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
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Disgust
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Fear
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Joy
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Sadness
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Language Tone
Analytical
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Confident
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Tentative
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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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Emotional Range
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Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
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inhibition, quietness about Jesus
(not as opposed to arrogance, insensitivity, but as opposed to feeling free to speak about Jesus without fear, or anxiety) // lowered voices, postures,
that’s what’s happening here - with this word boldness… // 3 observations about their boldness that can be yours and mine too… Saviour, Sovereign, Prayer
// recap: 1:8 - witnesses to the Risen Jesus, Pentecost - church born, man lame healed - Jesus is the Restorer of all things
//
The one Saviour Jesus
Unlicensed preachers?
Resurrection - Sadducees
First conflict in Acts - like a return to Gospels.
God is not locked up.
Barnabas Aid -
Some of the same people who put Jesus on trial.
Peter was hiding in the courtyard lying about Jesus on that night.
Impressive, powerful leaders of Israel - a 6th generation priestly family.
This is freedom of speech, enough to almost make a jooke - we should be being thanked for our good deeds… not put on trial for doing good.
This is God’s Holy Spirit power enabling Peter.
This is not about Peter.
He’s on about Jesus.
Jesus who is still at work.
Who they looked down upon.
“You builders” - this here is personal (remember, when they leave Jerusalem, this accusation doesn’t continue).
They’ve made themselves God’s enemy:
There’s rescue.
This has always been an offensive statement.
It’s not inclusive, or ‘tolerant’.
What gives Peter such freedom?
- because it’s true and it’s not about him.
God raised Jesus from the dead - the Lord God made Jesus the cornerstone - the basis of all life with God.
There’s a freedom that can come from being very clear about things.
There’s an urgency that comes from being clear about this.
Reading gospel of Luke with a married couple a decade ago - ‘so if we turn to Jesus, and my parents won’t, they’re face God’s judgment and we’ll be safe’ - YES.
(and that’s true for any of us who are in the same boat - spouses, parents, children, friends, siblings - there’s a rescue available, but only one rescue Jesus)
No other salvation.
No other name but Jesus.
And all humanity needs rescue from judgment.
Not Buddha, or Muhammed, or the systems they constructed.
Not the Pope or the institution of the church.
Not ‘me and the big man upstairs have an arrangement’.
Christianity has always had missionaries - people sent out - because of this statement here.
If you’re a Christian and you want uninhibited speaking about Jesus - the first thing to do is get clear on the good news about Jesus the Rescuer.
Understand why you trust Jesus - and what you are trusting him for.
If you haven’t come to terms that Jesus is the only Saviour that every human needs - you included - it’s urgent: it’s the most important thing you will ever do in your life - get this sorted.
Talk to us.
Ask your questions.
Jesus the Saviour is not threatened by investigation.
And we as Christians don’t need to be threatened either.
//
The one Sovereign God
How is it that these men aren’t threatened by this power?
Notice the ‘they had been with Jesus’.
We’ll see a bigger picture confidence for them too just now, but let’s not rush over this one.
Could it/can it be said of you that you have been with Jesus? -
Do you spend time with him?
Listening to him in the pages of Scripture, responding to him in prayer?
He is alive - and with every believer, every person he has rescued.
Of course we’ll feel inhibited if we don’t actually have an ongoing relationship with Jesus to speak about.
Picture the scene - a semi circle of Israel’s most powerful people.
A 6th generation, never happened before, family of High Priestly power concentrated in that room.
The very same ones who got the job done on Jesus (or at least, they thought they had).
But they have nothing to say.
Don’t know what to do.
Resort to threats.
Contrast this with Peter and John:
Who’s in charge?
Peter and John know God is the Sovereign.
They engage in a bit of civil disobedience.
[It’s a very limited thing - when you’re commanded directly to disobey something God has commanded.
- ]
They are not afraid, because they know who God is and what he has asked of them.
And they’ve already seen God vindicate Jesus and can be confident he’d vindicate them in time too.
And for all that:
If you’re a Christian, you have a story too to tell about Jesus -
[?]
It can be hard to gather yourself after conflict… sometimes wanting to punch someone in the nose, or say your piece (or stay up through the night rehearsing what you wish you’d said), or stewing on it and making a plan...
So What?
Pray!
Fun fact, this is the longest prayer recorded in Acts.
They praise and acknowledge who God is.
They pray back to God with the Scriptures.
Psalm 146 and Psalm 2.
They take refuge and rest and confidence in him.
No frantic fear or hand wringing.
The tables are turned:
It is the supposed authorities who are frantic and acting futilely.
There is one Sovereign ruler who conducts the course of history.
No asking for vengeance or judgment now.
No asking for protection, or safety, or even health and peace.
Just for more freedom to speak (to do the job they’d been given by Jesus - not their agenda, not their shopping list || worth asking, what is the job God has given us?? - is that the focus of your prayers?
.
And leaving the threats to God to do with.
Keep working God through Jesus to keep showing yourself.
Prayer answered.
Notice not everybody then was an apostle.
But they were all together calling on God for his message to go out.
And they all do end up speaking with freedom.
Saviour, Sovereign - then pray.
The One Saviour: Jesus
The one Sovereign: God
So: Pray!
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