Testing the Source

Text: John 4:1-6

What’s coming:

Easter next week (Schedule), break from 1st John.

Just want to acknowledge that our vision as a church was disrupted by the situation with Richard and having to let him go and then by the car accident that my family and I suffered.

The last year has been tough...I was not in a good place mentally for a variety of reasons. I’m still working on leaning into God and letting him heal me, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. We serve the great physician, but he heals in his time.

It’s important to say that it’s time to look ahead. I am broken hearted about what transpired with Richard, but we have to move on for the good of this church and for the good of this town.

So after we finish 1 John, we will spend some time, re-focusing on our vision. We will let you know what our goals are for the rest of the year.

I have had several people ask whether we are going to begin looking for somebody else to join our team. We will probably start this summer, though we are not going to be in a hurry and we are going make sure we hire a person who is called to this ministry.

If you have questions about the past year, please do not hesitate to ask. I would prefer you ask me, rather than speculate.

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Today, we’re going to be in 1 John 4...turn there if you have your Bible or your mobile app

Years ago, a man bought a “Rolex” from a street vendor in New York city for $40. It looked perfect—shiny, heavy, impressive. He wore it proudly...until the first time he washed his hands with the watch on. The steam from the warm water fogged the inside of the glass, the second hand fell off, and the “gold” started to peel. It looked authentic, but the source was wrong.

Something can look like it is of God, sound like it is from God, and even feel like it is from God—But if it’s not actually from God, the whole thing collapses.

John writes to a church facing that exact challenge. There were teachers claiming spiritual authority, claiming prophetic power, claiming to speak “by the Spirit” —but their source was wrong. And their message was dangerous.

We are in a unique situation as followers of Jesus. We are in a time and place where anyone with a camera and a social media account, can upload whatever they want. It sounds good...it sounds spiritual...they may claim to be anointed by God...or that they have received some kind of word from God. But if their message is not truly from God, it can become dangerous.

So how do we discern? How do we know that something is from God or not?

We must Test the Source

Let’s read

1 John 4:1–3 “Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world. This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God. But if someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here.”

Not everyone who talks about God is from God.

Not every influencer, preacher, author, or podcaster who mentions “Jesus” represents the real Jesus.

John reminds us that — many false prophets have gone out into the world!

And John gives us a clear test to determine whether they are from God or not. What do they say about Jesus?

1 John 4:2 “This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God.”

Why this test?

Because false teachers of John’s day—especially the early Gonstics—claimed:

Flesh is evil

God could never take on a real human body

Jesus only “seemed” to be human.

But if Jesus didn’t truly come in the flesh, the entire gospel collapses.

Why it matters that Jesus came in a body:

Jesus shows us how to live as humans—If he never became human, his example means nothing.

Jesus is our sympathetic High Priest - This was read for us earlier.

Hebrews 4:14–16 “So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”

He faced every kind of test we face—yet he was without sin.

So when you cry out to him, he never says, “I don’t know what that’s like.” He does!

He knows fatigue...hunger...betrayal...grief...knows pain...loss...temptation.

Jesus became flesh so that He could die in our place!

A spirit cannot hang on a cross...cannot shed real blood...cannot rise bodily from the grave. The incarnation of Jesus as a human being, means salvation!

And finally...

To deny Jesus’ body is to deny the importance of YOUR body.

John is fighting a heresy that says that the physical world doesn’t matter. But Scripture teaches us that—Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit—That what you do with your body matters—That God dwells in His people now through the Spirit.

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Illustration: Imagine that you have two cups of water...they both look exactly the same. But the source is different. One comes from a high mountain spring in Colorado. The spring begins from snowmelt that filters naturally through layers of rock. There is no upstream contamination...no farms, not towns, no animal herds or industrial sites. It is very cold which slows bacteria growth...it’s fast moving (stagnation is where harmful organisms thrive.

The second cup comes from a spring in Oklahoma and is affected by Fertilizers, pesticides, and animal waste which seep into groundwater...slower moving water encourages bacterial growth (like E. coli) and many springs receive water seepage from old pipes and drainage tiles, and no one truly knows what is upstream.

