WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:07.400 Okay, we're going to return to the passage that we read together from 1 John chapter 00:00:07.400 --> 00:00:11.960 2, from verse 12 to verse 17. 00:00:11.960 --> 00:00:15.280 And we've seen in the last few weeks that this is a letter that was written probably 00:00:15.280 --> 00:00:19.240 to churches in Ephesus or around that area. 00:00:19.240 --> 00:00:26.080 And as with many of the New Testament letters, they're written in the context of problems 00:00:26.079 --> 00:00:32.239 arising from false teaching, from people coming in and moving away from the gospel message 00:00:32.239 --> 00:00:38.200 that was brought by the apostles, that was inspired by the nature, the character and 00:00:38.200 --> 00:00:41.879 the work, death and resurrection of Jesus. 00:00:41.879 --> 00:00:50.280 And Cori last week was looking at that section beforehand from chapter, from verse 3 of chapter 00:00:50.280 --> 00:00:58.120 2, which where John was giving indicators to this Christian people, giving indicators 00:00:58.120 --> 00:01:05.640 to them to assure them, to examination, to look at things in their own lives, to assure 00:01:05.640 --> 00:01:11.280 them that they were following Jesus and that they were reflecting what it meant to follow 00:01:11.280 --> 00:01:12.280 Jesus. 00:01:12.280 --> 00:01:18.280 They weren't tests to say, if you pass these tests, then you're a Christian, and we stress 00:01:18.280 --> 00:01:23.920 that, but rather they were indicators that you'd already, that the church here that he 00:01:23.920 --> 00:01:28.719 was writing to had already become Christians and were following Jesus and not to give in 00:01:28.719 --> 00:01:34.439 to the false teaching and the lives of those false teachers that didn't reflect the character 00:01:34.439 --> 00:01:37.319 and love and grace of Jesus. 00:01:37.319 --> 00:01:43.040 And so what we find here, and right throughout the epistle, that John is speaking to the 00:01:43.040 --> 00:01:49.040 heart, he's speaking into the hearts of believers. 00:01:49.040 --> 00:01:54.560 And that is a really important thing for us to remember when we come every time to Scripture, 00:01:54.560 --> 00:02:01.320 every time to preaching, every time to worship, to work, that what is God saying into my heart? 00:02:01.320 --> 00:02:05.680 What are my, what are the circumstances of my life doing? 00:02:05.680 --> 00:02:07.960 What is God teaching me through that? 00:02:07.960 --> 00:02:10.120 What is He teaching me through His Word? 00:02:10.120 --> 00:02:16.240 What is He wanting to transform and change from His truth in my heart? 00:02:16.240 --> 00:02:24.599 And we recognize that God uses His Word to protect us, to show us His grace, to help 00:02:24.599 --> 00:02:28.319 us overcome in different and difficult circumstances. 00:02:28.319 --> 00:02:32.400 And that's true today, as just as much as it was in John's time. 00:02:32.400 --> 00:02:36.360 And he was saying to them, look, there's false teachers coming here trying to bring you away 00:02:36.360 --> 00:02:37.360 from Jesus. 00:02:37.360 --> 00:02:42.880 It may sound great, it may sound flash, it may sound easy, but they're moving away from 00:02:42.880 --> 00:02:44.000 the gospel. 00:02:44.000 --> 00:02:48.280 So look at your own heart, and look at what they're saying, and look at what they're saying 00:02:48.280 --> 00:02:55.740 brings you closer to Jesus and is in line with the apostolic message or is not. 00:02:55.740 --> 00:02:57.400 So we're looking at that today as well. 00:02:57.400 --> 00:03:00.120 And if you're not a Christian here today, if you've come into church and you're not 00:03:00.120 --> 00:03:03.280 a Christian, brilliant, fantastic to see you, and we're glad you're here. 00:03:03.280 --> 00:03:05.880 You might have seemed a little bit weird to you up till now. 00:03:05.879 --> 00:03:08.000 You might seem even weirder with me preaching. 00:03:08.000 --> 00:03:12.680 But if you're not a Christian, I would really encourage you. 00:03:12.680 --> 00:03:15.159 We're going to look at two key truths from this section. 00:03:15.159 --> 00:03:19.479 And I hope that these truths will also help you to maybe understand a bit more about the 00:03:19.479 --> 00:03:26.159 Christian faith, maybe attractive or challenging, at least for you to consider Jesus and his 00:03:26.159 --> 00:03:33.400 claims as the one who we know has transformed our lives and the truth of Him is in His Word. 00:03:33.400 --> 00:03:36.879 So there's two things that I want to speak about from this passage today. 00:03:36.879 --> 00:03:46.159 The first is, as Christians, we all need to be aware of being family. 00:03:46.159 --> 00:03:50.040 We need to be aware that we are a family and that we belong to His family and that we're 00:03:50.040 --> 00:03:51.040 a family. 00:03:51.040 --> 00:03:52.960 That's the first section, 12 to 14. 