Where is Your Birthmark?

1st John chapter 3 verse, John 3:16 Vice you to follow along with me as I start reading first. Number 11, 1st, John 3:10 a 11 going to read through verse 17. The Bible says, for this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that you should love one another, not as Cain, who was of that, Wicked one and slew his brother and wherefore sluhi him because his own works for evil and his brothers righteous Marvel, not my brethren. If the world hate you. We know that we have passed from Death unto life because we love the Brethren. He that loveth, not his brother, a b as in death. Whosoever hateth, his brother is a murderer and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. Hereby perceive we the love of God because he laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the Brethren were 17, but whoso hath, this world's good and see if his brother have need and shut up his bowels of compassion from him. How do well if the love of God in him? So tonight I like to preach a message that I've been titled. Simple question. Where is your birthmark? Where is your birthmark? It seems like an odd question to ask. Where is your birthmark if you think about it? Well, maybe not whenever I think about it birthmark assassinating. Their interesting people. They have all kinds of different birthmarks. Some you can see some, you can't. But the most obvious birthmarks of the ones you see on people's faces. They can't hide it, just right there on their face and some people, they're comfortable with how they look. This is who I am. This is a part of me. I'm okay with that. This is how God made me, no big deal and they just go about life just like any other normal person would Others. However, become self-conscious about how they look and will either try to hide their birthmark by covering it up, or are we using makeup to hide it? Or even going so far as to have it removed altogether, they get really self-conscious about how it looks. Did you know that Christians have birthmarks? Did you know, a Christian had a birthmark? Raise your hands. Not if you knew as a Christian, you had a birthmark. Yeah, I know hands. See this is why it's exciting. You have a birthmark. If you're born again, it's called love for one another. That's the birthmark of a Christian love for one. Another most Christians are comfortable with their birthmark and have no problem at all. This playing it. It's just natural. This is who I am is who God made me to be love for one another, no problem, but for some reason other seem ashamed of their birthmark and they try to hide it or they go to Great Lengths to squash it down, never seen angry Christian. I just got a Bitter Earth Market. Want to hide it. They don't want you to see love for one another John. He said that those who know Christ as your lord and savior are to exude love for one. Another. It is out of you, kind of like you, your love is touching me. It's just it's not a common flow out of you. That's how much and you should be like a birthmark on the face. It should be something that cannot be hid. Love for one another. In fact, we love others in response to the great love that has been shown to us. Loving one. Another is the Christian's response to the love. They have received from God. Look with me getting a verse number 11. He says for this is the message that he heard from the beginning that we should love one another. The foundation of the Christian faith is love. That's what is built. It's built on, God's love for us. Both. The love of God. The foundation is both the love that God has shown to us, but also the love that we show to others. But take a closer. Look at what John is saying here? He is saying that the message that has been preached from the very beginning was that we should love one another from the very beginning. Yes. This is only made possible because God first loved us. We can only love really because God first loved us. But the message is clear that you can judge whether or not, someone is a Christian by their display of Love towards others. It sounds kind of scary to say, but if you think about it, Christians ought to be known by their love for others. Because what motivates somebody who's not a Christian, somebody was not born again. Somebody who doesn't know the Lord as their personal savior. What motivates someone like that to show love and their own life towards others. What is their motivation? Is it not some kind of personal gain? Are they not looking to get something out of that love and return? The game could be Financial. Perhaps by showing someone love. They can somehow and enrich themselves, financially, or that love could be an emotional type of gain that, feeling good about themselves, because they were kind of someone else. Like, you know, what? I was extra nice to that person over there, and that makes me feel good as a person like they're, they're trying to get that emotional gain or or it could be selfish knowing that showing love towards another would make their own life easier or better. You know, what if I show my boss love and respect like that. He won't ride my back so hard, it'll make my job easier. If I'm nice to the boss, even though deep down. I can't stand him. He gets on my nerves, can't stand. That guy is always just all about this real about that. I just want to do my own thing my own way, but Who the boss doesn't like that, but if I'm nice to him, hey, that's like greasing the wheels. He leaves me alone. I get to do what I want to do. There's always a personal gain of some kind in the end. If you boil it down. As the reason the motivation, that's someone who doesn't know. The Lord shows love towards others is because they're getting something, whether it's emotional or material. So that's how someone who doesn't know the Lord why they show love, but what motivates a Christian to show love towards others. If I were to ask you tonight, like what is it that motivates you as a Christian to show love toward someone else. What would you say the answer? Hopefully would be. Well, the answer is love. I love others because I was, I am loved. For the Christian, it doesn't matter if there's anything to be gained by showing love to somebody else. It shouldn't even be on our radar. If a man, if I'm nice to this person. Then this benefits me in this way. No, we should just love one another because we're Christians. God loved us. Unconditionally. God loved us. Not after we cleaned up our life for God, loved us. Not after we started doing all the right things. I love you regardless of your faults and let's be honest tonight. We have lots and lots of faults. And so God Loved Us in spite of everything. So we should therefore love others. Regardless. We shouldn't have conditions and limits set on our love. For others are love flows out of a grateful heart. God poured. His