Blessed Assurance 1 John 3:11-24

Father’s Day Message, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3AuMP3Bjyk

He’s My Father, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXHSIsJYIvE

Father’s Day Presentation

Announcements:

Psalm 101 NIV

Of David. A psalm. 1 I will sing of your love and justice; to you, Lord, I will sing praise. 2 I will be careful to lead a blameless life— when will you come to me? I will conduct the affairs of my house with a blameless heart. 3 I will not look with approval on anything that is vile. I hate what faithless people do; I will have no part in it. 4 The perverse of heart shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with what is evil. 5 Whoever slanders their neighbor in secret, I will put to silence; whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, I will not tolerate. 6 My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; the one whose walk is blameless will minister to me. 7 No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence. 8 Every morning I will put to silence all the wicked in the land; I will cut off every evildoer from the city of the Lord.

Prayer

Worship Set

Prayer

Worship Through the Word:

Blessed Assurance

10,000 Sermon Illustrations What Money Can’t Buy

What Money Can’t Buy

A minister was speaking to the Sunday school about the things money can’t buy. “It can’t buy laughter and it can’t buy love” he told them. Driving his point home he said, “What would you do if I offered you $1,000 not to love your mother and father?” Stunned silence ensued. Finally a small voice queried, “How much would you give me not to love my big sister?”

Source unknown

We laugh because anyone with brothers and sisters can relate to the humor in this illustration. I know my brothers would definitely have some funny comebacks toward me if I shared this story with them.

But this story does not just relate to our immediate family, but as children of God we are part of a larger family, the church. This includes but is not limited to our local congregation. However, for all intense purposes today, we will be looking our our immediate church congregation as it is the one where the greatest conflicts may arise.

As John continues with his subject of love, he moves from our love of the Father, that being God, to a broader subject, God’s family. You see, if we love the Father, we must also love His children. And just like in our immediate families, sometimes we get a bit short, frustrated, or even angry with members of our church family.

Today, I am reading 1 John 3:11-24.

1 John 3:11–24 NIV

11 For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12 Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 15 Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him. 16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. 19 This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20 If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24 The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.

The Word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God!

I. Family Love 1 John 3:11-24

It only took one generation after the first act of sin, for a murder to occur and it was within a family. Of course, you may argue, they were all family at that point. This is true, but there were enough children to have married and scattered by this time. Allow me to quickly clarify.

According to scripture, Eve was the mother of all living people. Genesis 3:20

Genesis 3:20 NIV

20 Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living.

She gave birth to Cain, and his name seems to suggest that he was her first born.

Genesis 4:1 NIV

1 Adam made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man.”

It is difficult to tell if Abel was immediately next or if he came sometime later. Some translations seem to read it next, while others just state sometime later.

Genesis 4:2 NIV

2 Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil.

At the time of this story, Cain and Abel are old enough and independent enough, to have their own jobs and make their own personal sacrifices. Adam and Eve would have been raising more children all this time. We are never told how old Cain and Abel are at the time of this event. Considering they lived as old at 900 years old in those days, many children could have been raised and headed off with spouses to make a living in other places, ergo, Cain’s later departure to the land of Nod.

Many people have the idea that Seth was the third child, but the scriptures do not say that. They only say that Eve took it as a sign that Seth was given to replace Abel. If Cain and Abel were the oldest two, that also explains why they still live near mom and dad. In those days, and still somewhat today, it usually falls on the oldest to take care of the folks. This also would explain why replacing Abel was important. Abel is now dead and Cain gone, someone needed to help mom and dad.

So, we see that this murder was between two brothers, close in age, living in or near home.

Now, lets bring this back to John’s letter. Step back with me to where we left off last week.

1 John 3:10 NIV

10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.

How appropriate this message is for Father’s Day. Our ultimate father is God Himself. What is the best way we can love a father? By loving his children. As I listened to Kris Langham’s devotional on 1 John 3, he made the comment that the best Father’s Day gift he could ever be given is to see his children getting along with each other and enjoying each other’s company. It is true isn’t it? I know my dad delights when the family is all together having fun together. If we truly love the Father, we will love what he loves and God’s first love is His children.

1 John 3:1 (NIV)

1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!...

So, as we move from John’s discussion on loving God, he tells us...

A. Love for God is demonstrated through our love for God’s family.

Last week we spoke about the idea that when we love someone, we desire to please them. We love the things they love. We seek to know what it is they love and we pursue ways of providing that for them.

