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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Last week I gave you some bulletin bloopers, well, tonight you’re going to get some more!
“Don’t let worry kill you—let the church help.”
“Bertha Belch, a missionary from Africa, will speak tonight at Calvary Memorial Church in Racine.
Come tonight and hear Bertha Belch all the way from Africa.”
“The sermon topic for tonight is ‘What is Hell?’ Come early and listen to the choir warm up.”
“Weight Watchers will meet at 7:00 P.M. at First Presbyterian Church.
Please use the large double doors at the side entrance.”
“Ladies’ Bible Study will be held Thursday morning at ten.
All ladies are invited to lunch in Fellowship Hall after the B.S. is done.”
“Low Self-esteem Support Group to meet Thursday at 7:00 P.M. Please use the back door.
Here’s a question for you to think about before we start our study tonight:
If Jesus was here right now, called you out of the group to come up for prayer, what would He pray over you?
What would He ask His father in heaven to do for you?
Would he ask for help paying your mortgage?
Pray that you get a better job?
Maybe pray that you’d find healing in your relationships?
Or that you’d find peace?
We think of all sorts of things we are currently dealing with in our lives, but I was just wondering what Jesus might think if the most important issue we face that He’d spend time praying to the father for our sake.
There’s a few verses in the book of John that I think might help us answer these questions.
The answer could be just what we need to put the issues we are facing into the correct perspective.
To me, the prayers of Jesus are important.
They not only teach us how to pray, but they teach us what we should pray.
The night before the Lord Jesus was to be crucified was a night filled with much activity.
He spent the evening with His disciples in the upper room, observing the Passover, teaching them about the Holy Spirit, and generally encouraging them to carry on His work in the world.
After they had finished their meal, Jesus led them outside the city to a garden called Gethsemane.
Gethsemane
In this garden, He took time to pray.
Here’s how Luke records this time of prayer:
Luke tells us that He prayed with such intensity that He sweat became like great drops of blood.
You see, in that garden, Jesus was under attack.
Jesus was battling evil on a grand scale for you and me as He prayed that night.
John gives us a little insight into this prayer which Jesus prayed.
He allows us to listen in on Jesus as He calls on the Father for us.
I am sure that we do not have a record of all of our Lord’s prayers that evening, but the portion we have in John 17, lets us know where His mind was that night.
He knew that the Cross of Calvary was a coming.
He understood that Israel would once and for all reject Him as their Messiah.
He knew that even His Own disciples would forsake Him.
What did He do in those quiet moments?
He prayed.
He prayed for the 11 men who were in the garden with Him that evening, but He didn’t just pray for them.
He prayed for every one who would ever believe on Him as well.
In fact, if you are saved, Jesus prayed for you!
In John 17 we can read part of this prayer.
If you’re wondering what Jesus would pray for you - you don’t have to wonder.
It’s recorded.
It’s been available for us to read for thousands of years.
In vs. 1-5 He starts the prayer by praying for Himself.
He is anticipating a rejoining with His father in Heaven.
In vs. 6-26 He is praying for His followers.
If you look at verse 20 you’ll find something great.
Or at least I think it’s great.
Jesus says that He is not only praying for those who were with Him at that moment, but He is praying for everyone else who will place their faith in Him.
I want to focus on this part of His prayer.
I think it will encourage you.
Let’s listen in as Jesus prays and here what He had to say to the Father about His people.
This is the prayer of Jesus.
Our Savior was headed to the cross to die a cruel death that He did not deserve.
3 days later, He will rise from the dead and then 40 days after that, He will ascend to Heaven.
He is leaving His disciples in the world to carry on His work.
These are important verses because they teach us what He wants us to be doing until He returns.
This prayer reveals our purpose.
So, let’s break it down and make it applicable.
Jesus prayed for our Safety
These verses tell us that we have enemies.
If we are following Christ we should expect danger.
I think about Pam Smith who is 9,000 miles away over in Kenya.
Is she safe?
Well, I’d say, no.
She’s not safe compared to our safety here in the US.
There she is a foreigner.
She stands out and people are looking for ways to take advantage of her.
Jesus understood that the Gospel is going to take us to places where in the natural we might not be safe.
We need to power of God to keep us safe.
We trust in God for protection.
Now, in this life, we know that the enemy will attack.
We’ve read stories and we see new reports where Christians are hurt because of their faith.
Just because the enemy can hurt the body does not mean that God’s power is weak.
Through Christ we have eternal life!
Jesus was praying that prayer of protection knowing that the work He was about to do on the Cross would forever keep us safe!
Jesus prayed for our Joy
He asked that we would be able to have the same COMPLETE Joy that He had.
Not just happiness which is dependent on circumstances, but joy that is rooted in the Lord and in the work of the Spirit of God in our hearts.
The world is looking for joy, but they are confusing it for happiness.
If you watch TV you’ll be told that you’ll be happy if you own a Lexus, or if you buy a certain product.
You’ll be happy if you could get that facelift or tummy tuck.
These things won’t bring you joy or happiness.
Jesus is asking for true joy.
Why?
Because joy lets you be content when you have cancer.
Joy lets you praise Him for the passing of a loved one because you know they are with Him.
Joy lets you stare adversity in the face with peace that passes all understanding.
Joy has NOTHING to do with happiness, but it has EVERYTHING to do with contentment.
A relationship with Christ brings contentment.
When you are content then you find Joy.
Jesus prayed for our Separation
He wants us to stay away from the influences in the world and of the devil.
He wants His people to walk differently from the world around them.
We need to separate our way of living from the way unbelievers live.
Our lives should be different.
We have a purpose rooted in God’s grace.
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