WEBVTT 544 00:29:22.414 --> 00:29:24.884 Today's text comes from 1 John 545 00:29:24.964 --> 00:29:28.384 3:11-24. 546 00:29:29.444 --> 00:29:33.304 "For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should 547 00:29:33.404 --> 00:29:37.364 love one another. We should not be like Cain, who was of 548 00:29:37.374 --> 00:29:40.224 the evil one and murdered his brother. 549 00:29:40.244 --> 00:29:43.774 And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were 550 00:29:43.844 --> 00:29:46.424 evil and his brother's righteous. 551 00:29:46.464 --> 00:29:50.344 Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. 552 00:29:50.404 --> 00:29:54.294 We know that we have passed out of death into life because we love the 553 00:29:54.344 --> 00:29:57.384 brothers. Whoever does not love abides in 554 00:29:57.404 --> 00:30:00.484 death. Everyone who hates his brother is a 555 00:30:00.544 --> 00:30:04.524 murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding 556 00:30:04.564 --> 00:30:08.504 in him. By this, we know love, that He laid down 557 00:30:08.544 --> 00:30:12.344 His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 558 00:30:12.904 --> 00:30:16.824 But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, 559 00:30:16.884 --> 00:30:20.544 yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love 560 00:30:20.604 --> 00:30:24.404 abide in him? Little children, let us not love in 561 00:30:24.444 --> 00:30:27.504 word or talk, but in deed and in truth. 562 00:30:27.544 --> 00:30:31.144 By this, we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart 563 00:30:31.224 --> 00:30:35.144 before Him. For whenever our heart condemns us, God is 564 00:30:35.184 --> 00:30:39.156 greater than our heart, for He knows everything.""Beloved, 565 00:30:39.216 --> 00:30:43.076 if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God. 566 00:30:43.096 --> 00:30:46.836 And whatever we ask, we receive from him because we 567 00:30:46.896 --> 00:30:49.756 keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 568 00:30:49.776 --> 00:30:53.636 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his son, 569 00:30:53.676 --> 00:30:57.416 Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he has commanded 570 00:30:57.496 --> 00:31:01.456 us. Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God and 571 00:31:01.516 --> 00:31:05.496 God in him. And by this, we know that he abides in us, by 572 00:31:05.536 --> 00:31:08.916 the spirit whom he has given us." This is the word of the 573 00:31:08.956 --> 00:31:10.555 Lord. You may be 574 00:31:10.676 --> 00:31:13.596 seated. 575 00:31:16.636 --> 00:31:20.516 Thank you, Mary 576 00:31:20.636 --> 00:31:21.856 Paul. 577 00:31:23.196 --> 00:31:24.476 How's it going, Raleigh? 578 00:31:25.836 --> 00:31:25.846 Whoo. 579 00:31:25.856 --> 00:31:29.796 And welcome to all of you that are tuning in online as well. 580 00:31:29.836 --> 00:31:33.616 I, I couldn't help, I w- As she was reading God's word, I couldn't help but get 581 00:31:33.676 --> 00:31:37.346 emotional. Something that we should all be excited of and very 582 00:31:37.476 --> 00:31:40.916 proud of that by the end of the year, we will have read the 583 00:31:40.976 --> 00:31:44.436 letter, First John, all together as a family. 584 00:31:44.456 --> 00:31:48.316 And I, I just, it overwhelmed me of how cool that is that we 585 00:31:48.356 --> 00:31:51.866 get to do that as a family. Um, all right. 586 00:31:51.896 --> 00:31:54.526 Let, let's get into it now. Enough of that emotional stuff, right? 587 00:31:54.696 --> 00:31:56.456 (laughs) 588 00:31:56.496 --> 00:31:59.616 How many of you, you're, you're excited about Thanksgiving? 589 00:31:59.736 --> 00:32:00.456 Whoo. 590 00:32:00.496 --> 00:32:04.016 I mean, it's Thanksgiving. You're excited, you're excited. You've got big plans. 591 00:32:04.076 --> 00:32:07.596 You've already found your eating pants. You've laid 'em out. You're ready. 592 00:32:07.606 --> 00:32:08.396 (laughs) 593 00:32:08.496 --> 00:32:11.996 You are ready. All right, that's one group, the 594 00:32:12.036 --> 00:32:13.566 excited group. Y'all settle down. 595 00:32:13.576 --> 00:32:16.406 And now, now, now there's another group. 596 00:32:16.436 --> 00:32:17.786 You're just saying you're excited. 597 00:32:18.976 --> 00:32:20.846 (laughs) 598 00:32:20.846 --> 00:32:24.656 You're just saying you're excited about Thanksgiving because the people around you 599 00:32:24.696 --> 00:32:28.026 seem to be excited. But for you, you're not so sure that you're that excited. 600 00:32:28.676 --> 00:32:30.256 And there's a couple of reasons for this. 601 00:32:30.296 --> 00:32:33.856 Multiple reasons probably, but maybe it's because someone who's very 602 00:32:33.876 --> 00:32:36.846 important to the family, they're not gonna be there this year. 603 00:32:38.296 --> 00:32:42.056 It could be that. But for others, you're not 604 00:32:42.096 --> 00:32:45.916 excited about it and maybe you're looking at Thanksgiving with a little bit of 605 00:32:45.956 --> 00:32:49.036 dread and trepidation because of who will be there. 606 00:32:49.046 --> 00:32:50.496 (laughs) 607 00:32:50.516 --> 00:32:52.396 Come on. Uh, right? 608 00:32:52.416 --> 00:32:52.446 (laughs) 609 00:32:52.476 --> 00:32:56.316 You know that person. They get there, and then they do what they do, and they 610 00:32:56.456 --> 00:32:59.916 say what they say. And the next thing you know, it's weird and awkward. 611 00:32:59.926 --> 00:33:02.006 (laughs) 612 00:33:02.016 --> 00:33:04.776 But my guess is there's a third group, too. 613 00:33:04.816 --> 00:33:07.816 So you got those that are excited, those that are like, "Uh, I'm not so excited. 614 00:33:08.276 --> 00:33:12.256 I'm just saying I'm excited." But then there's a group, you, you don't, you 615 00:33:12.336 --> 00:33:14.736 just, you just don't know what to expect. 616 00:33:14.776 --> 00:33:16.536 Maybe it's a new situation for you. 617 00:33:16.646 --> 00:33:20.006 They're, you know, it's a new family thing you've been invited into, so you don't 618 00:33:20.036 --> 00:33:22.256 know. You don't know the level of crazy or normal. 619 00:33:22.296 --> 00:33:24.096 So yeah, I mean, you just don't know. 620 00:33:24.106 --> 00:33:27.776 And maybe in a word, you would just say, "I'm a little uncertain. 