Sermon Tone Analysis

Formal Elements / Descriptive Data

Text: a complete thought-unit of Scripture providing the sermon’s basis

Central Idea of the Text (CIT): details of text summarized in a complete, past tense sentence

Out of Christ’s love for Christians they are given the commandment to love one another.

Christian discipleship is grounded in the work of God (not one’s own work) and is an expression of the nature of God himself.

[ZECNT]

Proposition: major idea of sermon summarized in a complete sentence using present, active, future indicative or imperative mood; in direct relationship to the CIT

Given that we are commanded to love one another, I seek today to compel you to challenge your definition of that love.

Statement of Purpose:

(1) Major Objective (MO) – only ONE of six possible (doctrinal, devotional ethical, evangelistic, consecrative, or supportive)

Ethical

(2) Specific Objective (SO) – focuses on only one; calls for specific action (“I want my hearer to . . .

“)

Be challenged to take an inventory of whether, why, and how they are seeking daily, actively to walk complicit to Jesus’ New Command.

Title (Topic/Name): 2 to 4 words with a key or arrow word usually common to all major ideas; innovative, interesting, contemporary; indicative of general sermon content; not sensational or cute

Informal Elements / Rhetorical Data

Introduction:

Footprints of Discipleship

—JOHN 13:35 “35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

Have you ever tried to follow your dad as he walks through the snow or across the sand?

Have you tried to step only in the footprints that he has made?

Not an easy task!

You have to stretch your legs as far as they will go to reach his footprints!

But by following in his footprints, you know which way to go.

That’s what following God is like.

It’s called discipleship.

As a Christian, you need to follow in someone else’s footprints.

A parent, grandparent, or teacher.

That person’s footprints show you the right way to go, what to say and do as a child of God.

No one has to walk this path alone.

Did you know that you also leave footprints for others to follow?

Even though you are young, you can lead others to Jesus—a younger child, a friend, or someone who is just learning about Jesus.

Part of discipleship is not letting someone walk this trail alone.

Growing in Grace

Trace around your feet on a piece of construction paper, and then cut out the footprints.

Ask your mom or dad to do the same.

Which ones are bigger?

The feet of the grown-ups are—they’ve been growing longer.

Your faith should be the same way.

The longer it grows, the bigger your “faith footprint” will be.

[John C.Maxwell]

Get Attention/Raise Need/Orient Theme/State Purpose

- strong, attractive, and interesting opening sentence

- personal and social material; personal bridge; social bridge

What the Bible says about Love!

(Romans 13:8–10)

From cover to cover “love” is the theme of the Bible.

God’s love for mankind runs throughout the pages of the Bible.

It is best summed up in His sacrificial love towards us found in John 3:16 which says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

God loved us so much that He sent Jesus to earth to die for us and in our place and for our sins so that we could be redeemed.

Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Because of what He’s done for us and His great love for us, we are to love Him with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength.

God deserves our love!

The Bible speaks much about our love for God.

It is because of His love for us that we can and should love Him. 1 John 4:19 says, “We love Him because He first loved us.”

The church is to:

→ love God supremely,

→ worship God exclusively,

→ serve God faithfully,

→ minister for God fervently,

→ and witness for God passionately, all because of His love for us and our love for Him.

God’s love for us is an inexhaustible subject.

Our love for God can be expounded on for the rest of our days.

But the Bible also has much to say about another “love.”

The Bible has much to say about our love for one another.

→ Our love for one another is not to be superficial, but supernatural.

→ Our love for one another is not to be phony, but fervent.

→ Our love for one another is not to be elusive, but to be exhibited.

A young lady wrote to her former man:

Dearest Johnny,

No words could ever express the great unhappiness I’ve felt since breaking our engagement.

Please say you’ll take me back.

No one could ever take your place in my heart, so please forgive me.

I love you, I love you, I love you!

Yours forever, Marie.

P S.

And congratulations on winning the state lottery.

[Jack Andrews]

- textual material (CIT); textual bridge

Structure and Literary Form

As the first of eight sections of the farewell discourse, [these verses are] part of the fourth (and longest) substantial monologue in the narrative proper.

A monologue (see Introduction) is similar to a dialogue in that it is set in the context of an engagement and conflict, but rather than engaging point-for-point it allows for a lengthy argument.

A monologue can contain elements of rhetoric, challenge, and conflict, but it does so in a sustained presentation.

This [passage] functions like a prologue.

The first and last sections of the farewell discourse serve as a frame and inclusio [or bookends] for the entire monologue.

(The logic behind seeing a prologue (13:31–38) and an epilogue (16:25–33) framing the discourse proper is rooted in the nearly identical content in each pericope, serving to connect the entire monologue together.

For not only do both pericopae include the question of where Jesus is going and the affirmation of where he is from (13:31 and 16:28), but also both include the reaction of Jesus to Peter and to the disciples alike regarding betrayal or abandonment (13:38 and 16:32).1)

This first section of the farewell discourse introduces the disciples to Jesus’s depiction of life in his person and the covenantal transition that is taking place through His work.

In His opening statement Jesus explains the nature of his glory and its most vivid expression: commitment and love.

[1 Boyle, “The Last Discourse,” 217.]

[Edward W. Klink III, John, ed.

Clinton E. Arnold, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2016), 602.]

Out of Christ’s love for Christians they are given the commandment to love one another.

Christian discipleship is grounded in the work of God (not one’s own work) and is an expression of the nature of God himself.

[ZECNT]

- focus the sermon’s intent (Proposition)

Given that we are commanded to love one another, I seek today to compel you to challenge your definition of that love.

- relational and transitional material; structural bridge

Be challenged to take an inventory of whether, why, and how they are seeking daily, actively to walk complicit to Jesus’ New Command.

Body – Development – Outline:

I. State major idea drawn directly from the text, in a brief, complete sentence using present active, future indicative or imperative mood, strong verbs (avoid “to be” and its forms); (vs ?)