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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Analytical
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Openness
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Conscientiousness
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Extraversion
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Agreeableness
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I. Reading of Scripture
This is God’s Word, Amen.
Pray
II.
Introduction
A. Introduction to Theme
Question: If you were to die tonight, would you enter into Heaven, or would you enter into Hell?
I want you to give careful thought to an answer.
What would it be?
If you were to die tonight, would you enter into Heaven, or would you enter into Hell?
What is your answer?
Are you happy with that answer?
How certain are you, that you got it right?
This is a very effective question to ask a person if you want them to hear what you have to say.
Why?
It is an effect question because it taps into something that is true for everyone.
It speaks about something we all know, and many of us fear: Everyone will die.
Death is a known.
It will happen with certainty.
The only exception for death will be for those who believe God’s Word, and belong to Christ, who are alive, who are left when He returns (1 Thess 4:17).
Besides these, everyone will experience death.
But none of us know when that moment will be.
So as a person is confronted with a known —death, they are also confronted with an unknown — the timing of one’s death.
“Could I really die tonight?”
An honest person would have to admit, that is a possibility.
In light of this possibility, a person realizes his or her own mortality, and powerlessness to control what is sure to come.
In light of this possibility, a person is compelled to think about something of a spiritual and forever nature.
This question is so effective because it is shocking!
If we want people to hear what we have to say, and to believe that what we have to say is important, it is often a very effective strategy to begin with something shocking.
In public speaking, it is called a “hook.”
Say something that will grab the attention of your audience, and keep their attention until you finish speaking.
A. Introduction to Theme
What Jesus says in Matthew 5:17-20 is shocking.
Jesus says in verse 20:
Matthew 5:20(b) [ESV]
“you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
That statement is more shocking in the Greek language.
To intensify the force of a negative in Greek, the language will employ two different negative particles, two different words for “no” side by side, to create a double negative [ οὐ μὴ ] as it does here.
It’s not so much a phrase meant to be read, but a phrase meant to be felt.
It says something like: “by no means” — you will “certainly not” — you will no, not enter,” or as our translation renders it — “you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
That is a shocking statement, said with certainty!
And it leaves us all wondering what Jesus means by it, and what we must do in response to it, so that we might enter into the kingdom of heaven.
It is also a shocking statement, because it reveals something offensive to many about the kingdom of heaven —
Entrance into the kingdom of heaven, is restricted.
Entrance into the kingdom of heaven is limited.
Christians have not imposed this restriction.
Jesus imposes and reveals this restriction, and He has the authority to do so as the King of Heaven’s kingdom!
There are some who will never enter!
Not just some, but in Jesus’ own words — “many” will never enter!
(Mt 7:13).
What is Jesus doing?
Is he making an evangelistic appeal?
Is he saying to the lost: “If you were to die tonight, would you enter into Heaven or would you enter into Hell?”
He is not!
Jesus is not making an evangelistic appeal to the lost.
Don’t hear what Jesus teaches and think “I’m good, I’m heaven-bound, this teaching doesn’t apply to me, I sure hope those heathen sinners listen!”
Jesus is not speaking to the lost, he is speaking to the called.
When Jesus teaches “you will never enter the kingdom of heaven,” He’s speaking to the called.
He’s speaking to the Church.
He is speaking to his followers, his disciples.
He is speaking to us!
And he is shocking us with terrifying words.
III.
Exposition
Jesus begins this main portion of teaching in The Sermon on the Mount by anticipating his disciples’ thoughts.
Matthew goes further than that in his gospel account to reveal Jesus as more than an anticipator of thoughts, but one who knows what others think (Mt 9:4, 12:25).
That alone should terrify us all!
Jesus knows our thoughts.
Not one thought is hidden from him.
I certainly don’t want you to know all of my thoughts.
I don’t know about you, but I have a hard enough time keeping them to myself anyway!
Does anyone here want a public screening of your thoughts for all to see?
Every thought of every doubt, every fear, every failure God sees and knows.
Jesus would not have wasted words by saying: “Do not think” if his disciples were not thinking, or would be tempted to think, in this way.
Matthew 5:17(a) [ESV]
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets.
Jesus is correcting wrong thinking about his coming.
Why did Jesus come into the world?
Why is Heaven’s King on Earth?
What did He come to do?
What will he do?
What will he abolish?
Jesus’ choice of words are intentional here.
What we think about his coming doesn’t matter.
What he says about his coming matters.
But our thoughts and assumptions get in the way of the truth.
Whenever we get to thinking, and start assuming, which way do our thoughts tend to lead us?
Do they usually lead us in a positive direction?
Or a negative direction?
More often than not, we tend to think the worse.
We think negatively.
A person who assumes, do they usually assume correctly?
More often than not, their assumption is proven wrong.
Most of the time our thoughts are negative!
Most of the time our assumptions are wrong.
I have been your pastor now for 17 months.
Only the first six months resembled anything like what we knew as “normal.”
This last year has created a fertile field for assumptions to grow as we get to know each other.
Assumptions you have made about me, and assumptions about our future.
I’ve learned that this natural, especially with a new pastor and a new congregation.
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