1 John 5:3-5
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
As I was studying this week preparing for this morning Dathan came up to the office. He’s a busy man and never has much time for just chit-chat so he got right to the point. He said, “what are you preaching on this Sunday?”. I told him that I think Im going to finish of verses 3-5 where John left off last week and then preach through verses 6-12”. He looked up and started calculating how many verses that was…took a big gulp of his Dr. Pepper and said, “thats 10 verses”. “I know” I said. He took another gulp and said, “Well, just tell Nate to sing one song and maybe we will get out of there around 1”.
So, Im going to save verses 6-12 for next week and today we are just going to look at verses 3-5. And that should get us out of here by noon. Im just kidding…but who really knows.
But before we read the text this morning I want to talk to those of us who grew up in church hearing about Jesus as little kids. I would say that is a lot of us in here. But not all. And if that isn’t you just hang tight and I’ll get to you in just a second.
But for those of you, those of us, who grew up in church hearing about Jesus we had this understanding that we had to do this and that. If we did this and that He was pleased with us but if we didn’t do this or that he wasn’t pleased with us.
There are just these things we HAD to do though, right?
And then we grow up and for a lot of us we said, “I can’t do it!” “Im never going to be good enough”. So we go crazy! Don’t act like you didn’t…we’re in church. Don’t lie. You know who you are…
And then we get married... and have kids.
Then we say, “Lets find a church so we can raise our kids in church” and we make friends at the church and we start doing things at the church and we get in these programs at the church and then we think we are good Christian people.
But what is happening behind the scenes, behind the smiles and behind the “everything is great” is we are worn out!
We are sick and tired of going here, doing this, going there, getting ready for this…we just get tired of all the “doing”. It becomes a BURDEN.
For a lot of people they just keep grinding but they are miserable but they are scared to admit it. They are tired of it all but they have to keep going and what keeps them going is the thought of “what will people think of me if I don’t”. It is either that through or the thought of “if I dont keep doing it then I won’t go to Heaven”.
It’s so sad…Ive been there before and I know A LOT of you in here have been there before. Some of you might be in that spot right now and if you are…Im glad you’re here.
And for those of you who didn’t grow up in the church you had the same idea but just from the outside looking in.
If you didn’t grow up in the church you looked at the people and thought “there ain’t know way Im good enough for all of that” or “Im not about to run myself ragged going here and there and doing this or that for people I hardly know and see once or twice a week…Im going fishin’ or IM going huntin’”.
See there are a lot of people out there that think they “know” what God wants from us and some say, “I can do that” and others say “no way, not me”.
The problem is that they’re both wrong. And when you try to do what God requires on your own strength, by your own GRIT…you see just how impossible it is don’t you. IF you are honest with yourself.
It took me a long time to figure this one out.
But there are some who are so self-righteous they really believe that they are “doing it”. The Bible has a lot to say about the religious.
But there are some who are so self-righteous they really believe that they are “doing it”. The Bible has a lot to say about the religious.
So I am glad you are here this morning because I have some awesome news for you today
So lets stand and read our text this morning,
For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
Let’s pray:
You see that first word in verse 3?
Its a little word isn’t it? It’s a little word that tells us a lot though.
Here at The Parish we want people to LEARN how to read the Bible. And a little plug here for our DNA groups, that is why we have them. To learn how to read this book and learn how to apply it to our lives.
So what does this little word “for” tell us?
When you see the word “for” in the Bible, especially when it is starting a sentence you need to pump the brakes and look at what just came before it.
“FOR” introduces a sentence or an idea that supports the sentence or idea that immediately precedes it.
So what is the most famous verse in the Bible (in our day and age, it hasn’t always been the most famous but what is it for us today).
Im not a prophet but I already had a slide for it...
starts with “for”…so what should we do when we see “for”…look at what came BEFORE because it is introducing an idea that supports the idea that immediately came before it.
So here we are in our text and verse 3, where we are starting this morning starts with “for”…so what do we do?
Lets go BEFORE it and see what sentence or idea this verse is supporting.
Lets look at verse 2:
Yall see what I just did there… I snuck in another verse on ya…and made you like it!
By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments.
When we misunderstand the gospel of Jesus Christ we read this and think, “Ok…I know it says I HAVE to LOVE God and the Children of GOD if I want to go to Heaven so what do I need to do? Oh…here it is…I have to OBEY HIS COMMANDMENTS!”
So, then here we go…trying to find all the things God tells us to do and we work our fingers to the bone to do them
and that will kill you.
It will wear you OUT!
It will make you bitter and angry…but you wont tell anyone. Because you can’t…
But that is RELIGION. That is not Gospel.
So let’s read this the way it was meant to be read by John....because vs. 3 starts with “For” let us read it with verse 2 to get a better understanding of it.
By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.
For this IS the love of God…that we keep his commandments.
\
Remember this love is not from man…it is from God. Without God pouring this love on us we would never know this kind of love, this agape love.
