September 15, 2025 • 34 mins
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
Hi, I'm Lexi.
I'm a freshman at AmericanCanyon High School and I'm going
to read 1 John, 3, 10 through18.
This is how we know who thechildren of God are and who the
children of the devil are.
Anyone who does not do what isright is not God's child.
Nor is anyone who does not lovetheir brother and sister what
(00:25):
is right is not God's child.
Nor is anyone who does not lovetheir brother and sister, for
this is the message you haveheard from the beginning we
should love one another.
Do not be like Cain, whobelonged to the evil one and
murdered his brother.
And why did he murder him?
Because his own actions wereevil and his brothers were
righteous.
Do not be surprised, mybrothers and sisters, if the
world hates you.
We know that we have passedfrom death to life because we
(00:48):
love each other.
Anyone who does not loveremains in death.
Anyone who hates a brother orsister is a murderer, and you
know that no murderer haseternal life residing in him.
This is how we know what loveis.
Jesus Christ laid down his lifefor us, and we ought to lay
down our lives for our brothersand sisters, if anyone has
material possessions and sees abrother, and that is the word of
(01:10):
the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Good job, girl, you got it.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
Thank you, lexi.
Well, if you're new with us, weare going through verse by
verse.
We're teaching the Bible herein these little letters in the
back of the New Testament.
It's called 1st, 2nd and 3rdJohn.
It was written by the gospelwriter who wrote John.
Now he's an old guy and this islike some of his last words and
so we've been going throughverse by verse.
(01:45):
We're in chapter three today.
We're going to do verses 10through 18 in chapter three.
So if you want to open up yourview version, or if you actually
brought a Bible today, I'llthrow some step up on the verse.
But what a week.
Right, here we go.
Life is full of camps.
You're either in one or you'rein the other.
Think about this there's Appleor there's Android.
(02:06):
Who's Apple?
Who's Android?
The robot?
Oh, okay, we're pretty split inhere.
Or you have, like Marvel versusDC, chick-fil-a or cane sauce
which one?
You know?
Chick-fil-a.
We just go there for the sauces.
Let's be honest, right?
You have a cold brew orfrappuccinos?
Or what about giants or A'sright?
(02:28):
Come on, oakland, you'rekilling us, can't even say that.
No more, right?
Or are you just team?
Just DM me, or are you team?
Why don't you just call me likea normal human right, and some
of those divisions are silly,but let's be honest, they matter
in the moment to a lot of us.
Whole friend groups can gosilent on road trips just
because someone thinks thatpineapple goes on pizza.
(02:50):
Right, friends have been ruinedover worse, because why Camps
matter.
We like to know which side thatwe're on, and it's not just
about what gadgets or food, it'show we live.
And this generation buildsidentity around tribes.
You're in a camp based on yourmusic taste, your political
(03:13):
party, your sports team, yourcoffee order.
Some of you are thrifting crew.
Only Some of you are.
You know, let's go to Targetand Starbucks Saturday morning
crew.
We even divide ourselves catversus dog.
Right Go, dog.
Let's go to Target andStarbucks Saturday morning crew.
We even divide ourselves catversus dog right Go, dog, let's
go.
I'm team dog.
So why do we care so much aboutcamps?
It's because camps tell ussomething about identity.
(03:35):
They tell us who we belong to.
They give us this sense ofbeing known.
And that's exactly what John isaddressing in this letter,
except he doesn't talk aboutcoffee orders or Marvel movies.
He actually goes straight tothe jugular.
He says this and you heard itjust read you're either a child
of God or you are a child of thedevil, which we go like whoa
(03:58):
easy there.
Like imagine dropping that inyour small group.
Like hey, thanks for bringingthe chips, you're a Satan,
you're a child, satan's child.
Like you're just like oh,that's just not a good
icebreaker, it doesn't reallybuild community and it feels
extreme.
We want to soften this stuff.
But John's not being dramaticin this moment, he's just being
clear.
He's cutting right through thenoise of all these little camps
(04:19):
saying when it comes to yourultimate identity, there's only
two sides.
There's only two options here.
There's only two families.
You're either in God's familyor you're not.
And John says that ultimately,your life, how you live, how you
love, will actually revealwhich camp you're really in.
(04:40):
And he starts it out by sayingit right here, in verse 10.
This is how we know who thechildren of God are and who the
children of the devil are.
Anyone who does not do what isright is not God's child.
Nor is anyone who does not lovetheir brother or their sister.
Notice the word know rightthere.
(05:01):
John doesn't say this is howyou'll feel.
He says this is how you'regonna know, you're not gonna
guess about this, you're notgonna hope, you're not gonna
vibe check, you're gonna know.
And John's writing to theseyoung believers at this time in
the first century church who atthis time, are confused, and so
he doesn't pull any punches, hejust wants to get right to it.
He says plainly here's howyou're going to know and how
(05:22):
you're going to know you're achild of God or you're a child
of the devil.
Strong words, right, likeseriously.
Lots of us would rather justsay like here's, if he was going
to rewrite it, here's how youreally know if you're following
God and then also just who needsa little help.
Right, that's how we'd ratherlike say it nicely, like that.
But John isn't making this up.
Why he's echoing Jesus?
(05:44):
Because we learned this.
He was there, he was there fromthe beginning.
He talks about this.
He saw it, he lived it.
He's literally the last of theeyewitnesses.
And so all he's doing righthere is he's writing what Jesus
said, and yes, jesus really didcall people children of the
devil.
We see this actually in John'sgospel, chapter eight, where he
(06:04):
tells religious leaders he sayseveryone who sins is a saved sin
.
If God were your father, youwould love me, but you belong to
your father, the devil, easy,jesus right.
And these leaders.
What's going on right here isthey claimed Abraham as their
father and they claimed thatthey were God's chosen one, but
(06:26):
their actions what's going onhere is their actions showed
otherwise and then they wantedto kill Jesus.
They were gonna try to rejecttruth.
They wanted to follow their owndecisions, and Jesus exposes
the lie.
He says if you don't love me,then you're not of God.
And so John remembers thismoment.
He was there when this happened, and now what he's doing is
he's passing it on and sayinghey, friends, there's only two
(06:49):
ways to live.
He calls us children.
Beloved, says you're eitherfollowing Christ, belonging to
God's family, or you'refollowing lies, and lies come
from the father of lies.
See, these false teachers thathe's talking about have left the
church.
They were claiming that they'restill followers.
(07:10):
They're claiming they're stillChristians.
People were saying ah, you canbelieve in Jesus and live
however you want.
Sin doesn't really matter.
And John's like no way, likethat's not how family
resemblance works.
In the first century world,this would have landed really
heavy.
Family was everything.
You built your identity aroundfamily.
