1 John, Part 4: 2:12-17 "The Growing Loyalty Test"
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Many years ago there was an Emperor so exceedingly fond of new clothes that he spent all his money on being well dressed. He cared nothing about reviewing his soldiers, going to the theatre, or going for a ride in his carriage, except to show off his new clothes. He had a coat for every hour of the day, and instead of saying, as one might, about any other ruler, "The King's in council," they always said. "The Emperor's in his dressing room."
The key point:
In the great city where he lived, life was always happy and carefree. Every day many strangers came to town, and among them one day came two swindlers. They said they were weavers, and could weave the most magnificent fabrics imaginable. Not only were their colors and patterns amazing, but clothes made of this cloth had a wonderful way of becoming invisible to anyone who was unfit for their office, or who was unusually stupid.
"Those would be just the clothes for me," thought the Emperor. "If I wore them I would be able to discover which men in my empire are unfit for their posts. And I could tell the wise men from the fools. Yes, I certainly must get some of the stuff woven for me right away." He paid the two swindlers a large sum of money to start work at once.
The rest of Hans Christian Andersen’s story weaves the tale of the swindlers convincing everybody, to include the Emperor’s most trusted advisors that the cloth was the finest there was. Because they didn’t want to be labeled unfit for office or unusually stupid, everybody suspended their courage, along with their common sense, for in reality there was no cloth.
Then the Emperor himself went to the swindlers to see the progress on his clothing made from the invisible cloth.
"I'd like to know how those weavers are getting on with the cloth," the Emperor thought, but he felt slightly uncomfortable when he remembered that those who were unfit for their position would not be able to see the fabric. It couldn't have been that he doubted himself, yet he thought he'd rather send someone else to see how things were going. The whole town knew about the cloth's peculiar power, and all were impatient to find out how stupid their neighbors were.
"I'll send my honest old minister to the weavers," the Emperor decided. "He'll be the best one to tell me how the material looks, for he's a sensible man and no one does his duty better."
So the honest old minister went to the room where the two swindlers sat working away at their empty looms.
"Heaven help me," he thought as his eyes flew wide open, "I can't see anything at all". But he did not say so.
Both the swindlers begged him to be so kind as to come near to approve the excellent pattern, the beautiful colors. They pointed to the empty looms, and the poor old minister stared as hard as he dared. He couldn't see anything, because there was nothing to see. "Heaven have mercy," he thought. "Can it be that I'm a fool? I'd have never guessed it, and not a soul must know. Am I unfit to be the minister? It would never do to let on that I can't see the cloth."
"Don't hesitate to tell us what you think of it," said one of the weavers.
"Oh, it's beautiful -it's enchanting." The old minister peered through his spectacles. "Such a pattern, what colors!" I'll be sure to tell the Emperor how delighted I am with it."
"We're pleased to hear that," the swindlers said. They proceeded to name all the colors and to explain the intricate pattern. The old minister paid the closest attention, so that he could tell it all to the Emperor. And so he did.
The swindlers at once asked for more money, more silk and gold thread, to get on with the weaving. But it all went into their pockets. Not a thread went into the looms, though they worked at their weaving as hard as ever.
The Emperor presently sent another trustworthy official to see how the work progressed and how soon it would be ready. The same thing happened to him that had happened to the minister. He looked and he looked, but as there was nothing to see in the looms he couldn't see anything.
"Isn't it a beautiful piece of goods?" the swindlers asked him, as they displayed and described their imaginary pattern.
"I know I'm not stupid," the man thought, "so it must be that I'm unworthy of my good office. That's strange. I mustn't let anyone find it out, though." So he praised the material he did not see. He declared he was delighted with the beautiful colors and the exquisite pattern. To the Emperor he said, "It held me spellbound."
All the town was talking of this splendid cloth, and the Emperor wanted to see it for himself while it was still in the looms. Attended by a band of chosen men, among whom were his two old trusted officials-the ones who had been to the weavers-he set out to see the two swindlers. He found them weaving with might and main, but without a thread in their looms.
