Three Essentials of the Christian Life (1 John 5:1-5)
Use this guide to help your group discussion as you meet this week.
Transcript
This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you. God is light. In Him, there is no darkness at all. This is how we know what love is. Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God. So that you may know you have eternal life. Good morning. My name is Chet. I'm one of the pastors here. We are in 1 John.
We are coming towards the end of this letter. And we've got just a couple more weeks of walking through this. And John is kind of summing up some of his ideas. But I want to begin this sermon by talking about Daniel. And not Daniel from the Bible, but Daniel LaRusso from the Karate Kid. Also very important.
Not quite as important as the other Daniel. In the Karate Kid, the original one. Some people also like to call that the good one. Mr. Miyagi is teaching Daniel karate. Karate.
Daniel actually really wants to be like a kid who's all about karate. And so he's teaching him karate. And what he does is he makes him paint his fence. And he makes him wash his cars. Karate. And I thought, man, I could teach somebody karate.
If that's all. Chores. Come do chores at my house. But that's what it seems like. And he's having him do wax on, wax off on these cars. And he has a specific way he wants him to do it.
And he's doing paint the fence. He does this specific stuff. And he makes him do it with both hands. And there's this scene. It's one of the best scenes in the movie. It's up there with the this scene.
It's one of the best scenes in the movie where Daniel just says, I'm done. All you've done is make me do chores. I'm done. And Mr. Miyagi says, show me the stuff I've been making you do. And he starts to do it.
And he goes, no, you're doing it wrong. Show me the way I showed you. And he starts making him do the stuff that he showed him how to do. That he made him do this repetitive motion over and over and over and over again. And then Mr. Miyagi starts throwing punches at him and just starts trying to assault him.
He's throwing punches and kicks. But because he had painted the fence, he knows how to block stuff. It's a little hard to believe, but this is what happens. And this is what he does. And there's this whole scene where he shows him that I was just teaching your muscles to do this thing over and over again. That's why I said it over and over and over again.
And we're in that scene in 1 John. Because I don't know if you've been reading John. He says the same thing over and over and over and over again. He has said it over and over and over and over. And we're getting to the scene where he's the part in John where he starts going. He's just saying it again.
But he's helping us see clearly. I've been saying this repeatedly. I've been connecting this this whole time. And this is what it looks like to be a Christian. These are the identifying markers of a Christian. And he's said it so many times that at this point, if someone tried to assault us with something that was against this, we should be able to karate kid that stuff.
We should be able to say, no, this is how it works. So that's where we are. We're going to read through this section together. And we're going to kind of paint a picture to help us see. He's saying it again. But we want to put some weight in this and put this in our heads clearly as he's kind of coming to his letter.
So let's pray. And then we'll be in 1 John chapter 5. God, I pray that you would help us this morning. That you would help us to hear from your word. That you would help remove distraction and our desire to wander and to think about other things. But that you would help anchor this reality in our souls.
And then, Lord, I pray that you would, through the power of your spirit, would make it true of this church. That this is what we look like as we abide in Christ. In Jesus' name, amen. 1 John chapter 5. Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God. So he's said this idea multiple times, but he's saying it again.
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God. So that we believe that Jesus, the man who walked on earth, lived and taught, was crucified on a cross. That he rose again. That he's the Christ. That he's the one that God had promised to bring salvation through. That he's the one who is fulfilling Christ.
Jesus is a name. Christ is a theological office. It's a role that he plays. That he is the Christ who has been the promised Messiah who was going to come and fix everything for us. That from the very beginning when God promises in the garden that there's going to be a son who's going to be born. And he's going to crush the head of the serpent.
That there's this promise throughout the Old Testament that this Christ is coming. This is who John is saying. Whoever believes that that's Jesus. That he's the one who's come to save. That he's the one who redeems. That he's the one who forgives sin.
Whoever believes that. Trusts in that. Hopes in that. Puts their faith in that. And I think we've got to just appreciate that word believe for a second. Because all we're doing is coming to a news that has been told to us.
That Jesus has done this. And if we believe it. If we say no that's true. I'm going to wrap around that. I'm going to hold on to that. I'm going to anchor in that.
He says whenever that happens. Then we've been born of God. Everyone who believes that Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Christ has been born of God. That this is one of the commentaries I have on this says. To believe is to be acted upon in a dynamic transformative way by God.
That God does this. So here's what he's saying. Is that we believe in Jesus. But then this happens. So Jesus brings us to the Father.
