Sermon Tone Analysis

The Supremacy of Love

Better than tongues

Corinth had a problem with tongues

Paul here says that true manifestations of God’s Spirit is speaking truth in a way that is helpful and understandable by the congregation.

This speaks to content as well as delivery!

“I’d rather hear a man speak for an hour out of the fullness of his heart than 5 minutes of Bible doctrine”

Substitute speak in tongues with shouting, or emotional testifying, or weeping in worship, or any outwardly manifesting experience.

Without love, it is just noise and show

Better than knowledge

They knew who Jesus was, and firmly believed that like Elijah of old, God could indeed rain down judgment.

This is an unexpected truth, because so often it is the case that people lack knowledge and understanding.

But, to lack love is to have completely misunderstood God and His purposes.

One can be completely orthodox in their confession and practice, yet without love for God and for neighbor they have gained nothing by their knowledge

Better than martyrdom

Self-martyrdom is about self, not others

We seek the Glory of God, not self

1 cor

Losing one’s life in service to God and others is not the ultimate sacrifice.

Giving one’s life, the life that God gives and takes at His will, wether that be in loss, injury, sudden death, or faithful longevity is the ultimate sacrifice.

Love is never-ending; all other gifts are temporary

The perfect, the telos, the end

This is not the completion of the Bible

For all of eternity, there will be no prayer, no preaching, no prophesying, but there will be perfect love

The Definition & Source of Love

So often we speak of love in ways that are no love at all

1cor 13:

How and why do we label things as love when they are not?

We reverse this, seeing something we want to call love and then insist in a reverse manner that it must be godly if it is love.

In so doing, we are declaring ourselves to be God.

It is more manifestation of the ways our souls are bent inward on self.

God is love, NOT love is god.

We look to God to see what love is:

“God loves me just the way I am”

True, but He also loves you enough not to leave you the way you are

If you loved me, you would let me do what I want and support me in it.

It is not loving to allow people to continue in destructive paths without at least warning them.

To say and do nothing is not love, but is demonic hate.

This does call for discernment and tact, but:

So, the litmus test: does it look like Christ’s love?

God is love, therefore if we love we know it is from God.

God is love, therefore if we love it looks like what God has done and is doing through Christ Jesus

The Specificity of Love

The love and plan of God for you is unlike that of any other.

You are not a nameless face in the crowd of the accepted.

If you are today resting in the salvation of God, or also if today you are being drawn to faith in Christ for the first time, it is because the God of the universe is loving you individually, not apart from, but in a way to cause you to become one of the innumerable multitude from every tribe, tongue, and nation

pointing forward to the end of all things, God knows who are His and will have no confusion on the day of judgment

In the now, we need to recognize God’s grace in dealing with us.

We are as the widow in the days of Elijah.

We are as Naaman in the days of Elisha.

We have done nothing deserving, yet God has chosen to continue to set His love upon us.

If God so specifically loves us, then how ought we love God?

Supremely.

Above anything and anyone else!

Paul tells us that love is the greatest gift.

John tells us that God is love.

Christ Jesus showed us the love of God in His life and in His death.

The Spirit today works to apply and to awaken us to the love of God for us in Christ.