Lord, I know I'm a stranger here, and that's okay.
We come under your family name.
Jesus, you have brought us into a fold.
We're with legitimacy and full hearts.
We can call God our Father.
We can live under his love and his acceptance and build our whole lives here.
Lord, be with us tonight in your word.
Lord, some of my friends are tired.
Some of my friends have more going on than I'm able to know about, but we pray by your Holy Spirit,
you would be causing your word to rest on us and have its good way among us.
We ask that that would happen in a full measure because of your faithfulness.
In Jesus' name, so be it.
So, Sean's right.
I want to talk about love and truth, and I see the graphic that you guys have prepared here.
This would make a great tattoo.
But there's a sub, and I'm not dissing the person that made this.
This is good.
I want to talk this whole retreat, if this were kind of the roof over what we're doing,
is the life and warmth of love and truth.
It's not just these two conceptually.
It's the life and the warmth we draw by understanding how they work out in our hearts,
how they work out in our convictions, and how they work out in community among us.
I love the little letters of 2 and 3 John.
They're two of the smallest letters in the whole New Testament.
But there is such a way about them.
And when we read from the Apostle John, we're going to pick up on the inevitable life and warmth
that comes from love and truth.
But I want to make some new friends.
I don't have enough for everyone, but I have some illustrated scripture journals
that go through John's letters.
This person had like a reaction back here.
So I have to make sure that you get one.
But who else would benefit from one of these?
I'm going to do a little throwing.
I'm going to trust your dexterity here.
Okay, I'm not going to just cherry up on this side.
I'll make my way around.
Oh yeah, I got you.
There's still some more.
People are fear.
I see that humility there.
You're like, I want to get it in.
All right, you ready?
Oh, oh, that was there.
That was a double.
Okay, you're good.
What's up?
You're trying to steal her blessing, man.
I'm not charismatic.
That would scare you.
Oh, oh yeah, I see it.
Let's do this.
Oh, touchdown.
Touchdown.
How did I miss my guy?
I wouldn't even be on without him.
Thank you.
I have four more.
I got you.
Oh, I felt that.
There you go.
And here you go, sweetie.
And I'm going to get my water and eventually we're going to get into the word here.
So, if you have a Bible, now you have a scripture journal.
Turn to 2 John.
All right.
So, a way of introduction for our first message, which is entitled,
the combustion of the right combination.
I know you're not going to relate to this, but I just have to use the illustration.
When I was young, I was kind of delinquent.
Meaning, I was a latchkey kid.
I had a lot of freedom and not a lot of money.
So, I spent a lot of time at Taco Bell.
There was no YouTube.
There was no nothing else.
But I like to collect free things.
And non-dairy creamer was free.
I didn't even drink coffee.
But the price is right.
I'm sure there was some calcium involved.
And then I would get free matches from, like, you know, the convenience store.
I don't know when and where I got it in my mind to combine the matches and the non-dairy powdered creamer.
But somewhere in that magical 14-year-old mind of mine, I thought there must be a way.
Did you know that it's very combustible?
I'll teach you how to do it as we go along.
I didn't do it here.
I mean, they don't even let you have coffee in here, so I won't try any pyrotechnics.
But non-dairy creamer and lit matches create quite the combustion.
You're like, that's interesting.
Some of you are much smarter than me.
You're running through the science and the math.
Just trust me for right now.
But we're not talking about cremora and matches.
We're talking about love and truth at this retreat.
And at times as Christians, we know that we're to have both.
But we don't always know how they're meant to work together.
There is a combustion that's not meant to just give a momentary flame.
But a combustion that is actually what creates the warmth and dynamic that Jesus Christ intends for his people to share with one another.
And that's what we're going to look at.
And not just look at it.
We want to learn to own this.
I believe that combining love and truth is the craft of all Christians.
We're called to know how to work these together to see the wonderful warmth that the combustion is meant to bring.
With that said, let's read the first six verses of John, the second letter.
The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth.
