July 4, 2021 Sunday Morning Service
Francis Goya.
I need you.
That's the title of our new series lighten up and it has really nothing to do with that. But I thought I'd use that for this morning. The idea of lightning up the idea of receiving illumination receiving understanding and that's what the the book of 1st John is all about, and we're going to spend several weeks studying the book of 1st John, and John is riding to illuminate to lighten the people to whom he's riding. There's a lot of things going on, among the people lot of bad things and John is riding to them to correct their understanding. There's a man who was an artist. And he was asked to bring all his paintings down to the art gallery. And the paintings were there for a couple of weeks, so he decided to see how they were doing. So he went down. He talked to the art gallery superintendent. And the superintendent told him well there's good news and bad news. The good news is is that a fella came in here about a week ago, but all your paintings Really. Yeah, I thought all your panties. and he said, he asked me a weird question. and he said, Will his paintings. Appreciate in value, after he dies. And he said, yes, they will. So the men, the the artist ask the guy several what's the bad news cuz the bad news is that he was your doctor.
All right, but that wasn't good. One, here's another one.
Did you hear what the left? I told her right eye. between you and me, something smells
So we are indeed in a new study from the book of 1st John. And I hope that you'll take the time to read that letter during your own time and understand and appreciate more as we get into the study. The reason John is writing. Is to assure the people of who they are. And to assure, the people of who Jesus is, there were folks in the church who were causing some problems and teaching a different things and 36 times in this one book, John says, and we know, we know, And that's the point of Christianity. Now we often sit back to me wonder what I've done. What Jesus says here. I've been baptized into Jesus Christ. I know I put him on in my baptism and I just need to know if I'm saying well we also need to know that we have to walk in his word that is we have to live the best. We can ask his children. That doesn't mean perfection. It means progression. Give me three progress as we grow, and as we grow and mature, we sin less and less. And we have a desire to sin less and less. And even then, we will still send because we're imperfect people. What genre she says putting that aside because I want you to be assured of your salvation. I want you to know that you know you are And we can know that we're saved without a doubt by the promises of God by the promises of God in the New Testament. And he says, if you do this you'll get this and we see that. And so we can sit back and read his word and understand that those things apply to you, they apply to me. If we have done those things, God can't go back on his promise.
You know, obedience is works, works is obedience. A lot of people say well works are bad so therefore you can't obey you can't produce work, save you what they're saying. This is obedience cannot save you. Even though Jesus says why call me Lord and do not the things I say, right? He saying you have to obey Works will not save you. But you can't be saved without them. think about that, a lot of people say, what we obligate ourselves to God, if we think we have to obey, no, don't God, obligates himself to himself because he can't go back on his promises. He obligated himself for no one but himself, but yet we can still be assured of the promises that he is made to us that apply to us and we can know from those grand promises. I'm so, These people had come in now, there's a difference here.
I said the people that come in they were already there these false teachers and John is going to tell this group of people that they are false teachers, he calls them, deceivers, he calls them false prophets, he even calls them and teeth Christ's. Antichrist against Christ. Another words because they were teaching falsely, they were against Christ. They were a price. John had, and he did his preaching and establish these groups of people we called churches. And now he's riding back to them because a lot of them are confused. A lot of them are in the darkness of error. You see if someone tells you something that you have learned is not true, you begin to question yourself and then you begin to question whether or not you are holding to the truth or not. Now, sometimes that's good because that causes us to investigate, it causes us to search. And guess what, if we're wrong, we happily and readily change. Our views, on the other hand, You might hold two views that are indeed true, that are established by the truth that you can look at through the scriptures and say this is so. This is what it says and I can understand that and someone comes along and says, well that's not really what it says. And then you begin to doubt and then you begin to entertain the thought that maybe you're wrong. John is writing to correct that John is saying. Listen, I'm an apostle of Jesus Christ. I taught you the truth. No one else could come along and change that and you are allowing it to happen by listening to false deceivers It's hard to write this letter. He's telling them to lighten up, to come to, a better understanding, then where they were before. And as we consider what, John is my Clicker.
Who took my clipper?
