Last Hour Christians
1 John: Pressing In • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 34 viewsIt is the last hour - stay vigilant!
Notes
Transcript
Mentimeter game? menti.com (Code: 5507 1585).
One word to describe antichrist.
Slide
Slide
Series Slide
Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.
They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.
But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.
I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth.
Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son.
No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.
Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father.
And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life.
I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.
But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.
Big idea: It is the last hour - stay vigilant!
How do Christians stay vigilant?
Discern the Truth (vv. 18-23)
Discern the Truth (vv. 18-23)
Ok, let’s keep in the mind where we’re at in 1 John as we get in to our passage:
In the section directly before this one, John spoke identity over those he’s writing to. They know the Father, they are overcomers, strong, beloved, forgiven, saved, set free, becoming more like our Heavenly Father. Then John tells them how to stay locked into this identity: by remembering Whose side they are on!
If we love the world; the fleeting sinful pleasures that it offers - if we love that and go after that, we are going after something that is passing away. And how can we say our identity is in Christ if we are chasing after those things which are of the world! John knows our sinful natures and addresses this! His call is simple:
Remember whose you are (whom you serve). If you claim friendship with God, you can’t be partying in Satan’s tent. So don’t get sucked into the desires of this world. They look great on the surface, but they will ruin you.
This is where we left off - a warning about not following after the world. Now let’s read verses 18-19 together again:
Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.
They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.
John starts with that word children again, which is the same word he used before when he said “I write to you, children. What we can gather from that - apart from his love for the people he is writing to - is that he is addressing the whole community of believers.
What does he tell them? “It is the last hour.” It sounds like the title to a disaster flick: “The last hour…” \
What is this?
John uses the term “last hour” to describe something other NT writers also describe using similar language. In Acts 2:17, Peter quotes the prophet Joel:
“ ‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams;
Similarly Paul says:
But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.
What are the last days or last hour? Simply put, this is the period between when Christ ascended to heaven, and when He returns. The Biblical writers termed it like this because, as we look at Scripture, we see that what is left to happen in the story is for Christ to come back! But right now is a mercy period actually. God has allowed these last days as time for people to repent and come to faith. When Jesus comes back, it will be too late. But in these last days - in this last hour - there is yet time. In fact Christ told us:
And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
So we are in the last days; the last hour. But then what does John say next?
…and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.
Who hear has heard of the term antichrist before? Yeah, it’s like the quintessential term that gets us all thinking about the left behind series and the tribulation and such!
It seems John’s readers had heard of antichrist coming. Apparently, there were already many in the world. We could spend an entire message on this alone and not have time for it all, so for today we need to realize: John is not surprised there are antichrists. In fact, this is how we know it’s the last hour! So what he will spend the rest of our section doing is admonishing and encouraging his readers to stay vigilant!
Now for the million dollar question: who is the antichrist?
Haha, I’m kidding. There’s no way I’m going to be able to answer that! But it is important that we understand - antichrist is a real thing. A real entity, perhaps even a real person to come. I don’t remember what I said in Bible study last year about this. So I’m going to share with you where I am at as I’ve studied more about this.
It seems that John here alludes to two things: The antichrist himself, and many people who are operating under the spirit of the antichrist that are already in the world.
Now, our friend Paul wrote in 2 Thess 2 3-4 about the man of lawlessness to come:
Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,
who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.
And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time.
For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way.
And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.
The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders,
We could go on and study this more, but for now, it is sufficient for us to say that the Bible does seem to point to a man of lawlessness, an antichrist to end antichrists, if you will. This person will come at the end, just before Christ returns. And Christ will defeat him!
Yet even now the spirit of antichrist, who is fueled by and in league with Satan, is already at work in this world. Restrained though it is for the time being, it is indwelling some in this world, certainly in John’s day and right now! Apparently, these antichrists John has in mind came out of the churches he is writing to.
They were false teachers, claiming inaccurate and unsound things about Jesus. Known as secessionists, they had separated from the apostle’s teaching and were trying to take others with them. John says that they went out from them. And yet they were never part of the church, for if they truly had been they would have continued in the correct teaching of the apostles. They showed their true colors and left the truth, having never really a part of it. Yet it seems this was orchestrated by God: their departure cleansed and educated the church (NAC).
Sometimes, when people leave the church it’s hard. Maybe we’ve gotten to know them, built relationships with them. It’s not always about doctrine, but we do need to be careful, because there are those who seem to be part of God’s people, but then begin to promote things that are completely wrong about Christ or the truth! When they refuse to take correction, and instead continue in their way, this indeed is antichrist activity. God will deal with this, and will remove them in His timing from the church.