And so that if you have faith in Jesus. And we're going to kind of draw this whole picture out. Because this is the stuff he's been saying over and over again. But Jesus brings us to the Father. You don't have the Father without Jesus. Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ.
Has been born of God. You've been made new. You've been born again. As he would say in. Jesus would say in John chapter 3. Not 1 John chapter 3.
But John chapter 3. That you are born again. That you are made new. That's this idea. That we belong to God if we believe in Jesus. Then he says this.
So verse 1. Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ. Has been born of God. And everyone who loves the Father. Loves whoever has been born of him. So if you love the Father.
If you believe in Jesus. He brings you to the Father. You're born of God. And if you love the Father. Then you love everyone who's been born of him.
So that looks like this. You love the Father. You love the Father. They are connected. You can't disconnect that. This is how it works.
So if you say I love the Father. You love the brothers. That's not a new idea if you've been here. John has said that. Over and over again. Then he says this.
Verse 2. By this we know that we love the children of God. When we love God. So by this we know we love the children of God. When we love God. So it goes the other way too.
One of the ways that you love the children of God. Or the brothers. Brothers and sisters in Christ. Is that you love God. So it goes back the other way.
You can almost put arrows. But there's this channel of love. Running back and forth. That if you love the Father. You love the brothers. And then he's going to say.
If you love the brothers. You love the Father. And this is. This is the circle he's been running. He said this over and over and over again. Then he says this.
By this is verse 2. By this we know. That we love the children of God. So this marks us as loving the children of God. When we love God. And.
Obey his commands. So it looks like that. If you love. If you love the Father. You love the brothers. If you love the brothers.
Then you'll love the Father. And. You'll obey his commands. And this is how you know. That you love the brothers. This is how you know.
That you care about your church family. You obey God's commands. That's a little startling for us. I think sometimes. To think that obeying commands. Is something different.
But he's saying. No. This is one of the things. That marks. A love. For your brothers and sisters in Christ.
Is that you obey his commands. Verse 3. For this. This is the love of God. That we keep his commandments. So then it goes.
From commandments. Back up to the Father. John has said this. So many times. This is. This is his point.
This is his thesis. This is. He's landing the plane. And. This. I.
I've said it. I don't know how else to say it. I've said it forwards. I've said it backwards. I've said it positively. I've said it negatively.
I've accused you of being a liar. Multiple times. Which we're going to read those in a second. But this is what he says. You believe in Jesus. You get the Father.
You don't get the Father. If you don't have Jesus. If you have the Father. If you belong to the Father. Then you love the brothers.
If you love the brothers. Then you love the Father. If you love the brothers. You'll follow his commands. The way you know that you love the Father. Is that you follow his commands.
Yeah. Wax on. Wax off. He said it. Over and over. And over.
Again. There is a faith. Love of God. Marking. For believers. That if you're a believer.
Then you have faith in Jesus. And you love the Father. There is a relational. There is a relational. Love of church family. Marking.
For believers. And there is a moral. Ethical. Marking. For believers. My uncle.
Who's. Yorba. People group. From Abomasaw. He's one of the last. Generations born.
That they put tribal marks on. So he has tribal marks on his face. And it was meant to be. That you could look right at him. And you would know. Right where he was from.
And that is. What this is. For Christians. That we. Are to be. Marked by.
These three things. And you can't. Get rid of any of them. But I want to show you. That John has said this. Over and over again.
I'm just going to read. I want you to listen. I'm going to try to move. Fairly quickly. But I'm going to read.
Things that we've read. In chapter one. Chapter two. Chapter three. Chapter four. To just try to refresh.
In your head. He said this. This is his whole point. And just as I read it. Try to figure out. Okay.
Yeah. That's from there to there. That's from there to there. Because he's just running. This track. Back and forth.
Different ways. Chapter one. This is the message. That we heard from him. And proclaim to you. That God is light.
And in him. There's no darkness at all. So he's talking about the father. If we say. We have fellowship with him. While we walk in darkness.
Meaning that we. Sin. And are following sin. And not obeying his commands. We lie. And do not practice the truth.
But if we walk in the light. Meaning following him. And are walking in openness. He is. As he is in the light. We have fellowship.
And you would think he would say. We have fellowship with him. We have fellowship with one another. So he runs this way. And the blood of Jesus. His son.
