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
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Disgust
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Fear
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Joy
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Sadness
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Language Tone
Analytical
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Confident
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Tentative
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Social Tone
Openness
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Conscientiousness
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Extraversion
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Agreeableness
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Emotional Range
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Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
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Anger
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Follow the Leader
Kids following on the playground (make it hard, stay the leader)
Road trip (follow the one with the GPS) leader tries to make it easy to follow.
Review
Two weeks we looked at the accusation from the Pharisees: “This Jesus eats with prostitutes, sinners, and tax collectors!”
They’re right: Jesus was a friend of sinners.
Jesus hung out with them.
Last week we saw that Jesus genuinely cared for people, had compassion for them, and then made a commitment to serve them however he could.
In other words: His heart moved his hands.
Christ’s Method Alone - MH 143
Christ’s method alone will give true success in reaching the people.
The Saviour mingled with men as one who desired their good.
He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence.
Then He bade them, “Follow Me.”
Mingled - contact
Desired their good - camaraderie
Showed sympathy - compassion
Ministered to their needs - commitment
Won confidence - character
Bade “Follow Me” - companionship
Character
We have already seen Christ’s character…
Confidence - this is someone we can trust.
This is someone we can learn from.
This is someone we want to hang out with.
Companionship
Then he bade them: Follow me.
In Jesus’ day, this command was literal!
The goal of a disciple was to follow so closely that the dust from the rabbi’s feet was all over your clothes at the end of the day, because you had followed so close behind.
So Jesus says to the fishermen: Follow me.
And the Bible tells us that “at once they left their nets and followed the Lord.”
And he met Levi in his tax booth and he said: Follow me.
And Levi got up and literally followed Jesus where he was going.
Jesus is still inviting people: Follow me.
But now it’s more figurative than it was in the first century.
We can’t actually walk around following him from place to place, watching him heal, listening to him teach, watching him interact with people, eating with him, asking him questions… or can we?
We do need to watch, listen, ask…
And then we need to imitate.
Because isn’t that what discipleship was really all about?
Little kids - walk around in parents shoes.
Dressing up like mommy or daddy.
Camp pitch - PKs would all take our turn standing on a stump and “preaching”
Jonathan and I used to baptize each other in grandma and grandpa’s swimming pool.
Follow me - and then imitate me.
MH 143-144
There is need of coming close to the people by personal effort.
If less time were given to sermonizing, and more time were spent in personal ministry, greater results would be seen.
The poor are to be relieved, the sick cared for, the sorrowing and the bereaved comforted, the ignorant instructed, the inexperienced counseled.
We are to weep with those that weep, and rejoice with those that rejoice
The Gospels’ Last “Follow Me”
Peter had denied Jesus three times.
Now Jesus gives Peter three calls - Feed my lambs.
Tend my sheep.
Feed my sheep.
Yes, Peter messed up.
But Jesus wants the reality of the call to ring like a bell in Peter’s ears.
Jesus still has a mission for you, even if you’ve messed up.
And Jesus goes all the way back to the call:
Follow me.
Follow me.
Even though you will suffer, be imprisoned and eventually martyred.
Follow me.
But Peter starts looking around.
What about John?
Is John going to suffer?
What about John and the end times?
Is that really fair?
Does John have to follow you in the same way I follow you?
And Jesus lets out the most snarky little phrase - ti pros se?
What’s it to you?
Too many times we think following Jesus is about:
making sure it’s fair
making sure someone else is living up to our standard
figuring out exactly how it’s going to be at the end of time
Jesus says: what is that to you?
You follow me.
No excuses.
Whataboutism
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But Jesus, what about those theologians who are wrong about the investigative judgment?
What is that to you?
You follow me.
But Jesus, what about those Christians who are mean to women and gays?
What is that to you?
You follow me.
But Jesus, what about the way the hierarchy of the church abuses power?
What is that to you?
You follow me.
But Jesus, what about the other church members that don’t keep Sabbath the way I do?
But Jesus, what about the church members who are legalists?
But Jesus, what about those who aren’t faithful tithers?
What is that to you?
You follow me.
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Does Jesus mean Peter shouldn’t care about John?
No.
But Peter shouldn’t let someone else’s circumstances get in the way of him following Jesus as close as he can.
No excuses.
Following Jesus
Watching.
Listening.
Asking.
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