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.
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Is there anything as useful or as aggravating as a telephone?
In the old days, phones were luxuries not everyone could afford.
I remember friends or family members calling me from a pay phone or a neighbor’s house.
I had to be home for you to talk to me, and if I wasn’t please leave a message at the beep.
Sorry, I couldn’t reach him.
Today of course, everything has changed.
No matter how rich or poor or in-between, almost everybody has at least one cellphone.
I don’t have to wait for you to get home; I can ring you up right now.
If you don’t have your phone muted (which I hope you do during service) you push a button and say hello Bro.
Mike! or you press the ignore button and say why doesn’t that preacher stop calling me?
It’s never been easier to reach out and touch somebody or to let your fingers do the walking on your textpad.
But let me ask you this: how many of the calls you make/take are truly important?
Not many, right?
But there are calls you don’t want to miss.
The cellphone rings several times before a man finally answers.
MAN: "Hello" WOMAN: "Honey, it's me.
Are you at the club?"
MAN: "Yes" WOMAN: "I am at the mall now and found this beautiful leather coat.
It's only $1,000.
Is it OK if I buy it?"
MAN: "Sure, go ahead if you like it that much."
WOMAN: "I also stopped by the Mercedes dealership and saw the new 2012 models.
I saw one I really liked."
MAN: "How much?" WOMAN: "$80,000" MAN: "OK, go for it."
WOMAN: "Thank you.
I'll see you later!
I love you!" MAN: "Bye!"
He hangs up and yells: "Anyone know who this cell phone belongs to?"
That’s a call I’m pretty sure somebody didn’t want to miss.
We’re going to talk tonight about a call you don’t want to miss.
You don’t want to miss it because it is from the most important Person in the universe.
You don’t want to miss it because it is the greatest news you will ever hear.
Tonight I’m going to talk about the Gospel Call.
Our text is Mark 1:1-13.
PRAYER
One of the real dangers to beware is reading the Bible only in the past tense.
We read words written long ago, about events that occurred long ago, and wonder what does that have to do with me?
We read the Bible only as then and there instead of the here and now.
Countless Sabbaths the Jews in synagogue hear the rabbis read
Malachi 3:1 “Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me.
And the Lord, whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple, Even the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight.
Behold, He is coming,” Says the Lord of hosts.
Isaiah 40:3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God.
Insert a long, wide yawn.
Beautiful promises of the past, words which duty repeats without passion.
Someday, but not today, sometime, but not now.
Then God steps into the picture, sends an untamed prophet by the name of John and these words come to life.
Suddenly they realize not only God has spoken, but God is speaking, that He’s calling them to do something about what they hear.
In the same way, the Gospel of Jesus Christ calls us to do something about what we hear, starting with this fact:
*1.The Gospel calls you to repentance.
(v.
1-5)*
The modern Gospel begins with a call to believe, but the Gospel of Jesus Christ begins with a call to repent.
The words of vs. 2-3: prepare the way of the Lord paint a picture of an ancient custom.
A messenger rides into a village, announcing the king will arrive soon.
The people are responsible for repairing the roadway, filling in the potholes, leveling out the speed bumps so their ruler can enjoy a smooth ride into town.
John the Baptist is the King’s messenger, shouting the call to prepare the way for the arrival of God’s King, the Christ.
(cf. vs. 4) How does he say to prepare the way of the Lord?
Repentance (v. 5).
At its heart, repentance is change—a change of heart, a change of mind, a change of direction.
Repentance expresses itself in confession.
(cf. vs. 5) = to agree with, not just to mouth words, but to wholeheartedly agree with God He is right and you are wrong.
Repentance is a realization that you need to change, and this is where the real problem is.
A man comes home one day and sees a plaque on his kitchen wall.
"Prayer changes things!"
He snatches it down.
Later, his wife confronts her husband.
“Don’t you like prayer?"
He answers, "Of course I like prayer, but I don't like change!"
There is a stubborn part of each of us that resists change, even a change for the better.
Repentance convicts me of my sin, repentance calls for a drastic change in my heart and my mind.
As C. S. Lewis observed, repentance is no fun at all.
At the same time, repentance has a positive side.
All these people who gladly hear John ringing the bells of repentance also hear a ring of hope.
They hear the Good News that they can change, that they don’t have to be stuck in the same rut, that they don’t have to be prisoners of their past.
Repentance is the doorway into a brand new life.
The Gospel calls you to repentance so that you don’t stand condemned before God—you can be saved, forgiven and accepted by your Heavenly Father.
You don’t have to be a slave to sin—you can be free from sin’s power.
You can don’t have to live the same old life—you can have a new start and a new life have a new life if you are willing to turn from your sin and yourself and turn to God.
Repentance is the Gospel reminding the saints of God you are a work in progress.
The change you experienced when you first got saved is only the beginning.
Repentance is to continue to embrace the changes God calls for to make you more like Jesus.
Look back on every revival in history, and you’ll see that it always begin with repentance not just among the lost, but among God’s people.
Romans 12:2 …do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
There’s not a day goes by I don’t confess my sins and ask not only for God’s forgiveness, but God to keep changing me.
Repentance is a habit of a healthy soul.
Do you hear the Gospel calling you to repentance tonight?
It’s a choice you make, but it’s also a choice you’ll never regret.
The Gospel calls us to repent, but also
*2.The Gospel calls you to humility.
(v.
6-8)*
Somebody once said 2 of the most difficult and most liberating
lessons you learn: 1)There is a God, and 2)you’re not Him.
That frustrates some because they want to be the master of their fate, the boss of
their lives.
They want to live like the sun—to be the center of their universe, with everybody and everything else revolving around them.
But be honest: isn’t there also something in us that longs to acknowledge something or Someone bigger than us, a need to know there is a God and we’re not him?
There is a desire deep inside of us, to humble ourselves before God.
John the Baptist is a living example of this kind of humility.
Most preachers of John’s day wear nice robes which garner the respect of the people.
He dresses like a poor nomad in rough camel’s hair clothing.
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