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
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Joy
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Language Tone
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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Emotional Range
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Tone of specific sentences

Tones
Emotion
Anger
Disgust
Fear
Joy
Sadness
Language
Analytical
Confident
Tentative
Social Tendencies
Openness
Conscientiousness
Extraversion
Agreeableness
Emotional Range
Anger
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Scripture Reading (Matthew 12:38-45)
Prayer
Review
Introduction
Overview
Begin Point 1
Matthew presents this text right after making it clear that all people either turn to Jesus or choose to reject Him.
He has been addressing the Pharisees
The religious establishment
Here, “Scribes and Pharisees”
They “answered Him”
The word for answered...
sometimes just “said” esp. in Matthew
Remember Matthew’s context.
Follows healing/exorcism that we attributed to Beelzebul
They address Jesus respectfully “teacher”
does not imply that they are giving Him a fair chance but instead giving Himself the opportunity to discredit Himself.
They ask for a “sign”
Jesus had been showing signs so they were asking for something different.
OT and Jewish lit.
shed light.
1 kings 20:13
Isaiah 7:10-14
There are other things such as a test of a true prophet.
These signs are not simply miracles but miracles to prove a point, that this is the message or messenger of God.
(39) So Jesus answers them
An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah
the generation?
two descriptions
evil
adulterous
They have been shown many signs but have not believed
He, in denying their request for a sign, points to a sign already passed.
What is the sign of Jonah?
Jump forward to vs 40
The sign of Jonah is his deliverance from death to validate his message
So Jesus’ first point is that they have already been shown the evidence that they need.
Similarly, our first point is...
I.
You have enough evidence to produce faith (38-39)
There Pharisees were forcing an issue to try to prove that Jesus was not worthy of faith, instead, Jesus refuses their test and points to the signs already delivered.
Next, look at verse 40 as Jesus, while refusing them, points toward His own sign of Jonah, which they will similarly reject.
Begin Point 2
Jesus will be buried for 3 days and 3 nights
explain how Jesus being in the tomb from Friday through Sunday satisfies this requirement.
II.
You have heard that Jesus has risen from the grave and should believe (40)
Begin Point 3
(41) Nineveh was a wicked, gentile city that repented at the sign of Jonah
Jesus is greater than Jonah
(42) The Queen of Sheba was a Gentile who sought out the wisdom of Solomon
The wisdom of Jesus is greater than Solomon
III.
Jesus is the greatest and you can trust His message (41-42)
Finally, there is a bit of a change and I wrestled with including this here but I think Matthew connects it so we should look for the connection.
Begin Point 4
I believe this is still in the context of Jesus having cast out a demon
(43) When a demon departs, he goes someplace like a desert
It cannot rest
Not sure what this means but apparently a demon seeks out a place (person) to inhabit
(44) After having been cast out, it tries return to its last host
It is now organized but notice it is empty.
Now I do not want to read into the text what is not there
I think it is key that it is empty
This person did not choose Christ and is thus empty
(45) It comes back even worse than before
This is an illustration of this generation
A generation that rejects Jesus is worse off than before
this leads to our final point
IV.
You can’t stay neutral towards Jesus, you either turn in repentant faith or choose to remain in sin (43-45)
Remember last week (Good/rotten tree)
Jesus has given evidence enough for faith
What is faith?
What does faith look like?
To those who have not begun following Jesus?
To those who are followers?
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