Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
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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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Analytical
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Openness
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Conscientiousness
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Extraversion
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Agreeableness
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Tone of specific sentences
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Anger
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I still remember the feeling of being abandoned, and left for dead.
Callie and I had just moved to San Antonio, following the will of God.
We had saved all we could and had enough money to live for a month without a job and to pay off the first semester of school.
And then trouble hit, our car broke down, over and over again, we could not find jobs, and before school even started we had no money left.
I remember crying out in anger to God - “Why have you abandoned us”?
I felt the real presence of my sins both past and present.
I became convinced God was punishing me, he had brought me here to die, homeless, naked and ashamed.
I begged him to spare my wife and children.
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Another time in my life, I recall my pastor of all people thinking the worst of me.
He called me out saying I was trying to usurp his power.
I was a liar, and a manipulator.
I was in utter confusion.
I had just led a night of worship with 50 teenagers in Blackwell Ok.
I had a young man from our church give his testimony, a young woman in the church lead the music, and I shared the message of salvation and we saw 20 kids give their lives to Jesus.
Yet, somehow it came across to the pastor that I was trying to build my own ministry.
My heart was broken, all I wanted was for these young people to fall in love with Jesus and now I am being attacked and I had done nothing wrong.
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The feeling God has left you, being attacked and persecuted while you are innocent, being abandoned by family and friends, and all while having that deep sense of your own sinfulness.
God must hate me, God must be punishing me.
These are true feelings, emotions and circumstances that we all will face.
We can pretend that if we just have enough faith doubt will never come to our minds but, the reality is doubt will creep in and try to take over.
Christianity is sweet when life is good, but when all hell breaks loose and the rubber really meets the road, that is when our faith is really put to the test.
Life is bitter and hard and the Psalms pull no punches.
How do we handle despair as Christians?
What hope do we have?
Are we as Christians even allowed to feel despair?
Am I in sin if my guts feel like they are being ripped out?
How is Jesus savior when my world feels like it is coming undone?
These are the emotions and questions the Psalmist raise and today we will be tackling a few of these emotions.
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Turn with me to
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Many of you were feeling a little awkward as I was reading this Psalm of David.
When it is put into our own language it can make us feel a little embarrassed for David.
Come on man - You are David, the giant slayer - Have some faith man.
Yet, if we are honest we have all felt this way.
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Some of you today feel like this.
You feel like God has let you to defend for yourself.
Maybe you are being attacked and it seems like God is no where to be found.
Maybe your faith in God has caused family or friends to turn from you, mock you.
You feel like your feet are stuck in mud and the waters are rising above your shoulders, life is about to take you under, and where is God.
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What about Life, Joy, and Beauty?
There is no hope for the world when we cover up reality with Bumper sticker theology.
How can the world know there is hope if we are hiding all the scars of our heart – These scars show the healing grace of God.
How can the world know there is hope if the Christianity they run into is like a thin varnish, rather than a pool of hope?
When we act like plastic people that have no problems, the world sees a plastic Jesus that they have no use for.
You can never honestly offer Life, Joy, and Beauty without dealing with the reality of this life.
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How does God answer us when we feel the words of this Psalm deeply?
How does God respond to our anguish, our pain and suffering?
How does God respond when we feel the shame of our sinfulness, and feel the threats of others around us?
THE ANSWER IS FOUND ON THE CROSS AND IN THE RESURRECTION.
He stripped the enemy of his power to shame us, by pointing out our sins.
He made you His righteousness through Christ.
He stepped in our mud and mess, and pulled us out to safety.
He took on the flood of our guilt and allowed himself to be baptized into our suffering and shame.
He took on the mocking crowds by hanging there naked and exposed.
He dove into the depths of our depravity and rose victorious with us by his side.
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In this world we will suffer, we will experience pain and injustice.
While God is bring Life, Joy and Beauty to this world through his Church we will not see it fully realized until Jesus returns to complete the restoration of all things.
But his salvation is sure – Your sins and shame have been removed
Your judgment was declared on Easter and God declared you innocent and vindicated in Jesus.
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There will be times of great victory in our lives – Like Daniel in the Lions Den, or David facing Goliath.
But there will also be times where we feel these words of the Palmist deeply.
In this world you will have troubles – But
When you feel as though you can no longer stay afloat.
When your throat is shredded from all your screaming.
When darkness feels as though it is closing in.
Look and see that God is not far off – he has not abandoned you.
In the midst of your pain, your Heavenly father is there.
Romans 8:37-39
When lies are being spread about and your name is being dragged through the mud – Be still and listen to your Father speak to your spirit; “I formed you in your mother’s womb, I know you, and I accept and love you.”
When lies are being spread about and your name is being dragged through the mud – Be still and listen to your Father speak to your spirit; “I formed you in your mother’s womb, I know you, and I accept and love you.”
I will never leave you or forsake you.
You are not alone, I am here with you.
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This Psalm speaks to our human condition with brutal honesty.
The psalmist pulls no punches in confronting our reality.
We live in a broken world – We will want to scream, yell, and beat the air around us.
We will have days or dark nights when our hearts turn cold and violence and revenge fill our deep thoughts.
Yet unlike David who had to look forward to his salvation – We can look back to the cross and Easter and see our victory is secure.
We can wrestle with despair knowing that hope has won and complete victory will be ours.
We can fight our darkest passions of violence knowing the grave has been defeated and God is able to bring us justice apart from our violence.
We can rest even in the midst of unimaginable stress knowing that it is finished – And any darkness is only for a short time.
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