00:03:52.960 --> 00:03:58.960 And then we're going to look at the second question, which is taking away the gap, be 00:03:58.960 --> 00:04:01.879 aware of the world. 00:04:01.879 --> 00:04:09.439 So be aware of belonging to God's family and be aware of the world, which is 15 to 17. 00:04:09.439 --> 00:04:11.919 So John here is wanting to... 00:04:11.919 --> 00:04:16.279 He's kind of given them quite a hard time in the first section of John, the first chapter 00:04:16.279 --> 00:04:17.279 on the tenets. 00:04:17.279 --> 00:04:18.920 He realizes it's a difficult situation. 00:04:18.920 --> 00:04:20.319 There's tensions in the church. 00:04:20.319 --> 00:04:21.319 There's false teaching. 00:04:21.319 --> 00:04:24.560 There's guys coming in and they're rubbishing the message of the gospel. 00:04:24.560 --> 00:04:26.560 And he realizes that's brought difficulty. 00:04:26.560 --> 00:04:30.639 So he's been quite strong in what he's said thus far. 00:04:30.639 --> 00:04:34.399 But now he comes... this section, verses 12 to 14, if you've got your Bibles, you'll see 00:04:34.399 --> 00:04:35.399 it's kind of... 00:04:35.399 --> 00:04:36.560 It's written like a poem. 00:04:36.560 --> 00:04:37.560 Like a poem. 00:04:37.560 --> 00:04:40.039 It's more poetic in form. 00:04:40.039 --> 00:04:42.439 And he's... 00:04:42.439 --> 00:04:47.680 This section is kind of taking a break from what he's saying. 00:04:47.680 --> 00:04:53.599 I think he knows the potential fragility and the lack of confidence within the people. 00:04:53.599 --> 00:04:56.719 And so he's almost taking a break from what he's teaching. 00:04:56.719 --> 00:04:57.719 And he's... 00:04:57.719 --> 00:04:58.719 He's a really wise teacher. 00:04:58.720 --> 00:05:00.720 And what's he saying? 00:05:00.720 --> 00:05:01.720 He's saying, stay with me. 00:05:01.720 --> 00:05:02.960 Look, stay with me here. 00:05:02.960 --> 00:05:04.280 Remember who you are. 00:05:04.280 --> 00:05:09.080 And just stick with me as you listen to... or as you read what I'm saying. 00:05:09.080 --> 00:05:14.600 And he gives us this lovely section where he speaks to the church that he's writing 00:05:14.600 --> 00:05:16.200 to as a family. 00:05:16.200 --> 00:05:17.200 Little... 00:05:17.200 --> 00:05:18.200 See, that's a tone of it. 00:05:18.200 --> 00:05:19.200 He's not coming... 00:05:19.200 --> 00:05:20.680 He's not coming heavy-handed. 00:05:20.680 --> 00:05:25.880 He's not coming as a distant leader ramming truth down the front. 00:05:25.880 --> 00:05:26.880 He says, little... 00:05:26.879 --> 00:05:29.240 I write to you, little children. 00:05:29.240 --> 00:05:32.879 And again, at the end of that, I write to you, children. 00:05:32.879 --> 00:05:36.040 And you know, he's reminding them that we're family. 00:05:36.040 --> 00:05:38.279 We're a family together. 00:05:38.279 --> 00:05:41.519 It's really Christ-like, sensitive leadership. 00:05:41.519 --> 00:05:47.600 He knows that he needs to give them loving, protective, sensitive teaching and words because 00:05:47.600 --> 00:05:53.560 it's a challenge and it's a battle to live the Christian life. 00:05:53.560 --> 00:05:56.680 And that's a great emphasis that he's bringing here. 00:05:56.680 --> 00:06:01.680 And it's one that we always need to remember and think about as a church, that we think 00:06:01.680 --> 00:06:09.360 of St. Columba's in church in terms of family and in terms of a family together. 00:06:09.360 --> 00:06:12.879 And you know, that's quite hard for us as a city centre church because, you know, people 00:06:12.879 --> 00:06:14.879 are coming and going all the time. 00:06:14.879 --> 00:06:16.840 We're a transient congregation. 00:06:16.840 --> 00:06:22.639 We work hard at community, but it's difficult, you know, because we change so much. 00:06:22.639 --> 00:06:27.360 And today at the end of service, we'll be saying farewell to some more people. 00:06:27.360 --> 00:06:30.159 And that's hard and hurtful. 00:06:30.159 --> 00:06:35.319 Not hurtful, it's hard and painful for us to say farewell. 00:06:35.319 --> 00:06:37.800 And of course, we welcome lots of people as well. 00:06:37.800 --> 00:06:42.399 But this emphasis is so significant that we see one another in terms of being brothers 00:06:42.399 --> 00:06:44.800 and sisters in Christ. 00:06:44.800 --> 00:06:51.879 And as John saw this people, and it will always temper how we respond to one another. 00:06:51.879 --> 00:06:54.120 And we think about ourselves as family. 00:06:54.120 --> 00:06:58.199 And when we consider how we're called to love one another and share with one another and 00:06:58.199 --> 00:07:01.199 give to and with one another. 00:07:01.199 --> 00:07:03.800 So he speaks to them as little children. 00:07:03.800 --> 00:07:10.120 And he's bringing a message to them, isn't he, in this poetic section from 12 to 14. 