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
0.08UNLIKELY
Disgust
0.05UNLIKELY
Fear
0.58LIKELY
Joy
0.69LIKELY
Sadness
0.51LIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.79LIKELY
Confident
0UNLIKELY
Tentative
0.6LIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.81LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.75LIKELY
Extraversion
0.19UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.98LIKELY
Emotional Range
0.51LIKELY
Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
It’s beginning to look a lot like… CHRISTMAS!
With each passing day, we inch closer to that time when we celebrate the arrival of our Lord and Savior, Jesus!
This truly is a season of blessing!
I realize things are kind of crazy in the world around us.
The COVID-19 virus is still very much a threat within our communities.
Inflation and other economic woes are hitting people hard.
Tension is on the rise and division is growing deeper.
It’s no real secret nor is it surprising when I say that our world is broken and in desperate need of healing from on high!
And that is EXACTLY why God sent His Son to the earth… to bring healing, deliverance, and redemption to all who would call on His name!
In the middle of our darkness, God sent His Son and blessed us beyond measure.
WE ARE BLESSED!
And… I want us to consider what that word truly means.
In the New Testament, the word blessed is translated from the word makarios which means fortunate or happy.
It is an adjective describing a person as experiencing positive circumstances or a happy disposition.
It is GOOD to be blessed!
I have often heard sermons, specifically involving the Beatitudes, where the word blessed and happy are used interchangeably… but I would caution us in doing that.
Why?
Because I might not feel happy, but that doesn’t mean that I’m not blessed.
Happy wasn’t the word I would use to describe myself as I wrestled with health concerns over the summer months… but God’s blessings were clear and present.
God was with me… as I know He has been with you as you have walked through difficult times.
It is easy to count our blessings in the good times.
And church, what I have found is that many, if not all of those blessings still exist, even in the bad times.
I am fortunate… I am happy… I am BLESSED to know God and to have a relationship with Jesus!
And nothing in or of this world, no circumstance or situation, can change the reality of that blessing!
Now consider this… How did that blessing come to be?
This blessing became a reality in our lives the moment we… BELIEVED in the Lord.
(Main Point) What I want us to understand is as Christians… being blessed is NOT determined by how we feel… but rather, our blessing comes from what we believe… or who we believe in.
This is the point I want us to dissect this morning as we continue our series, Fear Not.
Today we look to a very important character in the Christmas story who overcame fear with… belief.
And I want you to see the reality she found herself in because of her belief.
Mary would become the mother of Jesus - a story we will look at in a moment.
After she conceived, she traveled to go see her cousin, Elizabeth, who was carrying John the Baptist in her womb.
When the two met, look at what Elizabeth had to say to Mary in Luke 1:45
45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”
Mary was BLESSED for her belief!
And today, we are going to look at how that belief came to pass that led to the blessing she had received!
To Believe… or Not to Believe
Before the angel appeared to Mary with his announcement from God, Mary had a track record of belief.
This foundation of belief helped her greatly in the future decisions to come.
But how do we know of this foundation?
How do we know Mary was a believer in God?
The answer to this question can be found in the greeting given to Mary by Gabriel.
Luke 1:28 is where we find that greeting.
28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored!
The Lord is with you.”
The angel pronounced Mary to be “highly favored” in the eyes of the Lord!
Let’s consider what this phrase highly favored means.
What was it that set her apart?
Mary wasn’t highly favored for the way she looked or because she was popular in the community.
Mary was highly favored for her belief and trust in God.
Her humble and godly life pleased God to such an extent that He chose her for this most important task.
Her life demonstrated her trust and love for God.
Highly favored also spoke of things to come, in my opinion.
To be chosen by God to be the mother of Jesus would be an incredible honor for sure… but that meant she would also have to endure all that would come with that honor.
Mary would witness the suffering and pain that Jesus would experience.
Mary would watch her Son be widely rejected… and then executed in the most violent way… for no fault of His own.
Mary would know the joys that would come with this honor… but it would also come with great emotional suffering.
God knew… Mary was up to the task.
Why?
Because of her belief.
Mary's initial response to the greeting comes at no surprise.
Luke 1:29 says that she was troubled… she was afraid.
So the angel spoke directly to her feelings in the next verse.
30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.
32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.
The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
What follows next from Mary is not a comment of doubt… but rather a question for clarification.
She was pledged to be married, and no union had taken place.
How can a child then be produced?
The angel explains what will happen and he makes a powerful declaration in Luke 1:37
37 For no word from God will ever fail.”
And then… it comes time for Mary to make a choice… will she follow her fear or believe in the promise?
I can’t imagine all the thoughts that Mary experienced in this moment… I can’t imagine everything she was trying to comprehend.
How am I going to explain this situation to my soon-to-be husband, Joseph?
Will he believe me?
Will he turn his back on me?
How am I going to explain this situation to my community?
Will they believe me?
Will they condemn me for being found with child outside of marriage?
How am I going to handle raising the Son of God? Do I have what it takes?
Will I be able to raise Him in the way that is pleasing to God?
Church… we know that in the face of fear, a lot of questions can begin to rise up… questions that are most often generated by that fear or other emotions we might be feeling.
A choice must be made - trust in what we feel… or believe in what God has spoken.
Mary chooses… to do the latter.
her response is remarkable.
In the face of her fears, she answers Gabriel in Luke 1:38.
38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered.
“May your word to me be fulfilled.”
Mary… BELIEVED.
Mary placed her faith in the promises of God.
Mary silenced her emotions and took comfort in the word spoken by the angel.
She didn’t have to have all the answers to all of her questions… All she needed to know was that GOD WAS IN THIS.
And with that belief… came this second point I want to make clear.
Mary realized that God would handle ALL the details.
God Will Handle the Details.
Now… I’m kind of a detail guy.
I like to pay close attention to the details and… I like to have answers to questions BEFORE I make a change or move forward on things.
For instance, when working on the house, I like to have a good idea of what it is going to take to complete the project.
I look at the area that is going to be worked on and assess the need.
I make a materials list, figure out a rough budget, consider the tools that I need, estimate the time it will take… and then… I call Roger (no, not really).
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9