1 John 3:11-15

Notes
Transcript
For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous. Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you.
We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
Chris in last weeks message talked about practice.
And for good reason, in last weeks verses of 1 John 3:4-10 it appeared 6 different times.
4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness;
7. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous,
8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil,
9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning
10. whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God
The word practice and how I’d like it to be looked at today is in the form of the old saying “practice makes perfect”.
Chris talked about the practice of football players and their desire to master the route they’re practicing.
That got me thinking…who is this type of practice for…?
If we’ve got to do something over and over to get better at this thing we’re trying to do, it can only mean one thing…we are imperfect.
We’re not as good as we could be. We’ve got flaws, right?
I mean honestly why practice something if your perfect at it.
Can’t get any better, can’t run that football route any sharper, any faster because you outrun the play of others on your own team, the football can’t be held any better, everything is perfect.
What’s the other reason to practice? To stay good at something, right?
We stop doing something, that we’ve been practicing, what happens? Flaws work their way back in.
Why? Plain and simple, we’re human. We’re not perfect beings that know all, can do all, be all. We’re limited.
So in that sense. Being that aren’t perfect, what are we always doing?
Practicing! Learning, growing, understanding in all things that we practice.
Becoming better in some things and worse in others.
From parenting to throwing a football. None of us is perfect in it and therefore we must practice it, we must do it, stay at it.
In the same way, what happens when we don’t practice? We become less in that subject.
Want to be a good parent but don’t practice parenting by being only concerned with yourself, you’re a sucky parent, don’t practice throwing a football but you want to become a quarterback, you’re going to be a sucky quarterback.
This is what is going on here in this letter.
A call to these practices of life and what they mean.
Identifing good, holy, righteous practices and the bad, impure, unrighteous practices of life.
One is of God and the other is not.
One leads to life, the other leads to death.
But in all this talk of works and practice, we have to identify that Christainity is a bit different.
We don’t become perfect or good by our good doings or continued practice at it, that one day we’ll be perfect.
It first comes in the form of a gift. Jesus!
So the last will be first, and the first last.”
The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
The upside down kingdom. Here you work you’re way up the cooperate ladder. In Jesus, you’re first given everything, love, forgiveness, salvation, the Holy Spirit, & perfect righteousness before God.
We’re given everything of THE most value and through this gift we’re changed.
Through His works we practice righteousness.
And really it has to be this way…how do you practice something you know nothing about?
Pure, Holy righteousness, we can’t practice that with the ways of the world and it’s teachings on it. It’s flawed, it’s imperfect, it’s made up of sinful, selfish humans!
Back to what is going on here in this letter.
A call to these practices of life and what they mean.
Identifing good, holy, righteous practices and the bad, impure, unrighteous practices of life.
Why does this need to be brought up? Why teach on this if we’re righteous and pure in Jesus?
Technically or lawfully, we are righteous and pure through Jesus’ blood.
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
The debt has been paid by His death and we’re fully redeemed.
And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.
This is the awesomness of Christ!
But why teach on righteousness as here in this book of 1 John?
Simply, love.
It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”
He rescued us from sin, satan, and death and that is truly wonderful but what happens after that?
Life! A life to return to death? NO!
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
He conquored and saved but He also lives! And He lives, walks, and guides us.
We’ve been in darkness so long that we need continued guidance, continued support.
Continued teaching, continued support to practice what is righteous!
Santicafation!
I thought it important to talk about the “why” we read the bible daily, why we get together and practice, why these teachings are in here.
Daily teachings to practice the ways of our Savior, which leads to life!
What’s our teaching today for our practice of this new life.
For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous. Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you.
Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
We see a message of contrast.
We should love one another vs hate one another like Cain.
Evil deeds vs righteous deeds.
Death and life.
We also see in this message a consequence of these different contrasts.
Being hated vs being loved.
Love equals life, hate equals death.
Keep your eyes open to these truths today as we study.
For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous.
Contrast, what should we do? Love one another, care for one another.
Remember what love is? Action over feeling. Their best interest over ours. Selflessness instead of selfishness.