The difference between the two cups of water is the source

One cup brings life...the other causes sickness and possibly even death

John says: if the message isn’t rooted in the truth of Jesus Christ, it is not from God!

There are lots of messages out there that sound good, but they are not from God!

Example: If you work hard enough you can do anything. Sounds good...not rooted in the fact that certain gifts are given...somebody who is tone deaf will never become an opera singer...somebody who does not have a math mind will not become a great engineer...a 7 footer will never become a great ballet dancer...etc. Better way to say it — When you work within the gifting that God gives you, you will accomplish more than you could imagine!

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So, John gives his readers a warning, but then he gives them encouragement. And this encouragement speaks to us as we combat the voices in our own world. Maybe not Gnostic philosophers, but it could be news anchors, podcasters, influencers, professors, maybe even preachers.

1 John 4:4–5 “But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. Those people belong to this world, so they speak from the world’s viewpoint, and the world listens to them.”

Remember: The Spirit Within You Is Greater!

You have already overcome them...

Not be debate skills...not by intelligence...not by spiritual superiority...but because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world!

Christians don’t fight for victory—we fight FROM victory!

WE don’t need to fear critics...or disagreement. Even violent persecution cannot overturn Christ’s victory! Those who oppose Christ are fighting a losing battle!

Illustration: Have you ever built a sand castle on the beach? Maybe it was tall, detailed, proud. It had all the things. A wall, parapets, and towers. Maybe it was even as tall as you! But no matter how beautiful that sand castle is, when the tide comes in, the ocean always wins.

The world may build impressive systems, arguments, and movements—But God’s Spirit is the tide...and He is greater every single time!

In addition to fighting from victory, we also must remember...

The World speaks one way—God’s people (Disciples Speak another)

John says that those people (People from the world) speak from the world’s viewpoint!

The world values—competition...self-exaltation...survival of the fittest...material success...earthly treasure

Disciples of Jesus value—service, love, humility, eternal treasure, God-centered living

So there will be times when we naturally clash with the world, not because we want to fight—but because we follow a different King...King Jesus. Maybe you can feel this clash happening and taking place within your very person.

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Okay, let’s finish our passage:

1 John 4:6 “But we belong to God, and those who know God listen to us. If they do not belong to God, they do not listen to us. That is how we know if someone has the Spirit of truth or the spirit of deception.”

So as we navigate this life, it’s important to remember...

There is a Spirit of Truth and there is a Spirit of Deception.

Christ or antichrist...Light or darkness...

And how do we know which is which?

What do they say about Jesus?

Illustration: Back when cash was more prominent and digital payment wasn’t yet a thing, bank tellers were trained to identify fake money. But by studying counterfeit bills, but rather by handling the real thing so constantly that the fake would immediately feel wrong.

John says that the message should sound like the one you have heard from the beginning...they should gladly accept what John the apostle says about Jesus!

If they don’t, they feel wrong...that’s how you know that you are facing a Spirit of deception.

So, 3 takeaways as we navigate this world saturated with messages:

Test the messages your hear

Not suspiciously—but wisely—does this teaching exalt Jesus? Is it based on the incarnation...Jesus coming on the flesh or in something else?

Live boldly, not fearfully

The Spirit in you is greater than the spirit in the world

Re-center your life on Jesus.

Jesus is the center of all history, the fulfillment of all God’s promises, the almighty King of your life.

Which means that we:

Let him direct our steps...let him shape our worldview...Let him govern your decisions...let him guide your heart.

Illustration: A compass works because the needle always points north. Even in storms. Even in darkness. Even when you’re lost.

Jesus—God in the flesh—is our true north! Get to know him! Memorize his words. Know his life! Every spirit, every message, every teaching must be held up to him.

If it points to Christ, follow it.

If it does not, reject it.

And always remember, The One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world!

Now, may our God and Father himself make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else.  May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes again.  Amen