Letters: A Call to Remember
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Our God is an awesome God. He is good and loving. He is magnificent. He created the heavens and the earth and they continue pour forth speak testifying to just how awesome he is!
God has given us this 66 book love letter to show us how much he loves his people.
But there is another way that God speaks to us…in our experience with him. And it starts at the beginning of our faith.
Do you remember when God called you out of darkness and into his marvelous light? Do you remember how greatful you were that he saved you? When you are an adult who has made some pretty significant messes of your life, you know what Jesus did for you.
When you come to Jesus as a child, it’s sometimes easy to miss what you have been saved from. But look around at the world and be thankful that you were saved from making a mess of your life. I have a holy envy of your faith journey. (But be careful because there is still time).
But the truth is, as time goes on, in our what have you done for me lately selfishness, we are prone to forget.
So for the next few minutes, I want spend some time around this big idea.
Big Idea: We need to Remember.
Big Idea: We need to Remember.
And then we are going to going to talk about what causes us to forget.
And then I want to get really practical so that we can always remember how good and how awesome that God has been no just in creation and the Bible, but in our story.
If you haven’t already, turn in your Bibles to and let’s dive right in to the deep end.
:18-27
18 Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.
19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.
20 But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.
21 I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth.
22 Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son.
23 No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.
24 Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father.
25 And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life.
26 I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.
27 But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.
18 Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.
19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.
20 But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.
21 I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth.
22 Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son.
23 No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.
24 Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father.
25 And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life.
26 I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.
27 But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.
This passage centers around vs. 21. John opens verse 21 by saying, I don’t need to write you this because you need to learn it, but to remind you of what you already know. Don’t forget in the darkness what you learned in the light! Remember the majesty and goodness of God. And remember your story.
The reason that so often in Scripture we are called to remember is that we are so prone to forget and John gives us 3 things that cause us to forget.
1. We forget when people oppose us. (v. 18, 22)
1. We forget when people oppose us. (v. 18, 22)
John talks about Antichrists. I think many of us have thought of the anti-christ as this far off future demon who will take over the world and be a real meaniehead.. My brother actually used to convince me that I would grow up to be the antichrist.
We’ve spent so much effort looking for the one that we’ve missed the many who oppose us daily. And it’s not only those who try to pass laws outlawing the Bible or making pastors pay taxes on their housing allowances. It’s the every day person who opposes what you stand for and doesn’t support you. These can even ben well meaning Christians who encourage you to water it down; keep silent; don’t offend people. It’s those who deny Jesus is the Christ and God the Father. And it’s seldom overtly saying it. But it’s those who deny God by their lifestyle.
But you know that God wants you to shout His name from the rooftops. And maybe there was a time when you did. Was there a time in you relationship with God when you woke up every morning anticipating what God had in store for you that day? Walk in to starbucks or whatever coffee shop you had before I was born. And you looked around anticipating that God might be sending someone your way with whom you were supposed to share Him. You didn’t care what people thoughts because your God was so big and so good that it didn’t matter because you remembered how good He had been to you. You were sold out for Jesus and you wanted everyone to be too. Chances are if this resonates, it was within the first 5 years of your Christian journey.
Did years of opposition and naysayers cause you to forget? What do you need to remember? What’s going to inspire you to overcome those who oppose you and who are really opposing God?
Hold on to that because we’re going to come back to this answer this a little later? Let’s look at the 2nd thing that John warns us about.
2. We forget when people abandon us. (vv. 19)
2. We forget when people abandon us. (vv. 19)
For me this is the most painful. Because of my past and the way I grew up, I have huge abandonment fears. My guess is that some of you are just like me in this. When people leave, you don’t just take it personally. It breaks your heart and it wounds your soul.
This happens when people leave the church. Even if they go to other churches, Facebook posts or conversations about how awesome their new church is makes you bitter and angry. I know it does me.
But this passage isn’t about those who find fellowship in other churches; it’s about the fakers. Those who moved among us but weren’t really Christians. Didn’t really follow Jesus. John’s saying they didn’t leave us…they never were us.
[STORY] Some of the most formative years of Spiritual growth were after I graduated from college and came home. I started looking for a church. And I found one. I was only attending for a few weeks when this guy came up to me and invited me to join his Life Group. Now mind you this was new to me. But I went and went again. I met with these guys for 5 years. They were with me when I answered God’s call to go into ministry. When I went to seminary. When I got married. They even helped me pack when God said, “Go to california.” They were and are some of my deepest most meaningful friendships.
But I’ll never forget one of my closest friends stopped coming. And after a few weeks I reached out and asked him to coffee (now I wasn’t a pastor and I wasn’t the leader but in my version of life groups, everyone is responsible for everyone). Dude, what’s going on? He said, “I just don’t believe any of this. I don’t think I ever really did and I’m tired of faking it.”
He was my friend. He knew more about the Bible than I did. His prayers seemed so real to me. I ever remember God answering a few in my life. What happened? My soul was wounded. I felt abandoned.
Perhaps you have a similar story of abandonment that still stings. I wonder if John was thinking about Judas when he penned these words. No, I’m certain that he could still see his face.
Did years of abandonment cause you to forget? What do you need to remember? What’s going to inspire you to overcome those who leave you and who are really leaving God?
I wonder if John was thinking about Judas when he penned these words. No, I’m certain that he could still see his face.
Again, hold on to that because we’re going to come back to this answer this a little later? Let’s look at the last thing that John warns us about.
When opposition and abandonment cause us to forget how big and how good God is, then the real danger happens.
When people oppose us and others abandon us, then the real danger happens.
3. We begin to doubt ourselves. (vv. 21-23)
3. We begin to doubt ourselves. (vv. 21-23)
Do I really believe in God? Is the Bible actually true? Can I really follow Jesus? Am I really called to be a pastor? Am I loved? Am I worthy?
And you begin believing that you are a fraud.
If my friend who used to seem to be on fire for Jesus can turn his back and his Savior, what hope to I have?
When someone opposes us, if we stop for a minute, we’ll remember a hundred times when God made us feel invincible, but that one person (that one time) is causing us doubt the many. We need to Remember!
When someone abandons us, if we stop for a minute, we’ll remember a hundred times when God was all we needed, but that one person (that one time) is causing us doubt the many. We need to Remember!
When we begin to doubt ourselves, if we stop for a minute we’ll remember a hundred times when we were certain that God was doing miracles in and through us, but that one minute of doubt is causing us to forget our certainty. We need to remember.
Again, John opens verse 21 by saying, I don’t need to write you this because you need to learn it, but to remind you of what you already know. Don’t forget in the darkness what you learned in the light! Remember the majesty and goodness of God.
In verse 24, John says let what you heard from the beginning abide in you.
Sometimes in our lives, in order to move forward we need to remember the past. We need to remember that moment when it all began. When we felt the love of Jesus so clearly and so powerful that we knew our lives would never be the same. Dwell on it. Live it anew each and every day. We have to remember.
Application:
Now remember asked you to hold onto those questions of what you need to remember? What do we need to do now?
1. We forget when people oppose us. (v. 18, 22)
1. We forget when people oppose us. (v. 18, 22)
When people oppose us we need to remember that God is for us. (v. 20)
2. We forget when people abandon us. (vv. 19)
2. We forget when people abandon us. (vv. 19)
When people abandon us, we need to remember that God is with us. (vv. 24-25)
3. We begin to doubt ourselves. (vv. 21-23)
3. We begin to doubt ourselves. (vv. 21-23)
And when we doubt our faith, we need to remember that God is in us. (vv. 26-27)
Don’t believe the lies! Remember who awesome He has been in your story!
Now what about the skeptic here today. Why should you believe any of this? Is there anything you should remember?
Well, my prayer is that you will believe that Jesus is the son of God. That he died on the cross for your sins and that he rose again and that you too can be given a new life. My prayer is that would happen for you today. But I haven’t met too many people who have heard the gospel one time and just believed.
Now Christian, save me the email tomorrow about someone you knew that this happened too. I’m trying to have a conversation with someone on the cusp of life change.
Ok, I want you to remember a time when you saw Jesus. Maybe someone asked to prayed for you and you dismissed them (they prayed for you anyway). Maybe you read a verse of the Bible that you forgot but is not flooding your mind right now. Maybe it was something big maybe small, but I want you to remember that time when the seed was planted that is growing into a flower. Give in. Don’t fight it any longer. Don’t doubt. like John said, you already know that it is true. Just believe. It’s that simple.
I want to make this easy for you. You know those connection cards that we ask you to fill out. During our reflection, I want you to write in the comment section:
Today, I remembered and believed for the first time.
Today, I remembered and believed for the first time.
And I want to talk to you about baptism. The first thing God tells us to do after belief is to get baptized. We’re having a baptism service on June 3. Are you ready to take the plunge?
Ok so maybe you don’t have that memory or you just aren’t ready. I still want you to remember, but I want you to remember today. When people oppose you, remember that there is a God who is for you. When people abandon you, there is a God that can be with you. And when you doubt yourself, there is a God who can be in you.
He’ll wait. He has all the time in the world.
Reflection: What part of your story do you need to remember?
Reflection: What part of your story do you need to remember?