621 00:33:27.856 --> 00:33:30.016 I'm a little uncertain." And I don't know about 622 00:33:30.076 --> 00:33:33.416 you, but I don't particularly 623 00:33:33.656 --> 00:33:37.616 like uncertainty. I, I want it to be stable and, 624 00:33:37.636 --> 00:33:40.476 and we just know what we're up against and what we're dealing with. 625 00:33:40.496 --> 00:33:43.176 It, it just bothers me when things are 626 00:33:43.276 --> 00:33:46.976 uncertain. And, and you think about like what Jason 627 00:33:47.016 --> 00:33:50.946 alluded to earlier, it seems like every day, there's a new cultural 628 00:33:51.096 --> 00:33:55.036 moment that's just very significant that makes me wonder, and maybe 629 00:33:55.156 --> 00:33:59.046 you too, can we be certain about anything 630 00:33:59.076 --> 00:34:02.396 at all? Is there, can we be certain about anything at 631 00:34:02.476 --> 00:34:06.116 all? And I wanna tell you about a time, a season in the life of 632 00:34:06.696 --> 00:34:08.016 m- for me and my family 633 00:34:09.956 --> 00:34:12.806 that was very significant in terms of uncertainty. 634 00:34:12.856 --> 00:34:16.436 In 2012, I suffered a near 635 00:34:16.596 --> 00:34:20.296 fatal brainstem stroke. And on the other side of that, I couldn't 636 00:34:20.356 --> 00:34:24.216 walk. I couldn't talk. And I couldn't see, and 637 00:34:24.396 --> 00:34:28.235 what was going on around me, I was swimming in uncertainty. 638 00:34:28.246 --> 00:34:31.076 And it's easy in situations like that, 639 00:34:32.336 --> 00:34:34.896 unsettled situations like that, where you just don't 640 00:34:36.076 --> 00:34:40.016 feel any kind of certainty. So for me personally, I had no 641 00:34:40.056 --> 00:34:43.436 clue what was next. I didn't know. Would I be able to walk again? 642 00:34:43.476 --> 00:34:46.066 Would I be able to talk again? Would I be able to see again? 643 00:34:46.096 --> 00:34:48.766 Would I be able to play with my kids again? 644 00:34:48.796 --> 00:34:51.336 Would I be able to provide for my family? 645 00:34:51.356 --> 00:34:55.146 And I get it, your situation is not my situation, but I would say that we've 646 00:34:55.176 --> 00:34:58.476 all been in situations, we've all been in 647 00:34:58.556 --> 00:34:59.536 situations 648 00:35:00.776 --> 00:35:04.536 where it felt at best that we were anxious and 649 00:35:04.656 --> 00:35:08.476 unsettled. And if we were, in a, you know, a word, just pick one, we 650 00:35:08.496 --> 00:35:12.416 would say, "We are uncertain." But in this series, we've been 651 00:35:12.536 --> 00:35:16.196 walking through this letter written by John, and he's been 652 00:35:16.216 --> 00:35:20.036 providing evidence and information, and I would say even tests, that 653 00:35:20.096 --> 00:35:24.076 reveal to us, that have been revealing to us that we can 654 00:35:24.136 --> 00:35:25.636 at least be certain 655 00:35:26.896 --> 00:35:29.396 on that which matters most. 656 00:35:30.296 --> 00:35:33.476 We can be certain on that which matters most. 657 00:35:33.516 --> 00:35:36.996 And as we push toward the end of the letter, and we'll get there in a few weeks, in 658 00:35:37.036 --> 00:35:40.926 chapter five, verse 13, he says, "I write these things." Here's the purpose of 659 00:35:40.956 --> 00:35:44.736 the entire letter, "I write these things to you who believes..." So 660 00:35:44.836 --> 00:35:47.656 notice that he's writing to believers, these are followers of Christ. 661 00:35:47.676 --> 00:35:51.316 "I'm writing to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that 662 00:35:51.456 --> 00:35:55.136 you may know." That you may 663 00:35:55.156 --> 00:35:58.596 know. Not that you may wonder, and that you would have doubts and be 664 00:35:58.676 --> 00:36:02.556 unsure, but that you may know that you have 665 00:36:02.596 --> 00:36:03.466 eternal life. 666 00:36:03.836 --> 00:36:04.776 Amen. 667 00:36:04.866 --> 00:36:08.816 This is about knowing with assurance that our future is certain because 668 00:36:08.856 --> 00:36:12.736 of who Jesus is, because what he, of what he's done, and because of where 669 00:36:12.796 --> 00:36:16.756 he's leading. If Jesus is the object of our faith, if we are believing 670 00:36:16.796 --> 00:36:20.676 and trusting and relying on him for our salvation, then we can live with 671 00:36:20.716 --> 00:36:24.036 great confidence that we have life 672 00:36:24.196 --> 00:36:26.496 eternal. And that's what John's writing about. 673 00:36:27.416 --> 00:36:30.956 And we come to this passage in chapter three today, he's reaching the 674 00:36:31.036 --> 00:36:34.866 core of what he's been teaching, or what he is teaching in this 675 00:36:34.916 --> 00:36:38.476 letter. And he's writing for the purpose to establish in 676 00:36:38.596 --> 00:36:40.076 us assurance, 677 00:36:41.116 --> 00:36:43.676 assurance for us as we navigate 678 00:36:43.716 --> 00:36:47.606 doubts...... as we navigate struggles and 679 00:36:47.636 --> 00:36:51.356 the difficulties of life that can creep in and 680 00:36:51.476 --> 00:36:55.156 leave us confused, that can leave us uncertain, and if we're honest, can 681 00:36:55.276 --> 00:36:57.156 even lead... leave us 682 00:36:57.216 --> 00:37:01.116 afraid. Come on, have you ever been in the middle of a surg- 683 00:37:01.196 --> 00:37:04.936 uh, situation, and you're just like, "I... I'm scared. 684 00:37:04.996 --> 00:37:07.276 I don't want to admit it." And you probably wouldn't say it out loud and you don't 685 00:37:07.296 --> 00:37:10.736 wanna say it to anybody, but you're like, "I don't know. 686 00:37:10.875 --> 00:37:13.916 I'm not sure what's next." But in the passage 687 00:37:13.976 --> 00:37:17.875 today, in the passage today, John is gonna provide 688 00:37:17.935 --> 00:37:21.836 us with two tests that will help us know and be confident of our 689 00:37:21.875 --> 00:37:24.366 connection with God and our future with God. 690 00:37:26.616 --> 00:37:29.696 Look at verse 11. Here's the first test. 691 00:37:29.756 --> 00:37:33.516 I w- l- let's just call it the love test. Look, you can see it in verse 11. 692 00:37:33.716 --> 00:37:37.085 "For this is the message that you've heard from the beginning, that we should..." 693 00:37:37.116 --> 00:37:38.816 What? What does it say? 694 00:37:39.476 --> 00:37:39.486 Love 695 00:37:39.496 --> 00:37:42.976 Come on, class. Love one another. So the love test. 696 00:37:42.996 --> 00:37:46.816 Do we love one another? And while this message is, I mean, certainly good 697 00:37:46.896 --> 00:37:50.436 news, this is not new- new news. And John, as one of 698 00:37:50.515 --> 00:37:54.476 Jesus' closest followers, heard this directly from Jesus. 699 00:37:54.516 --> 00:37:57.276 You see this in the Gospel of John in chapter 13. 700 00:37:57.316 --> 00:38:00.356 In verse 34, "A new commandment..." Jesus is speaking. 