"Magnificent," said the two officials already duped. "Just look, Your Majesty, what colors! What a design!" They pointed to the empty looms, each supposing that the others could see the stuff.
"What's this?" thought the Emperor. "I can't see anything. This is terrible!
Am I a fool? Am I unfit to be the Emperor? What a thing to happen to me of all people! - Oh! It's very pretty," he said. "It has my highest approval." And he nodded approbation at the empty loom. Nothing could make him say that he couldn't see anything.
His whole retinue stared and stared. One saw no more than another, but they all joined the Emperor in exclaiming, "Oh! It's very pretty," and they advised him to wear clothes made of this wonderful cloth especially for the great procession he was soon to lead. "Magnificent! Excellent! Unsurpassed!" were bandied from mouth to mouth, and everyone did his best to seem well pleased. The Emperor gave each of the swindlers a cross to wear in his buttonhole, and the title of "Sir Weaver."
Then the day arrived. The Emperor was all decked out in his imaginary clothing, parading down the street in his birthday suit, with no one daring to speak what was obvious.
Then the Emperor himself came with his noblest noblemen, and the swindlers each raised an arm as if they were holding something. They said, "These are the trousers, here's the coat, and this is the mantle," naming each garment. "All of them are as light as a spider web. One would almost think he had nothing on, but that's what makes them so fine."
"Exactly," all the noblemen agreed, though they could see nothing, for there was nothing to see.
"If Your Imperial Majesty will condescend to take your clothes off," said the swindlers, "we will help you on with your new ones here in front of the long mirror."
The Emperor undressed, and the swindlers pretended to put his new clothes on him, one garment after another. They took him around the waist and seemed to be fastening something - that was his train-as the Emperor turned round and round before the looking glass.
"How well Your Majesty's new clothes look. Aren't they becoming!" He heard on all sides, "That pattern, so perfect! Those colors, so suitable! It is a magnificent outfit."
Except for a little kid: "But he hasn't got anything on!”
"Well, I'm supposed to be ready," the Emperor said, and turned again for one last look in the mirror. "It is a remarkable fit, isn't it?" He seemed to regard his costume with the greatest interest.
The noblemen who were to carry his train stooped low and reached for the floor as if they were picking up his mantle. Then they pretended to lift and hold it high. They didn't dare admit they had nothing to hold.
So off went the Emperor in procession under his splendid canopy. Everyone in the streets and the windows said, "Oh, how fine are the Emperor's new clothes! Don't they fit him to perfection? And see his long train!" Nobody would confess that he couldn't see anything, for that would prove him either unfit for his position, or a fool. No costume the Emperor had worn before was ever such a complete success.
"But he hasn't got anything on," a little child said.
"Did you ever hear such innocent prattle?" said his father. And one person whispered to another what the child had said, "He hasn't anything on. A child says he hasn't anything on."
"But he hasn't got anything on!" the whole town cried out at last.
The Emperor shivered, for he suspected they were right. But he thought, "This procession has got to go on." So he walked more proudly than ever, as his noblemen held high the train that wasn't there at all.
The Emperor suspected the jig was up because the boy dared to speak up. In short the Emperor was deceived because he wanted to be, and everybody encouraged him to remain in his deception.
Of course, this is a familiar tale, by Hans Christian Andersen, called, “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” But is this story played out today? If so, who plays the part of the Emperor? And the swindlers? And the little boy?
I contend this story is played out many times a day, including today, and it has for many years. And I will explain it as we go through the message today. But first, a little review:
One main purpose of 1 John—he writes the letter so that we may have fellowship with him and his friends. This circle of fellowship includes the Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and all of God’s people.
And God’s real people are those who, so far have passed two tests: The sin test and what we call, “the joyful obedience” test. And if you were here last week, you remember the incredible truth that we are to walk as Jesus did if we claim to have fellowship with the One who dwells in absolute light. The Lord Jesus’ supreme joy was to obey the commandments of His Father. How was He able to do so? Simply because He loved His Father supremely—and that was shown so clearly when Jesus went to the cross by the commandment of His Father, to die for us.
