Crumbling Mountains! (I John 5:3)

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.

THE STUDY:

          I think we touched on the aspect of keeping God’s commandments yesterday. Verse 2 stated “obey” his commandments. That word tells us to “do” whereas the word found in verse 3 “keep” means TO GUARD! Either way, God’s commandments are to be obeyed and kept.

          What I want to point out this morning is the last part of this verse, And his commandments are not burdensome. John does not consider the commands of God a burden to be endured. Rather, when Christians obediently embrace them, we give evidence of our new, divinely given life. That new life is lived in victory because God empowers us so we can obey.^[1]

                   

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• So we walk away this morning with the understanding that what God requires of us is not something we cannot do but something we can do through His power, His grace, and His love. Through Him we are able to have VICTORY in our lives.

CONCLUSION:

            I am sure you have talked with someone and they have said these words, “I can’t do it,” “I am not strong enough,” “Following God is too hard.” As a believer we should not be surprised when we hear this. I have an old saying that I heard from someone, “If it was easy everyone would be doing it.” “Anything worth having is going to be hard.”

          But the thing that you and I know is, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13) So, today as you face the difficulties of life, when it seems to hard, when you feel like giving up, remember this passage and recite it in the face of Satan and watch those mountains crumble.

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Williamson, R. (2010). 1, 2, & 3 John: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. New Beacon Bible Commentary (158). Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press.

Circle Of Love (I John 5:2)

By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments.

THE STUDY:

What I want to focus on this morning is the phrase “obey his commandments.” The Greek word for OBEY is poieo which means to (Make or Do). The word commandment stands for the commission of the Father given to the Son and for Christ’s commandment to his disciples.^[1]

John’s thought appears to go in a circle. This is perhaps because the two things involved, as far as he is concerned, cannot exist apart from one another. One cannot love God and keep his commands without loving the children of God, and one cannot love the children of God without loving God and keeping his commands.^[2]

                   

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away with the understanding that loving and obeying Gods commandments and loving His children go hand in hand. The preface of this all can be looked at as a circle: loving God leads to loving others which leads to obeying his command which is because we love God! 

CONCLUSION:

           Many of us remember the movie “Lion King!” This movie is very special to me because it was the first movie I ever took my daughter too. I remember the scene were the father is explaining the circle of life when it came to animals. One aspect of life leads to another and then to another which eventually circles back around to the beginning again.

          Our walk with God can be explained the same way: Love God which leads to loving others which leads to obeying God’s word which reflects our love for God. And we are back to the beginning!

          Today, let’s put this circle of Love to the test! Start your day by telling God you Love Him, then show God’s love to someone. Whatever God has been asking you to do, DO IT! When it comes time to go to bed tonight, reflect on the day and see if you don’t have a deeper love for God.  

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Balz, H. R., & Schneider, G. (1990-). Vol. 1: Exegetical dictionary of the New Testament (460). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans.

^[2] Kruse, C. G. (2000). The letters of John. The Pillar New Testament commentary (172). Grand Rapids, Mich.; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans Pub.; Apollos.

The Truth Will Set You Free (I John 5:1)

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.

THE STUDY:

In this passage of scripture I want to focus on the phrase, “Jesus is the Christ.” What do we know about this day and time John is living in? The Gnostics (secessionists) believed in a better way other than Christ. John is reminding his readers that only those who believe that Jesus is the Christ are born of God.^[1]

Today, we live in a world much like that of John’s day. We find that many know of Jesus but don’t know Jesus. We have so many cults that claim the allegiance of Christ but distorted or embellish the truth of Christ. Some religions believe Christ was a good man, a prophet, or something so far from the truth.

