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.
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Anger
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for the believer truth must determine feelings
in the mad pursuit of tolerance the worst thing you can do is offend someone
many professing Christians fall into this trap when they focus on how they feel about the truth rather than letting the truth determine their emotions
cannot trust our feelings, they are always changing according to our circumstances
they are more concerned about how they feel rather than ordering their feelings by the truth of God’s Word
if they don’t like how the truth makes them feel they reject it and the truth teller
if they don’t like how the truth makes them feel they reject it and resent the truth teller
the worst thing you can do in our culture is offend someone
for the believer truth must determine feelings
for example, how should we feel when trials come our way
“count it all joy”
in other words tell yourself, “this is great!”
example of Joni Eareckson Tada’s response to her new cancer diagnosis
"When I received the unexpected news of cancer from my oncological surgeon, I relaxed and smiled, knowing that my sovereign God loves me dearly and holds me tightly in His hands.
What good is it if we only trust the Lord when we understand His ways?
That only guarantees a life filled with doubts," said Tada.
"Please pray that God will be glorified through all of this, that He will be trusted, extolled and exalted; that this new challenge becomes a platform for showcasing His grace, as well as the giving of the Gospel,"
some of you may be wondering how a woman who has been a quadriplegic for 46 years, endures chronic pain and has battled stage 3 breast cancer can rejoice in her trials
why?
God’s method of making us steadfast is to test our faith with trials
Paul’s command in , “be steadfast, immovable”
don’t let anything bump you off course
the end result of testing: perfect, complete, lacking nothing
Truth, that is doctrine, is the litmus test of authentic faith.
… Christianity is grounded in truth … and no experience can be part of authentic Christianity if its origin is not in essential Christian truth.”
“Christianity is grounded in truth … and no experience can be part of authentic Christianity if its origin is not in essential Christian truth.”
John MacArthur
there is currently a movement to unite as Christians on the basis of how we feel about truth rather than on doctrinal convictions
genuine experience and legitimate emotions always come in response to truth
Truth must never become the servant of emotion or subjective experience.
when emotion and experience become supreme the result is an endless cycle of trying to maintain or reproduce the emotion
each experience must be more spectacular than the preceding one
the church that can do this in the most entertaining way gets the most people
this is NOT authentic church growth!
it certainly is not what we are seeing in the churches being established in the book of Acts
Love for God produces a passionate commitment to what he has said and what he has said has been written down for us in the scriptures.
(Acts 2:42)
one cannot love God and remain indifferent to his words
scripture is how God makes himself and his will known
form vs function?
from last week: vital, active, effective churches are those which are led by the Spirit
we looked at Antioch and what qualified it as a Spirit led church
what did this Spirit led church look like?
it was comprised of saved members
they came to a true knowledge of Christ through a true gospel
grace of God was evident in their behaviour
their faith produced works
established in the word
were taught for a year by B&S
their 5 pastors were prophets and teachers
marked by love for God’s people
each gave according to his ability to send relief to the brothers living in Judea (11:29)
led by Spirit filled men
marked by prayer and fasting
these gifts and graces separate a church that changes the world from churches which exist to serve themselves
Spirit led pastors leading a Spirit led church produced a Spirit led ministry
The Call
Main Body:
"While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said,” (13:2)
The Holy Spirit guided and directed as his people worshipped and fasted.
(Acts 13:2)
I’ve heard prayers at church services inviting the HS to come among them, there’s even a song about that
I’ve heard prayers at church services inviting the HS to come among them, there’s even a song about that
when God’s people worship in spirit and truth the HS is present
fasting: they were so focused on worship that they stopped thinking about food!
contrast this with those who get upset when a sermon keeps them from getting to the restaurant on time!
“Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul” (13:2)
Barnabas and Saul were not set apart for the church or for the ministry but for the Holy Spirit.
(Acts 13:2)
they were taken out of the church at Antioch and separated by the HS for the HS
HS had a plan and a purpose
Jesus’ purpose for his disciples was that they go out into all the world by the enabling power of the HS and tell everyone about him.
(Acts 1:8)
the task of every believer is to do this in whatever place or situation in which they find themselves while supporting themselves in their particular occupation
God gives us work so that we can serve him
the HS set apart B&S to do this work full-time
their occupation was evangelism
while the rest of the believers in Antioch bore witness to Christ in their homes, markets, workplaces B&S were to make this their occupation
in a very real sense every believer has been called out of the world and set apart, isolated from it for a specific purpose just like B&S
- Paul set apart for the gospel of God
- Paul set apart before he was born that he preach Christ to the Gentiles
- we are his workmanship created for good works
- pastors are to equip saints for work of ministry = building up body of christ
- God works in us so that we will and work for his good pleasure
- walk pleasing to Lord bearing fruit in every good work & increasing in knowledge of God
- whatever you do, work heartily as for the Lord not men
2 tim 2:21 - those who cleanse themselves of what is dishonourable are vessels for honourable use - such ones are set apart to the master of the house
- a people … who are zealous for good works
- be ready for every good work
- careful to devote themselves to good works
- devote selves to good works … to help cases of urgent need = fruitfulness
- works will be tested by fire- some will be burned up - work built on the foundation of Christ and the apostles will survive
- always abounding in the work of the Lord
we abound in good work through God’s grace
- all scripture is inspired … that the man of god may be … equipped for every good work
- we are to stir one another up to love and good works
- faith and works go hand in hand
“for the work to which I have called them” (13:2)
when thinking of church ministries we must always ask, “is this a work that the HS is calling us to do?”
the church at Antioch discovered this through worship, prayer and fasting
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