Sermon Tone Analysis

Last week we talked about this idea of evangelism.

And we looked at the story of the woman in Samaria who had a big moment with Jesus that changed her life and she couldn’t help but share that moment with others.

When you have a big moment you naturally want to share it with others!

That’s what the e word is.

It’s not a bad word.

It’s not cringe-worthy word.

Evangelism is simply sharing that big, life-changing moment when you accepted Jesus free gift of eternal life.

And you keep sharing htose big moments you have as Jesu continually transforms your life.

After we accept Jesus’ gift of eternal life and have a first-hand encounter with Him, we need to demonstrate the change in our lives by learning to lean on grace!

We’re saved by grace, yes, but we’ve got to learn to live by grace as well.

Grace isn’t just leniency.

It’s not just that God is pouring favor out onto our lives.

Grace is the enabling power of God to live a life that honors him.

We honor him when our lives tell a story about forgiveness and redemption.

Does the faith you celebrate on Sunday sometimes feel disconnected from the reality you face on Monday?

On Sunday, we’re excited to see people we haven’t seen in a week or a few days.

On Sunday, we enjoy gathering with likeminded people over a cup of coffee, good music, and something encouraging from whomever’s preaching GOd’s Word.

On Sunday we like to think about what our life could be like.

On Sunday we even dream a little about stepping out in faith and doing that thing that’s always been on our heart.

On Sunday we allow ourselves to imagine a world in which our debts are forgiven and our hurts from the previous week or weeks have been healed.

On Sunday we believe anything’s possible!

Evangelism begins to flow naturally when we close the gap between Sunday’s celebration and Monday’s frustration.

This is what Jesus was getting at in .

John 13:31-

I used to think that everyone in the church was kind and gracious, loving and Christ-like.

I also used to think eating 8 Big Mac’s a day was a good idea.

The fact is, there are some unlovlely people in the church.

There are some resentful people in the church.

There are some hypocrites in the church.

There are some self-righteous people in the church.

Churches are messy because churches are full of people.

The answer isn’t to run away.

The answer isn’t to criticize.

The answer isn’t to get mad.

The answer is in doing what Jesus showed us in and doing what he told us in .

Pastor, I thought we were talking about loving those who don’t know Jesus.

We are, but it starts by loving those who do.

Closing the gap between the celebration on Sunday and the frustration on Monday

If we’re going to share our story with others, it needs to be a compelling story and nothing is more compelling than a loving community that cares for one another.

Arnold Toynbee, the Brittish philosopher and historian born in 1889 and in 1975 once remarked,

“I think that love is the only spiritual power that can overcome the self-centeredness that is inherent in being alive.

Love is the thing that makes life possible or, indeed, tolerable.”

Arnold Toynbee

And Jesus showed us exactly what he meant for us to do.

John 13:

Jesus knew this was out of the ordinary.

He knew it would stick into their minds.

He also knew that it was counterintuitive.

After what?

After his death and resurrection.

Jesus died for the lovely and the unlovely

Jesus died for the “saint” and the “sinner”

Jesus died for the messy and the mannerly

Jesus died for the war-monger and the peace-maker

Jesus died for everyone!

And this is the message that most christians believe in.

It’s the message that we want to convey to others.

And what Jesus wants us to understand is that loving people that don’t know him loses credibility when we can’t even love those who do know him.

Our faith earns credibility when our faith communities are characterized by unity and love!

ILLUSTRATION: There’s a popular social media account that’s trending right now and it’s owned by someone who claims to follow Jesus.

On their page, they post pictures of other well-known Christians wearing expensive clothing.

Nothing inherently wrong with that.

That alone, brings to the surface an important topic about materialism, greed, stewardship, appearances, and a host of other themes that could and should be talked about.

However, a quick scroll through the comments on each post reveals of host of negativity, sarcastic responses, and a whole lot of justification for why many have become disengaged and disillusioned with the church today.

So what’s the problem?

The problem that I have isn’t the posts or the pictures.

Fantastic.

Let’s have a conversation.

But let’s also be clear about what we’re fighting for.

I’ve never met the creator of this social media account and I want to give whomever it is the benefit of the doubt, but the question i have when I encounter Christians who point out inconsistencies or hypocrisies in other Christians, is “What are you for?”

We’re often very clear on what we’re against.

But what are we for?

Jesus tells us that more than anything else we should be known for what we are for.

In particular for unity and love.

Our faith earns credibility when our faith communities are characterized by unity and love!

Why did Jesus use the example of foot washing?

We learn to love the world when we learn to love each other, especially when loving each other becomes difficult to do.

6 Reasons for Loving the Unlovely Among Us.

1. We’re all sometimes unlovely.

When whatever’s on our phone is more interesting than real life.

When we consistently show up late for things.

When we set an appointment or hang out time with someone and then bail at the last minute.

It’s especially unlovely when the person you bailed on sees your social media post later that evening and it looks like you’re having a blast.

They assume you just got a better offer.

Loving the unlovely is a way of being real.

It’s saying to someone, I’m gonna cut you some slack because I’m gonna need you to cut me some slack.

If we’re talking about our faith in a way that emphasizes love and yet our unbelieving friends never see practical expressions of love, they’re not likely to be persuaded of the truth about Jesus.

2. Jesus loves the unlovely.

I love that!

God loved us in this way...

He loves the arrogant church member.

He loves the believer caught in sin.

He loves the follower who denies him.

He loves the one who’s about to betray him.

3. Loving the unlovely is a form of discipleship.

Jesus told his disciples he was washing their feet as an example for them.

What you’re doing, you don’t understand, but you will.

Just as I have done to you, you to others.

Discipleship is all about becoming more like Jesus.

Christlikeness comes from making Christlike commitments!