Sermon Tone Analysis

OPENING

More than a week ago we went to Saddleback Church to attend the Purpose Driven Church Conference 2019

there were 7 of us who went 6 from our church and another 1 from San Francisco, Norman Banayat, a member of our online church (as of last night we already have 189 members) (shot group photo)

During the conference our church was selected to receive the “healthy church award” (award photo)

It was our 2nd medallion, and I’d like to share the joy to you men and women, boys and girls of Agape

Our church could have not been as healthy without every single one of you (tell your seat mates, congrats)

We are not award oriented.

Our ultimate reward awaits in heaven.

These tokens are only symbols of motivation and perseverance

The next morning after we came back from the conference, I was eating dried fish from the Philippines

Until all of a sudden, I felt that there was something wrong, something was missing, as I chew the crispy dried fish it was cracking, I though it was still the dried fish that I am chewing!

I rolled my tongue around my gums and that was when I realized, I broke one of my front tooth!

(photo)

I asked my wife, what shall we do?

We don’t have insurance!

She said, give me a minute and let me think

And then my wife said, me must go to Mexico! (photo)

After swiping my card for $2,200, I got a new set of good looking teeth… show my smile!

We came back to the US the same day and I noticed what was already obvious (photo)

What was obvious was the big difference between the US and Mexico.

I don’t say this by looking at Mexico in a condescending manner.

This experience reminded me of the huge difference between my old, and now my “new life”

My old purposeless life and my new purposeful life through Christ

Today we will start a series entitled “Life Well Lived”

Who wants live a life well lived?

It was a kinda dumb question.

Of course everyone wants to live a life well lived, the better question is HOW

We can only live life well when we know it’s purpose

Illustration: Using AirPods to demonstrate the need for a manufacturer’s manual to know its purpose and proper use

Similarly, we must know our purpose in life in order to live it well

God is our creator, and the Bible is our manual

The three foundations of a life well lived are

:10

You have to know who God made you to be (Identity)

If you’re confused with your identity, you will waste your life

What others says about you doesn’t matter, what matters is what God says about you

You got to know what God wants you to do (purpose)

You gotta know who you are and you gotta know what God wants you to do

You gotta know when to do it (right timing)

When all these 3 aligned in your life, you have the ingredients of a successful life

Today I’d like to talk to you about the purpose of life

But to set that up, let us take a look at the life of the little known, yet the greatest king that have ever lived and that’s Hezekiah

Let me read to you some very important part of his life story

He was successful in everything he did

Wow! can you imagine that?

How would like to be as successful as Hezekiah?

I was not that successful, you were not that successful, but Hezekiah was, why?

Because he did what God wants him to do

He knew who he was, he know his purpose and he know the right timing

Now if you want to be successful in everything that you do, I want you to study this man’s life, Hezekiah

Of course Hezekiah grow old and in fact he had terminal illness and Isaiah told us about it and how Hezekiah made an argument with God to extend his life

Ain’t that amazing?

Hezekiah is already bound for heaven but he asked God to give him some more time so he could do more ministry here in on earth

God agreed with Hezekiah and gave him 15 more years

Not only the donation of his life was increase, but even the duration of his life

Now let me ask you some questions:

If God is gonna ask you why He should give you an extra 15 years of life, what would you say?

If God will review the past 15 years of your life, would He be eager to give you 15 more?

Are you willing to use the rest of your life the way God planned for you to use it?

If you’re answer is no, then why would God give you another day to waste?

But if you’re answer is yes, then better listen carefully to the remainder of this sermon so you could be certain to learn God’s 5 purposes for your life

God gave Hezekiah 15 more because he did well living God’s purpose for his life in the past 15

Now let me show a related verse in the New Testament

Reading this verse makes me want to ask myself 5 questions and I also want you to ask you these questions:

Ephesians 5:

Are you being careful with your life?

Are you living wisely?

Are you making the most of your time?

Are you taking every opportunity to do good?

Are you making sure that you know what God wants you to do with your life?

Those important things, all 5 things are important

And then Paul said this to Timothy

Now if you stay clean and away fro sin, God is gonna use you for His highest purpose

In different ways in different passages, God tells us about these purposes

The Five Purposes of Life

1. GOD WANTS ME TO CENTER MY LIFE AROUND HIM

Worship

God wants to be the center

God wants to be the hub of your heart

Matthew 22:

THIS FRST PURPOSE IS CALLED WORSHIP

2. GOD WANTS ME TO LEARN TO LOVE HIS FAMILY

God wants a family, and the family He is talking about is the church - the only thing that’s gonna last forever

Find a local church so I could learn

God uses the church as lab for learning to love

It’s easy to love lovely people .. like you!

But He wants you to learn to love those who are difficult to love

THIS SECOND PURPOSE IS CALLED FELLOWSHIP

Department of mental health of California made a study that when a person isolates himself, here are the possible consequences:

You are 3 times more likely to die an early death

4 times more likely to suffer emotional burnout

5 times more likely to be clinically depressed

10 tines to be more likely to be hospitalized for an emotional or mental disorder

So if you’re not still in a small group here in Agape Church… join one, or start one

You owe it to your emotional and mental health

Longing for belonging

It’s not enough to make God the center of your life

God gave us a model on elements of fellowship

, 46

“Those who believed… were baptized and added to the church… they joined with other believers and committed themselves to the apostles teaching and fellowship… they worshipped together regularly at the temple… and met in small groups in homes..”

Maybe you need to be baptized and join Agape

Apostles teachings is the New Testament