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
0.13UNLIKELY
Disgust
0.07UNLIKELY
Fear
0.08UNLIKELY
Joy
0.6LIKELY
Sadness
0.14UNLIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.77LIKELY
Confident
0UNLIKELY
Tentative
0.59LIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.83LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.42UNLIKELY
Extraversion
0.18UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.84LIKELY
Emotional Range
0.53LIKELY
Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
Introduction
Sandra Bullock won the 2010 Best Actress Academy Award for her portrayal of Leigh Ann Tuohy in The Blind Side.
The sensational film chronicles a Christian family who took in a homeless young man and gave him the chance to reach his God-given potential.
Michael Oher not only dodged the hopelessness of his dysfunctional inner city upbringing, but became the first-round NFL draft pick for the Baltimore Ravens in 2009.
At a recent fund-raiser, Sean Tuohy noted that the transformation of his family and Michael all started with two words.
When they spotted Michael walking along the road on a cold November morning (the movie depicts it as nighttime) in shorts and a T-shirt, Leigh Ann Tuohy uttered two words that changed their world.
She told Sean, “Turn around.”
They turned the car around, put Michael in their warm vehicle, and ultimately adopted him into their family.
Those same two words can change anyone’s life.
When we turn around, we change directions and begin an exciting new journey.
Some may need to make an about-face concerning their disbelief in Christ, or it could be a Christian needs to turn around and reconsider the value of fervent prayer.
Whatever your situation, a great story of wonderful change could be just two words away.
In our passage this morning Paul talks about his Opposition, God’s Mercy, “turn-around”.
I. Opposition
Few of us would consider ourselves in Saul’s company when it comes to our opposition to Christ prior to our salvation.
A. Paul calls himself a blasphemer
(blásphēmos which is derived from bláptō, to harm, or bláx, stupid, and phḗmē, report).
Neither derivative fully describes Paul's activity prior to becoming a Christian, despite the fact that he had been trained by one of Jerusalem's greatest religious teachers, Gamaliel.
Paul proved his foolishness not just by rejecting Christ, but also by seeking to arrest and imprison Christians.
He worked tirelessly to discredit Christ and His disciples.
B. Paul, also, refers to himself as a persecutor.
1 Timothy 1:13
The Greek word translated persecutor is only used here (diṓktēs, one who pursues others).
Meaning to harass or maltreat.
Speaking about himself as an unbeliever, he writes here... the verb translated “wasted” is epórthouns, which means to destroy.
The same verb is used describing his persecution of the church in Jerusalem.
Likewise, he kept the clothes of those who were stoning Stephen, the first Christian martyr .
C. Finally, in verse 13 Paul refers to himself as injurious
(hubristḗn, indicating a person who abuses his power).
In
In the verb form is used preceding murder.
Thus, the progression of sin goes from giving evil report to actually harming those who represent good.
Evil is never static.
II.
On The Other Hand
But God’s Mercy Reached Him
A. The little conjunction "but"
connects Paul's heinous deeds with God's inexplicable mercy.
B. “I obtained mercy”
in Greek is ēleḗthēn, the second aorist passive of eleéō, to show mercy.
1.
The verb form used indicates that God took the initiative in granting mercy.
2. God acted suddenly
3. Jesus’ call to Paul was accepted in a way that any man who is a stranger to Christ can believe and be saved
4. The mercy God showed Paul is irreversible
We, likewise, are secure in Christ.
C. Mercy is Christ's supernatural capacity to eliminate or mitigate the consequences of our sin.
God’s mercy made it possible for Paul to be used by Him in spite of his terrible past.
D. God showed mercy in Paul’s life because he acted in the ignorance of unbelief.
III.
Turn Around
The Grace of God Changed Paul
While God’s mercy deals with the consequence of sin,
A. His grace begins to change the sinner in order to reconcile him in God.
B. Paul experienced not only God’s mercy
but also His grace, and in great abundance
Huperpleonázō means to superabound and occurs only here.
There is enough grace for the worst sinner, and then some.
C. God’s grace resulted in two great changes in Paul’s life: “faith and love.”
It changed Paul’s faith from Judaism to Christ
It changed Paul’s love from his people to all people.
Conclusion
Can such a change be seen in our lives?
Has God’s grace and mercy changed the object of your faith?
Has the grace and mercy of God changed our love from self to others?
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9