I'm Hearing Voices

ss=MsoNormal align=right style='text-align:right'>1) 8-10-03 Sun PM TBC 2) 9-29-04 Chapel TBA 3) 7-16-06 Sun PM CBC 4) 4-22-07 Calvary Baptist, Green, IA 5) 9-14-08…PM…SBC 6)

“I’m Hearing Voices”

1 John 2:15-19

Introduction:

Ø John is writing to the congregations around his area but with no specific locations given this letter is classified as a “general epistle.”

Ø The apostle John

- same author as the Gospel of John

- called an apostle because of his personal contact with the Lord Jesus before and after His resurrection (1 Jn 1:1)

Ø The apostle was prompted to write this letter to the believers in this area due to the false teaching that had come into the church

- I did not chose this passage in order to expose some deep rooted heresy in our church

- God led me to this passage to show us how we must also be careful of what we allow to influence us in our lives

this is what I love about Scripture!

- it is a timeless truth that expands to all people in each cultural setting that it comes in contact with – ie. application everywhere to everyone

- Scripture confirms the immutability of God in that it shows us that God is for man, which is found in His Word, does not change

Ø We don’t know much about this false teaching that had crept into the church

- the only way we know what it was probably about is because of John’s response to the recipients of this letter

- This false teaching seems to have been about a rejection of the person, work and ministry of Jesus Christ (Possibly Gnosticism – maybe early forms of it)

- They seemed to believe that Jesus couldn’t have been the Messiah because God was a spirit and man was flesh and they believed that God would not put himself in a fleshly body (they saw the fleshly body as evil) 1:1-4

- Another possible characteristic about this false teaching was that people could still have a relationship with God and still walk in darkness. John seems to be refuting this in 1:6-10

Ø However difficult it is to systematically define what this teaching was about we know that it existed and infiltrated the church because of John’s statement about antichrists in Chapter 2 and 4

False Teaching made Personal

- we also have teachings today that directly contradict Scripture and the person, work and ministry of Christ today and that is why this passage becomes so important for us

Homosexuality prevalent in culture but now also starting to infiltrate the church – affecting who can be leaders and members of churches

Views that promote that God does not know all things – Open Theism

Differing view of creation saying that it wasn’t a literal 7 days – serpent was a picture of evil as a whole and not a real serpent

The attempted marriage of Psychology and the Bible – Integration

KJV Only Position – we affirm the KJV as a great translation and predominately use the KJV, but we do not believe that it is the only English translation for the English speaking people – (Illustration of Dr. Brown’s church and the division it is causing)

“God wouldn’t send people to Hell, He is a God of Love” and Annihilationism

Ø John’s teaching is as much needed to us today as it was to the churches in the 1st Century

Transition: The first admonition given by John is one that we are all familiar with but one that John further explains clearly for us

1) Love not the World v15-17 THIS IS NOT THE WILL OF GOD

cf: James 4:4 – “don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.”

it seems as though John begins this passage with some preventative maintenance

if they were to adhere to his teaching about the world then it seems that they would be less susceptible to the false teaching that had infiltrated the church

- I think we have more of an indirect influence in our church with false teaching than a direct influence

- Many books, movies, music, TV are promoting ideas that are against the teaching of the Bible

Illustration: All the TV shows that show Mom as the one in charge of the house and the Dad as the clueless idiot of the family

Transition: After telling his readers to not be in love with the world he tells them what a love for the world looks like

A- The desires of the flesh and eyes v16

1- the context gives us the fact that the desires that are mentioned here are improper desires or the wrong focus

a- the desire for selfish recognition – contrast Philippians 2

b- the desire for money to fulfill your selfish desires

c- materialism is just another form of pride – it is what the possession can bring to you

2- John says to his readers, “Don’t focus on the things of the world,” “don’t fall in love with the things the world offers.”

