Sermon Tone Analysis

intro

scripture that I have preached before, but it is such an important verse, that it probably needs to be preached at least once a year

love is a word that has lost its impact, because we use the word for so many things

my mom, Mexican food

my spouse, football

my kids, to relax

so what does, “I love God” mean . . .

like we love nachos, you will have to work that one out

but more importantly, what does “God loves us” mean

“may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should”

This is a prayer of the Apostle Paul

and apparently this prayer is needed because God’s people don’t understand, or fully comprehend, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep God’s love is . . .

we can say it, repeat it, sing it, share it . . .

but it seems we don’t get it, it’s not sinking in

and Paul is praying that God gives us the ability/power to grasp and to take a hold of the concept of God’s great love!

and Paul says God’s love is wide, God’s love is long, God’s love is high, and God’s love is deep

How wide is God’s love?

it is so wide means that you are forced to use the word “every”

God’s love is so wide that God loves everybody

every race, every nation, from every continent, every class, every age, every shape and size, male and female - God knows who you are and he loves you!

every type of sinners - liars, adulterers, thieves, gangsters, back stabbers, those who sleep around, those who’ve had abortions, gossipers, murderers, prideful, practicing homosexual, rebellious, addicts, selfish, there is not one group or individual God does not love

God’s love is so wide that he loves through every situation

single, married, divorced, or widowed

healthy or sick

employed, unemployed

rich or in debt

home owner or homeless

free or incarcerated

doing well or in despair

God loves everyone!

That’s good news because life has a way of putting us in different groups

some of us have found ourselves in some groups, some categories that we never thought we would be in

the trials, difficulties, and tragedies of life came our way, and we became apart of different situational groups

I never thought that would happen to me . . .

I never thought I would have to face this circumstance

I never thought I would end up in this condition

or some of us we’ve done some things what we thought we would never do, gave into some temptations that we thought we would never give into . . .

.and we joined some sinner groups

never thought I would steal, lie, be rebellious

we became who we used to talk about

we joined the group of the people we used to look down on

But the prayer is that though you might have done wrong, though you might have changed, your situation might have changed, your circumstances might have changed, that you understand that God’s love is so wide that it still includes you!

the Bible says . . .

John 3:16 (KJV 1900)

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

So thankful that God has that whosoever love!

because the whosoever group includes every group!

the whosoever group includes all the groups that I belong to

that’s good news because many of us don’t love every group, not the group that

hurt us, betrayed us

not the group that is different from us

not the group that we think is beneath us

not the group that has certain faults

But God’s love is wide!

and though we have hurt him, betrayed him, beneath him, though he knows every one of our faults . . .

God still loves us!

God will still accept you, forgive you, work with you, work on you, help you, use you . . .

because His love is wide!

How long is God’s love?

it is so long that it reaches from the foundation of the world, into eternity, it’s infinite, it’s everlasting

that’s awesome because many of us love with a timer

I love you in the good times

I love you until I get bored with you

I love you until I don’t need you anymore

I love you until someone better comes along

I love you until your looks change

I love you until you let me down

But God loves us with an everlasting love

long ago, from of old, from way back . .

I have loved you with an everlasting love . . .

a love that lasts and is unfailing

God has loved you for a very long time . . .

consistently loved you for a long time (unfailing)

before you were born, he loved you

before you even knew about him, he already loved you!

when you knew of him but didn’t love him back, he loved you

when you accepted him, he loved you

when you left him for a short while, he loved you

when you kicked him to the curb for a long time, he loved you

if you still haven’t come back, he loves you

if you are back, he loves you

He never stops loving you, even when you don’t love yourself.

God’s love is that long, He will love you forever . . .

consistently, relentlessly, unfailingly!

God’s love is long!

High high is God’s love?

it way higher than other loves

God’s love is the purest, next level love, it’s way up there

The greek word for this pure, next level love is agape, the highest form of love

it’s more than romantic love, brotherly love, or family love

Agape is a sacrificial love that voluntarily suffers inconvenience, discomfort, loss, and even death for the benefit of another . . .

without expecting anything in return

a “just because” love

That’s why God loves the unlovable, because his love is high!

God’s high love is awesome because many of us only love with an expectation of a return of investment

scratch my back, and I will scratch yours

i’m down for you as long as you are down for me

I’ll support you as long as you support me

treat me right and I will treat you right

matching love = I’ll match whatever you do for me