Sermons from the Book of 1 John: January 24, 2010
THE GAMES SOME CHRISTIANS PLAY: Part 2:
Sermon #02: TRUST & OBEY – Part 1
Scripture Ref: 1 John 2: 3-6
Introduction:
JOHN is STILL TALKING to us about KNOWING the JOY of the LORD in our OWN PERSONAL WALK with GOD.
I John 1:4 ‘These things write we unto you, that your JOY may be full.’
• THE JOY OF THE LORD:
A FULLNESS of JOY to be had in the LORD JESUS CHRIST:
A FULLNESS of JOY in FAITHFULLY SERVING GOD:
I’m CONVINCED that as CHRISTIANS we DON”T CLAIM ENOUGH the JOY of the LORD in our lives. As a matter of fact WHEN MOST PEOPLE THINK of JOY – EXCITEMENT – they very SELDOM THINK of GOD.
They THINK of PARTIES – VACATIONS – MONEY – MATERIAL POSSESSIONS – the NEWEST ELECTRONIC GADGETS --- POISONOUS HIGHS that DAMAGE their BRAINS
But JOHN wants us to KNOW that as ONE who has been BORN AGAIN by the BLOOD of JESUS CHRIST ----- as ONE who has HAD a SPIRITUAL TRANSFORMATION within their HEART & MIND --- THEN there is a JOY that BY FAR SUPERSEDES ALL OTHER JOYS.
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This same JOHN tells the ACCOUNT of JESUS MEETING a WOMAN of SAMARIA at JACOB’S WELL.
Found in the GOSPEL of JOHN chapter 4:
This was a WOMAN who had SEARCHED for JOY in so many things:
She was a WORLDLY WOMAN that was LOOKED DOWN UPON by her SOCIETY. She had been MARRIED 5 TIMES & was SHACKING UP with a MAN then that she WAS NOT MARRIED TO.
MOST PEOPLE would have AVOIDED HER. But NOT JESUS!
To JESUS she was EXACTLY the TYPE of PERSON HE CAME to EARTH for.
She was SEARCHING for JOY. & JESUS had JOY she could HAVE ABUNDANT & FREE!
John 4: 13- 15 ‘Jesus answered & said unto her, ‘Whosoever drinks of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall be in him, a well of water springing up into everlasting life.’ The woman said unto HIM, ‘SIR, give me this water that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.’
JOY IS NOT A LUXURY BUT A NECESSITY:
JESUS didn’t just GIVE this WOMAN FORGIVENESS of her SINS, HE GAVE HER the JOY she had been SEARCHING for.
This JOY isn’t a LUXURY that we CAN DO WITHOUT.
It COMES with the PACKAGE! It is a NECESSITY:
Nehemiah 8:10 ‘The JOY of the LORD is our STRENGTH.’
The JOY of the LORD is a NECESSITY in TWO WAYS:
1} WHEN we BURDENED DOWN with the TRIALS of THIS LIFE:
JOY in KNOWING that GOD will put NO MORE UPON US than what HE & US WORKING TOGETHER in PRAYER & SUPPLICATION in the HOLY SPIRIT cannot bear. That PROMISE GIVES us JOY: THIS BATTLE WILL NOT DEFEAT ME:
I Corinthians 10: 13: There has no temptation taken you but such is common to man; but GOD is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it.’
2} WHEN THE DEVIL OFFERS US JOY IN OTHER THINGS:
LIVING for GOD is ABOUT CHOOSING the RIGHT CHOICES:
The DEVIL does the SAME THING he did to ADAM & EVE in the GARDEN:
We have to have in OUR POSSESSION SOMETHING that MEANS MORE to us than WHAT the DEVIL OFFERS:
That’s where the JOY of the LORD is WONDERFUL:
1 John 4: 4 ‘…… Greater is HE that is in you, than he that is in the world.’
Because of that JOY in the LORD we can tell the DEVIL:
‘I wouldn’t TAKE NOTHING for MY JOURNEY NOW.’
JOY HAS A PRICE TO BE PAID:
WHY don’t we SEE MORE JOY in those who SAY they are a CHRISTIAN?
JOY has a PRICE to be PAID and MANY are NOT WILLING to PAY that PRICE.