Then he takes us back up there. Cleanses us from all sin. Chapter two. By this. We know that we have come to know him. So you know the father.
If we keep his commands. Keep his commandments. Whoever says. This is chapter two. Verse four. Whoever says.
I know him. But does not keep his commandments. Is a liar. The truth is not in him. But whoever keeps his word.
In him. Truly the love of God. Is perfected. By this. We know that we are in him. Whoever says.
He abides in him. Ought to walk. In the same way that he walks. And he jumps down to verse nine. In chapter two. He says.
Whoever says. He's in the light. So I know the father. That's being in the light. And hates his brother. Is still in darkness.
Whoever loves his brother. Abides in the light. And that's his idea. Of walking in openness. And following the commands. And knowing God.
That's it. Being in the light. Verse 15. No. Not verse 15. 29.
If you know that he is righteous. You may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness. Has been born of God. So. If we know the father. Then we practice righteousness.
Chapter three. Everyone who. Thus hopes in him. Purifies himself. As he is pure. Again.
This following his commands. Verse four. For everyone who practice. Makes a practice of sinning. Also practices lawlessness. Sin is lawlessness.
You know that he appeared. In order to take away sins. In him there is no sin. No one who abides in him. Keeps on sinning. Then verse 10.
Whoever does not practice righteousness. Is not of God. So. You're not doing that. You don't belong to him. Nor.
Is the one who does not love. His brother. Verse 11. Chapter three. For this is the message we've heard from the beginning. That we should love one another.
Verse 23. This is the commandment. All right. So here's the commandment. And he's been talking about commandments. Is not sinning.
So it's a general idea of commandments. And then he specifically. Is going to highlight. One of the major parts of the commandment. And here's what he says. This is the commandment that we have from him.
That we believe in the son. Jesus Christ. And. Love one another. Just as he's commanded us. So he snuck the other two in the commands.
We can make this more complicated. He didn't hide them as subsections in that one. Chapter four. This is the summation of it. But he says this.
We love because he loved us. So. Us. Being loved by him. That he's done this first. He's brought us in.
He loves us. If anyone says I love God. And hates his brother. Is a liar. He who does not love his brother. Whom he has seen.
Cannot love. Whom he has not seen. And he says. This is the commandment. That we have from him. Whoever loves God.
Must also love his brother. I trimmed it up. There are more. Because it's the entire letter. This is what he says. This is what you look like.
If you belong to Jesus. This is what you look like. Jesus. Brings you to the father. The father makes you new. And now.
Your life is marked. By a love for God. A love for. The church. Your brothers. His children.
And obedience. And he specifically. Goes out of his way. And I read some of these. I'm going to read them again. To say.
If you try to remove. One of those. And say it's fine. I'm still a Christian. He says. Liar.
Like the scariest scene. In Princess Bride. Where that guy's talking. And then what's his head's dead. And then that crazy lady. Comes running out of the back.
Yelling. Liar. When you're a little kid. That's really the scariest scene. All kinds of things happen there. It's like.
Oh my goodness. That's what. That's what John does. Verse. Chapter 2. Verse 22.
Who. Who is the liar. But he who denies. That Jesus is the Christ. You try to take Jesus out. Liar.
2.4. Whoever says. I know him. But doesn't keep his commandments. Is a liar. In chapter 4.
Verse 20. If anyone says. I love God. And hates his brothers. Is a liar. He specifically covers all of them.
And says. You can't. You just can't take one of these out. Now. What. Will happen.
Mostly. Is that people. Will claim. The top one. And ignore the bottom ones. And for our purposes.
That's the thing. That's most helpful. Because. Most of us. Subtly. It's not going to sink.
Sneak in. That we're to not love Jesus. But we're to obey his commands. That. That exists. This idea.
That I can just be moral. And that's fine. Or that I can just be loving. And that's fine. But. For our purposes.
We're just going to kind of look at. Trying to claim the top. And for John's purposes. That's what he cared most about. Whoever says. They know the father.
Whoever says. They're in the light. Whoever says. They know the father. Like he's consistently saying. You're claiming this.
But you're trying to remove. One of these. But here's. Here's what you have. You'll have people say. That you don't need Jesus.
That he's not. You can. Every. Everybody. Every. All paths lead to God.
Everybody believes the same thing. So you believe in Jesus. That's fine. This other person believes in something else. But we're all going to end up in the same place.
We're all going to be in the same spot. Everything's fine. And John specifically says. No. That's. That's a lie.