701 00:38:00.366 --> 00:38:03.056 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another. 702 00:38:03.116 --> 00:38:06.136 Just as I have loved you, you also 703 00:38:07.016 --> 00:38:10.476 are to love one another." And Jesus goes on and says this, "By 704 00:38:10.636 --> 00:38:14.176 this..." By this, by your love for one another, 705 00:38:14.196 --> 00:38:18.136 "People, all people, will know that you are my disciples." A disciple is a 706 00:38:18.216 --> 00:38:21.796 learner, is a follower. "And they will know that you are mine 707 00:38:22.375 --> 00:38:26.216 if you have love for one another." But for Jesus, he's reaching 708 00:38:26.256 --> 00:38:30.116 back even further. He goes back to the time of Moses. Moses writes this. 709 00:38:30.156 --> 00:38:32.496 You see it in Leviticus 19, verse 18. 710 00:38:32.506 --> 00:38:35.596 "You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge 711 00:38:37.016 --> 00:38:40.856 against the sons of your own people, but you shall love 712 00:38:40.916 --> 00:38:44.375 your neighbor as yourself." This is a thread that runs 713 00:38:44.416 --> 00:38:48.316 throughout all of scripture. Paul picks it up when he's writing to the believers in 714 00:38:48.436 --> 00:38:52.146 Rome, and he says, "All of the law can be summed up with 'Love your 715 00:38:52.256 --> 00:38:55.826 neighbor as yourself.'" And then he says this in chapter 13, verse 716 00:38:55.876 --> 00:38:59.216 10. "Love does no wrong to a neighbor. 717 00:38:59.236 --> 00:39:01.916 Therefore love is the fulfilling 718 00:39:02.895 --> 00:39:06.356 of the law." So when we come back to John, what is John actually 719 00:39:06.576 --> 00:39:10.536 asking? What is John's expectation? It's this. 720 00:39:10.596 --> 00:39:14.336 He's calling us for continuous displays of 721 00:39:14.395 --> 00:39:18.296 love. In our actions and inner attitude, the places we go 722 00:39:18.336 --> 00:39:21.076 and where we show up, continuous displays of love. 723 00:39:21.116 --> 00:39:24.756 Because for John, this is fundamental to being a follower of Jesus 724 00:39:25.136 --> 00:39:29.106 and a child of God. And maybe you're thinking, "What 725 00:39:29.116 --> 00:39:32.895 do these continuous displays of love look like?" Because it sounds like a 726 00:39:32.916 --> 00:39:35.486 lot. Maybe that, I mean, it... 727 00:39:35.516 --> 00:39:37.456 It's making me tired just thinking about it. 728 00:39:37.496 --> 00:39:41.076 What are you saying when you say, "Continuous displays of 729 00:39:41.116 --> 00:39:43.116 love?" Well, let me frame it for you this way. 730 00:39:43.156 --> 00:39:46.856 Maybe a tighter, better question would be, "What does love require of 731 00:39:46.895 --> 00:39:50.856 me?" What does love require of me? Because if- if I'm 732 00:39:50.936 --> 00:39:54.416 s- to love one another, well, what does love... what does that mean? 733 00:39:54.456 --> 00:39:58.356 What does that mean? Well, John here, in verse 12, starts with a negative 734 00:39:58.416 --> 00:40:01.616 e- e- example. He's saying, "This is what it doesn't look like. 735 00:40:01.676 --> 00:40:05.166 This is what's not required of you." In verse 12, he says, 736 00:40:05.496 --> 00:40:09.404 "We should not be like Cain." W- 737 00:40:09.404 --> 00:40:12.996 w- if you're walking in for the first time and you're not deep in your Bible 738 00:40:13.056 --> 00:40:15.076 reading, you're like, "Well, who the heck is Cain? 739 00:40:16.196 --> 00:40:19.956 And why would we want to not be like him?" Well, his story is 740 00:40:19.996 --> 00:40:23.796 told b- way back in the first book of the Bible, and you can find it in Genesis 741 00:40:23.876 --> 00:40:26.796 chapter 4. But here, John is gonna give us some 742 00:40:26.856 --> 00:40:30.376 commentary on what happened in that story back then. 743 00:40:30.395 --> 00:40:33.536 Which is a good s- and this is an aside. This is an aside. 744 00:40:33.556 --> 00:40:35.946 This is a good Bible study tip for us. Um. 745 00:40:35.976 --> 00:40:38.576 What does scripture say about other scripture? 746 00:40:38.586 --> 00:40:40.766 Like you're getting in a place and it's a little bit fuzzy. 747 00:40:40.796 --> 00:40:44.185 Well, what else does the Bible say about what's going on here? 748 00:40:44.236 --> 00:40:44.846 Okay, we're back. 749 00:40:44.846 --> 00:40:46.904 (laughs) 750 00:40:46.916 --> 00:40:50.696 This is what John says. John is saying this as he's looking, as he's 751 00:40:50.856 --> 00:40:52.576 looking back to the story in Genesis 4. 752 00:40:52.616 --> 00:40:55.856 He says, "While this guy Cain, he was of the evil 753 00:40:56.056 --> 00:40:59.316 one." In other words, his behavior and his 754 00:40:59.395 --> 00:41:02.936 actions, they're... It was an active display of evil. 755 00:41:02.996 --> 00:41:06.796 It was determined. The evil that he was ex- uh, spewing forth was determined, it 756 00:41:06.856 --> 00:41:10.666 was aggressive. It opposed everything 757 00:41:10.716 --> 00:41:14.616 that was good. So in John's mind, "Don't be like that. 758 00:41:14.636 --> 00:41:18.076 Don't be like that." John, uh, goes on and says, "Well, you know what? 759 00:41:18.176 --> 00:41:19.776 Cain murdered his brother. 760 00:41:20.796 --> 00:41:24.656 He murdered his brother." And the language here for this murder is 761 00:41:24.756 --> 00:41:27.156 so graphic. It literally means to cut the 762 00:41:27.236 --> 00:41:28.836 throat. 763 00:41:29.656 --> 00:41:32.916 And I don't know about you, but you're reading that and you're like, "What could've 764 00:41:33.036 --> 00:41:34.456 possibly have happened 765 00:41:36.116 --> 00:41:38.566 that that became the result?" 766 00:41:39.776 --> 00:41:42.756 And when I'm studying this and I'm wrestling with this, this is what came to my 767 00:41:42.836 --> 00:41:43.876 mind. I'm like, 768 00:41:44.816 --> 00:41:47.716 "What got him there? 769 00:41:49.276 --> 00:41:52.876 What got him there? What series of ev- 770 00:41:52.916 --> 00:41:56.895 events, what string of decisions, what happened in his childhood, what took 771 00:41:56.956 --> 00:42:00.395 place in his family that would lead Cain to think, 'You know what? 772 00:42:00.416 --> 00:42:01.456 The best option 773 00:42:02.296 --> 00:42:06.286 before me is murder'? What would get him there?" 774 00:42:06.316 --> 00:42:09.136 And so, I'm thinking, "If that got him there, is it 775 00:42:09.216 --> 00:42:12.836 possible..." Listen. "Is it 776 00:42:12.876 --> 00:42:14.576 possible for me to get there? 