(07:31):
You didn't build it aroundhobbies and playlists.
Your family's name is whatactually identified you, and if
you were dishonest, if you werelazy or you were cruel, you
didn't just embarrass you, youdishonored the whole family.
And John's saying it's the samething for us to understand
(07:51):
spiritually that God's kidscarry God's resemblance.
And so it asks this question ifhe's your father, people should
start to see his traits in youand me.
So what's the family test?
Well, the test isn't like howmany worship nights you attend,
how many verses you'vehighlighted in YouVersion, or
(08:15):
how many sermons that you'veheard.
Not how many devotions you'vestarted and not finished right.
Not how many times that you'veprayed before a test that you
didn't study for, or whether youdrop a cool Greek word like
agape and casual conversationright.
The test is simply this.
It's simple Do you do what'sright Righteousness and do you
(08:36):
love people, relationships andboth matter and both are
inseparable.
Think about it like this Ifsomeone says like, yeah, I'm
vegan, except for bacon, you'renot vegan right.
Or if someone says like I'mcommitted to you, except I'm
(08:57):
just talking to three otherpeople on the side, what You're
not committed right.
It's the same way If you claimto be in God's family but your
life doesn't actually showrighteousness and love.
There's not resemblance there,and that's it.
That's what he's saying.
The test is righteousness andlove, and here's the kicker you
can't separate them.
(09:17):
Doing what's right without loveactually turns you into a
self-serving, self-righteousPharisee.
Turns you into a self-serving,self-righteous Pharisee.
Loving people withoutrighteousness turns you into a
doormat who excuses sin.
It's like peanut butter andjelly you can eat them
separately, but when they'retogether, that's the family
(09:38):
resemblance, that's peanutbutter, jelly time, right.
So here's the question thatJohn presses on us when people
look at your life, do they seethe family resemblance?
Do they see your heavenlyfather in your words, in your
choices, in your relationships,or do they see something else?
(10:02):
Because, at the end of the day,family resemblance it can't be
faked.
Verses 11 through 12 says this,for this message you have heard
from the beginning we shouldlove one another.
Do not be like Cain, whobelonged to the evil one and
murdered his brother.
So now, right here, john'sactually pulling from one of the
earliest human stories afterthe fall Cain and Abel.
(10:24):
It's literally like on pagefour of the entire Bible.
You can go read it later.
Both of these brothers, they'reasked to bring offerings to God
.
Abel brings, like the best ofhis flock, the firstborn, the
choicest.
Abel brings some, like somefruits from the soil, in other
words, like leftovers.
It's like leftovers, and Abelbrings God his best and Cain
(10:46):
just brings what's convenient.
And then God accepts Abel'soffering then and not Cain's.
And so what happens is Cainbegins to burn with jealousy and
he stews on it.
And then God even warns him.
He says this why are you angry?
This is to Cain.
Why is your face downcast?
If you do what's right, willyou not be accepted?
(11:07):
But if you do not do what isright, this is so good.
Sin is crouching at your doorand it desires to have you, but
you must rule over it.
That is such a powerful image,sin crouching at your door.
It's like that stray cat thatkeeps coming around waiting for
(11:28):
you to open the door and you'relike no right.
Or that creepy clown that's ina horror movie just standing
outside of your house.
Sin is persistent, it waits.
And then, the second you openthe door, what happens?
Boom, it pounces.
And so Cain.
What happens is he ignoresGod's warning.
He takes Abel out into a field,he picks up a rock, he kills
(11:50):
him.
It was literally the firstmurder in human history and it
wasn't about money, politics orpower, just jealousy.
And here's why John uses thisstory because jealousy and
bitterness live in us too.
Maybe not like pick up a rocklevel, but it starts in smaller
(12:12):
ways, like a friend that getsengaged while you're still
single.
You smile, but inside you'rethinking why not me?
Thinking why not me?
Or a coworker that getspromoted even though you trained
them.
Suddenly their win feels likeyour loss.
Your friend gets noticed forsomething that you worked hard
(12:34):
on.
What happens?
Resentment grows and you maynot murder with a weapon, but
you will assassinate with wordsgossip, shade, subtweets, silent
treatment.
And Cain's story warns us.
Bitterness is never static, itgrows, it starts to mutate and
(12:57):
jealousy says I wish I had whatthey had.
And then it turns to bitternessand bitterness says I wish they
didn't have it at all.
And then it grows to hatred andhatred says I wish they weren't
even here.
And here's where it getspractical.
Bitterness doesn't just ruinthe other person, it ruins you.
(13:19):
And Cain didn't just lose Abel,he lost himself.
He was marked, he was exiled,he became restless and wondering
.
And that's what bitterness doesto us.
It eats us from the inside.
It turns us became restless andwondering.
And that's what bitterness doesto us.
It eats us from the inside.
It turns us into restlesswonders, always comparing, never
content.
(13:40):
Let's put it in modern termsCain energy is like roommate
drama that escalates.
Been there, like when aroommate doesn't do the dishes
for like three days, instead oflike talking about it, you let
resentment fester.
And then, by day four, you'reslamming cabinets to make a
point.
And then by day five, likeyou're sending passive,
aggressive texts, by day six,you're plotting to accidentally
(14:01):
lock them out.
Right, it's silly in thatcontext.
But this is how bitternessgrows.
It eventually always escalates.
And John says don't be like Cain, don't let jealousy and
bitterness crouch at your door.
You need to slam the door shutand you need to actually rule
over it, because if you don't,sin will master you.
(14:24):
So here's a question for usWhere's bitterness crouching in
your life?
Who are you secretly jealous of?
Whose success feels like yourfailure?
And then, what would it looklike to shut the door before
jealousy turns into somethingdeadly?
Well then, john says this inverses 13 and 14.
(14:49):
Don't be surprised, my brothersand sisters, if the world hates
you.
We know that we have passedfrom death to life because we
love one another.
John says something right herethat feels almost obvious Like,
don't be surprised if the worldhates you.
But let's be real, we'resurprised.
You ever been surprised whensomeone's like doesn't like you?
You're like what Right?
(15:10):
We kind of expect, like if I'mnice enough, if I'm cool enough,
if I'm loving enough, like,everybody will like us, like
we're going to be good.
We want Christianity to be likea well-curated like Instagram
profile, all the good vibes andnone of the awkward pushback.
But John reminds us that lovingJesus doesn't always get
applause.
(15:30):
Sometimes it actually getsrejection.
Why?
Because real love cuts againstthe grain of culture.
Let me give you some example.
Just like forgiveness versusrevenge, these two Culture says
cancel them, get even.
Jesus says forgive them.
That's not popular, right?
How about purity versus whatfeels good?
(15:51):
Culture says hook up culture asnormal.
