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
0.19UNLIKELY
Disgust
0.49UNLIKELY
Fear
0.42UNLIKELY
Joy
0.54LIKELY
Sadness
0.53LIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.56LIKELY
Confident
0UNLIKELY
Tentative
0.71LIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.85LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.7LIKELY
Extraversion
0.38UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.92LIKELY
Emotional Range
0.61LIKELY
Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
*The Gospel of John IX: Not Worried About Reputation *
*John 4:27-42*
*/July 6, 2008/*
*Prep: *
· UnChristian (Anti-homosexual and Hypocrite)
· Last week, Phil XII
*opening~/Prayer*
Like most sermons, this was written at the Co-op.
Have a cool display for “*Dunga* *Orphan* Project.”
· Invited to share *prayer* *requests* on card.
· Thank you for this *country*.
*Rainbowfest *
UnChristian: Most *common* *perception* of Christians is “anti-homosexual.”
I don’t want “*anti*-*anything*” to be main *identity*.
One point was that the book made is that most Christians don’t *know* any gay people, just *stereotype* and *condemn*.
I realized that *I don’t* really *know* *any*.
At that time, MVHS had a “*Over* the *Rainbow* Festival” by GSA.
Q Should I go, *not* to *support* what they are doing, but to *understand* the individuals and *demonstrate* God’s love?
A lot of different *opinions*, some though it was a *good* idea, some were worried that it would communicate *approval* or hurt my *reputation* as a pastor.
No *easy* *answer*.
· In today’s passage, Jesus did something that his disciples thought was even *more* *controversial*.
*Recap of Samaritan *
We are in John 4:27-42, the *second* *half* of Jesus’ encounter with a Samaritan.
We will see two *individuals* who car*e*d more about others than *protecting* their *reputation*.
In case you weren’t here last week, or were in a heat induced slumber, here’s the *recap*:
The *Jews* and the *Samaritan* *hated* each other.
The racial tension between them was like the *racism* of the *50’s* in the Deep South.
While Jesus and his disciples were deep in Samaria, *Jesus* took a *break* while the disciples went into town.
He struck up a *conversation* with a Samaritan woman, but not *any* *woman*.
· She was an *outcast* (at the *well* *alone*) and had been married 5 times and living with a guy (*loose* *woman*).
I picture her *not* as a *sweet*, *naïve* young lady, but as a *rough*, *jaded*, lady worn by *hard* *living* with a *cigarette* permanently attached to her lower lip.
· The disciples must have *passed* *her* along the way into town, and I believe they made all sorts of *snotty* *comments*.
In *contrast* to that, Jesus *demonstrated* *love* and *grace* to this *prodigal* *daughter*.
When we left off, Jesus had just *revealed* to her that he was the *Messiah*.
*No reputation *
John has a real *flair* for telling stories *dramatically*, because *immediately* after this surprise revelation, the disciples walk on stage, and what they saw left them *shocked* and *dumbfound*.
· Their leader was doing the *unthinkable*: Talking, to a woman, a *Samaritan* *woman*.
· This would have been as surprising than seeing *Billy* *Graham* in a *gay* *bar* having a *beer* with a *cross*-*dresser*.
*John 4:27-42 * Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman.
But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?”
Good *Jews* didn’t *talk* to *woman*, especially Samaritans, and especially didn’t *discuss* *theology*.
His contemporaries thought that was a *damnable* (literally) *waste* of *time*.
· They’re *shocked*, but knew their boss well enough to trust him.
Here’s the cool thing: Jesus *cared* *very* *little* about his *reputation* or what the religious community *thought* of him.
It’s not that a *good* *name* isn’t *important* (*Proverbs* is clear that it is), but we should be *driven* by living lives that *glorify* *God*, and everything important will *fall* into *place*.
· Strive to have a *good* *name*, by *pleasing* *God*, *not* by pleasing *humans*.
We can’t and shouldn’t make *everyone* *happy* – in fact there are some folks that I am *glad* to *offend*, as Jesus did the *Pharisees*.
Again, live to *glorify* *God*, that’s all that matters.
· If others more *clearly* *see* how *loving* and *good* and *holy* God is, you’re on *track*.
Q Do you want to know if I went to that Rainbowfest?
I *chickened* *out*.
I said it was because there was a scheduling conflict, but really it was too far out of my *comfort* *zone* and I was *worried* about what people would *think*.
· Maybe I was *right*, *maybe* it would have done *more* *harm* than good, but I can’t help but think that *Jesus* *would* *have* gone.
All I have to say is that I am glad that *Jesus* *reached* out to those *rejected* by *religion*, not *excusing* *sin*, but loving the sinner.
And I am glad that his *followers* have done the *same*, or else we would not be here.
Ä Like *Jesus*, the *Samaritan* woman cared more about her *townsfolk* than *patching* up her *reputation*.
*Her testimony *
28 Then, leaving her water jar [nice dramatic effect], the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did [by revealing her life, but hyperbole].
Could this be the Christ?” [Hopefully cautious] 30 They came out of the town and made their way toward him.
Remember that she is going back to the people that have *rejected* her.
These are also the people who know her *sinfulness*.
· Perhaps she was *worried* that her message would be *rejected* or ignored, yet she was so *excited* that she had to tell them.
Even though she had a *bad* *reputation*, they still came.
Perhaps something about her *earnestness* persuaded them.
Or perhaps they were *afraid* the Jesus had the *goods* on them:
· “People” literally “*men*,” some were *ex*-*husbands* and *lovers*.
Q And what was her great *witnessing* *technique*?
“He told me how sinful I am!” That’ll pack the house!
Q If you met a guy who could *tell* everyone your *deepest* *sins*, would you be inviting all of your *enemies* to meet him?
· I have to ask myself why *she* did.
You see, it was not unusual for people to be *drawn* by Jesus’ *miraculous* *power*, but usually it was things that directly *benefited* them – food, healings, etc.
But Jesus offered this woman was *truth* about her *sinfulness* and *freedom* from that *sin*, true life free from her *self*-*destruction*.
Her sin *no* longer *held* *her*.
· Because it no longer *held* her, it wasn’t something to *hide*, but a *testimony* to God’s *grace*.
*I’m a hypocrite, so are you*
In *contrast* to that, our tendency as humans is engaging in what Rick Warren called “*depravity* *management*.”
We want to appear *less* *bad* than we are, and sometimes we *believe* *it*.
· Sometimes the *first* *step* is to grips with our own *failures*.
Also in *UnChristian*, the authors note that Christians are known for being *hypocritical*, which is not a surprise.
If you claim to have *standards*, but fail to *keep* *those*, you will be hypocritical, especially if you *pretend* that you don’t *fail*.
But what *surprised* the authors is that *hypocrisy* was not as big of a *deal* to these generations.
They live with the *expectation* of *hypocrisy*, though we usually call it “*spin*.”
We grow up with so much *spin*, courtesy the *media*, that we pretty much *assume* that we are always being *lied* to.
And then we also engage in our *own* *spin*.
Just look at some of the *retouched* photos on *Facebook* and *MySpace*.
· By being brutally *honest*, we can be *counter*-*cultural*.
*Mission: Striving *
In our new *mission* *statement* (still *in* *progress*), we say “we strive to glorify God,” “*strive*” is crucial, it means that we know that we are *works* in *progress*, short of the goal.
I want this church to be a place that is *shockingly* *honest* about our failings.
As Christians, we frequently fail to live up to Jesus’ example, and everyone knows it.
Rather than *pretend* and *dishonor* God, we should be *honest* and God will be *glorified* as people see the *work* God is doing in us.
· I love that the *Samaritan* *woman* is that she was completely *honest* about her *failings*.
Her former *sin* gave her a *platform*.
Her *courage* gave them courage to face *their* *sins*, it convinced them to meet Jesus.
· “If *God* could love *her*, then he could love *me*.”
When we are *open* and *honest* about our failures, both *past* and *present*, I believe it makes us much more *effective* in sharing God’s love.
· In *premarital* *counseling*, we’re very honest about *struggles*.
Ä While all this is happening in town, Jesus is having an *interesting* *conversation* with his disciples.
*Preparing for the harvest*
31 ¶ Meanwhile [back at the ranch] his disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat something.”
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9