Sermon Tone Analysis

! Our Position - “/W/e Shall Be Like /H/im” (1John 3:1-3)

!! Chosen by the Father (Eph.1:5)

!!! 1.                  God predestined us to adoption as sons (Eph.1:5).

!!!! a)                  The elements of forming the body of Christ.

!!!!! (1)                 *The /method - /*/election /*(v.4)*:

/"Chose" - This word means to *pick out* or select for *oneself*/

!!!!! (2)                 *The /time - /*/before the foundation of the world* */*(v4)*: It was then that our inheritance in God’s kingdom was determined.

*Jesus said *"Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:" (Matthew 25:34, NKJV)

*Our names as believers were *“written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain” (Rev.

13:8; cf. 17:8).

!!!!! (3)                 *The /purpose - /*/Holiness, without blame /*(v.4)*:

*blameless* literally means without blemish, or spotless.

Paul is talking about our /position /not our /practice./

Because Jesus Christ gave Himself for us as /“//a lamb unblemished and spotless” /(1 Pet.

1:19), we have been given His own unblemished and spotless nature.

!!!!! (4)                 *The /motive - /*/In Love /*(v.4)*:

Just as He chose Israel to be His special people, He also chose the church, family of God. 

*In Deuteronomy 7:7-8 we read *"The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; but because the Lord loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt."

(Deuteronomy 7:7-8, NKJV)

Biblical /agapē/ *love* is not an emotion but a disposition of the heart to seek the welfare and meet the needs of others.

*Jesus said* “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).

And that is exactly what Jesus Himself did on behalf of those God has chosen to be saved.

!!!!! *(5)                 **The /result – /*/adoption as sons/ *(v.5)**: *and that is why John says in 1 John /Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us!  /

 

KEEP YOU’RE FINGER HERE, WE WILL COME BACK TO EPHESIANS

 

!!! 2.                  ‘Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us…’  (v.1a).

!!!! a)                  The Love of God is “unique”

!!!!! (1)                 Why does John describe God's love as "what manner of love"?

Perhaps he tried to call it super, colossal, stupendous, or unbelievable, but eventually gave up.

!!!!! (2)                 To be called a child of God was more wonderful that John could imagine.

*Hebrews 2:11** says* Jesus is not ashamed to call us His brothers.

!!!!! (3)                 The phrase translated /"what manner" /in classical Greek referred to a country, race, or tribe.

It refers to something foreign.

So John is saying, /"What kind of foreign love did God bestow on us to make us His sons?"/

The love of God is foreign to the human race.

It is other-worldly.

It belongs in a different dimension.

*The disciples had a small problem--a storm on the sea:* "And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves.

But He (Jesus) was asleep.

Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us!

We are perishing!”

But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?”

Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.

So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be (or - What manner of man is this), that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”" (Matthew 8:24-27, NKJV)

!!!!! (4)                 *Peter uses it as well in (2 Peter 3:10-11)*

 

\\ !!!! b)                  Loves origin is from “The Father”

!!!!! (1)                 /Human love is object orientated – /God's love for us is not object-oriented, but human love often is.

Human love discriminates on the basis of the object's attraction.

!!!!! (2)                 /God's love has nothing to do with the object /– God is love (1Jn.4:8,

16).

His love is indiscriminate--it is based on His nature.

God loved the apostle John not because John was such a great person, but because it was His nature to love.

!!!!! (3)                 Love is not caused by us (/He demonstrated His love /Rom.5:8;

1Jn.4:8-10, 19)

 

!!!! c)                  Love’s objects, is “On us”

!!!!! (1)                 I cannot merit it (Eph.2:8-9)

– /“Its by God’s grace, through faith, not of ourselves, a gift of God, not or works, let I should boast”/

!!!!! (2)                 It is amazing that God even thinks of me:

*The Psalmist said *"What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him…?" *and he goes on to say *"How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them!

If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand."

(Psalm 8:4; 139:17-18)

* *

!!!! d)                  Love’s characteristics in John’s epistle.

!!!!! (1)                 It is an obedient love (1 John 2:5)

!!!!! (2)                 It is a love that demonstrates (1 John 3:16)

!!!!! (3)                 It is an unselfish love (1 John 3:17)

!!!!! (4)                 It is a love which demonstrates that we are born of God and know Him (1 John 4:7)

!!!!! (5)                 It is the badge worn by the true Christian (1 John 4:8, 16).

Without it, at the final day of judgmemt, the Son of Man will say, /“Depart from Me, I never knew you” /(Matt.7:23).

!!!!! (6)                 It is a sacrificial love that resulted in Jesus Christ’s shedding of His blood to bring about our reconciliation with God (1 John 4:9-10; 2Cor.5:17-21).

!!!!! (7)                 It is a love that reveals God’s character to others through Christians (1John 4:12)

!!!!! (8)                 It is a source of courage in the Day of Judgment (1 John 4:17-18).

!!!!! (9)                 It is a love that delights to do God’s will (1 John 5:3)

 

!!! 3.                  ‘…That we should be called children of God…! (v.1b).

!!!! a)                  We were rebels, aliens, children of wrath (Eph.2:1-3,

4-7)

!!!!! (1)                 If you were to adopt a child, would you adopt one that was a rebel & even hated you?  That’s what God did!  God's love resulted in our being called the children of God.

!!!!! (2)                 It's exciting to realize that God is my Father.

I can go to Him as I can to my human father.

If I ask Him for bread, He won't give me a stone because He loves me (Matt.7:9).

!!!!! (3)                 Romans 8:17 says we are joint heirs with Christ.

God is going to allow us to share in everything He has prepared for Christ.

!!! 4.                  ‘…now we are children of God…’  (1Jn.3:1,

2a).

!!!! a)                  God is not finished with us – We are a work in progress.

!!!!! (1)                 When did you become a child of God?

The minute you believed.

If you are a believer, you are a child of God now, although you may be somewhat disappointed in what God has produced so far.

!!!!! (2)                 We are like a sculpture that God continues to chisel as more and more of our form emerges.    

!!!!! (3)                 We have been /transformed, /not reformed (2Cor.5:17),

being born a second time (Jn.3:3)

!!!!! (4)                 I have “received a spirit of adoption” (Rom.8:15),

God is no longer my judge but my Father

!!!!! (5)                 I now come to Him with confidence (Heb.4:14-16),

knowing He will here my prayers (Jn.11:42)

!!!!! (6)                 John has emphasized that we are God’s children /right now/.

This brings me to say that our salvation is in three tenses:

\\  

!!!! b)                  The Word /Salvation/ is used in Scripture 3 different ways:

!!!!! (1)                 *I /have been /saved – The /once-for-all experience/* of salvation – (*John 5:24*; Luke 7:50 cf.

Eph.2:8; 2Tim1:9): saved from the condemnation of /sin, death, & hell/.

*The Lord Jesus said,* "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life."

(John 5:24, NKJV)

!!!!!! (a)                 The moment you trust Christ you receive everlasting life, and you will never be any more saved than you are at the moment you trust Him.

You are born again, born into the family of God.