I John 2:28-29 (Part 2)

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And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.

THE STUDY:

It is obvious to the fact there are two parts to this verse: 1) John is telling his readers that if they know in their hearts “that he is righteous,” 2) they also will learn to know that righteous Christians are born of him. John is reminding the believers that Jesus is “the Righteous One” (2:1)?^[1] This may be something the Gnostics didn’t believe and is one of the cornerstones to the believer’s teachings.

We know that this verse is pointing ahead in the letter so we can interpret “born of him,” as referring to God. The overall thought in this verse is the understanding that everyone should know that the Father and the Son are “Righteous” and that those who practice righteousness are believers as well. As a believer we will be known by what we live and what we live is what we believe to be the truth.

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away, this morning, with the understanding that, as a believer, knowing the Father and Son to be righteous is evident in our lives by what we practice: Righteousness. We do right because we are re-born of it. We long to please the Father more than ourselves. It is His will not ours that rules us.

• Is it more important for the will of God to be done in our lives or is there still a battle between our will and His? Let those around us today see the righteousness that’s been re-born in us. Let them see Jesus!

CONCLUSION:

It was Leigh Richmond, who dropped a gospel tract on the pavement in England and prayed that a bad man would pick it up.

          A bad man did pick it up. He carried the tract with him to prison and he was converted, and he wrote Pilgrim’s Progress, which turned millions to righteousness. He was John Bunyan.

          I pray that through our righteousness, others may become believers.

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953-2001). Vol. 14: New Testament commentary : Exposition of James and the Epistles of John. New Testament Commentary (288). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

I John 2:28-29 (Part 1)

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And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.

THE STUDY:

          These two verses form a bridge between two chapters. Verse 28 is a brief summary of chapter 2. The next verse is a prelude to chapter 3. Both verses are short and because of their respective contents, they do not form a unit. For this reason, some scholars place a division between these two verses. For the sake of conformity to the chapter divisions, however, we include them in chapter 2.^[1]

          John uses the phrases “little children” and “abide in him” at the beginning of this verse. I am not going to address these phrases due to the fact that it has already been discussed in earlier devotionals. The thing that may be obvious to us but appears not so obvious to those who John is writing to is the phrase “when he appears.”

Believers understand that Jesus will return. John mentions the first coming of Jesus in the flesh—“our hands have touched” in 1:1. In chapter 2 he writes about the certainty of Jesus’ second coming (v. 28). The epistle has few references to his appearing, but this verse and 3:2 are clear in presenting the truth of Christ’s return.^[2]

How do believers respond to the news of Jesus’ return? They obey God’s commands, continue in Christ, and are confident at the prospect of Jesus’ return (compare 3:21). The word confident actually means that believers readily, frankly, and boldly speak about their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. They communicate their faith.^[3]

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away, this morning, with this question in mind: How do we communicate our faith? As a believer we know Christ is returning! As a believer we are to remain in him and follow his commandments. This is some of the ways we communicate His return.

CONCLUSION:

          In communicating our faith we must be confident in the promises found in the Bible. Both the Old and New Testaments are filled with promises of the Second Coming of Christ. There are 1,845 references to it in the Old Testament, and a total of seventeen Old Testament books give it prominence.

 Of the 260 chapters in the entire New Testament, there are 318 references to the Second Coming, or one out of 30 verses. Twenty-three of the 27 New Testament books refer to this great event. For every prophecy on the First Coming of Christ, there are 8 on Christ’s Second Coming.

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953-2001). Vol. 14: New Testament commentary : Exposition of James and the Epistles of John. New Testament Commentary (287). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

^[2] Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953-2001). Vol. 14: New Testament commentary : Exposition of James and the Epistles of John. New Testament Commentary (287). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

^[3] Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953-2001). Vol. 14: New Testament commentary : Exposition of James and the Epistles of John. New Testament Commentary (288). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

^[4] Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times. Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.

I John 2:27 (Part 2)

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But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.

THE STUDY:

          I keep repeating to you that John is reacting to a false teaching of Christ. This is radiating from the Gnostic's and John is reminding the believers that they have all they need in Christ.