love on us and it just overflows out of us like like take a poop man. This is If I could fill this jar of what I want to pick it up cuz I'll probably tweaked my back or something. If I picked up the big jars, they were given for the baby bottle. Boomerang to start filling up with water and they got all the way up to the tippy-top and then just kept pouring. That's God's love. And how is his flow out of us, man. I'm thinking back. Now, to when I was demonstrating, I had, I believe it's Brian, Brian was standing right here. He was holding a jar and I just kept pulling out bags and bags and bags of Eminem's. Just I'm going all over the place is full with full but I still have bags. I just kept pouring on there. That is God's love picture of God's love in our life. It just is fills us up. So full that it just starts overflowing to others. And if you stuck around a disturbance that love that would poured in the Brian's jar got shared with all the kids who couldn't get up here, fast enough to help clean up the Eminem's. So others got the benefit from the love. That was poured into into Brian's life. It's so if the bed, almost let this part out. The best part about God's love is that it is given freely. Free to everyone to. Alder, there's no money who's not allowed to have God's love, God's love is free to wall. And if our spiritual experience originates with the father. We must love one another. Like we must we just can't help it. But if our spiritual experience or originates with Satan, we will hate one another. If you don't have Christ in your life, if you're not born again, you just can't help it. You're going to probably hate some people because well you don't have the love of God in your life. 1st John 2:24 the first half of that verse says, let that therefore abide in you which she have heard from the beginning. God's love. Like I said, has been offered to all. But it has not been received by all. Otherwise everybody be born again. If I be a Christian and don't that would just be wonderful. God's love has been offered to all but not everyone has received it. Johnny, in art AT&T take us all the way back to the beginning, all the way back to the beginning of time for the very first family, John provides a contrast to a life of love. It says, all right, I'm talking about love. Now. Let me show you what love is not. He shows us from the life of Cain, what a life of hatred looks like. Now. It's very important, understand this about Cain, you go back to the Garden of Eden in the, in the story. That's unfolding. There. You got, you got Cain and Abel and they both come and offer and offering a sacrifice unto the Lord. It's okay, and he's coming to the Lord as a worshipper. He's not coming to the Lord as an atheist or an unbeliever. He's coming to God to give an offering. And so he's coming to God to give an offering, but he's doing it on his own terms. That's the difference. Cane is not allowing. God to call the shot. Kane is simply saying. All right. I'm supposed to give an offering to God, but I'm going to do it my way. I'm going to do it the way I think it ought to be done. And what is the significance of this? It reveals that the children of the devil masquerade as true believers? That shouldn't come as a surprise. Me. The New Testament tells us even that Satan can disguise himself, transform himself into an angel of Light. And so it shouldn't be any wonder that his children can masquerade as true believers. They can attend Faithfully, church services. They're active in the ministry. They even give towards the offering. Can you believe that children of the devil giving to the Lord's work? But even with all of these religious acts, it's not proof of their spiritual birth. It doesn't matter. If you're a church member, it doesn't matter if you're baptized. It doesn't matter. If you give to the offering support missions, or donate your time to serving the lord. None of that matters when it comes to the heart of true salvation, none of those things will save a person. It comes down to their heart. Do they accept Christ as their personal Savior? And the real test of his, the real test is not all of the service and acts that we can do for God. In a church setting the real test is his love for the brethren. Our love for the Brethren, and that's a test that girl please. No, that's the test. That Kane failed miserably failed that test. Miserably. Remember what happened there. Did. He explain display brotherly love and hope he killed his brother. This is far from Love is you can get friends. It's important understand that it is not your check in your church attendance or membership that makes you right with God. It's not your baptism, your ministry involvement. None of those things. The only way to enter into a relationship with the Lord is to accept by faith. What he did for you. You have to accept it by faith in his to understand and believe that through no merit of your own. Could you possibly ever earn God's forgiveness? It is to understand and believe that Jesus Christ who was and is God manifest In the Flesh. And he came to this earth. He lived a perfect life. He was completely senseless. And also you got to believe that he was willing to that. He willingly rather lay down his life on the cross. It wasn't taken from him. He did it of his own free volition. He did it willingly lay down his life on the cross and he took the punishment that That we wanted that. We are that we deserved. He took our punishment upon himself. It's also to believe that three days later. He rose Victorious over the grave. That truth? Right? There is probably the best truth of the whole gospel is that he rose again on the third day cuz they said it's been said that if you can prove the resurrection wrong. And Paul, I believe is the one who said, if you can prove, the resurrection wrong that we believe in vain, there's no point to our faith. If, if the resurrection didn't happen, we believe in vain. And so you got to believe too, that Jesus rose again, 3 Days Later, salvation is found in repenting of your sins and turning to Christ Alone to save you. If you do that, if you're willing to do that, the Bible says that God is faithful and just to forgive us, our sins. Turn the cries to receive in the day for that is the only way to respond to the love, which God has shown to you. And remember, God has shown his love, every single person. So we should respond to that. Love. By responding to God and accepting his gift. But you cannot respond to that, which you haven't received. If you haven't received the love of God, because it's been offered to all. But not all. I've received it. If you haven't received it. You can't respond to it. You haven't received it, Cain killed. His brother Abel because Abel's righteousness exposed canes. True nature. And Cain did not like what he saw.

