1 John

(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.

Have you ever been bored? I believe the BIGGEST indicator that you’re an adult is you actually enjoy being bored.

The difference between children and adults is really centered around boredom.

The word boredom means - to be unoccupied

I would get so mad at my siblings for saying they we’re bored.

I would actually try to discipline my little brothers and sisters for saying they were bored.

“Stop being lazy! Go find something to do!”

“You’re bored because you’re boring!”

(You will want to find maybe a personal story of when you were bored or whatever)

Old man John is writing this because people we’re leaving Jesus communities because people thought Jesus wasn't everything, they wanted something new. They were bored.

And we can see that by how John is writing this - “I’m writing no new commandment…”

“Look, we all want new things - we like that - but you don't want a new God!

You want a God that is dependable! That you can trust!

You don't want new commandments. You want something that is dependable and rock solid.”

So grandpa John, shooting straight like he does, is telling us - “hey you don’t want new commandments. How worthwhile are those even going to be?”

And so this is the first time John writes and calls us “beloved”, he uses it a lot, which we will see - but this is the first time

It means - you be loved.

Here he is like a loving grandpa - addressing us as loved

This is very important in context - because look who he is addressing this to? - Those who are loved by God

And so he’s writing saying “Beloved, I'm writing no new commandant, but an old one we had from the beginning.”

“At the same time - its a new commandment… the light is already shining” - VERSE 8

Saying - “NO MATTER WHAT WE WIN”. The Light is already shining

Light is the most contagious agent in the universe - we don't have to be afraid of anything! Because the true light is already blazing!

So for us to Love First - for us to really model God’s love, the love Grandpa John is talking about here - Let’s pick apart these 3 verses to better understand what God is telling us … Write down point number one

1. Your Life is a Message

Verse 9 - "Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness”

Who knows it’s one thing to SAY IT and another to LIVE IT

We’ve all had people that SAY they’ll be there and then you don’t hear from again.

Not discussing forgiveness - but friendship / relationship

The point here isn't forgiveness but friendship!

Now reading this, one of my first thoughts was - he cant mean my “brother.”

Like he has to mean like the world or sinners or something - theres no way he just means my church family

But what John is addressing is - can you love the people in your church? - can you get along with the people in your church?

It can be really easy to love random people at your work, or a starving child in Africa… You see someone and you encourage them - “God loves you!” - blah blah

Thats not always super hard.

But to actively love someone that you see on a regular basis, further yet, someone that you have a connection with, your brother in the faith… wow… thats different

So we need to define this word HATE then.. whats Grandpa John really saying here?

Grandpa John is addressing these claims of these christians that love God and Jesus and yet they are saying -

“I don't like him. I can’t stand her. I will never be friends with them. I will do all that I can to avoid that person. Who do they think they are?”…

The word “hate” doesn't refer to a bad experience where someone at church flipped you off or something.. he's talking about a continual, planned out lifestyle of ill-will towards people.

It means to despise. I means to love someone less and less and less each day.

These people that call themselves Christians and yet they actively try to avoid and despise certain people… John is saying.. “You REALLY don't know Jesus like you think you know Jesus” …

You will always be alright if you can choose to live your life in a way that you'd be willing to be in the room with anyone on earth.

You should be able to walk into a room and theres not one person that makes you go.. “Oh god they're here! I didn't know they'd be here. Ugh I can’t stand them.. ugh!”

You can live a big hearted and forgiving lifestyle - there might be a little “oh.. haha.. I didn't know you'd be here.. hehe…”

I had a student tell me one time, “yeah man I can’t come to your church anymore… my ex girlfriend goes there and its just too awkward.”

And Grandpa John’s like - “hold up - whats at the root of that? Why is that?”

John is saying, “hey man if you have those feelings of unforgiveness, that place in your heart that is harboring ill-will toward other people.. then listen, you don't know Jesus like you think you know him.”

Now John is not requiring that you have warm fuzzy feelings for everyone in this room.

But what he is saying is that we make a conscience decision to say - “I love you, if anything has happened, I forgive you.”

Not that you have to be BFFs - but that there’s no unforgiveness

2. Your Life is a Message

Transition*

Look at verse 10 - I love how Grandpa John always gives us the answer right after he states the problem

Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling.

WHOA…… This is pretty interesting

Because you are unwilling or unable to forgive you are actually blocking the light from others. You are actually blocking the love of God from others…

Have you ever met a christian and thought.. “wow I don't want to be a christian! .. Oh wait I am one!”

But have you met someone that claims to be a Jesus follower and yet you hear them talk about their friends and family behind their back.. and its like wow. I don't know if I want to be like you.

All of your sins have been forgiven.. and yet your still holding onto all this stuff and treating people with ill-will

Listen - we are always preaching! Always.

Sometimes we use words - but we’re always preaching! Your life is a message

You have friends and classmates and coworkers that are wondering - is there a difference? You’re a Jesus follower?

And heres the irony - if you are a Jesus follower, your sins are forgiven and you’ll go to heaven - but you might make it harder for others to get there too.

We are confusing the world. The people that don't know Jesus are looking at us .. Are if we aren't walking in love with each other - Then our “love” for them wont even make sense to them.

3. Letting Go

Lets read on - verse 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.

Unforgiveness is such a crazy thing.. its makes you obsessed with that person.

And with that obsession with that person, it makes you loose sight of everything else. You cant attend to your own steps

This is what hatred does - it makes you blind.

Its amazing how John is showing us how hared and unforgiveness is tied to purpose and direction.. they’re connected.

John has just finished talking about one of the most difficult aspects of our social experience - which is what - When someone hurts you. Letting it go. Dealing with peoples differences. People that are younger than you, older than you. Forgiving people.

Tell me thats not the hardest thing we have to do

Call for unforgiveness

Salvation call

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