What I didn’t say too much is how it pleases us when we succeed. It feels good to know someone is pleased and is proud of us. Just this week, a pastor friend of mine shared a story about a young man who came from a tough situation and overcame it. He is growing in his Christian faith and has married a wonderful Christian woman. My pastor friend had three boys, but he always wanted four. However, his wife was through after the three. One day, he told this young man that he thought of him as his fourth son. This young man just beamed and has told that story to others over and over again. It feels good when someone takes pleasure in us and what we do pleases them.

John continues with this same idea. If we love God, we want to do the things that please Him and the one thing that He has made clear from the beginning is that we are to love others. This begins with family and moves out from there. First, our blood family. Second, our spiritual family. Third, all others.

Sometimes I think the church forgets this begins in house. We get so focused on growing the church that we spend far too much time on evangelizing through various means and overlook our hurting brothers and sisters under our vary noses every Sunday (we can also neglect our blood family doing the same thing). We need to be cautious of both these scenarios. Love does not neglect those closest to us to for the sake of evangelism. The truth is, the best evangelism comes through how we conduct our lives at home and in the church.

So, John gives us a breakdown on the...

B. Practical insights regarding what love is and is not.

John does not go into a great deal of detail here. He just gives some basic thoughts, probably in response to the current situation. He begins with...

1. What love is not...

What love is not has as much to do with what we do not do as well as what we do. It includes wrong actions and sometimes no action at all. He begins with...

i. Jealousy, hate, or murder vv 12-15

1 John 3:12 NIV

12 Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous.

It does not take much for jealousy and hate to creep into the church. Remember, considered himself a believer. He was going through the motions but for the wrong reasons. People sometimes serve in the church for the wrong reasons. Many are eager to do the jobs that get lots of public appraisal. I have been blessed in this church to see the opposite. We have many people who work behind the scenes and have no desire to be recognized. I do believe in giving credit where credit is due, but when there are so many, it is easy to loose sight of who all is doing what. I do appreciate you all and I am very proud of how many choose not to be publicly recognized. You have no idea how many people give to others, provide needs in the church, make repairs, do yard work, winter snow removal, secretarial jobs, clean, and decorate with no one ever knowing. I want to say “Thank you!” from the bottom of my heart.

However, other things can occur that can sound hateful. When you have a crowd with older generations sometimes the hearing isn’t the best. It sometimes can make things a bit noisy when we are trying to hear. Loving each other is being patient with each other and speaking lovingly to each other.

As we read this passage of John, we hear reflections of Jesus’ sermon on the mount. It is not enough that we do not do something or act a certain way. It goes deeper than that. It goes right to our thought life and our deeper feelings of the heart.

John then addresses being...

ii. Self-focused, oblivious to the need of others v 17

It is about being engaged with each other. Caring for each other.

1 John 3:17 NIV

17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?

John says we should not just talk about such needs, but we should do something about those needs. Here again, he is addressing the church and the church family. Love, care, respect, and providing begins in the church. We do not just have compassion for reasons of evangelism. If we are taking care of people in our community but overlooking the needs in our church, something is wrong. Once again, I am blessed by the love and compassion of our church. I have watched you take care of me and others regularly. I cannot tell you how often I hear the opposite from other churches.

The third thing I hear John saying is that love is not...

iii. Insincere vocalizations v 18

In other words, talking about problems or needs and not doing something about them. Our country is full of people pointing out needs and wanting either the government or the church to do something about them, yet they are unwilling to help. It is not enough to identify a need, we need to take action to help solve the need. We may need to be willing to do something that is not as convenient or comfortable for us, to provide for that need.

Bless Carlee’s heart, she blessed Patty last week by stepping into a gap. Patty knew our regular kids were out of town so she had not prepared a kid’s church lesson. We unexpectantly had some kids visit from out of town. Carlee has worked as a children’s pastor and so she saw the need and quickly pulled together some items to teach a lesson. She took action even though it was not convenient, nor was she fully prepared. I am so glad we have so many people willing to do these kinds of acts of service within our church family.

Now John continues with...

2. What love is...

And it is the opposite of what love was not. Love is...

i. Self-Sacrifice vv 16-17

1 John 3:16–17 NIV

16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?