That's why the world hates Christ, and those who believe on his name. When the world like Kane when the world comes face-to-face with reality and Truth. It can make only one of two decisions. It has to make a decision. They can only make one of two different decisions. The one first decision that could make is repent and change. But the most often chosen decision is to destroy. The one who is exposing it.

God's word will reveal our true nature. And we have a choice to make. Do we accept God's word is truth and therefore repent of our sins and change our life. And Obey with me reading the Bible, or do we get angry about it? Exposing our sinful flesh, exposing our sin nature. Not like what we're seeing. You get Madden. Close it. Throw it away and get angry, the person showing to us. Those are the choices we made or get to make.

Marvel. Not my brethren John says, Marvel not. Don't worry about this. Shouldn't come as a surprise, Marvel, not my brethren. If the world hate you. Where is John first contrasted Christian love and worldly hatred. When I was going to have a comparison, he's going to compare haters with murderers. Going with all this is where a text isn't. It's actually pretty exciting here. A John Compares now, haters and murderers. The only difference between someone who Harbors hatred in their heart. And someone who takes the life of another. Is that the murder simply acted on their hatred to the fullest extent? That is the only difference? The murderer decided to act on the hate. Anger and bitterness in contempt are just as serious in God's eyes, as murder. Wow, just seen about that. Seems extreme anger. Bitterness and contempt are just as serious in God's eyes as murder. Why? Because the person who hates has the very same feelings and spirit that the murderer does a spirit of anger, a spirit of bitterness, a spirit of contempt, the murderer reacts differently more violently, but the heart of both the hater and the murderer are the same. God looks and judges by the heart, not our outward actions. The Migos are judged. Yes, but God is looking at the heart and that's why hatred is on the same level in God's eyes is murder because it's it's a matter of the heart. He looks at judges are hard and some some people can camouflage. What it's in their heart. Some people are really good at hiding, what they're really feeling. But they're not hiding it from God. God knows the heart. It Is by God's grace that we have any inhibitions at all on acting on our emotions. It's by God's grace that we're not all murderers. because,

Yeah, I cover here in a little bit. Look with me again in person with 15% or 15. Whosoever hateth, his brother is a murderer and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. Now, this verse can lead to some faulty Doctrine, if it's not properly understood because there is a key word in this first, that is critical to its interpretation. And that's the word abiding, the word of fighting all throughout this epistle. Mean, hopefully that's a word. That sounds very familiar with what we've been discussing throughout 1st. John. After this point abide in Christ abide in him, the very first last half of chapter 2, I believe in first half of 3 is just abide abide abide. It seems like it's a broken record. John is just saying abide abide. And so, John has been exhorting. The believer to abide in Christ. Thus, by implication Believers are not automatically abiding in Christ. It's a choice that we have to consciously make and make it on a daily basis whether or not we're going to buy it in Christ. What John is not saying here? This is John is not saying this, he's not saying that a murderer does not possess eternal life or rather that he does not have it abiding in him cuz think about it for a moment. Moses David. Paul. All menus greatly by God and unquestionably in heaven today.