777 00:42:16.356 --> 00:42:19.976 Is it possible for me to get there?" So I asked myself the second question, "What 778 00:42:19.996 --> 00:42:23.596 would it take to get me there? What type of 779 00:42:23.636 --> 00:42:27.436 experience, what type of pain would lead me to take violent action?" Now, 780 00:42:27.456 --> 00:42:31.116 listen, listen. I'm not suggesting that you will respond to dry turkey or 781 00:42:31.156 --> 00:42:33.936 undercooked mac and cheese with this level of violence. 782 00:42:33.956 --> 00:42:35.216 That's not what I'm saying. 783 00:42:35.226 --> 00:42:37.236 (laughs) 784 00:42:38.236 --> 00:42:42.116 But listen to me. Listen. I don't think Cain, as he was 785 00:42:42.156 --> 00:42:44.096 mapping out his life, 786 00:42:45.476 --> 00:42:49.296 was planning on decision-making himself to a place of 787 00:42:49.336 --> 00:42:53.436 stupid.And 788 00:42:53.536 --> 00:42:57.416 maybe the problem wasn't that he planned himself towards ruin, but 789 00:42:57.536 --> 00:43:01.116 that he didn't plan himself away from it. 790 00:43:01.776 --> 00:43:03.076 See, wisdom takes work, 791 00:43:04.196 --> 00:43:07.676 it takes vigilance. I love the way Ryan Holiday 792 00:43:08.236 --> 00:43:11.676 captures this, this thought in his new book about wisdom. 793 00:43:11.716 --> 00:43:15.336 He says, "There is always more to learn, more to know, more to 794 00:43:15.416 --> 00:43:18.256 understand about the world and yourself." 795 00:43:19.536 --> 00:43:22.326 And then this is where it gets a little bit alarming for me, he says, "But the 796 00:43:22.396 --> 00:43:26.076 converse is also true." Listen, "No matter how dumb 797 00:43:26.196 --> 00:43:28.636 someone seems to be, 798 00:43:29.076 --> 00:43:31.976 (laughs) there is always room for 799 00:43:32.016 --> 00:43:33.625 surprise." 800 00:43:33.625 --> 00:43:34.725 (laughs) 801 00:43:34.725 --> 00:43:37.516 "For human stupidity is also 802 00:43:37.576 --> 00:43:40.216 infinite." 803 00:43:41.256 --> 00:43:44.556 Some of you have seen this in action. 804 00:43:44.566 --> 00:43:44.566 805 00:43:45.536 --> 00:43:47.676 And sometimes the actor may have been you. 806 00:43:49.236 --> 00:43:49.246 (coughs) 807 00:43:49.256 --> 00:43:52.926 But here's the problem, when infinite stupidity 808 00:43:53.136 --> 00:43:54.716 meets tempting opportunity, 809 00:43:55.776 --> 00:43:59.536 the outcomes can get disastrous really, really, really 810 00:43:59.656 --> 00:44:03.375 quick. When we go over to Genesis to the 811 00:44:03.576 --> 00:44:06.826 story, the original story in chapter 4, 812 00:44:07.996 --> 00:44:11.456 when you look at verse 7, there's a conversation going on between God and 813 00:44:11.516 --> 00:44:12.116 Cain. 814 00:44:13.016 --> 00:44:16.856 And it says there, God speaking to Cain, "If you do 815 00:44:16.896 --> 00:44:20.636 well, will you not be accepted? And if 816 00:44:20.676 --> 00:44:24.396 you do not do well," look at this, this is alarming to me, 817 00:44:24.406 --> 00:44:28.356 "sin is crouching at the door. Its desire 818 00:44:28.416 --> 00:44:32.356 is contrary to you, but you must 819 00:44:32.416 --> 00:44:36.156 rule over it." He's letting us know, he's 820 00:44:36.216 --> 00:44:40.006 reminding us sin is a threat, it's always, it's always crouching, 821 00:44:40.036 --> 00:44:41.375 it's ready to pounce 822 00:44:43.396 --> 00:44:46.676 when we least expect it, when we're ready or if we're not. 823 00:44:47.476 --> 00:44:51.076 And if we're not ready, listen, listen, if we're not ready, we 824 00:44:51.216 --> 00:44:54.996 have no chance to rule over it. We have no 825 00:44:55.116 --> 00:44:58.976 chance to rule over it. And when we continue in John's story as he's 826 00:44:58.986 --> 00:45:02.585 talking about Cain's demise, what went wrong? He asks the question, "Well, why? 827 00:45:02.615 --> 00:45:06.356 What went, what happened here?" And he answers it and says, "Because his 828 00:45:06.436 --> 00:45:09.676 own deeds were evil and his brother's were righteous." 829 00:45:10.736 --> 00:45:12.316 Now when you think about context, because 830 00:45:13.156 --> 00:45:16.386 if you've been here for the last few weeks, this looks back up, you can see that 831 00:45:16.386 --> 00:45:20.176 he's given an example from verse eight in this chapter, and he's talking about what 832 00:45:20.216 --> 00:45:21.706 he'd been talking about in verse 10. 833 00:45:21.756 --> 00:45:24.395 So when you're reading back through this later, notice the 834 00:45:24.446 --> 00:45:28.176 connections. But what happens here when John asks the question, 835 00:45:28.536 --> 00:45:32.456 it reveals not only a problem that Cain has, it reveals a problem that 836 00:45:32.556 --> 00:45:35.696 I have, and it reveals a problem that you have. 837 00:45:35.716 --> 00:45:39.376 It's a heart problem. It's a heart problem. 838 00:45:39.436 --> 00:45:42.666 You and I have heart problem, what are we gonna do with these matters of the heart? 839 00:45:42.676 --> 00:45:45.176 But look at the sequence in the life of Cain. 840 00:45:45.236 --> 00:45:48.116 Jealousy led to hatred, and hatred led to murder. 841 00:45:48.196 --> 00:45:51.766 What seems like often in our lives, like small 842 00:45:51.776 --> 00:45:55.676 decisions that could be insignificant, they can 843 00:45:55.776 --> 00:45:59.236 spiral and result in massive 844 00:45:59.296 --> 00:46:03.176 destruction. What John is getting to is this idea that our inner nature, our inner 845 00:46:03.216 --> 00:46:06.836 nature, what's going on in our heads and in our hearts will 846 00:46:06.956 --> 00:46:10.016 overflow in how we act and how we behave. 847 00:46:10.956 --> 00:46:14.916 Instead of ruling his anger, instead of ruling his jealousy, instead of ruling his 848 00:46:14.936 --> 00:46:18.836 resentment, Cain allowed it to rule him, and it resulted 849 00:46:18.956 --> 00:46:21.016 in an action that he couldn't walk back. 850 00:46:21.056 --> 00:46:24.736 Now I don't know about you, but I don't wanna be on the wrong side of a decision 851 00:46:24.776 --> 00:46:28.336 that I've made that I can't walk back. 852 00:46:29.576 --> 00:46:32.256 And so let me ask you, this is the portion of the message where I get in your 853 00:46:32.276 --> 00:46:33.476 business, 854 00:46:35.176 --> 00:46:38.816 what are you allowing to rule you? 855 00:46:41.136 --> 00:46:44.465 What are you allowing to rule 856 00:46:44.516 --> 00:46:46.376 you? 857 00:46:48.876 --> 00:46:52.656 You see, 'cause what we, how we deal with 858 00:46:52.716 --> 00:46:54.326 what we have to deal with 859 00:46:56.756 --> 00:47:00.496 is a big deal. How we deal with what we have to 860 00:47:00.616 --> 00:47:03.996 deal with is a big deal, because our 861 00:47:04.036 --> 00:47:07.716 response says something about us. 862 00:47:07.796 --> 00:47:11.236 Our response reveals something that's going on in our 863 00:47:11.296 --> 00:47:13.356 heart. 