Sermon Tone Analysis

Surpassing Story Part Four

Text: 1 John 3

Illustration: Harry Potter—“Harry don’t you know it?

You’re a wizard and famous one at that.” — Not “Just Harry” — Harry’s story had drastically changed.We are in a new story, a new reality.

It’s not just new facts.

It’s a new transforming reality and and transforming relationship.

Review: We are story formed people, we have a surpassing story, but there are nemesis narratives that seek to snuff out the gospel

But the gospels isn’t just any story.

It is truly a surpassing story.

It is the story of God’s amazing love.

“Behold what kind of love the Father has given to us…” (v.

1)It is a transforming love, a transforming story.What kind of love is this then?

What is John talking about here?

What does this new story mean for us?

Main Idea: The Father’s love confers to us a positional reality, a transforming relationship, and a resulting change.

Positional Reality (present grounding)

1 john 3:1-2

No other religion in the world makes a statement like this.

But you might object, “Are we all children of God?” What John (and the NT) is talking here is not just a general ownership or interest in something that was created.

Illustration: Steve Jobs—iphone—his “baby”?

The biblical picture is so much more profound.

We are adopted and give a seat at God’s table just as his Son Jesus.

Adoption is a legal reality.

Not based on how we feel or how we’ve performed.

Illustration: Ashton—not about feelings Keller: Christianity is positional.

It’s not based on how we feel.

Notice we are “called” — this is not something we achieve it has been declared about us.

— John 1:12

We are not just something that God owns.

“I’m trying to be a good Christian” — this has no real understanding of what God is really inviting us to.

Illustration: Orphan Annie—Warbucks came to love her, but she had to realize that he was her truest father.Practically this means that we can now rest in a new position a new relationship.

We can now turn to him for help in our need, in our brokenness.Being a “good” Christian isn’t about being a better person, more virtuous, disciplined or holy.It’s about being quick to turn to the Father for help.

“Abba, Father”

Transforming Relationship (future hope)

1 John 3:2-3

He is talking about our grand climax, our crescendo.

This is the ultimate goal for us.

The Visio Dei, “beatific vision”—A future hope for us when Jesus returnsEschatological hope—Phil.

3:20-21

When we see him as he is, we will be fully glorified.

A vision of Jesus = transformation 

Problem: 1 Corinthians 13:12

Now we can only see Jesus through a “mirror”—by faith through God’s word.But there is a present transformation that occurs as well.

READ VV. 3—“And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.”

This vision is so astonishing that even to want it (to hope in it) begins to purify the soul.

“What kind of experience is this that even to want it begins to make radical changes is you?”

How?

How can hoping in this change us?

There’s a clue in Psalm 17:15

Many have said that when we see him as he is we will all at once experience all the joys, all at the same time forever.

This is because Jesus represents everything glorious, beautiful, and satisfying—because he is God.

Hebrews 1:3

This will have present effect in our lives when we realize the every longing, joy, and passion are in fact seeking their ultimate fulfillment in Jesus alone.

The pleasures and joys in this world are only a glimpse of what is provided in Jesus.

C.S. Lewis was keen to point out that the problem in our world is that there is too much pleasure but rather not enough.

That the pleasures of this world were incomplete at best.

— a beautiful sunset, sex, a great football win.

But they do point to the glory of God

G.K. Chesterton—“Every man that knocks on a brothel door is ultimately seeking God."So now we are being “purified” by a greater hope.

— If my marriage doesn’t fully fulfill me, I’m not crushed.

If my carrier isn’t as I hoped, I don’t go into depression.

Resulting Change (changed life)

REF. to VV. 4ff

What’s important to note about the section, is that it does not become first.

If it did then the idea would be if you are righteous, if you are loving, if you are a good person, then you would see God.

Key is 1 John 3:10—“By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.”

— Summarizes this whole section.

John is saying these life changes will be evidence that we are God’s children and that we are being transformed.

It is EVIDENCE not the means.

John is naturally proceeding out the two truths that we’ve just seen—when we are grounded in the reality of our new story, and when we are being purified in the hope of beatific vision; then our lives will naturally begin to reflect that glory

What John says is the evidence is 1) righteousness and 2) loveRighteousness--why is it so hard to do the right things?

Because we don’t want to.

That’s the problem.Love—righteousness is not simply doing a set of external behavior.

Righteousness is an expression of love—love for God and a love for others.

Conclusion

Unbeliever:

Believer: