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.
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*Intro* – Luke 4:16-30.
A cartoon shows some people approaching their pastor with a signed document.
The leader says, "Pastor, we want to give you this petition requesting you change ‘sinner’ to ‘person who is morally challenged.’"
It’s tough to admit being a sinner, isn’t it?
But that failure will cause many, including some of Jesus’ own neighbors to be eternally lost.
Jesus demonstrates what a good sermon is about.
He reads the text, explains the text and applies the text.
He did that with Isaiah 61 and things went well through the reading and the exposition.
The exposition is stunning.
Notice v. 21, “And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
Imagine hearing a preacher say, “This 700 year-old prophecy?
It’s happening – Now!
I have come to release the captives to sin.
To forgive those oppressed by guilt.
I’ve come to reconcile you to a holy God.” Wow! What a sermon!
“ 22 And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth.”
*I.
Exposition – So, the exposition went fine.
*
*II.
Exhortation – But now the exhortation – application.
It unravels!*
Mid v. 22, “And they said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” Wops!
A question develops.
Mark gives additional insight into this rapid change of heart in Mark 6:2-3, “And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things?
What is the wisdom given to him?
How are such mighty works done by his hands? 3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon?
And are not his sisters here with us?”
And they took offense at him.”
They love His exposition, but then it dawns on them that He is claiming to be Messiah.
But that can’t be.
He’s the carpenter.
Nice guy, sure.
Trustworthy, precise.
Smart as a whip and faithful.
But Messiah?
Come on.
They are thinking and perhaps whispering, “He grew up with our children!
If he’s a prophet, I’m Isaiah.
Let Him prove it like He did in Capernaum.
Let’s see the goods.
Prove yourself.
And that stuff about blind?
Poor?
Prisoners?
Oppressed?
I think He’s talking about us.
Who does He think He is?”
And with that the tide turned.
And Jesus, sensing their thoughts, made convicting application contrasting their hard hearts with hearts of true faith.
*A.
Heart of Unbelief (It says, “Prove Yourself”)*
V. 23, “23) And he said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Physician, heal yourself.’
What we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.
24) And he said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown.”
They had heard about the many miracles done in Jesus’ new home in Capernaum, 25 miles away.
And their thoughts were exactly what ours would have been.
“Hey, why not here?
What’s wrong with us?
If you do it there, why not here?”
They felt like the cobbler’s kids with holes in their shoes.
You fix others, why not us?
They are greatly impressed by His gracious words about setting captives free and giving sight to the blind – but they didn’t realize they were the blind.
Jesus was saying, “It’s you who need salvation – not someone else, but you need me.”
And they’re thinking, “Prove it.
Prove you’re Messiah.
You’re saying we need you?! No way!
Give us something spectacular and then we’ll see about your claims.”
Luke included this account right on the heels of Jesus’ 3rd temptation to do something spectacular to prove God.
Jesus refused.
These people insisted.
Hard hearts always want a miracle to prove God.
But Jesus knew one always requires another!
So – Jesus never performed a miracle to produce faith.
He was never “on demand.”
Never.
Check it out.
Faith always comes first.
Blessing results from faith, not the other way around.
Imagine a drowning man insisting on seeing the life guard’s certification!
You’d say he was crazy.
To insist that God demonstrate Himself is equally crazy.
Only those who have no sense of their desperate situation would ever do such a thing.
*B.
Heart of Belief (It says, “Save Me”)*
Now, sensing they would not believe without the spectacular, Jesus makes a brilliant transition.
In essence he says, “Speaking of unwelcome prophets, what about Elijah and Elisha?”
The people revered these prophets -- and particularly because both came from their region.
But both had bypassed huge populations of need in Israel to minister to some pagan Gentiles.
Why?
Because they found unbelief in Israel and belief elsewhere.
Elijah and the Widow.
First -- Elijah and the widow in Sidon on the Mediterranean coast of Phoenicia northwest of Israel.
I Kings 17:1:“Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.”
Ahab was one of the worst kings in Israel’s history.
Imagine Elijah’s courage to walk in one day and say, “King Ahab, I have a word from God. It’s not going to rain again until I say the word – and I’m not talking.”
With that, he went into hiding.
But he suffered right along with everyone else, and in time Elijah faced a dire situation.
V. 7, “And after a while the brook (Cherith, east of the Jordan) dried up, because there was no rain in the land.”
But God had a plan.
He sent Elijah to a widow woman in Sidon who was preparing a last meal for herself and her son, after which they would die.
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