1 John 3:1-10 The Call to Christlikeness in your walk with Jesus.

Good Morning .. Pause

I welcome you in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Out Scripture meditation is from Isaiah 53:8-9 ESV

“ By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living,

stricken for the transgression of my people? 9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.

Isaiah 53:8-9 ESV

PRELUDE — Use these moments to prayerfully consider the Scripture meditation above, so you may properly give God the glory due to His name.

THE LORD CALLS US TO WORSHIP HIM

*God’s Word of Greeting

*Call to Worship Psalm 8:1 8 To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith. A Psalm of David. 1  O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.

LET US RISE FOR THE SINGING OF GODS WORD

*Hymn of Praise…………………….. TPH #8B Lord, Our Lord, in All the Earth

*Invocation

LET US BE SEATED

OUR RESPONSE TO GOD’S CALL

Responsive Reading………………………………...TH (p. 786-787) Psalm 8

Psalm 8 pgs 786-787

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory above the heavens.

From the lips of children and infants, you have ordained praise

becasue of your enemies to silence the foe and the avenger.

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,

what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?

you made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.

You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet,

all flocks and heards, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

*LET US PRAY

Prayer of Confession and Repentance

O Lamb of God, who, both by your example and precept, instructed us to be meek and humble,

give us grace throughout our whole lives, in every thought, and word, and work, to imitate your meekness and humility.

Mortify in us any pride; grant us to feel that we are nothing and have nothing, and that I deserve nothing but shame and contempt,

Grant, O Lord, that we may look for nothing, claim nothing; and that we may go through all the scenes of life, not seeking our own glory,

but looking wholly unto you, and acting wholly for you. Let us never speak any word that may tend to our own praise,

Let our ears and our hearts be ever shut to the praise that comes from men.

Give me a dread of applause, in whatsoever form, and from whatsoever tongue, it comes.

Deliver our souls from the snare of hell; Whosoever perishes thereby, let their blood be upon their own head,

O giver of every good and perfect gift, if at any time you please to work by our hands,

teach us to discern what is our own from what is another’s,

and to render unto you the things that are yours. As all the good that is done on earth is from you,

let us give you all the glory honour and praise, In Christ’s name Amen.

Assurance of Pardon……………...……..………...………..…Proverbs 28:13

Proverbs 28:13 Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper,but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.

LET US RISE FOR THE SINGING OF GODS WORD

Hymn of Thanksgiving .......................TPH #9B Wholehearted Thanksgiving

LET US PRAY

Congregational Prayer

Lord, teach us to be resigned to your will; teach us to delight in your law;

teach us to have no will but your will; teach us to be sure that everything you do is good and is the very best that can be done.

Help us to leave our concerns in your divine hands, being persuaded that you have sway even over evil; that out of it you bring good,

till your high purposes shall develop in your own perfect glory,

and in the perfect bliss of all those who put their trust in you.

Father we Pray for _____________ and we ask for all these things in the powerful, glorious, majestic, and wonderful name of Jesus Christ Amen.

YOU MAY BE SEATED

THE LORD FEEDS US FROM HIS WORD

Scripture Reading……...………………..……..………......Genesis 3:1-24

TURN IN YOUR COPY OF GODS WORD TO Genesis 3:1-24

Hear Now the Very Word of God

English Standard Version Chapter 3

3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.

He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” 11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

14 The Lord God said to the serpent,

“Because you have done this,

cursed are you above all livestock

and above all beasts of the field;

on your belly you shall go,

and dust you shall eat

all the days of your life.

15  I will put enmity between you and the woman,

and between your offspring and her offspring;

he shall bruise your head,

and you shall bruise his heel.”

16 To the woman he said,

“I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing;

in pain you shall bring forth children.

Your desire shall be contrary to your husband,

but he shall rule over you.”