Jesus says honor God with yourbody.
That makes people's eyes roll,right?
Integrity versus cuttingquarters.
How about this one Culture saysdo whatever it takes to get
ahead.
And Jesus says be honest, evenwhen it costs you and that's
(16:15):
going to get you mocked at work.
Or what about humility versusself-branding?
Culture says build yourplatform, make yourself the
brand.
And Jesus says die to yourself,serve others, and that don't
trend.
Then John goes further, intoverse 15.
He says anyone who does notlove remains in death.
(16:37):
Anyone who hates a brother orsister is a murderer.
And you know that no murdererhas eternal life residing in him
.
If love is absent, what happens?
Hate creeps in, and then hateis murder in seed form.
Even if you never lay hands onsomeone, bitterness in your
(16:58):
heart is the same spirit thatactually drove Cain to kill Abel
Like.
Think about this.
You can murder someone'sreputation with gossip.
You can murder someone'sconfidence, friends with cruel
words.
You can murder someone's joy byconstantly dragging them down.
And John says that's not life,that's death.
(17:19):
But there's hope when you findyourself loving people
sacrificially, even if it costsyou.
That's the evidence, that's theactual proof.
It's like spiritualfingerprints showing that you've
passed from death to life.
So don't panic when love makesyou look weird, right.
(17:41):
Don't be shocked when integrityisn't popular.
Don't be surprised if standingwith Jesus means you actually
stand out.
That's the family resemblanceshowing Verse 16, he says this
is how we know what love is.
Jesus Christ laid down his lifefor us and we ought to lay our
(18:01):
lives for our brothers andsisters.
I think if you were to ask ahundred different people to
define love, you would literallyget how many different answers?
A hundred.
Some will say it's a feeling,some's going to say it's
chemistry.
Some are going to say it'scommitment.
Culture defines love in thesedifferent soundbites.
Love is love.
You're like what does that mean?
Right, good vibes only Followyour heart.
(18:24):
But John doesn't give us aslogan here.
He points literally to what thecross.
Love isn't just butterflies inyour stomach or playlists that
make you feel good.
Love is Jesus laying down hislife.
Love is costly.
Love bleeds, love sacrifices.
And Jesus didn't just say heloved us.
What did he do?
(18:45):
He actually showed it.
He didn't just send like athinking of you text from heaven
, right, he stepped down,entered into our mess, carried
our shame and then died in ourplace.
And what John says is if that'sthe definition of love, then
(19:06):
our love has to look likesacrifice too.
Now, laying down your lifedoesn't usually mean literally
dying for someone else, just soyou know.
It means dying to yourself, itmeans dying to convenience.
At times it means dying to yourcomfort.
And sacrificial love could looklike a couple different things.
(19:27):
An example time, like choosingto spend an evening with a
friend who's going throughdepression instead of watching
another season of whatever justdropped on Netflix, could be
money Giving up that extraStarbucks so you can Venmo a
classmate who's struggling toafford groceries.
Pride Swallowing your ego andbeing the first to apologize
(19:50):
when there's conflict, even whenyou're only 30% wrong, could
look like comfort Serving thekids ministry, showing up to
stack chairs or staying late tohelp clean, even though no one
posts a story about it, right?
John also gets painfullypractical in verse 17.
He says if anyone has materialpossessions and then sees a
(20:14):
brother or sister in need buthas no pity on them, how can the
love of God be in that person?
Now, this one hits hard, right,because it is so easy to scroll
past needs.
See someone's GoFundMe, seesomeone's broke down car,
someone cry for help and we'rejust gonna keep on scrolling
through life, right?
Or worse, you know, typing tosomebody like I'm praying for
(20:37):
you with no intention ofactually helping, that's
sacrificial love, that's not.
That's just convenientsentiment.
Right?
There's this huge differencebetween thoughts and prayers is
like this cliche, and thoughtsand prayers as like this cliche,
and thoughts and prayers aslike a commitment.
One is words, the other isactions.
I knew a college student oncewho skipped meals so he could
(21:02):
put money aside to actually helppay for another student's rent.
Nobody knew about it, he didn'tpost about it and I would say
that sacrificial love.
Another story a young woman inour church actually gave up
drinking anything but water fora year to save money so she
could help build and drill afresh water well in Uganda, and
(21:25):
she did.
In fact.
We're all gonna have thatopportunity coming up in just a
couple of weeks.
You can see this.
Take out your phone real quick,appease me At least.
Check out the QR code.
You all know how to use thatnow.
So in just a couple of weeks,we're doing something.
Remember that If anyone hasmaterial possessions and they
have the ability to do stuff andsee someone in need, well, I'm
(21:46):
going to tell you right now.
I will show you pictures.
There's one right now.
They need water like freshwater, not junky water.
We've been doing this for yearsand we have an opportunity to
actually raise money andawareness, not necessarily your
money, your friend's money.
Think of it that way.
You get to invite friends toparticipate with you and that
also raises awareness like, hey,you can do good, we can see
(22:09):
brothers and sisters that are inneed, we have possessions and
we can participate with this.
You heard last week some of youare here that we actually have
three wells matched if we canget three others raised.
So that kind of gives us someenergy behind that to do that.
So hop in, take a picture ofthis QR code.
Even if you can't walk, youdon't have to go walk.
(22:30):
You can go away for the weekendor whatever, but you can still
participate in something that'sbigger than you and that's
something that we're going to docollectively and I want you to
be able to participate in.
Because why?
Sacrificial love costssomething, and if it doesn't
cost you and I time, money,energy, pride, it's probably
(22:51):
just convenience disguised aslove.
And John's point is reallyclear Real love looks like Jesus
, and if we call ourselves hisfamily, then our love should
carry the family resemblance ofsacrifice.
Verse 18, dear children, let usnot love with words or speech,
(23:14):
but with actions.
And in truth, verse 18, what'sthe deal here?
Talk is cheap, right Words areeasy, action is costly, and we
live in a world full ofstatements and hashtags and
slogans and bio quotes andt-shirts.
People love to declare like whatthey stand for and where they
(23:34):
stand.
But John says love isn't provenin your caption, it's proven in
your calendar.
Think about it like this SayingI love my church is easy.
But actually serving, giving,showing up when it's an
inconvenient, that's love.
Saying I care about the poor,it's easy.
(23:56):
But choosing to sponsor a kid,raise money for a well, buy
groceries for a single mom,serve at a shelter, that's love.
Saying I'm praying for you iseasy.
But actually dropping whatyou're doing and then praying
for someone right there in themoment, that's love.
And it's not that John is likeanti-words, it's just that he's
(24:17):
saying words without action arehollow.
Words don't heal wounds,actions do.
Words don't carry groceries,actions do.
Words don't change a lonelyFriday night into hope.
Showing up does.
And John doesn't just sayactions, he actually says
(24:37):
actions in truth, becausesometimes actions can be fake
too, you know, like done forclout or image, just for the
applause, like I'm just doingthis to get some recognition
because I've done it.
But love and truth, that'sauthentic friends and that's
what family looks like.
So here's the question Are youjust saying it or are you
(25:01):
showing it?
So then it begs this.
So how the heck do we love likethis?
John makes it sound so simpleright, just love one another.
But we all know it's not thatsimple, because you know who
you're sitting next to right.
People are complicated, peoplehurt us, people betray us.
(25:27):
So how do we actually live thisout in real life?
Well, here's five quick steps,and each one gets messy,
practical and doable.
The first one is this.
It's straight to it Love is acommand, not an option.
Jesus didn't say like, ifyou're in the mood to forgive,
right.
He didn't say love people whenthey deserve it.
No, he said love one another asI have loved you.
(25:51):
Love isn't a suggestion here,it's an order.
It's like being on a team whena coach tells you like hey, go
run that play, and you're likeI'm not really feeling it.
What do you do?
No, you run the play, right.
I once heard a guy say he'relike ah, I'm not really feeling
it.
What do you do?
No, you run the play right.
I once heard a guy say he'slike I'll love people when God
gives me the gift of love andI'm like, bro, that's not how it
works, right?
(26:11):
Loving isn't a gift you waitfor, it's a command you actually
obey.
The second one is this make itabout God.
This is way easier to do.
If you do this, I'm telling youmake it about God, not about
them.
That will give you so muchspace.
If you wait for people whodeserve your love, you'll be
waiting forever, like you'regonna be waiting a long time.
(26:32):
Some people will neverapologize.
Some people will neveracknowledge the pain that they
have caused you, and that's whyJohn roots love in God, not
people.
We love because he first lovedus.
Think about it like a powersource.
If your ability to love isactually just plugged into
people, it's gonna short circuitreal fast.
(26:52):
But if it's plugged into God,then you'll have the power to
keep loving and you don't haveto change.
I knew a girl once who keptshowing kindness to a coworker
who, like constantly, wasmocking her for her faith.
She didn't do it because hercoworker deserved it.
She did it because her lovecame from God and eventually,
(27:14):
eventually, the coworker beganto ask questions about Jesus.
Number three remember what Goddid for you.
Just remember, sit and reflect.
Remember what God did for you.
Just remember, sit and reflect.
Remember what God did.
It's hard to stay bitter whenyou remember how much you've
been forgiven for right.
Jesus tells a parable in thegospel of Matthew about a
servant who owed a king millionsof dollars and then this king
(27:37):
forgave this debt.
And then the servant went outand like choked a guy who owed
him like 20 bucks.
That's what it looks like whenforgiven people refuse to
forgive.
It's ugly.
And when you're tempted towithhold love, remember God
didn't withhold love from you.
He forgave you at your worst.
(27:59):
He loved you when you weren'teven lovable.
And if you remember that, thatperspective softens your grip on
grudges.
Number four, it's this Short,honest prayers.
Pray short, honest prayersSeriously.
Sometimes we just have to.
We feel like we have to do toomuch.
Short, honest prayers.
Sometimes all you can pray isthis God, help me, not hate them
(28:23):
.
Today, that's okay.
God can work with that right.
One of my friends had a fatherwho abandoned him as a kid and
he said for years, the onlyprayer that he had was this God,
help me, want to forgive them,help me, want to forgive them.
And it started with thisactually, god, I don't want to
forgive them, help me, want toforgive them.
And it started with thisactually, god, I don't want to
(28:45):
forgive them, but help me wantto.
That's honest, that's reallyhonest.
And over time, what happened?
God started to change his heart.
Forgiveness came slowly, but iteventually came.
Don't underestimate the powerof raw, messy prayers.
(29:06):
You don't have to like soundholy, you just got to be real.
Number five, the last one isthis Let God be judge.
Let God be judge.
Forgiveness doesn't meanpretending what happened was
okay.
Just want you to know that.
It doesn't mean that there arenwas okay.
Just want you to know that.
It doesn't mean that therearen't consequences.
What it means is that you handjustice over to God.
(29:27):
Romans 12 says this do not takerevenge, my dear friends.
It is mine to avenge.
I will repay, says the Lord.
When you forgive, you're notsaying what they did doesn't
matter.
Hear that so clearly.
What you're saying is I'm notthe judge, god is, and what it
is is.
It's like putting down a heavyweight.
(29:49):
You're not excusing them.
What you're doing is you'refreeing yourself.
And when you put these fivesteps together, love stops being
an abstract concept and itstarts being a daily practice.
It's not glamorous, it won'talways get applause, but it
looks like family resemblance.
So what if we looked likefamily?
(30:11):
Can you imagine a communitywhere grudges die quickly, where
gossip doesn't survive longerthan a spark because it gets
drowned out by encouragement.
Survive longer than a sparkbecause it gets drowned out by
encouragement, where generosityflows so naturally that nobody
in the room worries about billsanymore.
It actually has happened before.
Look at, next, where forgivenessisn't rare, it's the norm.
(30:34):
Picture a church where peopledon't have to pretend because
love covers shame, and whereconflict doesn't get ignored but
it also doesn't end friendshipsor end someone's life in an
assassination, where sacrificeisn't seen as an extra credit
Christianity but as the familyresistance.
(30:55):
That's what God is pointing ustowards.
That's what it looks like to bea children of God.
And imagine the impact it wouldhave on this community, on your
community.
What if, instead of being knownfor what we're against, we're
known that we radically love?
What if, instead of Christiansbeing seen as judgmental, the
(31:16):
people's first thought was thisthose people it's going away,
those people who will show upwhen life fall apart?
You showed up just in time.
This is great.
They show up.
That's what they're known for.
And what if our campuses andworkplaces and neighborhoods had
living, breathing pictures ofJesus's love through us?
(31:40):
Because here's the truth.
When God's family looks likeGod's family, it changes things.
That's what turned the Romanempire upside down in the first
century.
Not fancy buildings, not slickmarketing, just ordinary people
loving in extraordinary ways.
(32:00):
And John's challenge then landshere is the resemblance in you
in extraordinary ways?
And John's challenge then landshere Is the resemblance in you?
Not perfectly, not justovernight, but is there evidence
?
Do you have evidence in yourlife?
Is there progress?
Because in the end, the onlycamps that matter, it isn't
Apple versus Android or Marveland DC dog cat, chick-fil-a
(32:22):
canes.
The only camp that matters isthis child of God, you're a
child of God, you're a child ofGod.
May we act like it.
Would you stand as we respondto the King of Kings as his
(32:45):
children?
