Got To Be True
FIRST JOHN FACTS
As always, it is an honor to be here with you this morning. Today we are going to open up God’s Word to the book of 1st John. This is one of my very favorite books in the Bible. It is both encouraging and challenging to me. It was written by the apostle John.
The authorship of this book is important because you are going to see that the things being said had to be said by someone with authority. John was one of the disciples. He was one of the three closest disciples to Jesus. He was an early church leader. He knew exactly what he was talking about and people respected him for that. John was also the author of Revelation. We think this book was written before that somewhere between 85 and 95 AD. It is not believed that he was in exile like when he wrote the book of Revelation. We believe he was probably living in the ancient city of Ephesus.
This book is a letter. What we refer to as an epistle. Usually these letters were addressed to a church or a person in particular. This one isn’t so we assume that John was probably writing to several churches who would pass the letter around to one another. It is written for anyone who believes.
It was originally written to combat the lies of Gnosticism. Gnosticism was a branch off from Christianity. It was a group of people who had a warped idea of what Christianity is and who Jesus is. The sect of people was trying to infiltrate the church. They were spreading their bad theology inside the church regularly.
The purpose of First John is to: To reassure Christians in their faith and to counter false teachings. I think that purpose is still important to us today. In the world in which we live we are a lot like the early church. There is so much being twisted in our world today. So many different theologies are being offered to us. The sad thing is that some churches who would tell you they are Christian are watering down the gospel. The pastor of one of the nation’s largest congregations who is also a prominent televangelist has gone on record to say that he won’t preach about sin. He wants people to feel good and he thinks that talking about sin will make people feel bad about themselves. What? That just blows me away. I am so proud to be a part of a congregation where we don’t shy away from hard topics. If I believe that this book gives me all I need for life and godliness then I have to believe that hard topics have to be discussed even if I end up feeling bad about myself as a result. You know why talking about sin makes us feel bad? Because it reminds us how we serve a holy God and we fall short. It reminds us that there are areas of our lives where we need to improve and live better Christian lives. I think it is okay to feel bad about that and use that to help us change ourselves and change the world.
This week we are going to take a few moments and talk about knowledge. You see we live in a world where everyone says that you need to pursue knowledge. You need to go after knowing things. I was a high school English teacher and I would certainly agree that you need to pursue knowledge but today I want talk about something that is even more important than what you know. We are going to talk about who you know. First John is all about knowing God intimately. So, today we are going to be talking about Truth. Truth is important.
In the student ministry we do these things called Monday Mystery Trips. We load up the vans and take the kids to destinations that are a little random and spend the day. They have no idea where we are going, they just get in the vans and we go. It is a great way to build unity in the group as we drive. The very first time we did these trips, we went to one of my favorite places on earth --- the home of Superman, Metropolis, Illinois. Here are a couple of shots from that trip. I think Aaron and Ana might be a bit confused as to who they want to be!
I love Superman. He is my favorite Superhero. I remember watching old Superman episodes when I was a kid. The old George Reeves Superman in black and white. When I was a kid we only had a black and white TV so I wouldn’t have known if they had been in color. I loved those shows! Although I don’t think I ever understood what Perry White meant when he said Great Caesar’s ghost. Anyway, do you remember how they always started off with the Superman description? Faster than a speeding ____. More powerful than a ________. Able to leap tall buildings in a single ________. Then they would tell us what Superman stood for by saying that Superman was for truth, justice and the American way. Truth was one of Superman’s important attributes. Why? Because you had to be able to trust him. If someone with such superpowers was not trustworthy it could be a scary thing.
Truth is important to the Christian’s life as well. The first part of chapter two of first John almost reads like an excerpt from the first chapter. It says again that if you say that you are a Christian but you dwell in sin then you aren’t. You have to live a life of truth. The world is convinced that Christians live in a land of hypocrisy. Sadly, a lot of times that assessment isn’t so off base. This morning I want to talk about being true. How do we do that? I think God’s Word tells us as Christians we’ve:
Got To Be True
Firstly I think John says that:
I must live an HONEST LIFE.
Here’s how we can be sure that we know God in the right way: Keep his commandments. If someone claims, "I know him well!" but doesn’t keep his commandments, he’s obviously a liar. His life doesn’t match his words. But the one who keeps God’s word is the person in whom we see God’s mature love. This is the only way to be sure we’re in God. 1 John 2:3-5
We get frustrated with the world saying that Christians are fake. We get frustrated that they say we are not living what we say we believe. I know I get that way. Still, I have to wonder how much of that is brought on by truth. How much of it is valid but we don’t want to admit it? How honest are we? How much do we reflect Christ in the world? Are we living genuine, honesty out in front of others?
