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
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Analytical
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Social Tone
Openness
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Conscientiousness
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Extraversion
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Agreeableness
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Announcements
Prayer Meeting: Tuesday night at 6:30.
- 1 Peter Sermon Series: The title “Elect Exiles” is taken from the opening verse.
Begins next week.
- Amos Sermon Series: Will be the series for our Evening Worship Service which we hope to begin mid-late January.
Grace Youth Ministries (GYM): Jr. High and High School students are welcome to join Matt Balocca for a time of games, teaching, and discussion.
- **Grace Youth Ministries (GYM):** Jr. High and High School students are welcome to join Matt Balocca for a time of games, teaching, and discussion.
Call to Worship & Opening Prayer
Luke Sermon Series: Join us at 4pm tonight as we near the close of the book of Amos at our afternoon worship service.
In two weeks we will transition to the Gospel of Luke.
- **Luke Sermon Series:** We will finish Amos in our Afternoon Worship Service in a few weeks.
Then we will transition to the Gospel of hope you can join us at 4pm.
Opening Prayer
Men’s Study: We’ve got a good group of men gathering here at the church on Saturday mornings at 10am to discuss the Heidelberg Catechism.
You can talk to Daniel Anrig if you would like more details.
- **Men’s Study:** Some of the men will be gathering here at the church on Saturday mornings at 10am to discuss the Heidelberg Catechism.
You can talk to Daniel Anrig if you are interested in more details.
- Based on the Call to Worship.
Women’s Study: Looking at at study by Tim Keller on Romans.
Starts next Tuesday (9/5) 6:30am.
There will also be an evening study with Linda Jones.
Talk to Linda if you are interested in attending that.
Ladies Night: On the first Wednesday of each month at the Panera in Clovis at 6:30pm.
Kicking off next Wednesday (9/6).
Pastoral Prayer
Adoration based upon opening songs.
Hurricane Harvey: Residents in Texas who have suffered great loss due, including the lives of several people.
We pray for the rescue and safety of those who remain in life threatening situations.
We thank you for the 1,000+ lives that have already been rescued.
We pray for the families of those who have lost their homes and other valuable possessions.
Federal and Local Government: Wisdom in handling this disaster response.
Opportunity to show
Metanoia Correspondence Ministry: Tim McCracken has 24 men, and more to follow, who would like to begin corresponding with members of local churches.
Correspondence Ministry: Tim has 24 men, and more to follow, who would like to begin corresponding with members of local churches.
Radius International: Some recent graduates are in their last few days or weeks before they head to the field.
The formal Radius training lasts only 10 months... the task of making Christ known where His message has never been preached takes years.
The faint of heart don’t show up here as students.
They truly are an incredible bunch to teach!
International Missions: Some recent graduates are in their last few days or weeks before they head to the field.
The formal Radius training lasts only 10 months... the task of making Christ known where His message has never been preached takes years.
The faint of heart don’t show up here as students.
They truly are an incredible bunch to teach!
- Confession of Sin:
- Thanksgiving for Pardon:
- Civil Authorities:
- Christian Ministry and Mission:
- Salvation of All Men:
- Sanctification of the Saints:
- The Afflicted:
Offering
## Offering
, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.”
Introduction
Open your bibles to the book of Ecclesiastes.
We’re kicking off our series looking at the first eleven verses this morning.
You will find Ecclesiastes somewhere near the middle of your bibles, following the books of Psalms and Proverbs.
While you’re turning there, let me say a brief word about the author.
Although historically, Ecclesiastes has been linked to Solomon, there is no mention of his name, unlike Proverbs and Song of Solomon.
That alone gave Martin Luther reason to think it was someone else.
In addition, the language points most likely to a post-exilic time period (3-4 centuries after Solomon).
So who was it?
We don’t know.
Therefore, it seems best in my opinion to call him what he called himself, “the Preacher.”
Introduction
The landscape of politics is filled with numerous frustrations.
The President is upset with his staff.
Staff members point their fingers at each other.
Republican Senators are dissatisfied with the lack of progress being made on anyone’s agenda.
The Democrats have to at least appear frustrated in order to keep the focus on the President’s failures.
In the end, it’s a gigantic mess.
In the midst of the political turmoil, we find social frustrations are rampant.
Racial tensions ignite around flags and statues.
Violence and hatred erupt with no clear end in sight.
For many, Facebook has become an outlet to air out those frustrations.
Back in March, a professor from UCLA suggested that Mark Zuckerberg take some responsibility for enabling Trump’s election.
He suggested that Facebook begin adjusting the algorithm that determines our news feeds in order to balance out the information we are seeing.
Since Facebook has become a primary news source, and that’s true, it should be held accountable as one (that’s assuming accountability exists currently...).
And now, I’m sure I’ve got a good number of you also frustrated…Frustration and discontentment are a way of life.
As we turn our attention to Ecclesiastes this morning, it is easy to relate to the frustrations of “the Preacher”.
He has tried just about everything to find purpose and meaning in life, and he has come up empty.
In addition, his audience is likely living in exile, thus receiving little hope from their government.
Our commitment to a God-centered interpretation of the text feels impossible here.
Even when talking about creation, the Preacher makes no mention of God.
He seems to possess an overly pessimistic outlook upon life.
He comes across as hopeless in this introductory poem.
What is the ultimate result of man’s toil?
Nothing!
We will come to see that the Preacher is not always Debbie Downer, but he is realistic, unwilling to sugarcoat things.
He opens with an unpleasant truth:
The quest for life’s meaning begins with an honest assessment of your discontentment.
Life Under the Sun is Frustrating (2-3)
Earth Remains Constant (4-7)
Man Remains Discontent (8-11)
1. Life Under the Sun is Frustrating (2-3)
In this opening section, the Preacher states his thesis.
It is a thesis he will draw out throughout the book.
The primary key word is repeated 5 times in the opening quote:
The word translated “vanity” is found 38 times in Ecclesiastes.
It has a broad range of usage, but literally means: vapor or breath.
It’s your breath that appears on a window if you get up real close and deeply exhale.
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