Sermon Tone Analysis

1) Introduction

a) LOVE.

What a precious word.

What a precious thing.

We like to be where ther's love.

It brings happiness, satisfaction, and inspiration to life.

To be loved and to love.

It makes the hard experiences in life so much more bearable.

b) "The one thing we can never get enough of is love; and the one thing we can never give enough of is love."

c) It has been called the greatest thing in the world.

And indeed it is.

It is that "more excellent way", more to be desired than to be an apostle, a teacher, than to           do miracles or speak in tongues.

It is that which will endure when all other virtues           have faded away.

2) I Peter 1.22

a) Our text talks about unfeigned love.

What is that?

i) Unfeigned - real, sincere, without hipocrisy

(1) a love that comes from the heart

(2) unless love is unfeigned it is not love

 

3) What is Love?

a) it is a feeling - a fond or tender feeling which we feel toward someone.

i) But as all feelings, love cannot be hidden but if felt will be expressed by                 words and actions.

And may I say especially actions.

(1) schoolteacher who asked students what love is.

(2) the story of the good samaritan.

(3) think of God's love - shown by what He did

(4) I John 3.18 - Let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in DEED                       and in truth.

\\ (a) not all good deeds are motivated by love

(i) selfish motives: good name, good feeling, praise of men

(ii) That does not make the actions of love any less valid or                                           important.

4) Where does unfeigned love come from?

a) I John 4.7,8 - "Love is of God." God is the fountain of love.

From Him all love             flows.

Our ability to love comes from Him.

Without God there is no genuine love.

The           love that exists in the world about us exists because of the respect that people yet           have for God and the basic moral principles of the Bible, though they may not               acknowledge them as being Bible.

The farther man goes away from God the more selfish           and uncaring he becomes.

His relationship with others is based on their relationship           with him and what he gets out of that relationship for himself.

When we think of            hell we think of the absence of love.

Why?

Because God will not be there.

And God           is love.

Without God there is no love.

i) The Christian knows love in a way the world dosen't.

b) I Thes.

4.9 - We are taught of God.

c) On that premise John continues: 3.14-18

d) Because of that, love is such an important expresion of our Christian life

i) It is one of the outstanding virtues of God's people.

In fact Jesus said that                 about love "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have                 love one to another."

John 13.36.

Are you known to be a loving person?

ii) The ordinances of the Christian salutation, feet washing are to remind us of                 the importance of love in the body of believers.

\\ e) There is nothing that can do more to ruin the testimony of the believers than               attitudes and words and actions that express a lack of love.

Everyone expects that           the Christian be a loving person.

f) This morning we are considering love - not for our enemies, not for our neighbor but          love toward our brethren and sisters in the church.

i) although I think that the same principles apply to all of them, maybe with                  some different applications.

5) The Expresion of Unfeigned Love

a) Two very familiar Scriptures as a basis for our discussion.

i) Luke 10.27-37

ii) I Corinthians 13.4-7

iii) We want to consider these two scriptures in relation to each other - the                    teaching and the practical expression of the teaching.

b) suffereth long - is patient, is long suffering

i) We think of God as being longsuffering.

A God who though offended manyy times                 is patient, forbearing.

He forgives us over and over.

That's how we should be                 toward each other.

ii) Some people take more patience than others.

(1) Because of our differences in personality.

They conflict sometimes.

(a) slow - It takes them so long to make up their minds.

We need to                              sit and wait.

(b) have funny ideas - we need to submit or relate in love without                              offend them.

(c) contrary or stubborn

(2) immature in their Christian lives.

(a) in relating on the mission field.

Continue to do things they                                shouldn't do.

You're sure they know better.

c) and is kind - is loving

\\ i) Again we look at Jesus - So much of His life was spent making people happy.

Doing things for others.

Doing favors.

Without discrimination.

Without                        calculating what it would cost him.

Without holding back.

ii) The good samaritan.

(1) saw a man in need.

He stopped to help without discriminating.

Without                        considering first what it would cost him, the time he would lose, that                       he would get his good clothes dirty.

He did more than really he had to                       do. He was kind, compassionate.

iii) Eph.

4.31,32 - the abscence of v.31 and the expression of v.32                  

(a) James 3.17

iv) That's what love is.

Kindness.

Making others happy by our good deeds.

Sensing                their needs and reaching out to help them.

Not discriminating.

Not overly                   concerned about the sacrifices we may need to make.

v) Expressed by showing a loving concern in little things.