Sermon Tone Analysis

Sincere Love

I Peter 1:13-25

Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.

I Peter 1:22

Last week we heard a wonderful message from Jodi Collins and we had a wonderful celebration of Mother’s Day.

The children were asked why they loved their mother, we had some wonderful answers.

In our scripture, we heard Jesus ask Peter three times, “Do you love me.”

Three times Peter responded, Lord, you know I love you.”

Many scholars believe that since Peter had denied Jesus three times, Jesus was forgiving Peter three times; kind of like saying, “Even Steven,” “Start Over” “No Prolemo.”

Jesus’ love covered all of Peter’s denials.

As the Beatles said, “All we need is love.”

Jesus would agree.

So would Peter.

Over the next few weeks, we are going to look at the “love one another” passages in the Bible.

As we walked to Jerusalem during the Lenten season, our series was based on “One Another” passages.

During this time, we looked at “Greet One Another,” Honor and Be Devoted to One Another,” “Serve One Another,” “Submit and Live in Harmony with One Another,” “Accept One Another,” and “Bear with One Another.”

As we journey from the cross to the empty tomb and to the risen Christ, it is fitting that we study how to “Love One Another.”

Here is some Bible trivia.

There are eleven times in the Bible in which we are encouraged to “love one another.”

Jesus spoke these famous words first.

Do you remember when?

Remember the Last Supper?

Jesus washed the disciples’ feet and gave them a new command, “Love one another.”

Look at John 13:34-35, “A new command I give you: Love one another.

As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Three times in two verses Jesus commands them to “love one another.”

Peter denied Jesus that same night, not once but three times.

The rooster crowed and Peter wept.

Fast forward to the beach and the risen Christ cooking fish and chips.

He gives Peter three chances to declare his love for Him.

Peter goes on to win souls for Christ and writes the book of first and second Peter.

“Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.”

(I Peter 1:22) Remember it was Peter and John who ran to the tomb after the women told them Jesus was alive.

John wrote one of the four Gospels and used these “love one another” words six different times in his letters to the church.

“This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.”

(I John 3:11) “And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.”

(I John 3:23) “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.

Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.” (I John 4:7) “Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.”

(1 John 4:11-12) “And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning.

I ask that we love one another.”

(2 John 5) Jesus, Peter, John and now the Apostle Paul uses these powerful words to encourage the church in Rome, “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.”

(Romans 13:8)

Wow!

We could stop there and reflect and rest in the love that God has for us and the love that we should have for one another.

Over the next few weeks, as we journey to Pentecost (when Jesus finally ascended to heaven,) we are going to dive deep into God’s love.

We are going to study how to love one another.

Our passage comes from I Peter.

We will pick up in verse 13 and read to the end of the chapter.

We will see the foundational verse for The Seed in verse 23.

Let us pray.

“God of all love, help us to learn how to love one another the way you love us.

Help us to be born again through Your living enduring Word.

Amen”

I Peter 1:13-25

Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.

14As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.

15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” 17 Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.

18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.

21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.

22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.

23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

24 For, “All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, 25but the word of the Lord stands forever.”

And this is the word that was preached to you.[i]

God’s Sincere Love

On a beautiful afternoon in April of 2008, two college women’s softball teams faced each other under the blue sky of the Cascade Mountains.

One team was from Western Oregon University and the other team from Central Washington.

Inside a chain-link fence before a few hundred fans, the two teams played a decisive game.

The winner would advance to the division playoffs.

The loser would hang up their gloves and go home.

The Western Oregon Wolves were a sturdy team that had several strong batters, but Sara Tucholsky was not one of them.

She hit a strong .153

and played in the game only because the first-string right fielder had muffed a play earlier in the day.

Sara had never hit a home run in her career, but on that beautiful Saturday, with two runners on base, Sara connected with a curveball and sent it sailing over the left-field fence.

In her excitement Sara missed first base.

Her coach shouted for her to return and touch the base.

When she turned and started back, something popped in her knee.

Down she went.

Sarah drug herself back to first base, pulled her knee to her chest in pain, and asked the first base coach, “What do I do?”

The umpire wasn’t sure.

He knew if any of Sara’s teammates assisted her, she would be called out.

Sara knew if she tried to stand, she would collapse.

Her team couldn’t help her.

Her leg couldn’t support her.

How could she cross home plate?

The umpires huddled to talk.[ii]

While the umpires huddle and the Sara groans in pain, we are going to reflect on I Peter.

You and I have a lot in common with Sara.

Sometimes we sit on the bench.

Sometimes we stumble and fall.

Sometimes we fall and our fall causes us pain or causes others we love pain.

Sometimes the umpires in our lives don’t know what to do with us.

We have stumbled, we have fallen, and we need to be rescued.

This is a powerful reading today.

Peter is writing from Rome around 62 A.D. If Jesus died in 33 A.D., it’s been almost 30 years of soul-winning for Peter.

At this time, Peter is in prison under Emperor Nero and will be crucified upside down for his faith in Christ.

Peter has written this letter to remind all Christians who are dispersed throughout Asia Minor that they have an incredible hope, a living hope as Peter describes it.

This living hope is in the resurrection of Jesus.