Illustration: Remember falling in love with you spouse. When you first fell in love your life was consumed with being with each other – this was a right desire

· don’t let the world or things of the world become the object of your desires

· this worldly desire is usually the opposite of contented living – Phi 4:11

Quote – “the world is the enemy of the Christian because it is in rebellion and opposition against God and controlled by Satan.” MacArthur

B- The Pride in possessions v16 THIS IS NOT THE WILL OF GOD

1- literally this means a pride in one’s possession in order to impress others

2- love for the world is characterized by a prideful attitude

C- The love of the world can be summarized by saying that it is:

Selfish desires on the part of human beings and a boastful spirit about what has been accomplished.

D- The world and all in it fades away v17

1- This is the reason for not loving the world or the things in it

2- the world is temporal and doomed for destruction Romans 8:18-22

E- The will of the Lord remains forever

1- Doing what God desires is what will count in the end

2- The love for the world crowds out our desire to do the will of God

3- If Satan can get us to love the world then we will not do His will - Evangelism

4- All that God offers is permanent in contrast to the world which is temporary

Transition: After John illustrates the incompatibility of God and the world he demonstrates another potential

stumbling block in the lives of individual believers and the church.

2) Opposition to Christ has come v18-23

· “It is the last hour” – reference to time being near for the second coming of Christ v18

- the last times references the period between the first and second coming of Christ

· This term “last times” here is based on the presence of people and teachings that are contrary to the person, work and ministry of Christ v18

- Perhaps John was remembering to Jesus’ teaching on what will the last days will be like.

- False teaching is always distorted truth – some say Christ was a good man but not really God and that it was stories of him that turned him into deity

A- These false teachers showed their true colors by not remaining in the teaching of the apostles – which was the true gospel

1- this is characteristic of a false teacher – we must be able to realize when someone diverts from the truth of God’s Word

2- This also teaches the doctrine of perserverance that says that those that are truly saved will continue in the faith

B- The judgment of whether something is true or false always has to be the true gospel

Ø that standard must not be sinful man’s diagnosis of man – Psychology

1- every new teaching or idea that comes in our path must be run through the spiritual filter of God’s Word

Illustration: Internet filtering (parental controls) out all the garbage

2- John wrote this to them because they knew the truth and in the truth of God’s word there is nothing that is false

C- We must go through life with a Christian worldview

1- Without a Christian worldview we can easily be susceptible to false teaching also

a- we might become vulnerable to the world’s view of self-esteem

· the bible says I already love myself too much

b- we might become vulnerable the world’s view of discipline (drug them)

c- we might become vulnerable to the world’s view of anger

· blame shifting (I was tired), your fault, my environment

d- we might become vulnerable to the world’s view of depression

e- we might become vulnerable to the world’s view of chemical imbalances

2- We must be reminded as John reminded his readers that truth is truth only when it adheres to the Word of God

a- remember that God and his word is all we need to help us go through life

b- we don’t need sinful man’s approach to solving sinful man’s problems

Application: Don’t be drawn into the philosophies of the world that contradict the Bible

Transition: Because they knew the truth (v21), John challenged them to…

3) Remain in the truth v24-25

A- If we remain in the truth, our faith in the Lord and the truth of his word will not shake or waver when false teaching comes in our path

· going through life with a Christian worldview means that we will be able to see the things that opposed to God and his Word wherever we go

Illustration:

1- It is like the weather warning at the bottom of the TV screen – even if it doesn’t apply to you – you can’t miss it

2- It is like the Tornado Siren – you can’t really miss it - corner of dad’s property

Conclusion / Application:

1- When we are in tune with God and the teaching of His word then the philosophies, lifestyles and teachings that are opposed to God and His Word should be as obvious as a Tornado siren

2- Discerning between God’s truth and man’s philosophies is the reason it is so important to…

a- Read God’s Word

b- Study God’s Word

c- Go to church to hear and digest God’s Word – this is reason to not zone out while at church

d- Be in Sunday School and Wednesday Bible Study

e- Teach others God’s Word – help prevent someone else from loving the world

3- The more exposure we have to God’s Word the easier it will be to recognize what doesn’t match up with it