A heart felt appeal- Pt II
Light, love, and the love of God series • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 53:33
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Handout
John’s appeals
John’s appeals
An appeal, consider this as we get started. Is an appeal a plea or a command? How about in our passage we go from just an appeal, an urging, to a command. Here is where we were, first.
An appeal to refrain from sin (1Jn2:1-2)
An appeal to obey, keep the commands, to keep the word.(1Jn2:3-5)
Maybe we should read in context (vv.1-14) so we can keep John’s appeals in the flow in which written.
1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 2 and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.
3 By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him;
5 but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: 6 the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.
7 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. 8 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.
9 The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now. 10 The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him.
11 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. 12 I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake.
13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father. 14 I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
Tonight we are going to look at look at more appeals, in fact you find some commands too.
An appeal to walk (1Jn2:4-6)
An appeal to love (1Jn2:7-11)
An appeal to remember and to grow (1Jn2:12-14)
An appeal to walk
An appeal to walk
Again the question to keep in mind is does an appeal have to be obeyed? There is a reason for the appeal here.
4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
May we glean from the scripture together?
What is the claim (v.4)?
What is the proof and the results seen in (v.5)?
What is the appeal, the inferred command (v.6)?
So the claim is they walk in the light, the proof is do they by keeping the commandments, and the results are they ought to walk just as He did, just as Jesus did.
(stop, discuss, how do you think Jesus walked?)
In love, compassion, offering grace, forgiveness
He walked deliberately, intentionally, purposefully
He walked in obedience to the Fathers commands
So, now comes another question: Do we walk as Jesus walked? If not are we willing to repent and allow the Holy Spirit to work in and through us?
Walking in the light, walking as Jesus did is a choice, it is a lifestyle and it is growing, maturing and being perfected in us.
(Transition) this now leads to our next appeal
Appeal to love
Appeal to love
From an appeal to a command, and old command, a new command.
I want you to notice how John starts this section, the love, the adoration that he has for the people he is writing to (believed to be the Ephesians)
The term beloved John uses continually in the Epistles (10 x) in case you are wondering. It is an expression and an extension of his love for them.
7 Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. 8 At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.
9 Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. 10 Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling.
11 But whoever 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.
Gleaning from the scripture
(Back up slide to put the verses up)
What is John writing to them (v.7)?
He is writing no new command to them, he is writing an old commandment they had from the beginning
What does he say about the old commandment (v.8), and what is the reason?
The old commandment is at the same time a new commandment, why, because the darkness is passing away.
What is the claim (v.9)?
They say they walk in the light, but he hates his brother
What are the results of the one who abides in the light (v.10? )
He loves his brother, he has no cause for stumbling
What, where is the one who hates his brother (v.11)?
He walks in the darkness, and the darkness has blinded his eyes
John is not trying to make a confusing play on words here old/new, how can something be old and new at the same time. The original command is found
18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.
(note down: Jn15:12, 13:34) you can see that there too.
Old and new, how can it be? Consider these things:
How can the old be new? There is new evidence, there is new power, the evidence was Jesus and how He walked, and the power is the Holy Spirit which Jesus sent. The evidence is that Jesus came, lived, died and rose again.
We get a better picture of what love looks like by Jesus example and Jesus walk (1Pt2:21-24)
21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.
how you ask? Well, maybe we better read on
22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.
24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
The power is the Holy Spirit poured out to indwell the believers when their sins are forgiven so they can live out the scripture, the command to walk in the light, walk as He did. (Consider Rom5:1-5)
Darkness is passing away (v.8) because the true light (Jesus) is already shining.
Let me ask a question, how is Jesus light shining today? (pause, expand)
Remember we were rescued (Col1:13)
13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,
Transferred from darkness into the light by the Light so to be light.
A simple truth, if hate your brother, you walk in darkness, if you love your brother, you walk in the light.
Now, this does not mean we are always going to have a fond affection for everyone, but it does mean we will act properly toward one another. Out of an appeal and command to love one another.
(Transition) we still have another appeal that John makes that we need to touch on.
An appeal to remember and grow
An appeal to remember and grow
Sometimes it is good to look back so you can move forward. Remembering what you have been taught so you can apply it moving forward.
12 I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake. 13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father.
14 I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
I have not asked you this yet today, what do you see, what do you notice, what sticks out to you from this passage?
Who is John writing to (vv.12-13)?
He is writing to Little children, fathers and young men
Do you notice a “tense” change between (v.13) and (v.14)?
He goes from writing to have written.
(Insert little children picture here)
(expand on little children) - his spiritual children of faith, forgiven for Jesus name sake)
(Insert writing to fathers and young men PowerPoint here)
(Expand on fathers) - you know Him, You have known from the beginning
(Expand on young men) - know God, sins forgiven, have overcome the evil one
Maturity as a Christian, from children to fathers (spiritually speaking)
(Insert Johns appeals PowerPoint here)
Drive it home the appeal to apply, to love
(Prayer) (Exit)