That is not how it works. So if anybody tells you. Or if you're inclined to believe. Or you like the idea. That. Really what the Bible is just telling us.
Is just to love each other. And that if you really read the Bible. All you'll get out of it. Is it to love each other. And to. To just have a good relationship with God.
And with others. John says. That's a. That's a lie. That's not. That's not what this is saying.
You need to know Jesus. You need to believe in him. He's the one who. Who brings us. To the father. Now the southern version of this is.
Oh I'm a Christian. Oh I love me some Jesus. What church are you a part of? Well. Well. I don't really do that.
Follow that up. We don't ask this. We follow that up with. How's obedience going? Don't really do that either. I mean.
Unless you mean. The way I vote. America. It's like. Okay. Hold on.
We can't. We can't just. Separate. Like there's. We have to follow these things. Like.
You can't. It can't just be. I say I know Jesus. Because you will meet people that say. I'm a Christian. And those other things don't show up at all.
So let's just. Let's take one. Sometimes they show up a little bit. Sometimes they'll have one. But let's just pick on one for a second.
Let's just cut out brothers. And let's talk about what this looks like. This is the. Oh I love Jesus. Church messes me up. Church is just a bunch of hypocrites.
You know. I tried to be a part of church. It just made it worse. I found that a church. Was a hurdle. To me loving Jesus.
And I'm just better off without the church. Because all that stuff is just man made. Just practices. And stuff that just ends up. It just messes me up. And I want the authentic stuff.
I want the real stuff. I want just me and God. John says. That doesn't exist. You don't get the father without the family. That's not how it works.
See. If you love him. Then you love his people. But this shows up all the time. I read this article this week. It was by John Pavlovitz.
And it's. It's. The title of the article is. Relax Christian. You don't have to go to church. It says.
This Sunday. You may be snuggled in your bed. With your family and dog. Telling stories. And giggling away the morning. You may be jogging with your best friend.
Through the wooded paths. Just coming to life. In the early morning sun. You may be driving through the empty back roads. With the roof open. Blasting the 80's metal.
That reminds you. Of when you had hair. For the breeze to blow through. You might be having breakfast with friends. And giving thanks for life. And family in the day.
You might be in the garden. Your knees pressed to the damp soil. Smelling the leaves. Just popping up. Through the ground. These places are all sacred.
They are all waiting sanctuaries. For God to be seen. And heard. And experienced. They are common cathedrals. Fully saturated.
With the presence. Of the divine. Part of us really likes that idea. Because part of that. Is kind of true. There is nothing magical.
About this building. It doesn't have like a funnel. That makes our prayers work better. If we decided as a church. To meet in the evening. Or in the middle of the afternoon.
On a Saturday. Okay. There is some historical reasons. Why we get there on Sunday morning. There is some flow of life stuff. But.
The church is the people. But to argue. That you don't need that. He says later. It is good to have some community. I read this to Spencer earlier.
And he almost lost his mind. He started frothing at the mouth. He was so mad. And he was like. A group of friends. That you have brunch with.
Is in a church. So. If you kind of like this idea. And you want to get yelled at. Go talk to Spencer about it. But the truth is.
Some of this is evil. And unhelpful. To try to weasel in. And say you don't really need that. You can be a Christian. By yourself.
That's a tactic of the enemy. Because everything I think is a good idea. Is a good idea. When I'm by myself. I need some people around me. To go hold on.
That's not helpful. I need some people. Who I know are going to ask me some questions. If you've walked in church family long enough. And you've been around people. Who are going to ask you.
How things are going. You have learned. That that helps you not sin. And you've learned. That there are things. That you have chosen to obey.
Because you love your church family. You've actually begun. To live some of that out. Where it's like. No I actually am showing. That I love my church family.
By following this command. And so what happens is. There's this tendency. For us to say. Well we don't really need that. Now.
We're all here. Some of us were like. Wait. Can I just. Lay in bed. And giggle.
Or whatever he said. Is that. Where's this going. Now this is good for us. To belong to a group of people. But let me show you.
Where it gets sneaky. Where it can creep in. Where this idea. You might would have like a. Not as bright little X. It's penciled in.
You don't really need that. Let me show you how this. This shows up. You can show up on Sunday. And participate. Because you're trying to do the bottom right.
That you think that being here. Is just about your personal devotion. To the Lord. There's a way for us to do that. It shows up in some sneaky ways. You might would say.
