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
0.5LIKELY
Disgust
0.11UNLIKELY
Fear
0.07UNLIKELY
Joy
0.62LIKELY
Sadness
0.56LIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.41UNLIKELY
Confident
0UNLIKELY
Tentative
0.65LIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.76LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.67LIKELY
Extraversion
0.55LIKELY
Agreeableness
0.75LIKELY
Emotional Range
0.5UNLIKELY
Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
That’s the question God asked me… And as we look towards this new year… I think it is a question we all need to consider…
You see… We live in a “fake” world… But what does that mean?
Definitions of “Fake”:
“Having a false or misleading appearance; fraudulent” (American Heritage Dictionary)
“Not true, real, or genuine… one that is not what it purports to be… a worthless imitation...” (Merriam-Webster)
If we were to apply this to people… we would say that it means to be a “hypocrite”… right?
We have examples of this all over our world.
Just look at Facebook, Twitter, Tik-Tok…
People are constantly sharing pics… videos… vlogs… that are edited… or posed in such a way as to make their lives look like the most amazing… most awesome… most perfect life…
OR…
They are presenting drama under the guise of “toxic attitudes”… mis-treatment… etc… you know, the “Karens” of the world… in order to hide… or give permission to… their own faults…
Our world is all about appearances…
That’s why we have photo and video editors… camera filters… photoshop… etc… So we can modify our pics… so we can remove any unwanted things, and only show the world what we want people to see…
It’s getting harder and harder to tell what is real… and what is fake.
Why?!?!?
What’s it all about?
— Popularity — Fame — Getting the “likes”…
Am I wrong?!?!
What to be an “influencer”?
(This is awesome!)
You don’t even have to actually help people… or provide any actual, real, useful information!
Just be crazy… Just do crazy stuff… Just present “outlandish”, crazy, “off the wall” ideas…
Oh!
But do it in a way that people want to see and hear you!!!
So… Be political… be an activist… bounce around on every political and social “bandwagon” that gains popularity… Then you’ll make lots of money… and people will like you…
Cause remember… “It’s all about the Likes!”
You’re not important… unless you have 1,000’s of followers…
You’re not relevant… unless you have 1,000’s of followers…
According to Facebook, You’re not even a church… unless you have 1,000’s of followers.
You want to be popular?
You want to be accepted?
Then follow… talk about… agree with the “popular” ideology!
It’s ALL Fake!!!
When you look at their real lives… Their real ideologies… There’s trouble… There’s strife… There’s failure… They make mistakes… get angry… avoid people… lack love…
BUT…
The Church isn’t like that… is it?!?
We don’t exhibit those characteristics… right?
You see… That’s the question God asked me… and told me to ask:
Are we FAKE Christians?
It seems that Jesus thought that we could be…
And…
Christ is talking about “Christians”… about “believers”… and He says He will put them “with the hypocrites”…
What is a “hypocrite”?
“One who assumes a false appearance; … whoo feigns to be what he is not; or to feel or believe what he does not actually feel or believe;… a pretender to virtue or piety.”
(American Heritage Dictionary)
Are we FAKE Christians?
Sure, we say that we “Love our neighbor as [ourselves]” … and that “We’re all about the one!”
BUT… Is that true?!? Are we really?
It’s easy for us to get apathetic and comfortable… and to begin to hide behind our “Christian works”… our “loving” outreach… even our “religious” observances… and to “miss” the “least of these”.
Rebecca van Noord puts it this way:
“She might be the one we tend to avoid—the member of a small group who always states the obvious or brings up topics unrelated to the discussion at hand.
I’m always a bit impatient for her to finish speaking so that others can offer more insightful comments, but generally her comments are followed by only awkward pauses.
Or, he’s the person we’re attempting to avoid after church and small group because he always repeats the story about his grandkids that we’ve heard more than just a few times.
I hope someone else will be there for him.
If I’m feeling extra congenial, I might chat with him—always good to earn some kindness points.
I might approach community this way, but reading Romans 12:9-16 convicts me.”
Look at Romans 12:9-13:7
This is Paul’s instructions on building up the community… on displaying the Love of Christ.
Again, van Noord states: “The list of instructions on building up the community quickly reveals the selfish bent of my motives.”
What are those instructions?
Let’s take a look at them:
— “Let Love be genuine” (9)… “ho Agape” - (noun) “Christian Love”, or the “Christ’s Love”.... “anypokritos” - “without hypocrisy”
— “Hate what is evil.”
(9)… “apostygountes” - (present, active) “hate, abhor, loathe”.... “poneron” - “wicked, worthless, has no value”
— “Hold onto what is good.”
(9)… “kallomenoi” - “join, cling to”.... “agathos” - “good moral qualities, value”
What is good?
Jesus tells us “only God is good.”
(Mk 10:18)
— So… just in verse 9, (based on those definitions) we are told to “Let Christian Love be genuine (without hypocrisy), to hate what is of no value to Christian Love, and to cling to God.”
That means that we are to “hate”… to avoid… to stand against… anything that stands against “Christian Love”… anything that brings division instead of unity…
Then in verse 10, Paul says:
— “Love one another with mutual affection.”
(10)… the Greek here is: “philidelphia” - “Brotherly Love”… “allelous” - “each other”… “philostorgoi” - “be devoted to”…
— “outdo each other in showing honor” (10)… the key word here is: “proegoumenoi” - “eagerly put others above yourself”…
— So, verse 10 says… “Be devoted to each other in Brotherly Love, eagerly honoring others above yourself.”
There’s so much there!
And we’ve only touched the first tow verses!
Look at what’s left:
Romans 12:11–19 (NRSV)
11 Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord.
12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.
13 Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.
16 Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are.
17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all.
18 If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God… ”
Paul says all of this right after having talked about the spiritual gifts God has given the Church.
We are not supposed to approach Church… to approach Bible study… to approach “coming together”… as a time to “get fed!”
It is not about the pastor “feeding” you!
The Faith community… the Church… is a familial setting…
Our gifts… our Faith… our abilities… are meant to be used to “lift up”… to encourage… to strengthen… and develop each other!
Our gifts and calling are not meant to be used for selfish gain…
They are meant to be used in service of others…
Look at Mk 10:45
How are you serving?
How are you using your gifts to build others up?
Is our Love building up our community?
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9