17 And to Adam he said,

“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife

and have eaten of the tree

of which I commanded you,

‘You shall not eat of it,’

cursed is the ground because of you;

in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;

18  thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;

and you shall eat the plants of the field.

19  By the sweat of your face

you shall eat bread,

till you return to the ground,

for out of it you were taken;

for you are dust,

and to dust you shall return.”

20 The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. 21 And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.

22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” 23 therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. 24 He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.

LET THE LORD ADD HIS BLESSING TO THIS READING OF HIS WORD

Application: From this text we see many things but one I would like to point out that applies to the text of 1 John 3 is verse 15

English Standard Version Chapter 3

15  I will put enmity between you and the woman,

and between your offspring and her offspring;

he shall bruise your head,

and you shall bruise his heel.”

There is no peace between the seed of the serpent on this earth and the seed of the woman.

There are those who are or will be born of Christ

And there are those like Esau who are the seed of the serpent.

And so the Call to Christlikeness in your walk with Jesus should be pleasant to your ears if you are a believer

But if you are of the seed of the serpent and not regenerated the words of truth will bring you nothing but condemnation and death.

SERMON TEXT

1 John 3:1-10

Sermon………………...“The Call to Christlikeness in your walk with Jesus”

Turn in your Copies of Gods Word to 1 John 3:1-10

Hear now the very Word of God

English Standard Version Chapter 3

3 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9 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. 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.

*The grass withers the flower fades but the Word of our God shall stand forever

Today's HP is “The Call to Christlikeness in your walk with Jesus”

Repeat “The Call to Christlikeness in your walk with Jesus”

Believers are to become Christlike

Is this just an ideal

Is this just wishful thinking

Is it false or are we just deceiving ourselves?

Yes we sin in thought word and deed daily

But we are also called to repent and turn from our sins and to walk as Christ walked on this earth Daily.

And why are we not to just take this command to be Christlike lightly?

Why should we take this seriously?

Becasue the Father has loved us.

The Father has called us children of God.

This is what verse 1 says

English Standard Version Chapter 3

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

So we have been given love

And we are loved by the Father today if we know Christ

And If we know Christ we are a child of God.

And this Love is unmerited love.

We didn't deserve it as the sophists of Calvin's day would say.

And we didn't deserve it as the Arminians would say today at Dallas Theological Seminary.

God didn't look down the corridors of time and know you were going to choose him and you were going to be Christlike.

Rather GOD LOVED US AND ADOPTED US INTO HIS FAMILY

HE REDEEMED WRETCHED SINNERS

AND HE CALLED US TO BE HIS CHILDREN

This is a reality

What are some other things we can take from verse 1?

We will not be famous becasue of our faith in this world

People who are not of Christ will not understand why we live by the creators rules.

People will call what we believe in made up.

Foolishness?

And they will mock us.

Why would they do that?

Becasue they are blind to the truth that Jesus is the Christ

When he came into the world they denied him in John’s Era

And they deny who he is today.

And they would rather glorify man and how HE MAKES THE CHOICE TO COME TO GOD

Rather than admit that God out of His Mercy Saved sinners and adopted sinners like me and you.

Application

So we should not expect to be raised up on men’s shoulders in this world.

We should not expect Christianity to be the popular thing to believe in this world

But we should share the truth of the Gospel because it is the power of God unto salvation.

1. So what we should take from Verse 1 is that God Loves us and we are his adopted children and The World did not know Christ so it will not know you for your faith.

Paul said this as well in the book of 1 Corinthians

English Standard Version Chapter 11

11 Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

NEXT

The Holy Spirit makes believers Christlike

The Holy Spirit makes believers Christlike.

2. Verses says We are his kids now and even though we struggle with sin

we still will be like him sinless when he returns.

We are Sinless in the light of Christ

But still trapped in bodies that have not yet been redeemed

Our hope lies in us looking to Christ’s finished work in Heaven.

But there will be something different about us When Christ returns.

Verse 2 says when he appears that is when Christ returns WE WILL BE LIKE HIM.