John is very clear and to the point when it comes to this one named Jesus: He is the Christ! The word "CHRIST" means anointed, the Greek translation of the Hebrew word rendered “Messiah”, the official title of our Lord. To believe that “Jesus is the Christ” is to believe that he is the Anointed, the Messiah of the prophets, the Saviour sent of God, that he was, in a word, what he claimed to be. This is to believe the gospel, by the faith of which alone men can be brought unto God. That Jesus is the Christ is the testimony of God, and the faith of this constitutes a Christian.^[2]

                   

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away this morning with the understanding that believing that Jesus is the Christ, our savior, means we have been born again. This is not a one shot deal (believe it once and you are in) but a continual belief. Ongoing belief and obedience (v 2) provides evidence that one “is born of God.” ^[3]

CONCLUSION:

           Some rabbis taught that it was necessary to be buried in the Holy Land in order to have a part in the resurrection which would precede the Messiah’s reign on earth. Some even taught that the bodies of the righteous, no matter where on earth they might have been buried, would roll back, underground, to Israel and be raised there.

          There are so many false teachings in our world today, which are trying to deceive and destroy. Some are doing a good job and causing many churches to break away from the truth of Christ. But just remember this, Jesus is the Christ, and this truth will set you free.

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Kruse, C. G. (2000). The letters of John. The Pillar New Testament commentary (170–171). Grand Rapids, Mich.; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans Pub.; Apollos.

^[2] Easton, M. (1996). Easton's Bible dictionary. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

^[3] Williamson, R. (2010). 1, 2, & 3 John: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. New Beacon Bible Commentary (157). Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press.

To love or Not to Love (I John 4:21)

And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.^[1]

THE STUDY:

Love for God is evidenced by the attitudes and relationships one has toward a brother and sister (adelphon). The term brother indicates a member of the Johannine community. This loving is neither automatic nor dependent on feelings. If love can be commanded, John presumes obedience is a choice. Obedience is an act of choice, not an involuntary emotional response. The command is to do the right thing, regardless of how we feel about another. If we can obey the command to love, then surely we can disobey it as well.^[2]

                   

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away this morning with the understanding that TO LOVE OR NOT TO LOVE, that is the question. Love is a choice not a reaction from emotion.

CONCLUSION:

           I remember in the early years of my marriage, in the heat of a discussion with my wife, I would say to her, “You make me so mad!” Her response was, “I don’t make you mad. You choose to be mad.” This, in turn, caused me to become more upset. As hard as it was to admit, she was right!

          The same is true when it comes to love. If I choose to be mad I also choose to love. Someone doesn’t necessarily make me love them, I choose! John is saying, love me and you will love you brother.

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2001 (1 Jn 4:21). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

^[2] Williamson, R. (2010). 1, 2, & 3 John: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. New Beacon Bible Commentary (152). Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press.

Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire (I John 4:20)

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If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.

THE STUDY:

This morning we are going to focus in on the first section of this verse, “he is a liar.” The word liar is used seven times by John in his writings (2 – The Gospel, 5 – I John). This word was not necessarily used to speak about someone who is lying as much as pointing out someone who is opposed to God.

In the OT and Jewish tradition God is considered the truthful and inherently faithful one (cf. Num 23:19; 1 Sam 15:29; Ps 33:4). Therefore, ψεύστης is usually used of the attitude of opposition to God and the inclination toward what is worthless.^[1]

Even though unloving people may be publicly identified with the church, failing the love test relegates them to a category reserved for serious offenders. The designation liar applies to those who disobey God’s commands (2:4) and who deny that Jesus is the Christ (2:22). Liars are antichrists (2:22), who deny God and Christ.^[2]

                   

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away this morning with the understanding that to confess “LOVE FOR GOD” is to confess “LOVE FOR OUR BORTHER.” If we profess hatred for our brother then we are opposed to GOD.

CONCLUSION:

           Love for God cannot remain a warm feeling in our hearts that moves vertically to heaven but horizontally fails to reach our fellow man. Genuine love for God and for our neighbor extends both ways.

God created man in his own image and likeness (Gen. 1:26–27). He requires us to love man because we are made in that image.^[3]

          This morning let us reveal our Love for God by loving our fellow believers. Remember, those who don’t believe are watching and if they see us spewing animosity toward others, they are seeing a liar.