00:07:10.120 --> 00:07:15.319 He says, and he says three times, he says, I write to you, I write to you, I write to 00:07:15.319 --> 00:07:16.819 you. 00:07:16.819 --> 00:07:21.600 And three times he says, I am writing to you, I am writing to you, I am writing to you. 00:07:21.600 --> 00:07:26.760 And if you've been here before, looking at this study, you'll remember we've said that 00:07:26.760 --> 00:07:29.800 John often writes in threes. 00:07:29.800 --> 00:07:32.120 There's lots of threes in this little letter. 00:07:32.120 --> 00:07:33.560 And this is a double three. 00:07:33.560 --> 00:07:35.160 This is actually a six. 00:07:35.160 --> 00:07:41.720 So he's writing three times he says, I write to you, and three times he says, I have written 00:07:41.720 --> 00:07:42.720 to you. 00:07:42.720 --> 00:07:49.040 And he's just, it's really just, he's just wanting to repeat what he's saying. 00:07:49.040 --> 00:07:50.920 In other words, it's important. 00:07:50.920 --> 00:07:54.759 It's trinity, there's trilogy, there's triad of thoughts that he has. 00:07:54.759 --> 00:07:56.920 He wants to repeat them for emphasis. 00:07:56.920 --> 00:08:00.480 And it is repetitive, this little section. 00:08:00.480 --> 00:08:05.000 And maybe he's saying to them, I'm writing to you, and look, I've just written to you 00:08:05.000 --> 00:08:08.040 just now, or he might be saying, I'm writing to you. 00:08:08.040 --> 00:08:11.040 And I've also written to you in the gospel, the gospel of John, because it's the same 00:08:11.040 --> 00:08:15.000 writer and there's the same themes that go through the gospel of John and this little 00:08:15.000 --> 00:08:16.000 letter as well. 00:08:16.000 --> 00:08:18.840 So he's maybe pointing them back to that as well. 00:08:18.839 --> 00:08:29.279 But either way, he's reminding them that having looked at the evidence or the indicators 00:08:29.279 --> 00:08:34.480 for them to look at in their own hearts to see whether they are following Jesus, he now 00:08:34.480 --> 00:08:40.439 assures them that they are exactly the kind of people that are following Jesus. 00:08:40.439 --> 00:08:45.279 He wants to assure them that the evidence he spoke about, which he asked them to look 00:08:45.279 --> 00:08:51.879 at in their own hearts, was maybe a subjective challenge to them, to be self-reflective, 00:08:51.879 --> 00:08:53.639 to look into their own Christian lives. 00:08:53.639 --> 00:08:58.439 Now he's saying something objective, he's now saying, I know that you're Christians, 00:08:58.439 --> 00:09:02.399 I can see it, and I know that you're following Jesus and the gospel. 00:09:02.399 --> 00:09:06.399 So don't listen to the false teachers and don't walk down that road because you're going 00:09:06.399 --> 00:09:10.399 to walk away from what you clearly are revealing. 00:09:10.399 --> 00:09:13.039 And he wants them to be assured. 00:09:13.039 --> 00:09:16.279 So he speaks, when he says little children, I think he's... 00:09:16.279 --> 00:09:23.399 And we see that throughout this little children, fathers, young men or youth, I think they're 00:09:23.399 --> 00:09:27.879 just representative titles that he's giving up. 00:09:27.879 --> 00:09:30.379 I'll speak a little bit more about the other ones. 00:09:30.379 --> 00:09:33.879 But when he says little children, I think he's speaking to the whole congregation, and 00:09:33.879 --> 00:09:40.399 he's saying to them, I'm writing to you because your sins are forgiven for his name's sake. 00:09:40.399 --> 00:09:43.639 You know that, that is your experience. 00:09:43.639 --> 00:09:51.600 He says that and reminds them of that fundamental truth that all of them, they come together 00:09:51.600 --> 00:09:55.959 as children because their sins have been forgiven in Jesus' name. 00:09:55.959 --> 00:10:00.199 And that when it talks about in the name of Jesus, just speaking about all that Jesus 00:10:00.199 --> 00:10:05.159 represents, what He came to do, how He died in the cross, He rose from the dead, and they 00:10:05.159 --> 00:10:10.799 put their trust in this amazing King of Kings. 00:10:10.799 --> 00:10:12.279 And you know, that's the biggest... 00:10:12.279 --> 00:10:13.279 He knows that, doesn't it? 00:10:13.279 --> 00:10:18.519 He knows that's the biggest statement that any believer can have declared over them. 00:10:18.519 --> 00:10:24.559 It's the biggest thing you will ever understand in your life as a Christian, or as a person, 00:10:24.559 --> 00:10:30.600 is that as a Christian, we can know that our sins are forgiven because what Jesus has done 00:10:30.600 --> 00:10:33.120 and because we put our faith in Jesus Christ. 00:10:33.120 --> 00:10:41.759 It's just the biggest shadow over every single life is that however it reveals itself, we're 00:10:41.759 --> 00:10:45.600 a people who are estranged from God. 00:10:45.600 --> 00:10:49.320 And there's a sense that we know Him, but we're estranged from Him because of sin in 00:10:49.320 --> 00:10:52.039 our hearts and lives. 00:10:52.039 --> 00:10:57.919 And to have Jesus declare your sins are forgiven is the biggest thing, the biggest declaration, 00:10:57.919 --> 00:11:00.639 the biggest call that will ever be made in your life. 00:11:00.639 --> 00:11:07.120 Whoever else happens in your life, whether it be long or short, however famous or infamous 00:11:07.120 --> 00:11:13.319 or ordinary or special or life's the biggest declaration that will ever be heard over you, 00:11:13.319 --> 00:11:16.559 is that your sins are forgiven because you put your trust in Jesus. 00:11:16.559 --> 00:11:19.120 It's the greatest thing ever. 00:11:19.120 --> 00:11:23.360 And He then goes on to speak about some of the other characteristics that He recognizes 00:11:23.360 --> 00:11:28.200 and sees in this Christian community and is in all believers. 00:11:28.200 --> 00:11:33.720 He speaks to the mature, that is, He titles them fathers, the mature in the faith, and 00:11:33.720 --> 00:11:38.320 He speaks to the young men, which I think represented just, it could be translated youth 00:11:38.320 --> 00:11:43.440 to the young people in the church and really covering everything within the church. 00:11:43.440 --> 00:11:49.000 And He says to the fathers, He says to them twice, He says, I write to you fathers, verse 00:11:49.000 --> 00:11:52.720 13, because you know Him who is from the beginning. 00:11:52.720 --> 00:11:57.920 Verse 14, I write to you fathers, repeating it completely the same, because you know Him 00:11:57.919 --> 00:11:59.679 who is from the beginning. 00:11:59.679 --> 00:12:05.799 So this crucial focus, this crucial reality of growing Christians, of mature Christians, 00:12:05.799 --> 00:12:13.079 is that they have a real focus on fellowship, on knowing God, that knowing God is critical 00:12:13.079 --> 00:12:22.879 for them, knowing the Father, knowing Christ, the One who is from the beginning, Christ, 00:12:22.879 --> 00:12:23.879 the Redeemer. 00:12:23.879 --> 00:12:29.000 It's almost clumsy, it's so repetitive, but James is wanting them to say, you know, you've 00:12:29.000 --> 00:12:30.000 got it. 00:12:30.000 --> 00:12:31.600 I see it in you. 00:12:31.600 --> 00:12:36.360 I see that you do know God, that it's made a difference in your life. 00:12:36.360 --> 00:12:42.120 It's what distinguishes you from unbelievers and from the false teachers. 00:12:42.120 --> 00:12:46.399 And it's significant because as He said earlier on, this fellowship with the Father which 00:12:46.399 --> 00:12:49.639 He wants to share will mean that we walk in the light. 00:12:49.639 --> 00:12:52.840 And so He's seeing that there are people that are walking in the light because they know 00:12:52.840 --> 00:12:56.560 the Father and it's changed their lives. 00:12:56.560 --> 00:12:59.040 And what He's saying to them is, look, don't risk that. 00:12:59.040 --> 00:13:02.560 I'm convinced that you're following Jesus and that you know the Father. 00:13:02.560 --> 00:13:07.120 Don't risk it by listening to teaching that takes you away from that. 00:13:07.120 --> 00:13:12.800 Don't risk it by drifting from Jesus Christ into a false teaching, into doubt and sin 00:13:12.800 --> 00:13:15.240 and conflict. 00:13:15.240 --> 00:13:18.160 I can see that you follow the main thing. 00:13:18.159 --> 00:13:24.439 And I can see that here, I can see that here with mature believers. 00:13:24.439 --> 00:13:30.439 The mature believers are people who know that fellowship with God, relationship with the 00:13:30.439 --> 00:13:34.480 Father through Jesus Christ, fellowship with Him is the main thing. 00:13:34.480 --> 00:13:42.519 They're not scrabbling about with legalism and pettiness and other things that I see 00:13:42.519 --> 00:13:48.600 it here, Christians living in that way following and knowing and fellowshiping with God is 00:13:48.600 --> 00:13:49.759 the main thing. 00:13:49.759 --> 00:13:54.840 And then He speaks to the young people, the youth, and He says to them something very 00:13:54.840 --> 00:13:55.840 important as well. 00:13:55.840 --> 00:14:00.439 He says, you might be young in the faith and you might be thinking you're struggling because 00:14:00.439 --> 00:14:06.039 you're young in the faith, but He says, I can see that you've overcome the evil one. 00:14:06.039 --> 00:14:11.120 I can see that you are strong and the Word of God abides in you. 00:14:11.120 --> 00:14:12.600 You've overcome the evil one. 00:14:12.600 --> 00:14:18.799 And what He's saying to young, those who are young in the faith, He's saying, you may feel 00:14:18.799 --> 00:14:24.799 vulnerable and weak, but actually I can see that God's strength is already in you because 00:14:24.799 --> 00:14:28.039 you believe because you believe. 00:14:28.039 --> 00:14:30.879 And that is only God that can give us that belief. 00:14:30.879 --> 00:14:38.879 You've overcome the deceit and the darkness of Satan who wants to keep us away from Jesus. 