Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
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Emotion Tone
Anger
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Disgust
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Fear
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Joy
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Sadness
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Analytical
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Confident
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Openness
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Conscientiousness
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Extraversion
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Emotional Range
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Tone of specific sentences
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Anger
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The flood… is coming.
The flood that would wipe out all wickedness and unrighteousness on the earth was coming.
We are familiar with the story.
One family is saved by God, commissioned to build a boat, and would be the only things to survive along with two of every kind of animal.
We are six chapters in Genesis.
Just 3 chapters earlier, we read of creation and the original sin.
A few chapters later and we find this reality recorded.
God regretted...
We all know what regret is and what it feels like.
Regret is to feel sad or disappointed over something that has happened or something that has been done.
Specifically, the original word used here means to be sorry or to console oneself.
So… what was it that caused God to feel this way?
Back up one verse to find the answer.
God SAW how great the wickedness of the human race had become.
His regret was not focused on humans because they were humans.
His regret came for the the evil that was apparent in their hearts.
God’s regret, His disappointment, was the result of humankind’s rejection of His ways.
He was not disappointed in WHO they were… how could He be?
WE WERE ORIGINALLY MADE IN HIS IMAGE… AND… GOD DECLARED HIS CREATION TO BE GOOD.
God did not create us for sin.
God created us for something much better… but humans made the choice to settle for option b… the option that brought sin into the world and death a part of reality.
God’s heart was troubled by the evil ways that had filled the hearts of humanity so He decides to “wipe from the face of the earth the human race.”
After making this decision BUT before sending the flood, The Bible makes mention of something important.
Noah had found favor in the eyes of the Lord.
Noah Found Favor...
We looked at regret, now lets look at favor.
The original word used here means elegance, favor or grace.
Noah stood out.
And because of his stance, Noah received friendly regard that was given to Him by God Himself.
The Bible did not say Noah found favor in the eyes of the world…
Noah lived a life outside the cultural trends.
He and his family are the ONLY ONES ON EARTH mentioned to be saved from the soon-coming flood.
Imagine that for a moment… In today’s terms, that would be one in 7.9 billion people!
Let me help you with the imagery.
If we changed 7.9 billion to currency, and used 100 dollar bills, it takes 10,000 one hundred dollar bills to make a billion and when stacked, it would be 2/3 or a mile high.
7.9 billion would result in a stack roughly five and a quarter miles high or roughly the distance from Agra to Kensington!
That is stacked not laid end to end!
Noah stood out for his faithfulness to God.
We see this declaration made in Genesis 6:9
So… because of the sin and evil in the world, God decided to wipe out the human race… all but Noah and His family.
Had God’s love for the human race changed?
No… and that is why I believe this was so emotional for God.
God loved EVERY person then as He does now.
But He cannot turn a blind eye to sin.
He cannot ignore the evil ways of the world.
When God said to Adam and Eve do not eat of the tree or you will surely die, He meant it.
It was true then, it is true today.
SIN BRINGS DEATH.
But faith… faith brings something else.
Faith opens the door… for favor… for grace.
God could have destroyed Noah and his family with the rest but remember, God did not destroy all because of who they were, they were destroyed for the evil they had stored up in their hearts…
Tonight I want to look at the cause of the flood and the cause of Noah’s favor.
The flood… is a really big deal in earth’s history.
Many ANE texts record a great flood event.
Some would speculate that this means cultures robbed other cultures of their stories and myths.
However, when you look at the breadth of the situation, I would conclude it only solidifies the fact the the flood did happen.
The earth was covered with water.
All life perished except that which was on the ark.
What we look at tonight at the days leading up to this world-wide event.
The Corruption of the World.
Imagine being the only guy on the planet that knew… the end of the world was coming.
Imagine knowing in this moment… what Noah knew.
What would you do with the information we just read?
First off, I think I would be thankful that I was still hearing from God.
I don’t say this for pride sake but for the sake of faithfulness and humbleness.
Noah was hearing from God… because Noah had remained faithful to God.
Just as God could not ignore the sinful nature of the world, God could not ignore the righteous position of Noah’s heart!
Therefore, God lays it out for Noah.
The world had become… corrupt.
This is a word that gets used a lot in our day.
But what does it mean to be corrupt?
One definition says to change from good to bad in morals, manners, or actions.
Another definition simply says to go to ruin.
Dishonest or fraudulent conduct is yet another way to define corruption.
But there is something important to note regarding the use of this word in verse 11.
In order for something to be deemed corrupt or to claim that corruption is happening… what must be present for that kind of behavior to be measured against?
A STANDARD.
We cannot determine whether or not corruption is present if no standard exists to measure it against.
How does a person know if they are driving too fast?
By the speed limit signs posted on the highway.
How does a person know that stealing from a store will get them in trouble?
By the laws we have in our communities.
How does a person know not to enter a person’s house without permission?
By the right that person has to defend his or her home.
The standard sets the bar.
The standard lays out the moral code and structure for appropriate behavior.
In this case, the standard was not just a way of the world, but it was the ways of the Lord.
Humankind had CORRUPTED that standard.
They rejected the standard and therefore corrupted the deign and pattern of life God had established at creation.
What were the standards God set in motion?
Stewardship.
Mankind were to be stewards of what God had given them.
What does it mean to be a steward?
When Adam and Eve took from the forbidden tree, they were acting as owners, not stewards.
It was not theirs to take.
Work.
Work was a part of God’s original design.
Marriage.
One man, one woman, it’s that simple.
Family.
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