I John 3.1-11
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
WE need a little proof...
Napoleon wasn't short? Bananas don't grow on trees? Here, the world's most contagious myths and misconceptions—debunked. Readers Digest
Napoleon wasn't short? Bananas don't grow on trees? Here, the world's most contagious myths and misconceptions—debunked. Readers Digest
Updated: May 18, 2021
Napoleon Was Short
A tall tale. At five six, he was slightly above average height for a Frenchman of the time.
Don’t Eat and Swim
This doesn’t increase the risk of cramps; alcohol is the biggest risk increaser. But a full stomach will make you short of breath.
Salty Water Boils Quicker
Adding a sprinkle of salt to water makes no difference. It can actually make boiling take longer.
Left and Right Brain
There’s no solid division between the talents of each hemisphere; the left brain can learn “right-brain skills” and vice versa.
Dropped Pennies Kill
Terminal velocity of a penny is 18 to 30 kilometres per hour. Not fast enough to kill—but it sure would sting.
MSG = Headaches
There’s no scientific proof—just anecdotal evidence implicating monosodium glutamate.
Great Wall of China
It’s not visible from space. No single human structure is visible from orbit, but you can see cities at night.
Water Rotation
A flushed toilet does not rotate the other way in the Southern Hemisphere. The Coriolis effect doesn’t alter water in toilets.
These are the myths you need to stop believing about your car.
Don’t Touch Baby Birds
Most birds have a limited sense of smell, so they won’t abandon babies who “smell” of humans.
Different Tongue Parts
There are not different sections of the tongue for each taste: bitter, sour, salt, sweet and umami (savoury/meaty).
Here are the body parts you never knew you had.
Only 10% of the Brain is Used
The proportion of the brain “firing” at any one time is task dependent, but ultimately, every region is used almost every day.
You might be saying to yourself tonight Pastor none of that matters. Which of course is right none of this is important. But what John discusses truly is important.
“Behold”
Direct command (the purpose of this passage will stem from this command to behold)
Not an idle command
“Behold” in the New Testament always implies amazement
But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!
And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples saith unto him, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!
And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.
God is wanting us to Behold for the process of beholding will make a difference in the life of those that constantly behold the wrong thing or spend their life beholding nothing.
Literally John is inviting you and I to marvel, take it in, and let it wash over you.
There is a lesson to the subject you are to behold. You are to stand in amazement as if watching a sunset you can’t stop or a tree you can’t grow. It works this way whether you agree or not. It starts moving and you can’t change it.
1. Behold, You are a child of God… (1)
We are the Children of God.
Remember how important this was… John would be familiar with the men in Jerusalem that wore the badge son of God to hold everyone else down.
Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.
The Pharisees of Johns day claimed a right to God because of their good works. They lived lives of constant asceticism and sacrifice. They measured out the Mrs. Dash in the cupboard to tithe on all that they had. They lived by the strictest of rules… Yet behold you are the children of God.
The Father says it...
And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
The Son says it...
For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,
The Spirit says it...
The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
1 John 1. The Glory of God’s Love (1)
Behold means that God wants to see this love and He is not ashamed to show it to us. “ ‘There,’ he says, ‘you poor people that love me you sick people, you unknown, obscure people, without any talent, I have published it before heaven and earth, and made the angels know it, that you are my children, and I am not ashamed of you. I glory in the fact that I have taken you for my sons and daughters.’ ” (Spurgeon)
The angels can’t claim it.
The lost can’t claim it.
The wisest, strongest and best can’t claim it.
Adam himself couldn’t claim what you and I have been given in Christ. You are the child of God.
II. God’s has a plan for his children… (2)
Look forward to beholding...
You are not yet what you shall be
For you have not yet seen what you will see.
v3. For that process of beholding is changing the you now into that you will be when you behold then.
Beholding is transformational… because of where it places its hope.