00:14:38.879 --> 00:14:46.240 And you therefore are strong, even though you may not feel that in your life. 00:14:46.240 --> 00:14:52.080 And so the encouragement is for all of the church both to focus on the fellowship with 00:14:52.080 --> 00:14:58.679 God and to remind ourselves that the strength we have as Christians isn't our own, doesn't 00:14:58.679 --> 00:15:02.919 come from being mature in the faith and doesn't come from our head knowledge. 00:15:02.919 --> 00:15:08.120 It comes from God Himself, His strength because He has overcome the evil one He's enabled 00:15:08.120 --> 00:15:11.399 us to also do so. 00:15:11.399 --> 00:15:19.759 And we are to remain focused in His Word and in Christ who is the representation of the 00:15:19.759 --> 00:15:22.000 Word Himself. 00:15:22.000 --> 00:15:24.200 So that's the encouragement He gives to this church. 00:15:24.200 --> 00:15:26.759 He says, look, I can see that in you. 00:15:26.759 --> 00:15:33.039 I can see that you, the fact that you believe at all is testimony that you're relying on 00:15:33.039 --> 00:15:35.120 a strength that's not your own. 00:15:35.120 --> 00:15:42.000 It's testimony to the fact that you recognize that what Christ has done on the cross is 00:15:42.000 --> 00:15:44.360 empowered and enabled you to believe. 00:15:44.360 --> 00:15:51.279 And you've come to Him for salvation and you see that fellowship with Him is central. 00:15:51.279 --> 00:15:53.440 And that really doesn't change. 00:15:53.440 --> 00:15:56.879 And that's the encouragement for us whether you're young or old in the faith. 00:15:56.879 --> 00:15:59.519 And I think really John here is speaking to everyone. 00:15:59.519 --> 00:16:02.720 He's just highlighting characteristics. 00:16:02.720 --> 00:16:07.000 And these are Christ-breathed characteristics. 00:16:07.000 --> 00:16:13.440 There's this vital commonality between all of us as believers that our strength, our ability 00:16:13.440 --> 00:16:17.519 to overcome comes from Jesus, from trusting in Him. 00:16:17.519 --> 00:16:22.680 And fellowship with the Father is our goal, is our aim as Christians. 00:16:22.680 --> 00:16:29.519 And may we be like John who takes time to encourage the church and to speak gently to 00:16:29.519 --> 00:16:32.080 them and say, look, I can see this in you. 00:16:32.080 --> 00:16:35.960 And may it be that we do that as well for one another that we encourage with, I can see 00:16:35.960 --> 00:16:38.360 that you're following Jesus. 00:16:38.360 --> 00:16:42.000 I can see that you understand and know the gospel and that you're living and walking 00:16:42.000 --> 00:16:45.000 in the light and that you want fellowship with the Father. 00:16:45.000 --> 00:16:47.759 Encourage one another in these important truths. 00:16:47.759 --> 00:16:49.560 Easy to knock each other down. 00:16:49.560 --> 00:16:54.879 Let's build each other up in the knowledge of truth and speak into one another's lives 00:16:54.879 --> 00:16:59.320 and have that pastoral focus and sense of priority. 00:16:59.320 --> 00:17:05.360 I was asking to do a question time with the students in ETS in Artheological Seminy across 00:17:05.360 --> 00:17:06.360 the road. 00:17:06.360 --> 00:17:12.519 And one of the questions was about pastoral care and how do you do pastoral care kind 00:17:12.519 --> 00:17:14.400 of thing in a bigger congregation. 00:17:14.400 --> 00:17:20.960 And the answer to that for me is very significant, is that we each learn to pastor one another. 00:17:20.960 --> 00:17:24.600 Is that we have that pastoral heart and care and support of one another. 00:17:24.599 --> 00:17:31.319 And we speak spiritually and encouragingly when it's needed into our own, into each other's 00:17:31.319 --> 00:17:39.839 lives because it's impossible for one person or even a group of leaders to pastor if there's 00:17:39.839 --> 00:17:46.919 not this great loving concern for one another that is shared by the words John is saying 00:17:46.919 --> 00:17:47.919 here. 00:17:47.920 --> 00:17:56.640 So we remember that we are a family together in Christ and we keep that emphasis and we 00:17:56.640 --> 00:18:00.560 work at it and I know it's hard sometimes and I know it's challenging. 00:18:00.560 --> 00:18:05.200 But we look to share these characteristics and encourage one another. 00:18:05.200 --> 00:18:10.880 But the second point and with this we come to a conclusion is that short two verses 00:18:10.880 --> 00:18:17.320 15 to 17, we need not to, not only to be aware that we are family in Christ but also we need 00:18:17.319 --> 00:18:19.240 to be aware of the world. 00:18:19.240 --> 00:18:23.039 Do not, he says love the world, the things of the world, anything, love the world, the 00:18:23.039 --> 00:18:25.359 love of the Father is not in him. 00:18:25.359 --> 00:18:32.480 And again it's really interesting for us that the focus of John's message here to the people 00:18:32.480 --> 00:18:36.519 is our hearts, is your heart and his mind. 00:18:36.519 --> 00:18:45.679 He recognizes when it comes to the Christian faith and the Christian walk that our heart 00:18:45.680 --> 00:18:53.960 is key and is critical where our motivation lies, where our desires lie. 00:18:53.960 --> 00:18:56.920 What we are in our very being. 