[0:00] Thank you.
[0:30] Thank you.
[1:00] Thank you.
[1:30] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
[1:42] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
[1:54] Thank you. Thank you. you know who might even be vaguely interested in coming along to that in the community just let them know they're more than welcome. One other thing I forgot to say in the morning of course the Faith Mission are last week and this week are in Pointe, they're in Garibost, so Faith Mission are there every evening from about it was half seven every night so half seven at Garibost every night this week so please if you can, well worth going along, we've been quite busy so far and quite encouraged so please if you are free in evenings go along and worship the Lord with brothers and sisters across the island there so every evening half seven Monday to Friday because we're here to worship God's. Let's continue our public worship by singing to his praise first of all in the Scottish Psalter in
[2:57] Psalm 51, the Scottish Psalter Psalm 51. We can sing verses 1 down to verse 6. Psalm 51 on page 280, Psalm 51 on page 280, verses 1 down to verse 6.
[3:14] Of course there's a great song of God's forgiveness and love towards those he forgives. After thy loving kindness Lord have mercy upon me, for thy compassion is great, blot out, blot out on mine iniquity, may cleanse from sin and freely wash from mine iniquity.
[3:31] For my transgressions I confess, my sin I ever see. Psalm 51, verses 1-6, to God's praise. Of good thy loving kindness Lord have mercy upon me, thee for thy compassion my Him as King.
[3:57] For thy compassion free y 있으니까 for my compassion O my love and waiting.
[4:13] For my hands, I confess, my sin I ever see.
[4:42] Give me the only heart of sin, and I shall not be still.
[4:57] That when the Sans吗 foul epithes be just, I will I touch His Son.
[5:13] Behold, I am iniquity, was part of the womb within.
[5:27] My mother of whom we bosque and worldly and salvation.
[5:43] Behold Thou in the inward hearts, with goodly lighted heart.
[6:00] And wisdom that shall take me home, within the hidden heart.
[6:19] Let's join together in a word of prayer. Let's pray. Lord, we come before you once more this evening. We give you praise once more. That we can come again to you. The God who hears our worship. The God who hears our prayers.
[6:37] You're not a far away, distant, uncaring God. You do not just set creation and this universe into motion and then abandon us.
[6:47] No, you're a God who is close to your people. A God who is close to all who cry out to you. Lord, we ask you this evening you be close to us. We give you praise that we have the sure hope and the sure confidence of this very evening.
[7:03] That you are here. You're here amongst us. Not because of any merit of this building or any merit of ourselves. But you're here amongst us this evening as your word assures us. Because your people are here this evening.
[7:17] And because your people are here this evening. You have made your home in and with us. You have tabernacled with us as your word tells us. You have chosen in your love, in your kindness and your mercy to make your home in us and with us.
[7:34] But no matter where we go in life as your people. No matter how far we go away. No matter where we travel physically, mentally or spiritually.
[7:45] Lord, you never leave nor forsake your people. We pay just now this evening for those here who are yours. Those here this evening who know Jesus and who love Jesus.
[7:58] Those of us who can call Jesus our Lord, our Saviour and our Friend. Help us this evening to listen to your word. To listen to what you're saying to us through it.
[8:09] The many promises you give us. The assurances and the hopes that you give us. Help us also to listen to the warnings you give us. As you, as a gracious loving Father to your beloved children.
[8:22] You gently try and steer us away. You gently steer us away from the sin and the temptation we are so often pulled towards. We pray this evening for our dear friends here this evening.
[8:36] Who, any who as of yet do not know Jesus. Many who have come to this place over many years. Who have spent time in this building. Who have lifted up their voices in praise to a God.
[8:49] Who they as of yet do not know for themselves. We ask that even this evening your word would speak to them. Through your living word you would convict them and convert them and show them clearly who you are.
[9:04] That they need not search any longer. We do pray for any here this evening who are seeking. Who are searching. Who are here. Because they want to know something.
[9:14] What is the point of life? What is the purpose in any of us? Who is Jesus? And what does he have to say to me? Lord help us to spend time this evening to work through these questions.
[9:28] And to spend time pondering these things. And to know and to learn and to see. That in your living word you tell us. That life without you is meaningless. Because we were created to worship you.
[9:39] We were made. Every atom of our being was made to be in fellowship with you. And until we do so. We will find no real purpose. And no real understanding for who we are.
[9:50] For what we are. Help us this evening we ask as a people. Those of us here who know and who love Jesus. To have our hearts and our minds focused on you. We pray the same for our brothers and sisters who worship you next door this evening.
[10:03] We pray for the one who leads their worship. We pray in their time of vacancy Lord you would keep them united together. And in your time and according to your will. You provide for them a servant who would lead and guide them.
[10:15] We pray for the gospel cause in this area. We pray for the whole of North Tolstain. We pray for the many homes with people who do not pray for themselves. We pray for those who are close to us just now.
[10:28] Our own family. Our own friends. Those who we love so dearly. Those who we often pray for day by day. Those who we often pray for with tears.
[10:38] Those who we long to see come to know Jesus for themselves. But we ask you to use us as witnesses. Use us in our conduct. In our words. In our actions.
[10:49] To show them just the smallest example of the love that you have shown to us. Lord, we do pray earnestly for this area. For this district.
[10:59] For the many who have no idea the danger they are in. Who have no idea as to the danger they are heading towards. Who have no idea that there is hope and life to be found in Jesus.
[11:11] That hope and that life is for all. All this evening who will come to him. Lord, help us. We ask never to put qualifications and barriers in a way where you do not.
[11:23] Help our gospel. Lord, to be as open as the gospel is presented to us in scripture. Help us, as it were, to go to the highways and the byways of this district. And to be willing to share the good news to all we encounter.
[11:36] We pray once more for the children of our congregation. Lord, we thank you for them. We ask, Lord, in their young days. As they begin to ask these big questions. That you would answer them. Lord, that you would show yourself to them.
[11:49] We thank you, Lord, for their joy of being here. We thank you, Lord, for those who look after them. We pray once more for the Sunday school teachers. And those involved behind the scenes in that work.
[12:00] Lord, you bless them and encourage them. They would know they are doing a good work. In all their efforts. We pray, Lord, for our own efforts as a congregation. As we look forward to weeks and days.
[12:11] And if you grant us, Lord. Months and years ahead. Seeking to serve this place. Seeking to reach out of the good news to this place. We ask for all that we plan to do. All the work of evangelism.
[12:24] All the outreach work. All the discipleship work. But all that we plan and seek to do. Or we do it with you at the centre. We know that if we do it on our own, it will fail. But if we consult, Lord.
[12:35] If we come to you. If we spend time in prayer with you. Seeking your guidance. Seeking your leading. Seeking that you be over all these plans. Lord, if you are in the plans.
[12:46] They will not fail. Lord, remove from us. We ask our own self-righteousness. Those of us here who know and who love Jesus. Help us this evening. To let go of ourselves that bit more.
[12:59] To come and to find ourselves relying fully on Jesus. Those of us this week who perhaps have wandered away from our first love. Those of us here who have grown hard in heart and in mind.
[13:12] Those of us here who are feeling so perhaps far away from our Saviour. Lord, bring us back to him. We pray for any here this evening who feel, Lord, in agony.
[13:23] Who feel in pain. Who have physical pain. Mental pain. Those who are suffering just now. Those who are anxious just now. Those who are going through trials and great trouble just now.
[13:35] Who hide it. Who keep it to themselves. And only you and they may know about it. Family problems. Money problems. Health worries. Lord, the list goes on and on.
[13:47] But you alone know. For all who suffer here this evening. We ask for we to find their comfort and their peace in you. We give you praise. We give you praise. You're a God who cares, Lord, for the spiritual growth of your people.
[14:01] You're a father who sees your people lifted up and growing. We do pray for our discipleship in this congregation. But as brothers and sisters. As family members together.
[14:12] We would grow individually. And then that individual growth. We then meld together. To see us growing as one family. As brothers and sisters together. Seeking to grow in our love and understanding of who you are.
[14:25] As we seek to grow together. We ask that love will be known and seen by the wider community. Help us to find ourselves grounded in your word. Grounded in your truth.
[14:36] Not being swayed by the various tides and winds of vain philosophy. Of wrong teaching. Of heresies. Of the world.
[14:48] We pray this evening, Lord, for those who do not pray for themselves. Those who have no care for their lost souls. And have no care for their lost eternities, Lord. For those who are heading this moment and this time into great danger.
[15:02] Those who are heading to hell this very evening. For we know, Lord, that we cannot save them. But we know that you can. We bring them once more to you. We ask that they would know that we care for them.
[15:14] But more than that. They would know that you love them, Lord. They would know that love as you bring them from death to life. From darkness to light. From being outside your people.
[15:27] To being part of your eternal kingdom. We leave that work with you. We know there are many, many who have no gospel idea. But help us, Lord. Use us as witnesses and as ambassadors in this place.
[15:40] Help us to be faithful witnesses to you. In all our conduct. Help us to reflect the wonder of who our saviour is. Help us to be gentle and to be kind. Help us also to be precise.
[15:52] Gentle in our conduct, yes. But unwavering in the gospel truth. We ask all these things. Asking once more for forgiveness of sins. We come this evening confessing our sin even of this day.
[16:06] We've gone against your holiness. In our actions. In our thoughts. In our words. Or cleanse us from that we ask. We ask all these things. As we cling on to Jesus.
[16:17] Knowing that he holds steadfastly, eternally on to his own people. In his precious name. Amen. Let's turn to read.
[16:29] In God's word. We're carrying on our series. So let's read again. 1 John chapter 2. That's on page 959. Page 959.
[16:41] Of the Pew Bibles. 1 John chapter 2. Page 959. Let's hear the word of God.
[16:59] My little children. I am writing these things to you. That you may not sin. But if anyone does sin. We have an advocate with the Father.
[17:09] Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins. And not for ours only. But also the sins of the whole world. And by this we know that we have come to know him.
[17:22] If we keep his commandments. Whoever says I know him. But does not keep his commandments. As a liar. And the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps his word.
[17:34] In him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him. Whoever says he abides in him. Ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
[17:46] Beloved. I am writing you no new commandment. But an old commandment. That you had from the beginning. The old commandment. Is the word you have heard.
[17:57] At the same time. It is a new commandment. That I am writing to you. Which is true. In him and in you. Because the darkness is passing away. And the true light is already shining.
[18:09] Whoever says he is in the light. And hates his brother. Is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother. Abides in the light. And in him there is no cause for stumbling.
[18:22] But whoever hates his brother. Is in the darkness. And walks in the darkness. And does not know where he is going. Because the darkness has blinded his eyes. I am writing to you.
[18:34] Little children. Because your sins are forgiven. For his name's sake. I am writing to you fathers. Because you know him. Who is from the beginning. I am writing to you.
[18:45] Young men. Because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you children. Because you know the father. I write to you fathers. Because you know him.
[18:56] 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.
[19:07] 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. For all that is in the world. The desires of the flesh.
[19:19] And the desires of the eyes. And the pride of life. Is not from the father. But is from the world. And the world is passing away. Along with its desires. But whoever does the will of God.
[19:31] Abides forever. Children. It is the last hour. And as you have heard. The antichrist is coming. So now many antichrists have come.
[19:42] Therefore we know. That it is the last hour. 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.
[19:53] They might become plain. But they were not all of us. But you have been anointed. By the holy one. And you all have knowledge. I write to you.
[20:04] Not because you do not know the truth. But because you know it. And because no lie is of the truth. Who is the liar? But he who denies that Jesus is the Christ.
[20:17] 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.
[20:28] Let 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.
[20:40] And this is the promise that he made to us. Eternal life. I write these things to you. About those who are trying to deceive you. But the anointing that you receive from him abides in you.
[20:52] 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.
[21:04] Abide in him. And so on. To God's praise. We give thanks to God for his precious. Glorious. Eternal. And perfect. Word. Let us once more sing.
[21:15] To God's praise. This time from Sing Psalms. Sing Psalms in Psalm 67. Sing Psalms in Psalm 67.
[21:30] Sing Psalms in Psalm 67. That's on page 84. Of the Blue Psalm books. Sing Psalms in Psalm 67. On page 84.
[21:40] God be merciful and bless us. Shine upon us with your face. That the earth may know your actions. And all lands your saving grace.
[21:51] Sing the whole psalm to God's praise. Amen. God be merciful and bless us.
[22:05] Shine upon us with you. That the earth may know your actions.
[22:17] And all lands your saving grace. O God may the people praise you.
[22:30] May all people sing your praise. For you just a nation's justly.
[22:42] Rooted over every race. May they sing with joy and gladness.
[22:55] May they all rejoice as one. O God, may the people's praise to us be our united song.
[23:15] Then the land will yield its harvest, God will pour its gifts at all.
[23:26] God, may God will surely bless us, all the earth will be ever gone.
[23:56] We can look at the verses we have from verse 12 down to verse 14. 1 John 2, verses 12 down to verse 14.
[24:08] Let's take verse 12 for a text, looking at this whole section. I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name's sake.
[24:19] As we're carrying on with this series, this is a very brief reminder. We said 1 John, two main reasons. Guidance and encouragement.
[24:33] Guidance and encouragement, or guidance and assurance in some sections. The last few weeks we saw quite a lot of guidance. This young church, this struggling church, is facing, as we said, persecution from the outside and heresy, blasphemy from the inside.
[24:51] The outside enemies want them to be killed. They're attacking the church. Internally, heresy has arisen. Heresy which claims some pretty wild things about Jesus.
[25:06] We said that the last few weeks. The main heresy is the Gnostic heresy, which, amongst many things, declared that Jesus wasn't truly there.
[25:18] He was just a spirit, just a ghost of sorts. He had no physical, actual body. And we'll see more in the weeks to come, with the Lord's help, as to more of the heresy and how it impacted what John had to tell these people.
[25:33] But in short, John is here to encourage this small, struggling, persecuted church. And here this evening we find some encouragement.
[25:44] It's been quite a lot of weeks of guidance. And he's trying to show them and guide them back to Jesus. But this evening, in verses 12 down to verse 14, we have John encouraging these people.
[25:58] Encouraging these Christians. Last week we saw, as he called them his little children, we reminded ourselves of the love that John had for his people.
[26:09] And we saw, ultimately, the love God has for his people as his little children. Those who are his, who love him, who know him. This evening we can look at these verses.
[26:22] Now, like any good father, John, as he looks at his little children, as he tries to encourage this small church, like any good father, any good leader, John cares for the growth of the church.
[26:39] Now, not growth in terms of numbers, but growth in terms of spiritual growth. He cares that these Christians are growing day by day and month by month and year by year.
[26:50] They're growing in their love of God and understanding of who God is. And we covered this almost a month ago, a month and a bit ago now.
[27:01] We saw the evening series as what is a minister, what is an overseer. Brothers and sisters, as your overseers, as those of us who are here to serve you. And we are here to serve you.
[27:13] Just to remind you, we're here to serve you. As those of us who are here to serve you, our greatest joy is to see you grow in your love, in your faith, in your understanding of who God is.
[27:27] That's our greatest joy. That's our greatest goal as overseers, as a minister and as elders. Now, there's various opinions as to who John is actually writing, verses 12 down to verse 14 to.
[27:41] Various opinions. And you'll see it's written somehow differently. The text is spaced quite different in ESV anyway. And that's to reflect something that in the Greek, these verses, they almost rhyme.
[27:54] John is writing here almost, not a poem, but it's almost sort of rhyming information. In other words, he's doing this so it's easier for them to remember what he's saying to them.
[28:07] We have it ourselves. We all have wee rhymes we think to, to help us remember things. We acronyms and wee ideas. Fun fact, for your minister, you might think less of me.
[28:18] Every time I spell because, because it was written into my wee brain in primary school by our teacher. Every time I think of because, how to spell because, I cannot do anything else other than say to myself, big elephants can't always use small exits.
[28:36] Now that's been in my head for 23 plus years now, if not longer, 25 years almost. And here John is doing something similar. He's using a poet, poetical form.
[28:47] We see that here in the chapter. To remind this church of something important. Something they have to remember. Now who is John writing to? We see little children.
[29:00] We see young men and we see fathers. You might think, well, he's quite clearly writing to these children in the church. The young men in the church and the fathers of the church.
[29:11] But really, as we look into these verses, we see, and the commentators in general are agreed, that John is just using here family terms, not to speak of men or fathers, but to speak of levels of maturity.
[29:29] John does this elsewhere. We'll see this later on in weeks to come. John does the same thing elsewhere. He's addressing various levels of maturity in the church. Little children.
[29:43] Those who are new to faith. Young men. Those who are maturing. Those who are the working age, we could say, of faith.
[29:55] And fathers. Those who are mature in their faith. And that is our three broad headings this evening. First of all, looking at the new Christian.
[30:06] John's advice to new Christians. Then John's advice to maturing Christians. Those on the road. Then finally, John's advice to the mature Christians.
[30:19] The ones who are old in their faith. The glorious thing of God's family is that the stages of our Christian maturity don't always relate to our age, do they?
[30:32] There's some Christians here who are perhaps younger in age, but you've been Christians longer than some here who are much older than you.
[30:43] That's often the case. There are some Christians here, and you are a mature Christian perhaps, or a maturing Christian. And there's someone beside you who's much older than you, and they're a new Christian or a newer Christian.
[30:56] It's how God works these things together. To give his church a real sense of a family feel. We're all in this together.
[31:07] So look at these three categories. First of all, what does John say to the Christians who are new, at least who are newer to faith? We see him addressing them in verse 12, and in the third section of verse 13.
[31:22] I'm writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name's sake. And this third half of verse 13. I write to you, children, because you know the Father.
[31:37] He addresses them twice in this section. Both times he calls them children. As we touched on last week, there's real importance in the words John uses.
[31:48] He uses two different terms for children when he addresses them. The first time he addresses them in verse 12, I am writing to you, little children. That wee little is there in English to let us know there's something else going on.
[32:03] We saw this last week. He is here addressing them as a father to his child. The word used here, technia, is an endearing term.
[32:16] It's a word you would use to talk to your child as a father. The second time he addresses them, the third half of verse 13, he uses a different term.
[32:28] The term that is used to talk to a child, to teach them something. In other words, when John addresses the young Christians, the new Christians, young in their faith, of course we mean, he's addressing first of all those who are technia, those who are beloved children of God, those who are loved and kept by their heavenly Father.
[32:57] But he also addresses them as paedia, paedia as children who are learning. Who must be carefully taught, who are growing.
[33:12] I'm writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name's sake. They are loved. New Christians are loved by the Lord.
[33:24] They are kept by the Lord. They belong to the Lord. We'll see this in a second. But also new Christians and newer Christians are those who are still growing. And like children, new Christians have to have space to grow.
[33:40] need to have space to grow and space to learn. And I have to be careful as a church body. If any of us become, or any of us hear of new Christians who are part of our church body, and even outside ourselves, across our Christian community in the islands and across Scotland, if we're interacting with a new Christian, we must be gentle with them.
[34:10] They need room to grow, room to learn, a time, room to make mistakes and not be held in harshness for these mistakes for all of our years.
[34:23] I'm willing to say that for those of us who've been on a walk for a few years now, as you look back and think back to yourself as a young Christian, as a brand new Christian, think of the mistakes you made.
[34:34] Think of the times you just messed things up. You perhaps meant well, but you're so zealous, as we covered last, a few weeks ago, you're perhaps overzealous and you said things and you did things that you perhaps regret.
[34:46] Now, we must be willing to let the young Christians, the new Christians, grow. But also, we must be trained up. Young Christians need gentle but clear guidance.
[35:02] So what encouragement does John give to the young Christians of this church? First of all, verse 12, he reminds them of something glorious. I am writing to you because your sins are forgiven for his name's sake.
[35:20] Your sins are forgiven for his name's sake. Quite simply, John is reminding them of the basic gospel.
[35:30] We use that term very carefully. Not basic in the sense that we ever grow up out of that gospel, but he brings it back to basics. There's time for them to learn the depths of theology.
[35:42] There's time for them to go off into various strands and learn more about who God is. At this point, as new Christians, we need to be reminded time and time again, your sins, your brother, your sister, little children, your sins are forgiven.
[36:04] Your sins are forgiven. your past is gone. Who you once were, what you once did, the sins you once fell into, the sins you once willingly gave your life to, all the wrong you once did, brand new Christian, young Christian, all that is gone.
[36:29] Your sins are forgiven. There's no caveats they are given. There's no wee asterisk to the bottom of the page when John reminds them, he's reminding them of a simple gospel truth because they are loved in Jesus, because they can now say that Jesus is their Lord and their Saviour, regardless what kind of messed up history they had, what they were involved in, what they did, what they thought, whatever sins they once enjoyed so much.
[36:59] their sins are now forgiven. Little children, their sins are forgiven. New and younger Christians, quite often when you talk to young Christians, young in our faith, they'll often worry, often worry about their past because their past is still so fresh in their minds and they worry if everything they did and said and all the sin they were involved in, that still clings to their minds and they worry about that and it sticks to them and they think, has it really been forgiven?
[37:43] Can I really move on from that? Little children, I'm writing to you little children because your sins are forgiven. And what's the basis of the hope he gives young Christians?
[37:57] your sins are forgiven for his namesake. Young Christian, new Christian, your faith is small. Your understanding is perhaps still quite small.
[38:08] Your ability to talk about God and who he is is small. Your ability to pray is perhaps still quite small. Your Bible reading is perhaps quite small.
[38:20] But little children, beloved child, your sins are forgiven. You are who you are. You are kept and loved for his namesake.
[38:33] He sets his love on you. He calls you his own. He keeps you for his namesake. And because God will never dishonour his own name, you, young Christian, will never be dishonoured.
[38:48] He will never let you go. He will never forget about you. He will keep you. and he will keep you. And he will keep you. Young Christian, new Christian, your sins are forgiven.
[39:04] But also, young Christian, new Christian, I write to you, children, because you know the Father. You know the Father.
[39:18] Now, young Christians often think that older Christians, those who are Christians for years have somehow a greater appreciation of who God is.
[39:28] And at times, that is true. We've had more years to ponder and more years to learn. But if you speak to an older Christian, you'll find, I'm sure, if we're being honest, that many older Christians wish they were younger Christians again, younger in their faith again.
[39:47] They look back to the days when we were more zealous, we felt more vibrant in our faith. Back when we were first saved, we felt as if we could go and serve the Lord anywhere, no matter what the situation was or the burdens or the responsibilities.
[40:03] We had this childlike faith that because God is with us, we can serve him as he leads us and guides us. as the years go on and the years go on, we find ourselves, I'm pretty much including myself here, find ourselves becoming a bit more calloused, perhaps, in our hearts, a bit colder in our service, in our love.
[40:27] I write to you, little children, I write to you, children, sorry, because you know the Father. You are, as it were, still a newborn, still a toddler, and you're looking to your heavenly Father because you have no strength and little wisdom in a worldly sense.
[40:47] Little child, little children, young Christian, you're still looking to your heavenly Father and because that's the case, young Christian, you know the Father and you know him and have the same access to him as the oldest of Christians here.
[41:07] Sometimes, wrongfully, we impose a hierarchy, don't we? There's respect, of course, we respect those who are older in faith than us. That's a common sense thing.
[41:19] But there's no hierarchy. Those of us who are brand new or newer Christians, your access to God as your heavenly Father, it is no less than the one here who is the oldest Christian in their faith in their walk.
[41:35] your minister has no greater access, your elders have no greater access to your God, to your Father than you do. Young Christian, brand new Christian, you are of equal value, of equal access to our Father.
[41:55] You know the Father. and the glorious thing is, young Christian, John reminds you here that you can indeed call him Father.
[42:07] You have no fear anymore. Before, you perhaps spent years of your life so scared of him as he loomed over you, rightfully so, in judgment, as you ran away from him, as he was always judged, ready to bring down onto you the full wrath that you deserved.
[42:27] And now, you've been saved and you struggle to think of him as a loving Father. Dear Christian, you must and you can call him your Father.
[42:38] Without qualification, without caveat, he calls you his own. If John called this church little children, then how much more genuine is our Father in heaven who looks on you, dear Christian, he calls you his child.
[42:57] Christian, you can call him your Father. He then addresses the maturing in their faith, the second half of verse 13 and second half of verse 14.
[43:09] Young men, we could say, those who are, by young men is often understood as working age, working age men. Those who are in the prime of your life, in the prime of your spiritual life, you're at the forefront, we could say, of the battlefield, you're in active labourers in God's church.
[43:34] The young know forgiveness. But you also, with that forgiveness, you know that. But young men, those of us, and this is many of us here, who are in the maturing process of our faith, John first says to us, I'm writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one.
[44:00] You have overcome the evil one. Those of us who are maturing in our faith, we are engaged, as we know, in an ongoing battle, aren't we?
[44:11] Every day of our lives, we find ourselves in an ongoing battle. the world, the flesh, and the devil. The world, we know, will be against us.
[44:23] It has been since before Christ, since the very moment that the devil gave a foothold in Eden, we saw sin. And Christ, our Saviour, tells us, if they hated him, they'll hate us too.
[44:37] The world is against us. The flesh, ourselves. So often, we blame Satan. So often, we like to blame every other person in the world. But more often than not, not the majority of the time, our sin, our failures, our falls, are quite often because of us.
[44:58] We need not blame the sad one. We need not blame the world. Our own flesh is bad enough and able enough to make us full. The world, the flesh, and the devil.
[45:09] We've covered this before many times next door. The devil is not just some sporadic attacker. He is organized. He has levels and legions of his own people.
[45:24] And he is using that process to attack God's people. The devil seeks to distress and distract and, if he can, to destroy.
[45:35] you have, young men, maturing Christians. We have, you have, overcome the evil one.
[45:51] You think, how? When? I haven't. I sin all the time. I still find myself messing up. I look back to last week and I think, what a rubbish example of a Christian I am.
[46:06] The amount of times I have messed things up and said the wrong thing and thought the wrong thing and did the wrong thing. I've been an awful witness for my Saviour. Ongoing, maturing Christian, you have overcome the evil one.
[46:21] How? When? Because you are found in your Saviour. as you put on, as it were, the full armour of God who goes before us. Our King who leads the way.
[46:34] He who has what? Who has trod and stepped and stamped on the head of the serpent. Yes, we will battle personal sin.
[46:46] Yes, we will battle sin and evil from the world. Yes, we will find ourselves being battered by the evil one. Because we are founded in Jesus in his finished work.
[46:59] We find our place. Because that is true, we have overcome the evil one. We fight an enemy but he is a defeated enemy who is on the run as it were.
[47:12] The wars still rage on. The battles rage on, I should say, but the war is over. He is a defeated enemy. But he still flails and writhes and he still puts up a good fight.
[47:26] But we fight as ones who have overcome the evil one. And the question is, how do we keep on going? As those of us who are maturing, who are at the forefront of this fight of faith, how do we keep on going?
[47:41] What do we do? 14b. I write to you young men, I write to you those who are maturing because you're strong. I'm not strong, how am I strong?
[47:53] Well you're strong because the word of God abides in you and you have overcome the evil one. How do we keep on fighting the fight? How do we keep on maturing?
[48:05] How do we keep on serving our saviour? How do we keep on We keep ourselves strong, how? Because we have the word of God abiding in us.
[48:16] We have to live it, breathe it, and spend our time in it. Those of us who are Christians, you'll know yourself, and I very much with you, times in your life where you've neglected, neglected, just time with God.
[48:34] You've neglected reading or hearing or listening to God's word, however you do it, it doesn't matter. You've neglected times of prayer. You've neglected times of worship. And you find yourself growing weaker and weaker and weaker and you realise something's wrong and you realise you haven't read or listened to God's word or even pondered God's word or meditated on or thought about it in so long.
[49:02] You haven't prayed properly and by properly I mean intentionally prayed, spent time out of your busy life to pray in quite a while. It makes sense why you're so weak, why you're struggling so much.
[49:18] How do we keep ourselves strong by having God's word abide in us? The strength we have is from a source, it's the only source that Christians find our real help, our real hope.
[49:34] And finally, John addresses the mature in faith. Now the problem with those who are mature in faith is that they themselves don't think they are.
[49:47] Often those who are mature in faith, who we would call the fathers and the mothers of our faith, they would hate and we do hate to have that title. They hate to be thought of as somehow special.
[50:00] But the truth is we ourselves without naming names, we know in this congregation and across this island, we know the ones we think of as mature in the faith.
[50:12] So ones you go to and you say to them, I'm struggling, I'm having a hard time with it, I'm doubting my own faith, I'm doubting God's goodness, I'm worried about so and so and this issue and that issue.
[50:25] The ones you go to with that worry and that pain, the ones who after you've spent some time in their company, you leave having grown in encouragement, you leave their presence and you've benefited from having time spent with them.
[50:41] The fathers, the mothers of the faith, again you know them and well they themselves wouldn't call themselves that. But John addresses them in the same way twice, doesn't he?
[50:56] Start with verse 13 and verse 14. I'm writing to you fathers, I'm writing to you mature in the faith because you know him who is from the beginning.
[51:06] And again in verse 14, I write to you fathers because you know him who is from the beginning. Why does John not add something different?
[51:20] Why does he give the same address twice? Why does he not offer these, as it were, fathers and mothers, this mature people in the faith? Why does he not offer them something more?
[51:32] If they're mature in the faith, surely they can understand something deep and glorious about the Lord. He even tells them the same thing twice. because the more mature you grow in the faith and those here on your walk for many years, the more mature you are in your faith, the more you appreciate the simple faith itself, the simple gospel.
[52:00] because the gospel itself is simple. Yes, there's much to learn and that's fine and good for us to do so we spend time doing that. But at the end of the day, if we lose the simple gospel of who Jesus is, that he has come to save a people, to have a people for his own possession, the simple gospel that there is hope and life to be found in him and him alone, if we lose that, it means nothing.
[52:29] Arrest means nothing. What is John's advice? His encouragement. I am writing to you, fathers, mothers, those mature in the faith, because you know him who is from the beginning.
[52:46] You know him. The young Christians are getting to know him. Those who are maturing in their faith, the young men, as it were, are growing in their knowledge.
[52:58] The mature Christians, those who are grown up in their faith, those who perhaps are near the end of their earthly walk as Christians. You know him.
[53:10] You know him in a sense you never knew him before. He is close to you. He is at times real, really real to you. The simplicity of John, it is just that.
[53:24] It is beautiful simplicity because the gospel itself is beautiful and simple. You know him who is from the beginning. You know him who is from the beginning.
[53:36] There is head knowledge, there is head knowledge, of course. There is heart knowledge. Head knowledge is good.
[53:49] We all must learn and grow in our knowledge and understanding. The truth is, if he isn't in our hearts, all our learning, all our understanding over many years means nothing.
[53:59] And though I know there is not probably a single Christian here who call yourself a mature Christian, but there are some here and you are fathers and mothers in the faith.
[54:10] You are. John's advice to you is simple. Keep on going. Do not forget the basics. You were saved perhaps many years ago.
[54:21] You have weathered many a storm. You have learned many things about this world, about who God is and what he is like. You have seen God fulfill many promises. You have lost many brothers and sisters and is aware sons and daughters even in the faith.
[54:37] You have seen the church change, seen the world change. I'm writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. Your world has changed.
[54:49] As you get older, all you've known has changed so much. He does not change. You can find your hope in him. He is unchanging.
[55:01] And perhaps you who are older in the faith, you look back over your many years and you think, have I done enough? Have I served him well enough? Have I been a good enough Christian?
[55:13] And these questions at times plague the older Christian. These questions aren't questions for you to ask. you love him.
[55:25] You serve him. You know him. And because you know him, older Christian, because you know him, mature Christian, he who does not change, who is the same from the beginning to the end, you can have a sure hope that one day soon he will take you home to be with himself.
[55:46] The Apostle John cared for a growing church. He spent time ensuring this church the church that's growing in their faith. We want to see a growing church.
[55:58] We want young Christians to become maturing Christians. And maturing Christians to become mature Christians. And all of this is good and well.
[56:10] And all of this, of course, tonight was for those here who are Christians. But if you're here this evening and you think, that's fine, but I'm not a Christian. Why does any of that matter to me?
[56:22] The truth is, you come here, perhaps you come here week in, week out, and you've heard this so many times. But dear friend, as you sit here this evening, or perhaps those who listen in the future, as you sit here this evening or listen in the future, you are welcome.
[56:43] welcome to become part of this family. We spent the last half hour talking about the family of God. The family of God, it is open to all who will come and have Jesus as their Saviour and as their Lord.
[57:04] Who does God set His love on? He sets His love on those He calls His own. Who does God call His own? He calls His own those who come and who come and who know that they cannot save themselves.
[57:18] Who come and who know they have done wrong, they have sinned, they have gone against His holy person, His holy nature, and who say that without help, without something happening, they have no help and no hope.
[57:29] And God says, again and again, for all who come to Him, and cry out, for all who come, even this evening, even just now, in your mind, as you come to Him and you say, Lord, I don't know what to say, I don't understand much, I don't know much.
[57:44] Perhaps some here you know a lot, you've heard the gospel so many times, you know your Bible better than I ever will, but yet you do not know Him. You're not yet part of this family.
[57:57] You aren't a new Christian or maturing or mature, you're still outside the family. And all of this means nothing to you. Don't waste never a week.
[58:11] You've wasted so many weeks already. Please, don't waste never a week outside of this family. Come and join this family. God is prepared for all who will come to know Jesus.
[58:23] And you have your excuses, you have your reasons perhaps, why you won't come, why you can't come, why you think you shouldn't come. On the final day, on the final day, these reasons, these excuses, no matter how valid they might seem or sound, they will mean nothing.
[58:43] Your self-righteousness will mean nothing. Your valid reasons will mean nothing. Come and join the family. Come and know Jesus for yourself.
[58:54] Come and have the joy of knowing Him as elder brother, of having God as Father, of having us as brothers and sisters, being part of the family of God, a family that will last all eternity.
[59:08] Let's bear our heads in a word of prayer. Lord, we thank you once more for the gift of your word. Lord, help us this evening, we ask, to leave this place having at least heard a small part of your word, to leave this place having understood something more.
[59:24] We pray just now for those here this evening who are yours, who know and who love you, or those of us who are in various parts of this journey, of this life. Pray, Lord, for those who are newer Christians.
[59:37] Lord, encourage them that they would know that they are loved by you and their sins are forgiven eternally. Pray, Lord, for those of us who are maturing, who are on that walk of faith, who are seeking to serve you day by day, Lord, that we would know that we have truly overcome the evil one because of the finished work of our Saviour.
[59:57] Pray just now for those who are mature in their faith, those who are older in their faith. Lord, that they would, even in the years that they have served you, as they find themselves looking forward to these, Lord, eternal, endless days ahead of them, they would feel of a sure confidence no matter how much they have changed, the world has changed, that they trust an unchanging God who will bring them home to himself one day.
[60:24] We pray once more for any here who as of yet do not know you. Lord, you bring them into your family even this evening. Lord, for your name's sake and for your glory we would come and find what it is to have rest through rest, peace and through peace, joy and through joy in being part of your family.
[60:44] Lord, we ask for us knowing that we cannot do anything at all but the work is yours and yours alone to do. Lord, as we come to sing our final item of praise we would do so with hearts and minds full of understanding and full of joy.
[60:59] It's called these things in and through and for Christ's precious name's sake. Amen. Let's conclude by singing to God's praise from Sing Psalms Sing Psalms in Psalm 46a Sing Psalms in Psalm 46a That's on page 59 of the Blue Psalm books.
[61:24] Psalm 46a on page 59 Again, a psalm that reminds us of God's keeping and God's love for his people. Psalm 46a God is our refuge and our strength our ever-present aid and therefore though the earth gives way we will not be afraid though mountains fall into the sea though waters foam and roar we will not fear though mountains quake as waves engulf the shore.
[61:54] Psalm 46a verses 1-6 To God's praise. alright to see you because you want so men are we're not you're not gonna be afraid of their residents and they ever-present aid Thank you.
[62:44] O God, O my Lord, we will not fear, though mountains quay, as with sand of the shore.
[63:09] Our river flows to streams behind, the sinking of the cross, the holy place in which the Lord most high mountains are old.
[63:43] God is with him, his holy peace, the sea we will not fear.
[64:00] For God will come back in the gate, to be heard, held, and shield.
[64:17] The nations come in history, the kingdom is out here.
[64:34] God's peace and the gifts and the voice, the voice the whole earth will hear.
[64:54] The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, for you now and forevermore. Amen.