Sept 19, 2021 Sunday Morning Service

All your brother.

All this hype. I'm a little nervous now.

Okay. Well, that's good morning. Everybody. Good to see you. And glad that you are here with us that we worship our Lord and savior God and Father, together and spirit and truth. And that's always a blessing as for as far as the singing itself. Obviously. It's been lifted up a little bit more this morning work. Happy about that. I'm reminded of polycarbonate was a a rider back in the end of the first century into the second century and he was describing how the first century Church worship God and he said the church had come together on a day called Sunday. And he said the Brethren sang together as one choir. And so we have that Blended singing today and a lovely choir before God. And we're thankful for that. As I said, we're starting from the book of 1st John. And as we consider first, John this morning, I was reminded of a story. A young lady was walking down the road and she was out for her morning walk and she noticed that there was an older fellow sitting on the porch and she recognized that he had wrinkled face and the weathered skin and just look very frail. And and so as she was walking by, she said, sir, can you tell me about the longevity of your life and what you have done to preserve that life? And a man. Stop for second thought. And then he said, well. I smoke four packs of cigarettes a day. I drink a bottle of whiskey every day. I eat fast food and I do not exercise and the lady said, it's amazing. Just how old are you? And he said, 26,

We do a lot of bad things to our heart next to think about that. But we do do a lot of things that are wrong, contrary bad unhealthy to and for our heart, if I also came across another statistic and that is in Japan. They eat very little fat in their diet and I have much less heart attacks than both the British and the Americans. But in France, they need a lot of fat in their diets and still have fewer heart attacks, then both the British and Americans in Korea that do not drink red wine and have fewer heart attacks. Then the British and Americans And in Germany or but in Italy, they drink a lots and lots of red wine and still have fewer heart attacks than the British and Americans and enjoy lots of fatty foods and lots of sausage and drink, lots of beer and have fewer heart attacks than the British and Americans and it has been concluded that speaking. English is the problem. So keep that in mind. This week.

So, today we're talking about John chapter 3 beginning and verse 18. I just want to go back and refresh our memories. My little children, let us not love in word but in deed and in truth and by this, we know that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before him for if our heart condemn us, not just want to stop right there. That we assure our hearts. Over 40 times in this book. John says, we know we know and we know how do you spell writing to a group of people who are struggling right now with your salvation? I had a group of people come in and began to teach false Doctrine and then they left. And so this congregation both spiritually emotionally. And a lot of the people there are thinking, what's going on. What are we do? We're those people, correct? Are We Wrong? Are we correct? The name wrong? And so, John is trying to alleviate their hearts in the matter and he's telling them that you can know without a doubt of your salvation and you can be assured of it. And so he says that she'll assure our hearts before him for it. For heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things belong to my heart does not condemn us. We have confidence before God and whatever. We ask, we receive from him because we keep his Commandments and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his command that we should believe on the name of his son. Jesus Christ and love one another. He keeps throwing that phrase in love one another And so need to take heed of that. As he gave us come in. Now he who keeps his commune with the Bhajan him and he and him and by this we know that he abides in Us by the spirit whom he has given us. And so this race is really an important question for us. Why do our hearts condemn us? Why do we feel that way at times? And, of course, you know, that our hearts have sometimes condemned us, right? I think all of us here are pretty much aware of that fact, and have been through such experiences with our own heart. But why do our hearts condemn us? Well, our hearts need rest, it needs that insurance and that's what John is telling us this morning. And here's a couple of reasons why we need that rest. Because we do not love as we should. We do not love as we should last week. We were reminded that we needed to love one another. And last week. We needed to know that a true Christian loves completely and I love is manifested in believing that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, that he came in, because we love Jesus, we walk in the way. We're not forced to walk in the light. Puppy country. Love Jesus. We obey we walked in the light and because we love Jesus walking away. We love one another. We love one another. Remember earlier, John tells us that if we say, we love our brother. And we do not love him or if we said we love our brother and we do not help him. We hate it. So therefore we understand what is brought forward by John with these three chests of being a true Christian. And in fact in first John chapter 3 verse 14, he says, as he gave it to me now, he keeps his Commandments abides in him and he and em in by this, we know that he abides, and I just went backwards because his brother abides in death. So a lot of people want to say, I love Jesus, But not really much the church and when I say that, what they're saying is I love Jesus, but I don't love his people. And so you can't have one without the other because the body of Christ is comprised of you and me together. And so as we grow in our Christian Journey, as we grow in our experience, as brethren in Christ, we grow in love. At least we should be, but I know this that I have come a long way when it comes to loving other people. And I'm sure you have too. And and yet I know I know without a doubt that I fall. So short. But the love that Jesus has for you, and me. I think we all can admit that. And so he says we know that we have passed from Death to life because of the Brethren. He also says that back and John the Gospel of John chapter 5 beginning verse 24. He says, Those Who hear my word and believe them have passed from Death unto life. That's how you get into cries. But then as you continue in price and you remain in Christ, how you remain in crisis contingent upon how you love the Brethren and if you love the brother. And so, any Christian Who claims to love cries when his brother is remaining in or abiding in the death? It's not a good situation for anyone. To be in. So I know that my capacity to love others has grown, but I still have this mentality, like, you, and like, most human beings is that, I'm afraid to make that personal investment unless I know I'm going to get something in return. All right. In a lot of us, we really haven't been loved unconditionally really happen. Most of the love that has been directed toward us just because we give something back to somebody else and so we really don't really appreciate being loved on conditionally. Until we look at Jesus, and we see the unconditional love of the cross that cross that binds us together, that cross, that brings us here on the first day of the week, to remember the love demonstrated upon Camry. What a joy, that is what a blessing that we can do that together. And so as we consider the love of God and the love of man toward God, we know that I love for God Falls, seriously short. So much of our love is about return on investment. But after all, loving someone who is hard to love, is something that is very difficult to do, very difficult to you to do. And as we think about that. I want you to think about this, to write it down on a piece of paper. I promise to love. Put the name of the person or persons on the line, even though it is difficult to love him her. Then, think about that for just a second. I'm going to make that promise today that the people I should be loving, I'm going to love and I'm going to make the attempt to continue loving them in the way that Jesus continues to love mankind. Not think about that. Because Jesus died for me and kind. But yet there's only a small portion who are considered children of God and yet, God himself, still loves mankind. He loves his children yet, but he lives. Just creation. And desires that all should be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. He desires. And as we continue on and nephew chapter 5. Of course, you love those who love you forever award. Have you? I Think Jesus is saying it's an easy thing to do. When you have your loved ones, loving you. It's easy to love them back. After all, you've gotten many wonderful Christmas gifts throughout the years you've been through their lives together and the experiences of life and so you can relate better to them and you love them. And so the love is reciprocal, but notice he says, do not even the tax collectors, do the same. I guess he's saying no big deal. Now he says and if you greet your brother and only what do you do more than others? Do not even have tax collectors. Do so, I don't know about you, but I hate to be in the same as a tax collector, right. We know about taxes that we know about death, but especially about taxes.