Noticing first John chapter two verse 26. He says these things I have written to. You concerning those who try to deceive you. That's how important doctor is. That's how important the Bible is because the Bible is inspired. What does that mean? It means every word comes from the mind of God. And God has given us every word in which to live. Remember man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. And there, we have every word for us in scripture. And so we can trust, these were there from his heart there, from his mine there for us to enjoy there for us to learn, from there for us to grow by. And so these are the things that John was writing to these people about and here's what they can understand by reading by listening to what's being said at the following, the instructions that have been given to them. First John, chapter two verse 19 says, if they went out from us but they were not of us. For if they had been of us, they would have continued with us but they went out that they might be made manifest that none of them were of us, some strong language and what you saying is and what is typical about a lot of situations that we read about in scripture is that those who are false teachers actually come from the outside, they bring their teaching with them into the church. But what John is saying here is that this false teaching and these false teachers were already in the church. And they went out of the church. Teaching their false message. But what were they teaching as we develop our lessons? But quite briefly, gnosticism gnosticism was a religion and which people felt that. They knew everything they had a special knowledge that they were illuminated by not only God, but the gods Gods plural. And so was that you really can't send And therefore, if you can't send, then you're really don't need a savior. Because you can't sit what would Jesus have died for if you can't sit? And the reason they were saying that because they believed all matter was evil. So, when you think about now, do you think about your flesh? I think about the material world, everything in the material world, including the flash was sinful. And so, therefore, You, if you're going to send, you can't stop from sitting because that's part of your flesh. But that's in problem from your flesh, can affect you. It can't affect you or anywhere person, your spirit being the spirit. That's you, the spirit that resides in your flesh, the Sim can't touch the spirit according to their understanding. So in essence, they were saying OK, Google Christian, your follower of Christ, but you can send Because you're going to.
Because even if you do, send it can affect your spirit, which is already say. Therefore, we have no sin. And that's the purpose of why he's writing. He's trying to correct that understanding. And of course, in first 8 of chapter one, it says, if we say, we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. So he's counter-attacking. We're arguing by using those words. But this is what they were being confused by because they were saying, I thought, John told us this very smart people over here. They're really smart. You know why they're smart? Cuz they told us, they were smart. Are you telling us that that's something that different than what John told us? John Guided by God told us this, these folks got it by Bruno's, what you said. So they were confused and they were in darkness about their salvation. So John and again is writing to him to lighten up
Now, this is familiar. We said that the typical way that error comes in to the church is from the outside in, and this case, it was from the inside. This is exactly what Paul was talking about what he was saying, farewell to the Ephesian Elders. Remember, he was making his way to Jerusalem to deliver this great contribution to all the Jews in Judea, because it was a Great Famine in the land, and it was affecting Christians, but it was also affecting all the Jews that lived in that area, which goes to show us that we can use the money from the treasury to help others in Need. Not Just Christian as some like to teach The Paul, he's talkin to these Ephesian Elders. This is the last time he's going to see them and he knows it. He knows he's going to die. He's going to be put to death. And so at the very end of his speech to them, they all hug each other in tears as he goes away. But here this is what he says before. All that he says, I know this that after my departure Savage wolves will come in among you not sparing the flock, okay, those are from me outside. Also from among yourselves, men will rise up speaking for verse Twisted, things to draw when the disciples after themselves there for watch. And remember that for three years. I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears. So what he has established, the churches churches are the people. Their souls have been saved by the Gospel of Jesus Christ by the preaching of Paul. He's developed a relationship with these folks. Now, he's concerned over what might happen and what probably will happen. That there will be false teachers coming in. and that there will be false teachers are rising up from within and not just from within the church but even the select group that he's talking to be elders. The elders. And so he said you need to protect yourself. Look how are they going to protect themselves from all of us noticed? What he says next? So, now Brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are Sanctified were set apart. So you saying turn to the word, the word of Grace that is going to protect you. That is going to sustain you. That is going to help the church when it comes to such things and when it comes to error, and so these false teachers were coming from within and amongst themselves. He's letting the people know the Christians there. He's letting them know that your church has always had Pretenders. people who have always pretended to be Christians but really weren't You know, there's a lot of people in the world that claim to be Christians and a lot of people in the world who claim to be Christians, they go to church every Sunday. and they do the good things, but somehow, in some way their hearts and their minds are so far from Jesus,
That they're not. And really no one knows. For sure who everyone is, all we can see is the outside. We can't see the inside, but God sees the inside and he knows everyone's hard, everyone's hard.