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Balz, H. R., & Schneider, G. (1990-). Vol. 3: Exegetical dictionary of the New Testament (499). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans.

^[2] Williamson, R. (2010). 1, 2, & 3 John: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. New Beacon Bible Commentary (152). Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press.

^[3] Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953-2001). Vol. 14: New Testament commentary : Exposition of James and the Epistles of John. New Testament Commentary (342). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

Let Love be the Standard (I John 4:19)

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We love because he first loved us.

THE STUDY:

The first part of the sentence is incomplete. John writes, “We love.” Some ancient manuscripts, however, have the reading him or God to serve as the direct object of the verb love. Therefore, at least two translations have the reading we love him (KJV, NKJV).^[1]

As I read this passage I would lean toward the understanding that “We love” stands alone without the addition of “Him or God” as the KJV and the NKJV would like to indicate! Translating from the Greek there is not a word that follows to translate. Plus the idea of love is not just to Love God but to love others as well.

We are able to love since God “first loved us” and thereby enables our human response of loving. This is a statement of fact—we do love, rather than an appeal—“Let us love.” Love is not self-originated, but it is of divine origin. Love, like holiness, finds its source and definition in God. We cannot become truly holy or genuinely loving by our own striving. Only when we have received the holy love or loving holiness of the Creator God can we claim these qualities. So it is all of grace.^[2]

                   

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away with the understanding that Love originates from God. Love is dispersed by us (WE): back to God and to our fellow man. WHY? Because God first loved us.

CONCLUSION:

           Growing up, I had this idea that if I was the opposite, in character, of my father then I would be a great dad, husband, and man. What I failed to realize was that my standards were based on something that was broken. My roll model was someone who was broken himself and I planned on doing the opposite of what he did.

          The result was something a little better than how I was raised. To quote the movie “Courageous,” “You’ve been a good enough father!” “I don’t want to be good enough.” If I am going to be all that God wants me to be then I have to allow him to be the standard. If I want to experience and release the Love of God then I have to allow His love to be the standard. Today, let HIS LOVE be the very thing that flows from you! We love because He first loved us.

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 (342). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

^[2] Williamson, R. (2010). 1, 2, & 3 John: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. New Beacon Bible Commentary (151). Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press.

Love vs Fear (I John 4:18)

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There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

THE STUDY:

God’s love is not only something we receive. It also transforms us and enables our response of love to God and for others. Abiding in God’s love, living in the flow of “perfect love,” we are enabled to love one another authentically.

In a relationship of mutual love there is no necessity for “fear” in God’s presence. Love is personified as the agent expelling all fear. The power of love triumphs over fear. This “perfect love,” which originates from God, achieves its purpose in persons, toward one another, and returns to God. This process “drives out fear.”^[1]

The words “fear has to do with punishment” are literally, “fear has punishment.” Fear carries with it a kind of torment that is its own punishment.^[2]

                   

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We can walk away this morning with the understanding that Love and Fear cannot coexist. One will expel the other. Which does which, is determined by us. We can either let fear rule us or love. I choose love.

CONCLUSION:

           As I read this verse this morning I was reminded of my days as a teenager.  The number one fear in my life back then was not school, teachers, coaches, or my grades! My number one fear was girls. I was always fearful of asking them out on a date. This fear would rule me when it came to dating. It determined who I would ask out and how. I would do the research (getting my friends to ask if she liked me or would she go out with me) and process all that information with my committee (a group of guys who I called friends). Going back to my class reunions, years later, I found out that all of my research and processing was usually false.

John was reminding the readers of God’s perfect love. A love that reveals security in God is not a fear of punishment. Fear blinds, confuses, and distorts, the truth. Love reveals, explains, and helps to see the truth. Which one will be our guide today?

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Williamson, R. (2010). 1, 2, & 3 John: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. New Beacon Bible Commentary (151). Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press.

^[2] Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1983-). The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures (1 Jn 4:18–19). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.