Therefore, you shall be perfect. Just as your father in Heaven is perfect. And what is you talkin about? You saying? You got to get out of that little box that you're in and loving only the people that love you back. You've got to love some ugly people. You've got to love people who are your enemies. You have got to get in. There was all that others. Loving is easy. Everyone. Does that, including the tax collectors? But the tax collectors won't go out of their way to love those who may need help. You do you have that responsibility as a child of God to love somebody? That's not really going to love you back. And so we have to make that investment that's all part of counting the cost that Jesus talks about and I really going to love someone with the love of Jesus Christ. Well, like I said, I fall short of that, but the point is to attempt it and to continue attempting to be more christ-like and loving others and at least getting into their lives. Remember there are different kinds of love in the Greek language and we're not talking about the familial love. God's not expecting you to love someone who was a stranger like you love your children like you love your family. That's not the love. He's talking about. He's talking about, agape love and that's that long. That's beautiful. But well that's logical the love that says that person as ugly as they are in character. Is a child of God at least in the image of God and therefore demands my respect because God created that individual and God loves that individual by virtue of the Cross of Christ. And so we need to understand that we need to love as Christ loves and understand that. We all know that, we fall short of that, perfect or complete. Love that we are to strive to do so. So our hearts condemn us because we don't love as we should, but I think there's also a deeper problem.

I think about, because We are not sure God loves us. We're not sure God loves us.

The Bible tells us that we need to obey.

But the Bible does not say you have to obey. Perfectly all the time. Why do you suppose those words are absent?

Because human beings can't be perfect all the time. We can't. And we won't. and so, the remedy the remedy for the failure, obviously is Christ and it's his cross. It's always fine here. God doesn't have to pretend that you're somebody you're not in order for him to love you. He loves you regardless. You see, it's not based upon your nature that he loves you. It's based upon his nature that he loves you and sometimes we forget them. We're taught this from childhood, by the way, it's only grow up believing these types of things, even as we grow through Christ in his church. You know, you we think about the the princess she was sleeping. In a prince comes along and has to kiss her, right?

Sleeping Beauty, right? Sleeping, she's not sleeping ugly. It's Sleeping Beauty. Right? And so he kisses, he's not going to kiss. Somebody who's sleeping. Hardly is going to kiss. Somebody who's Sleeping Beauty. It's always kind of. Intertwined, that thought process throughout our lives in Cinderella. We also find that the she's need the beautiful Cinderella of beauty. What are five steps?

The five ugly stepsisters, right? So, we understand that those people are hard to love.

But we need to love them. and not so much because of How they look even because of the character that they display in their lives. And so, when we think about that way of thinking, we apply that to our lives and then we also think to ourselves. Well, am I that ugly? And if I embed ugly

Does God love me? Does he really love me because I'm now beginning to compare myself with other people. Such a good person. Then I just don't measure up. I don't think I loved it. Surely got to love someone so. But not me. So we need to take a rest. Our heart needs to be assured. Our heart needs to take a rest. And so, the world says, you have to be pretty smart and you have to have the perfect body. I have all three, I know. But even still. That's what the world says.

