Sermon Tone Analysis

That You Might Have Fellowship–The Truth of the Matter: 1 John 4:1-6

 Introduction:

Author Richard W. De Haan writes: In an issue of /National Geographic/ magazine I read a fascinating article entitled, “A Pacific Island Awaits Its Messiah.”

The Christ referred to is not the Lord Jesus, but a legendary figure called John Frum.

The author, Dr. Kal Muller, points out that the islanders think this person will be either a “beneficent spirit,” a “god come to earth,” or “king of America.”

The third description has its origin in the fact that U. S. troops occupied the area during World War II, and their presence was accompanied by many material benefits.

The people therefore concluded that John Frum had finally arrived.

Although they later experienced keen disappointment when the soldiers left, their hopes did not die.

To this day they frequently march with bamboo “rifles” slung over their shoulders and the letters USA painted on their bodies.

They are still looking for their messiah who they think will usher in a “prosperous, work-free millennium of unlimited earthly goods.”

We are in First John–a letter written by the disciple whom Jesus loved.

John–one of the sons of thunder.

John–the one who had a fiery temper toward those who didn’t treat the Lord Jesus with respect.

Now, after all these years, John still had a firey temper and minced no words here.

Notice the words truth, antichrist, error, false prophets in this passage.

Black and white when it comes to matters of truth.

John, who implored the believers to “love one another” is now saying in essence:  Error is the enemy!

You must not tolerate it.

If it’s heresy, you must root it out–immediately if not sooner.

In this passage of Scripture, John tells us to prove the prophecies, the so-called statements of truth by those who call themselves God’s teachers and preachers but are not.

John also talks about the very heart of the heresy of his day–the denial of the incarnation of Christ.

Finally, we will see John address the line of demarcation that separates truth itself from error.

In 1 John 4:1, we find John pointedly telling us to *prove the prophecies*.

First we find a negative command– don’t blindly believe everybody who claims to “have a word from the Lord”, because not every person who claims to have the truth really possesses it.

Matters of God and eternity are much too important to uncritically accept anything that comes down the pike.

According to one source, in the past 50 years, there have been over 1,100 religious leaders on this planet who have claimed to be Christ and the Savior of the world.

1100.

Quite a number.

But if you think this is a new thing, guess again.

Even in the first century there were Messiah figures.

Shortly after the Day of Pentecost, Peter and John boldly preached the gospel, and the religious authorities were furious.

They threatened them and wanted them dead.

But a wise man intervened.

His name was Gamaliel.

Here is what he said in Acts 5:36-37  Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him.

He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing.

After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt.

He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered.

Then he warned them that if the new movement of Jesus followers was true, then they will not be able to stop it–indeed they might find themselves fighting against God.

I want to point out that there will always be people who claim to be the newest prophet, the best improved version of the Messiah.

And that also tells me that there are very few of us who are true trail blazers–the vast majority of us will follow something or somebody who has already started down a path.

We as the body of Christ need to take heed that any new thing that doesn’t match up with the truth of Scripture is to be rejected.

And quickly.

Don’t dabble!

As with anything, the longer we engage ourselves with something, especially if it is the wrong thing, the more difficult it is to get out of it.

For example, how many of us have gone to a movie, only to discover it wasn’t at all like the previews showed?

Your sensibilities were offended.

You felt like a hypocrite for even being there.

But the longer you stayed, the harder it was to leave.

“Stewardship issues” we rationalize.

“After all, we paid for this–God wouldn’t want me to waste my money would He?”  Anybody rationalize like that?

Now we know it wasn’t money that kept us–it was our sinful nature that we obeyed.

Now, John gives us a positive positive command at the end of v1 (1John 4:1):  test the spirits.

Literally, be skeptical!

Don’t swallow what they are saying just because somebody has “credentials.”

Be a Berean!

You remember.

Acts 17:11–now these Bereans were more to be commended more than the Thessalonians because they received the word that Paul presented with all readiness and examined the Scriptures daily to see whether what he said was true.”

How many of you would say that you are a healthy skeptic?

How many of you prove that you are?  How many of you just take the word of someone who stands before you and delivers a message without bothering to check it out?

That message could come from a false prophet.

I know of chaplains who adhere to a false gospel.

I was assigned to work with these kinds of chaplains at three of the five chapels I’ve been assigned to in my career as an AF chaplain.

They would stand up in the pulpit and give their messages but I wonder how many actually bothered to check out what was said with Scripture.

And here at Grand Forks, how many of you hear me as healthy, spiritual skeptics?

You have a responsibility to challenge what you hear if I’m not on track.

How do you know whether I’m on track?

You need to check it out and compare it with Scripture.

One thing I’m not.

I’m not a prophet like Isaiah or Jeremiah who heard directly from the Lord and spoke the message verbatim.

I know I don’t have a corner on the truth.

Though I do my level best to interpret and present the Word of God the way it’s supposed to, I am fallible.

I dare you to check out what I say with the Word of God.

That means when you come to the service, you need to be ready to listen–take notes if you need to–but dare to challenge what is said.

So after setting up the negative and positive commands to make sure his readers were not listening to a false prophet, John goes on and talks about the heresy of his day and how to tell if what is being taught is from spirit of God or from the spirit of the antichrist–the messages which come directly from the pit of hell.

In vv2-3 (1 John 4:2-3), we read about the *very heart of the heresy*–the thing that got John more heated than anything.

When a false prophet gave a message, he wanted to quash it immediately.

John was adamant about it.

John was living up to his “son of thunder” nickname.

In fact, if you turn over to 2 Jn vv 7-11, you will find out how upset he got over the false prophets:   Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world.

Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.

8 Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully.

9 Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.  10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him.

11 Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work.

Pretty strong stuff.

And so what was the teaching that got John so worked up?

It was the denial of the incarnation of Christ–the truth that Jesus is God clothed in human flesh.

The identity of who Jesus is right at the very heart of our faith.

One writer told of the absolute importance of accepting this reality:  “the human Jesus is nothing less than the divine Christ.”

How we as believers need to guard this precious truth and make on the spot corrections when others try to water down the identity of who Jesus really is.

One of the heresies of John’s day was that Jesus’ deity was so emphasized and his humanity was so downplayed to the point that people believed Jesus really didn’t take on flesh, but only seemed to be human.

That was known as docetism–from the Greek word “seem”.

According to historian Philip Schaff, the Docetists taught that the body of Christ was not real flesh and blood, but merely a deceptive, transient phantom–like a ghost, and consequently that he did not really suffer and die and rise again.

Remember, this heresy began to circulated about 60 years after Jesus went back to heaven.

Many people had not seen Him.

So, many fanciful tales were concocted about Christ.

But the Jesus we know from the eyewitness accounts of the gospels demonstrate that he displayed human characteristics.

He ate food.

He slept.

He got angry.

He wept.