864 00:47:14.276 --> 00:47:17.696 John in verse 13 says, "Do not be surprised, brothers, that the 865 00:47:17.776 --> 00:47:21.626 world hates you." Uh, let me just 866 00:47:21.696 --> 00:47:25.566 remind us that evil has been trying to disrupt, destroy, and 867 00:47:25.656 --> 00:47:28.376 overcome, overcome good since the beginning. 868 00:47:29.036 --> 00:47:32.806 And this love/hate language, this is the strongest language, the 869 00:47:32.916 --> 00:47:36.476 strongest expression of our em- our emotions. 870 00:47:36.496 --> 00:47:39.136 And this is what John is really pressing into 871 00:47:40.696 --> 00:47:44.576 in this part of his letter. And he's just reminding us, listen, if you're 872 00:47:44.636 --> 00:47:45.766 a follower of Christ, 873 00:47:46.895 --> 00:47:50.356 if you're a follower of Christ, how you look to a watching world should be 874 00:47:50.395 --> 00:47:53.036 noticeably different than what the world is offering. 875 00:47:53.076 --> 00:47:56.236 The look of love looks very different. 876 00:47:57.356 --> 00:47:59.676 And how do we know that there's a difference? 877 00:47:59.696 --> 00:48:03.076 He says in verse 14, "We know that we have passed out of death into 878 00:48:03.156 --> 00:48:06.776 life." Well, what can we know? We can know that there, a 879 00:48:06.796 --> 00:48:10.296 move has happened, that we have moved from death to life. 880 00:48:10.336 --> 00:48:14.236 The word pass means that there has been a movement from one place to 881 00:48:14.256 --> 00:48:17.776 another, and here he's talking about a spiritual movement that has 882 00:48:17.836 --> 00:48:19.376 happened. Well, how is it revealed? 883 00:48:19.416 --> 00:48:21.976 How can we know that this movement has taken place? 884 00:48:22.016 --> 00:48:25.956 He says it's because of our love for the brothers, and it's do- this is not just 885 00:48:26.016 --> 00:48:29.136 limited to guys, he's talking about the whole family here. 886 00:48:29.216 --> 00:48:32.876 It is revealed, it is revealed in our love for others. 887 00:48:32.936 --> 00:48:36.736 John is not saying that loving others earns our eternal life, what he is saying 888 00:48:36.756 --> 00:48:40.356 that it is evidence that a transformation has 889 00:48:40.395 --> 00:48:44.256 taken place. But what could be alarming and what you need to notice alongside 890 00:48:44.266 --> 00:48:47.876 this is if there is not love for others, that is 891 00:48:47.936 --> 00:48:51.156 evidence as well. It's evidence that a 892 00:48:51.196 --> 00:48:53.496 transformation has not 893 00:48:53.556 --> 00:48:56.928 occurred.And I was wrestling with this. 894 00:48:56.988 --> 00:49:00.108 This, this seems like hard, you love or you hate? 895 00:49:00.128 --> 00:49:02.668 But I don't know about you, maybe you've experienced this. 896 00:49:02.708 --> 00:49:06.208 Have you ever bumped into someone and they're just ... 897 00:49:06.288 --> 00:49:10.228 they're easy to love? You're like, "Man, I like 898 00:49:10.308 --> 00:49:13.848 you. We could hang out." And then there's, there's times you bump into 899 00:49:13.888 --> 00:49:16.868 someone, they're, they're not easy to love but they're easy to 900 00:49:17.048 --> 00:49:18.408 ... 901 00:49:19.468 --> 00:49:22.968 they're easy to hate. You're like, you're three seconds in their presence and you'd 902 00:49:22.988 --> 00:49:25.558 like to fry their jaw. (smacking sound) 903 00:49:25.558 --> 00:49:25.578 (laughing) 904 00:49:25.578 --> 00:49:26.508 Like what is that? 905 00:49:27.408 --> 00:49:31.168 And where does that even come from, right? 906 00:49:33.308 --> 00:49:35.928 But where are we ... where ... what if we're in the middle of that? 907 00:49:35.948 --> 00:49:39.808 We know that we are to love others, but we have 908 00:49:39.848 --> 00:49:42.928 this connection and we have this relationship and it's difficult and it's heavy 909 00:49:43.948 --> 00:49:46.448 and we're trying to navigate our way through it. 910 00:49:46.488 --> 00:49:49.468 For those of you that are in that place with some of your relationships, I would 911 00:49:49.528 --> 00:49:51.088 just encourage you, 912 00:49:52.088 --> 00:49:55.348 look at the trajectory. What's going on in your heart? 913 00:49:55.648 --> 00:49:59.348 Maybe the hating that you hate, it's a good 914 00:49:59.408 --> 00:50:03.368 indicator that transformation is occurring, that you're moving 915 00:50:03.448 --> 00:50:06.268 in the right direction. And this is a big deal. 916 00:50:06.348 --> 00:50:10.108 It's a big deal that we need to wrestle with because he says in verse 15, "Everyone 917 00:50:10.148 --> 00:50:12.708 who hates his brother is a murderer." 918 00:50:14.588 --> 00:50:17.568 See, we think hate's hate and murder's murder, but here they're 919 00:50:17.608 --> 00:50:21.288 equated. John is equating one's inner attitude with one's 920 00:50:21.348 --> 00:50:23.688 overt actions. But where did John get this 921 00:50:23.708 --> 00:50:27.448 thinking? Where did John get this thinking? 922 00:50:27.488 --> 00:50:28.728 Where did this come from? 923 00:50:30.028 --> 00:50:30.448 He heard it 924 00:50:31.248 --> 00:50:32.728 from the mouth of Jesus. 925 00:50:33.868 --> 00:50:37.268 In the Sermon on the Mount, this is what Jesus says, "You have heard it said to 926 00:50:37.288 --> 00:50:40.928 those of old, 'You shall not murder and whoever murders will be 927 00:50:41.088 --> 00:50:42.478 liable to judgment.'" 928 00:50:43.468 --> 00:50:46.708 Well, I mean, we could agree with that. That, that all sounds good. 929 00:50:46.748 --> 00:50:50.408 Yes, murder is bad, judgment on someone who does murder, that seems good. 930 00:50:50.448 --> 00:50:54.308 But then Jesus levels it up when he goes on and continues to say, "But I 931 00:50:54.328 --> 00:50:57.948 say to you, everyone who is angry with his brother will be 932 00:50:57.988 --> 00:51:01.728 liable." And he goes on and says, "Whoever insults his brother 933 00:51:02.008 --> 00:51:05.907 will be liable. Whoever says, 'You fool,' will be liable." Now 934 00:51:06.028 --> 00:51:09.488 I don't know what your Thanksgiving table could be like, but some of this back half 935 00:51:09.548 --> 00:51:12.608 stuff, maybe it's there. 