I John 2:3-11
Don’t Give God Any Excuses!
Introduction
A. One of the more enjoyable part about Kid’s Klub is the excuses
B. I hear them all
C. It wasn’t me, then why did I see you do it
D. I didn’t take it, then why is it in your hand
E. He told me to, did he do it?
F. My mom said I could, can I ask her to verify that?
G. They go on and on
H. However, we are no different, in fact I would argue worse, when it come to giving God excuses
I. WE come up with some really creative ideas
J. Let look as some of the excuses we try and give God.
II. Umm, Well you see… (3-6)
A. Explanation
1. The Only way to show that we know God is to obey his commands
2. Why would John write such a thing?
a) He wrote that section to counter act the Greeks
b) The Greeks had the idea that to know God was only intellectually. Moral obligations then were not an issue. Plato and Socrates saw no sin in homosexuality yet claimed to know God
c) After they realized the intellectual idea was wrong they then sought to find God in emotional experiences
d) This is were the whole Mystery religions came in
e) God could only be found in the emotional realms.
3. READ VS 3-6 John was reacting to these Ideas and wanted to lay down beyond a shadow of doubt and without any compromise that the only way in which we can show that we know him God is by obedience to him, the only way we can show that we have union with Christ is by imitation of him
B. Application
1. So how does this apply to ourselves today
2. We can easily fall in the trap of thinking that we can only know God intellectually or emotionally
3. With are perceived intellectual mind we easily fall in one trap or the other.
4. However John is going against both of those ideas
5. He is saying that if you truly do KNOW then you follow his commands
6. This is not one of those I follow most of His commands
7. Well you see pastor… It does not work that way!
C. Illustration
1. The other day June gave me a loaf of bread that I have do follow instructions with for 10 days. Know if by chance I choose to follow only some of the instructions, what do you think will happen. Let me tell you what will happen. June will ask me how it went and I will say well you see…. And then I would get smacked
2. I want good bread! Therefore I am going to make sure I follow those instructions.
3. I want to end up in a good place, therefore since I do know God I will follow his instructions and not use any well you see…excuses!
II. I don no (7-8)
A. Explanation
1. Dear Friends, a lot of time we translate that into Beloved. However you translated it, John uses that words a lot of times. It is like his favorite expression.
a) What he is trying to do is constantly explain his love for the people he is writing to
b) I guess that would seem kind of funny until you meant a guy like our district superintend. Rev. Zerbe. He is a guy that at every possible opportunity he is reminding people of how much he loves them.
c) Keep in mind that much of John’s letter has to do with rebuking and scolding people. Therefore John wants to make sure like a parent disciplining there child that they are doing it out of love
2. (Read Vs 7-8) it seems like he is double-talking. This is an old command but yet a new command. It seems like we have a problem allow me to try and explain.
a) First of all it is old because back with the 10 commandments one of them were Love your neighbor as yourself.
b) It is new because of Jesus. He to it to a completely new level. As Emril would say he kicked it up a notch
3. He made it so that not only do we love our neighbor but everyone at a time when the Rabbi would say “When one sinner is obliterated from earth there is joy in heaven”
4. Christ also changes the concept unconditional love. He was laughed at mocked, beaten spit upon and that is only one day. Yet he still showed love
B. Application
1. How does that affect us 2000 years later
2. This is all about love.
3. First of all the way John was writing this letter of rebuke needs to be our same attitude. We need to be reaching out in love
4. This is nothing new. This is a continuation of what was already happening.
5. This is something we have been taught for 4000 years
C. Illustration
1. One of my favorite things to do is catch a kid doing something wrong. They ask him why he did something. Let me let Bill Cosby explain what I am trying to say
2. That is exactly how we treat God.
3. Her has told us time and time again
4. And we just respond with I don no
5. This is not new stuff.
6. Stop acting like a child!
III. Yes, But…(9-11)
A. Explanation
1. John insists on love for the man that we are in daily contact
2. John will not let this love thing go
3. He understands the importance of Love
4. Read 9-11. Notice what is missing here
a) If you are in-between then you are walking in the dusk. It is not there.
b) There are only two choices. In John there is no such thing as neutrality in personal relationships
5. First of all brothers means the guy next door. Or neighbors
6. The question is how do we regard our brothers? Five different ways
a) WE can just write him off. Forget about him basically and just live our lives without worrying about our neighbors at all
b) We can treat him like we think he an idiot. Not listen to a word he says and just basically treat Him like a jerk!
c) WE can view him as a nuisance. WE could think that he is the most annoying person that we ever met in our lives.
d) We can regard him as an enemy. Completion can cause us to do this
e) Or we can regard our brother and a brother. Looking our for his needs
B. Application
1. Ok pastor I know all this is true but… you don’t have to live next door to my neighbor
2. Pastor I know but…. You have not put up with the wild parties
3. My neighbors are so annoying
4. So? That is what it boils down too. All of that could be true. But it should not affect our attitude
5. If we are to be light then let be light
6. We can not be dusk, we can only be light
C. Illustration
1. I was out mowing my Grass last week with my wonderful Electric Mower. The Mower is not bad when the grass is short. But this was the thick wet spring grass. I was have a terrible time at it. My neighbor saw me struggling to cut the grass you know what he did. He lent me his tractor! Boy did I have fun!
2. That is reaching out and loving our neighbor
3. WE have been criticized in the Christian and Missionary Alliance of loving people in Africa but hating people next door
4. That should not be, we need to show our love for the entire world
Conclusion
A. WE love giving God all kinds of excuses.
B. WE like to think that the rules apply to everyone but us
C. That is not true
D. We are to live as light
E. To live as light means to live without excuses
F. Don’t give God any Excuses!
G. Will you live as light?