Fake Christians. Phony Christians. And folks that claim to be Christians, but who are not. They have been with the church from the beginning, from the beginning. You know, there is a story of a guy who was behind a lady at this red light. And she's sitting in her car and she's putting the makeup on and she's combing her hair and the light turned green. So, the guys behind this woman and he's blowing his horn, he's hitting that horn this screaming and he's yelling at this woman. A few seconds later, a policeman comes by and pull them over. Bring some to the side. Any snow ski hills at the office or you can't arrest me for yelling at this woman. He's so sure, I'm not arresting you for yelling at the woman. I'm arresting you for stealing this car. He says I'm the car door bumper stickers that said I love Jesus but there was another bumper sticker that says I love Jesus and I love you so automatically I thought I was going
Fake Christians. Phony Christians, right? We need to be arrested from our phoniness, from our fakeness and that's what John is telling these people they need to do. They need to put themselves in jail for a few moments and understand who they really are. So, as we think about this letter from an introduction standpoint, Which will take a look at three things that we can glean from John's ridings. As we begin this study and the first thing that we understand, Is that you can be sure of the identity of your savior, Jesus. You can be sure of his identity. Now, the reason that Paul or that John is riding, he says it first John, chapter 5 verse who is He? Who overcomes the world but he who believes that Jesus is the son of God. So you can't be a Christ follower, a Christian and have a fuzzy view about. It just doesn't wash And this is what was going on at least with this group of false teachers concerning their view of price. You see what they were thinking about Jesus was this That Jesus could not have come in the flesh. So who ever hung on the cross was an imposter? Why? Because God would not put Christ in this evil flesh. Remember to the gnostics all-flash, all material was sinful show to them? It didn't make any sense that Jesus would come in the flesh, but that's exactly what John said, not only in this epistle and two more to follow. But he also said it in the first gospel. Remember you said that God became flesh. Jesus Christ, the word became flesh and dwelt Among Us. So even when he wrote that gospel account, probably about 30 years prior to the letter that were reading. Now, gnosticism was beginning to come on the scene. That's so when we think about the first two major issues that were dividing the church, in the first century, we can think of Judaism, which was Christians or Jews, who became Christians, they converted to Christ, they left Moses. But while they were Christians, they began to teach that the Gentiles need to be circumcised. That was the first major error and disruption within the church. You see. Jesus never taught that the apostles never taught that What they did teach was that people needed this. They needed to believe in Jesus Christ, as the Son of God, that needed to repent of their sins confession, as their lord and be baptized for the remission of their sins. None of them ever taught that anyone needed to be circumcised. So the Jews wanted the Gentile circumcised. Why? Because they still dislike the Gentiles and we'll get back to that in just a moment. So that was one of the things that was going on here at this time. Also, the first John chapter 4, it says beloved, do not believe every Spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God because many false prophets. Teachers have gone out into the world.
By this, you know, the spirit of God, every spirit that confesses that Christ Jesus has come in, the flesh is of God. And every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in, the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming. And is now already in the world. May go back to that. By this, you know, the spirit of God here, he saying not that, you know, the person. of the Holy Spirit but that, you know, his teaching That's what John is talking about. John is making the point that he has their teacher. As an apostle of Jesus Christ. Has the testimony from God through the spirit that which he delivered to teaching. See he was inspired these other phone ease. These other fakes, these other liars and deceivers did not. And he's saying until you can tell. Did you tell the difference between what I'm saying? And what they're saying? And what they're saying is contradicting, everything that I've said? The testimony. So here we find that you can be sure of the identity of Jesus because John was with Jesus. John's making that point, he says that in the first first chapter. And we'll get to that as we evolve in this series of lesson, but if we receive the witness of men, they're teaching the witness of God is greater his teacher for. This is the witness of God which he has testified of his son. God gave his son, testimony to preach to teach. He don't believe in the Son of God has the witness in himself. Got the word in yourself. He who does not believe well, he is one who does not have that. Testimony is what he's saying. And so here, we find that you can understand who the real Christ is by the testimony God gave Jesus the word to preach. Jesus gave the Holy Spirit. The word, preach the Holy Spirit gave to preach preach to the people but then they codified, they put in writing what we call scripture, all that they talk. By the spirit. And so he said that word by that testimony you can know who Jesus is and that's what's true for every doctrine that comes down the pike today. People say a lot of things and all you have to say is where is that found in the Bible. Show me where that is. She bought that, it didn't have this, but didn't have the convenience of scripture. Say, oh, yeah, well, let me show you what I said. They just had people who were inspired by God. And they would tell the truth, and the people would believe it. And after a period of time, to begin to write it down.
