Untitled Sermon

How can I avoid being duped? (felt need)

How can I avoid being duped? (felt need)

How can I be sure of what I know? (unfelt need)

These people dealt with and in fact were dealing with the same tensions - but their cost was much higher than ours is...

This works against us being overly concerned or upset if we are duped because it usually doesn’t effect those things that are irreparable...

ILL - having our car broken into in Lancaster - golf clubs stolen - unsettling and angered, but not life altering.

the same is true in our faith life - nothing seems to change or alter in our life in major ways, but over time we begin to see the effects well up in our lives…these people could see it clearly and quickly

So John gives them instruction about how to avoid being duped by bad teaching, but he does so by helping them see something that is so much better than the typical ways we try to avoid being duped, especially when it comes to our faith...

We tend to isolate, extract ourselves, put up relational and emotional walls, and become critical and defensive about any outside opinions/other beliefs, but John reminds them of one incredibly important act that has happened to them that unlocks this incredible truth that is packed in this passage...

Now if your not a follower of Jesus, I’m just gonna let you know up front, this may sound a bit odd, but it is something that Jesus referred to many times in His teaching…and if Jesus resurrected from the dead, which is a big part of why John even bothered writing this letter, then we can be confident that what Jesus said has happened, but that still doesn’t change the fact that this can be a tough thing to swallow/belief...

And that teaching is the teaching of the HS…and while they may be a weird thing because we can’t see Him or touch Him…odds are it’s not so weird because of what we don’t see, but because of what you have seen or at least claimed to be the HS…In fact, most of the push back about the HS has very little to do with the HS, and lot more to do with what people do with the HS

And so here is something that should just put your mind at ease or kind of help you with maybe some weird experience you had with somebody around the idea of the HS.

The Holy Spirit is the one who draws, teaches, guides, encourages, convicts and converts people about/to Jesus.

The Holy Spirit is the one who teaches, resists, guides, prompts, changes, comforts, and changes people to be like Jesus.

Anything else is people nonsense…and is not worth spending any time on. but there is on more thing that John highlights here that you might have noticed I didn’t say…He anoints

This is fascinating because this look way back into and through the OT with this language and is rich for these believers and for us because it gives us a status that is often referred to of believer’s of Priests/Kings

That’s why we can biblically reject anybody else doing anything else on our behalf for God - i mean what happens if the person who is doing that work on behalf of us confesses the sin that we weren’t really that sorry for? Or does it wrong? I don’t want to be punished for this mishap on my behalf.

John says you are anointed by God and this anointing would be immediately recognized as like an oil, and throughout the Bible oil is always a picture of the Holy Spirit

ILL - cooking eggs/grilling meat applying oil/putting oil in your engine; it makes for a more even cooking and definitely a smoother ride. This is how the HS work in the life of a follower of Jesus Christ

And look what John says…he ABIDES in you…oil remains…it’s not like water when you apply it…it sticks around for the duration…and the HS is the abiding presence of God in the life of the believer...

And this is something we are tempted to just kind of gloss over, but we need to settle here for a moment and not let this get away from us. Because this is a stark contrast to all other gods.

Christianity is a belief in a relational God who dwells in and walks with His people.

No other religion claims this/no other religion emphasizes this…because fear and manipulation are usually sufficient motivators for people. Shame and honor were huge cultural motivators during this time, and though we are a long way in time removed from these people - these are still strong internal pulls on us today...

That’s why you and I need to be reminded that when God gave us Jesus that wan’t where it stopped - Jesus even said it himself that He had to leave so he could send something better than Himself - and that was His Spirit to live inside every single person that places their trust in Jesus

And this is why if you’re not a follower of Jesus we want you to put your faith in Jesus alone, because when that trust is placed in Jesus God send His Spirit to live in side of you to comfort, protect, change, and more specifically to the point today to teach

And this is where we really want to land because when it comes to avoiding being duped especially about spiritual things, this is where John doubles down on his claim about the HS.

So much so that John says that if you have the HS then you don’t need any other teachers! Now obviously John is not saying that we don’t need teachers…he is making a huge slant against the so called teachers that they are dealing with in their gathering. Obviously John is for teachers…he is writing a letter that is teaching! But John is saying something big here:

Teachability is a mark of a follower of Jesus - So we never want to be the type of people that are not teachable. makes it clear that we are to be taught, but true teachability has it’s end in learning…and here is why this is so important...

The Spirit of God is always teaching, and we ought to be always asking, but a lot of the times we are asking God what to do, where to go, and who/what to go after, but as soon as we ask we have all these reasons as to why it wouldn’t be good or beneficial or whatever, and you and I tend to do this with God because we tend to do this with people

I

ILL - people asking about something or direction and then give all these reasons why it won’t work - never want to give advice ever again!

People who rarely listen to the people around them will eventually find themselves surrounded by people who have nothing to say.

Teachability is a must if you want to go forward in life, but teachability is a requirement if you want to live the type of life that God pours into and through

1 Corinthians 5:7 ESV

7 Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.

2 Corinthians 5:7 ESV

7 for we walk by faith, not by sight.

So create that space - at this time - at this place - not I’m going to pray more/read more/or listen more - when/where - give it a time and a place

Don’t ask with a response in mind, ask with a posture in your heart

God is not looking for a people that get everything right, he is looking for people that trust Him.

and this is the true teaching we want and need to lean into. John says look I am telling you that this anointing you received, the direction you will have in life, the instruction you will hear is true…and it is not a lie, because your heavenly father will not lie to you; He will not betray you; He wants what is best for you even if it looks like the direction he is taking your life looks like the wrong one; God can be trusted

And look think of the writer of this document - he saw Jesus literally crucified and brought down off the cross, wrapped and prepped for burial, and put in a tomb - and then three days later - when I wasn’t looking for it - nobody was looking for it - He just showed up in the room and told us not to fear, to not be afraid

The Spirit of God is given for everyone…to demonstrate Jesus and to draw to Jesus, as well as to comfort, guide and teach about Jesus, but it is always with the same purpose - to deepen trust with God

And it is most clear with John what the Spirit of God teaches - abiding with Jesus - we looked at this last week - it means to remain, but more pointedly it means to be at home with Jesus - we spend the most time with those we trust,

Any religious appeal to our hands before our hearts isn’t what Jesus ever had in mind…and so if you’re not a follower of Jesus today - I’m not asking you to do anything, I am simply asking you to take a step of trust…

Jesus wasn’t sent so you feel obligated to do something for Him. He came so that we could be with Him

John is saying look don’t be deceived, don’t be duped, but the way you avoid being duped isn’t by pulling away or isolating, or becoming emotionally/relationally unavailable…the way you avoid being duped is by listening closely to God’s voice

So…how can you