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.
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Anger
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Fear
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Analytical
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Social Tone
Openness
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Conscientiousness
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Extraversion
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Agreeableness
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Anger
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Introduction
What are you seeking?
This is a simple question that packs much force.
Are you seeking fame?
Fortune?
Love?
Acceptance?
Could you be looking for recognition?
Do you desire affirmation?
Is your seeking of a worldly nature?
The lust for gold spans all eras, races, and nationalities.
To possess any amount of gold seems to ignite an insatiable desire to obtain more.
Through the centuries, this passion gave rise to the enduring tale of a city of gold.
It even caused a man of dignity and notoriety to put the place on the map.
It is a place that does not exist but Sir Walter Raleigh was the one who put this nonexistent place on the map.
That place was El Dorado, a legendary city of gold that was said to be located in what is now Venezuela.
Now, El Dorado has become a loose, seductive metaphor for the riches that might still lie undiscovered in the vast northern lands of South America.
It even cause Edgar Allen Poe to write a poem about it.
Gaily bedight,
A gallant knight,
In sunshine and in shadow,
Had journeyed long, The man searched hard and long for nothing.
Singing a song,
In search of Eldorado.
But he grew old—
This knight so bold— He grew old and weary seeking a false dream.
And o’er his heart a shadow—
Fell as he found
No spot of ground
That looked like Eldorado.
It was a delusion that only existed in his mind.
And, as his strength
Failed him at length,
He met a pilgrim shadow—
‘Shadow,’ said he,
‘Where can it be—
This land of Eldorado?’
‘Over the Mountains
Of the Moon, He comes across a fake phantom and is told the gold is in a mythical place.
Down the Valley of the Shadow,
Ride, boldly ride,’
The shade replied,—
‘If you seek for Eldorado!’
We are all seeking to find something and we almost always think that something of the material world will fix the longing or desire we have.
All the world will give us is a misappropriation of what is right and true.
Theologian Donald Grey Barnhouse tells of a group of boys in London who “all whistled out of tune as they went about their work.
It was talked about and someone suggested that it was because the bells of Westminster were slightly out of tune.
Something had gone wrong with the chimes and they were discordant.
The boys did not know there was anything wrong with the peals, and quite unconsciously they had copied their pitch.”
He further states, “So we tend to copy the people with whom we associate; we borrow thoughts from the books we read and the programs to which we listen, almost without knowing it.
God has given us His Word which is the absolute pitch of life and living.
If we learn to sing by it, we shall easily detect the false in all of the music of the world.”
What we gather around is what we tend to imitate.
We will desire worldly items and desires over other better items if we only have worldly influences.
If we do not find those influences that push a heavenly mindset, a mind set on things above lifestyle, then we will always have our attention on the world.
In the Scripture under study today we see a man who was heavenly minded.
A man who was not certain of the one to come but had committed his life to having Him revealed.
He went out and sought to lead many to Him even though he did not know Him or when He would come.
He says that he did this to reveal Him and not himself.
He wanted the man who comes after him but who Ranks above him because He was before him to be revealed.
He wants Christ known to the world because the Messiah is the only way to get the world humming the correct tune.
John the Baptist cannot do this, only the Messiah can.
This is what we see in John 1:29-42
The first thing we see in this is
Is He First in Your Life? (29-34)
John the Baptist makes it clear that even though he was performing ministry first that Jesus is before him.
He knows that he is only a mouthpiece, a man used mightily by God to make the way for Jesus, but he is not the one to be first.
He makes this clear here and in a later chapter saying that Christ must increase and himself decrease.
He knew he had a purpose but that his purpose was not above that of the one who was coming.
He made known that the Messiah the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, was to come and that He is the Son of God.
He is the one who will deliver the nation of Israel if they accept Him..
He is the one who will take away the sins of all people.
He is the lamb that they do not need to provide as the sacrifice because God is sending the lamb for them.
Just as He sent the sheep to Abraham for the sacrifice instead of Isaac being sacrificed.
John knew that Jesus was so much more than he was.
He knew that He was the one that all must be looking to, not himself.
John is willingly tel;ling all who hear that the one he had baptized a few days earlier was the Messiah.
He is the one they need to look to.
He is the one they need to follow.
He knows that his authority is nothing compared to that of Christ.
He willingly removes himself from any sphere of power.
He steps back instead of placing himself first.
How often do we place ourselves above the Lord?
Do we think that we need more or need to be known more above making Him known?
There are many in ministry today who seek and desire to have a name known to the whole world.
They want fame and success and will do anything to receive this.
Take for example this list of names.
After hearing them ask yourself if you Recognize any of them: Owen D. Young, Pierre Laval, Hugh S. Johnson, James F. Byrnes, Mohammed Mossadegh, Harlow Curtis?
Do you?
You should according to Time magazine, because these are all people who have been designated as "Man of the Year" by Time, indicating they had the greatest impact in that year of all persons living on Earth.
The celebrity of today is all but forgotten tomorrow.
Whatever we may think we are we are nothing.
We are here for a purpose and a time and we need to make the best of that time just as John did.
He made the way for Jesus and said He was a rank above him and more than he in all respects.
John stepped aside and made sure Jesus was exalted.
He does this again and again.
We see it when he points Christ out again to his own disciples and they leave him to follow Jesus.
They leave because they want to follow Him.
Will You Follow Him? (35-39)
John made Christ known and he pointed his own disciples to Him.
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