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
0.61LIKELY
Sadness
0.2UNLIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.58LIKELY
Confident
0UNLIKELY
Tentative
0.11UNLIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.83LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.91LIKELY
Extraversion
0.38UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.73LIKELY
Emotional Range
0.74LIKELY
Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
Introduction
When one says the word “church,” there are many thoughts.
Some think of a stone building on the corner of W. King Street and Cherry Street.
Some think of a Sunday morning worship service.
Some think of an organizational structure or an entire denomination.
What exactly is the church?
Is it an organization or is it an organism?
The Church in some form or fashion has been around now for almost two thousand years.
In its first 300 years, it was an illegal organization.
The persecution of Christians was alway possible and often quite intense.
Churches became institutions that evolved into a loosely hierarchical structure.
A hierarchy is that structure in which authority is entrusted to a few individuals for the good of the whole.
By the second century, the church had overseers or bishops in larger cities that began exercise authority over the churches in outlying areas.
These bishops were asked to establish true apostolic doctrine and practices.
In theory, they were seen as successors to the apostles and therefore seen as guardians of the true teachings of Christ.
Roman government and church hierarchy began to merge and the government began to shrink away while the church took on many of the obligations and privileges of the government.
As the line between what was the church and what was the government diminished, more power was utilized the church became more about doing works through the law and sacraments.
During the Protestant Reformation, outspoken preachers like Luther, Zwingli, Calvin and others preached that salvation came through God’s grace rather than by works of these laws and sacraments.
Eventually, these preachers expounded on the Word of God and held that only believers could be members of the church.
This return to this Biblical model led to the separation of church and state as well as the rise of denominations as we have today.
Of course, extreme forms of denominationalism have some folks think that you have to be a certain denomination in order to be the true church.
I assure you that when we all get to heaven there will not be categories that divide us.
There will be no denominations, no race, nor gender or any other type of divisions mankind has mustered up in these last days.
So if Heaven is going to be like that, shouldn’t we start now by recognizing the church in a better sense?
The Bible teaches us that the church is the body of those who have been called out of the world by God’s grace, and who have been called together to glorify Him by serving Him in His world.
Despite all the headlines of late, the church is ultimately called to be a radiant church, “without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.”
(Ephesians 5:27)
If this is definition of what the church should be, I want to invite you to look how we get there.
Specifically, I want to invite you to look at Titus 2:11-15
Invited By Grace (vs.
11)
First, I want you to see that the church exists today because of God’s grace.
We have studied GRACE many times and often have used the acronym God’s Redemption At Christ’s Expense.
God’s
Redemption
At
Christ’s
Expense
The Grace of God calls us.
Ephesians 1:4-6
We have talked multiple times over that last few weeks with the Doctrines we have studied that we fall short of the Glory of God because of our sinfulness.
Yet, God still calls us to be His.
God’s grace comes from His great power.
His great power has appeared and fixed our problem.
Look at this way, have you ever been broken down beside a busy road?
I have had that problem a time or two and it is not a fun place to be.
You are stranded and often alone.
Imagine someone stops to help you.
They are not able to help you fix the problem, but they are present with you for the time being.
That’s nice isn’t?
However, your broken down vehicle is still broken down.
What is that person that stops can not only be with you, but can fix your problem and then continue the journey with you?
That is much better isn’t it?
God’s power has appeared and fixed our problem!
The Grace of God calls us then leads us to salvation.
God’s grace and His salvation is for all mankind.
The word in our text for “men” is anthropos, which means human beings, both male and female.
This is an important concept for the church.
God’s grace is given freely to all and therefore, the church should be open to all.
It is not not an exclusive club.
Everyone belongs and should have a chance to belong.
Just like God has done for us, we should be a church that invites others to experience God’s Grace.
It calls us, it leads us to salvation, and it is for all people.
We are invited by grace and we are illuminated with grace.
Illuminated With Grace (vs.
11)
In Titus 2:11, don’t miss the word “appeared.”
The Greek word is epiphaino.
It means to bring light, to be like a star, and to be clearly known.
We all know how incredible light is!
The salvation we have received through Christ lights our way as the Star of Bethlehem!
What does light do?
It dispels the darkness!
Church, when we are illuminated with grace, we are indeed dispelling the darkness.
That’s why l love to drive by our church at night.
It’s a wonder there have not been more wrecks in front of our church.
I am captivated by this stain glass window as the light shines through it at nighttime.
I would say there is not another building in town that displays such an exhibit of beauty.
That is exactly when happens when Christ comes into our lives and when we allow His light to penetrate throughout our church body.
When we are illuminated with grace, it drives out the dirt.
In other words, as grace is illuminated in our lives, we get rid of the nasty and develop the disciple within us God desires for us to have!
There’s a concept for us!
As the church, we should illuminate grace as we develop disciples.
Grace develops our character of Christlikeness.
We give up things that the light reveals that are not helpful for us.
The church is lit up with grace and it is also instructed through grace.
Instructed Through Grace (vs.12-13)
Our text today tells us to say no to that which conflicts us.
We are to say no to ungodliness.
Titus 2:12
The word that translates to ungodliness means impiety or a lack of reverence for God in both thought and action.
It is paired with the another phrase “worldly passions.”
This means having desires that are forbidden and belonging to the world while having the character of the present corrupt age.
Unfortunately, our headlines today show that many churches and denominations are not saying no to ungodliness and worldly passions.
As a result, we there is no line of separation between church and state.
In fact, we see more ungodliness and worldly passions in our pews.
Church, it is time for us to say no to the confliction!
It is time for us to say no to ungodliness and worldly passions and start saying yes to a life of self-control as we live upright and godly lives!
Psalm 24:3-4
Our churches have been given much grace and we need to instruct in and through that grace.
We need to have Bible studies, Sunday School classes, and gathering times where grace is shown and learned more about.
Are you seeing how grace plays a key role in the church?
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9