Hi, I'm Lexi.
I'm a freshman at AmericanCanyon High School and I'm going
to read 1 John, 3, 10 through18.
This is how we know who thechildren of God are and who the
children of the devil are.
Anyone who does not do what isright is not God's child.
Nor is anyone who does not lovetheir brother and sister what
(00:25):
is right is not God's child.
Nor is anyone who does not lovetheir brother and sister, for
this is the message you haveheard from the beginning we
should love one another.
Do not be like Cain, whobelonged to the evil one and
murdered his brother.
And why did he murder him?
Because his own actions wereevil and his brothers were
righteous.
Do not be surprised, mybrothers and sisters, if the
world hates you.
We know that we have passedfrom death to life because we
(00:48):
love each other.
Anyone who does not loveremains in death.
Anyone who hates a brother orsister is a murderer, and you
know that no murderer haseternal life residing in him.
This is how we know what loveis.
Jesus Christ laid down his lifefor us, and we ought to lay
down our lives for our brothersand sisters, if anyone has
material possessions and sees abrother, and that is the word of
(01:10):
the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Good job, girl, you got it.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
Thank you, lexi.
Well, if you're new with us, weare going through verse by
verse.
We're teaching the Bible herein these little letters in the
back of the New Testament.
It's called 1st, 2nd and 3rdJohn.
It was written by the gospelwriter who wrote John.
Now he's an old guy and this islike some of his last words and
so we've been going throughverse by verse.
(01:45):
We're in chapter three today.
We're going to do verses 10through 18 in chapter three.
So if you want to open up yourview version, or if you actually
brought a Bible today, I'llthrow some step up on the verse.
But what a week.
Right, here we go.
Life is full of camps.
You're either in one or you'rein the other.
Think about this there's Appleor there's Android.
(02:06):
Who's Apple?
Who's Android?
The robot?
Oh, okay, we're pretty split inhere.
Or you have, like Marvel versusDC, chick-fil-a or cane sauce
which one?
You know?
Chick-fil-a.
We just go there for the sauces.
Let's be honest, right?
You have a cold brew orfrappuccinos?
Or what about giants or A'sright?
(02:28):
Come on, oakland, you'rekilling us, can't even say that.
No more, right?
Or are you just team?
Just DM me, or are you team?
Why don't you just call me likea normal human right, and some
of those divisions are silly,but let's be honest, they matter
in the moment to a lot of us.
Whole friend groups can gosilent on road trips just
because someone thinks thatpineapple goes on pizza.
(02:50):
Right, friends have been ruinedover worse, because why Camps
matter.
We like to know which side thatwe're on, and it's not just
about what gadgets or food, it'show we live.
And this generation buildsidentity around tribes.
You're in a camp based on yourmusic taste, your political
(03:13):
party, your sports team, yourcoffee order.
Some of you are thrifting crew.
Only Some of you are.
You know, let's go to Targetand Starbucks Saturday morning
crew.
We even divide ourselves catversus dog.
Right Go, dog.
Let's go to Target andStarbucks Saturday morning crew.
We even divide ourselves catversus dog right Go, dog, let's
go.
I'm team dog.
So why do we care so much aboutcamps?
It's because camps tell ussomething about identity.
(03:35):
They tell us who we belong to.
They give us this sense ofbeing known.
And that's exactly what John isaddressing in this letter,
except he doesn't talk aboutcoffee orders or Marvel movies.
He actually goes straight tothe jugular.
He says this and you heard itjust read you're either a child
of God or you are a child of thedevil, which we go like whoa
(03:58):
easy there.
Like imagine dropping that inyour small group.
Like hey, thanks for bringingthe chips, you're a Satan,
you're a child, satan's child.
Like you're just like oh,that's just not a good
icebreaker, it doesn't reallybuild community and it feels
extreme.
We want to soften this stuff.
But John's not being dramaticin this moment, he's just being
clear.
He's cutting right through thenoise of all these little camps
(04:19):
saying when it comes to yourultimate identity, there's only
two sides.
There's only two options here.
There's only two families.
You're either in God's familyor you're not.
And John says that ultimately,your life, how you live, how you
love, will actually revealwhich camp you're really in.
(04:40):
And he starts it out by sayingit right here, in verse 10.
This is how we know who thechildren of God are and who the
children of the devil are.
Anyone who does not do what isright is not God's child.
Nor is anyone who does not lovetheir brother or their sister.
Notice the word know rightthere.
(05:01):
John doesn't say this is howyou'll feel.
He says this is how you'regonna know, you're not gonna
guess about this, you're notgonna hope, you're not gonna
vibe check, you're gonna know.
And John's writing to theseyoung believers at this time in
the first century church who atthis time, are confused, and so
he doesn't pull any punches, hejust wants to get right to it.
He says plainly here's howyou're going to know and how
(05:22):
you're going to know you're achild of God or you're a child
of the devil.
Strong words, right, likeseriously.
Lots of us would rather justsay like here's, if he was going
to rewrite it, here's how youreally know if you're following
God and then also just who needsa little help.
Right, that's how we'd ratherlike say it nicely, like that.
But John isn't making this up.
Why he's echoing Jesus?
(05:44):
Because we learned this.
He was there, he was there fromthe beginning.
He talks about this.
He saw it, he lived it.
He's literally the last of theeyewitnesses.
And so all he's doing righthere is he's writing what Jesus
said, and yes, jesus really didcall people children of the
devil.
We see this actually in John'sgospel, chapter eight, where he
(06:04):
tells religious leaders he sayseveryone who sins is a saved sin
.
If God were your father, youwould love me, but you belong to
your father, the devil, easy,jesus right.
And these leaders.
What's going on right here isthey claimed Abraham as their
father and they claimed thatthey were God's chosen one, but
(06:26):
their actions what's going onhere is their actions showed
otherwise and then they wantedto kill Jesus.
They were gonna try to rejecttruth.
They wanted to follow their owndecisions, and Jesus exposes
the lie.
He says if you don't love me,then you're not of God.
And so John remembers thismoment.
He was there when this happened, and now what he's doing is
he's passing it on and sayinghey, friends, there's only two
(06:49):
ways to live.
He calls us children.
Beloved, says you're eitherfollowing Christ, belonging to
God's family, or you'refollowing lies, and lies come
from the father of lies.
See, these false teachers thathe's talking about have left the
church.
They were claiming that they'restill followers.
(07:10):
They're claiming they're stillChristians.
People were saying ah, you canbelieve in Jesus and live
however you want.
Sin doesn't really matter.
And John's like no way, likethat's not how family
resemblance works.
In the first century world,this would have landed really
heavy.
Family was everything.
You built your identity aroundfamily.
(07:31):
You didn't build it aroundhobbies and playlists.