I don't get there early. I like to just show up. And walk right in and sing. Because I don't want to talk to people. But that betrays a little bit of.
You think that talking to people. Is just for you. And not also for them. There's some people who show up. On Sunday mornings. That are a part of our church.
That need to be talked to. That need somebody to come by. And care about them. And if all we care about. Is how I'm interacting. With things that are happening here.
We can miss it. Some of you haven't committed to a group. Because you don't really need that. I'm doing okay. I feel fine. I don't feel like I'm missing anything.
I get that that's good for lonely people. I'm fine. I'm stable. I had. I had a person. That I was.
When we were talking about. Planting a church. And I told him. We were going to be group space. He said. Groups are great.
He said. But I have a question for you. He said. My dad. Teaches seminary level classes. What would you have for him?
Because he doesn't need to be a part of a group. And I was young. And in seminary. Now I'd say. Liar. He needs to belong to a group of people.
Where he can love them. They need him. And you'll find. That as he. Commits to loving a group of people. He also needs them.
That. A love for the Lord. Is not just mental. We. We hear this show up sometimes. In the way we talk about church.
Sometimes we'll talk about it. Like it's a gym. You should be a part of my church. The way we would talk about. You should be a part of my gym. Oh.
You should be a part of my gym. The fees are low. It's 24 hours. They have the best machines. The smoothie. They sell smoothies.
Some people are like. You should join my gym. Because we don't work out. And we eat pizza. And it's cheap. People have pitched that to me.
It's like. I can do that at my house. For cheaper. But we do that with church. You should come to my church. The music's the best.
Oh. You should come to my church. The preaching. You should come to my church. We renovate it. Now everybody knows where the bathrooms are.
We pick. Pick different things. To try to highlight for somebody. As if. The church is just the experience. And what I'm getting out of it.
And not. You belong to a group of people. And I'm not saying it's bad to like things. And some of you are like. I'm doing great. I don't like any of this stuff.
That's what I mean to say. It's not bad to like things. And to appreciate stuff. But if that's the way you think about it. There's a possibility. That you are just approaching it as.
What am I getting out of this? And this is just about personal devotion. And has nothing to do with me loving people. And you can't. You can't get rid of that one. This is actually.
One of the reasons why I appreciate some things. That I don't like. On Sundays. I'll give you some examples. On Sundays. I like.
And always enjoy. When I go to a church. And they cut off all the lights. And we sing in the dark. I like that. But I actually appreciate.
That we don't do that. Because part of the reason we're singing. Is because we're singing to each other. And we're being reminded. We all believe this. And this isn't just true for me.
And it's not just about my relationship to Jesus. It's about us. That's why we're told in the scriptures. To address each other in Psalms and hymns. And spiritual songs. Part of the reason we're singing.
Is not just singing to God. We're singing to each other. I don't like corporate readings. I think they're kind of awkward. I definitely hate leading them. I accidentally led one one time.
I wouldn't even plan on people reading them. It wasn't even underlined. But I had like cued everybody in. Read this with me. And it was just like. Oh my gosh.
I don't. I don't like them. But I appreciate them. Because we're collectively saying. We believe this together. And this isn't just true for me.
It's true for us. And it's true for all who belong to Jesus. And we belong to each other. And that's what we're practicing. When we get together with our community groups. So that when your group's doing something.
It's like. If you just only want to show up to your group. If you know they're studying stuff. You might have tricked yourself into thinking. It's just about your personal obedience. If you say.
Well I don't have to go to that. Because I don't like board games. Do you love your brothers and sisters? I don't have to go to that. I don't like. I don't like that show.
But do you enjoy. Like can you go serve. And love them. And connect with them. And pour into them. Right.
So we do that. And sometimes we miss. That we belong to people. Sometimes we talk about churches. If we belong to the philosophy. Or the type of music.
Or we belong to the type of preaching. Or whatever. And we miss that we actually belong to a group of people. That's why you should show up early. Talk to people. Sing songs you don't like.
Because that's part of us. Of loving one another. Well. Okay. Sometimes we remove commands. We just say.
We don't really need that part. And what we'll say. It's just about loving God. And loving people. And he says that. Right.
Like he says. To love God. Love people. That's all the commands. John even highlights those as really important ones. And so what we'll say is.
Really all God wants. Is for us to get along. For us to love people. For us to be kind. For us to be open. For us to be accepting.
