Walking with God part 5

Walking with God pt. 5

“Walking in Love”

“Love or Murder?  The choice is up to you?”

Introduction:

1.      If you have not noticed it already, there are three main themes to the book of 1 John

A      Love, Obedience, and Truth.

B       Even though these themes reoccur they are not merely there as repetition…

C       Each time John returns to a topic he attacks it from a different angle.

D      Last week we looked at being “Children of God” and all that that should entail.

E       This morning we are going to look at 1 John 3:11-24 and look at this concept of Christian Love from a different angle.

F        Read (vs. 11-24)

G      In this Passage I see:

·         Four Levels of Christian Love

·         This outline is taken partly from Warren Weirsbe book “The Bible Exposition Commentary”

Outline:

I         Murder (vs. 11-12)

A      When we think of this we think of a terrible sin, one that not only hurts the victim:

1        Takes A life

2        It destroys a family

3        Ruins the life of the murderer

4        There are so many people affected by that one act, no wonder we even still as a society frown upon this sin.

B       This is of course the lowest level at which one can live with someone else.

C       This is the level that Satan is ALWAYS on.

·         John 8:44 “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.”

D      John starts this section of with the statement, “This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.”

1        Where does your life originate from?

a         If it is from God it will be characterized by LOVE!

b        If your father is Satan your life will be characterized by HATRED!

2        Whose side do you want to be on?

E       What was the first example of HATRED in the Bible?

1        We find the account of Cain and Able in Gen. 4:1-16

a         In this account it doesn’t say that Cain was an atheist.

b        He is presented as a worshipper.

1)      The children of the Devil don’t come on strong and in stark contrast to the Word of God and Christians, that would immediately scare us away

2)      They come on the scene as believers

3)      They look good and try to fit in.

c         Cain was trying to worship God.  He was attending a “worship service.”

d        This in itself doesn’t save anyone.

e         The real test was his love for the Brethren – Here Cain FAILED

2        The difference between Cain’s offering and Abel’s was – FAITH!

a         Heb. 11:4 “By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.”

b        Obviously God must have given some specific directives here as to how he wanted someone to offer Him sacrifices.

c         And Cain deliberately disobeyed.

1)      Instead of confessing his sin and repenting, asking forgiveness, and trying again.

2)      He planned out the first Death in the Bible!

3)      He MURDERED his brother Abel!

3        This is an obvious link to Satan because in John 8:44 It said that Satan was a murder from the beginning. 

4        He was showing who his Father was by his actions.

5        Centuries later the Pharisees did the same thing to Jesus Christ

a         Mark 15:9-10 “Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate, knowing it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him.”

b        The Pharisees envied Jesus and his great authority.

c         Cain envied Abel’s offering, and in each case the lesser took things into their own hands, and lost!!!

6        Cain’s attitude represents the attitude of our present day…

F        So we see in verse 13 “Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you.”

·         When the world, like Cain, comes face to face with their sin, it can only make one of two decisions:  repent and change or destroy the one who is exposing it

G      This brings us to the second level of Christian Love…

II      Hatred (vs. 13-15)

A      By now you are wiping your head thinking “phew, that is not me because I have NEVER murdered anyone!”  Read vs. 13-15

B       Did you catch that statement?  “Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer…”

1        Yeikes, that pretty much includes every single one of us here today. 

2        Ever had a nasty thought about someone else?

3        Ever actually said, “I hate you”?

C       The only difference between the first level (Murder) and the second (Hatred) is the outward act of taking a life; the inward act is the same!  God said it not me. 

D       Warren illustrated it this way:

1        There was a man standing outside the lion cage at the zoo.

2        Talking to the zookeeper he said, “Those cats look just like my cats at home, it is a shame that you have to keep them behind bars.”

3        The zookeeper laughed and said, “they may look like your innocent little house cats but these cats have murder in their hearts, you had better be glad we keep them behind bars.”

4        The reason that some people have NEVER actually murdered someone is because of the bars that have been put up; fear of the law, shame, the penalties of the law, maybe even their own death by execution.

5        So it is not so much a question of, “What did you do?”  As it should be, “What did you intend to do?” 

a         That is even why in court cases today you always hear the lawyers trying to prove INTENT. 

b        That is what convicts people, not always the actual act, which also causes problem in our justice system, but that is another whole topic.

E       But of course Hatred does not do the same amount of damage, your neighbor would much rather you Hate him than to actually take his life.

F        But in God’s sight Hatred is the same as murder

G      Notice another import point in this passage:

1        It does not say that a Murder cannot be saved.

2        The Apostle Paul took part in the Murder of the Stephen, the first Martyr. 

a         Acts 26:9-11 Paul wrote, “I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth.  And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them.  Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. In my obsession against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them.”

b        The question here is not whether a murder can become a Christian, but rather can a Christian continue in murdering, NO! 

c         This is not saying that the Murdered was saved and lost it, it is saying they were never saved in the first place.

d        This concept here, I believe, is talking about habitual sin.