          “His anointing teaches you about all things.” That is, the Spirit of Christ will teach the believer everything (John 14:26) and will guide him in distinguishing truth from error. All believers receive the Holy Spirit and all of them are equally equipped to oppose those teachers who proclaim the lie instead of the truth.^[1]

          The heart of this verse, however, lies in the last three words which form a command to have fellowship with Christ. The encouragement is direct: “abide in him.” In view of John’s reference to Jesus’ return (v. 28), the words in him relate to Jesus Christ.^[2]

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• As a believer, we walk away with the understanding that Jesus is all we need. There is a passage of scripture that sums this up, “I (Jesus) am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6) Jesus is the way: The way we should think, the way we should act, and the way we should talk. Jesus is the truth in our life and that truth will set us free. Jesus is the life we should live.  

CONCLUSION:

          I remember walking into the Nazarene church for the first time. I was scared, nervous, and even a little intimidated, but after hearing the song, “He’s All I need,” I realized this group of people was not people who I needed to fear, to be nervous around, or even intimidated by. They were people just like me who needed Jesus.

          In this walk with God I can testify to this: Everything I need, to live a life that is pleasing to God, is found in Jesus. Everything you need this day is found in Christ. Don’t forget what you already know, Jesus is all you need.

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953-2001). Vol. 14: New Testament commentary : Exposition of James and the Epistles of John. New Testament Commentary (285–286). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

^[2] Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953-2001). Vol. 14: New Testament commentary : Exposition of James and the Epistles of John. New Testament Commentary (286). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

I John 2:27 (Part 1)

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But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.

THE STUDY:

          John mentions “the anointing,” a topic he introduced earlier (v. 20). He seems to imply that the readers received the gift of the Holy Spirit, that is, their anointing, at the time of their conversion. This is a possession they received from Jesus Christ and which remains with them (II Cor. 1:21–22).^[1]

          “You do not need anyone to teach you.” These words are reminiscent of Jeremiah’s prophecy, “No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord, ’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,’ declares the Lord” (Jer. 31:34; Heb. 8:11).^[2] Is John saying there is no need for preachers, Sunday School teachers, evangelist, and such? Of course not! These individuals are vital to the continuation of one’s growth in Christ. What John is saying is that believers have no need of deceivers who try to teach false doctrine. They have the gift of the Holy Spirit who leads them in all truth (John 16:13).^[3]

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• As a Youth Pastor I remember a game we would play that involved leading. The teens would pair up and one person would have a blind fold placed over their eyes and the other person would lead them through a maze filled with obstacles. The first round would be rather easy. The leader would take the one blindfolded through the maze by their hand. The second round would present a little more difficult task. The one blindfolded was to be lead through the maze by the voice of the leader. The final round was the person blindfolded being lead through the maze by the voice of the leader but with music being played in the background.

• For the blindfolded person, the first round was easy. The second round was a little more difficult but still accomplish-able. The final round was the most difficult. Two reasons why: 1. You needed to have faith in the one who was leading you. 2. You needed to listen more intently to the leader who was calling out the instructions.

CONCLUSION:

         

  

          Church, we need to have faith in the truth: the word of God, the Holy Spirit that dwells inside of us and we need to be listening more intently to that which dwells inside of us: the Spirit of God! He is speaking to us; we just need to listen to the truth.

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953-2001). Vol. 14: New Testament commentary : Exposition of James and the Epistles of John. New Testament Commentary (285). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

^[2] Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953-2001). Vol. 14: New Testament commentary : Exposition of James and the Epistles of John. New Testament Commentary (285). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

^[3] Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953-2001). Vol. 14: New Testament commentary : Exposition of James and the Epistles of John. New Testament Commentary (285). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

I John 2:26

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I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.

THE STUDY:

          What needs to be understood in this verse is that John is not just writing to the readers of his day. The statement, “those who are trying to deceive you” is a PRESENT ACTIVE PARTICIPLE. There are deceivers in every age (Matt. 7:15; 24:11, 24; II John 7). These deceivers are often sincere religious individuals with a messed up theology or doctrine.

          Many of us have used the phrase, “Wolf in sheep clothing.” John is referencing this phrase and warning those who know the truth to remain in the truth. This same truth will need to be used to detect those who are out to “deceive” us.

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We all know when we are doing something wrong. I believe it is in our DNA to detect, wrong intentions, wrong thoughts, wrong actions, and wrong motives within ourselves. What we try to do, to get around this, is make excuses for these actions and, over time, become numb to it.

• As believers we need to come ALIVE in Christ and allow the Spirit to be our barometer. John knew that the believers of his day were in the truth and the truth would protect them, We know the truth today as well. Let that truth be our protector against the wolves that are amongst us.