It is NOT a MONETARY PRICE – NO MONEY CAN BUY JOY in the LORD
It is a PRICE of FAITHFULNESS to GOD.
So the DEVIL PERSUADES MANY to PLAY the GAME of BEING a CHRISTIAN rather than BEING FAITHFUL to GOD.
& this is WHAT JOHN is REFERRING to here in 1st JOHN.
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GAME #1: WALKING in DARKNESS:
1 John 1: 6-7 ‘If we say that we have fellowship with HIM & we walk in darkness we lie, & do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as HE is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, & the blood of JESUS CHRIST HIS SON cleanses us from all sin.’
GOD is LIGHT & in HIM there is NO DARKNESS:
LIGHT --- HOLINESS – PURITY –CLEANLINESS --- GODLINESS --- TRUTHFULNESS
That is the PATHWAY where GOD WALKS.
DARKNESS: SIN – according to GOD’S STANDARD & NOT the WORLD’S STANDARD.
Ever since the DEVIL PERSUADED ADAM & EVE to PARTAKE of the FORBIDDEN FRUIT MAN has made up their OWN DEFINITION of WHAT SIN IS.
& ACCORDING to the WORLD’S VIEW – HARDLY ANYTHING is SIN DARKNESS.
But GOD’S VIEW HASN’T CHANGED.
OUR JOY in the LORD is TOTALLY DEPENDENT upon OUR FELLOWSHIP with GOD.
Amos 3: 3 ‘Can two walk together unless they be agreed?’
The ONLY WAY to HAVE FELLOWSHIP with GOD & then the JOY of the LORD is to WALK WHERE GOD WALKS.
JOHN tells it very PLAINLY:
‘If we say we have fellowship with GOD & we walk in darkness we lie & do not the truth.’
GAME #2: WALKING IN DISOBEDIENCE TO GOD’S WORD:
1 John 2: 3-6 {see text scripture above}
HOW DO WE KNOW THAT WE KNOW HIM?
IF WE KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS:
We’re on an ETERNAL JOURNEY.
Take a GOOD LOOK around you.
LOOK at the ONES SITTING BESIDE of you this morning.
It COULD BE the LAST TIME you SEE THEM for a while.
We’re ALL LEAVING HERE one day!
There is ONLY TWO ETERNAL DESTINATIONS:
There is HEAVEN & there is HELL.
Now to get to HELL we don’t NEED MUCH TEACHING & TRAINING.
INBRED INTO US – FOLLOW the WORLD
But to get to HEAVEN we NEED HELP – TEACHING & TRAINING & the LEADING of the HOLY SPIRIT.
We’re LOST & CANNOT FIND OUR OWN WAY to GOD!
John 14: 1-6 ‘Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in GOD, believe also in ME. In MY FATHER’S house are many mansions, if it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. & if I go & prepare a place for you, I will come again & receive you unto MYSELF, that where I am, there you may be also. & where I go, you know, & the way you know. 5: Thomas said unto HIM, LORD, we know not where YOU’RE going; & how can we know the way. 6: JESUS said unto him, I am the way, the truth & the life; no man comes to the FATHER, but by ME.'
We’re trying to get to the FATHER’S HOUSE.
The ONLY WAY to get the way, the truth, & the life, no man comes to the FATHER, but by ME.
"I AM THE WAY."
Many people CARRY a BIBLE but in their HEART they have their OWN BIBLE that JUSTIFIES their WRONGS & the WRONGS of THOSE they LOVE.
My HOW THINGS have CHANGED in RECENT YEARS:
We have come from a day where ALMOST EVERYTHING was WRONG to a day where ALMOST NOTHING is WRONG.
Proverbs 14:12 “There is a way that seems right unto a man but the end thereof leads to death.’
We NEED GOD’S DIRECTION!
That is where the WORD of GOD comes in. It is INFALLIBLE & UNCHANGING! NEVER FAILING & WILL NOT CHANGE for ANYONE
WE CANNOT KNOW GOD & NOT LIVE BY HIS WORD:
We don’t KNOW GOD BECAUSE we KEEP HIS WORD.
That would be SALVATION by WORKS. But IF we KNOW GOD we will KEEP HIS WORD.