All three were murderers. All three men.

So, John is trying to communicate that we are in dangerous territory when we are not abiding in Christ. It leaves us in a spiritual state that is unprotected and prone to making some serious bad decisions. When were not abiding in Christ. That is when we are most vulnerable to making some terrible choices. Like Moses did, like David did like Paul did they warn abiding in Christ? When they were doing those things in a part in the grace of God and under the proper provocation. Each and every single one of us is capable of committing murder. And yes, even if you are saved and born again, Apart from God's grace, in in your life. And under the proper provocation. It's just the right buttons. Got pushed each and every one of us is capable of murder. We're sinners. We are flesh and Bone. And therefore were susceptible to these things, but that is the significance. And why the Apostle John is so adamant about abiding in Christ because that is the installation that protects us from things like that. If you're not abiding, in Christ, John is saying, look at what you could possibly become look at who you could possibly be if you were not abiding in Christ. And so the difference is that a Christian who is abiding in Christ. He is abiding in eternal life is not going to be able to fall. Prey to a hateful and moral equivalent murderous Spirit of hatred. If you're buying me Christ, you're not going to have hatred in your heart. It won't be possible. Hatred is a choice. You have to choose to hate somebody, but the cure for hatred is also a choice and the Cure is love. Love is something you have to choose. One commentator said this hateful and hating one, another is the normal experience of an unsaved person. But when a hateful heart opens to Jesus Christ, it becomes a loving heart then instead of wanting to murder others through hatred one wants to love them and share within the message of eternal life. In the study of this message. I came across the story. This illustration of the Evangelist John Wesley. He was stopped One Night by a Highwayman. And who robbed the Methodist leader of all of his money stopped in there on the road robbed. Him took all of his money and Wesley said to the man if the day should come that you desire to leave this evil way and live for God. Remember that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. Some years later Wesley was stopped by a man after church service. Do you remember me? The man asked I robbed you one night. And you told me that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. I have trusted Christ and he has changed my life.

The birthmark of a Christian is a spirit of love for others.

Where's the 1617? We see that that Christian love is measurable. You can measure Christian love, we can measure God's love for us by his actions. I mean, just consider for a moment. The deepness of God's love for us, the very same people who beat Jesus Christ, the very same people, who tortured him. Said horrible things to his face spat on him. Check them. Kill him. Those very same people. Jesus it is mine. I'm sure he had this thought to say, you know, I know they're doing all these horrible terrible things to me. I don't go forward with this plan. If I don't lay my life down that they will never have a chance to know. God. They will never have a chance to have a relationship with me. And so Jesus, in spite of how he was being treated in spite of the disrespect. I was being thrown onto him. Jesus chose to love those people regardless of how they were treating him. And he went to the cross. Show The Marvelous depth of God's wonderful love. If only, we could learn to love on that level, and that's our standard. That's what we're shooting for. If we can love on that level.