CONCLUSION:

           I love the comic strip “Peanuts” written by Charles Schulz. Every football season I think about Lucy encouraging Charlie Brown to kick a field goal. Charlie Brown would question her intentions and knew, deep down in his heart, he was going to be deceived. He would approach the ball and the battle would rage in his head, will she move the ball or not? He goes to kick the ball and right at the last minute Lucy moves the ball. Charlie Brown was deceived by Lucy time and time again. What if Charlie Brown would have had someone with him telling him he was going to be deceived by Lucy?

          Just as John was warning those who were being deceived, we have someone warning us about being deceived today! That person is the Holy Spirit. Let’s keep our eyes open today for the deception that awaits us. Don’t be a Charlie Brown or a Lucy! 

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

I John 2:24-25 (Part 2)

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²⁴Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father.

²⁵And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life.

THE STUDY:

           In 1 John eternal life is identified with, or said to be found in, Jesus Christ, God’s Son (5:11). He, in fact, is eternal life (5:20), the eternal life that was with the Father from the beginning (1:2). Those who believe in the Son have eternal life (5:13). Those who acknowledge Jesus Christ have the Son (and the Father) (2:23), and those who have the Son have eternal life (5:12). To have the Son, to believe in his name, is to have eternal life in the here and now. But, in line with primitive Christian belief, the author can also speak of eternal life as something ‘promised’ to believers, something they will experience in the future (2:25).^[1]

          John may have encountered, in this day and time, the delusional understanding and teachings of Jesus Christ. The adding too or the taking away from this teaching may have prompted this statement, “And this is the promise ..”! Rest assured, what God promises; in the past, in the present, or in the future, will always be.

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away this morning with the understanding that this promise from God is made possible through Christ; one who believes, acknowledges and accepts Christ. But, what many may have forgotten or have never been told is that this promise is not only for the here and now but for the future. Eternity with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is the PROMISE!

CONCLUSION:

           As a human, we have a hard time comprehending “eternity.” As a believer, spending eternity with God is the final, and ultimate, reward. So how long is eternity?

          High up in the North, in the land called Svithjod, there stands a rock. It is 100 miles high and 100 miles wide. Once every 1000 years a little bird comes to this rock to sharpen its break. When the rock has thus been worn away, then a single day of eternity will have gone by.

—Hendrick Willen Van Loon^[2]

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Kruse, C. G. (2000). The letters of John. The Pillar New Testament commentary (107). Grand Rapids, Mich.; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans Pub.; Apollos.

^[2] Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times. Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.

I John 2:24-25 (Part 1)

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²⁴Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father.

²⁵And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life.

THE STUDY:

          This morning we read this passage and we should be reminded of verses 1:1 “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard” and 2:7 “Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning.” With the rebuking of this Gnostic teaching, again, John is referring back to the beginning what you heard from the beginning.

          We, as parents, have disciplined our children. In doing this we have said things like, “you know better than that!” What are we really saying? We have taught them from the beginning how to behave and every once in while they slip up and we have to remind them by leading them back to the very beginning of what we taught them. John is doing the same thing by referring his flock back to what they were taught from the very beginning.

          Not only does John take them back to the beginning but he reminds them to what he is referring too: abide in you. This is the very thing they have heard, been taught, and have believed in from childhood: about the Son and the Father. John is reminding them to remain in the Son and in the Father.  

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away with this morning understanding that in or times of valleys or troubles we need to go back to the beginning: What we have been taught and what we understand as the truth. There are going to be days, when our faith is challenged, when the lies from Satan get us to question and doubt, or when we our physically weak! When those days come let us “abide” (remain) in the truth of Jesus Christ and of the Father.

CONCLUSION:

           I was talking with the dean of an American college some years ago. She shared a story about a woman who for the last four years had taken the same course in algebra even though she had passed it the first time.

          The dean inquired of her for an explanation. The woman said she was so tired of arguing with her neighbors about everything in the world that she wanted to study something she couldn’t argue about.

          Mathematical calculations certainly do not change. Two times two will eternally be four. And that truth is authoritative as well as eternal.

          The same is true with the Word of God. It is authoritative and eternal. When in doubt during your life, go back to the truth! It will never changed nor will it ever left you.

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

I John 2:22-23 (Part 2)

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Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.

