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
0.16UNLIKELY
Disgust
0.11UNLIKELY
Fear
0.17UNLIKELY
Joy
0.52LIKELY
Sadness
0.54LIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.88LIKELY
Confident
0.29UNLIKELY
Tentative
0UNLIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.89LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.94LIKELY
Extraversion
0.1UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.58LIKELY
Emotional Range
0.68LIKELY

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
*Inscription: Writing God’s Words on Our Hearts & Minds*
*/Part I: Profiting from Proverbs/*
*Proverbs 1:1-7*
*/October 25, 2009/*
 
*Main Point(s) of sermon:*
·         Proverbs is dedicated to helping us gain wisdom.
·         Wisdom is the adherence to God’s moral order.
·         If we don’t submit to God, our wisdom is limited by knowledge.
*Objectives of sermon:*
·         Encourage us to read and internalize Proverbs.
* *
*Prep: *
·         084, Leftovers, Study Bible notes
·         Wikipedia “Locus of control”
 
*Scripture reading: Proverbs 1:1-7*
 
Introduction to Inscription
 
We are starting a new series: “Inscription.”
*Deuteronomy 11:18-19 *  18 ¶ Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.
19 Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
Q   How many of you have read the Bible all the way through?
We’ll read the Bible as a congregation in c. 1 ½ years.
·         We’ll explore key Biblical themes, and have a much greater understanding of the OT and how it relates to the NT.
·         We’ll learn how to “rightly divide the word of truth.”
There will be a weekly reading from Proverbs and Psalms.
In order to help you gain the most from Proverbs we are going to talk about how to “profit from Proverbs.”
Tests of life
 
Proverbs has a special place in my heart and mind.
I have read through it more times than I can count and I think it has made a significant impact on my life.
It is an immensely practical book, which is why I need it.
It is the street smarts book of the Bible.
Q   Think back to your school days (that’s further for some): What is the hardest class you have ever taken?
Greek was mine.
I carried flash card everywhere, fell asleep reciting verb endings.
If I was sick, I’d skip all my classes except Greek, so I didn’t fall behind.
Q   Ever take a test that you weren’t ready for?
Q   What if the teacher gave you the answer sheet for 10 minutes?
You know that the test is coming, that you’re ill prepared, but here are all the answers.
Would you talk to your friends, doodle on the sheet, or furiously try to memorize it?
REAL LIFE TESTS
 
Tests don’t end with school; they get more expensive.
We are tested a hundred times each day.
Rather than failing a class, we lose our job, have broken relationship, gain a bad reputation, and are miserable.
How are we tested?
When we have to choose between doing what we want to do and what we should do, when we are criticized, and when we are tempted to check out that hot co-worker.
·         These are the tests we need that answer sheet for and God has given us one ... the book of Proverbs.
Whose fault is it?
The first lesson is an underlying assumption that seems obvious, but all too often ignored.
Proverbs assumes that we will take personal responsibility for our actions.
Psychology speaks of the “locus of control,” meaning that some people think they don’t have control over their circumstance and other do.
If we think we don’t, we won’t try to change things.
·         Proverbs assumes we have control over our actions and reactions to situation beyond our control.
Q   How often do we do stupid stuff and look for someone to blame?
Once, I was given the job of sweeping the parking lot.
With every stroke, the wind would catch the dust and blow it into my face.
I got madder at my boss with each stroke, while he watched me, incredulously.
What is tragic is how common this scenario is.
We suffer the consequences for our actions, but blame God.
This is one of the saddest proverbs in the Bible.
A man's own folly ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the LORD.
Proverbs 19:3 NIV 
 
There is no hope for those who only blame others.
Cause and effect
 
Proverbs is all about cause and effect.
We cause things to happen through our words, attitudes, action, or lack of action.
We then enjoy, or suffer the effects.
·         There are calculable consequences to our actions.
·         Proverbs’ purpose is to reveal those calculable consequences.
So many people live as continual victims of their own foolishness because they do not understand cause and effect.
Q   How much pain in your life is simply the calculable consequence of ignoring God’s wisdom?
Wisdom
 
The book of Proverbs is God’s invitation to avoid needless pain, to pass the tests of life with flying colors by helping us understand the cause and effect.
We can choose to believe that our world is random, without clear cause and effect; we are victims of what happens to us.
Or we can realize our world was created by God and reflects His order.
·         Another word for that order is “wisdom.”
NIV *Proverbs 1:1-6* ¶ The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: 2 for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight; 3 for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair; 4 for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young-- 5 let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance-- 6 for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.
We have to be very careful to understand wisdom means.
It is not the same thing as knowledge.
Knowledge is facts, and a person full of facts can still be foolish.
Here is how the ancients saw it: Within creation there is an underlying order.
The ancient Greeks earnestly sought this order, calling it The Logos.
BTW: This is why John wrote:
 
NIV *John 1:1* ¶ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
 
·         Jesus is the embodiment of the wisdom of God.
Here is what it means to be wise: To the extent that conform yourself to this divine order and act in accordance to it, you are wise.
To the extent you ignore it, you are foolish.
Q   Do you see how easy it is to be a smart fool?
Or that a person can have a low IQ but still be wise?
Since wisdom means conforming yourself to God’s order, one thing become obvious: A person doesn’t even have to believe in God to have some measure of wisdom.
·         Tony Robbins has made a very good living off of God’s wisdom!
Some non-Christians are much wiser than some Christians.
That is not surprising, but it is not the full story either.
Fear of the Lord
 
Solomon concluded the intro with an interesting statement that we don’t fully appreciate because of its familiarity:
 
*Proverbs 1:7 *The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
Why doesn’t it say “knowledge of the LORD”?
How does fear of the Lord bring wisdom?
First, remember that wisdom is not just knowing, it is knowing and doing.
You see, the fear of the Lord is not terror, but awe, respect, and (most importantly) submission.
·         The fundamental choice each of us makes is “My will” or “Thy will” - to fear the Lord means to choose his will.
In order for us to be wise (i.e.
acting in alignment with the God’s moral order) you must first be submitted to God.
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9