And not only I, but also all who know the truth.
Because of the truth that abides in us and will be with us forever.
Forever, grace, mercy, and peace.
Be with us from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father's Son in truth and love.
I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth just as we were commanded by the Father.
And now I ask you, dear lady, not as though I were writing you a new commandment,
but the one you have from the beginning.
That we love one another.
And this is love.
That we walk according to his commandments.
This is the commandment.
Just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it.
I look forward to unpacking this together.
But I think even upon a cursory reading, we can tell there is a sweetness and depth to John's writing here.
This is John the Apostle.
So he is the human agent that the Holy Spirit used to write the Gospel of John.
First, second, and third John.
And the Revelation.
And do you know, John is known as the Apostle of Love.
He uses the word love over 80 times in his collective writing.
More than anyone else.
But it may help us to know that this Apostle of Love,
this older elder, and probably at this time, the last living Apostle,
he didn't always start this way.
He had a brother named James.
Do you know the nickname they were given in Mark's Gospel?
The Sons of Thunder.
It sounds exciting, but the Sons of Thunder actually in Aramaic means rage.
And if you read Luke's Gospel, chapter 9,
remember when Jesus was being rejected,
do you know what James and John wanted to do?
Well, they wanted to call down fire.
Can you imagine saying to Christ,
can you call down fire to consume these people?
John did not always start in a place of love,
but a place of conviction.
A place of angst and energy.
But there was something about walking with Jesus,
and known as the one whom Jesus loved,
that the love of Christ shaped this Apostle,
sweetened him,
changed the atmosphere of who he was,
and then changed the atmosphere of what he creates.
And I believe a like work
is what God wants to invest in us at this retreat,
an internal warming
of what's real and right,
the gentle influence of Christ
that changes us at our core,
and then makes us effectual in our fellowship
in a way that leaves people with him and not ourselves.
So if this can happen for John,
we can take great hope.
And it's no surprise to us then
that John has almost a holy preoccupation
with love and truth.
It's throughout all his works,
as we've mentioned,
but tonight in this passage,
we're going to consider this in two points.
Our first point,
which will cover the first three verses,
is combine love with truth.
I think some of us can have a fear
that if we combine truth with love,
we will extinguish it,
not ignite it.
We can fear that the two
have a subtle competition with one another.
That if I'm too loving,
I'll compromise the truth.
And if I'm too truthful,
I won't be loving.
But I would say the commitments
are really meant to go together.
Now, with my opening illustration
with that creamer,
you would think if I put creamer on fire,
it would put the fire out.
And friends, we must realize biblically,
love and truth are not in competition
with one another.
They're in perfect tandem.
Biblically, they are inseparable.
To John, did you see what we read?
They're inseparable to John.
They're linked in a foundational way,
and we can start to see
the warmth of John already.
How does he start his writing?
The elder to the elect lady
and her children.
Very interesting line.
Now, elder speaks both of John's age
and his position of care.
He's a seasoned shepherd by this time.
But the recipients,
what's going on with the elect lady
and her children?
We don't talk that way.
And if you're familiar with John's writing,
John's very influenced by Greek culture.
He uses a lot of metaphor and imagery.
And what we have here is most likely
a personification more than it is a person.
He's speaking of the church with such affection.
He's speaking to her as the elect lady
and her children.
It can strike us odd,
but it should more impact us
to see the relational warmth
of such a statement.
Think about this.
When you speak of the church,
how do you speak of her?
Never speak about her
without the warmth that you should.
The church is like an elect lady
and all the saints in here,
they are the children.
I love getting time
with the Woo Girls at dinner.
We had quite the time.
We shared a pretty good cookie too.
But I love that they call you guys
all uncle and aunt.
Is that right?
I guess unless you're new,
that might be part of the membership process.
I love that.
That familial ethic.
And I almost left the retreat
when I came in here
because it was so evident
you guys love one another.
They almost thought
these messages aren't needed.
I'll give this back to Sean.
But I think the reminder
is always helpful.
If we ever see this
as anything less
than a warm family,
we're not thinking
or speaking of the church
as we should.
But the passage continues
to go on.
He says,
whom I love in truth.
All who know the truth
because of the truth
that abides in us.
There's so much love in this place
because of what we share in common.
Naturally, we have many differences.
But what other place do you go to
where everyone is collectively saying,
I am here to worship Jesus Christ.
I acknowledge him
as my king
and my savior.
You won't get that at Walmart.
You won't get that at Barnes & Nobles.
You won't get that
in any other place.
What we share
in the truth
is where our love
comes from.
And so,
we have to be clear
about the truth.
I don't want you to think
that the truth needs love
to warm it up.
Truth is not cold by itself.
Truth, biblically,
is very warm.
I think of the beginning
of this letter.
Grace,
mercy,
and peace
will be with us
from God the Father
and from Jesus Christ,
the Father's Son,
in truth and love.
is there anything cold
about grace
or mercy
or peace
from the Father?
That's all truth.
See, it's not just like
John is this warm apostle
and he kind of warms up
truth with love.
If we see truth rightly,
truth already comes to us
very warm,
very alive,
and we definitely see that
in John's writing here.
And this also shouldn't surprise us
because what does John
refer to Jesus as
in his gospel?
The truth.
Jesus himself
says he's the truth.
Is Jesus cold?
Aloof?
No.
Full of grace
and truth.
Friends,
this is a warm reality
and this,
these are the ties
that bind.
Any other heat
is artificial.
But if the warmth
we have for one another
we draw from Christ,
that warmth
will be real
and ever
with us.
So let me ask you,
what is your love
and connection
to other Christians
based on?
Season of life?
Similar interests?
Interests?
Or a savior
like none of us
could have imagined
would bring us together?
All right,
that's,
that's that.
There's,
there's more to us
that we need to see here.
And it's not just
that the truth
is something beautiful
and binding.
It's something
to be embodied.
This leads us
to our second point
and these will
cover the last
three verses
of our passage.
this point
is to combine
love
with truth
and obedience.
And this is maybe
the most important part
that I think
we'll get
out of this
tonight.
So something
I didn't tell you
about the Cremora,
so if you go try this,
again,
that's on you,
I make no disclaimers
or anything like that.
I've actually burned
my eyebrows
doing this.
It's not just like
you can take the matches
and throw them
on a pile
of the non-dairy creamer.
You actually have
to oxygenate
the non-dairy creamer.
It has to have
enough oxygen.
So you have to
drop it from on top,
let it kind of
mingle like a fine powder.
I know some of you
are paying attention
and you hold the match
like underneath it
away from you though
because if you have
big brows like this,
you'll leave with no brows.
And you do it like that
and it works perfect.
And I think a lot
of people have tried
the love and truth thing
but they don't realize
something needs
to be mixed in.
That thing that needs
to be mixed in
for this to work,
it's oxygen
in the illustration.
It's obedience
when the Apostle John
is talking to us.
And now that might
throw us the most.
We're like,
okay,
you're telling me
the truth is not cold,
it's actually got
its own warmth,
but obedience,
that's a hard sell.
Well, I'm happy
to try to sell this.
Obedience should be
a very warm word
and I would say
from John's writing,
a word we always connect
to truth and love.
Because it's not just
that John had joy
in them for their love.
Read this with me.
This is so great.
Verse four,
I rejoice greatly
to find some
of your children
walking in the truth
just as we were commanded
by the Father.
What was John's joy in?
Not just the truth.
The truth lived out.
Remember,
John loves imagery
and metaphor.
Walking was a metaphor
we see elsewhere.
Paul uses it in Scripture.
So does our Lord.
But John uses it here.
He doesn't just rejoice
in the children
that they're children.
He rejoices
that they're living
out the truth.
When you think
of what makes you glad
for the believers
you're in fellowship with,
is it their obedience
to Jesus Christ
that comes up
among all the other things
you love about them?