00:18:56.920 --> 00:19:00.320 And he says, and he's really coming to us with two kingdoms here, he's saying we either 00:19:00.320 --> 00:19:03.600 love the world or we love the Father. 00:19:03.600 --> 00:19:09.080 And that's the great difference between the believer and the unbeliever and it's one we 00:19:09.080 --> 00:19:13.320 battle with as believers ourselves in our own hearts. 00:19:13.319 --> 00:19:18.720 It's about the focus when John here speaks about the world, he's not speaking about the 00:19:18.720 --> 00:19:25.960 cosmos, he's not speaking about the material world as such because we all live in the world, 00:19:25.960 --> 00:19:27.559 the world was created by him. 00:19:27.559 --> 00:19:33.879 He's not speaking about the cosmos and he's not just speaking about life in general. 00:19:33.879 --> 00:19:40.079 And he's particularly not speaking about the world as a set of taboos. 00:19:40.079 --> 00:19:47.960 The cultural taboos are the legalistic rights and wrongs that we sometimes talk about. 00:19:47.960 --> 00:19:52.599 But rather when he speaks here about the world, he's speaking about a disposition, an outlook 00:19:52.599 --> 00:19:58.439 that governs your life, governs your heart, governs your choices. 00:19:58.439 --> 00:20:01.599 And when he's speaking about the world, he's speaking about, or being worldly, he's speaking 00:20:01.599 --> 00:20:06.919 about having an attitude or a disposition where God is not involved, he's not part of it, 00:20:06.920 --> 00:20:14.960 where God's rejected or ignored or manipulated or at best peripheral. 00:20:14.960 --> 00:20:20.000 And he warns about having that worldly attitude in our hearts. 00:20:20.000 --> 00:20:24.440 Don't look outside, don't point the finger at others. 00:20:24.440 --> 00:20:29.000 He's asking us to look into our own hearts and into what motivates our life and what's 00:20:29.000 --> 00:20:30.680 at the core of our life. 00:20:30.680 --> 00:20:32.519 Each of us need to do that. 00:20:32.519 --> 00:20:38.759 And he gives us, in describing what the world is, he gives us another descriptive trio. 00:20:38.759 --> 00:20:40.559 He gives us another three, doesn't he? 00:20:40.559 --> 00:20:45.480 He says, for all that is in the world, the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes 00:20:45.480 --> 00:20:47.400 and the pride of life. 00:20:47.400 --> 00:20:52.559 These are the things that he says separate us from the living God. 00:20:52.559 --> 00:20:59.680 And in other words, he's saying the desires of the flesh, that is, our cravings, our appetites, 00:20:59.680 --> 00:21:06.000 our longings that come from within but that are self-centered, that don't take God into 00:21:06.000 --> 00:21:13.000 the equation at all, our sinful desires, in other words, that focus on me, me, and me, 00:21:13.000 --> 00:21:14.000 and me. 00:21:14.000 --> 00:21:17.320 So it's about me. 00:21:17.320 --> 00:21:20.120 So the desires of the flesh, what comes from within us. 00:21:20.120 --> 00:21:23.160 But then he also talks about the desires of the eyes. 00:21:23.160 --> 00:21:29.960 In other words, living such a way where we're coveting what other people have. 00:21:29.960 --> 00:21:33.600 We're not content even with what we've got but we're kind of lusting after what we see. 00:21:33.600 --> 00:21:35.680 They're both linked, I guess, at that level. 00:21:35.680 --> 00:21:41.600 Our inner desires are triggered by what we see and what we want and what we must have 00:21:41.600 --> 00:21:43.600 what is significant. 00:21:43.600 --> 00:21:49.320 And the third thing that he speaks about in describing the world is the pride of life. 00:21:49.319 --> 00:21:57.319 In other words, that sense of contentment with who we are in ourselves without any need 00:21:57.319 --> 00:22:03.439 for God, boasting about the gifts that we have, boasting about our wealth or our life 00:22:03.439 --> 00:22:08.399 under the sun and living simply as if we don't need God. 00:22:08.399 --> 00:22:10.319 There's no need for God in my life. 00:22:10.319 --> 00:22:16.639 It's all about my choices, even my morality, maybe, and my perspective. 00:22:16.640 --> 00:22:25.960 And what God is wanting through John is he inspired him to remind them and us as the 00:22:25.960 --> 00:22:31.440 reality of two kingdoms and the reality of the kingdom of God and the kingdom of this 00:22:31.440 --> 00:22:32.759 world. 00:22:32.759 --> 00:22:41.560 And it's the fundamental difference that has always been there, that there's the world 00:22:41.559 --> 00:22:47.200 without God and the world with God, and Satan has always tempted us to live without God. 00:22:47.200 --> 00:22:48.599 That's what he's done right from the beginning. 