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
0.16UNLIKELY
Disgust
0.13UNLIKELY
Fear
0.14UNLIKELY
Joy
0.54LIKELY
Sadness
0.55LIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.36UNLIKELY
Confident
0UNLIKELY
Tentative
0.53LIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.58LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.4UNLIKELY
Extraversion
0.11UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.79LIKELY
Emotional Range
0.5LIKELY
Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
Why Should I Forgive My Family?
Genesis 45:1-15
*Introduction*
· I grew up hearing this . .
.”Son, you’re just a little too big for your britches.”
Now I really am!
I know what my parents meant—you’re just a little too cocky—smart aleck.
· I think it’s safe to say that Joseph was a little too big for his britches.
· Jacob’s favorite son—spoiled.
I think he felt quite at home in his position as number one son.
· Bitter rivalry among the Jacob clan—Joseph’s brothers got to the point of enough.
They hated him (Gen .
37:4).
· Hatched a scheme (as older brothers are often wont to do).
Let’s kill him and chunk his body down a well.
Reuben steps in –don’t kill him—just throw him in a well (Reuben planned to pull him out later.).
Just so happened that a caravan of Ishamaelite traders came along so they brothers sold Joseph into slavery for twenty pieces of silver.
Then they took Joseph’s “coat of many colors,” dipped it in blood and showed it to Jacob—Jacob’s conclusion—some animal killed him.
· Times passes by and Joseph winds up in Egypt in the home of Potiphar, captain of Pharaoh’s guard.
· Through his skill as an interpreter of dreams and manager of resources, Joseph earns a position as Pharaoh’s right-hand man.
· Then, in time, famine came to the land of the middle east (not uncommon).
· Meanwhile, back in Jacob’s house food had run out; however Jacob heard that grain was available in Egypt so off he sent his boys to buy some.
· The boys get to Egypt and low and behold who to they appear in front of?
Joseph himself.
He recognizes them, but they don’t know him.
Of course, how could they ever expected him to be in such a place?
· For a while Joseph appears to wrestle within concerning what he’s to do about this unexpected turn of events.
He pretends to be a stranger and treats them rather harshly.
At first he accuses them of being spies and does all kinds of things to make life difficult for his brothers.
In the end, reveals himself to them.
Joseph is overwhelmed with emotion—his heart is overwhelmed!
· Joseph's brothers were "terrified.”
And for good reason!
· Joseph is very powerful at this point.
He could have (with a word) condemned them to a fate worse than death.
He could have gained revenge against them in response to their despicable act.
Instead he forgave them.
· /Why should I forgive my family?/
! 1. Forgiveness preserves the unity of the family
· *Ps 133:1-3 (NIV)** *How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!
It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down upon the collar of his robes.
It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion.
For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.
· I hate TV commercials.
This week get up and while eating my granola bar & banana, I try to catch a little news—nothing but ads—CNN, Headline News, Fox!! “For everything else, there’s Mastercard.
No price can be placed on family.
No money can ever buy those relationships that are bound by blood.
· Family /can/ be a beautiful thing—family /should be/ beautiful.
But far too often families are hotbeds of contempt.
Unfortunately, those we love the most are capable of causing us the deepest hurt.
And those hurts left un-forgiven divide us.
Bitterness grips our minds.
Grudges grow unhindered and over time literally rip relationships apart.
· Fathers who haven’t spoken to their children in years.
Children who never call their mother anymore.
Brothers and brothers, sisters and sisters, brothers and sisters who have for all intents and purposes lost contact with one another.
Something went awry—somebody said or did something that hurt someone else’s feelings, and they never got over it.
It just simmers . . .
and family united is relegated to a place in that family’s ancient history.
Unity~/togetherness~/ closeness is the way things used to be—and it seems they’ll never be that way again.
· That’s not right!! Do you hear me?
It’s not the way we’re meant to be.
That is NOT what God intended when he made us for one another.
· I don’t doubt that Joseph struggled within concerning what to do about his brothers.
But he came to a place where he could forgive them.
He understood that forgiveness would preserve his family.
· For unity to be an ongoing reality, forgiveness must permeate the family!
* *
!
2. Forgiveness preserves the sanity of both parties
*/The victim.
/*
· Bitterness destroys--grabbing hold of grudges and not letting go gnaws on our hearts.
· *One day, two monks were walking through the countryside.*
They were on their way to another village to help bring in the crops.
As they walked, they spied an old woman sitting at the edge of a river.
She was upset because there was no bridge, and she could not get across on her own.
The first monk kindly offered, "We will carry you across if you would like."
"Thank you," she said gratefully, accepting their help.
So the two men joined hands, lifted her between them and carried her across the river.
When they got to the other side, they set her down, and she went on her way.
After they had walked another mile or so, the second monk began to complain.
"Look at my clothes," he said.
"They are filthy from carrying that woman across the river.
And my back still hurts from lifting her.
I can feel it getting stiff."
The first monk just smiled and nodded his head.
A few more miles up the road, the second monk griped again, "My back is hurting me so badly, and it is all because we had to carry that silly woman across the river!
I cannot go any farther because of the pain."
The first monk looked down at his partner, now lying on the ground, moaning.
"Have you wondered why I am not complaining?" he asked.
"Your back hurts because you are still carrying the woman.
But I set her down five miles ago."
That is what many of us are like in dealing with our families.
We are that second monk who cannot let go.
We hold the pain of the past over our loved ones' heads like a club, or we remind them every once in a while, when we want to get the upper hand, of the burden we still carry because of something they did years ago.
Dr. Anthony T. Evans, Guiding Your Family in a Misguided World.
· /Are you bitter?
Holding on to your hurts?/
*/The perpetrator./*
· In the case of Joseph's brothers, physical protection.
· *Buddy Hackett:** *"I've had a few arguments with people, but I never carry a grudge.
You know why?
While you're carrying a grudge, they're out dancing."
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9