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
0.06UNLIKELY
Disgust
0.08UNLIKELY
Fear
0.11UNLIKELY
Joy
0.66LIKELY
Sadness
0.52LIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.4UNLIKELY
Confident
0.65LIKELY
Tentative
0UNLIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.87LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.46UNLIKELY
Extraversion
0.3UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.44UNLIKELY
Emotional Range
0.65LIKELY
Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
Introduction
Title: Growing Pains In Ministry
Text:
Church planting was not the easiest thing to do, especially in the days of the apostles.
it initiates a spiritual conflict, a war in the heavenlies, in a given place, as soon as the gospel is preached;
the enemies of the gospel and the ministry are not flesh and blood;
as soon as the gospel is proclaimed, a host of demonic spirits are stirred up and alarmed, it is like stirring up a hornet’s nest;
there is always the risk of failure;
Paul and his team went through it all.
But they persevered and they were rewarded.
Although the physical dynamics of church planting in the present time have improved much, the spiritual dynamics are very much the same.
there are persecutions still;
there are risks of failure still;
the battle is still not flesh and blood;
Main Points
What the saints endured
1 Thessalonians 2.14-
Paul recounts:
how the saints were persecuted by they own countrymen;
how the same people hindered the apostles from speaking; and
how the apostles were hindered from coming back to the saints.
The saints have become “imitators” by enduring the “same persecution
the churches of God in Judea were persecuted by their fellow Jews
The persecution is in direct relation to their reception of the word of God
1 Thessalonians 1.
The saints have become the apostle’s “hope”, “joy” and “crown of rejoicing”
the true reward of gospel preaching are the souls converted to the true faith.
How the ministry responded
Paul sends Timothy
1 Thessalonians 3.1-
his personal coming may been too risky for his own life as well for the saints’
Why Timothy?
he was a brother - Timothy was there when the gospel was first preached in Thessalonica
he was a “fellow worker” - he was a good team man; he worked with the apostle Paul and ministered to his needs
Philippians 2.20
Timothy’s jobs
to strengthen and encourage the saints in their faith;
to make sure the work was not wasted
How they were rewarded
Paul was comforted by Timothy’s reports
1 Thessalonians 3.6-
the saints are still in the faith and growing in love
the saints think kindly of the apostles;
the saints missed them too!
Paul rejoices!
in his distress and affliction he was comforted by the news from Thessalonica
he felt “alive”!
he was very grateful
1 Thessalonians 3.9-
Paul rejoiced in the fruit of their labors in Thessalonica
Paul rejoiced in the fact that the work continued despite his not being able to visit them!
Conclusion
Lessons to learn here:
There are pains to endure as we take care of the ministry.
Because of the gospel engages our lives in spiritual conflict against demonic spirits
Because genuine gospel preaching involves our very souls
The people’s first impression on the word of God plays an important role in whether the work will continue or not
the Thessalonians received the Word of God as it really is
What can we do to impart the word of God in people’s lives:
1Thessalonians 1.5
take the gospel to them in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction
1 Corinthians 2.1-
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9