Sermon Tone Analysis

Last week “Basic Christianly”

1.      Love Because we have born again, = fellowshipping with one another

2.    Walking in the light, and the evidence of that, is relationship with others believers;

3.

And what makes them brothers and sisters in Christ is Obedience, and love;

 

·        *Son ship = Lordship*

·        *Brotherhood = Family *

 

Many things drift into the center of my life, and they are mostly about me: my needs, my pride, my fear of getting involved, my certainty that I know how to meet the needs of others.

\\ But faithful living means laying down our arrogance and our hesitations… \\ …and returning to God, the Center.

\\ \\

“The important thing in Christianity, it has been said, is not the theological belief that God is great… \\ …but the personal experience that God knows us”.

Believing and loving is written into the constitution of the universe and of human life…

 

*1 John 3:14*

The opposite of love is hate, and hate produces death.

Hate will cause people to do mean things to each other, even kill each other.

One of the marks of a true born again experience is laying down hate and bottled up anger.

These things have a strange way of disappearing in the presence of Jesus Christ.

You know you’ve plugged into something powerful beyond this world when you find a fresh new love for former enemies.

This is the mark of Christ.

Christ produces love.

Christ produces life.

When Christ is the love of our life we somehow fall in love with life and appreciate all of it.

We start seeing life in little things that were once hidden from us.

We begin to notice how life works for different people and things.

When we detect life in another we hold it in high esteem and cherish it.

Last week talked about a little and how he murdered his brother!

Now we see in Matthew what Jesus says:

 

John says – “Don’t be like Cain” \\ \\

"I’m not like Cain, I’ve never murdered anyone!" \\ Jesus raises the bar - \\ *Matthew 5:21-24* \\ *(21)* "you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ’You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’

22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment.

Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ’Raca, ’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin.

And anyone who says, ’You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.

John leaves us no room - we either hate each other or Love each other.

He never says it’s OK just to dislike each other.

\\ \\

Jesus goes on in Matthew’s Gospel to talk about the importance of our relationship with others in regards to our relationship with God \\ "Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar.

First go and be reconciled to that person; then come and offer your gift.

God wants our reconciliation with our brothers and sisters more than he wants our offerings!

\\ \\ Do not be like Cain: don’t be murderous or hateful toward those in your church.

\\ \\

*(18)** This is the example;*

*(James 2:15-16)* don’t talk about the need, but love in deed, do it!

Do something about it!

It is more then prayer it calls for sacrificial deeds.

To love in tongue is the opposite of to love in truth!

It means to love a person genuinely, from the heart and not just from the tongue.

*(Luke 15:1-2).*

(Luke 6:38) says give  and it shall be given to you

 

*So to an extent it will cost us, but it cost Jesus Christ His life.*

*(v19) *

Three marks of “Genuine Christian”

1.      Righteousness

2.    Love is the distinguish mark of a believer 

3.

And a right belief about Jesus Christ

 

When he speaks of he always seems to interrupt himself, look at (*2:9 – 11),* then he stops, and *(12)* then it seems like he straight to assurance.

Now is it any surprise that has he ends the topic of love.

Now he looks up at his readers to give them assurance, and why does John keep doing this?

Because this is what will keep throwing Christians into doubt,

Any Born Again Christian will ask or ponder the question; ‘am I really loving as I should?

Because in (v18) Read “he says let us not love in word or in tongue”  Deed ot in truth, does this always character us?

*(v20)* Our heart can stir up at time a uncertainty[A1]  of where we stand with God!

I believe at times that no Christian is exempt = off the hook; from this.

So what do you do when you go through this or thesis kinds of thoughts?

I.

Dealing with a condemning heart.

*(v20a.)*

If our heart condemns us.

Or whenever our heart condemns us.

Kind of sounds like our heart has it own mind or it accuse you, to you.

Of not being =

·        A Christian

·        And points out all the failures

What do you do?

Well first lets began at verse (19) is going back to the previous chapter and contextually that makes the most sense.

1.

We will know by this evidence of love, in our lives that we are of the truth.

·        It is active

·        It is visible

·        It is not feeling and just words!

·        Remember what Jesus said “ by this all people will know”

 

There are three kinds of love but it the love of the Father that makes us different it is our distinguishing mark of the believers.

This agape love is different because it is self denying.

The Greek word "agape" is often translated "love" in the New Testament.

How is "agape love" different from other types of love?

The essence of /agape/ love is self-sacrifice.

Unlike our English word “love,”/ agape /is not used in the Bible to refer to romantic or sexual love.

Nor does it refer to close friendship or brotherly love, for which /philia/ is used.

Nor does /agape/ mean charity, a term which the King James translators carried over from the Latin.

/Agape/ love is unique and is distinguished by its nature and character.

It is for others to see, and also for the world to see, because it is authentic, is evidenced that one belongs to the truth.

It is enough, and all that is needed to show that we belong to the truth, *(18)* speaks of truth, and *(v19)* mentions truth also, why because in perfect love there is no darkness and nothing that represents darkness.

*(19**)* says “we are of the truth” it reflects *honesty, demonstration, action, it is a surrendered life.

*

*Christianity is a matter heart not the tongue!*

* *

And pretty much John wants us to think about who we are as Christians; because the truth of God will cause us to think on what God is doing in us right now, and before did you ever have a

1.      Care for people?

2.    Or did you forgive people like the way you do now, ready to give them a second chance.

3.    Did you ever give the time and the money that you do now, could you do that before?

4.    Did you use to pray for people and send little notes, and do things for people before like yon do now?

5.    Did you ever want to meet the needs of people before like the way you do now!

Many of these things we could not have done on our own “it must be the love of God.”

We could never do the things we do . . . .

If it were not for the Fathers love in us, on us, and the Spirit of God conforming us.

John is saying if your heart condemns you remember it will forget and ignore, the facts which is God is greater then our heart, and knows all things.

John wants to consol us, assure us that when are heart points its little fingers, and listing all our failures, we can stand. . .

because God is greater.