THE STUDY:

          As we have been reading through this book of the Bible (I John), John has been combating these false teachings by the Gnostics, especially from one of its leaders: Cerinthus! He was the leader of a group of Christians who had Gnostic tendencies. He apparently believed that the world was created not by God but by a lesser being (called the Demiurge) or by angels, one of whom gave the law to the Jews. Cerinthus also taught that Jesus was an ordinary man, upon whom “the Christ” descended at his baptism. This divine power revealed the transcendent and unknown God. This “Christ” abandoned Jesus before his crucifixion.^[1]

          John states that the one who denies Jesus, also denies the Father and this person is the antichrist. These are strong words but it is something that was needed to be said, especially from the leadership.

          John goes on to say, No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. Two things are happening in verse 23; 1) John is reiterating the fact that the only way to the Father is through the Son and 2) Confession of Christ before men is a prerequisite for confession by Christ before the Father.^[2]

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away this morning with the understanding of the importance of confession. The bible says in Romans 10:9-10, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.   For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

• Any sin that has not been confessed is detrimental to our relationship with Jesus. There is nothing that so takes the joy out of life like unconfessed sin. Confessed sin releases us into a life that is free in Christ.

CONCLUSION:

          To lighten the mood a bit, I ran across this story:

          Four preachers met for a friendly gathering. During the conversation one preacher said, "Our people come to us and pour out their hearts, confess certain sins and deeds. Let's do the same. Confession is good for the soul." In due time all agreed. One confessed he liked to go to movies and would sneak off when away from his church. The second confessed to liking to smoke cigars and the third one confessed to liking to play cards. When it came to the fourth one, he wouldn't confess. The others pressed him saying, "Come now, we confessed ours. What is your secret or vice?" Finally he answered, "It is gossiping and I can hardly wait to get out of here."

           

          Let us remember, the way to the Father is through the Son who requires all believer’s to confess their sins.

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Elwell, W. A., & Comfort, P. W. (2001). Tyndale Bible dictionary. Tyndale reference library (261). Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers.

^[2] Robertson, A. (1997). Word Pictures in the New Testament (1 Jn 2:23). Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems.

I John 2:22-23 (Part 1)

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Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.

THE STUDY:

 I find it interesting the fact that John asked a question and then answered it in the same sentence. This is done in today culture. We use this technique if we are really trying to stress a point. We see this on TV in those police shows. They say to the crook, “Who stole the jewels?” And before the crook can answer, the cop says, “You did!” They know he did it; they just wanted him to confess. John may be doing the same thing in this verse.

From the general context, we cannot say that John is speaking to Jewish opponents who refused to accept Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah. John is opposing Gnostic teachers who taught that Jesus was a man who lived and died. During Jesus’ public ministry, the Gnostics said, the Christ descended upon him and gave him divine power from the time of his baptism to the time of his suffering. At the conclusion of Jesus’ suffering, Christ departed. To the Gnostics, then, Jesus was not the Christ. And John says that the person who proclaims this teaching is a liar. More than that, says John, he is the antichrist.^[1]

         

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• This morning we walk away with the understanding that issues of this nature need to be addressed. Sometimes they can be handled behind closed doors in a very mild manner. But then there are times when we will have to address these types of issues publically. No one likes confrontation, but if the Gospel of Jesus Christ is being lied about, like John, someone needs to take the pastoral stance.

CONCLUSION:

          I see, more and more every day, the attempted to water down the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I hear so many excuses, which may be good excuses, in the world’s eyes, but in the realm of the Gospel it could lead to a false doctrine. I have seen good people turn from their upbringing, their beliefs, even their faith in order to appease others. Church, let us not compromise the Gospel to appease man. Look for the lies in the world today and rebuke them and continue on in the truth.

           

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953-2001). Vol. 14: New Testament commentary : Exposition of James and the Epistles of John. New Testament Commentary (281). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

I John 2:21

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I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth.

THE STUDY:

          We get the sense, again, that John is addressing the readers as a pastor would address his congregation. He writes, “I write to you, not because you do not know the truth.” The readers are fully familiar with the truth in Jesus Christ, so that John has no need to communicate the gospel to them. We assume that John writes these words to the readers to remind them that they are not without the truth. In fact they have the ability to use the truth in their opposition to Gnostic teachers who deny Jesus as the Christ. Does John write his epistle only to combat Gnosticism? No, he writes for the following reasons.