What shouldn’t we do? Murder, but what led to this murder? You don’t just come out one day and say I’m going to kill my brother.
Why did Cain murder? Well it just simply says “his deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous”.
Notice here it doesn’t just say he was evil. It gives two reasons. Because his deeds were evil and his brothers righteous. Interesting....
The story of Cain and Abel.
Genesis 4:1-8
Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord.” And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground.
In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering,
but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”
Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.
Let’s break this down a bit.
Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord.” And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground.
rancher and farmer
In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell.
We see they knew the Lord, they were raised in it “course of time” I’m sure it wasn’t their first offering as they probably participated with mom and dad (Adam & Eve) as young children.
We see they knew of the Lord in wanting to give an offering to Him.
offering in the sense of something offered in worship or devotion.
They know the Lord and are thankful…want to give back in worship and devotion.
But we see one was accepted and the other one was not...
Why would God not accept an offering or ones worship?
The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”
What is to do well? Biblically, that is?
Mark 12:28-33
And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
To do well = Faith in the one and only God! The only true authority in all things!
Love this God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.
And to love others as yourself.
So, not to do well would be…To have faith in anything else. Giving more authority to something or someone else.
To love something more than God.
And to love yourself more than others...
Do we know excatly what Cain did or didn’t do? No, but it’s clear he did not do well.
Meaning his offering wasn’t in a pure and faithful heart of love for God.
One of possible feelings of obligation, having to do, over wanting to do.
Or maybe one trying to make himself look better than his brother to gain favor with God.
Seeking self gain over really anything else.
It does speak of Cain bringing the offering first.
But all this is speculation, we just know that it wasn’t well and he became angry with his brother.
Not just angry but very angry and face fell.
No repentance, no sorry, just anger. Anger against God and his brother.
Do you notice the pride of sin in our lives is like that?
No humility, no sorry, no repentance. Just I’m in the right and it’s somebody elses fault.
Remember Adam and Eve?
The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
“you gave to be with me” “she gave” “the serpent deceived me” Everyone else, not me.
No self reflection.
But you see God ask some very distinct questions to Cain.
6 The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted?
Why angry? He did this and this and that and that, it’s all his fault....
Take that all away, what others did or didn’t do. What did you do, what are you doing? “If you do well, will you not be accepted?”
7b And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door.
If you continue is self righteousness, sin is crouching at the door, ready to pounce!
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
And what happens? He looks at Abels offering as a bad thing and builds up hate against his brother.
And what does hate turn into?
Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.
Murder.
We see in today’s verses some very important teachings, some very important practices we should be practicing or else.
For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
We should love one another. The why to what I’m doing what I’m doing. Is it lift them up or myself.
We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous.
Not to be like Cain. Selfish, unloving, hateful, to not do biblically well.
But to do biblically well.
God is one, the only authority.
To love God with all our heart, soul, strength, & mind.
And to love others as ourself.
Evil & righteousness is at odds with each other.
Evil hates righteousness and righteousness hates evil.
One wants to kill you and the other wants to make you alive.
So very different and at odd’s.
Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you.
In Christ and His righteousness, don’t be surprised that you’re going to be hated by the world.
This should be an indication of the fruit of the Spirit is that the world does buck it’s nose at us.
We act different because we are different.
The ways of the world?
Romans 1:28-31
And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.
They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips,
slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.
We as followers of Christ are in compete opposition to the ways of the world and therefore will be hated.
We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.
How do we know we are Christ’s? Because we love, we do not hate.
We lift up instead up step over.
Upside down kingdom talk there again.
If we aren’t loving, we’re abiding or continuing in death.
Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
This is a heart check. Can you hate something God has made good?
No, to hate is to not love.
Can you hate your brothers sin? Absolutely!
But what should that lead us to do?
To care for, to pray for, even if that brother or sister isn’t being Christ like at the time.
We don’t hate, we love as Christ loves us during our foolishness.
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. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
This is where we should stick out the most to the world!
We have love for one another as we have been loved in our ugliness.
Let’s pray!
Go back and discuss
Several reasons, fir
A gift of our eyes opened to