Chicken wing, you can be sure of your conversion and your salvation. And this is another matter which John is writing about, he says, but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ, his son cleanses us from all said, he said, you can know that Jesus Christ died for our sins. Now, when Jesus was walking the Earth, he asked his disciples who do men say that I am and they gave a bunch of responses. Then Jesus, turned to his Apostles and 8, and he has to be somebody. Who do you say that? I am Peter stood up. And said, why you are the Christ, the son of the Living, God, And it's a pound upon that confession that Christ built his church. In other words, when you become a Christian, And we say this often at baptism before someone goes into the water. We safe. Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God? You can say yes or no but upon your confession upon the affirmation that you believe that Jesus Christ is Lord, you may be baptized for the remission of your sins and that's what makes a Christian But that's also what makes the church because a Christian who has done that is added to the church by the Lord himself. A Christian doesn't go out looking for a church to join. A Christian is added to the church by Jesus himself. But he says after you make that confession live by that confession, you're saying he's Lord. So do what your Lord says, right? So we get back to what Jesus said in Luke chapter 6, verse 46.
Show me affirmation has to match the demonstration. We demonstrate the affirmation, We believe We affirm Jesus Christ. Therefore I do
it's in congruous. If we say, I am from Jesus Christ, and I don't do what Jesus is. That doesn't make any sense until he says you need to continue to demonstrate again. He says, this is not about perfection, it's not about keeping his word. Perfectly because we can never do that. But it is about progression, progressing and knowledge, and wisdom and faith. And as we grow, we begin to do those things because we love Jesus because we love Jesus, we don't sin, we don't have the attitude that makes us want to send. We have the attitude that makes us want to love Jesus and follow Jesus. That's what that means. But notice what else he says? He says the first jaundice is the passage that are brother, Hayden, Red Bull. By the way, he did a great job and reading this passage, right? No, just before this, then this is I left it out here, but just before addition in verse to, it says that Jesus Christ is the propitiation for our sins and not only for our sins, but the sins of the entire world. Now Caden got that were correct. You know how many years that I have been preaching or at least been in the Lord's church and I've heard men get up and read that scripture and they come across the word propitiation. You know how many times I've heard guys go and he is the problem.
There are six. I just move on the first shot propitiation. What does that mean? Atonement. He's our atonement. What does that mean? That one moment with God?
That's what John is say and you can know that he says Now by this we know that we know him. How if here we go if you want to know Jesus Christ and you want to know that you know, Jesus Christ. Then he says You must keep his Commandments. If we keep his Commandments, do you says I know him and does not keep his Commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him. God has made him a liar because he has not believe the testimony. There we are. The teaching that God has given us his son, and this is the testimony teaching that God has given us eternal life. And this life is in his son. And then he says a little bit lighter in chapter 3 whoever buys and him does not send noticed that whoever abide in him, does not say that we are not perfect people and we are going to send. Yes, I did. Aren't you contradicting yourself? No, I'm not. God doesn't contradict himself. He knew what he said in Chapter 2 after he wrote chapter 3, right? He says, whoever buys out his present tense. Remember in the Greek, that means continuous action. Whoever continues continues not to sing. The idea is he's not saying you're not going to have a momentary since he saying, you're not going to have a life of sin. You're not going to be in a state of sin. We all have momentary lapses and so therefore we all sin, why? Because we're not God. We're human. And sometimes we make bad choices. Always makes the right choice. That's why he's God and we're not. And that's why I took Jesus's son to cleanse us from all sin. But he says, whoever sins has neither seen him nor known you little children. Let no man deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as he is, right, just now conversely, he who practices sin is sinful. And yeah, you can bring it back here, who practices righteousness is righteous but those who practice righteousness, send. Yep. That's what he saying. Remember if you said we have no sin. The truth is not in Swedish.