WHY:
Because when we GOT SAVED there was a SPIRITUAL TRANSFORMATION that took place within us. EVIDENCE of that SPIRITUAL TRANSFORMATION is that NOW we WANT to DO GOD’S WILL.
NOTHING was MORE IMPORTANT to JESUS than DOING GOD’S WILL.
In the GARDEN of GETHSEMANE: Not MY will but THINE be done.
OUR ONLY HOPE IS IN THIS WORD OF GOD!
I read a story of 2 men on board a small airplane. There was the pilot & an 80 year old passenger:
In the midst of their flight the pilot suddenly slumped over the controls & died of an apparent heart attack. Instantly the airplane began to take a nosedive.
Now this 80 year old man passenger had absolutely no flying experience.
But immediately he picked up the radio microphone & began to plead for help.
Two experienced pilots heard his pleas & they began to give him instructions of how to fly the airplane. They told him how to fly the plane. Climbing: Steering: & most importantly, Landing.
At the nearest airport the emergency vehicles were prepared for what seemed like apparent disaster.
The experienced pilots had this 80 year old novice pilot to circle the airport 3 times before they felt he was prepared to land.
Witnesses said the small plane came into the runway & it wasn’t a perfect landing for the plane skipped & jumped & slid off the runway & landed in some soggy grass before coming to a stop. However, amazingly the pilot wasn’t injured at all.
Do you know why he made it?
He acted as if EVERY WORD of those EXPERIENCED PILOTS his LIFE DEPENDED UPON. & INDEED it did!
They had been in a plane BEFORE & KNEW HOW to LAND.
SAD TODAY as many who SAY they KNOW HIM
But have such LITTLE DISREGARD for the WORD of GOD.
Matthew 7 JESUS gave a PARABLE:
The PARABLE of TWO BUILDERS:
Matthew 7:24-27
1st BUILDER built his house on the ROCK --- THE WORD of GOD
STORMS CAME – WINDS BLEW—but the HOUSE STOOD FIRM
2nd BUILDER built his house on the SAND – BITS & PIECES of the ROCK
STORMS CAME – WINDS BLEW – but the HOUSE FELL & GREAT was its FALL
The STRENGTH of a BUILDING is its FOUNDATION
It is UNSEEN – not very COSMETIC Can you AFFORD to BUILD a CHEAP FOUNDATION
But it DETERMINES the STRENGTH of the HOUSE.
Look at this NATION:
It was founded by those who wanted a place to live according to the WORD of GOD and not by the laws of man.
Look at the general CHURCH:
I heard just a couple of days ago of a major Christian denomination that voted to allow homosexuals, not just as members, but as ordained ministers and pastors.
When we openly allow SUCH GROSS SIN then WHAT can be said from the pulpit that would bring conviction and would begin a REVIVAL within the church?
We need to break away from denominational manuals & get back to preaching & living by the WORD of GOD. GOD is surely SICK of the GAMES some play while hiding behind religion!
Then LOOK at the HOMES today:
We have MORE DIVORCE RATES today than ever before.
Many SINGLE PARENTS strive to WORK & provide a living for their children without any help from the other parent. The BIBLE is seldom read or discussed in most homes today.
Yes our NATION is in bad shape but what is SADDER is the CHURCH – THE CHRISTIAN HOME – & THE PROFESSING CHRISTIAN that is PLAYING GAMES.
Close with this Scripture:
Ecclesiastes 11:9
‘Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; & let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, & walk in the ways of thine heart, & in the sight of thine eyes; but know thou, that for all these things GOD will bring thee into judgment.’
Listen to what JOHN is saying:
‘He that says he KNOWS GOD but DOES NOT KEEP HIS WORD is a LIAR & the TRUTH is NOT in him.’
Some might say JOHN is being MEAN & HATEFUL.
These are the WORDS of JOHN the DISCIPLE of LOVE, JOHN THE BELOVED
No other books in the BIBLE have the WORD LOVE in them as much as JOHN’S writings.
He says this BECAUSE HE LOVES US.
I don’t expect to have a PERFECT LANDING:
Like the 80 year old novice pilot it will no doubt be a BUMPY ONE:
But I want to be LISTENING & HEEDING to EVERY WORD from the MASTER PILOT.