00:22:48.599 --> 00:22:53.240 And in fact, there's a lot of similarities between this threefold desires of the flesh, 00:22:53.240 --> 00:22:55.240 desires of the eyes and the pride of life. 00:22:55.240 --> 00:23:01.000 And Satan's temptations, first at Eve in the garden, you want this, this is good for 00:23:01.000 --> 00:23:02.000 food. 00:23:02.000 --> 00:23:04.599 I really love it, the appetite. 00:23:04.599 --> 00:23:07.919 And it was pleasing to an eye, he coveted it. 00:23:07.919 --> 00:23:10.119 And there was a prideful usurping of God command. 00:23:10.119 --> 00:23:11.759 If I get this, I'll be like God. 00:23:11.759 --> 00:23:14.959 I'll be as good, I'll be equal with God. 00:23:14.959 --> 00:23:22.599 But again, we see that fundamental temptation to Jesus in the wilderness, we're setting 00:23:22.599 --> 00:23:23.599 time to Jesus. 00:23:23.599 --> 00:23:29.119 And he says, look, turn this bread into stone, you must be starving Jesus. 00:23:29.119 --> 00:23:34.119 Turn into stone, turn into stone and the bread, eat it, fulfill your appetite, you can do 00:23:34.119 --> 00:23:35.119 your God. 00:23:35.119 --> 00:23:40.799 Well, he showed him the kingdoms of the world, and he said, you can have all this as well. 00:23:40.799 --> 00:23:44.959 He showed him it all. 00:23:44.959 --> 00:23:48.039 You can covet this, Jesus, I can give you. 00:23:48.039 --> 00:23:57.479 You don't, and almost challenging him to the glory of being the king of all these nations 00:23:57.479 --> 00:23:58.479 without the cross. 00:23:58.479 --> 00:24:02.479 He said, you don't need to go that way, just bow down quickly to me. 00:24:02.480 --> 00:24:05.880 And you don't need to go God's way, go your own way. 00:24:05.880 --> 00:24:15.920 And you see that the same core temptations that are used right throughout Scripture that 00:24:15.920 --> 00:24:23.240 we're tempted by as well to question God, to question His love, to question that He 00:24:23.240 --> 00:24:29.519 cares for my desires and that He'll not give me good things. 00:24:29.519 --> 00:24:31.319 And I'm better going my own way. 00:24:31.319 --> 00:24:32.679 I'm better just ignoring. 00:24:32.679 --> 00:24:37.839 That's really the fundamental worldly attitude that we battle with, that I battle with in 00:24:37.839 --> 00:24:41.439 my heart, that actually I know better than God. 00:24:41.439 --> 00:24:45.399 And I'll be happy my way rather than God's way. 00:24:45.399 --> 00:24:52.359 That remains for a Christian of 40 odd years. 00:24:52.359 --> 00:24:59.279 That means a great temptation for me, always, because that's the tactic, that's the battle 00:24:59.279 --> 00:25:01.299 that we find ourselves in. 00:25:01.299 --> 00:25:07.359 So the question for us always is we live our Christian lives through Scripture and through 00:25:07.359 --> 00:25:13.639 truth is, and you must ask today, is that what steals your heart? 00:25:13.639 --> 00:25:16.200 What is it that steals your heart? 00:25:16.200 --> 00:25:21.279 In what or in whom are we in love with? 00:25:21.279 --> 00:25:23.599 What's our passion? 00:25:23.599 --> 00:25:25.359 What have we devoted our lives to? 00:25:25.359 --> 00:25:29.599 Because that's kind of a big question, isn't it? 00:25:29.599 --> 00:25:40.679 This world, this physical world that we live in, and it's a great world, you know. 00:25:40.679 --> 00:25:46.799 And your life can be perfectly good from a kind of human point of view, loving and moral 00:25:46.799 --> 00:25:54.519 in many different ways at a human level, but it can be empty of God. 00:25:54.519 --> 00:25:57.639 And God says that's then worldliness. 00:25:57.640 --> 00:26:04.120 And the battle we face is that Satan will make that really attractive and make that... 00:26:04.120 --> 00:26:09.680 And he will use Scripture as he did with Jesus to try and defend it, to try and justify it, 00:26:09.680 --> 00:26:12.040 or twisting Scripture anyway. 00:26:12.040 --> 00:26:13.320 And... 00:26:13.320 --> 00:26:20.240 But the reality is that we were made for God, made to be in relationship with Him, made 00:26:20.240 --> 00:26:29.519 to find our appetites fulfilled in Him, and our pleasures made content in Him because 00:26:29.519 --> 00:26:33.279 we were created for Him. 00:26:33.279 --> 00:26:39.960 And if He has no place in our hearts, maybe He has a place in your mantlepiece. 00:26:39.960 --> 00:26:49.920 But if He has no place in your heart, then you're governed by a worldly attitude that 00:26:49.920 --> 00:26:56.000 denies Him His entry and His rightful place as our Lord and as our King and our King of 00:26:56.000 --> 00:26:57.320 Kings. 00:26:57.320 --> 00:26:59.960 So we have this battle of love, don't we, in our hearts? 00:26:59.960 --> 00:27:00.960 What do we... 00:27:00.960 --> 00:27:02.400 Who do we love and what do we love? 00:27:02.400 --> 00:27:07.800 And that exposes what John is saying here to the people who said, remember that fellowship 00:27:07.800 --> 00:27:09.080 with the Father is everything. 00:27:09.080 --> 00:27:10.080 It is life. 00:27:10.080 --> 00:27:12.880 It's life eternal. 