“If I may use such an expression, this is not the time for the manifestation of a Christian’s glory. Eternity is to be the period for the Christian’s full development, and for the sinless display of his God-given glory. Here, he must expect to be unknown; it is in the hereafter that he is to be discovered as a son of the great King.” (Spurgeon)1
1 David Guzik, 1 John, David Guzik’s Commentaries on the Bible (Santa Barbara, CA: David Guzik, 2013), 1 Jn 3:2.
Notes from David Guzik that give the real definition of what it means to be predestined:
The Bible speaks of God’s great plan for our lives like this: For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren (Romans 8:29). God’s ultimate goal in our lives is to make us like Jesus, and here, John speaks of the fulfillment of that purpose.
This does not mean that we cease to be ourselves, full of the distinct personality and character God has given us. Heaven will not be like the Nirvana of Eastern mysticism, where all personality is dissolved into God like a drop into the ocean. We will still be ourselves, but our character and nature will be perfected into the image of Jesus’ perfection. We will not be “clones” of Jesus in heaven!
The Christian should long to be like Jesus, yet remember that God will never force a person to be like Jesus if he doesn’t want to. And that is what hell is for: people who don’t want to be like Jesus. The sobering, eternal truth is this: God gives man what he really wants. If you really want to be like Jesus, it will show in your life now, and it will be a fact in eternity. If you don’t really want to be like Jesus, it will also show in your life now, and it will also be a fact in eternity.
We shall be like Him: This reminds us that even though we grow into the image of Jesus now, we still have a long way to go. None of us will be finished until we see Jesus, and only then truly we shall be like Him.1
1 David Guzik, 1 John, David Guzik’s Commentaries on the Bible (Santa Barbara, CA: David Guzik, 2013), 1 Jn 3:2.
The mind that is thoughtful of Scripture may be running to the dipiction of Jesus in Scripture.
And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.
But there is a connection between what we will be and what we are right now. Our lives when focused more the things above loose their hold on the things of this world.
There are two threats to this Transformational focus.
III. Two threats to the Child of God. (4)
Lawlessness:
Satan is lawless and you that join him are not indicating that you are on the right side. Our flesh wants lawlessness.
At its core sin is the transgression or throwing off of the law. I understand in the hyper grace condition that we find the Christian culture in that there is little appetite for listening to what constitutes sin. but make no mistake about it Sin is still destructive. To you and your family.
1, 2, 3 John (2) Be Righteous and Do Not Sin (3:4–10)
But lawlessness is more than the absence of God’s law for John. It is a willful rejection and an active disobedience against God’s moral standard, which is a characteristic of the child of the devil
1, 2, 3 John (2) Be Righteous and Do Not Sin (3:4–10)
From all indications the apostle is dealing with individuals who are indifferent to sin. They believed that they could engage in any and all kinds of sinful activities and still be in fellowship with God
Consider vs 7-8 - To live a life of sin is to align oneself with the wrold and the devil and to be an enemy of God. It is the opposite of what righteousness is and demands.
Notice that Jesus was manifest and the devil is manifest you and I get to manifest them continually in action and attitude.
He deals with the action in your sin, but deals with the attitude (10-11)
Hatred: It should amaze us to day with the emote centricity of our culture that feeling is the highest and most superior virtue. Just how quickly we can look the other way at sin. I know God doesn’t want me to hate people but you don’t know what he did to me and how he made me feel.
Understand that Hatred has its part with the devil. If you wish to line yourself up with Satan than by all means exempt yourself from obedience because of your feelings but this is how we doom the Christian testimony.
We live in a day when a professing Christian can line themselves up with hateful and ugly things. and we think nothing of it. Because we fall into the same trap. What a person feels is their highest priority.
NO that isn’t and cannot be the truth. What you feel is expected to bend to obedience to God and his word and this hasn’t changed.
So from this conversation John brings up the jewel of Christianity.
Righteous Conduct
Love for the Brethren
This is the only way to make a claim that is true and proper provide the proof that Jesus is looking for.