Your family's name is whatactually identified you, and if
you were dishonest, if you werelazy or you were cruel, you
didn't just embarrass you, youdishonored the whole family.
And John's saying it's the samething for us to understand
(07:51):
spiritually that God's kidscarry God's resemblance.
And so it asks this question ifhe's your father, people should
start to see his traits in youand me.
So what's the family test?
Well, the test isn't like howmany worship nights you attend,
how many verses you'vehighlighted in YouVersion, or
(08:15):
how many sermons that you'veheard.
Not how many devotions you'vestarted and not finished right.
Not how many times that you'veprayed before a test that you
didn't study for, or whether youdrop a cool Greek word like
agape and casual conversationright.
The test is simply this.
It's simple Do you do what'sright Righteousness and do you
(08:36):
love people, relationships andboth matter and both are
inseparable.
Think about it like this Ifsomeone says like, yeah, I'm
vegan, except for bacon, you'renot vegan right.
Or if someone says like I'mcommitted to you, except I'm
(08:57):
just talking to three otherpeople on the side, what You're
not committed right.
It's the same way If you claimto be in God's family but your
life doesn't actually showrighteousness and love.
There's not resemblance there,and that's it.
That's what he's saying.
The test is righteousness andlove, and here's the kicker you
can't separate them.
(09:17):
Doing what's right without loveactually turns you into a
self-serving, self-righteousPharisee.
Turns you into a self-serving,self-righteous Pharisee.
Loving people withoutrighteousness turns you into a
doormat who excuses sin.
It's like peanut butter andjelly you can eat them
separately, but when they'retogether, that's the family
(09:38):
resemblance, that's peanutbutter, jelly time, right.
So here's the question thatJohn presses on us when people
look at your life, do they seethe family resemblance?
Do they see your heavenlyfather in your words, in your
choices, in your relationships,or do they see something else?
(10:02):
Because, at the end of the day,family resemblance it can't be
faked.
Verses 11 through 12 says this,for this message you have heard
from the beginning we shouldlove one another.
Do not be like Cain, whobelonged to the evil one and
murdered his brother.
So now, right here, john'sactually pulling from one of the
earliest human stories afterthe fall Cain and Abel.
(10:24):
It's literally like on pagefour of the entire Bible.
You can go read it later.
Both of these brothers, they'reasked to bring offerings to God
.
Abel brings, like the best ofhis flock, the firstborn, the
choicest.
Abel brings some, like somefruits from the soil, in other
words, like leftovers.
It's like leftovers, and Abelbrings God his best and Cain
(10:46):
just brings what's convenient.
And then God accepts Abel'soffering then and not Cain's.
And so what happens is Cainbegins to burn with jealousy and
he stews on it.
And then God even warns him.
He says this why are you angry?
This is to Cain.
Why is your face downcast?
If you do what's right, willyou not be accepted?
(11:07):
But if you do not do what isright, this is so good.
Sin is crouching at your doorand it desires to have you, but
you must rule over it.
That is such a powerful image,sin crouching at your door.
It's like that stray cat thatkeeps coming around waiting for
(11:28):
you to open the door and you'relike no right.
Or that creepy clown that's ina horror movie just standing
outside of your house.
Sin is persistent, it waits.
And then, the second you openthe door, what happens?
Boom, it pounces.
And so Cain.
What happens is he ignoresGod's warning.
He takes Abel out into a field,he picks up a rock, he kills
(11:50):
him.
It was literally the firstmurder in human history and it
wasn't about money, politics orpower, just jealousy.
And here's why John uses thisstory because jealousy and
bitterness live in us too.
Maybe not like pick up a rocklevel, but it starts in smaller
(12:12):
ways, like a friend that getsengaged while you're still
single.
You smile, but inside you'rethinking why not me?
Thinking why not me?
Or a coworker that getspromoted even though you trained
them.
Suddenly their win feels likeyour loss.
Your friend gets noticed forsomething that you worked hard
(12:34):
on.
What happens?
Resentment grows and you maynot murder with a weapon, but
you will assassinate with wordsgossip, shade, subtweets, silent
treatment.
And Cain's story warns us.
Bitterness is never static, itgrows, it starts to mutate and
(12:57):
jealousy says I wish I had whatthey had.
And then it turns to bitternessand bitterness says I wish they
didn't have it at all.
And then it grows to hatred andhatred says I wish they weren't
even here.
And here's where it getspractical.
Bitterness doesn't just ruinthe other person, it ruins you.
(13:19):
And Cain didn't just lose Abel,he lost himself.
He was marked, he was exiled,he became restless and wondering
.
And that's what bitterness doesto us.
It eats us from the inside.
It turns us became restless andwondering.
And that's what bitterness doesto us.
It eats us from the inside.
It turns us into restlesswonders, always comparing, never
content.
(13:40):
Let's put it in modern termsCain energy is like roommate
drama that escalates.
Been there, like when aroommate doesn't do the dishes
for like three days, instead oflike talking about it, you let
resentment fester.
And then, by day four, you'reslamming cabinets to make a
point.
And then by day five, likeyou're sending passive,
aggressive texts, by day six,you're plotting to accidentally
(14:01):
lock them out.
Right, it's silly in thatcontext.
But this is how bitternessgrows.
It eventually always escalates.
And John says don't be like Cain, don't let jealousy and
bitterness crouch at your door.
You need to slam the door shutand you need to actually rule
over it, because if you don't,sin will master you.
(14:24):
So here's a question for usWhere's bitterness crouching in
your life?
Who are you secretly jealous of?
Whose success feels like yourfailure?
And then, what would it looklike to shut the door before
jealousy turns into somethingdeadly?
Well then, john says this inverses 13 and 14.
(14:49):
Don't be surprised, my brothersand sisters, if the world hates
you.
We know that we have passedfrom death to life because we
love one another.
John says something right herethat feels almost obvious Like,
don't be surprised if the worldhates you.
But let's be real, we'resurprised.
You ever been surprised whensomeone's like doesn't like you?
You're like what Right?
(15:10):
We kind of expect, like if I'mnice enough, if I'm cool enough,
if I'm loving enough, like,everybody will like us, like
we're going to be good.
We want Christianity to be likea well-curated like Instagram
profile, all the good vibes andnone of the awkward pushback.
But John reminds us that lovingJesus doesn't always get
applause.
(15:30):
Sometimes it actually getsrejection.
Why?
Because real love cuts againstthe grain of culture.
Let me give you some example.
Just like forgiveness versusrevenge, these two Culture says
cancel them, get even.
Jesus says forgive them.
That's not popular, right?
How about purity versus whatfeels good?
(15:51):
Culture says hook up culture asnormal.
Jesus says honor God with yourbody.