00:27:12.880 --> 00:27:13.880 Keep hold of that. 00:27:13.880 --> 00:27:18.320 Don't listen to false teaching which moves away from that because it has nothing ultimately 00:27:18.319 --> 00:27:19.919 to offer. 00:27:19.919 --> 00:27:23.679 And so I conclude with the question, why does it matter? 00:27:23.679 --> 00:27:24.679 Why does all this matter? 00:27:24.679 --> 00:27:26.480 Why does this gathering together matter? 00:27:26.480 --> 00:27:27.980 Why is it significant? 00:27:27.980 --> 00:27:34.159 Well, because verse 17 makes clear as God reveals the truth, and the world... 00:27:34.159 --> 00:27:37.879 Because the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does that will have 00:27:37.879 --> 00:27:40.439 God abides forever. 00:27:40.440 --> 00:27:50.680 So it matters because where our heart is, or a heart where God is not King is terminal. 00:27:50.680 --> 00:27:58.720 So there will be a death of everything that we take, that people take from God as their 00:27:58.720 --> 00:28:03.920 own, including life, including their gifts, their talents, their careers, their relationships, 00:28:03.920 --> 00:28:07.120 and the beauty of the desires that motivate them. 00:28:07.119 --> 00:28:10.839 There will be an end to that. 00:28:10.839 --> 00:28:15.799 These desires will end and will never be experienced. 00:28:15.799 --> 00:28:24.839 At the end, God will take them from us in His holy judgment if we have left Him out. 00:28:24.839 --> 00:28:28.639 But the heart, He says, rescued by God will never die. 00:28:28.639 --> 00:28:30.839 Whoever does the will of God lives forever. 00:28:30.839 --> 00:28:34.439 And that simply means that we've come to Him for salvation. 00:28:34.440 --> 00:28:42.080 Just hold on to that perspective to know, as He said, forgiveness, fellowship with the 00:28:42.080 --> 00:28:51.120 Father, strength as we rely on Him in His Word will enable us to live the beautiful life, 00:28:51.120 --> 00:28:56.160 even in all the battles and struggles and difficulties and worldliness we wrestle with 00:28:56.160 --> 00:28:57.799 in our own hearts. 00:28:57.799 --> 00:29:00.799 And for us, then, death becomes a pathway. 00:29:00.799 --> 00:29:06.960 As we heard a lot of times over this last week, a pathway to eternal life, the deepest 00:29:06.960 --> 00:29:14.960 of all our longings, all our desires, all our heartfelt longings are found in Him and 00:29:14.960 --> 00:29:21.480 will be satisfied ultimately in relationship with Him in glory where the good times will 00:29:21.480 --> 00:29:22.480 never end. 00:29:22.480 --> 00:29:26.680 There will be no tears, no partings, no shadows. 00:29:26.680 --> 00:29:28.680 That's His gift of love. 00:29:28.680 --> 00:29:29.680 That is the gospel. 00:29:29.680 --> 00:29:39.240 That's why John was so committed to destroying the false teaching that was moving away from 00:29:39.240 --> 00:29:45.480 that truth, because ultimately we believe there is a truth and truth is revealed. 00:29:45.480 --> 00:29:46.480 Don't walk away. 00:29:46.480 --> 00:29:47.480 Don't give in. 00:29:47.480 --> 00:29:48.480 Don't reject. 00:29:48.480 --> 00:29:49.480 Be encouraged. 00:29:49.480 --> 00:29:52.360 Keep going and encourage one another. 00:29:52.360 --> 00:29:53.360 Let's pray. 00:29:53.359 --> 00:30:00.000 Father God, help us to think about and know and understand the message of the gospel. 00:30:00.000 --> 00:30:01.879 It's challenging for us. 00:30:01.879 --> 00:30:02.879 It's exciting. 00:30:02.879 --> 00:30:06.799 It's a battle we know. 00:30:06.799 --> 00:30:08.879 And we are prone to give up. 00:30:08.879 --> 00:30:12.000 Help us to doubt our doubts and to believe our beliefs. 00:30:12.000 --> 00:30:18.359 Help us to be committed and strong and faithful as we rely on You. 00:30:18.359 --> 00:30:25.399 And may we know Your great love, the amazing willingness always to listen, as we said to 00:30:25.399 --> 00:30:26.879 the kids, that You're always there. 00:30:26.879 --> 00:30:28.199 You always listen. 00:30:28.199 --> 00:30:29.679 You will always answer, respond. 00:30:29.679 --> 00:30:33.719 It might not be in the way that we want or think, but You will show us a better way as 00:30:33.719 --> 00:30:35.879 we hold on to You. 00:30:35.879 --> 00:30:41.240 Help us just to know Your commitment that You didn't receive any of the amazing plaudits 00:30:41.240 --> 00:30:49.759 and glory and wonder and praise that our earthly queen received over her death and funeral. 00:30:49.759 --> 00:30:56.519 When You came and when You lived and when You died, died, naked, hung to a cross and 00:30:56.519 --> 00:31:02.359 vilified, although You were the perfect Son of God and the King of Kings. 00:31:02.359 --> 00:31:07.240 And remind us that as You humbled yourself in order because of Your love for us to save 00:31:07.240 --> 00:31:11.400 us, You will one day return as the King of Kings. 00:31:11.400 --> 00:31:38.360 We ask in Jesus' name, amen.