And that when we add in all the rules. That's when people get bigoted. And angry. And prideful. That's when we get the mean old. Stereotypical church lady.
Excuse me. It's from the rules. And there's some truth in. That it's not about rules. Rules don't save us. And there is a way to be pharisaical about the commands.
There is a way to get this wrong. And to be bigoted. And angry. And hurtful. And think that the rules somehow save us. He's actually going to get there in just a little bit.
But he includes this. This is still here. So you can't just say. Well there's a bad version of that. So get rid of it.
You say there's a bad version of that. Well then what the heck is he talking about? What's the good version? What's this supposed to look like? Because you'll hear things like. Well it's not about the rules.
And rules just divide people. Or. One of my personal favorites. I prayed about it. And it just. I don't feel like it's wrong.
I prayed about it. And I just don't feel convicted. I know you're like reading a verse at me. But I prayed about it. And I feel fine. Which is really.
Verbally the claim. I know the father. He and I talked about it. I'm cool. I don't have to do that one. John says.
Liar. That's not how it works. And I know we get there sometimes. And I will tell you what I always tell people. You should be terrified. That you've so drifted from God.
That even when you're looking at a direct command. You don't feel anything. Repent. And repent quickly. Don't look at me and say. Hey my heart's cold and dead.
And I feel fine. It's like. Oh my. Oh Lord help us. But that's what we say.
I prayed about it. I don't feel. I don't feel like it's wrong. We'll also say. Well I know God just wants me to be happy. I know God just wants me to be happy.
I've been looking at this. And I just don't see. How I could be happy without it. And I know that God loves me. And he wants me to be happy. So I can have this thing.
God does want you to be happy. I used to yell. When we first planted this church. If you've been around a long time. I yelled at you. That God doesn't care about your happiness.
I'm nuancing that now. Because he really does. He just doesn't care about it the way you're defining it in that moment. God loves us so much. That he would die. For our delight.
In him. And he actually knows that you won't be happy. Outside of him. He's willing to go to greater lengths for your happiness than you are. And his commands fit in that category. They're for our good.
So there's some assumptions that come in. When you're going to obey the commands that the Lord gives you. One. We assume that he's good. That he loves us. That he's for our good.
The cross definitively proves that. John says that multiple times. This is how we know love. This is how we know that he loves us. That he died for us. But we're assuming he's good.
Because if you're going to obey his commands. You've got to start there. I've got to assume that he's good. And that he's for my good. Secondly. I've got to assume that he knows some stuff I don't.
Considering I can't create things by speaking. Or keep them together. I'm just going to go ahead and assume he probably knows some things I don't. And he's capable of doing things that I can't. There's some jokes about people who posted on Twitter. I finally got to perform a tracheotomy at 3,000 feet or whatever.
Like someone asked if there was a doctor. And I stood up and I was able to perform this. And they'll put being a doctor of philosophy. That was a wild ride. And it's this idea that you just claim you're a doctor and just go for it. And there's with any lack of information that you would actually need to do this well.
And so sometimes when I'm saying I just want to chase after this thing that he tells me no. What I'm saying is I think I have all the information I need. And that I'm now smarter than him. Or maybe he's smarter than me. But he's not for my good.
But Christ on the cross definitively proves that he is. So that we can just put his commands in the category of I have a three-year-old, a four-year-old. This is easier for me because he only wants to eat the four food groups. Waffles. French fries. Pizza.
And Swedish fish. Which at my house, and this is why I tripped up for a second, they're called poop fish. Because we use them to teach him to be potty trained. That's all he wants to eat. He'll say yes to any of those. I have a rule at my house, which is you can only eat waffles one time a day.
I'm a very strict parent. But there's a reality to it. His older brother would never choose to sleep. So this one is going to eat just junk all the time. His older brother, I mean, he could look ragged. And be like not able to talk without crying.
And be like, buddy, you need to go to bed. No. I'm fine. It's like, okay. We have rules. Because I'm smarter than them.
And I love them. Really. Eating Swedish fish for dinner might make you happy right now. That will ruin your life. It just will. That path does not lead to joy.
It does not. It leads to a lot of places. Joy is not one of them. And there are times where God steps in and all we can see is what would be on the plate right in front of us. And he says, I love you. And that path does not lead to joy.