But God says, there's nothing perfect in this world. Not even. The spiritual mind of an individual. And so as we consider what we need to do. Go back to the text and verse 24. If our heart condemn us God is greater than our heart. And knows all things you ever feel depressed or feel down. This is the passes to go to my heart. Containing me. I am awful. I am worthless. No, you're not. You condemn yourself? That's one thing but God has not condemned you. God knows all things. What is he talking about? It means he knows your heart. Knows where you come from. And so, instead of the struggle that we have, which is sometimes we excuse ourselves from our sinful Behavior, but we also find using ourselves. Of our Behavior. And what does Satan do? He accuses. Look what you did. Look what you did. You mean to tell me that the Father in Heaven is going to love you. and so, John says, With an!, God loves you. And here is why notice what he says. In the Book of Proverbs should look, the Lord looks down from heaven. He sees all the sons of men from the place of his dwelling. He looks on all the inhabitants of the earth. He Fashions their heart individually. He considers all their Works. He does not punish us for our sins. He does not deal harshly with us as we deserve for his unfailing. Love toward those who fear is as great as the height of the heavens above the Earth. He has removed our sins far from us as the East is from the West. The Lord is like a father to his children tender and compassionate to those who fear Him or he knows how weak we are. He remembers, we're only cost. That's right. We're dust. Sometimes we like to think we're better than dust. Sometimes we like the elevator elevator ourselves up to the level of God. But we know in reality, we're not. And in reality, God knows that's a fact. And he knows that we're still made of dust. He has framed us. He's main are very hard. And so he knows our heart. He knows everything about you. He knows everything that you've done everything that you will ever do.

That should be a blessing, not a curse. And notice as we think about God knowing us. He knows us so much. He knows us better than ourselves and your parents know this to you. Raise your children. You knew your children better than they know themselves. Well God is the same way. He knows you better than you know yourself. Any understands the walk that we have on Earth is not easy. He understands the way he has made us. With all evil around us having to keep ourselves unspotted. From the world, but the fact is and that he tells us that we are not going to be on spotted from the world. We go right back to the first chapter chapter 1 verse a. If we say, we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in US. Imagine that. And that's just after he says, you need to keep walking in the light. As you walk in the light, you're going to stumble. And it's a fact. But you get yourself up, you keep on pressing forward. To the upward call the prize in Christ Jesus and you do the best you can and understand your heart needs a rest from all of that negative thinking and understand that, God knows who you are. He's friend. You he's made you. He's designed you and he knows our heart to become weak. And that's where Mercy comes in. That's Where Mercy and Grace come in. Notice in Romans chapter 5 verse 8, but God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were yet. Sinners.

Now, there's a point in time when a Christian is no longer Center. That's because of the blood of Jesus Christ. The blood continues to cleanse his children. But that's based upon some conditions. Again. 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 sin. If we confess our sins,, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

And so the love of God has poured out upon all of us the access to Grace. And that's exactly what Paul says in. Romans chapter 5. And verse two, we access the grace of God by our faith, not because of the things we do.

Because if it was then we could boast. We can say, look what I did, but you can't do that because there's nothing that you could do. To access the grace of God. But by faith, and the reason we say, we need to evade because we do need to build a But we also understand the fact that we're not going to have a perfectly all the time. That's where the blood of Christ comes in. That's where all spiritual blessings are found in Christ Jesus. And thank God, we had those blessings along as we consider just much a little bit more about the love of God. We think about Things that are precious to us necessarily precious to others many years ago. My parents were having a garage sale. How do you know what a garage sale was? I thought they were selling the garage. Would you sell the garage?

So we had a garage sale. then it was selling all the items, all the junk in the house and and they took down that living room fixture that we had that I loved and they put up a sticker on the, on the painting, it was I don't know, how. I think they got the penny for a couple bucks back in the 60s or 50s, but he will start talking about how he worked the farm and how those cows out there in the field that they would have to take care of. And so he would have to help of the ranch work and help with the milking the cows and do all that stuff himself. He would tell those stories about that picture, even though it was fiction. He's still tell those stories. And so, when they put a price tag of $2 on that Penny, I said, I think I had my How to preach a sermon that day, I think, but I said you're not going to sell that panty for $2. In fact, I'm taking that painting and to this day. It's just a cardboard cutout and it's it's beveled and it's just falling apart and still got the price tag of $2 up there. But I love that. I love that picture because of the memories.

I put the value upon that painting. No one else does and no one else does your special to God? Because he died for you. Make his death personal because he did die for you. He's your best friend. And here's what Jesus says to you. This morning. He that believes and is baptized shall be saved. You believe that? That's a fact, that's a promise. Jesus said it, therefore I believe it. How about you? How about if he's done there, but all of a sudden you come through the years that maybe you haven't walked in the light as he is in the way. Many of us do that from time to time, but he says, God is greater than your heart. And that's by virtue of the Cross. And if you believe that, Christ says, come on home. Turn back, change your mind, change, your ways. God will receive you. If you're subject to the imitation of Christ this morning, what you come, as we stand together and sing.