Sermon Tone Analysis

OPENING

The Dog Days of Summer

Speaking of dogs… I brought Milo here to help me with my sermon for today.

Milo say hi!

The first dog I had was Maverick, I named him after Tom Cruise’s screen name Maverick in Topgun shown in 1986

By the way, speaking of Topgun, Topgun 2 will be released in 2020 (show photo of Topgun 2)

The second dog I had was named Lucky, I don’t know why I called him that… I guess I needed extra luck with all my gambling fiasco at that time (show photo of Lucky)

I personally love dogs, while my wife did not until…

I personally love dogs, my wife

Now that we have Milo & Millie (show photo of Milo & Millie)

The Bible said something about Dogs

And it is the one thing that I hate about dogs.

Listen...

Recycle meaning brought back to life

Old things that is made new

Old habits in a new life

No one pours new wine into old wineskins, it will burst!

Let’s take a look at another translation… NLT

Proverbs

Repeats, in other words, re-do, re-enact

There’s a quote by Steven Denn that goes, “You can never make the same mistake twice because the second time you make it, it’s not a mistake, it’s a choice”

May kasabihan din sa wikang tagalog na ang sabi, “pagpasok mo sa pinto at nauntog ko, aksidente yun, ngunit paglabas mo sa mismong pintuang iyong pinasukan at nauntog ka pa din, eh katangahan na yun!”

Ano ba sa English ang “Katangahan”?

foolishness!

O di yun!

Foolishness means lack of wisdom discretion

There’s a quote by Steven Denn that goes, “You can never make the same mistake twice because the second time you make it, it’s not a mistake, it’s a choice”

When I was in Vegas over the weekend, I needed to make a choice

We were in Vegas last weekend to celebrate Anton’s 18th birthday

Maybe you’ll ask, of all the many beautiful cities in America, why Vegas?…

The so called sin city!

Well, I brought my son and his friends (show photos of Anton & Friends) to Vegas not to purposely expose them to an environment that portraits a buffet of sin, but because of 2 things

Aj was there for a training

Pacquiao has a fight

After having dinner with my sons and my daughter-in-law, I hanged out at the lobby of Cesars Palace where I was staying at compliments of my dear ate Lina & Kuya Ato, to wait for my nephew Ronnie, who was flying in late Friday night from LA

While I was there surrounded with the sights and sounds of the casino, I was thinking (show photo thinking), am I going to gamble, am I going to drink?

I don’t have money on me!

All I have was my credit card that I use for gas and food when I’m Uber driving

After a long while of thinking, I was not praying, I was just thinking, I stood up and looked for an ATM machine, one of the casino employee was so quick to show me where the ATM was, so I went to it and inserted my credit card (show photo ATM waiting)

While waiting for my transaction to be processed, there was a little sign on the ATM that says, “Know when to stop, before you start”

And then the machine prompted me if I wanted to proceed, I will be charged $80 for a $1,000 cash advance!

Man! That’s a whooping 8%! (show photo of ATM prompt)

I have not gambled, yet I will already lose $80???

That made me rethink the choice that I was about to make!

I chose to cancel the transaction!

I choose to cancel the transaction

My nephew arrived and we met up with Ate Lina and Kuya Ato for some late night chinese

After calling it a night, I started walking back up to our room when a young girl walked along side with me and struck a conversation, she goes, I saw you back there earlier, you were carrying your forehead with your eyes closed and it looks like you’re lonely and could use a company… can I tuck you in bed tonight???

It was not a total surprise for me because I know I was in Vegas.

So I just politely said NO thank you and doubled my steps to the elevator

As I got into my room, my wife called me and we had a conversation.

Praise God for His Spirit and His words that He stored in my heart that I was able to PROTECT MY PURPOSE

For a LIFE WELL LIVED you have to Protect your Purpose

Previously this month, I talked to you about the 5 Purposes of God for our lives

God wants you to center you life around Him.

And that’s WORSHIP

God wants you to learn to love His family.

And that’s FELLOWSHIP

God wants you to cultivate spiritual maturity.

And that’s DISCIPLESHIP

God wants you to contribute something back.

And that’s MINISTRY

God wants you to tell others about His love.

And that’s WITNESSING OR EVANGELISM

I’d like to thank Pastor Mike for expounding one of the five purposes during my absence last Sunday when he spoke about the Purpose of Christ that amplified the purpose of witnessing and evangelism

For a LIFE WELL LIVED you have to Protect your Purpose

All of these five purpose are of equal importance, none of them are inferior to each other.

If you want to live healthy, you need to keep a balance diet.

You have to live out these 5 purposes

If you want to stay

If you want to be spiritually

The only reason why Pastor Mike is giving more importance and emphasis to evangelism or witnessing is because this is our purpose in life that we can no longer do in heaven!

So we have to do it now, and we have to do it always while we are still here on earth.

For a LIFE WELL LIVED you have to Protect your Purpose

You have to protect your witness!

Your testimony!

Our key verse today was from the old testament and it was quoted by Apostle Peter

While you open your Bible to the letters of Peter let me tell you something about these letters that was written by Silas for Peter, who was a fisherman that became an apostle and leader of the early church

These letters was written sometime in 64-65 AD

It was intended to encourage christians who are undergoing suffering, giving them instructions to respond christianly to their persecutors and urging them to live lives worthy of their calling

In these letters, clearly, apostle Peter was talking to believers and not to the unbelievers, and if you are a believer, then these letters are also intended for you

In , the apostle was discussing the matters concerning false teachers and their destruction

2 Peter 2:13-14

But why do dogs go back to their own vomit?

Why washed pigs returns to the mud?

Why christians living new lives in Christ returns to old ways of the world?

Pleasures of their flesh

Their doctrines are not solid

The guardrails are not in place (biblical life principles)

Salvation is not authentic

HOW CAN I PROTECT MY PURPOSE?

I started with a dog I’ll end it with a dog, in Filipino the word is “ASO”

I WILL BE ALERT AT ALL TIMES

The Greek word used here is SOPHRONEO, meaning be sensible, be reasonable, quick to perceive, be watchful and prompt to meet danger or emergency

The word “alert” was used 9 times in the Bible, and 3 of which is found in this letter of Peter

In our church vision the word alert is used

"To Glorify God by building communities that are spiritually healthy, morally upright, physically fit, mentally ALERT, emotionally happy and financially stable.

To share His love to the un-churched, un-loved, un-inspired, un-motivated and especially to the believers of Jesus Christ.”

Peter is certain of the return of Jesus

Believers are called to live in confidence and anticipation of the consummation of God’s work in Christ