1 John Series 3: Church Love

1 John 3:11-24

(Zip-lining in Hilton Head Experience) The highest we went was over 70 feet. But you felt safe. You felt secure. You were locked in everywhere you went… And even though you were in the trees and death was beneath you… You had confidence and security.

But there is a greater confidence and a greater security for us today...

John tells us why he wrote the Book: 1 John 5:13- “I write these things to you who believe in the Name of the Son of God… so that you may know that you have eternal life.”

We are called to have an assurance of our salvation. We are called to have confidence.

But how can we know… be sure… and have confidence that we belong to God?

2 Corinthians 13:5 - Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves!

2 Peter 1:10 - Make your calling and election sure...

We are called to look to Christ and to look to God’s Word in order to have a Biblical assurance for our salvation. We need an Anchor for our soul...Something that is sure and eternal.

Listen: We should not and we must not swing out on eternity based on feelings, or only based on what the preacher or the evangelist said a long time ago...

We want to know from the Spirit of God and from the Word of God… that we belong to Him.

So, 1 John is written to helps us to know the truth.

As we have been reading and studying first John… What are some signs/evidences that you can look for in your lives, so that you can have that assurance and confidence?

1.      1 John 1-2 - Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that you need Jesus to save you from sins? Do you admit your sin, confess your sin, and received Christ’s forgiveness?

2.      1 John 1 -2 - Would you say or would other people say that you live a lifestyle of obedience to God or a lifestyle of disobedience? (Light or Darkness)

In other words - Do you seek to obey God’s Word? Are you growing in obedience?

3. 1 John 3- Are you joyfully expecting the Lord’s return? Do you seek to maintain a pure life? Are you sensitive to sin in your life?    Do you see a decreasing pattern of sin in your life?

And today we will be looking at another sign or test for Biblical assurance:

4.      Do you love other Christians?

Verse 11-12 - Love one another… Not like Cain...

They may have been brothers by blood, but not by Spirit. In other words, one was evil and one was righteous. They were both of the same house and came from the same parents… but one lived by faith and the other did not. One loved and the other did not.

Is it possible to be from the same house today, from the same parents today… and two siblings can be exact opposites, and live two very different lifestyles. Yes! We see this very often.

The Bible has other examples of family members going their own way… some to righteousness and some to wickedness.

Like... two brothers in the same house, under the same roof… with the same Momma and Daddy… like Jacob and Esau...and these two brothers are opposites.

So... if it is possible for two brothers… to be under the same roof… under the same name as Mom and Dad...

Is it possible to have two people in the same church house… both are using the name of Jesus… but… one be a believer and the other be an unbeliever?

Yes, absolutely. This has occured since the beginning of the church.

There have always been wheat and tares in the same location, in the same field. Jesus gives us this picture in Matthew 13… and wheat and tares look alike for awhile.

Jesus used other pictures and imagery: Sheep and goats… wolves and vipers… and they may be in the area or under the same roof.

But how do I know if I am a wheat or a tare...a sheep or a goat… or a wolf?

If you are a sheep… If your are wheat… Your love will not look like Cain’s.

Cain did not act like a brother. He did not act like family. Instead of loving , he hated his family. He hated his brother. And eventually… Cain killed his brother.

Cain was not of God...… Cain was evil and Abel was righteous... and their lives show what they are.

So, John is drawing a picture of the Children of God… He is drawing this picture of Church Family: Church Family/Children of God will not act like Cain.

Verse 11 - We have heard this message from the beginning, that we should love one another…

“Brothers and sisters… we are not to hate one another. Family members do not hate one another.”

Skip on down to 1 John 4:20 - If you say you love God, but hate your brother… you are a liar.

What does this hate look like? How is this hate lived out?

Murdering one another entails more that physical life ending, according to Jesus in Matthew 5:22. If your heart is filled with anger toward that person and you seek to harm and to destroy that person... with your words… You desire to destroy his name, his character, and slander him… You are hating him. And this hatred is equated to a murderous heart.

If you hate people… you will commit adultery, steal, bear false witness against them (lying, slandering, gossiping, sowing discord… You will be coveting, be envious, and jealous with the persons.

This last one, envy and jealousy, connects very well with Cain...Envy and Jealousy

We see other examples of this hatred from brothers such as Joseph and his brothers… They desired to kill him. This began with envy and jealousy.

Jacob favored Joseph and the brothers became jealous… to the point of hatred.

Jealousy/envy/a covetous heart will hate another.

Proverbs 14:30 - A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot.

Proverbs 27:4 - Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy?

James 3:16 and 4:2 - For where there is jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. You desire and do not have, so you murder… You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel...

Hatred then stirs up strife...

What does this practice of hatred do? All of this separates. All of this destroys… All of this tears down. All of this leaves a wake of destruction behind it.

All of this is destroying lives, families and churches...

Why? Because of pride and selfish ambitions… because you wanted… you desired… you were envious and jealous… and didn’t get your way.

You didn’t get what you thought you deserved.

What do we do then?

