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
0.09UNLIKELY
Disgust
0.08UNLIKELY
Fear
0.13UNLIKELY
Joy
0.62LIKELY
Sadness
0.57LIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.23UNLIKELY
Confident
0UNLIKELY
Tentative
0.64LIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.85LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.62LIKELY
Extraversion
0.22UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.95LIKELY
Emotional Range
0.38UNLIKELY
Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
Intro
Everybody close your eyes...real tight.
Put your hand over your eyes....so no light can be seen.
That’s not much fun...is it?
What if it was that way for you 24 hours a day?
Susan Lansing was a beautiful young girl.
She had been blind since birth.
She had never looked upon things we all take for granted: colors and shapes and beauty of every kind.
And...there seemed no prospects that Susan would ever get to see the world around her.
She seemed to be in a hopeless situation.
Her story reminds me of the two men Jesus met on Easter Sunday.
He met these 2 men on the road to Emmaus.
Now...These men weren’t following seeing eye dogs, They weren’t fumbling around with dark glasses and a white cane.
These men could see.
But as we read the story in the Gospel...
you would think that they were blind.
Let’s read it in the book of Luke
When Jesus walked with them, they did not recognize Him.
However, when Jesus walked with them it was more than a stroll from one place to another.
It was a spiritual journey that resulted in changed lives.
Little did these men know that the One who walked with them would change their lives forever.
And...That’s the way it still is!
When we actually walk with Jesus...things change.
When Jesus is your companion things never stay they same.
There are always major alterations.
When we meet Jesus: He Meets Us In Our Blindness:
Verse 16:
What was it that prevented them recognizing Jesus?
Was it their sorrow?
Were they so focused on their shattered hopes that they couldn’t see?
Were their eyes tear blinded?
Was it their fear and anxiety?
Were their minds just a fuzz and confusion?
Was it some divine intervention that closed their eyes for God’s own purposes?
Was it they simply did not expect to see Him?
They thought that He was dead and buried.
These two had allowed themselves even given the reports of Jesus rise, to be focused on the situation as they saw it.
In Verse 25 Jesus called them "foolish" and "slow of heart to believe."
Their eyes were blinded
2 Corinthians 4:3-4.
says,
Whatever it was, they didn’t recognize Jesus.
They thought He was a stranger.
Sometimes we, too, are blinded.
We fail to notice His presence with us:
When life comes crashing in...we think we’re all alone.
We can’t see any hope when life gets tough...All we can see is the misery and the gloom.
We can’t see the way ahead...because of our sorrow or fear.
We can’t see things ever being right or good or happy again.
Cleopas and his friend represent all those · who have lost sight of Jesus.
They represent each of us whose eyes are blinded
by sin or fear or doubt or dismay.
But as they spent more time with Jesus their eyes were opened.
And they saw Him for Who He truly is.
And so can we.
Susan Lansing was born blind.
But when she was 12 years old… a new type of surgery was developed.
If this operation was successful, Susan would receive the gift of sight.
Her parents took Susan to Chicago.
The surgery was performed.
But the outcome would not be known for several days.
Time passed slowly.
And after the bandages were removed her eyes had to be protected from the light.
So she sat in darkness waiting.
Her mother spent long hours trying to answer Susans questions about what things looked like.
They spent many hours talking about beautiful things she might see: flowers, and rainbows and sunsets.
For the very first time in her life… Susan Lansing had a tiny ray of hope that she might be able to see.
As the disciples walked with Jesus, He spoke with them.
And somewhere deep within them, a spark of hope which after Jesus died
had seemed to grow cold now began to glow again.
That’s how it is with Jesus is your companion.
When we meet Jesus: He Walks With Us in Our Hopelessness:
Notice their past-tense hope: "But we TRUSTED...we were hoping ..." "We gave that hope up; “We used to hope... but not any more."
Proverbs 13:12 says:
Their hopes had been deferred.
· Their plans had been shattered.
· They were very discouraged and depressed.
WHY?
Because they looked at the circumstance rather than the power of God.
They forgot the promise of Jesus that after being slain He would rise again.
Maybe they remembered, but in light of the circumstances in their livesd it was easier to focus on the world rathe rthan the enormity of God’s Promise.
These men whose hope was gone represent each of us when our heart is heavy with gloom and when our hope has withered.
But when Jesus revealed Himself to them, their hope was revived.
And what did they do?
They ran to tell others.
Well, Susan Lansing had her surgery.
Finally the moment came when her eyes could endure enough light for her to look out the window.
She stood there for a long time without saying a word.
Outside the spring day was ideal.
Bright and warm with fluffy white clouds garnishing the blue sky.
Apple tree blossoms falling to the ground made it look like snow had fallen.
Sunny yellow dandelions were sprinkled through the green grass.
Susan stood there, taking in every color, viewing every shape, relishing every scene.
Her heart thrilled as the world changed for her at the joy of sight.
These 2 men got a taste of that sort of joy when they realized who this stranger was who walked with them.
When we meet Jesus: He Takes Us from Cold to Burning:
When we Meet Jesus He changes that which is within us from cold and dead to burning with the fire of God
What does that mean that their hearts burned?
It doesn’t mean they ate too much chili.
It doesn’t mean they needed Tagamet or Rolaids.
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9