Sermon Tone Analysis

Text Reading: Acts 8:1-4.

Title: Cultivate Love

Review & Summary

Saul made havock of the church.

Last week, I turned my attention to the brief phrase in vs. 3:

Acts 8:3 (KJV 1900)

As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.

I then went on to begin to challenge you with this:

_______________ made havock of the church!

Make sure that our name never needs to be put in that blank!

How?

Cultivate Love

Jesus spoke these words:

And yet, He also warned:

We live in a world and a society where iniquity is abounding.

We are surrounded by wickedness and filth every day.

Because of that, has our love for one another begun to cool?

We want to turn our attention, once again, to Romans chapter 12 and 13.

Turn to and read Romans 12:9-10.

One commentator said:

The subject of these two verses is “brotherly love.”

This is one of the finest expressions that the New Testament uses to express the nature of our relationship to each other in the church.

We are as concerned about each other as are members of a closely-knit family.

In fact, the Christian fellowship is a family, and these ties often outweigh flesh-and-blood family ties.

Be sincere.

Romans 12:9 (KJV 1900)

Let love be without dissimulation....

I said last week that this is the reason why we must keep a tender heart so that we can be sincere in our love toward one another!

Hate evil; Rejoice in the Truth

Romans 12:9 (KJV 1900)

...Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.

An American Dictionary of the English Language (ABHOR)

ABHOR

1.

To hate extremely, or with contempt; to lothe, detest or abominate.

2. To despise or neglect.

3. To cast off or reject.

Psalm 97:10 (KJV 1900)

Ye that love the Lord, hate evil...

Proverbs 8:13 (KJV 1900)

The fear of the Lord is to hate evil...

Amos 5:15 (KJV 1900)

Hate the evil, and love the good...

Christian love faces the facts, sees the good and the evil in those loved, and responds properly to both.

True Christian character is founded on true Christian love and is expressed in a hatred of evil and a love for good

However, I again want say that Christian love faces the facts, sees the good and the evil in those loved, and responds properly to both.

One commentator said:

Unpretentious love sees the evil in a brother, mourns over that evil, rejects that evil, and spares no energy toward rescuing the fallen brother.

It is generally easier to respond properly to the good in others than it is to respond properly to the evil in others.

So I caution us all that we respond respond properly to both - the evil and the good - in the lives of others!

Before I leave this point I think that it is appropriate that we acknowledge that this truth must also be applied to our own lives.

We must hate evil and rejoice in the Truth - God’s truth!

This week, how could you rejoice in the truth that you see in the life of another in this church family?

Remember that we are a family…Be kind.

Romans 12:10 (KJV 1900)

Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love...

Not sure how to show kindness to others?

Google it!

I Googled the phrase demonstrations of kindness and the very first article/website that came back was one entitled, Random Acts of Kindness: List of 99+ Ideas & Examples

There’s no lack for ideas on how to demonstrate kindness; the question is whether or not we will be intentional in doing just that - demonstrating kindness!

An old Scotch pastor used to frequently say to his congregation:

Lectures on the Epistle to the Romans (Lecture X: The Walk of the Christian in Relation to His Fellow-Believers, and to Men of the World (Chapter 12))

“Remember, if you are not very kind, you are not very spiritual.”

Remember that we are a family…Value one another.

Romans 12:10 (KJV 1900)

...in honour preferring one another;

Real Christian love is selfless.

It is more interested in promoting others than ourselves!

Real Christian love will consider the needs of others before considering our own selfish desires.

Real Christian love does not take advantage of another.

Instead, real Christian love serves the other because they value the other!

Jesus Christ showed this by example in John chapter 13:

Stoke the fires of service!

In context, this verse is not speaking of secular work but the exercise of one another’s spiritual gifts in service to the Lord.

Charles Spurgeon wrote:

It is not the work of the minister alone to exhort, but the brothers, and the sisters, too, should exhort one another and seek to stir each other up in the faith and fear of God.

Provoke: to call into action; to arouse; to excite; to challenge; to stir up

After the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, hundreds of thousands of Americans were stirred up and rushed to enlist in the armed forces so much so that some recruiting offices stayed open 24 hours a day in order to accept enlistments!

Are we stoking the fires of service in the lives of others?

Charles Spurgeon went on to write:

I do not know how we can do that better than by being very loving and very full of good works ourselves, for then others will be likely to say, “If these people are helped by God’s grace to love like this, and to labor like this, why should we not do the same?”

A good example is often better than a very proper precept.

Are we stoking the fires of service in the lives of others by stoking the fires of service in our own lives?

Our upcoming faith promise mission revival is a wonderful opportunity to stoke the fires of service in our own lives.

David Livingstone, missionary to Africa, wrote:

“God, send me anywhere, only go with me.

Lay any burden on me, only sustain me.

And sever any tie in my heart except the tie that binds my heart to Yours.”

May I encourage you to make that your prayer in this coming week?

Comfort and encourage one another.

Rejoicing in hope: Jesus is coming again!

Marvelous message we bring

Glorious carol we sing

Wonderful word of the King

Jesus is coming again