What wondrous love and grace and mercy and kindness and power; what an incredible display of God’s hatred for sin and sinners and love for sinners—at the same time! Only almighty God can pull that off!
This week we find one giving us another test to add to the two tests already given: Are you and I living in such a way that it’s obvious to the Lord, to one another, and to those of the world that we do not love the world? What does it mean, to not love the world, anyway? Doesn’t God love the world? So, how can He now tell us to not love it?
The passage for today, begins by John addressing 3 groups of people, 3 levels of maturity: children, young men and fathers. Let’s take a brief look at how John describes them.
Children: two things describe them. First, they are forgiven because of the name of Jesus. And that is true no matter whether one is spiritual infant or the most mature saint of God.
Another description: they know the Father. And this goes to how John described eternal life. Remember how Jesus defined it: : and this is eternal life, that they (everybody in the family of God), might know the Father, and Jesus Christ.
These children in the faith are the simple ones. They know by experience basic Christianity. They have a relational knowledge of God. In other words, they know the Father because Christ has died for them. They may have a LOT of head knowledge. But even the Apostle Paul, when he had his encounter with Jesus, began here. Remember how his own testimony was that he went away on a 3 year retreat with Jesus.
The second group John writes to and describes is the Fathers, or ones mature in the faith. They have an influential relationship with others. John uses one statement to describe them: you know Him who is from the beginning. In other words, they have a deep, abiding fellowship with Jesus.
Now, let’s think about this for a second. A person goes from not being a parent to being a parent for one reason. It’s not because they are ready to be parents. Not because they declare themselves to be parents. No, except for adoption, a man goes from being a non-father to a father because there was a moment in time when something happened. It may not have been a planned thing, or it may have been. But the point is, a father is a father and a mother is a mother because they have cooperated, maybe even unwittingly, in God’s first command, to be fruitful and multiply.
Now, when it comes to the “fathers” and “mothers” here, the same kind of thing applies. They are spiritual parents because they have gotten close enough to people and have spiritually reproduced themselves in the lives of others. They are those who are walking in the light and saying, “Lord, expose my sin to me so it can be taken care of”. They are living in joyful obedience to the commands of God, not perfectly but consistently. They are saying, “Follow me as I follow Christ.” And that kind of life is contagious!
Sarah Salviander is research scientist in the field of astrophysics. A lifelong atheist, Sarah became a theist as an undergraduate physics student, when she came to believe that the universe was too elegantly organized to be an accident. She is currently a researcher at the Astronomy Department at the University of Texas at Austin, and a part-time assistant professor in the Physics Department at Southwestern University.
Her parents were socialists and political activists who were also atheists, though they preferred to be called agnostics. In her testimony Sarah wrote:
It's amazing that for the first 25 years of my life, I met only three people who identified as Christian. My view of Christianity was negative from an early age. Looking back, I realized a lot of this was the unconscious absorption of the general hostility toward Christianity that is common in places like Canada and Europe.
So she began to focus on her physics and math studies. She joined campus clubs, started to make friends, and, for the first time in her life, met Christians.
They weren't like [atheists and agnostics I knew]—they were joyous and content. And, they were smart, too. I was astonished to find that my physics professors, whom I admired, were Christian. Their personal example began to have an influence on me, and I found myself growing less hostile to Christianity.
Sarah then joined a group in the Centre for Astrophysics and Space Sciences (CASS) that was researching evidence for the big bang, and that was a turning point in her conversion. She continued: "I started to sense an underlying order to the universe. Without knowing it, I was awakening to what tells us so clearly: the heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands."
Sarah Salviander, "Sarah Salviander: The journey of an atheist astrophysicist who became a Christian," Evangelical Focus (8-10-15)
The third group of people are the adolescents, the “young men”. Here’s how John describes them: strong, the word of God abides in them, and they have overcome the evil one. They have an applicational relationship to God and His word. They have learned to apply the truth to their lives and they are experiencing the power of God in their consistent defeat of the enemy. Now, “have overcome” literally means, they have consistent, though again, not perfect victory over the enemy of their soul, and of the world.
