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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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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Social Tone
Openness
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Conscientiousness
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Extraversion
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Agreeableness
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INTRODUCTION
GOOD MORNING
Good Morning CrossPointe
We are continuing our series in Ecclesiastes by looking at 11:9 - 12:8
Next week will be our last sermon in this series
ECCLESIASTES
TWO KEY PHRASES
“Vanity”
Hebrew word is Hevel, meaning smoke or vapor - a poetic way of saying that something is without substance
“Under the Sun”
We have taken to mean, life on earth apart from God and his original design.
FIRST WORDS (Ecclesiastes 1:1-4)
Ecclesiastes 1:1-4
Vanity of vanities says the preacher,
vanity of vanities!
All is vanity.
What does man gain by all his toil
at which he toils under the sun?
A generation goes, and a generation comes,
but the earth remains forever.
TRANSITION
AGING
From the beginning of this book, to last week, we’ve seen how the preacher challenges our perspective on life.
Last we talked about seeing the world from a position of youth - to getting older
Think of the popularity of the FaceApp this past week - we laugh at what we might look like when we get old… but we do so from a perspective of youthfulness.
Mariah Carey then tweets, “FaceApp is not something I acknowledge” - as if to say, I will never age.
We desire to hold on to youthfulness for as long as possible.
YOUTHFULNESS
Today’s passage is a challenge to those younger from the perspective or context of age.
Rather than laugh at what the future may hold and do everything in our power to delay its arrival.
The preacher in Ecclesiastes invites us to see our lives backwards, from the reality of age and our own death.
Rather than the young, looking old...
Let me show what people in our congregation looked like just a moment ago...
Bob & Coyce Young
Barb Zoeteway
Janet Vennetti
QUOTE
Terry Pratchett, in the Times, said, “Inside every old person is a young person wondering what happened.”
Some days I feel old but most of the time I feel the same as when I was young but I see the age spots starting, the skin beginning to lose it elasticity, bones that make sounds when I move.
Some of you are looking at me and thinking - you’re only 43, don’t talk to me about old.
Others are like 43, you’re ancient.
TRANSITION
Today’s passage has three commands for those who are young
So who’s young in this context?
Are you breathing?
Can you stand up, mostly straight?
Do you have most of your teeth?
PRAY & READ THE TEXT
“WE WERE YOUNG ONCE...”
3 COMMANDS IN THE CONTEXT OF OLD AGE
3 COMMANDS
Rejoice (9), Remove, (10), and Remember (12:1) (This isn’t just me trying to make everything start with the same letter.
This is right in the text)
Context of old age
“WE WERE YOUNG ONCE” STORY
Last year my parents were flying down from West Virginia for our daughters wedding.
He came in with a wheelchair
He slowly made his way to the bathroom and on the way back
He put his hand on his right right shoulder and said, “we were young were once.”
CONTEXT OF AGE
“Evil Days and the years draw near...”
Evil - separated from God because of the fall
“Light is darkened (Sun, moon, and stars)
Eyesight starts to fade
“Keepers of the house tremble”
Arms and hands begin to shake
“Strong men are bent”
loss of strength, bent over
“Grinders cease, because they are few”
Teeth
Rises with the sound of the song bird
Can’t sleep in and wake up numerous times during the night
“Daughters of song are brought low”
Hearing begins to fade
Afraid to go out at night or into crowded places
Almond trees blossom
Blossoms turn white and then the wind blows them away
Hair turns grey and then falls out
The grasshopper drags himself along
Those who once bounded along
Legs and feet begin to ache
Desire fails
sexual drive decreases
“Weeping for those who have died”
Then you die and people cry
Life is broken - water a symbol of life
“Silver cord is snapped”
Spinal cord
golden bowl is broken,
pitcher is shattered,
wheel at cistern is broken”
“Dust returns to dust and spirit returns to God”
“WE WERE YOUNG ONCE” STORY
Last year my parents were flying down from West Virginia for our daughters wedding.
He came in with a wheelchair
He slowly made his way to the bathroom and on the way back
He put his hand on his right right shoulder and said, “we were young were once.”
In light of the fact that you also will become old...
No one can say, “I don’t acknowledge old age” and remain young forever
Wisdom encourages us to see our lives from the perspective of our death and to live accordingly.
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