Kendra, Jackson and I were in a Pizza Hut restaurant the other day. I stepped away from the table and when I returned, I heard the woman behind us answer cell phone and say to the person on the other end, “I am just at Kohl’s looking around a bit”. I wasn’t sure if I heard her right but Kendra assured me I had. Very easily the woman just lied to whomever she was talking to. I don’t know who it was or why she lied but it just came out easily. That would be a little white lie. Who would it hurt? But dressing up a lie only makes it look pretty, it doesn’t change the sin inside.
Honest is honest. Our world today has forgotten what honesty is. Cheating in schools, even among Christian students, is rampant. Lying is the workplace has become almost a silent requirement. The world has taken a big thing like honesty and said that it is not really all that important and Christians have bought into that. We don’t match our words.
Are you living a life of real honesty? Are you honest at work? Are you honest with your family? Are you honest in your Christian life? Is there a distinguishable difference between you and the world?
That is the question John is rhetorically asking here. He is writing to the early church and saying, “Who do we think we are fooling when we say we are Christians and still dwell in sin?” That is probably a good question for today too. God obviously knows that we are sinners. Psalm 139 says that he knows our thoughts and even knows what we are going to say before we say it. He knows our inner most thoughts. I know sometimes mine are not that great. We are going to sin. It is in our DNA. Since Adam sinned, it was passed on to us and we are born in sin and live in that sinful state.
Jackson turns three on Thursday. I think I have learned so much from him already. A lot I have learned is about how great God is and how much he loves me. But I am also finding out a lot about this idea of sin being natural in us. Jackson doesn’t have to fight to sin. It isn’t a struggle. Already at three he has learned to lie. If we say, have you picked up your toys, he will say yes and we will find his toys still on the floor. He actually has this bad habit of almost hiding food. He’ll take some put it somewhere like behind our couch on the window sill and then come back and want more. If we ask him if he ate it 9 out of 10 times he will say yes. He’s just barely three years old and I see in him that sinning comes natural.
As a Christian will you be sin free? Absolutely not! But what John is saying here is, don’t sit in sin. Don’t wallow in it. Realize where you are weak and work to be strong. In chapter on verse nine John reminded us that God offers a way of forgiveness through our asking for it. Chapter 1 verse 9 says:
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
God knows that we are going to sin. But Jesus came to be the bridge between us and God. We don’t need to be too proud to ask for forgiveness. If we ask we are admitting we are sinners in need of a savior, God will forgive us. We need to be honest with him. There is nowhere we can go to hide from Him. He is everywhere.
How can you be sure that you belong to Christ? This passage gives two ways to know: if you do what Christ says and live as Christ wants. What does Christ tell us to do? John answers in 1 John 3:23: “to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another.” True Christian faith results in loving behavior; that is why John says that the way we act can give us assurance that we belong to Christ.
So what is the perfect way we should act? Verse 6 of chapter two says:
I must live like JESUS.
Anyone who claims to be intimate with God ought to live the same kind of life Jesus lived. 1 John 2:6
How do we walk like Jesus? How does that look in everyday life? To “walk as Jesus did” or living as Christ did doesn’t mean choosing 12 disciples, performing great miracles, and being crucified. We cannot merely copy Christ’s life—much of what Jesus did had to do with his identity as the God man, the fulfillment of his special role in dying for sin, and the cultural context of the first-century Roman world. To walk today as Christ did we must obey His teachings and follow His example of complete obedience to God and loving service to people.
God knows that you can’t be perfect like Jesus. Remember He even says that if you claim to be you are a liar. But He knows you can follow Jesus’ example and live a life of love and service.
Jesus was authentic in His walk. He calls us to be as well. On thing that He did very well was He loved the unlovable. It is our place to react to people authentically in love. You’ve
Got To Love True
I have got to admit to you that sometimes it is very hard for me to do what I know I should. Sometimes what makes it hard is the way other people act.
Illustration Road Rage
They do things that push me over the edge. There have even been times in my life where I could have used the word hate to describe my feelings for someone. Of course I know that is wrong. Why? Because part of living like Jesus means I have to show love to people. 1st John is very clear on this topic it says that:
They will know we are Christians by our LOVE.