It should not surprise us that there are and will be these inside and outside of the church! We are in this time when the gospel is being proclaimed all over the world! Satan is hell bent on destroying God’s people, God’s Kingdom, and stamping out the gospel message. Will he succeed? No, but it seems he hasn’t read the memo yet. So this spirit - this anti-Jesus entity - is very much alive and active in our world, with one purpose:
Woohoo! This is exciting, because it is a sign of the times. It’s the last hour - Jesus is coming back soon!
But then John turns to his readers. For clarity’s sake, I’m going to use the NLT’s translation here:
But you are not like that, for the Holy One has given you his Spirit, and all of you know the truth.
So I am writing to you not because you don’t know the truth but because you know the difference between truth and lies.
While there may be deception lurking and the spirit of the antichrist looking to deceive, John is clear that His readers have an anointing! Therefore, they have knowledge of the truth! In fact, John writes to them not because they lack truth, but because they know it, and can trust there is no lie in it!
What is this anointing that they have been given? The Holy Spirit.
Jesus tells us in John 16 12-15
“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.
He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
The Holy Spirit is our helper and guide. He is the One who illuminates the truth of God’s Word to us and guides us in all truth. John is not freaked out about these antichrists because he knows that the one who indwells his readers is far greater - the Spirit of truth! And so they - not the secessionists - know the difference between truth and lies.
But then John goes on to identify those who are lying:
Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son.
No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.
For John, it’s pretty black and white:
If you deny the Son, you deny the Father. No one who denies Jesus has the Father. Why? Paul tells us that Jesus is:
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
Similarly Hebrews 1:3 says:
He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
You see, Jesus is not just mere man, though He is fully human. He isn’t just some created being. He is Immanuel - God with us! Jesus Christ is both fully God, and fully man, and fully able to save! But take one of those away and all of a sudden the math doesn’t work anymore. We must understand - even if we cannot fully comprehend - just how great God’s love for us is: That He should come down in human form - to be one of us - so that He might save us from our sins! That is amazing! That’s the gospel!
But notice: Jesus clearly is the Father’s final revelation. He is God the Son and one with the Father, that is how close the intimacy between the Father and Son is. Falling back on John’s gospel again, we are reminded of what Jesus says in John 10:30
I and the Father are one.”
Similarly in John 14:6 Jesus says:
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
So if you want right relationship with God, you’ve got to go through Jesus. He and the Father are one, so close is their intimacy! This is the mystery of the Trinity: We have one God, who is in three distinct, co-equal persons. Each of them is fully God. Yet we have just one God. If your mind is bending right now that’s ok, mine too. The important thing is that to deny Jesus Christ is to deny the Father! To accept Christ means having the Father as well!
John identifies the lie: Those who deny Jesus do not have the Father! In fact, we read later that:
and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.
Who here has had a JW come to your door? They are really nice people usually! They come with good intention - to evangelize you in what they think is right. But what do they say about Jesus? “He was just a good prophet.” Not God. Aha! The spirit of the antichrist is at work! The same could be said for Mormons. Or Islam. This is antichrist religion.
Even the Jewish religion is now not true but is of the antichrist. Why? Because it refuses to accept Jesus while claiming relationship with the Father! John is clear, that’s not possible! Does God still love the Jews? Absolutely! But the religion itself is false.
Friends, there are a lot of people throughout the last 2000+ years who have been antichrists. Mohammed, Jospeh Smith, and others have taught false religions. Caesar Nero, and others set themselves up as gods to be worshipped in Rome, choosing to persecute Christians and do terrible things. Emperor Domitian actually claimed divinity! Even Hitler - who is commonly identified as an antichrist - set himself up as a wannabe one-world leader. All of these deny Jesus in some way.
We know there are lots of antichrist. And our job here today is not to be afraid. Remember:
Big idea: It is the last hour - be vigilant!
Our job is to be vigilant. We have the truth, we are anointed with the Holy Spirit who guides us in all truth. So we don’t need to fear, but we need to be faithful, and discerning. Friends, discern the truth from the lies. How do we stay vigilant? First, by discerning the truth and not fearing! If you have accept Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, you have the Holy Spirit! He helps us and is greater than the enemy in this world!
But now to a second point: We must abide in the truth!
Abide in the Truth (vv. 24-27)
Abide in the Truth (vv. 24-27)
Let’s continue reading and finish our passage:
Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father.
And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life.
I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.
But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.
John’s call to his readers is twofold - discern the truth, but also abide in it. Remember, abiding in the truth is important because it brings fellowship. John is all about fellowship in this book: fellowship with God and with one another. And He is urgent and forceful about the call to abide! In fact, he repeats it, to show how important it is! What does this look like?
Remember back at the very beginning of the book? John said this:
that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
What did they see and hear? Jesus Christ. The apostles - eye-witnesses to the life and ministry of Christ, called their people to continue in the apostolic teaching they had received. This is the gospel! Remember that at this point as well, there was no New Testament compiled. There was the Old Testament, but no new yet. So where today we might say “remain true to Scripture,” then it was “remain true to the apostolic teaching.” In doing so, what happened? The believers had fellowship with the apostles, and with God! Because they were believing the truth!