H      So again the fact that you have not ever actually murdered anyone should not make you proud or complacent, because have you ever harbored Hatred in your heart?

I         So now you are thinking, “Good I just have to make sure that I don’t ever Hate anyone then I will be displaying ‘Christian Love.” 

J         This brings us to our third level of Christian Love.

K      Read vs. 16-17

III   Indifference (vs. 16-17)

A      Christian Life and Love is not merely about not doing evil it is about replacing the “Old Man” with the “New Man”

1        Isa. 1:15-17 “When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen.  Your hands are full of blood; wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed.  Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.”

2        Cain was our example of false love.

3        Christ is our example of TRUE LOVE

a         Everybody knows the verse John 3:16 “For God So loved the world…”

b        But what does 1 John 3:16 say?  Read

c         Christ not only laid down his life for us but,

d        He expects us to lay down our lives for the brethren!

4        Christian Love involves sacrifice and service.  Christ not only talked about loving people he proved it in his death.

5        Christ was not killed as a martyr he laid down his life for you and me.

a         John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”

b        Self-preservation it the goal of this physical life but

c         Self-sacrifice is the goal of the spiritual life!!!

B       Matthew 22 The greatest commandment “Love the Lord your God, with all your heart, soul and mind.  The second is like unto it; Love your neighbor as yourself.”

1        One man wondered and asked Jesus “Who is my neighbor”

2        Jesus used the parable of the “Good Samaritan” to turn the question around to say, “Who can I be a neighbor to?”

C       A believer who is to poor or ignorant of a need is not condemned

D      It is the Christian who has the means and sees the need but turns the other way and ignores the need; this is the level we are talking about.

E       This reminds me of our verse for the year:

1        Gal. 6:10 “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

2        This is not just talking about giving of our money or material things. 

3        It can be giving of a service to someone else.

4        Spending time with them.  Helping them with something

F        This leads us right into our fourth level of Christian Love.

IV   True Christian Love (vs. 18-24) Don’t Read

A      True Christian Love is a verb!  Love is a Verb!!!

1        Vs. 18 “Dear Children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”

2        James 2:15-16 “Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?”

3        Faith without works is dead just like a mere lip service does not show a brother Christian Love.

B       John names three blessing that will come to believers who practice Christian Love

1        Assurance (vs. 19-20) Read

a         A believer’s relationship with others affects his relationship with God.

b        If you have something harboring against someone else, the Old Testament saints were commanded to go and make it right before they could offer a sacrifice that was pleasing to God, we need to do the same thing.

c         Our hearts condemn us if there is something in there that shouldn’t be.

d        Satan also has a way of using that against us by bring up past sins that have been taken care of and given to God, that have been forgiven.

1)      Once you confess your sins and it is forgiven, you don’t need to beat yourself up over that sin anymore.

2)      Christ has removed it as far as the east is from the west.

3)      The last part of vs. 20 “For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.”

4)      Christ knows our hearts and he knows if you are right before him.

e         Rest assured in his Greatness

2        Answered Prayers (vs. 21-22) Read

a         This does not mean that we Earn “Answered Prayers”

b        You can simply keep his commandments and do what pleases him out of fear and trembling but this is the idea of or…

c         This simply means “Delight thyself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.”  Ps. 37:4

d        One thing that I always point out with this verse when someone brings it up is that. 

·         Yes, God will give you the desires of your heart so ask for anything, but remember that when you are truly “Delighting Yourself in the Lord” your desires will change.

·         Your desires will conform to His Will

3        Abiding (vs. 23-24)

a         We have already talked about the “Greatest Commandment” and the second one like to it.  “Love God and your Neighbors as yourself.”

b        But here in verse 23 God sums up the whole Christian life in one command, “Believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.”

c         Faith towards God and Love towards men is two sides of the same coin.

d        “Abiding in Christ” is the key experience for a believer who wants to have confidence in their relationship with God.

e         Jesus illustrated the concept of abiding in Him with a vine:

1)      If you are grafted into the “True Vine” (Christ) then you will grow and produce fruit.

2)      But if you sever those connections it will wither and die!

C       When a believer walks in love, he finds it easy to obey God, and therefore he maintains a close communion with God.

·         “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” John 14:23.

Conclusion:

1. So the four levels at which a person chooses to live are:
1. Murder – The Lowest Level with Satan.
2. Hatred – Also in the pits of despair.
3. Indifference – Sitting on fence.
4. Having True Christian Love – This is where each and every one of us should strive to be.  
2. It is a proven fact that children who grow up in a loving environment have a much better chance at life than those who are neglected and unloved.
3. Why do you think that God repeats this concept all throughout the Bible
4. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. And Love your Neighbor as YOURSELF!!!”