Annual Address

Introduction

We are undoubtedly living in terrible times. This fact bears witness that the Word of God is true. The picture that this postmodern world presents is proliferated with pandemonium. What did I say? Everywhere we look, we see commotion, confusion, chaos, disorder, and turmoil. The discerning Saint understands that these things are signs that warn us of the coming of the Lord Jesus and of the end of the age.

You do know that the Lord is coming, don’t you? For this reason, we must be mindful of the time and seasons. In chapter 24 of the Gospel according to Matthew, Jesus told his disciples, in response to their question, that one of the signs leading up to the end of age would be that lawlessness would increase. Jesus assures his disciples that these events will happen. What He said back then is our reality right now; no doubt about it “lawlessness has and continues to be increasing.” Jesus said that increased lawlessness affects the way people relate to one another. He said “most people’s love will grow cold.”

This text is tailored to teach us that we must love through to the end

Thesis statement (write this out)

Hate

A. We are witnessing this phenomenon right now. It is seen in such things as “Hate Groups, Hate Speech, and Hate Crimes”.

A hate group is a social group that advocates and practices hatred, hostility, or violence towards members of a race, ethnicity, nation, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation or any other designated sector of society. According to the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, a hate group's "primary purpose is to promote animosity, hostility, and malice against persons belonging to a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or ethnicity/national origin which differs from that of their own.”

Hate speech is speech that attacks a person or group on the basis of attributes such as race, religion, ethnic origin, national origin, gender, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity. The law of some countries describes hate speech as speech, gesture or conduct, writing, or display that incites violence or prejudicial action against a protected group or individual based on their membership in the group. Hate speech disparages and seeks to intimidates a protected group, or individual on the basis of their membership in the group. The law may identify a protected group by certain characteristics. In some countries, hate speech is not a legal term. Additionally, in some countries (including the United States), hate speech is constitutionally protected.

A hate crime is a prejudice-motivated crime which occurs when a perpetrator targets a victim because of his or her membership in a certain social group or race.

John J. Harrington, national president of the Fraternal Order of Police and a 27-year veteran of the Philadelphia police force, says, “There is hatred today in this country that’s growing and growing. Near where I live a man was walking to church, and two men came up behind him and cut his throat.

“Another man was just standing on a street corner when a bunch of kids came along. They said. “Let’s give it to him,” and they killed him. And a little girl was walking up the street from where I live, and a boy just came along and stabbed her. All these things seem to happen for no reason at all—just hatred.”

—Homer Duncan[1]

Examples

Who affected

B. Topic Sentence – Causes/history of the problem (write out)

Where/how it originated

Causes

C. Topic Sentence – Seriousness/Consequences (write out)

Negative affects

How serious

Consequences

Transition sentence to lead into the solution

Someone may be wondering “what does all of this have to do with the Los Angeles District Association and the Moderator's annual address?” Simply this: I believe that the Lord is saying “don’t let love grow cold”.

We ought to be concerned about that because the child of God is tasked with enduring to the end! Even if most people's love grows cold, that cannot be us because Jesus said, “but they that endure to the end shall be saved” (v13) And we are too close to the end to give up now.

As we keep our hearts and minds on the Lord's imminent return and the end of the world system and of history, don’t let love get cold!

The text says that everybody won’t make it. In the face of tribulation and trouble, many will fall away. Then they will betray one another and HATE one another.

Solution (3 -4 paragraphs)

With Love Groups

With Love Speech

With Love Acts

Negative (Step 2)

Rebuttal (Step 3)

With Love Sp

Good point 1. Details

Negative 2. Negative

Rebuttal 3. Rebuttal

F. Topic Sentence – Solution #3 – Topic Sentence (Write out)

Good point 1. Details

Negative 2. Negative

Rebuttal 3. Rebuttal

Conclusion

Summary statement (write out)

Relate to the world today or future (write out)

Call to action/final thought (write out)

Invitation

Philippians 1:27 NASB95

Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

Philippians 1:29–Philippians 2 NASB95

For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, experiencing the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me. Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain. But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me. But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, so that I also may be encouraged when I learn of your condition. For I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare. For they all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus. But you know of his proven worth, that he served with me in the furtherance of the gospel like a child serving his father. Therefore I hope to send him immediately, as soon as I see how things go with me; and I trust in the Lord that I myself also will be coming shortly. But I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger and minister to my need; because he was longing for you all and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick. For indeed he was sick to the point of death, but God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, so that I would not have sorrow upon sorrow. Therefore I have sent him all the more eagerly so that when you see him again you may rejoice and I may be less concerned about you. Receive him then in the Lord with all joy, and hold men like him in high regard; because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was deficient in your service to me.

Philippians 1:29 NASB95

For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,

Mark 5:25 NASB95

A woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years,