936 00:51:14.128 --> 00:51:18.008 And this is why Paul encourages those of us as followers of Christ 937 00:51:18.428 --> 00:51:22.388 that we should constantly be examining ourselves and testing ourselves 938 00:51:22.868 --> 00:51:26.728 to see whether we are in the faith. He says in Second 939 00:51:26.768 --> 00:51:30.588 Corinthians 13, "Examine yourselves. Examine yourselves. 940 00:51:30.668 --> 00:51:32.348 Test yourselves. 941 00:51:33.208 --> 00:51:37.018 Make sure you're not failing the test." And how can we know if we 942 00:51:37.048 --> 00:51:40.208 meet the test? And then John goes to a positive 943 00:51:40.268 --> 00:51:44.078 example. Look at verse 16. This is what love looks like. 944 00:51:44.108 --> 00:51:47.428 He gives us a supreme example of love, "By this we know 945 00:51:47.508 --> 00:51:51.348 love, that he laid down his life." We 946 00:51:51.428 --> 00:51:55.328 can know Jesus, we can know Jesus not in concept 947 00:51:55.348 --> 00:51:59.228 but in relationship. And as John is unpacking this, what we see is that Jesus 948 00:51:59.268 --> 00:52:01.218 denied himself and he took up our ... 949 00:52:01.248 --> 00:52:05.168 his cross for our benefit, and now John is challenging us that we should 950 00:52:05.208 --> 00:52:08.118 deny ourselves, that we should take up our cross for the benefit of 951 00:52:08.188 --> 00:52:12.148 others. And what does that mean? It 952 00:52:12.188 --> 00:52:15.037 means being selfless and sacrificial. 953 00:52:15.068 --> 00:52:16.618 This is what the life of faith looks like. 954 00:52:16.648 --> 00:52:19.168 This is what it means to follow the example of Jesus. 955 00:52:19.188 --> 00:52:22.528 It means loving another will cost you something. 956 00:52:22.548 --> 00:52:24.328 Amen. 957 00:52:25.948 --> 00:52:29.508 So just to recap where he's been. He's talking about love hate, the love hate 958 00:52:29.528 --> 00:52:32.578 test. Hate is negative and it seeks to harm of others. 959 00:52:32.628 --> 00:52:35.618 Love is positive and it seeks the welfare of others. 960 00:52:35.668 --> 00:52:39.108 Hate leads to hurtful activity. Love is other, 961 00:52:39.168 --> 00:52:42.968 others-oriented. Hate is haughty. Hate is self-righteous. 962 00:52:43.008 --> 00:52:45.188 Love is humble, it is sacrificial. 963 00:52:45.248 --> 00:52:48.448 Following the example of Cain, it can result in murder. 964 00:52:48.488 --> 00:52:51.888 Following the example of Jesus, it can come with great 965 00:52:52.608 --> 00:52:56.578 ... or at great personal cost. And so let me just ask you, what's going on in 966 00:52:56.608 --> 00:52:58.988 your head? What's going on in your heart? 967 00:52:59.028 --> 00:53:01.748 Because this is the battleground. 968 00:53:01.768 --> 00:53:05.688 This is the battleground of the love hate test. 969 00:53:05.768 --> 00:53:09.028 We should be examining ourselves and asking ourselves this 970 00:53:09.528 --> 00:53:12.768 often. Often. 971 00:53:13.448 --> 00:53:16.227 And then John practically shows us, well, how can we 972 00:53:16.308 --> 00:53:19.128 tell? How can we tell which way we're moving? 973 00:53:19.168 --> 00:53:22.398 How can we tell if we have a good trajectory here? 974 00:53:22.408 --> 00:53:26.188 He, he says in verse 17, "But if anyone goes, if anyone has the 975 00:53:26.228 --> 00:53:28.728 world's goods and sees his brother in need 976 00:53:30.368 --> 00:53:34.008 yet closes his heart against him, how does God's 977 00:53:34.208 --> 00:53:38.048 love abide in him?" So when you see someone in need, when you see a need that needs 978 00:53:38.068 --> 00:53:40.448 to be met, what's your first response? 979 00:53:40.508 --> 00:53:44.048 Is your heart open or is your heart closed? Are, are you soft? 980 00:53:44.058 --> 00:53:48.028 Do you have a soft heart in that situation or are you cynical? 981 00:53:48.038 --> 00:53:50.698 Are you generous or are you stingy? 982 00:53:50.728 --> 00:53:53.748 These things reveal things about our heart. 983 00:53:53.788 --> 00:53:57.618 Love is willing to surrender, it's willing to enrich the life of another. 984 00:53:57.628 --> 00:54:01.528 And here at Raleigh Campus, in this season, there are multiple things 985 00:54:01.548 --> 00:54:05.358 going on that you can be involved with that are, that are low-hanging fruit in 986 00:54:05.408 --> 00:54:07.878 how you can serve others and love others. 987 00:54:07.908 --> 00:54:10.888 In Garner, we, we're doing the Miracle Mall. 988 00:54:10.928 --> 00:54:13.868 What an opportunity to get in and meet the needs of families there. 989 00:54:13.888 --> 00:54:17.068 The Community Caroling will be a opportunity here at Raleigh. 990 00:54:17.088 --> 00:54:20.848 And let's just say, can we all agree we liked it better when it was Caroling with, 991 00:54:20.888 --> 00:54:21.588 with Corey? 992 00:54:23.108 --> 00:54:26.328 But either way, we'll go with caroling, you know, Community Caroling. 993 00:54:26.348 --> 00:54:30.068 And then at Apex, they, they're gathering bikes, you know, Bikes for 994 00:54:30.148 --> 00:54:33.788 Hope. So are you standing around? Listen, are you standing around waiting to be 995 00:54:33.888 --> 00:54:37.778 served or are you looking for opportunities to make an impact on the 996 00:54:37.828 --> 00:54:41.428 life of another by serving them selflessly? 997 00:54:43.488 --> 00:54:47.368 And then John implores us, "Let us not love in word or talk 998 00:54:47.468 --> 00:54:49.218 but in deed or in truth." 999 00:54:50.128 --> 00:54:52.688 John is letting us know that love does. 1000 00:54:52.708 --> 00:54:56.668 It's not expressed in mere talk or in sentiment but it's 1001 00:54:56.768 --> 00:55:00.472 in actions and in deeds.And that brings us to the test 1002 00:55:00.482 --> 00:55:03.912 question. Remember, we said this was a test, so here's the test question. 1003 00:55:03.992 --> 00:55:06.022 Do I love only in speech, 1004 00:55:07.392 --> 00:55:09.792 or do I love in sacrificial action? 1005 00:55:12.052 --> 00:55:15.842 Is my so-called love limited to my 1006 00:55:15.892 --> 00:55:19.272 heartfelt post on social media? 1007 00:55:20.932 --> 00:55:24.772 Or maybe the good intentions that float through my head? 1008 00:55:24.812 --> 00:55:27.782 Maybe, come on, uh, this is the season, you guys are busy, you're all 1009 00:55:27.812 --> 00:55:31.772 important. Does your schedule hinder you 1010 00:55:31.871 --> 00:55:34.612 from loving others? 