John’s call then is simple: let what you have been taught continue. Abide in it. For when we abide in the truth of Scripture, in the truth about who Jesus is, we have fellowship with God the Father and Son. And we have a promise: Eternal life! Remember:
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Those “in Christ” have the guarantee of eternal life. So, as we read in Rev 14 12:
Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.
Keep going - don’t stop. Don’t give up! Because what is the promise? Eternal life!
But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
John writes to pastor his people in the face of deception. Is it a warning? Yes, but also an encouragement, because they have the anointing of the Holy Spirit!
But then why does John say that they have “no need that anyone should teach you”? Does that mean that they already know everything? I guess, no need for Bible study or church! Let’s go straight to lunch!
Another way this could be put is that they have no need for false teaching. Instead, they should remain in the truth, as we have said. The Holy Spirit will guide and teach them, and help them abide in the truth. There is no lie in the truth John’s readers have received. So the call is simple: Abide, remain, in it!
But the big question is this: what does it look like to remain in the truth?
John, 1 John, 2 John, & 3 John Commentary
The better we know the truth, the more easily will we be able to identify a lie.
So, abiding in the truth looks like knowing the Word of God. It looks like giving your time to it, everyday. One great way is through memorization. Take one verse a month even, and get it in your head and heart. Another is through meditation. Chew on whatever your reading. read a smaller section if it will help! Ask God before you start reading: “Please teach me from your Word today.” When something jumps out at you, write it down and ask God for more about that. This will pay off: first in your personal relationship with Christ. Second, when something comes up that is contrary to God’s Word, you will be better equipped to identify and resist that.
It looks like spending time in prayer. The Holy Spirit guides us and teaches us, but it’s a bit hard to receive that guidance if you don’t know His voice! So the more time we spend learning and growing in this, the better equipped we are to recognize the antichrist at work in the last days. Have you ever had a moment where something in your gut said “I don’t know if this is right, proceed with caution.” Or perhaps you’ve heard a voice or felt something that told you to double check whatever it is you’re encountering? That is often the Holy Spirit, tweaking your conscience and telling you something. Similarly, if you’ve ever been talking with a friend, or perhaps mentor, and felt like what they said was confirmed for you, this is often the Spirit speaking. The better you learn His voice, the better you will hear.
Great ways to abide in prayer look like prayer journalling, making sure you’re having a two-way conversation, and choosing to listen for Him. Take time to be still. I do my deovtions in the morning because it’s the best time for me to have a clear head!
Abiding can also look like choosing to listen to Bible-based sermons, podcasts, or reading Bible-based magazines and books. Things like this are not Scripture, but when they are rooted in Scripture they can further encourage your walk with the Lord. These are more secondary, but still helpful.
We’ve all had the knock at the door from someone well-meaning but mis-lead. We’ve all encountered a book, article, teaching, sermon, or video that has tweaked our spirits and felt off. We need to abide in the truth. Many antichrists are in our world, that’s reality. It will be until Jesus returns! But you don’t have to be swept away by them. Know your Word, draw close to God, and allow Him to guide you in truth.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Big Idea: It is the last hour - stay vigilant!
John reminds us here that it is the last hour - this period of time between when Jesus ascended and when he comes again. He could be coming back at any time!
During this time, there are false teachers and prophets everywhere. There are people who set themselves up as gods or somehow try to usurp Jesus. The spirit of the antichrist is at work in this world. John is not surprised by this, but instead calls us to vigilance. How?
Discerning the truth.
John tells us that we have the Holy Spirit. He shows us the truth. Recognize the truth. See the difference between it and lies. If someone comes along denying Jesus and yet claiming to be from God, there’s one very simple answer to that: You’re wrong! Those who deny Jesus deny the Father. Those who accept Christ also have the Father. Friends, you are indwelt by the Spirit of truth, you can discern truth from lies!
Abide in the truth.
John calls us to abide in the truth of God’s Word. Abide in the truth about Christ. Do not stray from this, no matter what may come. God’s truth always wins out. How do we abide? By being in the Word, by being in prayer, and by choosing to cultivate our relationship with God everyday.
Salvation call:
Friends, we do not need to be afraid. Is this the last days? Yes! This is a good thing, because it means Jesus is coming back soon! But does that mean that opposition to God and His people is rampant? Very much so. We do not need to fear, we need to bring our a-game and stay vigilant. The Holy Spirit empowers us in this. So, let me leave you now with Jesus’ words from Matthew:
For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray.
And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.
For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.
“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake.
And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another.
And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.
And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.
But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