AND WE SHALL SEE HIM AS HE IS

And John speaks to the certainty that you and I have that are believers in Christ.

HE SAYS WE KNOW WE KNOW

That when Christ appears we shall be like him

Off course there will be a difference between us and the Creator

But Sin will no longer stand between us

Our bodies will be redeemed as well according to Philippians 3:21 through 4:1

English Standard Version Chapter 3

21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

4 Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.

And as we know Christ now through a glass darkley or a mirror dimley

English Standard Version Chapter 13

12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face

We will then see him clearly

His glory will not have to be viewed through sin darkened eyes.

Becasue sin will be no more have a hold over our bodies or our souls

And we will see Christ Jesus in his radiant robes of Righteousness.

Because we are his children

Adopted by Him.

Chosen by him.

cleansed by him.

And then we will see GOd.

But the World and those of the world the unconverted.

They wil not want to see him they will be afraid.

they will be filled with terror.

They will be like Adam and Eve in the Garden fearing God because they sinned against God.

And the World has not been redeemed

and those who are not adopted can not bear to look at the presence of God.

But those who are Adopted according to verse 3

English Standard Version Chapter 3

And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

We Hope in Christ becasue the Holy Spirit enabled us to Hope in him

The Holy Spirit Makes us Christlike.

But verse 3 is speaking to every man hoping Why?

John now draws this inference, that the desire for holiness should not grow cold in us, because our happiness has not as yet appeared,

for that hope is sufficient; and we know that what is hoped for is still hidden.

The meaning then is, that though we have not Christ now present before our eyes,

We need to hope in Christ,

And by hoping in the promises to come

Holding to the promises given to us in the Scriptures

And confirmed in our minds by the Holy Spirit

We will now be excited and stimulated to follow Christ in purity,

for walking as he walked leads us straight to Christ,

who we know to be a perfect pattern of purity.

Paul said this as well in the book of 1 Corinthians

English Standard Version Chapter 11

11 Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

NEXT In Verse 4-6

Christlikeness is the aim of discipleship

4. verses 4-6 Everyone who continues in known sin on purpose does not know Christ.

English Standard Version Chapter 3

4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.

Are we a disciple of Christ if we don’t follow him?

Of course not

This is what John is getting at but he his connecting sin with being lawless.

Now his audience and us the readers of this letter know

To disregard the law of God is to think lightly of our adoption into Christ

So John is encouraging the church to value our adoption.

Cherish our adoption

to love the law giver

and to avoid sin like it is the plague.

Avoid it like people avoid each other in our society today becasue of the mandates regarding the corona virus.

Becasue as those in this fellowship have gotten sick with the corona virus and recovered and lived.

Those who do not avoid sin

Those who embrace sin.

Will certainly not survive.

Becasue with out Christ the World is perishing.

Christlikeness is the Aim of Discipleship

Learn Christs Word

turn from sin if you are a follower of Him.

John is conveying that the word sin seems light to some; but iniquity or transgression of the law cannot appear to be so easily forgiven.

But the Apostle does not make sins equal, by charging all with iniquity who sin; but he means to teach us, that sin arises from a contempt of God,

and that by sinning, the law is violated.

Hence this doctrine of John has nothing in common with the delirious paradoxes of the Stoics of his time.

A Stoic in Johns time would have been indifferent to sin

They would have considered themselves not affected by external things around them.

Materialism or Pride which are both sins then and now would not of concerned them.

Stoics believed that the world came from one basic element fire and that the world would eventually return to that one element fire.

We have modern day stoics today don't we?

They deny the God who created them

Hence they believe they can live anyway they want

Hence they are lost and in need of Christ.

And so these Stoics then and now

Atheists then and now

People who are apart from the knowledge of Christ are described in verse 8

But in verse 7 we are warned to not let them deceive us

English Standard Version Chapter 3

7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.

Don’t let people outside the church or inside the church tell you that Christ does not care how you live your life.