I think it certainly can
and it ought to have
a place in us.
I've said for years,
I don't think
there is anything
more beautiful
in the whole world
than healthy,
mature,
Christian disciples.
I think in John's language,
I don't think John thinks
there's anything
more beautiful
than believers
living out
what they believe.
I love what Psalm 16, 3 says.
As for the saints
in the land,
they are the excellent ones
in whom is all my delight.
Oh, friends,
what do you praise
to one another?
What do you encourage
one another in?
Because what you praise,
you promote.
Andrew and I,
I'm going to call you out, Andrew.
Both Andrew and I,
we like some new balances.
And it's no lie,
they're on both of our feet,
so we're guilty
as charged.
We're recovering sneakerheads.
We don't believe
people fully under Jesus Christ
can be under
that kind of bondage,
so we're seeking
reformation together.
And I think God's
given us grace,
but I don't love my man
because he's got
some NBs on.
I don't just love him
because he smiles.
I love the sincerity
and sweetness
of his faith.
But if all I ever
talk to Andrew about
is new balances,
what I'm praising,
I'm promoting.
And so when I'm
fellowshipping with
other believers,
when I'm in communion
with them,
I don't want to just talk.
I want to make fire.
I want to engender
the things that matter most.
Listen,
how many lies
are out there in the world
about what it means
to be a woman,
what it means
to be a man?
And you can read
the little videos
and get lost
in the rabbit trails,
and all of a sudden
you have no more
orientation of what matters.
And then for a believer
to strengthen your hand
in God's grace
in your life
and to say,
I love the way
you are living out truth.
I love the way
you are living out
your faith in this trial.
I love the way
you're living your faith
out in this blessing.
Friends,
we need that.
Our relationships
were meant
to carry that kind
of convoy
to bring the strength
that we need.
Now,
some of us
may be thinking,
well,
if we only talk
about Jesus,
is this going
to be real anymore?
Like,
I could say to Sean,
nice flan.
I mean,
I do this kind of stuff
you'll hear about
when we get into 3 John.
For tonight,
it's like,
well,
can I ever just give
someone a regular compliment?
Can I ever say
that's a nice coat
or something else?
Of course you can.
But I don't think
we need to fear
that this kind
of promotion
of godly living
is somehow
less human,
less warm,
or less real
than other things
we could talk about.
I don't know about you,
but when I came
to faith in Jesus Christ,
I learned
a kingdom mystery.
I was afraid
that the more
I conformed my life
to Jesus Christ,
the less I would be
in touch with
who I really am.
I thought I would
lose myself.
In fact,
the scripture did call me
to lose myself.
But the paradox here
is that in losing
yourself in Christ,
you really find yourself.
I am more truly human,
more truly alive,
more truly myself
in Christ
than I would be
ever in my own
identity or kingdom building.
And if we believe
that fundamentally,
we have no fear
of this kind
of holy promotion
among one another.
So,
carrying on with this,
this is where
John increases
his argument.
Look at verses
five and six
with me.
He says this.
I'm going to
bathe my eyes.
I'm getting worse
all the time.
I lost my regular
Bible this week.
I have my study Bible
with a smaller print.
I know you're like,
you guys are not
thinking about aging
and needing bigger
print Bibles,
but your brother up here
is,
but I found where
we're at.
And now I ask you,
dear lady,
not as though I were
writing you a new
commandment,
but the one we have
had from the beginning.
It just echoes
1 John.
Even echoes
the gospel.
John is just,
if you need to study
anything in the Bible,
read all of John's stuff
in sequential order.
It's amazing.
That we love
one another.
And this is love.
This is a definition
for us.
That we walk
according to
his commandments.
This is the
commandment,
just as you have
heard from the
beginning,
so that you
should walk
in it.
This is love
that we walk
according
to his
commandments.
This is such
a paradigm shift.
I will
love you
best
when I obey
Jesus most.
I never even
thought about this
before I read
this in John.
This wasn't
on my radar.
But the
apostle John
by the
Holy Spirit
wants to get
this truth
embedded in us.
That the
best,
most loving
thing I can
do for the
community,
the best way
I can love you
is to keep
the commandments
of Jesus Christ.
The plural's
important there.
Let me read
some verses
here because
this is
beautiful.
In John's
gospel,
Jesus is
recorded saying
this,
John chapter
15,
if you keep
my commandments,
you will
abide in
my love.
Just,
just as I
have kept
my father's
commandments
and abide
in his love.
Jesus is not
calling us to
do anything
he did not
do himself
here.
These things
I have spoken
to you
that my
joy may
be in you
and that
your joy
may be
full.
What I'm
prescribing
from the
apostle of
love
is not
legalism.
It is not
threat.
This will
not take you
away from
the heart
of Christ
or the
gospel.
This is
what Jesus
Christ did
himself.
Friends,
and it will
not take you
away from
life and
joy.
There is
fullness of
joy and
life here.
He goes on
in the first
letter of
John.
He says
this,
for this
is the
love of
God,
that we
keep his
commandments.
Oh,
and his
commandments
are not
burdensome.
Did anything
that Jesus
teach,
was it
full of
hate,
regret,
burden,
deception?
No.
These
commandments
are beautiful.
They come
from God's
heart,
his very
nature.
And remember,
this is all
familial.
Our Father
wants to
share his
heart and
likeness with
us,
not just in
original creation,
but in
Christ and
the Holy
Spirit in
renewal of
our creation.
Friends,
this is
life.
But oftentimes,
we don't
connect keeping
commandments to
love or truth
or warmth or
life.
But the
apostle of
love is
showing us
a better
way,
a rich
way.
And one
more,
in case we're
like,
I still don't
know.
This is what
we signed
up from,
and I'm
going to
pull something
that's not
from John,
just in
case you're
like,
well,
I don't
even think
he has a
full Bible.
That's why
he just
gives out
John journals.
That's what
he lost.
He doesn't
even owe
one.
Small
print.
This is in
the Great
Commission
itself.
I love
this.
The risen
Christ says
to his
disciples,
all authority
in heaven
and on earth
has been
given to
me.
Go
therefore
and make
disciples of
all nations.
We're familiar
with that.
Baptizing
them in the
name of the
Father and
the Son and
the Holy
Spirit.
Yes.
Teaching them
to observe
all that I
have commanded
you.
Yes.
And behold,
I'm with you
always to the
end of the
age.
I know it's
late,
so I won't
stress it.
Make this a
point of prayer.
don't let
this be
something
conceptual.
This is
how we're
to understand
how we
craft these
things.
This is a
calling for
all of us.
I don't
expect us
to get it
in a moment.
I don't
have it
all myself,
but I
want to
learn this
craft better
and better.
And if I'm
going to
learn how
love and
truth work,
I need to
learn how
obedience
mingles in
and I
need to
see the
good intention
of my
father in
all of
this.
So,
we carry
on with
this and
I would
ask in
your
friendships,
how much
do you care
about one
another's
obedience and
how much do
you care about
your own
obedience?
obedience.
I work with
parents and
youth at our
church and I
get a lot of
questions about
gossip.
And we do a
lot of Q&A and
some of our
youth stuff and
they're like,
what do I do
if I'm in a
circle with my
friends and they
start gossiping?
Should I make a
declaration that
that's sinful?
Should I leave?
Should I wait?
And they're trying
to navigate how
to do this.
Here's what I'm
saying.
If we care about
our own
obedience, I
know the best
way to love
somebody else is
to be obedient
to Christ.
And if I want
to love them,
their obedience
is something I'm
going to care
about.
But do we see
anything cold or
harsh in this
apostle of love?
No.
So when we
think about how
we live this
out and how
we look out
for one another,
it's not
rigid.
It's not
mean.
It's not
proud.
It's not
condemning.
It should have
life and
warmth.
Now, that's
really gracious
that you said,
I love people
well enough that
I can.
And that's kind
of my policy.
I'll love you
big, and if I
see something,
I'll tell you.
But that's
something you
learn to work
on.
That is a
craft.
But there's
no place for
condemnation when
we do this.
And listen,
and give each
other grace.
We're not always
going to walk
this out
perfectly.
Someone's
going to care
about your
obedience, and
you're going to
feel like they're
overstepping their
bounds.
Someone's going to
make a hard call
about something, and
maybe they didn't do
it the right way.
Yeah, we're
learning together.
I don't think this
son of thunder got
here overnight.
I think he was
gradually shaped by
the love of Christ
over time.
And I have that
same confidence that
that grace that's
with the apostle is
also with us.
Check out these two
quotes.
They're wonderful.
Ray Van Ness' work on
2nd and 3rd John.
By the way, there's
not a lot of
commentary work on
2nd and 3rd John.
I guess scholars felt
like they had bigger
things to do.
But not Ray.
And Ray wrote a
wonderful work in the
ESV expository
commentary.
He says this,
proper love is
shaped and informed
by the commands
of God.
To love another
person is to do
what God commands
us to do or not
do in regards to
them and is to
help them obey
God's commands.
Any action towards
the other person
that violates God's
commands, no matter
how well intended
or how romantically
inclined, is not
love.
any action that
encourages or helps
that person to
avoid obedience to
God's commands, no
matter how nice the
motivation, is not
love.
And then Matthew
Henry simply and
profoundly writes,
it is loving to
affirm people in
obedience.
To call people to
obedience and to
rebuke disobedience.
friends, I want us
to learn this
craft
of combining
love and truth
in a way that
really brings life
and warmth to
ourselves
and to our
communities.
And we do this
from a place of
confidence.
And I close here,
go back to the
beginning of 2 John.
Grace, mercy, and
peace will be with
us.
Do you hear the
apostle of love and
his confidence for the
believers?
Grace, mercy, and
peace will be with
us.
Surely, goodness and
mercy shall follow
me all the days of
my life.
That confidence of
the psalmist is
John's confidence.
Friend, while we're
trying to learn this
craft of how this all
works out, we do it
with the confidence
that we could not be
more loved and
accepted than we
already are by Jesus
Christ.
I believe all real
love, all real
obedience comes from
this truth.
Truth is a trusted
confidence.
If something is
true, I can rest my
weight on it.
And there is nothing
more true than
grace, mercy, and
peace will always be
with God's people in
Jesus Christ.
And friend, we don't
get our ultimate
ideas and way of
warmth and life
from the apostle
John.
We get it from
Jesus Christ who
made a rageful man
a man of love, a
man of strong, even
hyper conviction, to
have a beautiful
balance where truth
isn't compromised
and love is rich and
satisfying.
Friends, we can have
confidence.
right now, tonight,
there is no way
you're going to be
more loved or more
accepted than you
already are.
That is your place
in Christ.
Any of these
renovations, they're
for our joy to
deepen, for our
shared experience to
rich in, but they
will not give you any
more confidence.
They will not give you
any more peace,
mercy, and grace than
he has already given
you.
Believer, in this way,
this love of Christ,
this is where we
build from.
It's that confidence we
give ourselves to this
craft.
Would you pray with me?
Father, I pray now as
we transition to
discussion groups,
that you would fill
those times, Lord.
Give us listening
ears and
helpful,
constructive
conversation, but
above all, Lord,
help us learn this.
Teach us your ways,
Lord.
We want to be more
like you.
Lord, we confess there
are areas of our life
that are in
disobedience.
there are areas of
our life that need
more of your way.
Thank you for your
patience with us.
Thank you for your
commitment to us in
Christ.
Lord, John's
confidence is from
Christ.
May ours be all the
more.
Lord, we love you
because you loved us.
So lead us on as we
fellowship and reflect
on your word together.
In Jesus' name,
so be it.
Amen.