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
0.1UNLIKELY
Disgust
0.09UNLIKELY
Fear
0.16UNLIKELY
Joy
0.6LIKELY
Sadness
0.55LIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.77LIKELY
Confident
0UNLIKELY
Tentative
0.76LIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.63LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.85LIKELY
Extraversion
0.13UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.95LIKELY
Emotional Range
0.6LIKELY
Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
Intro:
Tonight, we will continue a study entitled, Praying with Paul.
The subject of my message is Having Hope.
We dedicated all oF 2021 to prayer.
We Focused on praying every Wednesday.
I believe that God has heard our prayer and delights in the that prayer is a part of church culture.
Last week we began a new series.
I have often wondered:
How did the early church leaders?
What was it like to listen to them pray?
I have attended many prayer meetings.
People have knelt, walked, or sat to pray.
They have prayed out loud, quietly, or in silence.
Some have had someone leading in prayer, while others had people praying as they felt led.
But what was it like for an early Christian to listen to one of the Apostles pray.
While we will not get to sit with them and listen, some of their prayers are written for us to read.
The Apostle Paul took time to record on paper how he prayed.
He shared his spiritual desires for the church in Ephesus.
We will break down his prayer and look specifically what He asked God to do for the Ephesians.
He told them that he did not stop praying for them.
He mentioned them to God every time he prayed.
We will spend some time dissecting a prayer of Paul’s to the church in Ephesus.
We started last week.
Paul wanted people to have knowledge, wisdom, and revelation.
Many know ABOUT God, they have head knowledge of who He is, but God wants us to know Him on a deeper level.
Paul desired that the Ephesians would receive wisdom and revelation from God.
Wisdom helps us apply God’s word in our lives, revelation gives us insight from God. Possessing both will increasing our understanding and knowledge of the Lord.
Tonight, I want to continue with these verses, focusing on three words, [Knowing], [Hoping], [Calling].
Let’s begin
1.
Knowing
Paul wanted God’s people to know.
Knowledge is power.
When we take knowledge and infuse it with God’s wisdom and revelation, we possess supernatural power.
I find it fascinating that the Holy Spirit would inspire Paul to pray for us to KNOW anything about God.
When we compare our God to the gods of this world, one of the major diFFerences is that we can KNOW Him.
Think of that, our Finite minds have an opportunity to KNOW our inFinite God.
The one who made the heavens and the earth.
The one who possesses all knowledge, power, and is everywhere at once.
Knowing God was a common theme in Scripture.
In Fact the inFluential people listed in God’s Word are those took the efFort to know God on a personal level.
Knowing the Lord was a priority for Paul.
Paul did not want God’s people to walk around cluelessly and aimlessly.
Instead, he showed through his writings and his lifestyle that people can know God on a personal level.
I am thankful I know the Lord and He knows me.
But it remains overwhelming that He even desires to spend time with me.
He willingly drops what He is doing whenever I call on His name.
Knowing God is vital.
God wants us to know him.
Knowing God should be the aim and desire of every Christian.
2. Hoping
Once God opens our eyes and our hearts and we begin to know Him, something will develop on the inside.
We will walk counterculture, meaning, we will not allow ourselves to sway back and Forth in our relationship with God.
One of best word to describe the feeling that comes from knowing God is HOPE.
Hope is more than feeling anxious about something good.
Hope literally means to expect with confidence.
What is the connection between hope and Jesus?
Notice the two words— know and hope.
When we really know in whom we believe, it changes our perspective and outlook on life.
From the outside looking in, there is little cause for hope.
In Fact, it appears that we live in a hopeless world.
And on the surface, hopelessness seems appropriate with everything going on in society.
But for the child of God, there is a reason to HOPE.
We possess and expectant attitude that God does not leave us comfortless or alone.
Without hope, life seems pointless and meaningless.
But there remains a level of hope within every believer who prays.
For in times with God, we get glimpses of what He has for us.
We have hope that Jesus will:
forgive us
empower us
heal us
listen to us
help us
deliver us
return for us
Paul prayed for the Ephesians to have the knowledge of God, because that would give them hope.
3. Calling
Often, when people hear the word calling, they imagine someone answering the CALL to preach the gospel.
While that is a facet of callings, one that I personally appreciate, we must remember, EVERYONE has a calling from God.
He does not leave us alone or forgotten.
Instead, when we come to Christ as our Savior:
One day, God called our name and we answered.
We submitted our lives to Him and He gave us knowledge and hope that He called us.
Realizing God called us will change our perspective on life.
For it is from the position of a called person, we humbly serve the Lord.
What comes with being called?
Paul explained to the Roman Church that everything works out for those He called.
Then he proceeded to tell them HOW and WHY God called them.
Who is glad that the Lord called us to the Kingdom for such a time as this?
Close:
How did Paul pray?
There was much that went into Paul’s letters and prayers.,
One of biggest need was that for his readers to realize what they possessed in Christ.
Begin a follower of Jesus makes us unique.
We are not better, but we live with a different perspective and culture.
I see Paul’s prayer as something we should desire from God in our lives today.
Like the Ephesians, we are in desperate need of God’s help and direction.
I want us to pray with Paul this evening.
We need to KNOW the Lord.
We need to have HOPE in Him.
We need to walk in our CALLING
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9