“But [I write] because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth” (italics added). The readers know the truth and they are able to detect the lie by exposing it in the light of the truth. Truth and light are the opposites of the lie and darkness.^[1]

           

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away this morning with the understanding that knowing the truth is one of the most effective ways in combating the lies of Satan. I believe every Christian would say, “Amen” to this but not every Christian is in the TRUTH: the Bible! As a matter of fact statistics show something very alarming. Readership of the Bible has declined from the 1980s overall, from 73% to 59% today. The percentage of frequent readers, that is, those who read the Bible at least once a week, has decreased slightly over the last decade, from 40% in 1990 to 37% today. About one American in seven reports an involvement that goes beyond reading the Bible. Fourteen percent currently belong to a Bible study group. In terms of frequency of readership, 16% of Americans say that they read the Bible every day, 21% say they read it weekly, 12% say they read the Bible monthly, 10% say less than monthly and 41% say that they rarely or never read the Bible.[2]

CONCLUSION:

          Martin Luther revealed to us the priority of the Word of God in ones life. When Luther walked into the presence of Charles V and other powerful persons at the Diet of Worms, April 1521, to answer charges of heresy and to hear a possible death sentence, an old knight was heard to say: “Little monk, I like the step you take but neither I nor any of our battle comrades would take it.”

During a high moment in the trial, Martin Luther exclaimed:

I do not accept the authority of popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other—my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. God help me. Amen.^[3]

Brothers and Sisters in Christ, let our lives be placed on the foundation of the WORD OF GOD; The TRUTH!

           

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953-2001). Vol. 14: New Testament commentary : Exposition of James and the Epistles of John. New Testament Commentary (279). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

[2]www.centerforbibleengagement.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=23&Itemid=7

^[3] Jones, G. C. (1986). 1000 illustrations for preaching and teaching (85). Nashville, TN: Broadman Press.

I John 2:20

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But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.

THE STUDY:

          This morning we are going to look at verse 20. John was combating the Gnostic view which emphasized their own special reception of the Spirit. John responds by emphasizing that only those who have received true anointing are the ones who hold fast to what has been given them, namely, the correct confession of Jesus as the Christ.

          We, as believers in Christ, will face this in our world today. There are organizations and cultish clans teaching a theology that is very close to the Gospel of Christ but it is a false doctrine. There are groups that claim to be Christians but in their teachings they are adding to or taking away from the Gospel of Christ.

          How do we recognize these teachings? How do we combat these false doctrines? We do this through our Knowledge of Christ and his teachings. Some translate this verse “and you all know” (NASB) while others translate it “and all of you know the truth” (NIV) The bottom line is we will know Christ by reading and studying his word while walking with Him daily.

 

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• This morning we walk away with the understanding that there is only one true God. We know this through our walk with Him, through our devotional time with Him, and through our anointing by Him.

CONCLUSION:

The world today has so many things to offer. When I was in High School I had three sports to participate in; football, basketball and baseball. That was it! But in today’s world our children have so many choices when it comes to sports. Religion is not different in today’s culture. There are so many different religions to choose from, so many gods to worship. But there is only one true God.

           

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

I John 2:19

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They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.

THE STUDY:

          Five times in this verse John uses the word us. In the original John writes “from us” four times and “with us” once. He wants to make sure that the reader understands that those whom he calls antichrists have left the church because they really did not belong to the church. The antichrists leave but the members of the church remain. Not those who deny the Christ are important, but the believers. And for this reason, John stresses the pronoun us at the end of every clause.^[1]

          In a negative manner, many of God’s people have experienced someone leaving the church, leaving a marriage, or leaving a ministry. What we find in many (NOT ALL) of these situations is a commitment that has been broken. Not between man and his fellow servants but between man and God. We have to understand there are wolves in sheep clothing amongst the church. We don’t like to admit this but there are and how we handle them is what’s important.

          John omits the details of this situation he is writing about, but we assume that the original readers knew the situation and had vivid memories of the tension that eventually caused the departure of the unbelievers. If you noticed John was more concerned with those who stayed than he was with those who left. John was taking a group of people who has been through a very traumatic time and was rallying the troops (Believers).  

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• I believe 90% of pastor in America have been through a difficult time such as disgruntled members leaving the church. I believe 90% of God’s children have been a part of, involved with, or helped try and salvage a broken marriage. Whatever the situation may be, God will always rally the troops (Believers). He is faithful and just and will make it better than it was due to the faithfulness of those who believe.  

