Sermon Tone Analysis

Secular -

Today we are talking about love and apart of that is laying down your life for the brethren.

To that affect I have a story about selflessness:

An American, a Frenchman, and a Canadian go on vacation to Saudi Arabia and once there, they are caught eating smuggled in pork chops.

They are arrested, and each sentenced to 100 lashes by the whip as punishment.

Now the officer assigned to do the whipping says "It is my favorite wife's birthday, and she asked that I show a little compassion as I work today.

I will give each of you one wish to make this less horrible."

The Frenchman is first and, quite pleased with himself, says "I wish to have a pillow strapped to my back."

After about 25 lashes, the pillow is in tatters and he's still quite injured.

The Canadian, a little smarter, says "I wish to have two pillows strapped to my back!"

And after 50 or so lashes, the pillows are in tatters and he's still punished.

Next comes the American, quite put off by this whole ordeal, who is surprised to hear that despite the animosity, this Saudi quite respects the American people.

As such, he will be offered 2 wishes.

He says immediately "I wish for a thousand lashes!"

The Saudi is taken aback.

He knew all the American movies espoused selflessness and accepting justice, but he would never expect such a display.

In awe, he asks "what is your second wish?"

"I want the Canadian and the Frenchman strapped to my back."

Historical/Cultural Context -

The book of 1 John is one of the five books in the New Testament that was written by John the Apostle, brother of James.

They were known as the sons of thunder.

This letter was written between A.D. 85 to A.D. 100.

First John was written to a church or group of churches in crisis—churches who were being attacked by false teaching.

Some individuals who had once been associated with the church had accepted heresy and had left the church.

After they left they continued to spread their false teaching to the church.

They went so far as to organize and send out itinerant preachers to various churches with the goal of converting those in the churches to their beliefs.

This created confusion and plunged the churches into crisis.

In response to this situation, John wrote 1 John, following that up with 2 and 3 John.

His goal was to stop this false teaching and to bring comfort to the Christians in these churches.

Biblical Text -

-[Prayer]-

Life Principle– Love Makes Itself Known, Lays Down Its’ Life, And Banishes Hate.

Life Point- Love Makes Itself Known

Exegetical -

Homiletical -

The children of God and the children of the devil are manifest.

In other words you can tell, most of the time, who is a true Christian and who isn’t because of their actions.

Then he talks about those who love their brother.

If they don’t love their brother then you know whom they serve and it isn’t God.

In greek the term brother here denotes one who is apart of the group.

Who is apart of a close culture.

One who is apart of the Christian community.

i.e the local body of believers.

Now John reminds them that the message they preached from the beginning is love.

love here means “to have love for someone or something, based on sincere appreciation and high regard”

sincere appreciation.

Let me ask you a question?

Can someone who is unsaved really know what sincere appreciation and high regard are in a perfect way?

No, they can’t

Only the born-again-believer can.

Before we are saved we are totally depraved before a Holy God.

Only the person who is saved can truly understand True love to their uttermost being, and I don’t believe that anyone on earth who is still alive understands it to the uttermost because we are still dealing with sin.

When is done away with we see clearly but not until that time.

John draws on the example of Cain and Abel.

He quite simply says he killed his brother because his works were evil and his brother’s wasn’t.

He says that is not how someone should love another.

Well, duh!

So what is John getting at here?

True Christian, Bible believing love doesn’t do intentional harm to a brother or sister in Christ.

You may do harm, but it is not intentional nor premeditated.

When thinking about the best way to describe, explain and quantify true Christian love there is no other way better than what is already written in God’s Word.

Love goes beyond just the actions of a person, but how they do those actions.

I can give all my goods to the poor, but if I am doing it to be looked at or to make a good name for myself; if I do it in a haughty way or am not quite honest about how I do it.

It means nothing.

It is marred by sin.

There is a story in the Bible about a couple who sold some land and gave a portion to the church.

Sounds like a good thing right?

Not quite, they said it was all of the money they got for it, but it wasn’t.

What happened?

Let’s find out together.

Illustration -

Thinking about love got me thinking about an old saying.

They say if you love something, set it free.

If it comes back, it was, and always will be yours.

If it never returns, it was never yours to begin with.

If it just sits in your living room, messes up your stuff, eats your food, uses your telephone, takes your money, and never behaves as if you actually set it free in the first place, you either married it or gave birth to it!

Life Point - Hate Has No Place In Love

Exegetical -

Homiletical -

Do not marvel, my brethren if the world hates you.

In other words, don’t be surprised if the world hates you.

The world in the sense is the economic, social, political and spiritual things that are in popularity amongst those that are in power around the globe.

Who or what is currently causing all of this hatred and evil that is disguised as goodness?

The Devil and his demons.

What an evil time we live in right now.

The entire global cultures calls good, evil and evil good.

God has some news for the people in this world.

Do you want to be assured of your salvation?

Then the answer is right here.

Do you love the brethren?

Do you hold them in the highest regard in sincerity?

Do you have some animosity, hatred, anger or bitterness to someone?

If you do, then you have a problem.

A big one, because a true born-again, Bible believing Christian can’t stay in a state of hatred or anger so long that you become bitter.

God will deal with the believer and you will repent of being in hatred.

Which, by the way is not just a feeling you keep to yourself.

True hatred exudes from you, whether you try to keep it in or not, it’s coming out.

It is open hostility to someone.

Hatred can cause someone to murder another.

i.e.