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
0.53LIKELY
Disgust
0.09UNLIKELY
Fear
0.46UNLIKELY
Joy
0.54LIKELY
Sadness
0.58LIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.8LIKELY
Confident
0UNLIKELY
Tentative
0.35UNLIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.87LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.4UNLIKELY
Extraversion
0.19UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.38UNLIKELY
Emotional Range
0.49UNLIKELY
Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
II. CHARACTERISTICS OF UNFORGIVENESS
Here stands the enemy, the former Nazi SS officer.
His very presence stands for cruelty and the stench of crematoriums at Ravensbruck.
As Corrie ten Boom stares at the rough hand offered by her former captor, she knows in her head what she has to do—forgive!
But her emotions scream silently in opposition.
The very message she has been sharing with the victims of Nazi brutality emphasizes that she must forgive those who persecuted her.
Forgiveness is a necessity.
But Corrie stands paralyzed as the battle rages between her mind and her emotions.
And I stood there—I whose sins had again and again to be forgiven—and could not forgive.
[My sister] Betsie had died in that place—could he erase her slow terrible death simply for the asking?
Imagine Corrie’s dilemma.
She knows that those who have forgiven their enemies have also been able to rebuild their lives regardless of the physical horrors they suffered.
But those who continue to nurse their bitterness remain imprisoned … not in Hitler’s horrid concentration camps … but within their own wounded souls.
Corrie knows the cost of bitterness—the very bitterness she is battling—because the Bible says,
“See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”
Hebrews 12:15
A. Why Should We Get Rid of Unforgiveness?
When you refuse to forgive, your unforgiveness keeps you emotionally stuck to both the offense and the offender.
A continual refusal to forgive digs a deeper hole in which you can easily hide your hardened heart.
Blaming others is a favorite tactic to justify unforgiveness.
You can become too comfortable in the unnatural habitat of self-righteousness and self-pity.
Your past hurts, though buried, are still very much alive.
And because they are not released in God’s way, oddly enough, you become like your offender (but you are blind to it).
Not forgiving your offender is an offense to God, thereby making you an offender to God as well!
The Bible says to confess and renounce this sin.…
“He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.”
Proverbs 28:13
The Unforgiving Heart Is …
The Unforgiving Heart Has …
• Judgmental—focusing on the past wrongs that the offender committed
• Condemnation—being intolerant of any present failures of the offender
“Do not judge.…
Do not condemn.…Forgive,
and you will be forgiven.”
Luke 6:37
• Merciless—rehearsing the reasons why the offender does not deserve mercy
• Contempt—looking down without mercy on the offender
“Judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful.
Mercy triumphs over judgment!”
James 2:13
• Resentful—begrudging the successes of the offender
• Envy—coveting the accomplishments of the offender
“Resentment kills a fool, and envy slays the simple.”
Job 5:2
• Vengeful—rejoicing when the offender experiences failure, difficulty, or hurt
• Retaliation—desiring to get even with the offender
“Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice.”
Proverbs 24:17
• Maligning—talking to others about the faults of the offender with the intent to hurt
• Slander—sharing unnecessary negatives about the offender
“He who conceals his hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool.”
Proverbs 10:18
• Prideful—elevating self above the offender, who is considered less deserving
• Haughtiness—acting with arrogance toward the offender
“Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”
Proverbs 16:18
• Profane—verbally abusive toward the offender
• Bitterness—harboring hostility toward the offender
“Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”
Romans 3:14
• Complaining—and quick to quarrel over personal choices, words, and deeds
• Resistance—arguing about any advice or constructive criticism regarding the offender
“Do everything without complaining or arguing.”
Philippians 2:14
• Impatient—exhibiting little patience while being easily provoked
• Annoyance—feeling easily irritated by the offender
“A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.”
Proverbs 19:11
• Bitter—feeling weighed down with unresolved anger
• Negativity—feeling no joy and no approval concerning the offender
“Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can share its joy.”
Proverbs 14:10
Because of unforgiveness, the offended person becomes spiritually dry—trying to feel connected with God but lacking spiritual growth.
As a direct result of unforgiveness, the offender’s prayer life is blocked.
“If you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
Question: “How can I forgive someone who has not apologized or shown any kind of repentance?”
Answer:
Forgiveness has nothing to do with repentance.
Forgiveness is not based on what the offender does or deserves, but rather on giving the gift of grace to your offender—a gift that is not deserved.
The real question is: “Do you want to be Christlike?”
When Jesus was being crucified on the cross, His enemies had neither apologized nor repented, yet He extended His heart of forgiveness by praying,
“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
Question: “If I forgive those who offend me, I’ll be a classic enabler.
Why should offenders change if there is no consequence for their offensive behavior?”
Answer:
Forgiveness is not enablement.
If a man borrows money from you and later refuses to repay you, still you should forgive him.
Release both him, as well as the offense, to God … for your sake, if for no other, so that you do not become bitter.
But you should not enter into another monetary relationship with him.
Do not give irresponsible people more opportunities to be irresponsible with you.
Enabling others means that by not establishing a boundary or by not having a consequence for when others violate a boundary, you enable them to continue in their bad behavior.
• Enablement puts you in a position of being offended again and again.
• Enabling never helps offenders change, but further ingrains their bad habits.
However, one “consequence” to your offenders is that they will not have other opportunities to “use you” or offend you again.
• Enablers are classic people-pleasers who do not say no when they should say no.
If you say yes to irresponsible people when you should say no, you are actually saying no to Christ.
The apostle Paul said,
“Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God?
Or am I trying to please men?
If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.”
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9