We then allow our emotions and anger to explode on that person, or on those people you called brothers and sisters… family… You then cut them off from yourself.

That is where jealousy, envy and hatred lead us...

This is darkness. This is worldly. This is not Christian.

Now, Should we Expect this Treatment from the World?

Verse 13 - We can and we should expect this from the world. We should not be surprised when it happens out there. We will not be surprised when this happens out there… in the Satanic worldly system… that hates God.

Jesus was hated by the world… and So will we… We get that.

When will we be surprised? When will we get confused? When do we get hurt the most?

When hate happens in here… When hate happens at home… When hate happens at church.

Jesus was not hated by the Church. He was not hated by His followers.

So… we are surprised when we experience this hatred in His Church family...

We should expect cold shoulders, gossip, slander, anger, jealousy and all the rest from out there… We should expect the world to walk by without extending a hand… We should expect fights, factions and discord out there… Where light meets darkness and truth meets lies...

But not in here… Not in the Church Family.

(Pause and Reflect on real Christians struggling to love other sinners) Now… we are not naive or ignorant to the reality that all are sinners in need of a Savior and all will get into the flesh from time to time...

We know that Jesus called a group of messed-up, polarized, individuals… that were hated by society… and He brought them together to be One… To be His disciples.

In the early church… Jews and Gentiles were brought together. People who once hated one another were brought together… Because of the common faith they had in Christ...

Different personalities… Different backgrounds… Different lives...

And they had to learn to love one another...

We get that… We get that we are messed up and we therefore mess up...

But Christians work it out, talk it out, hug it out, love it out… and we kick Satan’s foot out of our lives and relationship as soon as possible...

Christians do not hang on to it… Christian’s do something about it and they do it Jesus’ way.

Brothers, sisters… Children of God and Church Family… We have been united by the Spirit of God, the grace of God, the love of God, through the Cross of Christ… Who have experienced the mercies of God and the forgiveness of God…

We have been united into One Body… With the same love for the same Person, under the same Name, baptized by the same Spirit into the same faith...

How can we hate? How can we hate the Body of Christ?

Get rid of the hate! This is not of Christ!

A lifestyle of jealousy, envy, slander, gossip, fits of anger/rage… is a lifestyle of darkness… a lifestyle of hatred… And it shows that your are not Christian.

If you are practicing this… You look like the rest of the world and not a Christian.

Verse 16 - Followers of Christ do not lay one another out… Followers of Christ lay down their lives… as Christ laid down His life for the Church.

This is our lifestyle.

This is our Christian practice and lifestyle.

We don’t just hear what Christ says… we practice what Christ says:

Verse 18 - Be hearers and be doers of Jesus’ Word. Love in Deed and Truth.

Luke 8:19-21 - Some one told Jesus, “Hey, your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wishing to see You,” And Jesus replied, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.”

Luke 11:27 - A woman wanted to give honor to Mary, the mother of Jesus… and Jesus says, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”

James 1:22 - But prove yourselves doers of the word and not merely hearers... who delude themselves.

Pastor… I desire to know that I am saved… How can I know that I Know Christ in a saving way?

1.      1 John 1-2 - Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that you need Jesus to save you from sins? Do you admit your sin, confess your sin, and received Christ’s forgiveness?

2.      1 John 1 -2 - Would you say or would other people say that you live a lifestyle of obedience to God or a lifestyle of disobedience?

In other words - Do you seek to obey God’s Word? Are you growing in obedience?

3. 1 John 3- Do you seek to maintain a pure life? Are you sensitive to sin in your life?    Do you see a decreasing pattern of sin in your life?

And here we are asking lastly...

4. Is my lifestyle, is my lifestyle towards my Church family… a lifestyle of hatred or of love? Is my lifestyle… a lifestyle of jealousy, envy, slander, gossip, sowing discord… anger?

Do I love or do I hate?

If you love… since you love… Since this is your lifestyle towards your church family...

This is evidence for us to look at so that we can be assured of our relationship with Jesus.

So now… Verse 20-24 - We have something to look at in our lives. For even if we begin to have our doubts… we can look and see the fruits of love in our lives… and we can rejoice in the evidence of our salvation.

We all may have doubts from time to time… But when we looks for the Biblical signs for assurance of salvation… and we are practicing the Word, loving our Church Family...

We can have a great confidence in the Lord.

Verse 23-24 - We know… by this fruit/action/response… that He abides in us, and that we really believe in the Name of Jesus Christ.

We cannot live and base truth or salvation on feelings.

We must not swing out over eternity with only a pastor’s word.

We can have a Biblical assurance and a Biblical confidence today.

And those who are practicing these things… They can have confidence and assurance.

We can have assurance and confidence by the Spirit and by the lives that we live.

Jesus said this: John 13:35 - By this… all will know that you are my disciples… If you have love for one another...

Not if you have big buildings, great programs, dress nice… Not that you can perform miracles, speak in tongues, or raise the dead...

All will know that you are real Christians… by your love for one another.

Lamentations 3:40 - Let us test and examine our ways… and return to the Lord!

Pray and Close.