And so to say, well, he wants me to be happy. So obviously this universal command can't apply to me is silly and short-sighted. So we obey. And that's why obeying displays our love for him. I love you and I trust you. And even though I don't understand why you're saying I can't have that or do that or why you're not letting this work out right now.
I'm in. And we obey in a way that helps us love his children. And I want you to see this. That's what John has said over and over again. And we can't get rid of any of those. We've got to keep all of them.
But I want to add something. Or he adds to it. So I want to read it and talk about it. What he says at the end of verse 3. So he says, this is verse 3.
For this is the love of God that we keep his commandments and his commandments are not burdensome. That's what he says next. So we keep his commandments, but his commandments are not burdensome. Now he's going to define that for us. Because some of you are like, then I must be doing them wrong. Because I've got a few I really do not like.
And I have found quite, I would describe them as a burden to try to keep doing them. He's going to define this. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. So that for is very important. His commandments are not burdensome. For.
He's not changing the subject. He's defining what he's talking about. For. Everyone who has been born of God. Who's been born of God? We read this earlier.
Everybody who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God. So. Everyone who believes in Jesus has been born of God. That's the same group here. For everyone who believes in Jesus or who has been born of God. Overcomes the world.
And this is the victory that has overcome the world. Our faith. Hold that for a second. Here's what he means by it's not burdensome. When he talks about the world. What he means is the stuff that would tempt us to sin.
Evil desires. Which tempt us to sin. He also means the enemy. He talks about the antichrist. He talks about the devil being sons of the devil. That we have an enemy that's.
Trying to destroy us and lead us to hell. And we have ourselves. That's trying to destroy us and lead us to hell. Like our own desires. Corresponding with the world. This is what we're trying to do.
And if it's you going toe to toe against that. Via obedience to win. You lose. If you've got to beat the world. Save yourself through obedience. You lose.
That's a burden. The reason his commands are not burdensome. Is they do not carry the weight of our salvation. They do not bear that burden. He does not mean they are not difficult. This is where Jesus can say.
Truly. Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden. And I will give you rest. For my burden is easy and my yoke is light. And he can truly say. That the path is narrow.
And the way is hard. And that those who find it are few. That there is some difficulty. To obedience. There is some hardship to obedience. There is some difficulty to following Jesus with our life.
But it does not bear the burden of our salvation. There is great freedom and hope in this. If you believe in Jesus. You overcome the world. And in a real way. Not like when Americans announced themselves world champs of things.
That we only. Only us competed in. But like in a real way. That you overcome the world. That you are not. Destroyed by sin.
And if you have made any real effort. To fight your sin. You know. There are moments when you think. Oh. I am going to be lost.
I am going to. I am going to. I don't. There is something wrong with me. And that is when he steps in and says. Do you love Jesus?
Do you believe in him? These commands are for your good. But they are not able to carry the weight of salvation. Jesus carries the weight of salvation. So then he goes on.
Verse 5. Who is it. That overcomes the world. Except the one that believes Jesus. Is the son of God. Do not read John.
And look at this triangle of identity. And go. I am going to do better. All I got to do is. I am going to go do better. Truth is.
We can get together on Sundays. We can yell. Go do better. And you will. A little bit. Ish.
For a while. You will have some more motivation. You will have some energy. You will have some. I don't know. Guilt.
Or pride. Or something that is driving you to. I am going to show my group. I will love better than any of them. Okay. You are mad at them.
To love. I don't. Good luck. But ultimately. That just adds to the burden. That I am going to go do better.
Just adds to the burden. This is an invitation. Into an identity. That has been accomplished. By faith in Jesus. And being born.
Again. By the power of God. So. Faith. Is what you need. You need faith in Jesus.
And then this is an identity. That is why John doesn't say. If you do not do these things. Get it together. He says. If you do not do these things.
If this. If your life is not marked by love for the brothers. And I am trying to help you see where they can creep in. And where we need to grow some. But he says.
If your life is not marked by this. Not marked by obedience. Not marked by the brothers. It is not. Do better. He says.
You are a liar. And what you need is Jesus. What you need is him at work in you. What you need is the empowerment of the spirit. Not. I am going to do these things better.
So if you are in here. And you are going. I believe in Jesus. Then what you ask. Is for his help. For him to empower you.
For you to grow in your love. Not. Watch me. Watch me do this. That is not the response. The response is faith.
And delight. In the fact. That through Jesus. We overcome. That you are not destroyed. By your sin.
So I don't know. If this is your first time. Being around. Or if you have been around for a while. I don't know where you are. But.