so when we practice righteousness, we're doing the best that we can but sometimes we send and that's why he says we have appropriate appropriate, appropriate reaction from the blood of Jesus Christ, his blood cleanses us from those sins and it says if I'm not sitting we just keep on walking and we keep on growing and we keep on maturing and we keep on loving That's what he say. It's not a state of sin that we are in, but it's a one-time or in a lapse that sometimes we miss you, missed the mark sometime. Berkeley. This is last, you can be sure you could be sure of your salvation because of your love for the Brethren because you love your brothers and sisters.
Whoever does not practice righteousness. Is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. And other words, a lot of people say when I love Jesus, but I don't like that guy over there. And I don't like that lady over there.
Hello. Your brother and your sister are apart of the Lourdes church, for which he died. What is the church your brother and your sister. And because Jesus love, then he says you need to love them to you. Need to love them too but there's a lot of people who have something against somebody and when they have something against somebody at causes a distance, it causes a separation. Because there's this this likeness you think you can't say I love Jesus, but I don't like that sister or that brother. That's an Abomination to God. That's an inconsistency. What means is as you grow, you develop, as you develop you loved more and when you have love for your brother and for your sister, you can know that you are growing in Christ Jesus. And therefore, you can know you are a child of God. We know that we have passed from Death to life because we love the Brethren, he who does not love his brother abides and death. You see, there's the growth. There's the progression. We passed from Death To Life. That's what Jesus said in John chapter 5 about verse 24. We'll get to that in just a second. But as he says here, he says, we love the Brethren and he who does not love his brother or sister the brethren. Abide remains in death, he hasn't converted. So used to be baptized to your waterlogged, but if you have not loved for your brother and what does it matter? Jesus died for your sins and shut his blood for your sins. But if you have not loved for your brother or sister, what does it matter?
Read the great chapter on love 1st. Corinthians chapter 13. Paul, essentially saying the same thing. If your love is not like the love of 1st Corinthians. Chapter 13, Who are you? What's your identity?
We have to take stock in these things. Remember 2nd Corinthians chapter 13 and first five tells us to examine ourselves, keep on examining ourselves to see if we're in the Fey to see if we're living up to the expectations of our Lord and Savior. Jesus Christ. Yes, he gives us leeway. Yes, he understands the predicament, the situations in our hearts in our lives, but he also desires grow. If there's no growth. Then there's dead. But here's what Jesus said. Most assuredly, I said to you, to believe in him who sent me has everlasting life and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from what death to life. John said that in John chapter 1st, John chapter 3, and John is seeing and hearing his first gospel passing from Death To Life. How does that happen? I believe in Jesus Christ. I believe his testimony, his teaching, that means I follow. It doesn't just mean. I believe his testimony exist. It exists for my benefit. It's so the benefit is when I submit to the teachings of Jesus Christ. I have passed from Death to life. That means that I have believed Jesus Christ.
You can pass from Death to life this morning and know without a doubt that that is so. Because Jesus said he that believes and is baptized shall be saved. You have would have passed from Death to life. You can do that this morning and know that you're safe. Have no doubts about it. Remember Standing on the Promises of God. God says he can do these things. This is what's going to happen. If you do those things, you're standing on his promises. He's not getting himself to you because you obey the command to be baptized. He's suffocating himself to himself because of his promises to you. He can't go back on his promises. And if you desire to know without a doubt, do that today by things be immersed in a watery grave for the Forgiveness of your sins.
But yet you have not been fully converted because you have not followed the testimony of Jesus Christ. John says, hey, there's still time. You can still come back, repent of your ways, come back to the Lord, and He will forgive you. If that sounds good to you, and that's good news. If that sounds good to you, this morning, once you come as Together, We Stand insane.