Sermon Tone Analysis

Alêtheia Christian Fellowship       (Sermon 62, 03-20-05)

\\ a  Announcements, Celebration night.

 

1 John is a *microcosim* of the entire Bible and as such it explains everything foundational to Christianity.

Details and background information are found elsewhere.

In this letter, John says, walk like Christ, and so we need the Gospels to know how Christ walked.

We need the Old Covenant Books to know why Jesus came and what it means.

We need the other New Covenant Books to understand the details and structure of our Theology, but right here in this tiny book you have all the requirements for a *right relationship* with your Creator.

If, if, if, you *do* this book, you cannot fail!

The test of our religious experience is if it produces a reflection of Jesus Christ in our daily life.

What would Jesus do, is great, but the question is what would He do.

That is the real test because so many claim to do what Jesus would do the real test is love.

Do you really love others as much as you love yourself?

John sets the record straight… There is no middle ground!

No middle ground at all.

It is either Truth or lies, light or dark, love or hate, fellowship or split and the end is either eternal life or eternal death.

Jesus said, wisdom is proved right by her actions.

Forest Gump says, “Momma always says,’stupid is as stupid does.’”

Actions speak louder than words.

Rembrant told a student, when asked questions about technique, “said practice what you already know and you will understand.”

It is in doing that we grow.

 

1 John 2:7 \\ KJV:Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning.

The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.

\\ NASB:Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard.

\\ NLT:Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment, for it is an old one you have always had, right from the beginning.

This commandment—to love one another—is the same message you heard before.

Agaphtoi plural, another term of endearment.

 

2 John 1:5-6 ~~

Now I ask you, lady, not as though /I were/ writing to you a new commandment, but the one which we have had from the beginning, that we love one another.

And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments.

ejntolh<n singular, not the Gospel message itself, but the portion, “to love one another.”

as the NLT has it.

in this case the old command which they have had ei]cete imperfect

from the beginning means the New command given by Jesus and extolled from the beginning of Christianity.

John 13:34-35 ~~ “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

“By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Where does it come from?

Deuteronomy 6:5 ~~

“You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

Leviticus 19:18 ~~

‘You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD.

Matthew 22:37-40 ~~

And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’

“This is the great and foremost commandment.

“The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

“On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

Jesus says in Luke when questioned further that our neighbor is our enemy as well as our friend.

If you want to be a Christian it is essential that you understand that it is a sin to be angry or impatiant with others.

it is a sin to repay a wrong.

Jesus commands us to turn the other cheek.

70 times 7 is more than 490!

We are ordered to forgive and forget!

That’s the Lord’s command, I’m not saying it’s easy, in fact it’s impossible without God’s Agapê in us.

You are not walking in the light of Truth if you don’t allow people to hurt you.

Jesus loved so much He allowed the fullness of attrocities against Him and prayed that the Father would forgive His attackers while they were attacking!

1 John 2:8-11

KJV:Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is *past*, and the true light now shineth.

He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.

He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.

But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

NASB:On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true Light is already shining.

The one who says he is in the Light and /yet/ hates his brother is in the darkness until now.

The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him.

But the one who 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.

NLT:Yet it is also new.

This commandment is true in Christ and is true *among* you, because the darkness is disappearing and the true light is already shining.

If anyone says, “I am living in the light” but hates a *Christian* brother or sister, that person is still living in darkness.

Anyone who loves other *Christians* is living in the light and does not cause anyone to stumble.

Anyone who hates a *Christian* brother or sister is living and walking in darkness.

Such a person *is lost*, having been blinded by the darkness.

1 John 2:8-11 \\ NASB:On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in (NLT “among”) you, because the darkness is passing (KJV “past”) away and the true Light is already shining.

The one who says he is in the Light and /yet/ hates his (NLT “Christian”) brother is in the darkness until now.

The one who loves his (NLT “Christian”) brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him.

But the one who hates his (NLT “Christian”) brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going (NLT “is lost”) because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

This command you’ve had from the beginning of your Christian understanding is also the command from the beginning of time and even though it’s nothing new at the same time it is always new in Christ Jesus and in us as we allow Him to manifest Himself through us.

Satan, flesh and all evil has been destroyed by the obedience of Christ the light is in fact shining and can shine in each one of us, yet we remain in this world where darkness is on it’s way out.

the victory has been won if-if-if we allow Jesus in our heart.

Now, what is the difference between light and dark?

1-Surrender to God’s program is light, while maintaining your own control is darkness.

2-If you are in darkness you don’t realize it because you are blind to that fact.

3-If you are in the light God’s love in your heart will manifest in your love for other people.

Not just Christians, but all people.

4-Therefore, ergo, even though a person in the darkness is deluded through rationalization today you can see if you will where you stand.

Do you love me unconditionally?

You may balk, or you may immediately say yes, either answer may be false.

After you consider you may realize that you do love me in Christ, or if you can truly be honest with yourself you may realize that you don’t really love me unconditionally.

It’s a gauge, how much do you genuinely love others?

There are no alternatives, there is no middle ground!

you are either in light or dark, period.

This is what Jesus says:

John 3:18-21 ~~

“He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

“This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.

“For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

“But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”

Does evil?

What is evil?

Evil is not the opposite of good as most people understand good.

Only God can say what is good and what is evil.

People can render opinion on what they think should be acceptable or even noble behavior, but it means nothing!

Nietzsche, knew this and extols the reality that without God there can be no such thing as Good or Evil!