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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Disgust
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Fear
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Joy
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Sadness
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Language Tone
Analytical
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Confident
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Tentative
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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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Emotional Range
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Tone of specific sentences
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Anger
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Intro
Group intro -
Scripture
Hear God speak, not self help or opinions
Scripture transforms us
It is the foundation for the other two
Prayer
Us speaking back to God
Acknowledging the truth of scripture
Community
The context that scripture and prayer are effective
Not just socializing - ministering the gospel to each other
Review
Studying Counterfeit Gods by Tim Keller
The topic is identifying and dealing with idols
It is good, but not required to read through the chapter and make notes and questions
Finished applications - looked at love, money, success, power, and cultural idols
These last two lessons deal with how to beat idols
Last lesson
Naaman had it all and it was due to his success
Yet he had leprosy - He tries to fix it with success
He was forced to listen to servants and do something anyone could - his worship of success was being assaulted
Jesus suffered, not succeeded, to save us
Intro to lesson
The Nazis pursued this in a way that was demonic and destructive
Is justice and equality good?
What benefits does it have?
The French Revolution was founded on these principals, yet it was widely recognized as so unjust that it was called the Reign of Terror
We have seen how infected we all are with idols - last lesson in particular showed how they can be woven together in a complex way
What happened?
Idolatry.
When love of one’s people becomes an absolute, it turns into racism.
When love of equality turns into a supreme thing, it can result in hatred and violence toward anyone who has led a privileged life.
It is the settled tendency of human societies to turn good political causes into counterfeit gods.
How can power & politics become an idol?
Political leaders as messiahs
David Clarkson - If we think of our soul as a house, he said, “idols are set up in every room, in every faculty.”
We prefer our own wisdom to God’s wisdom, our own desires to God’s will, and our own reputation to God’s honor.
We “make even their enemies their god … when they are more troubled, disquieted, and perplexed at apprehensions of danger to their liberty, estates, and lives from men” than they are concerned about God’s displeasure.
Political policies as saving doctrine
Keller, T. (2011).
Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters (p.
154).
New York: Riverhead Books.
So what do we do?
If idols run wide and deep, where do we start?
Political activism into a kind of religion
Keller, T. (2011).
Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters (p.
154).
New York: Riverhead Books.
Is it steady work like eating an elephant (just take one bite at a time)?
Is it some radical change of life?
Is it something else?
Read
,
Story
Background
We looked at Jacob earlier in the study on love and sex
He was the younger of twins that Isaac had.
Scripture speaks of them striving against each other since they were in the womb.
Jacob was holding into Esau’s heel to try and wrestle out of the womb first.
Scripture speaks of them striving against each other since they were in the womb
This is a foreshadowing of the family dynamic.
Jacob is envious and tries to out-maneuver Esau.
It reaches a climax when he had stolen the blessing from his brother Esau by deceiving his father.
Esau finds out and explodes in anger.
He tries to hunt down Jacob.
Why would he ruin his relationships to the point of having to run away?
I believe it was because Jacob, even under false pretenses, longed to hear his father say, “I delight in you more than anyone else in the world!”
Every human being, then, needs blessing.
We all need assurance of our unique value from some outside source.
The love and admiration of those you most love and admire is above all rewards.
We are all looking for this deep admiration, looking for it from our parents, our spouse, and our peers.
Keller, T. (2011).
Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters (p.
158).
New York: Riverhead Books.
Jacob runs away to his mother’s family.
He stays with his uncle Laban and fall is love with his daughter Rachel.
But Laban tricks him into marrying Leah.
Jacob works another 7 years for Rachel.
This leads to a broken family
Jacob is searching for meaning in Rachel because of her beauty
Leah, unloved by her dad and her husband, tries to earn Jacob’s love through children.
Leah, unloved by her dad and her husband, tries to earn Jacob’s love through children.
The wives and children are envious of each other
The wives and children are envious of each other
It gets to the point that Leah buys Jacob for the night with her sons mandrakes and Rachel tells Jacob to give me children or I shall die
Things have not gotten any better
Laban and Jacob strive against each other by trying to manipulate the division of the flocks - Laban has changed my wages ten times
Laban and Jacob strive against each other by trying to manipulate the division of the flocks - Laban has changed my wages ten times
Laban and his sons start grumbling and becoming envious
So Jacob slides out when Laban is out of town.
Doesnt want Laban repossessing his wages or daughters
Laban chases him down and things get heated again - God has to threaten Laban to keep him from taking away Jacob’s stuff
They eventually make a covenant to set up a marker as a boundary that they will not cross - like a brothers who draw a line down the middle of the room.
Rachel’s idols
A side plot in this escape story
Rachel stole her father’s household gods
This is one of the big conflicts that caused Laban to chase them down
When he searches for them, Rachel sits on them.
When he comes in, Rachel tells her father that its her time of the month.
Laban quickly leaves
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