CONCLUSION:

          I read a statistic once that said 95% of people don’t have a problem with Jesus; they have a problem with the church. You can read this two different ways but the fact of the matter is this, if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land (2 Chron. 7:14). If the people who belong to the church of Jesus Christ would emulate the characteristics of Jesus Christ, if the believers would be like Christ in their marriages, we would not have the problems we have today in our churches and society as a whole. Let us be like Jesus and not like the world.

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953-2001). Vol. 14: New Testament commentary : Exposition of James and the Epistles of John. New Testament Commentary (276). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

I John 2:18

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Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.

THE STUDY:

           Again, John addresses the reader in an intimate way by calling them “Children.” This is also referring to John as a pastor leading his flock. The phrase, “the last hour” is something that is viewed in many different ways. The dominant sense of the expression last days, in the New Testament, is that of a period of suffering and struggle preceding a divine victory. Hence the phrase here does not refer to the end of the world, but to the period preceding a crisis in the advance of Christ’s kingdom, a changeful and troublous period, marked by the appearance of “many antichrists.”^[1]

          Antichrist refers to someone who stands against Christ, or one who stands instead of Christ.^[2] While the false Christ is merely a pretender to the Messianic office, the Antichrist “assails Christ by proposing to do or to preserve what he did, while denying Him.” Antichrist, then, is one who opposes Christ in the appearance of Christ.^[3]

          To bring this into our world today, we face difficulties each and every day. We know, as believers, that during these periods of suffering and struggles there is a divine victory coming. We can rest assured that as a follower of Jesus we have VICTORY! But with this understanding, we need to be warned to the fact that there will be attacks by the antichrist.

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We can walk away with the understanding that in this day and time we will have sufferings and struggles. But VICTORY is ours! We have read the end of the Bible, Jesus wins!

CONCLUSION:

          The cocoon of the emperor moth is flask-shaped. In order for the perfect insect to appear it must force its way through the neck of the cocoon in hours of intense struggling. It is believed that the pressure to which the moth’s body is subjected is a provision of nature for forcing the juices into the vessels of the wings.

          A person was witnessing this struggle once, and out of pity took the point of some scissors and snipped the confining threads to make the exit easier, but the moth’s wings never developed, and it spent its brief span of life crawling instead of flying through the air on rainbow wings.

          Look not with false pity on God’s children who suffer. As men we are inclined to be shortsighted. God would have us inspire their courage in the midst of it by remembering His love, and then looking for the glory to come out of it. ^[4]Let us look at the struggles of life as a time for building up instead of ripping down. The antichrist in the world wants to take the credit for the victory but the one who gets the praises for the victory in our lives should be Jesus.

         

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Vincent, M. R. (2002). Word studies in the New Testament (1 Jn 2:18). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

^[2] Vincent, M. R. (2002). Word studies in the New Testament (1 Jn 2:18). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

^[3] Vincent, M. R. (2002). Word studies in the New Testament (1 Jn 2:18). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

^[4] Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times. Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.

I John 2:17

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And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

THE STUDY:

           This morning we need to look at the brief existence of worldly people, pleasures, and desires. If we place our interest in that which is here today and gone tomorrow, we reap a harvest of instability, stumbles in the darkness of sin and, because we have cast our lot with the world and face a similar end. “For this world in its present form is passing away” (I Cor. 7:31).

However, the child of God is secure, for he possesses eternal life. [Let me be sure you understand, this is not the teachings of “Eternal Security” but the teachings of a continual personal relationship with Christ. In this relationship we can have the promise of being one of God’s eternal children.] What a contrast! The person who loves the world soon passes away, “but the man who does the will of God lives forever.” John echoes Jesus’ words: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 7:21; also I Peter 4:2). When the will of man is in harmony with the will of God, the Christian has fellowship with the Father and the Son that lasts forever ^[1]

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away this morning with the understanding that our focus, interest, desires, and passion needs to be that of God! The world offers many things and there is nothing wrong with having these things. The problem arises when those worldly things supersede our relationship with Christ.  

CONCLUSION:

          I remember purchasing these nice chairs that went with the decor of the kitchen. They were these high bar stool chairs that were cast iron. My wife loved how they fit nicely up under the high counter top in the kitchen. My wife would not let our children sit on them and eat or drink anything. Living in the parsonage, we would have people over from time to time and they would bring their children. This would cause my wife to get a little nervous when it came time to eat. The kids would always want to eat at the counter.