1011 00:55:36.792 --> 00:55:40.302 And John has reminded us that we are to love one another (laughs) 1012 00:55:40.432 --> 00:55:44.032 He's given us a negative example, he's given us a positive example, and as we round 1013 00:55:44.072 --> 00:55:47.752 the corner in verse 19, he's gonna start building towards our second 1014 00:55:47.872 --> 00:55:51.772 test. So the first test, the love test, love-hate test, 1015 00:55:51.792 --> 00:55:55.692 and now he's moving towards a second test to give us encouragement and confidence 1016 00:55:55.772 --> 00:55:58.872 as we fight for certainty in our faith 1017 00:55:59.032 --> 00:56:02.972 journey. In verse 19 and 20, he's gonna bring up matters 1018 00:56:03.032 --> 00:56:06.872 of the heart. He's gonna bring up matters of the heart, and we will see that 1019 00:56:06.912 --> 00:56:08.282 our heart can both assure us 1020 00:56:09.672 --> 00:56:13.252 and condemn us. In 19, he uses the word again, 1021 00:56:13.292 --> 00:56:16.952 know. If we can know, we can know, we can know, it's not, 1022 00:56:16.962 --> 00:56:20.852 "Uh, I wonder, I'm not certain, I don't know." No, you can know. 1023 00:56:20.892 --> 00:56:24.352 You can know. This is not about hoping. But notice his clarity. 1024 00:56:24.372 --> 00:56:27.712 He doesn't frame this as a question. He gives it as a statement. 1025 00:56:27.722 --> 00:56:31.002 "We are of the truth." 1026 00:56:32.412 --> 00:56:35.782 He is reminding us of our sure identity and our origin in 1027 00:56:35.832 --> 00:56:37.952 Christ. 1028 00:56:39.612 --> 00:56:43.212 According to the second part of verse 19, our hearts can be 1029 00:56:43.252 --> 00:56:47.082 reassured. And I don't know about you, but in seasons of uncertainty, what do you 1030 00:56:47.152 --> 00:56:50.912 have to do to find some assurance, some rest, some reassurance 1031 00:56:51.012 --> 00:56:53.472 before Him? See, the heart is so tricky. 1032 00:56:54.232 --> 00:56:58.132 It is so tricky. Look at verse 20. You can see, our heart condemns us. 1033 00:56:58.152 --> 00:57:01.352 But notice how John responds with such optimism. 1034 00:57:01.392 --> 00:57:05.202 He says, he, he's optimistic though because he sees God is greater 1035 00:57:05.372 --> 00:57:08.591 than our heart, and He knows 1036 00:57:08.612 --> 00:57:12.232 everything. When we approach God, we are approaching the one who knows 1037 00:57:12.312 --> 00:57:14.792 everything about our hearts. He knows what's what. 1038 00:57:16.972 --> 00:57:20.332 And He has already told us all the way back in chapter two verse one that we have 1039 00:57:20.352 --> 00:57:22.252 an advocate, we're not in this alone. 1040 00:57:22.312 --> 00:57:26.161 We have someone who is interceding for us, we have a helper, we have one that's 1041 00:57:26.172 --> 00:57:28.642 gonna encourage us and one that's gonna comfort us. 1042 00:57:29.832 --> 00:57:33.432 And he says in 21, "If our heart doesn't condemn, we have confidence before 1043 00:57:33.472 --> 00:57:37.052 God." And the confidence that he's talking about is access 1044 00:57:37.792 --> 00:57:40.652 to the throne room where the decisions of the universe are 1045 00:57:40.692 --> 00:57:44.452 made. He's talking about prayer. He's talking about 1046 00:57:44.552 --> 00:57:48.052 prayer and he mentions it here the first time in his letter, and I love the image 1047 00:57:48.092 --> 00:57:51.932 that he uses. He says, "Before God," which is 1048 00:57:51.972 --> 00:57:55.062 this idea of a face-to-face relationship. 1049 00:57:55.072 --> 00:57:58.922 And he says in 22, "When we ask." He's talking about 1050 00:57:59.052 --> 00:58:02.812 prayer. He's talking about a connection and a conversation with God, and he's 1051 00:58:02.872 --> 00:58:06.672 pointing out, he's pointing out here that answered, answered 1052 00:58:06.812 --> 00:58:10.032 prayer, answered prayer is not merely 1053 00:58:10.892 --> 00:58:14.392 a fortuitous circumstance. It didn't happen by good luck. 1054 00:58:14.432 --> 00:58:18.092 It is a specific response from God because we are 1055 00:58:18.172 --> 00:58:21.592 yielding to Him and being obedient to His 1056 00:58:21.632 --> 00:58:24.721 commands. And it's a condition, but not the cause of answered prayer. 1057 00:58:27.112 --> 00:58:29.592 And we are invited to come boldly to God 1058 00:58:30.612 --> 00:58:33.472 because of the work of Jesus Christ. 1059 00:58:33.512 --> 00:58:36.892 You see, Jesus kept God's commandments perfectly when we didn't. 1060 00:58:36.952 --> 00:58:40.842 He kept, He com- He kept God's commandments perfectly when 1061 00:58:40.872 --> 00:58:44.632 we couldn't. He kept God's commandments perfectly when we 1062 00:58:44.692 --> 00:58:45.022 wouldn't 1063 00:58:46.192 --> 00:58:49.152 because of the shape of our heart. And when it comes to prayer, let me give you 1064 00:58:49.212 --> 00:58:53.132 another aside. When, when it comes to prayer, it's not, it's rare that we 1065 00:58:53.252 --> 00:58:54.122 ask too much. 1066 00:58:55.952 --> 00:58:59.242 In fact, because of our guilt and our shame and because of things that have gone on 1067 00:58:59.242 --> 00:59:02.692 in our past, we are more likely to ask too little. 1068 00:59:02.732 --> 00:59:06.372 And I wanna challenge you. What big prayers are you praying? 1069 00:59:06.392 --> 00:59:08.512 What big prayers should you be praying? 1070 00:59:08.532 --> 00:59:11.512 Because you know what's going on in your life, you know what's going on in the life 1071 00:59:11.552 --> 00:59:14.472 of your family, you know you should be leaning in. 1072 00:59:14.552 --> 00:59:18.422 I want to remind you of who you should be praying to or who you are praying to. 1073 00:59:18.992 --> 00:59:22.942 And it makes me think of the words in a John Newton hymn where he reminds us that 1074 00:59:22.992 --> 00:59:26.572 you are coming to a king, large petitions would you bring, 1075 00:59:26.912 --> 00:59:30.832 for his grace and power are such that none can ever ask 1076 00:59:30.912 --> 00:59:34.802 too much. What are you going after in prayer before the 1077 00:59:34.892 --> 00:59:37.132 King of Kings and Lord of Lords? 1078 00:59:39.232 --> 00:59:43.081 Don't go short on your prayers. John sums up this section in 23 and 1079 00:59:43.232 --> 00:59:43.792 24. 1080 00:59:45.072 --> 00:59:49.012 He says, "This is the commandment that we believe in the name of 1081 00:59:49.072 --> 00:59:52.732 His son, and love one another." John calls for an 1082 00:59:52.772 --> 00:59:55.392 explicit belief in Christ 1083 00:59:56.432 --> 00:59:58.492 and an active love for one another. 1084 00:59:58.552 --> 01:00:02.202 Love for others flows from belief in Christ, and belief and 1085 01:00:02.292 --> 01:00:06.162 love are connected. You cannot have one without 1086 01:00:06.172 --> 01:00:07.352 the other. 