Don't leave with. I am going to do better. Leave with. I am going to love Jesus. And I trust him for salvation. And this was so encouraging for me.
As I worked on this. Because y'all. That is our church family. Sometimes kicking and screaming. That is our church family. Some of you have seen that in yourself.
And people in your group. Some of you. For real. You are obeying commands. That you hate. Some of you.
That is you being here this morning. You had to fight. Your children. And your wife. And yourself. To get here.
Or your husband. Or traffic. Or whatever. Not traffic. It is not busy on Sundays. But to get a group.
Sometimes. Yeah. And you are like. I don't know why I am here. I will tell you why you are here. You have placed your faith in Jesus.
And the Holy Spirit is changing you. That is why you are looking at some commands. And you are going. I don't like this. I still don't like this. This is one of the ones I said.
I would never be a Christian. Because. And I actually now believe that he is good. And so I am going to try to follow this. Some of you are like. I don't.
I hate people. But I love these people. And I hate that. But I love it. And it is so weird. It is like.
Yeah. It is the Holy Spirit. It is working you. Some of you. Every time. It is time to go be around people.
You are like. I do not want to do this. And then you show up. And there is something magical. It is not magical. It is Holy Spirit empowered.
And it is good. This is us. Because this is what Jesus does. Among a group of people. I am going to leave you with this. I found it.
So. It is an encouraging. I was reading. The Pilgrim's Progress. A children's version. So it is a big poem.
Of the Pilgrim's Progress. To my son. And we read through it. And we talk through it. And it is confusing as mess. So we get a lot of discussion about.
What the heck is he talking about. But then there is a guy named Evangelist. And he sings this. There is a guy named Christian. Who is trying to become a Christian. He has got a burden of sin on his back.
That he is trying to get rid of. Somebody told him. Just go follow the law. Go do. Go obey. And you will be fixed.
And then Evangelist sings this to him. He says. To run and work. The law demands. But gives us neither feet nor hands.
Far better news the gospel brings. It bids us fly. And gives us wings. Obedience. Loving others. They are in response to the work of the Holy Spirit in our heart.
Because we place faith in Jesus. He is calling us to fly. But he is going to give us the wings to do it. It is not the thing that saves us. It is not the thing that rescues us. Jesus does that.
But it is good. And it does work among his people. And where we see us drifting in a direction. We need to repent and run towards the joy that is offered to us in him. Matt and Kelly are going to come back up. We are going to sing.
Because we have a champion in Christ who has gone before us. And who has rescued and redeemed. And made the way for us. And we are going to delight in the fact that this is who we get to be as his people. And yeah. If there are some areas where you see.
I need to grow here. Then ask the Lord to help you. And if you don't have any of those markings. Then place your faith in Jesus. And let him go to work. Because he is our only hope.
In a moment we are going to take communion. Which is where we celebrate collectively. That Jesus Christ redeems sinners. That he has. The gospel has called us to fly and given us wings. That he has rescued us from our sin.
That he has given us hope. That he has given us a new heart. That we have been born again. And that we are not saved by our work but his. That is why we picture it. With the bread and the cup.
That we remember his body and his blood. Work that he accomplished for us. And so we come and we once again say. Lord I need the gospel. I don't need to be better. I don't need to be smarter.
I don't need to be stronger. I have a hero. I have a savior. I overcome the world through faith. I just need you. And I need you to cleanse me.
And I need your mercy. And I need your grace. And I need your empowerment. And I need the gospel. So if you are a believer.
We would invite you to come. After you have taken a moment to reflect. After you have taken a moment to maybe repent. To talk to the Lord. To adjust your heart as you go before him. But then come.
And celebrate that you are saved through his work. Not yours. That his commands are not burdensome. And that we get to be born again. Into the work that he has accomplished. Let's pray.
God we thank you for. The faith. That saves us. We thank you that we get to come. And trust in the work of Jesus. And that you then make us into a new people.
And Lord we pray that we would look like that. And that for those who have. One of those completely missing. And it does not Mark their life. Lord we pray that they would not say. Well I'm going to get it together.
But that they would come to Jesus. And be saved. To not try to carry the burden. Of their salvation. But to let him accomplish it for them on the cross.
May we grow. In our love for one another. May we grow. In our love for you. And may we grow. In our obedience.
Through the empowerment. Of the spirit. In Jesus name. Amen.