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
0.07UNLIKELY
Disgust
0.03UNLIKELY
Fear
0.05UNLIKELY
Joy
0.58LIKELY
Sadness
0.5UNLIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.59LIKELY
Confident
0UNLIKELY
Tentative
0.34UNLIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.72LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.83LIKELY
Extraversion
0.14UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.92LIKELY
Emotional Range
0.57LIKELY
Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
Sermon on the Mount – Ask, Seek, Knock
Matthew 7:7-11
1. Introduction – This morning we come to another passage that is packed full of insight.
a.
It is packed full of truth and packed full of helpful spiritual advice.
i. Jesus is drawing his great sermon to a close…and as he does this – he is once against reminding his disciples that they are unable to follow these instructions on their own.
1.
Right at the beginning of the sermon Jesus spoke about our need to be poor in spirit.
a.
It is only when we recognize our own inability…when we check our pride at the door…
i.
When we humbly come before God – only then can we truly live out the teaching of the SM.
b.
And here – as we are nearing the end of the SM – Jesus puts that thought front and centre again.
i.
We can’t live this out by trying harder or by being a better a person…
1.
The only way we can truly live out the principles of this sermon is by asking God for the strength to do it.
a. Seeking and doing God’s will…by knocking on heaven’s door for more and more grace.
ii.
Let’s read the passage and then I’ll talk about its structure.
1. Hear God’s Word – Matthew 7:7-11.
2. Structure – The passage has 2 distinct parts.
a.
In vv.7-8, Jesus talks about asking, seeking and knocking…and the results of those actions.
i.
And in vv.9-11, Jesus employs an example from the world of parenting.
1.
And as we’ve seen previously, Jesus uses an argument from the lesser to the greater.
a.
If the lesser thing is true, how much more is the greater thing true.
b.
It’s a pretty simple passage, but in its simplicity, it is rich and deep with meaning.
i.
It challenges us to come before God with our needs and concerns…knowing that God will give us the good things he has in store for us.
3. Ask, Seek, Knock – In all reality, vv.7-8 are quite repetitive.
a. V. 8 driving home the point already made in v.7.
i. Ask, seek, knock…what’s in these three words?
b.
Well, there are some who see these 3 words as an escalation in action and urgency.
i.
They compare it to a child asking a parent for something.
1.
If they are in the same room – the child simply asks.
a.
If they happen to be in different rooms – the child will most likely seek the parent out in order to ask.
i.
And if the parent is hiding in his or her room with the door locked – the child will no doubt knock at the door in order to ask.
2. So these 3 world could demonstrate an increased urgency in asking God – from simply asking to what seems like frantic knocking.
ii.
Or these 3 words could simply be synonyms of each other – all representing the same basic idea.
1. Jesus could be using the rule of 3’s here to drive his point home.
a.
In all honesty, it doesn’t really matter whether we view these 3 words as an escalation or as 3 synonyms – here’s what we really need to grasp about these words…
i.
All 3 of them are in the present these…in Greek anyway…in English it is hard to get this sense.
1.
But in the Greek text it is blatantly obvious that they are in the present tense.
2. Here’s why this is noteworthy – the present tense represents a continuous action.
a. Something that is currently being done and will continue to be done in the future.
i. Keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking…that’s the sense portrayed by the Greek.
1. Actually the NLT translates the verse in this way.
3.
By recognize that these 3 words are in the present tense – it shows us that asking, seeking and knocking aren’t actions we should perform whenever we feel like it or whenever we get around to it…
a.
But they are to be on-going in our lives.
c.
Ask, seek, knock – or more accurately…asking, seeking and knocking…what action is Jesus representing with these words?
i.
What is the he telling his listeners to do?
1.
Well, whether you view them as synonyms or escalating urgency…there’s no debate about this…Jesus is speaking about prayer.
a.
But Jesus isn’t speaking about prayer whenever we get around to it…or prayer during crisis or prayer before meals…
i. Jesus is speaking about consistent and persistent prayer.
ii.
Keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking…all that really means this…keep on praying…constantly come before God.
d.
Actually, there’s a parallel passage in Luke’s Gospel.
i.
If you read through Matthew, Mark and Luke – you’ll most likely notice that they tell the same stories and share the same teaching.
1. That’s because they all used a common source…and even borrowed from each other in order to give their own account of the life and ministry of Jesus.
a.
And we have what are called parallel passages – sometimes a scene or a story or a miracle is recorded in 3 of the gospels, sometimes only 2 of them.
i.
But each writer tells the scene in his own way – emphasizing what he thinks is important for his particular audience.
1.
So in Luke 11 – Luke recounts this same teaching as Matthew – ask, seek and knock.
ii.
But in Luke 11 – before Jesus teaches about ask, seek and knock – Jesus teaches his disciples about prayer.
1.
In fact, Luke 11 is where the Lord’s Prayer is recorded in Luke’s gospel.
a.
And right after teaching his disciples about how and what to pray – Jesus tells them when to pray.
i.
And he goes on to tell them a parable about a persistent friend in Luke 11:5-11.
Hear God’s Word.
1.
After this parable, Jesus goes on to say what is recorded in Matthew 7:9-11 about parents giving good things to their children.
iii.
It’s the persistence in this passage that speaks about…persistence in prayer.
1. Luke even wrote…did you hear it…”Teaching them more about prayer, he used this story…” referring to the persistent friend who was eventually given what he wanted.
a. Jesus teaches that prayer is rightfully persistent.
i.
We won’t bother God with our requests.
We will never pester God…he will never tire of hearing from us.
1.
Just the opposite…Jesus instructs – keep on asking, seeking and knocking…storm the throne of grace with your requests.
e.
But what are we to be persistently praying for?
i. Obviously for our needs…our physical needs – give us this day our daily bread.
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9