That makes people's eyes roll,right?
Integrity versus cuttingquarters.
How about this one Culture saysdo whatever it takes to get
ahead.
And Jesus says be honest, evenwhen it costs you and that's
(16:15):
going to get you mocked at work.
Or what about humility versusself-branding?
Culture says build yourplatform, make yourself the
brand.
And Jesus says die to yourself,serve others, and that don't
trend.
Then John goes further, intoverse 15.
He says anyone who does notlove remains in death.
(16:37):
Anyone who hates a brother orsister is a murderer.
And you know that no murdererhas eternal life residing in him
.
If love is absent, what happens?
Hate creeps in, and then hateis murder in seed form.
Even if you never lay hands onsomeone, bitterness in your
(16:58):
heart is the same spirit thatactually drove Cain to kill Abel
Like.
Think about this.
You can murder someone'sreputation with gossip.
You can murder someone'sconfidence, friends with cruel
words.
You can murder someone's joy byconstantly dragging them down.
And John says that's not life,that's death.
(17:19):
But there's hope when you findyourself loving people
sacrificially, even if it costsyou.
That's the evidence, that's theactual proof.
It's like spiritualfingerprints showing that you've
passed from death to life.
So don't panic when love makesyou look weird, right.
(17:41):
Don't be shocked when integrityisn't popular.
Don't be surprised if standingwith Jesus means you actually
stand out.
That's the family resemblanceshowing Verse 16, he says this
is how we know what love is.
Jesus Christ laid down his lifefor us and we ought to lay our
(18:01):
lives for our brothers andsisters.
I think if you were to ask ahundred different people to
define love, you would literallyget how many different answers?
A hundred.
Some will say it's a feeling,some's going to say it's
chemistry.
Some are going to say it'scommitment.
Culture defines love in thesedifferent soundbites.
Love is love.
You're like what does that mean?
Right, good vibes only Followyour heart.
(18:24):
But John doesn't give us aslogan here.
He points literally to what thecross.
Love isn't just butterflies inyour stomach or playlists that
make you feel good.
Love is Jesus laying down hislife.
Love is costly.
Love bleeds, love sacrifices.
And Jesus didn't just say heloved us.
What did he do?
(18:45):
He actually showed it.
He didn't just send like athinking of you text from heaven
, right, he stepped down,entered into our mess, carried
our shame and then died in ourplace.
And what John says is if that'sthe definition of love, then
(19:06):
our love has to look likesacrifice too.
Now, laying down your lifedoesn't usually mean literally
dying for someone else, just soyou know.
It means dying to yourself, itmeans dying to convenience.
At times it means dying to yourcomfort.
And sacrificial love could looklike a couple different things.
(19:27):
An example time, like choosingto spend an evening with a
friend who's going throughdepression instead of watching
another season of whatever justdropped on Netflix, could be
money Giving up that extraStarbucks so you can Venmo a
classmate who's struggling toafford groceries.
Pride Swallowing your ego andbeing the first to apologize
(19:50):
when there's conflict, even whenyou're only 30% wrong, could
look like comfort Serving thekids ministry, showing up to
stack chairs or staying late tohelp clean, even though no one
posts a story about it, right?
John also gets painfullypractical in verse 17.
He says if anyone has materialpossessions and then sees a
(20:14):
brother or sister in need buthas no pity on them, how can the
love of God be in that person?
Now, this one hits hard, right,because it is so easy to scroll
past needs.
See someone's GoFundMe, seesomeone's broke down car,
someone cry for help and we'rejust gonna keep on scrolling
through life, right?
Or worse, you know, typing tosomebody like I'm praying for
(20:37):
you with no intention ofactually helping, that's
sacrificial love, that's not.
That's just convenientsentiment.
Right?
There's this huge differencebetween thoughts and prayers is
like this cliche, and thoughtsand prayers as like this cliche,
and thoughts and prayers aslike a commitment.
One is words, the other isactions.
I knew a college student oncewho skipped meals so he could
(21:02):
put money aside to actually helppay for another student's rent.
Nobody knew about it, he didn'tpost about it and I would say
that sacrificial love.
Another story a young woman inour church actually gave up
drinking anything but water fora year to save money so she
could help build and drill afresh water well in Uganda, and
(21:25):
she did.
In fact.
We're all gonna have thatopportunity coming up in just a
couple of weeks.
You can see this.
Take out your phone real quick,appease me At least.
Check out the QR code.
You all know how to use thatnow.
So in just a couple of weeks,we're doing something.
Remember that If anyone hasmaterial possessions and they
have the ability to do stuff andsee someone in need, well, I'm
(21:46):
going to tell you right now.
I will show you pictures.
There's one right now.
They need water like freshwater, not junky water.
We've been doing this for yearsand we have an opportunity to
actually raise money andawareness, not necessarily your
money, your friend's money.
Think of it that way.
You get to invite friends toparticipate with you and that
also raises awareness like, hey,you can do good, we can see
(22:09):
brothers and sisters that are inneed, we have possessions and
we can participate with this.
You heard last week some of youare here that we actually have
three wells matched if we canget three others raised.
So that kind of gives us someenergy behind that to do that.
So hop in, take a picture ofthis QR code.
Even if you can't walk, youdon't have to go walk.
(22:30):
You can go away for the weekendor whatever, but you can still
participate in something that'sbigger than you and that's
something that we're going to docollectively and I want you to
be able to participate in.
Because why?
Sacrificial love costssomething, and if it doesn't
cost you and I time, money,energy, pride, it's probably
(22:51):
just convenience disguised aslove.
And John's point is reallyclear Real love looks like Jesus
, and if we call ourselves hisfamily, then our love should
carry the family resemblance ofsacrifice.
Verse 18, dear children, let usnot love with words or speech,
(23:14):
but with actions.
And in truth, verse 18, what'sthe deal here?
Talk is cheap, right Words areeasy, action is costly, and we
live in a world full ofstatements and hashtags and
slogans and bio quotes andt-shirts.
People love to declare like whatthey stand for and where they
(23:34):
stand.
But John says love isn't provenin your caption, it's proven in
your calendar.
Think about it like this SayingI love my church is easy.
But actually serving, giving,showing up when it's an
inconvenient, that's love.
Saying I care about the poor,it's easy.
(23:56):
But choosing to sponsor a kid,raise money for a well, buy
groceries for a single mom,serve at a shelter, that's love.
Saying I'm praying for you iseasy.
But actually dropping whatyou're doing and then praying
for someone right there in themoment, that's love.
And it's not that John is likeanti-words, it's just that he's
(24:17):
saying words without action arehollow.
Words don't heal wounds,actions do.
Words don't carry groceries,actions do.
Words don't change a lonelyFriday night into hope.
