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
0.11UNLIKELY
Fear
0.57LIKELY
Joy
0.63LIKELY
Sadness
0.51LIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.22UNLIKELY
Confident
0UNLIKELY
Tentative
0.13UNLIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.83LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.83LIKELY
Extraversion
0.21UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.8LIKELY
Emotional Range
0.74LIKELY
Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
Common Men; Uncommon Boldness
(Acts 4:13-22)
August 8, 2021
Read Acts 4:13-22 – P&J are described here as “common men” -- nothing of special merit.
But, as Abe Lincoln once said, “God must love the common man; He made so many of them.”
He did.
But what God really loves is to use common people to do uncommon things, just as He did here.
These common men “astonished” the elite of their day even tho they violently opposed them.
It’s incredible.
Two fishermen from Galilee, challenged by the highest court in Israel – like our Supreme Court.
They last saw these people on the night of Jesus’ arrest, as they scurried for cover, Peter swearing he didn’t even know Jesus.
But no longer.
Now he speaks with boldness, conviction and reason.
What changed?
How did they go from running scared to standing proud?!
The enemy knew.
13b) “And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.”
For them, this was déjà vu all over again!
They’d seen this show just weeks before at Jesus’ trial.
Now, they’re seeing the same miracles, hearing the same message and seeing the same courage from His followers.
It’s their worst nightmare.
What they thought was dead is proliferating!
God loves to use little people against powerful opposition.
That’s the norm for a Christian.
If there is no opposition in our lives, it’s bc we’re not in the game – not claiming Christ publicly.
Do that and there will be opposition.
So How can we be common people with uncommon boldness?
The Uncommon Boldness
Testifying before the Supreme Court.
How’d they get the courage?
A. They’d Been with Jesus – How did the Sanhedrin know they had been with Jesus?
Multiple clues.
First, they’d performed a miracle like Jesus – healing a man these guys had walked by for 40 years without being able to offer more help than a penny here or there.
That was one sign.
Second, I think they saw the same quiet confidence as Jesus.
They didn’t enter screaming “Police Brutality.”
Neither were they intimated.
To stand before there and speak of Jesus boldly cannot have been easy.
Yet Peter does it, graciously.
He’s definite, but not harsh.
Often dedicated Xns give the game away right at the start by their belligerent attitude -- or worse – like Scott Roeder who killed abortionist Dr. Geo Tiller in 2009, as tho two wrongs could make a right.
Protesting the killing of innocent unborn babies by means of a non-violent prayer vigil is inspiring; killing the docs only negates our own message.
We can defeat ourselves with our harsh attitudes.
Peter and John didn’t do that.
Paul later advises we are to be “speaking the truth in love” (Eph 4:15a).
Both truth and love are needed to face opposition.
Jesus had both; P&J had both; and we must have both.
Harshness is our enemy.
Third, tho not trained, these men knew the Word.
Why? They’d been with Jesus, and He knew the Word.
That put steel in their backbone.
The crowds said of Jesus in Jn 7:15: “How is it that this man has learning, when he has never studied?”
Well, he had studied, just not in rabbi school.
And he taught the disciples for 3 years.
They knew the Word.
They spoke the Word.
Their argument was the Word, not opinion.
The Word was their authority.
Spurgeon had a lot of opposition.
But he considered his greatest compliment a mocker who said, “Here is a man who has not moved an inch forward in all his ministry.
At the close of the 19th century he’s teaching the theology of the first century.”
He welcomed that criticism bc he knew the power was in the Word.
And we must join him and Peter and John and Jesus in that same confidence.
Our foes may tell us we’re on the wrong side of history.
But we’re on the right side of God’s Word.
Mt 24:35: “Heaven and earth may pass away, but my words will not pass away.”
History ends; the Word, never!
B. They’d Been Transformed by Jesus – That didn’t happen overnight.
At the cross, they thought it was over.
But when they saw the risen Christ – got the big picture – perceived He really was “the way, and the truth, and the life”, everything changed.
The pieces came together.
They were on the winning side.
They were transformed from cowards to courageous.
On the third floor of the Museum of History in DC, you’d find a black horse, Rienzi.
He belonged to Genrl Phil Sheridan, who, near the end of the CW, was tasked to clear the Shenandoah Valley of rebels.
He got called to DC for a conference, returning to Winchester for the night, with his army 20 miles away at Cedar Creek.
Next morning, he was awakened by gunfire.
A surprise attack!
Sheridan jumped on Rienzi and rode at a furious pace to reach the field of battle where he found troops retreating and disaster looming.
Without stopping he waved them on and urged them back to battle.
At the sight of their leader, they rallied immediately, turned back and won a great victory.
So it must have been for the disciples.
Seeing Jesus alive – victor over sin and death rallied them.
So it will for us when we truly grasp – it’s all true.
Jesus really did die, but He really did rise again.
He really is our greatest champion when we are faced with opposition.
Temporary setbacks there may be – but ultimate defeat – never!
See we’re on the winning side changes our lives.
C.
They Were Still With Jesus – Jesus hadreturned to heaven.
But 8) “Then Peter, filled with the HS said to them.”
Jesus was gone but the HS was there.
Yes, Jesus and the HS are two distinct persons.
But both are equally God and thus one in purpose, power and even presence in a sense.
Jesus says said in Jn 16:7: “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you.
But if I go, I will send him to you.”
So He had and was now with them thru the Spirit.
Rom 8:9: “Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
10) But if Christ is in you.”
To have the HS is to have Christ and vice versa.
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9