When We Shall Be Like Him Sermon by Vernon L Caruthers, 1 John 3:1-3

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When We Shall Be Like Him

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When We Shall Be Like Him Series

Contributed by Vernon L Caruthers on Feb 13, 2010 (message contributor)

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Scripture: 1 John 3:1-3

Summary: This is the 6th sermon from 1st John. This message deals with Jesus' Returning for HIS children & the change that shall take place. It ends with a plea for pure & holy living, being ready for HIS coming.

Sermons from 1st John 1st February 14, 2010

Sermon #06: WHEN WE SHALL BE LIKE HIM:

‘Behold, WHAT MANNER of LOVE the FATHER has BESTOWED UPON US, that we should be CALLED the SONS of GOD, therefore the WORLD KNOWS US NOT, because IT KNEW HIM NOT. Beloved, NOW WE ARE the SONS of GOD & it does not yet APPEAR WHAT WE SHALL BE. For we KNOW that when HE SHALL APPEAR, WE SHALL BE LIKE HIM; for WE SHALL SEE HIM as HE is. & EVERY MAN that has this HOPE in HIM PURIFIES HIMSELF even as HE is PURE.’

Introduction:

I have GOOD NEWS to SHARE with us this morning. Are you READY?

GOD LOVES US. Let’s PERSONALIZE it; GOD LOVES ME.

There is NO GREATER SUBJECT in the entire WORLD than the LOVE of GOD.

OUR GOD is a LOVING GOD.

SIGN LANGUAGE is a BEAUTIFUL WAY to EXPRESS the BIBLE’S GOOD NEWS.

In SIGN LANGUAGE the SIGN for LOVE is like this. It is as if we were HUGGING OURSELVES.

& that is a WONDERFUL DESCRIPTION of GOD’S LOVE toward us. It is like GOD HUGGING US in a WARM & LOVING EMBRACE. There are TIMES when we can actually FEEL the ARMS of GOD EMBRACING US. Those are PRECIOUS TIMES!

GOD LOVES US!

& the GOOD NEWS of the BIBLE is that GOD has put HIS ARMS AROUND US & that HE has NOT ONLY TOUCHED US through WHAT HE has DONE in the PAST but HE CONTINUES to TOUCH US by WHAT HE DOES in the PRESENT & HE has SAVED the BEST for the FUTURE.

This is NOT NEWS that gets GOOD in the BEGINNING & then FADES AWAY as it PROGRESSES but this is GOOD NEWS that gets GOODER & GOODER & BETTER & BETTER as it GOES ALONG.

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& JOHN BEGINS in the 3rd CHAPTER VERSE #1 with GOD’S LOVE for us in the PAST.

This LOVE of GOD for us BEGAN LONG AGO BEFORE we were ever BORN.

1 John 3:1-2 a ‘Behold, what manner of love the FATHER has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of GOD. Therefore the world does not know us because it did not know HIM. Beloved, now are we the sons of GOD

JOHN begins with an OUTBURST of ASTONISHMENT & AWE & WONDER:

‘Behold; what manner of LOVE.’

The PHRASE JOHN USES is so much MORE COLORFUL when we LOOK AT IT through the LANGUAGE of the NEW TESTAMENT.

What JOHN is saying is this:

This LOVE is SO UNUSUAL & SO UNHEARD OF & SO FOREIGN; WHERE does SUCH LOVE come from? From WHAT COUNTRY does THIS LOVE COME FROM?

It is an OUT of THIS WORLD LOVE that GOD has BESTOWED on us.

In other words, the LOVE of the FATHER is SO UNEARTHLY & SO FOREIGN to the WORLD in which THEY LIVED; he WONDERED WHAT WORLD does SUCH LOVE come from. JOHN had NEVER SEEN SUCH LOVE until he MET JESUS!

We could TRANSLATE 1 John 3:1 like this:

‘BEHOLD, WHAT PECULIAR, -- OUT of this WORLD KIND of LOVE that the FATHER has BESTOWED upon us.’

UNTIL JESUS CHRIST came to EARTH & DWELT & MINISTERED among MANKIND, the WORLD has NEVER HEARD of SUCH LOVE.

LOVE in the GREEK CULTURE of THAT DAY was WHAT LOVE is in SO MANY PLACES TODAY;

We DO SOMETHING NICE for SOMEONE & THEN they TURN AROUND & DO SOMETHING NICE for us in RETURN. We KEEP SCORE on ONE ANOTHER.

But the LOVE GOD HAS is DIFFERENT!

It is a LOVE that GIVES of ITSELF & DOESN’T EXPECT ANYTHING BACK in RETURN.

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#2: GOD’S PROVISION of LOVE for US in the PRESENT:

WE ARE GOD’S CHILDREN:

Now as JOHN begins to WRITE about this he says:

‘BELOVED, what OUT of this WORLD ----- KIND of LOVE ------ GOD has GIVEN to US --- that WE should be CALLED the SONS (CHILDREN) of GOD.

So OVERWHELMING is this LOVE that GOD actually CALLS us NOW HIS CHILDREN.

We CANNOT BE CALLED ANY GREATER than GOD’S CHILDREN.

& we ACTUALLY ARE HIS CHILDREN.

Now if THAT doesn’t cause us LIGHT OUR FIRE this morning then OUR WOOD is WET!

We have become SO UNITED & SO RELATED with OUR FATHER that the WORLD looks at the FATHER & at US in the SAME WAY. We’re GOD’S CHILDREN.

JOHN goes on to say to us: The WORLD DOESN’T LIKE US –

The WORLD DOESN’T LIKE US --- BECAUSE --- we are the CHILDREN of GOD.

But don’t be UPSET about that --- They DIDN’T LIKE JESUS EITHER!