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.
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Emotion Tone
Anger
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Fear
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Joy
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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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summary of :
God’s sovereignty at work in preparing C & P for their critical meeting
answered C’s prayer
confronted Peter’s prejudice against the Gentiles
also had to deal with the prejudice of the Jewish church
God’s plan to work through people
God’s purpose to bring the gospel to the world is fulfilled through his church
God accomplishes his plans through people who have been transformed by him
the quick obedience of both C & P
obedience and faith go hand in hand, they are inseparable
cannot claim faith when we are habitually disobedient
the conquering Roman Centurion was to go to a Jew to find out how to be saved
obedience apart from saving faith is filthy rags in the sight of God!
God often accomplishes his plans through weak and foolish things
the conquering Roman Centurion was to go to a Jew to find out how to be saved
the proud Jew was set aside his prejudice and bring the Gospel of peace to his enemy
what is our attitude to truths we were previously unaware of?
no one has a complete understanding of all the truth
should lead us to hold what we do know with confidence but also to keep a teachable spirit
truth is complete but our understanding isn’t!
finally we noted the hunger of Cornelius and those with him for the word - asked Peter to stay
follows the Great Commission: go and make disciples, baptizing and teaching them all that Christ commanded
what is our attitude to the Word
what is our attitude to the Word
does it control our thinking, desires, goals, behaviour?
it will not if we are not reading it, studying it, meditating on it, praying over and through it, and memorizing it
the sad reality that the vast majority of professing Christians do not spend enough time in the Word every day
love of the Word is a mark of saving faith!
The Jerusalem Church Embraces the Gentiles
cannot claim faith when habitually disobedient
the church began in Jerusalem
it is where the Apostles were situated
obedience apart from saving faith is filthy rags in the sight of God!
in the persecution which followed Stephen’s murder the church scattered but the Apostles remained
because of this the Jerusalem church was considered the head
also destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD
as the Apostles were martyred and the church spread throughout the Roman world it’s status and importance faded
as the church spreads we find the independence of local congregations which voluntarily associate with like minded churches to deal with sin and false teaching
after Jerusalem church we find the independence of local congregations which voluntarily associate with like minded churches to deal with sin and false teaching
Great Commission - go and make disciples, baptizing and teaching them
- the Jewish Church
- the Gentile Church
Luke tells the miraculous story of Cornelius’ salvation again
shows what a pivotal event this was in the life of the church
apart from God’s sovereign intervention the church would have remained a Jewish church
as long as it remained Jewish it would never become God’s instrument of grace and forgiveness to the world (J.
MacArthur)
spread of gospel to Gentiles was therefore critically important
while Peter was teaching Cornelius and those with him all that Christ commanded, word of what he was doing reached the circumcision party in Jerusalem
circumcision party = Jewish Christians who still held to the Law of Moses and believed that all Christians had to first become Jewish proselytes ()
criticized Peter for going to Gentiles and eating with them
remember that Jesus was criticized for doing something similar: eating with tax collectors and sinners
eating meant much more than it does today
were still focused on law, Jewish customs and Temple
were still focused on law, Jewish customs and Temple
meant acceptance and approval
Jews did not eat with non-Jews because of the food laws God had given them and their desire to stay ritually clean
those of the circumcision party were stuck on the OT law, their Jewish customs and the Temple
though they had accepted Jesus as their Messiah they had not yet accepted the Gentiles as their brothers!
imagine Peter’s surprise and dismay on his return to Jerusalem
great and powerful ministry met with criticism and complaining!
a sad reality in many churches that while God is doing great things some are stuck in the past and end up being thorns in the sides of their leaders!
wanted to press the Law on new believers
to this point only Peter and those with him were privy to the fact that the HS had come upon the Gentiles in the same way that he had upon the Apostles and disciples at Pentecost
eating meant much more than it does today
meant acceptance and approval
Jews did not eat with them because of the food laws and their desire to stay ritually clean
Peter responded to their criticism by retelling his experience (vv.4-15)
though only Peter was commanded to go and meet Cornelius he took “some of the brothers from Joppa” (10:23)
proved to be a very wise move
they provided Peter with corroborating witnesses!
()
Peter concludes his testimony with Jesus words after his resurrection, “John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the HS” ()
Peter’s confession echoes what he said to the Sanhedrin when they wanted to silence him: “we must obey God rather than men”
Peter’s final words to the circumcision party: “who am I to stand in God’s way” (v.17)
Peter echoes what he said to the Sanhedrin when they wanted to silence him: “we must obey God rather than men”
Peter’s message to these Jewish Christians: everything about the gospel coming to the Gentiles and culminating in the gift of the HS pointed to God’s sovereign will
Peter’s message to these Jewish Christians: everything about the gospel coming to the Gentiles and culminating in the gift of the HS pointed to God’s sovereign will
the response of the circumcision party:
surprised silence: what could they say?
how could they refute the testimony of 6 witnesses?
(v.12)
who were they to question the word of Christ?
(v.16)
who were they to question God’s sovereign work?
(v.17)
they glorified God:
they turned from shunning the Gentiles to accepting them as full fledged brothers in the Lord
glorified God: they went from shunning the Gentiles to accepting them as full fledged brothers in the Lord
they submitted themselves to God’s sovereignty
how willing are we to abandon traditional behaviours and beliefs when confronted with the truth?
how willing are we to abandon traditional behaviours and beliefs when confronted with the truth?
The First Gentile Church
marks a major shift in the book of Acts
up to this point Luke, under the influence and guidance of the HS has focused on Peter and his ministry to the Jews
in the next chapter Luke records King Herod’s attack on the Jerusalem church
he violently assaulted some of the believers
he killed James, the head of the Jerusalem church, with the sword
he attempted to do the same to Peter, the key preacher of the Gospel to the Jews
God miraculously intervened against Satan’s efforts to destroy they Jerusalem church
Peter was released from prison by an angel
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