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Church of the Week: Backyard Church (Auburn, AL)
Sermon Series: Never Alone
Fellowship in The Book of 1 John
Join a Shepherding Group! Stop by Guest Central for More Information.
1. Prayer
2. Bible Study
3. Personal Application
Downward Trend: From three close friends in 1985 to zero in 2004 (based on research in the book Social by Matthew Lieberman).
Today’s Message: Living Like Jesus (1 John 2)
3 We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. 4 Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did. —1 John 2:3-6 (NIV)
The Big Idea: We have to be willing to practice what we preach.
John’s words echo Jesus’ words from John 14:15, 21, 23:
1. “If you love me, keep my commands.”
2. “Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me.”
3. “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching.”
The Gap Between Faith and Action
What happens when there is a gap between what we say we believe (faith), and what we do (action)?
1. Justify—We change or water down our faith in order to match our actions.
2. Blend In — We change our faith to conform to a group.
3. Be Transformed — We change our actions in light of our faith.
Talking the Talk vs. Walking the Walk: 1 John 2:6, “The one who says he remains in him should walk just as he walked.”
Walking — A metaphor for living your life.
The Goal of Discipleship is Learning to Live like Jesus (See Romans 8:29, 2 Cor. 3:18)
Grace and Truth When We Fall Short
No one is perfect, and we all fall short. But there are two very different reasons why a person might not measure up to God’s standard.
Person 1: Flawed, but Humble. Their heart is fully invested in following Jesus, but they make mistakes and are always thankful for the grace of God. God’s word for them is GRACE.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” —1 John 1:9 (NIV)
My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. —1 John 2:1-2 (NIV)
Person 2: Arrogant, Entitled. They’re coasting on their spiritual momentum, not really investing their heart in discipleship anymore. They think they can do anything they want since God will forgive them anyway. God’s word for them is TRUTH.
Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. —1 John 2:4 (NIV)
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? —Romans 6:1-2 (NIV)
The New Command (2:7-8)
John alludes to Jesus’ command to love one another without saying it directly
“7 Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. 8 Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining. ” —1 John 2:7-8 (NIV)
Loving Others (2:9-11)
“9 Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. 10 Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. 11 But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.” —1 John 2:9-11 (NIV)
Question #1: What real-life circumstances would cause two Christians to hate each other?
Question #2: What kind of theology would cause a Christian to feel justified in hating a fellow believer?
“If your theology doesn’t lead you to love people more, question your theology.” —(Unknown Source)
Walking in the Darkness
1. God is light, and we are called to walk in the light.
2. Hating our brothers and sisters means we’re still stuck in darkness.
3. People can be blinded by their hatred of others.
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. —Martin Luther King, Jr.
The light of God’s love is the only thing that can drive out the darkness of hate.
Don’t Love the World (2:15-17)
15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. —1 John 2:15-17 (NIV)
Wait… Don’t Love the World? Isn’t that really negative and cynical? What about other people? What about nature? What about Dewars? Dewars is in the world. Hodels is in the world. Am I not allowed to love those things?
For God So Loved the World… God clearly loves the world enough to send his son to die for us. And the most recent count tells us that there are nearly 8 billion people in the world that we are called to love!
John is addressing the corrupted, immoral, sinful parts of the world that come from our sinful choices and sinful nature, not from God himself: ”the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.”
The Big Picture:
1 John 2
1. Walk the Walk
2. Love One Another
3. Choose Jesus
**Today in Shepherding Groups:*8 John 1:1-14. Jesus, the Light of the World
The Invitation
Invitation Song Elders and Ministers are all around our worship center ready to talk and pray with you. It doesn’t have to be up here in the front, you can go to the sides and meet with one of us there to…
- Commit Your life to Christ
- Pray with an Elder or Minister
- Talk About Baptism or Next Steps
Tap here to Respond to today’s message
Questions? Contact Bryan: (609) 356-3147 or bfojtasek@westsidelife.org.