          Long story short, those same chairs now sit down stairs in the basement. Over time those chairs have lost their value in my wife’s eyes. It wasn’t until my wife realized those chairs were becoming more to her than the will of God. She realized it was more important to build relationships than build a nicely decorated house.

          This morning, if there is any worldly things that may be taking the place of the Will of the Father, remove it and get things back in the order that was originally intended, God first, family, second, everything else third!

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953-2001). Vol. 14: New Testament commentary : Exposition of James and the Epistles of John. New Testament Commentary (272–273). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

I John 2:16 (Part 3)

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For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world.

THE STUDY:

          John lists the third tendency in words that cannot be translated easily. Translators provide a number of equally valid versions. Here are some representatives:

“The pride of life” (KJV, NKJV, RSV)

“The boastful pride of life” (NASB)

“All the glamour of its life” (NEB)

“The life of empty show” (NAB)

“Pride in possessions” (ESV)

“The boasting of what [man] has and does” (NIV)

The reason for these numerous variations lies in two Greek words: “boast” and “life.” The first word means the boasting of a braggart or impostor (compare James 4:16). This boasting may even approach the point of arrogant violence. The second denotes life with respect to actions and possessions. The person who brags about his deeds and goods expresses “lust for advantage and status.”^[1]

          What I tend to find in a person who boast about what he or she has materially is a person who is insecure about themselves. They find their identity in the material things they have and fill or replace that which is missing inside their heart. As a believer we know what is missing; Jesus. Finding contentment in Christ fills the void that has been missing since the fall of man. We cannot replace that with the world. If we try to do this, John tells us we are not from the Father but ….. from the world.

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away with the understanding this morning that the void that has been in our hearts and lives for all these many years can only be filled with the original occupant, Jesus Christ. Nothing else will suffice.

CONCLUSION:

          Paul tells us to live victoriously and to avoid excesses of the flesh. Moody once illustrated this truth as follows: “Tell me,” he said to his audience, “How can I get the air out of this glass?” One man said, “Suck it out with a pump.” Moody replied, “That would create a vacuum and shatter the glass.” After many impossible suggestions, Moody smiled, picked up a pitcher of water, and filled the glass. “There,” he said, “all the air is now removed.” He then went on to show that victory in the Christian life is not by “sucking out a sin here and there,” but rather by being filled with the Spirit.

          My prayer for you today is that you not try and fill that void in your life with material things of this world but with the original occupant of that void, Jesus Christ!

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953-2001). Vol. 14: New Testament commentary : Exposition of James and the Epistles of John. New Testament Commentary (272). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

I John 2:16 (Part 2)

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For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world.

THE STUDY:

           Friday we started into verse 16 and discussed the issue of the world. John reveals three aspects; cravings, lust, and boasting. Friday we addressed the issues of craving. Today we are going to look at lust. John writes, For all that is in the world …. the desires of the eyes, and brings out an issue that many don’t like to admit to or talk about; lust!

          The NIV translates this passage with the words “craving” and “lust” but in the Greek they are the same word. To help us better understand, the NIV translators decided to use different words to express Johns thoughts. Nothing wrong with this, it just needs to be mentioned.

John is speaking with the understanding that the world may look good and may tempt us to desire it instead of God but this is not the longing of God. It is not a sin to desire a nice house, car, better job, or a lot of money. Where the problem lies is the heart. When we desire these things “in our heart” more so than desiring a healthy relationship with God, we have a problem. As a matter of fact John says someone who desires what they see more so than desiring God is not from the Father. Remember, John is dealing with a group that believes in God but they also believe they have a “more excellent way” to spiritual things. This group was bent more toward the world than the ways of Jesus.

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

What we can walk away with this morning is the understanding that the world may entice, intrigue, or even bait us into seeing good in it more so than seeing good in God. But let us never take our eyes off Jesus. Let us never forget how sin entered into the world, by Adam and Eve, and Satan tempting them with power and beauty, “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.” (Gen. 3:6)

CONCLUSION:

          This was a letter to Dear Abby: “Since I am a pastor with 43 years’ experience, I’d like to offer this suggestion to the inexperienced young minister who didn’t know how to handle a very bold woman in his congregation who had designs on him. “Whenever I noticed a romantic twinkle in the eye of a woman in my congregation, I always checked to make sure it wasn’t caused by a reflection from the gleam in my own. The Rev. Walter Cowen.”^[1]

          Let us be watchful of Satan’s temptations and keep our EYES ON JESUS!

         

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times. Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.