Sermon Tone Analysis

!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 John 4:7-11

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stephen Caswell © 2001

To Ships: I Love You

 

Many lonely sailors have been cheered by the flashing signal from Minot’s light off Scituate, Massachusetts.

The signal spells */I love you/* in nautical code.

Several years ago the Coast Guard decided to replace the old equipment.

They announced that for technical reasons the new machines would be unable to flash the I love you message.

The public protested, and the Coast Guard weakened.

The old equipment remains and continues to send its message of cheer to sailors.

In a much greater way God has proclaimed His love to mankind through His Son. *1 John 4:9:* /In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him./

/ /

Introduction

 

After an important discussion on truth and error, John returns to the theme of love for the third time.

*/Love is mentioned 27 times in this fourth chapter./*

This does not mean John has run out of ideas and has to repeat himself.

It simply means that the Holy Spirit, who inspired John, presents the subject once more, from a deeper point of view.

*/First,/* in *ch 2* love for the brethren has been shown as proof of /fellowship with God/ */then/* in *ch 3* it has been presented as proof of /sonship/.

But in *ch 4*, we get down to the very heart of the matter.

*/Here,/* we discover /why/ love is so important to a Christian life that is real.

This is*/ because God is love./*

Love is part of the very being and nature of God.

Since we are united to God through faith in Christ, we share His nature.

And since His nature is love, love is the test of the reality of our spiritual life.

Today we will see two things about love.

/Firstly,/ */God Is Love, /*and*/ /*/secondly,* God Revealed His Love.

*/

 

/Firstly,/     God Is Love

 

This is the third of three expressions in John’s writings that help us understand the nature of God: /God is spirit./

*John 4:24;* /God is light/.

*1 John 1:5;* and /God is love./

*1 John 4:8.*

None of these is a /complete/ revelation of God, of course, and it is wrong to separate them.

The nature of God is love.

This does /not/ mean */that love is God./*

And the fact that two people love each other does not mean that their love is necessarily holy.

It has accurately been said that /love does not define God, but God defines love./

God is love and God is light; therefore, His love is a /holy/ love, and His holiness is expressed in love.

All that God /does/ expresses all that God /is./

Even His judgments are measured out in love and mercy.

*Lamentations 3:23*

 

Farmers Weather Vane

 

A farmer placed a weather vane on his barn and inscribed them with the words, God Is Love.

One day a traveler stopped by the farm and watched the weather vane moving with the breeze.

Then with a smirk on his face, he asked the farmer, /Do you mean to say that God changes like the wind?

/The farmer shook his head and replied, No. What I mean to say is that no matter which way the wind blows God is love!  */But how does this affect us?/*

 

/a.

God Requires We Love/ - A New Commandment

 

*1 John 4:7a:* /Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; /

 

/To begin with,/ God requires us to love one another.

This commandment is repeated over and over again in the Scriptures.

The basic mandate for every child of God is love.

We cannot please God if we don't love one another.

/Firstly,/ husbands and wives are commanded to love each other and their children.

/Secondly,/ we are commanded to love one another.

/Thirdly,/ we are commanded to love our neighbor.

/Finally,/ the Lord also commands us to love our enemies.

There is no escaping it; to please God, we must love everyone.

/Why is love so important to God? /Because His very nature is love.

He loves all of His creatures regardless of their conduct, and He requires us, His children to love the same way.

/ /

A Church That Takes Love Seriously

 

A Church in America takes the commandment to love one another very seriously.

At the close of the Sunday morning service they sing a song based on John Wesley's words.

They sing, /Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in every place you can, at all the times you can, to everyone you can, as long as you ever can, do all the good you can!/

/ /

*/But how can we sinful creatures be expected to love like God loves?/*

That's a good question.

But God has made it possible.

John talks about that next

 

/b.

God Restores Our Love/ - A New Birth

* *

*1 John 4:7:* /Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God./

 

/Secondly,/ God restores His love in us.

For fallen man to love the way that God loves, requires a new beginning, a new birth.

Yes, we must be born again.

And that's exactly what John says here.

Through the new birth we receive a new nature, the divine nature.

It is God's nature that leads us to love our fellow man.

Christian love is a special kind of love.

*/A love that is born out of the very essence of God must be spiritual and holy, because God is spirit and God is light./*

This true /love is poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us./ *Romans 5:5 *Love, therefore, is a valid test of true Christian faith.

A child of God has been born of God, and therefore shares God’s divine nature.

Since God is love, we must love one another.

The logic is unanswerable!*

/If you've been born again you must love./*

*/ /*

Radioactive Thief

*/ /*

A large quantity of radioactive material was stolen from a hospital.

When the hospital administrator notified the police, he said: Please warn the thief that he is carrying death with him, and that the radioactive material cannot be successfully hidden.

As long as he has it in his possession, it is affecting him disastrously!

A person who claims that he knows God and is in union with Him must be personally affected by this relationship.

If God is love and we have been born of Him then we must love too.

Christians carry God Himself around with them.

He doesn't make them radioactive, but love active.

They must impact the world.

/c.

God's Relationship Demands We Love /- A New Relationship

 

*1 John 4:7-8:* /Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

He who does not love does not know God, for God is love./

Not only have we been */born of God/*, but we also */know God/*.

In the Bible, the word /know/ has a much deeper meaning than simply intellectual attainment or understanding.

For example, the verb /know/ is used to describe the intimate union of husband and wife.

To know God means to be in a deep relationship with Him, to share His life and enjoy His love.

This knowing is not simply a matter of understanding facts; it is a matter of perceiving truth.

*/Knowing of God is not the same thing as knowing God./* /I know of the Queen of England.