2 John
Notes
Transcript
Living like Jesus
Living like Jesus
Good morning my friends!
It’s the first Sunday of the New Year!
We’ve been blessed to enjoyed time with our family and friends through the Christmas and the New Year.
And now that the holiday season is over, what will we do?
Well, people will go back to work, and the kids, well they head back to school and things seemingly return to normal so to speak.
But I would ask a question here a the start of a new year, is our normal good enough?
People are sharing every day, I want to do different, now they are talking about self care, weight loss, relationships and the list goes on and on.....
But what about our faith, do we invest enough in it. Are you doing our best to be more like Jesus?
Hmm… I think most of us could say, I can do better…
Yes, we can always do better .... so what is our plan, what will we do to know Jesus more closely and walk with Him more completely...
That my friends is something we must consider how we are living and do something to strengthen it.
Do you know why?
Darkness is as close as we have ever seen it, and as such we need a strong, a solid faith to navigate the changing world around us.
So lets see what John says about living in a world of darkness as we open the text of 2 John.
So lets begin with this thought today....
1. Love Like Jesus....
One of the most profound commands of Scripture is the call to demonstrate love, a holy love like Jesus would show as He encountered and served humanity.
And here as John opens the letter of 2 John we find this is one of the first commands He shares with the church.
Lets open verses 1-3 to start with… and set the stage for what he will continue to tell those believers.
1 The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all who know the truth, 2 because of the truth that abides in us and will be with us forever:
3 Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father’s Son, in truth and love.
So the elder is John, which has a dual fold meaning here, elder meaning an old or aged man, which he is by this time in his life, but more than that he is the “presbuteros” the one who has authority and the position of leading the body. And remember, at this time he is the last living apostle.
He is a elder who gives oversight to the the church, he is not the head of the church, that is the Lord Jesus.
So as John opens this letter, he uses the analogy of speaking to a lady, but this isn’t a particular physical lady but instead he is speaking to the church there and her children are the membership of the church.
And look at what John says “...to the lady and her children whom I love in the truth...”
Now pull those two key words out, love and truth: Love speaks to that Godly type of love, it has a genuine concern and care for those around us like God loves and cares for us.
This is the type of love, and to say I love you in truth, they love you an account of the truth.
Well lets think about this, who is truth, Jesus is, John 14:6 he says “ I am the way, the truth and the life. So what John is demonstrating here? I love you like Jesus loves us and teaches us to love others.
Let me ask you a question: How did Jesus love the church? He loved it fully, laying down his life for the church and all those who who are in the church.
Now lets finish this thought… look at verses 1 & 2 again 2 John 1-2
1 The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all who know the truth, 2 because of the truth that abides in us and will be with us forever:
John says - I not only love her, but all who know the truth loves her… Most literally all who know Jesus loves her. Why? The truth abides in us.
Think of Jesus words in John 15:4-5
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
The life of the believer intertwined and connected to the Lord, will accomplish what the Lord desires., most uniquely the ability to love, a lasting love.
Now look at verse 3
3 Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father’s Son, in truth and love.
Here John offers a blessing, The same grace, mercy and peace that is with John, is abundant to all who come to faith in the Lord Jesus.
When we talk about grace, it is God’s unmerited and undeserved kindness. God the Father freely bestows grace to every person who deserves to turn from sin and seek the Father.
Mercy is God’s compassion and pity, his tenderness and readiness is to forgiven sin. All who call upon the name of the Lord receives unmerited favor from our Father in heaven
And finally Peace…is the wholeness and well being of life in every aspect of our existence.
Just as John and the others have experienced this from the Father and from the Son. Listen this is important, John is telling us that Spiritual blessings flow equally from the Father and from the Son. They are one, but separate persons.
They (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) desire to have a relationship with all people and will extend their blessing and love in truth to all who call upon the name of the Lord.
Wow, my friends… Love like Jesus. John says love in truth, connect to and exhibiting Jesus at every turn in this life.
And then secondly this morning, Walk in that Love
2. Walk in that Love....
Walk in love my friends.... You see there is a wonderful connection between loving like Jesus, saying it, speaking about it and then demonstrating it with those around you.
And in our text today, John continues to commend them toward love. Lets look at verses 4-6 2 John 4-6
4 I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father. 5 And now I ask you, dear lady—not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another. 6 And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it.
Looking here, we see right of the bat, John commends the church, because he has found some of its members (children), walking in the truth.
To walk in the truth means they are they were living, demonstrating what they believed about God, what they had learned from the Apostles teaching. Their doctrine and conduct all matched up.
John is thankful, for they are demonstrating what it means to walk in truth and love. This was the commandment they had previously received from them. 1 John 3:23
23 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.
That is pretty awesome my friends, you know why? The church is being the church. To trust, and follow God and love those around us as He hs loved us is what God desires.
If we can do that, the rest I taken care of I think...
But lets move forward…look at verses 5-6 again 2 John 5-6
5 And now I ask you, dear lady—not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another. 6 And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it.
So what is John saying here… well there are a couple things I want you to see..
A. Not a New Commandment… This is not a new commandment that he is asking here to take to heart. John is making sure to differentiate this news. This isn’t something new like those deceivers deliver to the people seeking to lead them farther and farther astray…
No, John is sharing what they as the disciples received from Jesus.
B. Jesus taught this Message.... What they received from the beginning was Jesus message. On the night of Jesus betrayal he admonished His disciples to love one another. Listen to Jesus in John 13:34
34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
The love Jesus calls for is a godly love, it is a consistent expression of love calling for followers of the Lord Jesus to practice love at every turn. It is a love that is costly… it calls for you to invest in other, it is caring … it calls for us to put the needs of others ahead of our own and it is critical… we cannot live and express the love of God unless we hold it in our own hearts daily.
