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
0.11UNLIKELY
Disgust
0.08UNLIKELY
Fear
0.1UNLIKELY
Joy
0.6LIKELY
Sadness
0.52LIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.64LIKELY
Confident
0UNLIKELY
Tentative
0.43UNLIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.62LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.93LIKELY
Extraversion
0.06UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.69LIKELY
Emotional Range
0.72LIKELY
Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
Let it go.
Three words that were difficult for the hero to hear… but they were the words that saved his life.
For years, decades, his father chased the dream of finding the holy grail… the cup that held the blood of Christ.
They had found it and now it was at their finger tips… but it was just beyond his reach.
Let it go or risk falling into the pit?
The choice was made, the chalice was left behind, but the relationship between father and son… had been restored.
Let it go… and no I will NOT be singing that song this morning!
Let it go.
This can be especially difficult depending on what IT is that the person is having to let go of.
And we have all been on places where we have had to make similar choices… maybe not while hanging on the edge of a cliff, but maybe in more dire circumstances and situations even than that.
Here’s the deal, we know that with change, there will come a point when we have to let go of what was in order for what will be to become our new normal.
We cannot live in what was and in what will be at the same time.
This is the familiar pattern that comes with change…
Consider the events of Palm Sunday for a moment...
Jesus came to Jerusalem knowing that the road ahead meant giving His life as a ransom for many.
Jesus knew He would have to let go… to let God.
Throughout His entire earthly ministry, Jesus was about the Father’s business.
The Gospel of John records Jesus saying this numerous times.
With each day and with each moment, Jesus followed His Father.
That reality continued all the way up to the cross.
Jesus held onto God and let go of self… it was the only way that the price for our sin… could be paid in full.
And the enemy… he tried to get Jesus of course.
Immediately following the baptism of Christ, the enemy worked to tempt Jesus to go the way of self instead of the Father.
But Jesus was determined to follow God no matter what.
Letting God is the key… but letting Go is the precursor.
Joshua and the Israelites find themselves at a new place.
This new place is within the promised land and there is much to do now that they are here.
But before they can go any further, they find themselves having to let go of that which was holding them back.
They had arrived in the new normal… they had crossed the river and began to journey into the promised land.
And much like us today, in the early stages of entering the new normal, we rarely need to add anything… but there is almost always something we hold on to that we need to subtract.
With familiarity comes comfort… like a favorite pair of shoes or a favorite chair to rest in.
It’s not that we don’t like the new normal; sometimes people aren’t ready until we let go of a few things.
How many desire to experience ALL that God has for you?
Not just today… but each and every day?
This is a LOADED desire because in order for us to walk in full fellowship with Him, we HAVE TO LET GO of anything that would jeopardize that fellowship.
We cannot claim to walk in the light and hold on to the darkness.
Some examples might be you want to walk fully with God but it seems impossible for you to relax without the buzz from just one more drink.
So maybe tomorrow you will let go...
You desire for God to be the center of your marriage but you want to take just one more look.
Tomorrow you’ll throw away the magazines or delete the apps.
You’re called to full-time ministry but the job you’re in takes care of the bills and then some.
Your financial security is just too much to let go of in order to follow the call God has placed on your life.
So when you have a little more in the bank, then you’ll let go and follow the call.
You know the relationships you are in are leading you down dark paths but you like the fun that comes with them and it’s hard to say no.
So this summer you will focus on making new relationships that honor the Lord.
Here’s the reality, church.
Personal comfort causes people to procrastinate… to keep holding on to what God has led us to let go of.
If you are waiting for the convenient time or the comfortable time to make the change, that time will never come.
BUT… if you are interested in following GOD’S TIME, He will lead you accordingly.
It may not be easy… but it will be necessary in order for you to experience the fulness of the new normal God has for you.
For the Israelites, well, it was neither easy or comfortable to do what needed to be done.
Total obedience was needed in order for the people to continue on.
There were some men… who had yet to follow God’s instruction… specifically, the instruction to be circumcised.
The men who had been born in the wilderness had not been circumcised.
They were the sons of those who would not get to see the promised land for their disobedience to God.
Did you catch that?
The disobedience of their fathers had kept them from entering the promised land.
The sons, however, were now there… but before moving on, they needed to obey the Lord regarding this command.
Joshua 5:2-3 is where we find this command given.
Circumcision at 8 days old is one thing… but as a grown man?
Yikes.
Not a fun thing to experience for sure.
This was going to hurt.
This was going to be uncomfortable.
And with potential battles ahead, was the timing on this right?
I mean do you really want the fighting men recovering from this kind of procedure?
These guys were familiar with the pain of wondering in the wilderness.
These guys knew the difficulties of the old way of life… the way they left behind them on the other side of the Jordan.
So when God instructed Joshua in Joshua 5:2 that this needed to happen, they stopped and they made it happen.
If they desired to walk in the fullness of God’s promise, then they must be walking in full obedience to the Lord.
And when the work was done, the place was called Gilgal which means “a rolling away.”
The past had now been rolled away and God’s future… was now.
This morning… it’s time to allow God to roll away the anchors that have been keeping us from moving.
This morning,.
it’s time to stop and let the Spirit of God work on us, to pour in new life and to set our course as we take our first few steps in the promises of God.
God is leading us somewhere in someway… and that is what I want to talk about.
That someway is a path… and it leads to provision.
The name of this path… is obedience.
The Path of Provision: Obedience
If we desire to experience the fullness God’s promises, we must be willing to fully obey the direction of the Lord.
This requires a great deal of faith… and the ability to let go of what might be holding you back.
Notice again the name of this point… the PATH to provision.
Earlier I listed out several example scenarios of what might be holding a person back.
God has something here, but you’re stuck over here for whatever reason.
God doesn’t transport us instantaneously from one place to the other… it is a journey, we FOLLOW God as He leads us to go.
That path leads to provision and promise but… OBEDIENCE COMES FIRST.
Rarely have I experienced or witnessed situations where the provision came BEFORE the obedience.
I have almost always seen God provide as the believer walks faithfully step by step into His promises.
Often times, we are presented the the opportunity or need to let go of of something that feels vital to us, while note knowing whether God will provide on the other side of the situation.
This is way things like tithing are so important in our walk of faith.
The tithe is the first 10% of your increase.
What is the significance of the tithe being the first?
Because we are not guaranteed what will come next.
That’s where we must TRUST GOD to provide the rest!
And in my experience, not only has He provided, but He has blessed the rest!
The obedience comes first, the blessing and provision comes next.
Maybe you’re sitting here today trying to figure out why you are stuck in the same pattern… holding in the same trials… and not experiencing breakthrough in spiritual matters.
Church, buckle your seat belts… the problem isn’t God… the issue in many cases is our lack of obedience.
We have to let go… and let God.
And when excuses or personal timelines or personal pleasures or worldly gain or busy schedules get in the way of that… WE CHOOSE TO SETTLE for the wilderness and sin instead of the promises that God has ahead!
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9