1087 01:00:08.432 --> 01:00:12.132 Believing in Christ is trusting in who He 1088 01:00:12.252 --> 01:00:15.812 is. It's trusting in what He has done, and it is 1089 01:00:15.892 --> 01:00:19.432 trusting in where He is leading. And it's 1090 01:00:19.512 --> 01:00:23.102 trusting where He's leading. And it's trusting where He's 1091 01:00:23.232 --> 01:00:27.092 leading. It's trusting where He's leading even when 1092 01:00:27.112 --> 01:00:31.012 it doesn't make sense and it makes you feel anxious and it makes you feel 1093 01:00:31.132 --> 01:00:34.972 uncertain. But trusting in where He's leading, what that 1094 01:00:35.072 --> 01:00:35.752 looks like, 1095 01:00:37.312 --> 01:00:40.872 what that looks like is doing what He says. 1096 01:00:41.532 --> 01:00:44.992 And this is the second test, the obey and abide 1097 01:00:45.072 --> 01:00:46.692 test. 1098 01:00:48.452 --> 01:00:52.192 Are you trusting Him enough to obey and do what He says? 1099 01:00:52.252 --> 01:00:55.692 Are you willing to remain? In verse 24, that's where you see the word 1100 01:00:55.712 --> 01:00:59.472 abide. We've seen it throughout this series. 1101 01:00:59.492 --> 01:01:01.772 It means to remain, it means to trust. 1102 01:01:01.792 --> 01:01:05.182 And for John, abiding is the epitome...... 1103 01:01:05.212 --> 01:01:09.032 of trusting Christ. Trusting Christ will result in confident 1104 01:01:09.112 --> 01:01:10.152 assurance for us 1105 01:01:10.992 --> 01:01:12.732 and love and action towards 1106 01:01:12.812 --> 01:01:15.012 others. 1107 01:01:18.022 --> 01:01:19.512 And the test question for us: 1108 01:01:20.552 --> 01:01:22.992 Am I obeying God's two foundational 1109 01:01:23.032 --> 01:01:26.692 commandments; faith in Jesus 1110 01:01:27.192 --> 01:01:28.412 and love for other people? 1111 01:01:30.652 --> 01:01:34.642 Now listen, these, these tests are not meant 1112 01:01:34.672 --> 01:01:35.292 to crush 1113 01:01:36.172 --> 01:01:39.632 or discourage Christ followers. They're meant to give us 1114 01:01:39.892 --> 01:01:43.612 assurance. They're meant to give us confidence. 1115 01:01:43.632 --> 01:01:46.452 But they're also there for another reason. 1116 01:01:46.512 --> 01:01:50.492 To nudge us just in case there is even a 1117 01:01:50.632 --> 01:01:52.452 little bit of spiritual 1118 01:01:52.572 --> 01:01:55.492 drift. And that can be 1119 01:01:55.632 --> 01:01:59.592 tough, but a loving God doesn't want us to 1120 01:01:59.612 --> 01:02:03.512 drift in a wrong direction. Now, earlier 1121 01:02:03.712 --> 01:02:04.312 I mentioned 1122 01:02:05.112 --> 01:02:07.712 a very uncertain time for my family in the wake of my 1123 01:02:07.832 --> 01:02:09.192 stroke, 1124 01:02:10.072 --> 01:02:13.092 and when we talk about love and action, 1125 01:02:14.012 --> 01:02:16.872 it's, it can get easy for us to dismiss it. 1126 01:02:16.912 --> 01:02:19.612 We can say things like, "Someone else'll step 1127 01:02:19.692 --> 01:02:22.572 up. Someone else'll do 1128 01:02:22.612 --> 01:02:26.552 it." And dependent on your level of cynicism, you could 1129 01:02:26.592 --> 01:02:29.222 look at a situation at, at a family and 1130 01:02:29.272 --> 01:02:33.252 say, "That's not so much. They should be able to 1131 01:02:33.292 --> 01:02:35.642 handle that themselves." 1132 01:02:37.012 --> 01:02:38.012 I want to share with you 1133 01:02:41.572 --> 01:02:45.492 how my perspective was changed. When we were 1134 01:02:45.552 --> 01:02:49.132 in a mess and completely overwhelmed and not sure what to do 1135 01:02:49.212 --> 01:02:51.632 next, 1136 01:02:52.572 --> 01:02:54.592 a group of people showed up. 1137 01:02:56.412 --> 01:03:00.052 We didn't ask. They showed up and they prayed and they 1138 01:03:00.132 --> 01:03:03.712 provided. They prayed for us and they provided for us. 1139 01:03:03.732 --> 01:03:06.532 And by providing, uh, uh, 1140 01:03:06.672 --> 01:03:08.712 mealss, 1141 01:03:09.652 --> 01:03:12.952 gift cards. They ran errands, like taking our kids to their 1142 01:03:13.032 --> 01:03:14.771 practices. 1143 01:03:15.672 --> 01:03:18.872 And listen, I know that on the giving end 1144 01:03:20.112 --> 01:03:22.932 some of that can seem insignificant and it's not that 1145 01:03:22.972 --> 01:03:24.572 much. 1146 01:03:25.532 --> 01:03:28.292 On the giving end, that's not that much, uh, it's no big 1147 01:03:28.352 --> 01:03:30.792 deal. 1148 01:03:33.052 --> 01:03:35.332 But I want you to know 1149 01:03:37.372 --> 01:03:39.392 that it is not insignificant 1150 01:03:41.252 --> 01:03:42.752 on the receiving end. 1151 01:03:44.552 --> 01:03:47.892 It is not insignificant on the receiving 1152 01:03:47.952 --> 01:03:51.092 end, and as Christ followers we have a significant 1153 01:03:51.192 --> 01:03:54.832 opportunity to make an impact on the world around 1154 01:03:54.912 --> 01:03:55.252 us. 1155 01:03:57.152 --> 01:04:00.212 Even with what might seem like small 1156 01:04:00.392 --> 01:04:04.372 things, small acts, insignificant, 1157 01:04:04.382 --> 01:04:06.252 they can change someone's 1158 01:04:06.292 --> 01:04:09.732 perspective, and when one 1159 01:04:09.852 --> 01:04:13.272 person's perspective changes, 1160 01:04:14.772 --> 01:04:17.692 that could be a catalyst for changing the 1161 01:04:17.732 --> 01:04:21.712 world. And so when I look back on that season of 1162 01:04:21.772 --> 01:04:25.672 uncertainty and I think it through, I can only respond with 1163 01:04:25.752 --> 01:04:26.512 gratitude 1164 01:04:27.372 --> 01:04:31.232 that my perspective was changed on how God loves 1165 01:04:31.352 --> 01:04:34.372 and how he's at work in the world. And let me tell 1166 01:04:34.412 --> 01:04:37.412 you, I hope you come to that realization 1167 01:04:38.312 --> 01:04:41.212 during this season as well. Let me pray for 1168 01:04:41.252 --> 01:04:43.012 you. 1169 01:04:44.772 --> 01:04:45.612 Dear Heavenly Father, 1170 01:04:46.892 --> 01:04:47.772 I'm so grateful 1171 01:04:50.032 --> 01:04:51.932 that even in s- uncertainty 1172 01:04:52.892 --> 01:04:56.572 we can be certain of your love towards us 1173 01:04:57.672 --> 01:05:01.392 because of the sacrificial, sacrificial love and 1174 01:05:01.472 --> 01:05:05.312 acts of your Son. Thank you, thank you, thank you, 1175 01:05:05.352 --> 01:05:09.232 and may we look at that and may your love and acts 1176 01:05:09.292 --> 01:05:13.232 frame everything that we do and think during this season, and that we 1177 01:05:13.272 --> 01:05:14.052 would respond 1178 01:05:15.152 --> 01:05:17.952 only with gratitude. And it's in your Son's name we pray. 1179 01:05:18.692 --> 01:05:20.972 Amen.