Anyone who claims to live in God’s light and hates a brother or sister is still in the dark. It’s the person who loves brother and sister who dwells in God’s light and doesn’t block the light from others. But whoever hates is still in the dark, stumbles around in the dark, doesn’t know which end is up, blinded by the darkness. 1 John 2:9-11
John really used some harsh words here. He says that you HAVE to love to be a Christian. He goes as far as to say that if you hate someone you can’t be a Christian. He says you are walking around in darkness if you hate. Wow. That is harsh. Now I need to remind you that just before this passage, John said that Jesus became the bridge and God will forgive our sins if we ask. In context what John is saying is if you are a continual hater and you do not seek forgiveness you may need to reevaluate your relationship with Christ.
Does this mean that if you dislike someone you aren’t a Christian? There will always be people we will not like as well as others. John’s words focus on the attitude that causes us to ignore or despise others, to treat them as irritants, competitors, or enemies. Christian love is not a feeling but a choice. We can choose to be concerned with people’s well-being and treat them with respect, whether or not we feel affection toward them. If we choose to love others, God will help us express our love.
Here is what Jesus had to say about it in the book of Luke:
"Here is a simple rule of thumb for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them! If you only love the lovable, do you expect a pat on the back? Run-of-the-mill sinners do that. If you only help those who help you, do you expect a medal? Garden-variety sinners do that. If you only give for what you hope to get out of it, do you think that’s charity? The stingiest of pawnbrokers does that. "I tell you, love your enemies. Help and give without expecting a return. You’ll never--I promise--regret it. Live out this God-created identity the way our Father lives toward us, generously and graciously, even when we’re at our worst. Our Father is kind; you be kind. Luke 6:31-36
Jesus’ words only confirm what John has said. If you are going to be a Christian you are going to have to love. Because seriously what separates us from the rest of the world if we only love the people we like? Nothing. Anyone can do that. A sign of a Christian is that they love without expecting a return.
I think it greatly grieves the Holy Spirit when Christians don’t get along. Remember Jesus’ priestly prayer was that we would have unity. Satan loves to trip us up and turn us against each other. But the Word is clear if we say we have Christ but don’t love, we are liars. I challenge you today that if there is anyone, Christian or not, that you know that you have ill feelings toward, you are sinning and you need to make that right. In order to be true, we have got to love true. Always.
If we really love God we will love others even when it is NOT EASY.
"If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink, and they will be ashamed of what they have done to you.“ Romans 12:20
This is one of those passages in the Bible I sometimes want to take a sharpie to. I admit that I know I don’t have the power within me to do this. I don’t want to be anywhere near my enemies. I don’t want to be kind to them for sure. They hurt me. They annoy me.
But God’s Word asks, do you know what is the best way to get back at someone who hates you? Love them. Kill them with kindness. The Bible says here that if you are like Christ to the people that you have ill feelings about, the people who have wronged you, that you will make them ashamed of what they have done to you. The best way to get back at someone who has wronged you is to love them.
But be careful of your motives. You do not want to only show them love to make them feel ashamed. You need to show them love so that God can change your heart. My mother knew of a certain person in my life that I struggled with. They were cruel and impatient with me and they just were not such a great individual. So my mom challenged me to pray for this person. I didn’t want to do it but I did. I began to change. Not the person. I think this is key to what this passage is telling us to do. LOVE. Show love in amazing ways. Then God changes you. This passage is telling us that a Christian is someone who loves especially when it is not easy.
There is a battle going on in our lives. Satan want us to lose our focus. He wants us to move our thoughts from Godly things to worldly things. He wants us to take our eyes off being true. I think he rejoices when we mess up even for a minute. But in order to walk like Jesus walked we have
Got To Stay True
As much as we seek after things. As much as we try to accumulate stuff, -in the end it is all just going to be left here. You see Satan wants to convince you that you need the things of the world. He wants to convince you that the world has something you want or need. But what we have to remember is:
Things of the world don’t last.
Let’s read what 1 John has to say about the things of the world:
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. 1 John 2:15-17
John mentions three areas of sin here. I want to take a moment and dig a bit further to see what each of these sins really mean. I wan to try and help you see what John is telling us is of the world and will lead to death.
• Lust of the flesh: Putting our desires first. – Sex, pleasures
• Lust of the eyes: Putting things first –material things
• Pride of life. Putting our accomplishments first. Success
We have all had to fight with one of these battles before but God tells us that if we are obsessed with these things then we are not walking in righteousness. You can’t be right with God and pursuing the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes or the pride of life.
