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
0.17UNLIKELY
Disgust
0.41UNLIKELY
Fear
0.15UNLIKELY
Joy
0.53LIKELY
Sadness
0.65LIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.6LIKELY
Confident
0UNLIKELY
Tentative
0.75LIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.73LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.46UNLIKELY
Extraversion
0.01UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.74LIKELY
Emotional Range
0.53LIKELY
Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
Learning About God
Exodus 2:11-3:20
Every person can grow in their understanding of God by noticing the actions to be learned.
Introduction:
I used to be a member of a board for the Michigan Conference and a big part of my job was to arrange speakers to address issues that churches were facing.
Since I live in Lansing I was usually the one who picked the people up from the airport.
This would be a challenge when I only had a portrait or a verbal description of the person.
One time the man I was meeting had a portrait that made him look short.
I saw the guy at the airport, but he was taller than me.
Another time I was looking for the man, and I watched the people who got off from the airplane.
After everyone had exited, I decided that the man I was looking for no longer had dark hair, but instead had grey hair.
For one of the speakers I only had a verbal description, and I choose to wear a hat that would stand out and let him find me.
It is funny how we can develop a perception about a person based on just a little information.
We can find ourselves getting caught doing this with God also.
We pick out little things about God and we apply them to large parts of God’s character.
I would like to look at actions God takes and see what we can learn about God in this passage.
First let me give you some background information of where we are.
That little baby we were talking about last week grew up.
He apparently realized that he was a Hebrew, because when he sees an Egyptian beating a Hebrew he takes action and kills the Egyptian.
When this becomes known Moses is a wanted man and heads out into the wilderness to avoid being caught and killed.
I would like to take notice today of actions that God takes in this passage.
So we will be pulling out the phrases where God does something.
Lets look at these actions and learn what we can about God.
Action I. God hears
A. After Moses had settled with the Midianites we see what appears to be a greater oppression taking place.
This causes the Hebrews to cry out to God for help.
In v. 24 we are told that God heard their groaning.
The Hebrew people had been in Egypt for about 500 years at this point.
For part of the time they were honored guests in the country and now they are slaves in the country and things just seem to be getting worse.
So they cry out to God looking for some kind of relief from the oppression they are experiencing.
We are told that God heard their groaning.
He was listening to what was happening in their lives.
In the second part of that verse it says that he remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
B.
In 3:11 Moses even carries on a conversation with God.
He sees the burning bush and out of curiousity goes to examine the sight.
When he arrives he notices that the bush is burning, but it does not burn up.
God begins speaking to Moses.
Moses listens for a while, but then he hears that this plan involves him.
Remember he left Egypt because he was a wanted man.
Now God is suggesting that he go back to Egypt.
Moses objects and God responds to each of Moses’ objections.
In this we also see God hearing Moses and dealing with his concerns.
C.
Sometimes talking to God can seem like talking to a statue.
We say what is on our mind and we make requests, but we don’t ever really expect to get a response.
In this passage it becomes very clear that when Moses speaks to God, God hears what is being said and he even responds to it.
When we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior we can know that he is listening to what we are saying.
If we listen it is not just a one sided conversation.
Action III.
God calls
A. While we were on vacation my wife and some of my kids went on a hike.
I took the car and intended to meet them at the other end of the trail.
As I was waiting I saw a man that I had noticed taking the trail after my family had left.
So I stopped him and asked him for some information.
It was the middle of the afternoon and I think I was the first person to talk to him all day because he talked a lot.
It was probably pretty refreshing for this man who had been by himself to have someone say something to him.
B.
I think Moses must have felt a little like this hiker.
He was watching his father in laws sheep and it appears that he is by himself.
He might have been by himself for a long time.
When he is investigating this bush God calls to him.
He has a special task that he wants Moses to do.
He wants him to return to Egypt so he can rescue the Hebrew people from their life of slavery.
God had spoken to Moses because he had something that he wanted him to do.
C.
We talk about Pastor’s and their call.
We usually think of a pastor being called by God into the ministry.
It is not like another job where someone feels that this will fit them.
Instead it is something that God has directed them to do.
Much like the situation with Moses God still calls people today.
Sometimes that call can be for a lifetime, or maybe it is to complete a task.
Is there something that you feel God is calling you to.
Action IV. God feels
A. I think we all have images of God that float around in our mind.
Maybe we have several images, or maybe the image evolves over time.
It can be easy for the image to be of a distant unfeeling individual.
It might even be like an idol that does not respond, but is only made of stone or wood.
There is a statement in this passage about God that really shakes up that notion.
B.
In 3:7 God says to Moses, “I am concerned about their suffering.”
Imagine what it must have done for Moses to hear God say that he was concerned about something.
I am sure that was a big deal.
It was probably an even bigger deal for Moses to go to the Israelites and say, “God is concerned about your suffering.”
The Israelites had been slaves for a number of years.
They had probably crying out to God for many years, maybe even over a hundred years.
We all know that over a period of time it can become disheartening to pray for that long and not receive any kind of an answer.
There had to be a huge sigh of relief when they realized that God had heard their prayers and was working on a solution for them.
C.
The God that we come to is not a distant uncaring God.
He is not like the judge he passes judgment without emotion.
He is not like the idol that sits by lifelessly when you express your concerns and desires.
God is concerned about the things you are concerned about.
In many cases he probably has a deeper concern than we do.
Our God feels and he has emotions.
Action V. God rescues
A. We should not lose sight of the reason that God was speaking to Moses.
Moses ran away from Egypt out of fear for his life.
He came to be a shepherd in Midian, working with his wife’s family.
Now as he comes to the burning bush he had been in Midian for about 40 years.
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9