Jesus was willing to give up His life for us. Are we going to grouse over things? People are always more important than things. Love is also...

ii. Actions, truth, sincerity vv 18-19

1 John 3:18–19 NIV

18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. 19 This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence:

Actions are not enough if they are not sincere. I know many people who are willing to take generous action, but treat the church like a social club. They are fast to say who and who should not be allowed in church. Once again, I am thankful for this church. I have seen you open your arms and make welcome many who others would turn away. I can share too many stories of churches that have not done this.

Sincerity is not enough if it is not accompanied with truth. There are many very compassionate people in our world. They give both generously of their time and money, however, they do not do so with the truth of God in their mind. They may fight hunger with one hand and fight Christianity with the other. God knows all things. He sees what is in our hearts. Actions, sincerity and truth are all important factors for the children of God.

All along the way, John is working at showing proof of the people’s salvation. People in the church and outside the church are working to defeat them by creating fear and uncertainty. They have been driven to question what they believe and if they truly are correct in their faith. Once again, John gives further...

C. Defining evidence we are God’s children.

This is the bulk of this passage, but I am going to take us through it quickly.

1. We love others without being told. v 11

1 John 3:11 NIV

11 For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.

All God’s laws are wrapped around love and respect, first for Him, and second, for others. If we know God’s Word, loving others should go without saying. It is not something someone has to prove to us.

2. We take action when needed. v 18

1 John 3:18 NIV

18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

Sometimes we miss something or are unable to do anything. However, if you know you work regularly as able to meet needs, then you know God is at work within you. I will also add, we quickly find that when we meet the needs of others, God meets our needs. He is generous and we can never out give God. Often, the most prosperous in the church are those who give the most generously.

3. We quickly respond to God’s rebukes. vv 20-21

1 John 3:20 NIV

20 If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.

We are not perfect. Sometimes God does rebuke or nudge us that something is not right. When we quickly accept His rebuke, confess our issue and make it right, we show our love for our Father proving we are His child.

4. We have confidence before God. v 21

1 John 3:21 NIV

21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God

When Jesus died, the Tabernacle veil was torn in half allowing all to come before God’s throne. When we pray and read God’s Word, if our hearts feel at peace, we know we are in good standing with God.

5. God answers our prayers. v 22

1 John 3:22 NIV

22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him.

There are many people who pray. Even those who do not necessarily believe. God does not just automatically answer every prayer prayed. At least, not in the way people expect. However, when our hearts are in tune with God’s, we ask appropriate requests and God always answers. A person in right standing before God will see prayers answered regularly.

I am not saying that God never answers the prayers of someone who doesn’t believe. Sometimes He does when asked for right things, in order to show them His love for them and to help them desire to come to Him. But many ask for foolish things and resent when God does not respond. Or they just expect God to remove all their problems with no strings attached. They do not want a relationship with God, they just want a Genie in a bottle to do what they demand.

Another sign of our sincerity of faith is how...

6. We quickly obey God, delighting in pleasing Him. v 22

1 John 3:22 (NIV)

22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him.

You know, sometimes God asks us to do things we do not understand. However, if we obey Him out of a true desire to do His will, we can be assured of our sincerity and God’s adoption because it is just not natural to our nature.

7. We believe in and obey God’s Son, Jesus the Christ. vv 23-24

1 John 3:23 NIV

23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.

We are to love and obey the Son just as we would the Father. I read a funny story about a pastor who was trying to convey a truth about what money cannot buy. To get his point across, he made this challenge. I will give a $1,000 to anyone who will stop loving their parents. The room grew very quiet. Then a small hand shot up and the pastor was asked, “How much will you give me for my older sister?”

The family of God is devoid of sibling rivalry. Jesus is our oldest brother and He is to be respected and obeyed like the Father.

And last but not least...

8. The presence of the Holy Spirit within us. v 24

1 John 3:24 NIV

24 The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.

The one thing that is someone who is not part of God’s family does not understand, is the Holy Spirit within us, communicating with us. He is the influence that gives us peace, comfort, guidance, confidence, assurance, and the list goes on. His Spirit joins with our spirit giving us that undeniable assurance of God’s presence and pleasure.

Romans 8:12–17 NIV

12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. 14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Conclusion

If you love the Father, you WILL find yourself growing in love for your brothers and sisters in Christ. If you love your brothers and sisters in Christ, it is evidence of the Father’s love at work within you.

Where are you this morning in your relationships? Is there one that needs repaired? Do not delay in fixing it. The next time you feel impatient or frustrated with your church family, remember God’s patience with you and be gracious. You have been generous, gracious and patient with me. I pray you are always just as much with each other.

Prayer

Worship Set

Benediction