Immanuel:God with us! His gift to us!

Intro: “I write these things”/ God with us!

Father of the Bride 2 1995 / remake 1949 fathers little divided

George Banks

Jesus, the word made flesh, becomes the fullest, embodied “speech” of God to his people: “That … which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands” (1 John 1:1) makes known to us the God that no one has ever seen (John 1:18). The name “Word” refers to the second person of the Trinity, the agent of God’s self-revelation. As the incarnate Word, Jesus brings that self-revelation into time and space; he brings God to us by being God and man, as real to us as we are to one another (1 John 1:1b).

Crossway. (2017). ESV Systematic Theology Study Bible: Notes (p. 1575). Crossway.

John writes to combat the false teachers in asia minor.Their philosophical dualism led the false teachers whom John confronted to accept some form of Christ’s deity, but to deny His humanity. Jesus the Life & Light is on our side and we can know that we have a relationship with Him!

NT: Lk.10:25-37, Mk12:28-34, Mt22:34-40

OT: Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Deut.10:12, 11:13, Lev.19:18

New Living Translation Chapter 10

You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’

And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself

Do we understand Gods gift 🎁?

Theology for Life—To know Jesus is not just to know about God but to have a relationship with him. God has made himself known to the extent that we can actually relate to, love, converse with, and pursue him throughout our lives.

I. Relationship w/Him Brings with it a Love for Fellow Christians! (2:7-11)

1 John 2:7–11 ESV

7 Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. 8 At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. 9 Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. 10 Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. 11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

A. You have known this from the beginning. (Vs.7)

B. Process of change from darkness to light is proven in our christian relationships! (vs.8-11)

1. True in us and in Him (vs8) (new/old command (Jn.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. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34–35, ESV)

2. Hate for a fellow christian reveals darkness (vs.9)

3. Love of fellow christians vs… (vs10)

a. lives (remains) in the Light

b. is not a stumbling block

4. …hate for fellow christians (vs.11)

a. is in darkness

b. lives in darkness

c. Is blinded by darkness

This command is also a call to reconciliation. ( The command to love is a command to work at relationships that have gone wrong.)

II. Relationship w/Him Brings Marks of Maturity. (2:12-14) (Who).

3 verses

1 John 2:12–14 ESV

12 I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake. 13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father. 14 I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

A. Children (Twice) (12,13c)

1. Your sins are forgiven for his names sake

2. You know the Father

B. Fathers (Twice) You Know Him who is from the begining! (13a, 14a)

C. Young Men (Twice) (13b,14b)

1. You have overcome the evil one (twice) νικάω   conquer; overcome; prevail

2. You are strong

3. The Word of God abides in you

It is the overall impression made throughout that is most important. These are people whose sins have been forgiven, who know the Father, and who have overcome the evil one.

III. Relationship w/Him Brings a new priority in life because…! (2:15-17)

1 John 2:15–17 ESV

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

A. Love of the world or the Father you cant do both! (vs.15)

Growing Love for God top of our list!

Luke 16:13 (ESV) 13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

Because all that is in this life (society; the world) is not from the Father! (vs.16) either /or proposition

1. Craving for physical pleasure

2. Craving for everything we see

3. Pride in our achievements and possessions

B. Temporal -this life vs. Eternal; Obedience pleases God & leads to Eternal

Landing the plane, Christmas gifts!

Joshua 23 & 24 (ESV)

2 Joshua summoned all Israel, you have seen all that the Lord your God has done to all these nations for your sake, for it is the Lord your God who has fought for you. …

5 The Lord your God will push them back before you and drive them out of your sight. And you shall possess their land, just as the Lord your God promised you. 6 Therefore, be very strong to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, turning aside from it neither to the right hand nor to the left,

Joshua 23:11–13 (ESV)

11 Be very careful, therefore, to love the Lord your God. 12 For if you turn back and cling to the remnant of these nations remaining among you and make marriages with them, so that you associate with them and they with you, 13 know for certain that the Lord your God will no longer drive out these nations before you, …

Joshua 24:2–13 (NLT)

            Long ago your ancestors, including Terah, the father of Abraham …lived beyond the Euphrates River, and they worshiped other gods. 3 But 

I took your ancestor Abraham from the land beyond the Euphrates and led him into the land of Canaan.

 I gave him many descendants through his son Isaac. 4 To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. To Esau I gave the mountains of Seir, while Jacob and his children went down into Egypt. 

5 “Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I brought terrible plagues on Egypt; and afterward I brought you out as a free people. 

6 But when your ancestors arrived at the Red Sea, the Egyptians chased after you with chariots and charioteers. 

7 When your ancestors cried out to the Lord, I put darkness between you and the Egyptians. I brought the sea crashing down on the Egyptians, drowning them. With your very own eyes you saw what I did. 

Then you lived in the wilderness for many years. 8 “Finally, I brought you into the land of the Amorites on the east side of the Jordan. They fought against you, but I destroyed them before you. I gave you victory over them, and you took possession of their land. 

9 Then Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, started a war against Israel. He summoned Balaam son of Beor to curse you, 10 but I would not listen to him. Instead, I made Balaam bless you, and so I rescued you from Balak. 

11 “When you crossed the Jordan River and came to Jericho, the men of Jericho fought against you, as did the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. But I gave you victory over them. 12 And I sent terror ahead of you to drive out the two kings of the Amorites. It was not your swords or bows that brought you victory. 

13 I gave you land you had not worked on, and I gave you towns you did not build—the towns where you are now living. I gave you vineyards and olive groves for food, though you did not plant them.

If He had saved me when i was 11yo at a Vacation Bible School and not….

Kept me safe

two boys

health

career

wonderful wife

air i breathe

IT WOULD HAVE BEEN ENOUGH!

At your workplace, you may encounter coworkers who seem difficult to work with. Instead of harboring frustration. In your home, conflicts can sometimes feel overwhelming. Consider a man walking through a city filled with homeless individuals. recognizing that love begins with one act of kindness. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, we see a vividly painted picture of love in action. A Samaritan sees a wounded traveler and chooses to help, disregarding societal norms and risk. His love for this stranger embodies the essence of the commandment to love our neighbor. As we reflect on our daily interactions, who are we crossing the road to help?