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
0.58LIKELY
Disgust
0.1UNLIKELY
Fear
0.61LIKELY
Joy
0.64LIKELY
Sadness
0.54LIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.2UNLIKELY
Confident
0UNLIKELY
Tentative
0.44UNLIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.85LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.7LIKELY
Extraversion
0.18UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.75LIKELY
Emotional Range
0.55LIKELY
Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
Frenemies
At night my step-son Drew has been asking for stories.
And after camp where my brother Jono was a counselor, he is asking for very specific stories.
“DaddyMack, tell me a story about you and uncle Jono!”
So I told him the story where I almost died falling out a treehouse… and Jono just laughed at me.
I told him the story of Jono throwing a Bible at me and splitting my eye open.
“Sword of the Word!”
I told him the story of Jono stabbing me in the mouth into the back of my throat with a sword.
I told him the story of lemon wars and spear fights, of punching through windows and through walls.
I told him the story of Jono hitting me in the actual face from 100 paces with a spoon… and then fleeing for his life down the street.
I tell all the stories back to back and I think… I don’t actually think we are friends!
This is the history you share with an enemy, an arch-nemesis!
But I have to love him, don’t I? Do I? Yes.
I guess.
I have to love him.
He’s my brother.
Real Enemies
Jono and I share the history of enemies… but we aren’t.
We’re best friends!
(awwww).
But the Bible uses this word “enemy” as if I am, in fact, going to have them for real!
Enemies that want to hurt me and will hurt me.
Enemies that just want what they want and don’t care if I get hurt on the way.
Jesus said the world hated him and so it would revile us.
To the extent that our “godliness” is showing, we will have enemies for the sake of Christ.
Because the name of Jesus is offensive and we are stamped with it!
Whether it is personal, whether it is theological, family drama, work politics, school… in this world you will have trouble and sometimes “trouble” has a face and a name and you want to face-punch it!
And this is so real for me...
People who hurt my kids… who hurt my wife… that’s an enemy.
Those are the ones I truly want to face punch!
Hurt me, fine, I’ve got patience for that.
Hurt my family?
I have some rage down in here (just ask Jono).
It’s there!
This is so real for me right now, it was insanely difficult to preach this week.
Why?
Because I can’t tell the story of how I learned how to do this… I am in the very midst of trying to figure this out!
Love Your Enemies
Because the Bible says Crazy things about enemies.
Jesus said this:
Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you… you must be perfect.
What?
Seriously?
That’s all well and good until someone is in the midst of hurting you!
It’s well and good to work through forgiveness in the years that follow, but what about when it is still happening?! Or the hurt from way back when is still hurting!
Love them?
I am working hard not to murder them!
The taking an eyeball thing sounds great!
How can we possibly do that:
We have two incredible examples.
Real and raw, of someone loving on an enemy and God doing amazing things through it.
We should remember that we hear Luke telling, he is reporting all the facts from many sources… but certainly his primary source is his mentor of many years, Paul the apostle.
So it is likely in Luke’s telling we hear Saul/Paul’s own words, even as the next two times this story is told in Acts Paul speaks in the 1st person voice.
We heard the dramatic story of the road to Damascus.
In a flash of light, in a voice of the risen Jesus, Saul is transformed.
Jesus changes everything.
Ananias Loves His Enemy - Saul
The mission:
How clear is God being right now?
He gave Ananias a vision.
And He gave Saul a vision.
And He is telling Ananias that Saul is expecting him, like Uber confirmation, absolute clarity that this is a divine appointment and everyone is confirmed!
“Go straight on Straight street to Judas’ house and find Saul.
He is expecting you!”
Do this loving thing!
The objection
Ananias instructs the Lord on why he shouldn’t do it :D.
This guy was on his way here to do the same kind of evil he was doing in Jerusalem.
Not “long ago” but yesterday!
Last week he was dragging men and women out of their homes and into jail.
Months ago he helped stone a man to death.
God doesn’t strike Ananias down on the spot (like the last Ananias we read about in Acts).
He gives an insanely gracious reply:
God reconfirms the call… but kind of soothes Ananias a bit.
Oh, don’t worry, life as a “follower of the Way” isn’t going to be any kind of easy for Saul.
If it’s justice you want, Saul’s going to suffer.
I would have a lot easier time praying for my enemies if God would answer my prayers this way.
“I’m going to save them… and they’re going to suffer SO MUCH for the sake of my name.”
But here is the miracle.
Reluctantly or not.
Feeling it or not.
Persuaded or not by what Saul would suffer for the name of Jesus: Ananias obeyed.
The obedience
I picture Ananias reluctant and grudging prayer, praying now for the hated Saul, the persecutor, the harbinger...
And scales fall from Saul’s eyes.
Literally, I think, but what a powerful metaphor, the blindness of all kinds, healed in a moment.
Saul sees.
And seeing, he is ready to be baptized, which is a declaration of saving faith in the Risen Lord Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.
Whether or not he felt fondly towards Saul, Ananias acts in love towards Saul… and Saul is saved.
Jesus appeared on the road to Damascus and changed everything.
Ananias obeyed, loved on his enemy, and Saul is healed and baptized.
And then Saul explodes on to the scene in Damascus!
Now Saul is the threat he tried to destroy, preaching the name of Jesus, only getting stronger.
His old compatriots aren’t happy, this is the threat Saul was sent to stamp out and now he IS the threat.
Cinematic, harrowing escape by night from the city.
Death defying escape.
Amazing.
And Saul goes back “home” to Jerusalem.
Why are they afraid?
How could they not be?
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9