I think there are some high profile examples of where these three sins can lead you. Here are some celebrities. Tell me if you recognize. Show a picture of Chris Farley, JFK Jr, and Allyiah. I am sure if each of these wealthy, famous and DEAD stars could talk to you today, I am sure they would say the things of this world don’t last.
You see each of these people died as a result of one of the three categories of sin we are talking about.
Chris Farley was an up and coming comedic star. His movies grossed lots of money and he had the ability to make people laugh. But, Chris Farley was addicted to drugs. They became what he worshipped. You see the drugs had control over him. At the end of the day, he still had an emptiness inside him that he tried to fill with illegal drugs. One night he went on a binge and overdosed. His friends found him lying on the floor, dead in 1997 at the age of 33. I believe that Chris Farley is a great example of what becomes of someone entrapped in the sin of the lust of flesh. He became enslaved to the pleasure that drugs gave him but died trying to let them fill the empty space that only God can.
Aaliyah was a successful recording artist. In 2001, at 21 years old, she had platinum albums and had begun to find success in movies as well. She was incredibly talented. She was very successful. She had just finished filming a music video for her latest album. She had spent all day singing and dancing on a luxury yacht in the Caribbean. When the day was done, she was to fly back home on her own private jet. While boarding the plane with a few close friends, she was told that all of the things that she wanted to bring with her were too heavy for the flight. She insisted that she needed everything she had on board. Reluctantly the pilot agreed to fly home even though the plane was over weighted. The plane crashed shortly after takeoff, about 200 feet (60 m) from the runway killing all on board. Aaliyah died because she wanted all her stuff on the plane with her and wouldn’t leave anything behind. Allyiah died as a result of the sin of the lust of the eyes. She equated her success and some degree who she was as a person with material things. So much so that in the end the very things that she placed so much importance on were what led to her death. Her desire for material things, the lust of the eyes that John talks about in this passage cut her life tragically short.
JFK Jr. has been referred to as America’s prince. He was the son of one of our most beloved presidents. He was good looking and wealthy. He had much success in the eyes of the world. One afternoon in 1999 he was piloting his private jet with his wife and sister-in-law traveling with him to his cousin’s wedding. That day there was very little visibility. JFK Jr. was warned that the sky was unsafe for flying. Still, he took off. He was sure he was a good enough pilot to fly the plane using only instrumentation. He was wrong. The plane crashed and all three passengers were killed. JFK Jr. died because of the sin of the pride of life. He was too proud to admit that he could not successfully fly the plane. He assumed his abilities were greater than they were. He ignored good advice and his pride led to his death.
You know what I think each of these famous people would tell us if they could. I think they would tell us that things of the world just don’t last.
Sometimes, I think as Christians we look at people like this and are full of self righteous sorrow. We don’t understand how people could let such things destroy them. But even Christians succumb to the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. We want to feel good, have nice things and be respected. Maybe on the outside what these people did seems worse but our lust and pride makes God equally as sick. We get caught up in the world in which we live and what it says is the way life should be. Satan wants us to believe these things. He wants us to seek fortune and glory. He wants to distract us from the work the Lord has called us to and our lusts and pride are a key way to make that happen. Simply put:
Satan is trying to TRICK you.
I’ve written to warn you about those who are trying to deceive you. But they’re no match
for what is embedded deeply within you—Christ’s anointing, no less! You don’t need any
of their so-called teaching. Christ’s anointing teaches you the truth on everything you need to know about yourself and him, uncontaminated by a single lie. Live deeply in what you were taught. 1 John 2:26-27
Satan wants to steal kill and destroy you so he will do whatever he can to make you believe things that aren’t true. But the Bible tells us the truth. It tells us that God’s truth lives in you if you are a Christian. Satan would like nothing more than to see you live a life full of hate. He would love to see you pursuing the things of this world but God says all of those things are lies. They only lead to death. Jesus offers life. I want to give you the opportunity today to think about where you stand before God right now. Bow your heads and close your eyes please. If you are struggling in one of these areas God wants to take that away from you. He wants to give you a better life than that. He wants to say to you, look, there is so much more. Don’t buy into the lies of the evil one. They just lead to death. I want to encourage you to take a moment with just you and God and confess the sin that may be in your life. Confess it to him and tell him you don’t want to hate anymore or you don’t want to believe the lies of Satan anymore.