Showing up does.
And John doesn't just sayactions, he actually says
(24:37):
actions in truth, becausesometimes actions can be fake
too, you know, like done forclout or image, just for the
applause, like I'm just doingthis to get some recognition
because I've done it.
But love and truth, that'sauthentic friends and that's
what family looks like.
So here's the question Are youjust saying it or are you
(25:01):
showing it?
So then it begs this.
So how the heck do we love likethis?
John makes it sound so simpleright, just love one another.
But we all know it's not thatsimple, because you know who
you're sitting next to right.
People are complicated, peoplehurt us, people betray us.
(25:27):
So how do we actually live thisout in real life?
Well, here's five quick steps,and each one gets messy,
practical and doable.
The first one is this.
It's straight to it Love is acommand, not an option.
Jesus didn't say like, ifyou're in the mood to forgive,
right.
He didn't say love people whenthey deserve it.
No, he said love one another asI have loved you.
(25:51):
Love isn't a suggestion here,it's an order.
It's like being on a team whena coach tells you like hey, go
run that play, and you're likeI'm not really feeling it.
What do you do?
No, you run the play, right.
I once heard a guy say he'relike ah, I'm not really feeling
it.
What do you do?
No, you run the play right.
I once heard a guy say he'slike I'll love people when God
gives me the gift of love andI'm like, bro, that's not how it
works, right?
(26:11):
Loving isn't a gift you waitfor, it's a command you actually
obey.
The second one is this make itabout God.
This is way easier to do.
If you do this, I'm telling youmake it about God, not about
them.
That will give you so muchspace.
If you wait for people whodeserve your love, you'll be
waiting forever, like you'regonna be waiting a long time.
(26:32):
Some people will neverapologize.
Some people will neveracknowledge the pain that they
have caused you, and that's whyJohn roots love in God, not
people.
We love because he first lovedus.
Think about it like a powersource.
If your ability to love isactually just plugged into
people, it's gonna short circuitreal fast.
(26:52):
But if it's plugged into God,then you'll have the power to
keep loving and you don't haveto change.
I knew a girl once who keptshowing kindness to a coworker
who, like constantly, wasmocking her for her faith.
She didn't do it because hercoworker deserved it.
She did it because her lovecame from God and eventually,
(27:14):
eventually, the coworker beganto ask questions about Jesus.
Number three remember what Goddid for you.
Just remember, sit and reflect.
Remember what God did for you.
Just remember, sit and reflect.
Remember what God did.
It's hard to stay bitter whenyou remember how much you've
been forgiven for right.
Jesus tells a parable in thegospel of Matthew about a
servant who owed a king millionsof dollars and then this king
(27:37):
forgave this debt.
And then the servant went outand like choked a guy who owed
him like 20 bucks.
That's what it looks like whenforgiven people refuse to
forgive.
It's ugly.
And when you're tempted towithhold love, remember God
didn't withhold love from you.
He forgave you at your worst.
(27:59):
He loved you when you weren'teven lovable.
And if you remember that, thatperspective softens your grip on
grudges.
Number four, it's this Short,honest prayers.
Pray short, honest prayersSeriously.
Sometimes we just have to.
We feel like we have to do toomuch.
Short, honest prayers.
Sometimes all you can pray isthis God, help me, not hate them
(28:23):
.
Today, that's okay.
God can work with that right.
One of my friends had a fatherwho abandoned him as a kid and
he said for years, the onlyprayer that he had was this God,
help me, want to forgive them,help me, want to forgive them.
And it started with thisactually, god, I don't want to
forgive them, help me, want toforgive them.
And it started with thisactually, god, I don't want to
(28:45):
forgive them, but help me wantto.
That's honest, that's reallyhonest.
And over time, what happened?
God started to change his heart.
Forgiveness came slowly, but iteventually came.
Don't underestimate the powerof raw, messy prayers.
(29:06):
You don't have to like soundholy, you just got to be real.
Number five, the last one isthis Let God be judge.
Let God be judge.
Forgiveness doesn't meanpretending what happened was
okay.
Just want you to know that.
It doesn't mean that there arenwas okay.
Just want you to know that.
It doesn't mean that therearen't consequences.
What it means is that you handjustice over to God.
(29:27):
Romans 12 says this do not takerevenge, my dear friends.
It is mine to avenge.
I will repay, says the Lord.
When you forgive, you're notsaying what they did doesn't
matter.
Hear that so clearly.
What you're saying is I'm notthe judge, god is, and what it
is is.
It's like putting down a heavyweight.
(29:49):
You're not excusing them.
What you're doing is you'refreeing yourself.
And when you put these fivesteps together, love stops being
an abstract concept and itstarts being a daily practice.
It's not glamorous, it won'talways get applause, but it
looks like family resemblance.
So what if we looked likefamily?
(30:11):
Can you imagine a communitywhere grudges die quickly, where
gossip doesn't survive longerthan a spark because it gets
drowned out by encouragement.
Survive longer than a sparkbecause it gets drowned out by
encouragement, where generosityflows so naturally that nobody
in the room worries about billsanymore.
It actually has happened before.
Look at, next, where forgivenessisn't rare, it's the norm.
(30:34):
Picture a church where peopledon't have to pretend because
love covers shame, and whereconflict doesn't get ignored but
it also doesn't end friendshipsor end someone's life in an
assassination, where sacrificeisn't seen as an extra credit
Christianity but as the familyresistance.
(30:55):
That's what God is pointing ustowards.
That's what it looks like to bea children of God.
And imagine the impact it wouldhave on this community, on your
community.
What if, instead of being knownfor what we're against, we're
known that we radically love?
What if, instead of Christiansbeing seen as judgmental, the
(31:16):
people's first thought was thisthose people it's going away,
those people who will show upwhen life fall apart?
You showed up just in time.
This is great.
They show up.
That's what they're known for.
And what if our campuses andworkplaces and neighborhoods had
living, breathing pictures ofJesus's love through us?
(31:40):
Because here's the truth.
When God's family looks likeGod's family, it changes things.
That's what turned the Romanempire upside down in the first
century.
Not fancy buildings, not slickmarketing, just ordinary people
loving in extraordinary ways.
(32:00):
And John's challenge then landshere is the resemblance in you
in extraordinary ways?
And John's challenge then landshere Is the resemblance in you?
Not perfectly, not justovernight, but is there evidence
?
Do you have evidence in yourlife?
Is there progress?
Because in the end, the onlycamps that matter, it isn't
Apple versus Android or Marveland DC dog cat, chick-fil-a
(32:22):
canes.
The only camp that matters isthis child of God, you're a
child of God, you're a child ofGod.
May we act like it.
Would you stand as we respondto the King of Kings as his
(32:45):
children?
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