I John 2:16 (Part 1)

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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:

          As John continues on with the idea regarding “the world” we see him pointing out three things; desires of the flesh (Craving), desires of the eyes (Lust), and pride in possessions (Boasting). John is not saying “all that is in the world” is not of God. The word “all” that is used here is a word that can exhibit a completely normal sense, or can signal a narrative style that reports a certain event with exaggeration.^[1] I would lean toward the understanding that John is exaggerating this point. We do this in our everyday talk. I am sure all of us have said, “Every time I go into that store they lower the prices!” Is it really, “EVERY TIME?” We say this to exaggerate out point. John is doing the same thing in this verse.

          This morning John talk to us about the “desire of the flesh” which can be summed up in one word; craving. God created us with cravings; for food, for fellowship, and for sex. None of this is wrong except when it is abused or when it supersedes our relationship with God. When it becomes “our god” and we worship it instead of the one true God, this is when we are walking down a slippery slope!

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• Today, let us walk away with the understanding that not everything in the world is bad, wrong, or evil! It is how we handle, deal with, and display these worldly things that make them “not from the Father.”

• We need to make sure we don’t fall into this trap that Satan has for us when it comes to the world. We are to be in the world just not of it.

CONCLUSION:

          With an unprecedented number of Americans out of work, a reporter visited the famous Ocean Reef Club, Key Largo, Florida. This exclusive club has a membership of about thirty-five hundred, most of whom are millionaires or approaching it. On this day, the men had just returned from their yachts, tennis courts, and the links, and were ecstatic over the exotic buffet of expensive and colorful foods. When asked, “Is there a recession here?” a member replied, “I don’t know of anyone who has been laid off or anyone who is hungry. That isn’t part of our world.”

          Today, don’t try and have Jesus live in your “world” (abusing what is good)! Jesus wants for us to live in His world (everything is good)! AMEN!     

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Balz, H. R., & Schneider, G. (1990-). Vol. 3: Exegetical dictionary of the New Testament (48). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans.

I John 2:15

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Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

THE STUDY:

           As first glance we read this verse and we think “I am all for this!” But after letting it sink in for a period of time we might be asking ourselves this question, “What does John mean by THE WORLD?” All three instances in this verse are found to be the same Greek Word. That word is defined as referring to the present world, which was created by God through the Logos, but which is now alienated from him^[1] We see a parallel between the words of John and those of James, “Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God” (James 4:4).^[2]

          The word love that John employs is the same term he uses in verse 10 where he speaks about the person who loves his brother. The love which he has in mind is that of attachment, intimate fellowship, loyal devotion. It is the love which God demands in the summary of the law: “Love the Lord your God … and love your neighbor as yourself.”

John directs his warning to those people who already have switched allegiance and are now giving their undivided attention to the affairs of the world. He tells them to stop loving the world and to desist from pursuing their worldly interests. He is not talking about a single incident but about a lifestyle.^[3]

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away with this thought this morning; let our love for God be a lifestyle not a love for worldly things. There is nothing wrong with wanting a nice house, car, motorcycle, retirement home, or to plan a vacation. All of these things were created by God. When it becomes detestable to God is when those very things take the place of God or become more important to us than our relationship with Him.  

CONCLUSION:

Story from another pastor:

          I had a friend who once made a covenant with me to tithe ten percent of his income every year. He didn’t have much money. But things started too changed for him as we prayed. The layman tithed one thousand dollars the year he earned ten thousand, ten thousand dollars the year he earned one-hundred thousand, and one- hundred thousand dollars the year he earned one million. But the year he earned six million dollars he just could not bring himself to write out that check for six-hundred thousand dollars to the Church. 

He called me, long since having moved to another church, and asked to see him. Walking into my office he begged me to let him out of the covenant, saying, "This tithing business has to stop. It was fine when my tithe was one thousand dollars, but I just cannot afford six-hundred thousand dollars. You’ve got to do something, Pastor!" I knelt on the floor and prayed silently for a long time. Eventually the man said, "What are you doing? Are you praying that God will let me out of the covenant to tithe?" "No," said the minister. "I am praying for God to reduce your income back to the level where one thousand dollars will be your tithe!"

Church, don’t let anything come between you and God! If there is anything that God has revealed to you this morning that may be before God on your priority list remove it and ask for God to forgive you. Get things right so the right things get priority. AMEN

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Balz, H. R., & Schneider, G. (1990-). Vol. 2: Exegetical dictionary of the New Testament (311). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans.

^[2] Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953-2001). Vol. 14: New Testament commentary : Exposition of James and the Epistles of John. New Testament Commentary (269–270). 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 (270). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

I John 2:14 (Part 2)

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I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning.

I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

THE STUDY:

          Just a reminder that John is writing in regards to a group called the Gnostics, whose philosophy is infiltrating the Christian beliefs. John addresses this issue and now is praising the people for their obedience toward God. He covers the entire people of God by calling them “Children” then speaks more specifically to the “fathers” (the elders of the community) and then the “young men.”

          He praises the young men in this passage in three aspects; being strong, abiding in the word, and having overcome the evil one. As you may remember, John addressed the fact that the young men have overcome the evil one. But, in this verse he adds two more things that we are going to look at this morning.

          John states that these young men are strong. Many of us would assume he is talking about their physical abilities. This may be so but most scholars believe he was talking about their spiritual strength and that they have overcome the evil one. I look at it this way, John states that these young men are strong in their faith and this is due to the fact that they abide in the word. The word “abide” means to remain or stay which gives us the impression they have been walking with God for a long time. These young men may be young in age but they were not young in their walk with God. All of this, being strong and abiding in the word, leads to the ability to overcome the evil one.

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away this morning with this in mind; it is not a matter of age, position, abilities, gifts, or anything else. Pursue God in everything you do, stay in his word, and you will have VICTORY over the evil one. God’s desire is for us to walk with him and if this is His desire then He will provide a way to accomplish it. Jesus is the way God has provided for us to accomplish victory over the evil one and sin.

CONCLUSION:

          A military strategist said that battles are won before they are fought. That was his way of saying that victory depends on prior preparation. One general called it “Making a good ready.” The same principles apply in spiritual warfare. God in Christ has made all necessary prior preparation in effecting His eternal purpose of redemption to give us victory over sin.

          Sometime ago I was told that at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary a poll was taken among the students to discover the most popular hymns. “Victory in Jesus” was first and “Amazing Grace” was second. This is an interesting combination. Amid our turbulent times Christians long for assurance of victory over evil forces that plague us. We find that assurance in Jesus—His victory and ours through Him. God’s amazing grace made those victories possible and available.

          Church, let us live this day knowing the VICTORY is ours. It is found in Jesus!

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

I John 2:14 (Part 1)

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I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning.

I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

THE STUDY:

          In this verse we have addressed the reasoning for some translators to put the end of verse 13 (ESV) at the beginning of verse 14 (NRSV). Whatever the case may be we still need to look at why John was compelled to repeat this section of scripture. As a minister I use a communication technique that involves repeating main points for emphasis. I would expound on three or four points and then at the end, repeat them. This is to help imbed the points into the mind of the hearer. John could possibly be trying to accomplish this when he repeats because you know him who is from the beginning.

          If this be the case then we need to take another look at what John is repeating. One scholar believes the repetition discloses the seriousness of the author’s appeal; that is, the fathers cannot afford to relax the process of their spiritual growth.^[1]

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• This morning, the one thing we can walk away with is that we should not relax when it comes to our spiritual growth. I have heard some people say that once you are sanctified, you have arrived. This is not the case! We, as believers in Jesus, need to remember that our relationship with him is always developing. The moment this development stops, is when we have entered into the place Jesus went to prepare for us, Heaven. Let us keep seeking more of Jesus; his ways, his truths, and his character.

CONCLUSION:

          Whether one is a new Christian, a babe in Christ, or a Christian who has sinned and found forgiveness, we must put a comma and not a period at the end of one’s experience. The road of living for Christ still lies ahead. There are difficult hills to climb. Pitfalls await us. Dangers lurk on every hand. There are roaring streams to be crossed. Other crisis, temptations, and trials are to be faced. So more than ever we need the Lord’s help.

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 (268). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

I John 2:13 (Part 3)

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I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning.

I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one.

I write to you, children, because you know the Father.

THE STUDY:

          As I have mentioned in the past, when it comes to studying the word of God, there are certain techniques to use. One of those techniques is looking at a passage of scripture in different versions (ESV, NASB, NIV, and such). This passage of scripture is a great example of the reason why we should do this. In the NRSV verse 13c is found at the beginning of verse 14. Some translators put it there due to the symmetry dealing with “Children, Fathers, and young men” found in verses 12-14 whereas others have it at the end of verse 13. Why is this so significant? It’s due to the fact that children is not the same Greek word found in verse 12 as it is in verse 14. The Greek word in verse 14 is a term of endearment to express his tender love to all his readers regardless of age.

          Moving on we see John saying basically the same thing that was mentioned at the beginning of verse 13. But John is hammering home a point to the reader. This understanding of “Knowing the Father” is reflected in three aspects: (1) a person who welcomes Jesus, (2) a message (doctrine) that is accepted and acted on, (3) and a life that is lived for.

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away with this thought in mind, Have you welcomed Jesus into your life? Have you accepted and acted in accordance with the message of Jesus Christ? Finally, are you living for Jesus? These questions need to be answered.

 

CONCLUSION:

          What I find, in many cases, is people love what Jesus can do for them. They accepted “almost” all of Jesus’ teachings and they have given “most” of the keys to their life over to Him. But, the full surrender and the “KNOWING OF THE FATHER” is not there. Jesus Paid it all so in turn for us to receive this free gift of salvation all Jesus is asking is our ALL. John writes this epistle to those who know the father. Do you know Him like they do? Part of “knowing God” is “letting God.”

A young man, who was struggling to let the Lord have His way in his life, knelt to pray. He had been advised to “Let God do the work for him.” But as he was kneeling, he cried, “I want to let God have His way, but I can’t.”

The day before he had cut out of pasteboard the letters “LET GOD” and tacked them on the wall. He rose from his knees and with a feeling of defeat and despair, he left the room and slammed the door with a bang, saying, “I can’t “LET GOD.””

On his return to his room, he was startled to note that the slam of the door had loosened the letter D on the word GOD, causing it to fall to the floor, and changing the motto to “LET GO.”

“I will, I will, Lord Jesus,” he cried and threw himself on his knees at the side of his bed. “I will “Let go,” and “Let God,”” and he did.

         

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

I John 2:13 (Part 2)

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I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning.

I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one.

I write to you, children, because you know the Father.

THE STUDY:

This morning we are looking at the middle section of verse 13. Again, John states for the third time “I am writing to you” giving the sense of a pastor speaking to his flock. But now, he being even more specific and addresses the “young men!” John only uses this Greek word for “young men” in verses 13 & 14, not anywhere else.

Then John states, “you have overcome the evil one.” This got my attention! What does John mean by this statement? What about the Children (all people) and the fathers he refers to previously? First, I don’t believe John is saying only “fathers” knew God from the beginning, nor is he saying only “young men” have overcome the evil one. This sentence is tied with the previous verses. What’s important to remember is John contrasting light and darkness and in doing this he reveals what it means to walk in the light. In this passage that means someone who has overcome the evil one. How do we overcome the evil one? JESUS!  John helps the reader to understand as believers’, victory over the evil one is to be achieved by God himself abiding in them (he is greater than the evil one) and his Son, Jesus Christ, protects them, and as a result they are able to overcome the evil one through their faith in God.^[1] This is how we overcome Satan!

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

We walk away with the understanding that we as believers have overcome the evil one. We no longer have to be toyed with by Satan! Through Christ we have this victory and can now live a life that is released from the snares of sin and live free in Jesus.

CONCLUSION:

         

          In a sermon I preached once, I made the mistake of saying, “Bring it on Satan!” what a stupid statement to make! Satan honored that request and showed me some of the evil things he can do to God’s people. Once I realized what I did I asked for God’s forgiveness and gave it over to Jesus. As you may be envisioning in your mind what took place after that, the only thing I can say was “thank you Jesus!” You see, I realized overcoming Satan has already been done by someone! I don’t have to do it again. All I have to do is accept the one who overcame death and sin (all of Satan’s doings) and allow Him to fight the battle. The one who did this is JESUS!

          If you have not accepted Jesus today I encourage you to do so. If you are fighting a battle today, the battle is already won! Let Jesus have it and rejoice in the victory! Praise His Holy Name!

         

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Kruse, C. G. (2000). The letters of John. The Pillar New Testament commentary (91). Grand Rapids, Mich.; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans Pub.; Apollos.

I John 2:13 (Part 1)

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I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning.

I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one.

I write to you, children, because you know the Father.

THE STUDY:

           We see John starting this verse with the same phrase found in verse 12, I am writing to you, but this time addressing fathers. He starts with children (vs 12) and now gets more specific. Out of the 414 times the word “father” is used in the N.T. John uses it the most (136). In this instance John is not referring to a family structure but different age groups. Fathers are considered the “older” age group who would have more experience with the knowledge of God.

          John further defines the fathers as someone who knows God. This word “know” (ginōskō) means to not just to know God but to understand His ways, purpose, and love. This can only be discovered in a lengthy relationship with God.

          So there is no confusion, John makes sure He describes who these fathers know: him who is from the beginning. The scripture is very clear to the fact that God is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end (Rev 21:6).

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We can walk away with the understanding that a lengthy relationship with the God is one that will help us to get to know the Father in heaven! Some of us this morning might be thinking I know OF the Father, but do we really KNOW the Father? Each and every day I learn more and more about God; His love for me, His purpose for my life, His ways, and His power. The older I get the more I realize how much I didn’t know about the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

CONCLUSION:

         

          When King’s College, now COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, opened in 1754, the following was part of an advertisement published for the school: “The chief thing that is aimed at in this college is to teach and engage children to know God in Jesus Christ.” In a short 257 years later the mission statement for this University reads as followed:

Columbia University is one of the world's most important centers of research and at the same time a distinctive and distinguished learning environment for undergraduates and graduate students in many scholarly and professional fields. The University recognizes the importance of its location in New York City and seeks to link its research and teaching to the vast resources of a great metropolis. It seeks to attract a diverse and international faculty and student body, to support research and teaching on global issues, and to create academic relationships with many countries and regions. It expects all areas of the university to advance knowledge and learning at the highest level and to convey the products of its efforts to the world.

Oh, how far we have drifted from wanting to “Know God!” I pray this does not happen to us. May we want to seek Him more and more each and every day.

         

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod