Sermon Tone Analysis

*"Who Lives Forever?"* \\ \\ May 1, 2009 \\ \\ /The// world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. 1 John 2:17/ \\ \\ /Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:// \\ \\ The salvation story of Jesus Christ reaches around the world.

So that the readers of our Daily Devotion may see the power of the Savior on a global scale, we have asked the volunteers of our International Ministry Centers to write our Friday devotions.

We pray that the Spirit may touch your day through their words.

\\ \\ In Christ, I remain, His servant and yours, \\ Kenneth R. Klaus \\ Speaker of The Lutheran Hour/ \\ \\ \\ \\ The king of an Eastern country commanded his counselors to submit a proposition that must be appropriate at any time and in every situation.

After thinking and discussing the matter with each other carefully, they submitted the following statement: "And this will also pass away."

\\ \\ Peter gave the same advice to Christians of his day and thereafter.

His words are a rousing reminder: "Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be?

You ought to live holy and godly lives" (2 Peter 3:11).

\\ \\ Indeed, everything /will/ pass away -- the happiest times as well as the saddest times -- the imperial palaces as well as the poorest apartments.

As the apostle John asserted, "The world and its desires pass away . . .

."

We are living in a world full of greed and corruption.

What we try to gain -- such as money, high position, and reputation -- will all pass away.

We can have our possessions placed along with us in the grave, but there, too, they will pass away.

\\ \\ What, then, will remain?

If /everything/ will be destroyed, how should we conduct our lives?

How do we /do/ the "will of God"? \\ \\ Of our own accord, doing the will of God is impossible.

It is only through God-given faith in Christ's perfect sacrifice on the cross on our behalf, that our lives are redeemed for eternity.

Then, in service to God, "who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all . . . .

(Romans 8:32a), we live our lives through obedience to His Word, proclaiming the good news that salvation -- life forever -- is God's free gift to all people.

\\ \\ *THE PRAYER:* Dear God, thank You for reminding us of the eternal life You give us through Jesus' death and resurrection.

Please strengthen us to live according to Your will.

Amen.

\\ \\ \\ /Biography of Author:/ \\ Mr. Nguyen Huu Dung prepared this devotion.

As a volunteer preacher, he assists the operations of LHM-Vietnam, which has its headquarters in Ho Chi Minh City since 1999.

Using performing arts routines involving puppets and music, LHM's ministry center spreads the Good News of Christ's salvation in this country of nearly 90 million.