They are trying to deceive you

And John is warning us of them.

brothers and sisters don’t bus the lies of those who say once I prayed the sinners prayer and now I can live my life any way I want.

They are modern day stoics

Also don’t believe those who would say Christ elected me from before the foundation of the world and now I can live anyway I want.

Christ said in John 14:21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”

Christlikeness is the aim of Discipleship.

And being a disciple of Christ means the Holy Spirit will help you to continually conform your lives to the will of Christ who saved you from your sin.

Becasue if you agree with the stoics that how we live our lives today doesn't matter.

And if you believe you can continue in a sin and never turn from it and never repent of it and have never turned to Christ then verse 8 describes you.

English Standard Version Chapter 3

8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.

Becasue if you are Born of God “ YOU WILL NOT MAKE A PRACTICE OF SINNING”

This word, to commit, or to do, refers also to outward works,

so that the meaning is, that there is no life of God and of Christ, where men act perversely and wickedly,

but that such are, on the contrary, the slaves of the devil;

and by this way of speaking he sets forth more fully how unlike they are to Christ.

So you are either a slave to Christ or a slave to Satan

A slave to righteouness

Or a slave to sin.

So those born of Christ verse 9 says Verse 9 If your Born of God Your manner of life is righteousness and not sinning.

English Standard Version Chapter 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

So to do righteousness is no other thing than to fear God from the heart,

and to walk in his commandments as far as human weakness will permit;

righteousness is a perfect keeping of the law, from which the faithful are always far off;

yet offences and failings are not imputed to us by God, For Christ sake.

righteousness is that imperfect obedience which we render to him.

And John declares that all who do not live righteously are not of God,

because all those whom God calls, he regenerates by his Spirit.

Hence newness of life is a perpetual evidence of divine adoption.

So brothers and sisters are you walking with Christ in the spirit?

According to Verse 10 If you don't practice righteousness and if you don't love your brother then you look like a child of the Devil.

But if Christ has redeemed you

If Christ has called you by his spirit

If Christ is sanctifying you

John is speaking about sanctification

WSC 35 says

The Westminster Shorter Catechism Question 35

Sanctification is the work of God’ s free grace, (2 Thess. 2:13) whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, (Eph. 4:23–24) and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness.

Question 36 Westminster Shorter Catechism Question 36

W

If this describes you than you are a child of God

1. BECAUSE BELIEVERS ARE TO BECOME CHRISTLIKE

AND Becasue the HOLY SPIRIT MAKES BELIEVERS CHRISTLIKE

and 3 CHIRSTLIKNESS IS THE AIM OF DICIPLESHIP”

You are adopted by the Father

and you “ARE CALLED TO CHRISTLIKENESS IN YOUR WALK WITH JESUS

AND YOU ARE LOVED

And YOU Are CARED FOR

BECAUSE OUR FATHER the creator of all that is Loves us with a perfect love.

So take comfort Child of God

And walk with Jesus the one who redeemed you and showed you what it is to be a child of God

In his Life.

In his death on the Cross.

And his promise that one day we will be reunited with him and Sin will no longer reign in our bodies

And we will walk in newness of life for ever with our savior.

Amen

Let US PRAY

CLOSING PRAYER

Father I pray that those who have heard your call to walk in truth and in the light of Christ will turn to you.

And that we will learn to daily Abide in you until we meet you face to face at the end of our lives.

Help us lord to Cling to the truth that you are the Christ.

The one who has called us out of darkness and into your marvelous light.

Help us to trust not in our own merits or works but to rather abide in you Christ

Help us Lord to walk with you in this life.

IN Christ name AMEN.

LET US RISE

*Hymn of Response….. .TPH #24B The Earth and Its Riches

WE ARE DISMISSED WITH GOD’S BLESSING

*God’s Word of Blessing

*Closing Hymn…………………..……………………….. TPH #567 Doxology