Before we go on to test #3 which reveals whether we are living in divine fellowship with the Father, the Son, and God’s true people, let me give you a perspective of these three levels of maturity.
Children, fathers, young men. All of us who are in the fellowship are in one of these groups. And it has nothing to do with physical age. Some of us here are spiritual children. Bumbling, stumbling, so often failing, sometimes crawling. But there’s no denying Jesus. You understand something of the Father’s great heart of patience. Of grace. And all because of Jesus. You haven’t learned yet to take God at His word and live it out. Some of you are brand new at the new life. You don’t understand how it all works together, and you need more mature brothers and sisters to rub off on to you. Hold you accountable. Model the holiness and grace of the Lord Jesus before you. How you need the adolescents and fathers and mothers to help you. That’s part of the beauty and power of being a family integrated church. So, adolsecents, the spiritual children in our midst need us. And you know what? it’s OK to be a child. To admit you dknowt have it all together.
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2 previous tests
sin test: deal with sin the Lord, who dwells in unapprochable light, reveals to me
joyful obedience test: because Jesus walked in obedience to the Father’s commandments, we should, too.
FCF: God’s people walk in the world without loving what is of the world “in not of”:
central point: we will love what we are attracted to. If we are attracted to what the world offers, that is a sign that we are loving the world.
John says the world promises cravings, a mirage, a facade—not the real deal. (illust:
God offers true
what the world offers: its own kind of love (sense of belonging, loyalty, meaning and purpose as they define reality)
craving for physical pleasures (sexual activity, doing what we do because we “feel like it”, [and even avoiding things we know we need to do because we are letting our emotions, or lack thereof define reality [illustration: obeying the Lord—the test is “joyful obedience” but we are not always there, true disciples are growing to reach that—we are told through various means that if we “just go through the motions”, i.e., lack of passion, then that certain activity is not pleasing to ourselves or the Lord; consequently, until our emotions dictate to us the “green light” to resume a given activity, then we refrain—we often say we are “on fire for God” based on how emotional we are toward Him and engaging in the things of God. But we are saved by grace through faith, and we receive assurance and reignite our “fire” by doing what God has told us to do: —we “fan into flame” by doing what He would have us do; equating our identity based on how we feel—even at the moment[transgenders, regardless of whether they feel persecuted or accepted by others are 40 times more likely to commit suicide than the general population]—could it be the abundance of hormones that their body doesn’t normally produce in that quantity? could it be the sense of guilt because they know they are violating God’s natural order of things, “claiming to be wise they become fools”)
craving for things we see: what we see is what we want to get: though Proverbs tells us:
4 Do not toil to acquire wealth; be discerning enough to desist.
5 When your eyes light on it, it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like an eagle toward heaven.
Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied,
and never satisfied are the eyes of man.
When we love the world by craving what we see, we will go after it, with the world’s promise that if we get what we see, then we will be satisfied; but the second wisest man who ever lived, said this about the world’s promise: the eyes of man are never satisfied (pro 27:20). The result? Since we believe the “one” who hates us, we will trust that “somehow, someway, someday” what we have acquired will satisfy us. All we have to do is to find that “certain something” or the accumulation of the things that will prove the wisdom of the ages wrong. This will tend to make us possessive of our possessions, which only serve to cause us to serve our possessions. To the degree we have difficulty in parting with our possessions when others have need, is the degree we love the world. Because the world tells us, “get all you can, can all you get, then sit on the can.” Don’t let it go. But the lie is found in the craving, because the only thing the world can offer is the craving. When we crave it, we can’t get enough of it. And when we are consumed by it, we find it impossible to let it go
(Illustration): It may seem like a comical picture to many, but the bear was just days away from dying of starvation when he was rescued, as he hadn’t been able to eat or drink for more than a week.
The plight of the cub, which lives in the sprawling Ocala National Forest, was brought to the attention of the wildlife authorities after he was seen by residents wandering around with the container on his head.
It’s thought that he poked his head into it while rummaging through rubbish for food.
It’s thought that he poked his head into it while rummaging through rubbish for food.
The cub, dubbed ‘Jarhead’, proved enormously elusive, with a tracking team taking 10 days to find him.
