August 25, 2025 • 33 mins
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Hi, my name is Zoe, I'm a freshman at BHS and I'm
going to be reading scripture.
Anyone who claims to be in thelight but hates a brother or
sister is still in the darkness.
Anyone who loves their brotherand sister lives in the light
and there is nothing in them tomake them stumble.
But anyone who hates a brotheror sister is in the darkness and
walks around in the darkness.
(00:25):
They do not know where they aregoing because the darkness has
blinded them.
I am writing to you, dearchildren, because your sins have
been forgiven on account of hisname.
I am writing to you, fathers,because you know him, who is
from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men,because you have overcome the
evil one.
I write to you, dear children,because you know the Father.
(00:46):
I write to you, fathers,because you know him, who is
from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,because you are strong and the
word of God is in you and youhave overcome the evil one, but
one who loves the world oranything in the world.
If anyone loves the world forthe Father is not in them For
everything in the world.
The lust of the world for theFather is not in them For
(01:06):
everything in the world.
The lust of the flesh, the lustof the eyes and the pride of
life comes from the Father, butfrom the world.
The world is from.
Desire passes away, but whoeverdoes the evil of whoever does
the will of God will liveforever.
This is the word of Lord.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Thanks, zoe.
Thanks be to God.
All right, we're going to hopin.
We are in 1 John.
There's three letters.
It's in the back of the NewTestament.
If you're new with us, we'regoing through this verse by
verse.
You're not going to, you canhop right in where we're at.
So we're in 1 John, chapter two.
Like I said, go all the way tothe back of your Bible or on
(01:46):
your screen as you're looking itup, and you can follow along.
We're going to have a handful ofverses today, and today I'm
going to tell you right now wecome to a doozy right Before we
open the Bible.
Let's just get real.
Here's the deal.
When you squeeze an orange,what do you get?
Orange juice, right.
When you squeeze a tube oftoothpaste, what do you get?
Toothpaste, hopefully.
And when life squeezes youthrough stress or disagreement
(02:10):
or hurt, what comes out of you?
Is it love, grace, patience orfrustration, criticism,
bitterness, stop.
Some of you guys are saying,yes, that's me right.
Well, here's the deal.
John's letter is written to achurch that has been squeezed by
division, by hurt, by pride,and what is coming out isn't
(02:34):
always love.
We're going to watch what'shappening when we dive in today.
We're going to see what waswritten to them, what was said
to them and how it actuallyapplies to us today.
The church, at this time, aswe're hopping in, has split.
There's a group of Christiansthat feel like they have the
right to be Christians and yetwithhold love from other
(02:56):
followers of Jesus, look down onother disciples because they're
not standing for what theystood for.
And John is only getting intochapter two right now.
He's writing to this churchthat's spread out across this
area in Ephesus, and he'sstarting to get to the heart of
the matter.
So I want to invite you, goahead and open up your Bible to
(03:16):
1 John, chapter two.
I'm actually going to pick itup in verse nine just to recap
real quickly for a moment, butwe're going to start in verse 7
for a quick recap.
It says this Dear friends, I amnot writing you a new command,
but an old one, which you havehad since the beginning.
This old command is the messagethat you have heard.
(03:38):
So the question then is what dothey hear?
Well, they heard that God soloved the world that they gave
his son and that his son is love.
And then you find in the 14thchapter of the gospel of John,
where John was sitting there inthis upper room, whereas this is
where Jesus actually says Ihave a new command that I'm now
gonna give you.
You must love one another as Ihave loved you, and then by this
(04:01):
, by doing this, everyone willknow that you are truly a
Christian, a disciple, one of me, if you love one another the
way that I loved you, john saidlook, I'm not writing you
anything new.
You've heard this from thebeginning.
Like this is the deal.
Jesus called this a new commandbecause he is giving us.
He's saying, like we have hislove in us now and so, because
(04:22):
of that, we're going to lovepeople differently.
And then he takes us into thesenew verses for today, verse
nine here we go.
Anyone who claims the sky thing,okay, it's going to come up,
maybe, maybe it's not working.
Let me try this one.
No, all right, anyone, I got itin the back.
(04:43):
Anyone who claims to be thelight but hates his brother or
sister is still in the darkness.
Anyone who loves their brotherand sister lives in the light.
There is nothing in them tomake them stumble.
But anyone who hates a brotheror sister is in the darkness and
walks around in the darknessand they do not know where they
(05:04):
are going because the darknesshas blinded them.
So, john, what he's doing righthere is already he's got two
sides of the corn.
Once again, he's claiming anyone, he says anyone who claims
right.
And he's gonna say this sixtimes in these five little pages
.
We saw this last week thatanyone who claims to walk in the
light, walking with Christ, butyour lifestyle is in sin, then
(05:27):
you're walking in darkness.
Like, frankly, he's just sayinglike you're a liar, the truth
isn't in you.
You're deceiving yourself andyou're making God then out to be
a liar.
Or how about this wordHypocrite?
We've heard that one before.
And so now he says again oh, soyou say, yeah, I'm a Christian
and I'm walking with the God oflove, but I'm hating a brother
(05:49):
or sister.
Now, real quick, just so youunderstand the word hate here.
This isn't just talking aboutlike rage or revenge or any of
that.