English Standard Version Chapter 5
2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.
and if you have been born of God then you love the children of God and it is not a burden to do so.
This type of love is active. By definition it is a strong, non-sexual affection and regard for a person and their good as understood by God’s moral character. It is a love that is characterized by a willing forfeiture of rights or privileges in another person’s behalf.
It is not burdensome for those who have been born by God to love the commands of God and it is not burdensome to love the children of God.
It is understanding the good news of Jesus Christ, its understanding the gospel of Jesus Christ.
And that kind of love, THAT kind of love, is not burdensome to Christians.
You know when that kind of love becomes burdensome?
For the non-Christian and for the religious person this kind of love doesn’t even exist. The love that they try to give to others is self-centered. The love they offer others is a love that better be repayed somehow or someway. they have this idea that there better be some benefit shown to me for doing this for you....now they would never say that of course. And they may never think it but it eats at them when they do things for others and they never get rewarded, recognized, or repayed somehow. It is this wrong mentality that God is mad at you when you don’t do it but he is happy with you when you DO do it.
Now that kind of love…trying to obey God that way…is burdensome. It is miserable.
This is a works based religion. This is not the gospel. Don’t forget that your righteous deeds are filthy rags in his sight. We must understand that we are saved by Christ’s righteousness…not our own.
And for the Christian: Let me tell you when it becomes a burden.
It becomes a burden to love God and the people of God, much less your enemies, when we take our eyes off of Christ.
It becomes a burden when we find ourselves “doing” on our own strength.
When you find yourself being burdened by loving God and others…when it starts to feel like a chore to you pump the breaks, and look to Christ.
Let me remind you why “his commandments are not burdensome”.
Look at the first word in verse 4:
For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
What does this verse start with? “FOR”. AND WHY does it start with “For”?
Because it is going to give a sentence or an idea that supports the sentence or idea that immediately came before it.
It is going to give us the answer to the idea in verse 3.
Lets read it:
For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
What does it mean to be born of God? It means He gave you life. It means that when we were dead in our sins He brought us to life. It means when we were blind, he gave us eyes to see. It means you did nothing to win the favor of God but because of his great mercy and grace he saved you.
When that hits you right in the face? His commandments are not burdensome.
I know what your’e thinking right now…you’re thinking… “ewww, here he goes…this is it....this isssss itttt”....
But I’m not…Im saving it.
But I want you to know, when you realize that you are saved by grace…and I mean grace alone his commandments are not burdensome.
But look at what it says again about us who have been born of God.
It says “everyone who has been born of God OVERCOMES the world.”
Lets see what it doesn’t say:
It doesn’t say that “everyone who has been born of God MIGHT, MOST LIKELY, IF THEY WORK REALLY HARD, COULD POSSIBLY, overcome the world”.
It says “overcomes” the world. That word means “to win a victory over, as in a contest or a military conflict”. It means “to conquer”.
We have been rescued from the patterns of this world.
This is why those who aren’t born of God can not love this way. Because this love is from God. You can’t earn this love. This love comes from God.
1 John 3:
No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.
No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.
1 John 3:
We, who have been born of God, have overcome the world.
The things of the world no longer seem to be desirable anymore.
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.
1 John 2:
VERSE 4 ENDS WITH:
“And this is the victory that has overcome the world - our faith.”
Let me remind you that it is not the amount of faith that saves you…it is the object of your faith that saves you.
If the object of your faith is yourself then it is a burden to keep Gods commandments and to love one another.
When you are the object of your faith you find yourself having a hard time to forgive yourself when you fail. You know why that is? Because we tend to make ourselves the idol we worship. We can’t believe our god let us down. So what we are saying is, “I can’t believe I let myself down”....We get upset that our little ‘g’ god looks foolish and weak.
I have been there. I was there and didn’t even know it because I called my idol God and Jesus but thank God he CRUSHED by little “g” god and showed me who he is and what He had done for me.
Our victory is our faith…our faith is in Christ Jesus and Christ Jesus alone.
So let me ask you what John asks in verse 5:
Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
The answer is no one. He is the only way. He is the only savior for this world and there is no other way to the Father except through Him.
We all fail because we are all trapped in this body of sin, this flesh. Some rely on their performance and try to build up some bargaining tool with God by their good deeds and their own righteousness.
Others feel like they could never do what God commands of them…and those people are right....you can’t.
So if you think you are doing on your own repent and turn to Christ and live. If you feel like you just cant…then turn to Christ and Christ alone.
For us who have been born of God, we find ourselves at times feeling the heavy weight of what God calls us to because we are trying to do it on our own strength.
I wan to remind you to remember what God has done for you, he saved you when you couldn’t save yourself…he put His love in your heart and called you out of the darkness into the light. Refocus your eyes on Christ alone and let us encourage one another with the gospel of Christ.
I want to end with this word from our Lord:
Matthew 11:
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”