The mother had been avoiding traps for several days, so the team had assumed they were going to be too late to save the cub.
Luckily, they eventually caught up with the group after they fresh sightings by locals.
The mother was put to sleep with a tranquilizing dart while officials removed the container from the cub’s head.
The mother was put to sleep with a tranquilizing dart while officials removed the container from the cub’s head.
Once the mother came round, she was moved with her siblings to a more remote part of the forest, away from human rubbish bins.
Mike Orlando, a biologist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, said: ‘Although the story appears to have a happy ending, it truly illustrates one of the worst things that can happen when wildlife gets into garbage.’
And let me add to the moral of the story: when followers of Jesus believe the lie of the world that the craving of the eyes can be satisfied, we end up getting into the garbage of this world as well. Q: How many do you know who are walking around starving to death because they have believed the lie of the world?
Pride of life: pride of achievements and possessions, as ends in themselves.
http://metro.co.uk/2010/08/16/
writing to children, fathers, young men
children
sins are forgiven for His name’s sake
they know the Father
fathers
they know Him who is from the beginning
young men
strong
word of God abides in them
they have overcome the evil one
Key
Transition: Regardless of what level of growth/relationship a son or daughter has with the Lord, the next section applies
Do not love the world
or the things in the world
If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him
the things in the world
desires of the flesh
desires of the eyes
pride of life
not from the Father but from the world
world is passing away
desires associated with the world passing away
but
whoever does the will of God
abides forever
Closing: The countdown song you heard this morning is called “In Not Of”, taken from Jesus’ prayer in
14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.
16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.
18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.
We are no longer of the world. Jesus has taken us from the world. And now, He is sending into the world. We are in it, but we are not of it. I must have heard this song, hundreds of times; it’s one of my favorites, and it challenges me every time I hear it. Because in our relationship to the world, this encapsulates everything the Lord wants us to be about. We are in the world, but we are not of the world. We are to go into the world, and show and tell the truth the the emperor of this world has no clothes, and all the world offers is merely craving, but it can’t deliver the goods. But unlike the townspeople who when they heard the kid eventually agreed with him, those in the world will continue to believe the lie. And we will be the haters.
Here are the lyrics for the song, “In Not Of”:
Here are the lyrics for the song, “In Not Of”: I hide me far away from trouble
The world outside me grows darker by the day
So I promise to stay here close beside You
Surely God would want His children safe
Then in reading, how my eyes were opened
I find that He is leading us out into the world
Into the middle of fallen saints and sinners
Where a little grace is needed most
Come take the Light to darker parts
Share His truth with hardened hearts
We are not like the world, but we can love it
Come bring the hope to hopeless men
Until the lost are found in Him
He came to save the world so let us be
In it, not of it
Wait a minute
I hide me far away from trouble
The world outside me grows darker by the day
So I promise to stay here close beside You
Surely God would want His children safe
Then in reading, how my eyes were opened
I find that He is leading us out into the world
Into the middle of fallen saints and sinners
Where a little grace is needed most
Come take the Light to darker parts
Share His truth with hardened hearts
We are not like the world, but we can love it
Come bring the hope to hopeless men
Until the lost are found in Him
He came to save the world so let us be
In it, not of it
Wait a minute
If we say we love them, why are we not in it
Why we run and hide
Entertain a stranger
Maybe entertain an angel
The danger is if our worlds don't collide
We've cursed the darkness far too long
We need to hold the candle high
We have to go and right the wrongs
We need to touch the world with love—with His love
14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
The emperor of this world has no clothes. The world has told those who are of the world that mere cravings can bring satisfaction. Let’s share the truth, that only in God, through Christ are we truly satisfied.
15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.
16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
To the degree that we are fed up with the world is the degree that we won’t be attracted to the world. If we are not attracted by the world, we won’t be distracted by the world, and can therefore love those of the world, so that those of the world can be come those in, not of, the world.
May we pray toward the end that, to the very core of our being we can say, “the world has been crucified to me and I to the world. Since this world has nothing for me, just give me Jesus.”
17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.
18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.