, isn’t it?
/
The North American Indians had no written language before they met the white man.
The words they spoke were meant to paint a picture of what they were talking about.
Which explains why the word “friend” to the Indians was translated into English as  “one-who-carries-my-sorrows-on-his-back.”
/The Indians recognized what the Bible tells us: a friend is born for adversity.
Let me tell you something else about David and Jonathan that illustrates true friendship: /
*II.
A FRIEND STICKS WITH YOU (v.
24 -34)*
*            *Jonathan has many reasons to betray David.
He has to confront them all when he goes back home to his father’s dinner table.
When they gather around to the meal, Saul sits in a corner with his back against the wall, where he can see everybody.
Beside him sits General Abner, the king’s chief of staff.
Who knows what plans Saul had for David if he had shown up for the meal?
But David does not show up.
/He’ll be here tomorrow!
/he thinks to himself.
When David doesn’t show up the next day, Saul asks Jonathan through gritted teeth /Where is that son of Jesse?
Why didn’t he come to supper?
/Jonathan tries to pass it off, explaining that he gave David permission to go back home for a festival with his family.
This is where Saul /loses it!
/Saul tries to make Jonathan turn against David by using shame, guilt, and greed.
*/Shame/* (*v.
30b*) /…you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame…//Everybody’s laughing at you for sticking up for that shepherd boy! /
*/Guilt/* (*v.
30c*)/….and to the shame of your mother’s nakedness?/
/You are shaming your family by shielding that traitor!
/
*/Greed /*(*v.
31a*) /… For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, you shall not be established, nor your kingdom.
//You will never sit on the throne as long as he lives!
/
It’s almost like Darth Vader, calling out to Luke Skywalker, “Join the Dark Side!”
But notice that Jonathan remains loyal to his friend.
He speaks up for David, not because David has done wrong, but because David has done right.
Jonathan is not a son trying to rebel against his father by sticking up for those no-good friends who lead him to do wrong.
He is remains loyal to his friend, and to his father.
In fact, even after David leaves, Jonathan stays with Saul, all the way to the end, when they both die together in battle.
But Saul’s heart is so full of rage, he gives his own son what he once gave to David- the point of a spear.
Though Jonathan escapes the spear, his own heart is torn into by his love for his doomed father, and his love for his fugitive friend.
/Jonathan is a friend who /
/There are lots of folks who will stick with you when you have money, or when you’re doing well.
There are plenty of people who sing your praises when you’re on top, but forget your name when you reach bottom.
Whatever you want to call these folks, they are not your friends.
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