Sermon Tone Analysis

Opening

Story about “First Love”

Illustration: Workers Laying Down The Foundation

This July we started the series iTeach and we’ve been talking about:

Thrust - Vision from God - Write the Vision ().

The need to be EQUIPPED - Skills will Bring Success ().

Unless the Almighty builds the house - The Lord wants to partner with us ()

Communicate our Purpose - His Purpose is Very Clear ()

We must have been pondering by now “How” can we carry out the vision?

“How” can we be equipped?

“How” can we build the church?

and “How” can we communicate the purposes of Agape?

But, The question that we must ask ourselves is not “How” but “Why”..

The question that we must ask ourselves is not “How” but “Why”.

The question should not be how can we do the things we want to do for the Lord, but rather, the more important question is, why we do what we do for the Lord?

God’s love for us Love one another with the love that comes from God whoever does not love does not know God because God is love He showed His love by giving His one and only Son and His love is made complete in us Meaning of Agape “Remembering” is the beginning of Revival & Renewal () The test of our faith () How God has been faithful () The blessings of the Lord () The Lessons we learned () 5 Renewals That God takes us through Personal Renewal () Relational Renewal () Missional Renewal () Structural Renewal () Cultural Renewal (The moral climate of our church changes)

The question should not be “How can we do the things we want to do for the Lord?”..

But rather, the more important question is, “Why we do what we do for the Lord?”

In first John chapter 4… verses 7-12 says these…

1 John 4:7

From these passages, it is without a doubt, that the reason “WHY” we must do what we do for the Lord is because of God’s Love for us.

God’s love for us

He showed His love by giving His one and only Son

How did God showed His love for us?

He showed His love by giving His one and only Son

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love

Love one another with the love that comes from God

Love one another with the love that comes from God

whoever does not love does not know God because God is love

and His love is made complete in us and through us

We should do the things we do for the Lord because of our love for Him

We must keep His Greatest Commandments

Greatest commandment is Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind

and His love is made complete in us

We must obey the the Great Commission

Matthew 28

If you remember from last Sunday, the “5 Unchanging Purposes” of the Church is derived from these very words of the Lord Jesus (Worship, Ministry, Evangelism, Fellowship, Discipleship).

“A Great Christian, will Keep the Great Commandments and Obey the Great Commission.”

Now, the answers as to “HOW” can we do the things we want to do for the Lord will automatically reveal itself...

When we keep in mind that the reason “WHY” we do what we do for the Lord is because of LOVE, the question of “HOW” will answer for itself… for example...

We make coffee or any morning drink for our spouses everyday, why? because we love them;

We buy our children the things they need, sometimes we even buy them the things they do not need, Why?...

Occasionally, we go downtown to feed the homeless, why? because we love them;

We minister to the needs of our brethren in our church, why? because we love them;

I can go on all day long and we will not run out of answers as to “HOW” as long as we know the answer to “WHY”.

Agape means Unconquerable Benevolence

Eros - Between sexes, Philia - Between Friends, Storge - Between Families

Agape

The real meaning of agape is “unconquerable benevolence”

It means that nothing that they can do will make us seek anything but their highest good

Agape is a thing not only of the emotions but also of the will

It is the ability to retain unconquerable goodwill towards the unlovable, and those who do not love us

and even to those whom we do not like

Agape is that quality of mind and heart which compels Christians never to feel bitterness

never to feel desire for revenge, but always seek the highest good of absolutely everyone

Sounds impossible to do?

This may only be possible if we die to self and live in Christ.

Die to self, and in live in Christ?

how can this be?…

It is only through personal renewal & revival that we can live in Christ

Remembering is the beginning of Revival & Renewal

()

The test of our faith ()

How God has been faithful ()

How God has been faithful () The blessings of the Lord () The Lessons we learned () 5 Renewals That God takes us through Personal Renewal () Relational Renewal () Missional Renewal () Structural Renewal () Cultural Renewal (The moral climate of our church changes)

The blessings of the Lord ()

The Lessons we learned ()

Let us remember our “First Love”

Prayer

Lord, our memory fails, but Yours did not and will never be.

You even know the count of our hair.

You knew us since the time You knitted us in our mother’s womb.

You have spoken our names even before we were born.

You have set our destiny to be among your chosen people.

You knew and remember everything about us.

Our going out and coming in, our standing up and lying down.

You knowing everything because Your are the Omniscient God.

But our sins You’ve forgiven.

As far as the east is from the west You’ve forgotten them.

How could a forgetful wicked being like us deserves your agape love that always remembers?

If it is not for Your grace and mercy, who could we be?

where can we be?

Thank You Lord for always remembering us.

And today we remember.

We remember that day when we receive Your grace.

When you adopted us to sonship in Your most loving family.

We remember when You helped us through the many tests of our faith.

We remember your faithfulness in different seasons of our lives.

We remember and count all Your blessings to us.

And we remember the lessons You taught us through the experiences that You led us through.

Lord we remember..

And as we remember, we pray for Personal Renewal Lord.

We pray for Personal Revival God.

Send us that wave of revival that we may continue to enjoy the love story that we once had with you.

These are our prayers in the name of our First Love Jesus Christ, Amen!

Personal Renewal ()

Relational Renewal ()

Missional Renewal ()

Structural Renewal ()

Cultural Renewal (The moral climate of our church changes)