Our natural response to God should be to lay down our lives for the Brethren. John says, so what does that look like? What does that even mean? What does it look like to lay your life down for the brethren? Well, it looks like putting the needs of others before your own. Lay down for a moment, the things that you want to do the things you desire and help meet the needs of someone else husband's after a long day at work, you come home and you see that it was a rough day for your wife. She had a rough day. How about instead of popping out on the couch, you go into the kitchen and wash the dishes for? Sacrifice something you would normally do just to help meet the need of your wife. Wives, you see that your husband is having a particularly tough day or week. How about instead of your weekly get together with the other ladies you instead have a relaxing evening with your husband. Lay down, something you would normally do sacrifice it for the benefit of someone else. Now. This isn't just for Mary folks, if you're not married in here, this is just as applicable for you as well. If anyone sees someone here at the church or anywhere else who looks like they have a knee that you can meet then sacrificed something in your life to help meet the need of a brother or sister in Christ. That's what it looks like a lay down your life for the Brethren. You see that someone has a need, you were able to meet that need but it's going to cost you something. It might hurt your pocketbook a little bit, but you can afford it or am I taking time out of your day? Or am I take your your hobby or whatever? It is something you would normally do or enjoy. You would have to sacrifice that in order to meet this person's need and you're able to do that. That is what it looks like to lay your life down for the brethren. A young mother admitted in a testimony meeting that she never seemed to find the time for her own personal devotions. She had several little children to care for in the hours, just melted away. Imagine her surprise when two of the ladies from the church appeared at her front door. We've come to take over, they explained you go into the bedroom and start on your devotions. After several days of this kind of help the young mother was able to develop her devotional life, so that the daily demands on her time no longer upset her. Two ladies from the church for several days, went to this lady's house, just to give her the break. She needed to get into a devotional relationship with the Lord. It's that's what laying your life down for the brother. Looks like it's those two ladies took time out of their day to go. Watch this lady's kids, so that she could have some personal time with the Lord. That's what it looks like be creative. It's like you don't there's not a subset formula. You got to follow, it's just simply seeing. If someone has a need and finding a way to meet that need laying your life down for the bread for the Brethren. If you want to experience and enjoy the love of God in our own Hearts. We must love others. Even to the point of sacrifice being indifferent to, to a Brothers needs means robbing ourselves of what we need. Even more the love of God in our hearts. If you see someone has a need and you just like them, I'd rather not meet it. I could. But That would hurt too much or whatever. You're actually robbing yourself something you need even more. That's the love of God in your heart. It's a matter of Love or death, love or death. So we can measure our love for God by showing love to others. The Christian love is measurable. So what is taking up? Residence in your heart? Is it hatred towards another? Or is it eternal life? Maybe we can find all kinds of way to justify hurt feelings. We can just we can try to justify our hatred towards someone else. We can point to all the ways that this person has mistreated or abused us. We can point to all the times that they have betrayed us and stabbed Us in the back, we can come up with all the reasons in the world to hate somebody else. But so could Jesus. He easily could he's at the most qualified person to come up with reasons of why he should hate all of us. We're just the way we send and what that means to him. He's a holy God and he can't be in the presence of sin is just the opposite of his character. Jesus could easily justify hatred towards us. And yet he chose to love us anyway. That is Christian love and I admit it's not easy, especially when feelings and emotions are involved. But the love of Christ. Is an unconditional love. It's a love. That is shown and given regardless of how does received or how you were retreated in response. That's a high calling. If you are a child of God today, you have a responsibility to conform your life into the image of Christ. If you do God as your personal savior, it's we have a Duty or responsibility to conform our life into the image of Christ. We should desire for every part of our life to reflect Jesus. Back onto the world. We're looking mirror. We will see the love of God. We need to reflect that back out into the world. We're receiving a light, be a mirror, shine a light on to the darkness. We should desire our life to reflect Jesus back onto the world. But if you are holding onto a grudge or hatred for someone else. My friend, I'm here to tell you you have no room in your heart for Jesus if you're holding on to bitterness and hatred to contempt.

Ill will feelings towards another. You have left no room in your heart for Jesus. It's basically you take him you taking him out of his rightful place and metaphorically shoved him into a back closet and shut the door saying God, there's no room for you here. There's no room in my heart for you. Jesus. I got hatred here and it takes up everything. I don't have room for you. That's no way for a Christian to live. Not at all. So, if you're struggling with hatred in your heart. If you have ill will feelings toward another go to the one who can understand you, and I identify with you the best. Jesus Christ. Go to him in prayer. Let him teach you how to surrender your feelings and to submit to his ways. He's the greatest teacher. We've got. If you are not a child of God, if you do not know Jesus, as your personal Lord and Savior, I wouldn't advise you to come today, and seek a relationship with him. He loves you, no matter what you have done in your life. He wants to cleanse you. He wants to cleanse you. He wants to heal you, and make you whole. Behold, he stands at the door of your heart and knocking.

What are you going to do? You can open the door. Ignorem. I thought you open your art. Open your heart to him. We have a time of invitation if you need to do business with the Lord. Alters their open. Come forward and do just that. So as we have a time with invitation and you can play the piano if you wouldn't mind, let's all stand and I'll pray that the music plays, do business with the Lord.