It was the same love Jesus taught in which they could steer their lives by… If we at like Jesus and love like Jesus, well we cannot do wrong pattering our self after the Master.
This my friends is the truth.. And moving into verse 6, we can express our love for God through what? John says by keeping his commandment.
Remember what John said in 1 John 5:3
3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.
Obedience is better than sacrifice my friends. It is one thing to give, to go and do, but living it and revealing that to others is the very best act we can accomplish.
Love is at the core of all that Christ did and it is for us as well.
Remember Paul’s words in 1 Cor 13, he tells us that action without true love is empty and worthless.
Love is the scarlet thread that is carried throughout the Bible telling us just how much God loves us and we are to in turn replicate that love.
Love and keep on loving my friends, don’t stop loving, don’t stop sharing and don’t stop telling the world why God loves then and that He sent Jesus to save them in love.
Now lets look at just one last thought today as we finish this epistle of 2 John
3. Be Weary in the World...
I have to say this because the world is a dangerous place. The world promotes a whole agenda of lies, false narratives that is self seeking, and promotes nothing more than the devil and his coming Anti-christ.
John is warning the church here in our text because of what he sees taking place around the church in the world.
Lets examine what John says here in verses 7-9 2 John 7-9
7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8 Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward. 9 Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.
A. Many Deceiver Have Gone in the World. These are people who have gone out from the church taking hold of this false teaching about Jesus.
It was happening then and it is still happening now my friends, there are people and groups who are able to steal people away based on some teaching they heard that has no real basis in the Word of God.
Listen, these deceivers work hard and they give their all in hopes of stealing people away. But the truth of their actions is seen in their name, they are ones who deceive.
A wolf in sheep’s clothing....
B. They Preach a Different Gospel… John condemns these deceivers because they do not teach that Jesus came into the flesh.
The gospel is founded in Jesus coming in the flesh born of a virgin.
It is essential to our faith that we teach that Jesus the second person of the Trinity became flesh and dwelt among us. That Jesus being both fully man, and fully God lived and was without sin.
He died a sacrificial death on the cross taking our place and shame. Thus dying a sacrificial,substitutional death on behalf of man kind so that we could be forgiven of our sin.
And because there were those out their promoting, teaching a message contrary to the gospel of Jesus, John says we must be careful. Look at verses 8-9..
8 Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward. 9 Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.
C. Be on the Watch.... We must be careful to rightly divide the Word of truth. We must be vigilant in light of the danger this presents.
This phrase ‘watch out” was used several times by Jesus in the gospels… Let me share a couple such instances Jesus warned others against the message of the Pharisees.
15 And he cautioned them, saying, “Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”
and then
38 And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces
How important is this.... The way John uses the word, “watch out” is what we call, present, active and imperative in the Greek. Those hearing John must be on constant guard.
There is no place for complacency, you know why, false teaching are seductive in nature… It will lure a person into a false sense of security… We must be careful...
Listen… what is the world teaching our youth about sex and gender right now.... oh its seductive.
What is our world teaching all of us about what is supposedly good and acceptable for all? Oh if it doesn’t hurt anyone it is ok…
What is our world teaching us about our needs… It says our needs are wide open, you deserve to have everything. You should have the world and its riches and if you do not have it something is wrong.
Main there are some main stream churches out there that teaching if you are sick, if you have financial issues, if you are having family trouble.. If you are not obtaining the best there must be something wrong about your faith...
We must be careful about what we believe and hold true. If it is not in agreement with the Word of God then it is false.
I could give you a whole list of TV preachers to leave alone...
Oh my or oh me… That might be stepping on toes.
Lastly there in verse 9… if you or someone does not continue in the true teaching of Jesus does not have God John says..
Man that makes you think… it is the same measure of John telling us that a true child of God will not continue in sin.
But if you continue and hold fast to Jesus you will have your reward.
We must be careful my friends with how we live, we must examine our life before the Father and make sure what we are doing is good and acceptable before the Father..
Now there is one last thing we need to see,
D. Refuse to Have Any Part with False Teachers...
We are not to have any part with false teachers, these are not my words, but John’s. Lets listen to verses 10-11
10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, 11 for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.
Having the foundation of the Gospel of Jesus, we know what is truth. And since there are those out there teaching something contrary to the gospel, we should have no part with it.
John says do not receive them into your home, literally do not give them shelter or aid, and don’t even extend a greeting to them.
So what does this mean? Well, remember the context of what is happening. There are those who are spreading a false gospel in their communities.
It means that you are not to provide support or aid, (for example like a place to stay or giving them money) to anyone who is speaking false teachings and perpetuating error among others.
You do not want to have any part in their ability to do evil.
This doesn’t mean you cannot engage them in conversation, it doesn’t mean you cannot bring them into your home to try and persuade them toward the truth and teach them about Jesus.
You are just not to welcome them, or assist them in any way. And with verse 11, we are not to even bless them. The word “Welcome” here means bless them or to wish them well. So again showing hospitality or a verbal agreement would be to take part in their evil work.
This is not rudeness, this is not being mean spirited. In a Christ like way we can stand firm and for what is right...
Now in the last two verses 12 and 13 John tells them that he has much to tell them, but instead of paper and ink, he would save that for the time when they are together. At that time, they would both experience the joy of being together.
Their sister church (its members) send their greetings...
My friends the best thing I can tell you is this, walk in Christ, let your relationship with Jesus define everything about you, the more you grow in Jesus the better you will be for all the world around you.
How close are you walking to Jesus?
Be honest with yourself and God
There is always room for improvement.
will you start that improvement today.
Pray
5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,