What it is is it's withholdinglove, treating God's kids the
way that you'd never treat him.
He's talking about Christiansand the family of God in this
moment, right here, and onceagain he's saying you're making
(06:11):
yourself out to be a liar.
If you do this, in fact, you'veactually deceived yourself.
You've blinded yourself withthis.
So, therefore, you're stumblingaround in your walk with Christ
and you can't even see whatyou're doing or what's going on.
Here, frankly, is where all ofus just got to stop and think
Anyone who hates their brotherand sister now I know a lot of
(06:34):
you would be like yeah, no,that's not me.
Like I don't hate, I don't walkaround with anger or walk
around with all this rage,waiting to get my hand around
somebody's neck.
And I'm not this person who'swalking around just trying to
unleash all this animositytowards someone you know,
throwing my lightning bolts andthunder at them Like that's not
me.
But that's not what John'ssaying.
He's not saying you walk aroundthis like hate burning inside
of you.
He simply says are youwithholding love towards others
(06:58):
in the family?
Are you not acting in a lovingway towards others in the family
?
How about this one?
Are you gossiping under thedisguise of sharing a prayer
request?
Oof, like, oh, you reallyshould pray for so-and-so.
They just can't seem to get ittogether Right, quickly labeling
(07:23):
someone as less spiritualbecause they don't dress or
worship or vote the same way youdo, using scripture more like a
weapon to shame than a tool toheal, or online arguments where
believers sound more like trollsthan ambassadors of Christ,
sound more like trolls thanambassadors of Christ, ignoring
(07:44):
those struggling financially,emotionally or spiritually
because they brought this onthemselves.
The tension here, friends, isthat people often judge Christ
by the behavior of Christians.
Let me say that again thetension that people is this that
(08:05):
people often judge Christ bythe behavior of Christians,
jesus followers.
That's why Paul talks about inPhilippians.
He says live in a manner thatis worthy of the gospel of
Christ.
I beg you, like, how can yousay that you're loving God, the
Father, when you're actingtowards his kids this way?
It's like this.
(08:26):
Let me give you an example.
Don't try to hang out with meand want to build a relationship
with me, and then one of mykids walks in and you know how
about this?
You ever been in that situationwhere you're not quite sure who
goes with who?
I'm going to tell you right nowI can get you.
Both of my sons are black,right, so I run into this
(08:46):
occasionally.
Don't be trying to hang outwith me and all of a sudden you
don't know this, but my sonrolls by and you look over and
you're like, oh, that kid, oh, Isee the way they dress.
He's always got his hood on andyou know, like he must be a
thug and he's got earrings, it'sprobably tattoos.
It's probably gonna do drugs.
I'm glad my kid's not hangingout with that kid, like that'd
be a bad influence, right.
And what am I doing?
I'm sitting there going, youknow that's my kid, right.
(09:12):
And then, like you're gonna turnto me and go like, oh man, we
should hang out more.
Like I really like you, like Iwanna get to know you, like you
and I are going to be okay.
We're not going to be okay.
I would much rather you dislikeme than dislike one of my kids.
And yet, john, he's saying youknow there's a group in the
(09:36):
church today and you're notgoing to be loving towards them.
That's a problem.
Like you're going to withholdlove from them If you're going
to start to look down on thembecause of their belief, their
stand, their rhetoric orwhatever it is, and John goes.
Now this is the danger, becauseyou're stumbling around in the
(09:57):
darkness, like you're blinded bythis and you don't even get it
and you're withholding, as we'reabout to find out, god's love
in your life.
You're not fully walking in itbecause you're withholding it
from my kids Like man.
I'm telling you guys right nowthis is a gut check.
Why?
(10:17):
Because when you're honest withyourself, you know that
Christianity is a claim to beproven by your obedience and our
love for others.
Christianity, look, it's justsimply a claim.
Anyone can claim to beChristian.
How many people in our countrytoday claim to be Christian?
Right?
How many people self-identifythis way?
(10:37):
Just checking a box of likeyeah, that's the religion I hear
too.
Right, I'm a Christian.
It's just simply a claim.
I'll tell you about 62 to 68%,according to Pew Research, says
like, yeah, yeah, that's what Igo to.
Right.
And twice now John has done whathe's going to do six times in
this little book, saying if youclaim to be walking in the light
but you're not, you're livingin sin.
(10:59):
You're in your living in sin.
You're lying.
And now he says if you claim tobe walking with this source of
love but then you're not lovingothers, I'm telling you you're
lying.
Love just isn't in you.
You're stumbling in thedarkness.
Christianity isn't just a claim.
It needs to be proven, friends,by our obedience and our love
(11:19):
for others.
And this is where.
Listen to me, we just got tostop.
John is writing to a group ofpeople that have gone through a
split, like they're goingthrough a soft tub.
He's writing a group of peoplewho've already traded a bunch of
harsh words with one another.
They shared it back and forth.
He's writing to a bunch ofpeople where, like shots have
already been fired at oneanother.
People have taken differentpolls and different votes,
(11:40):
different positions on things,and some have been asked to
leave.
And now there's a lot of hurt inthe church.
And now, now there's a groupthat seems to be living and
calling themselves followers ofChrist, but they aren't loving
towards Christ's family, god'schildren.
And John steps in and he goes.
You've got to really stopyourself and check yourself with
(12:02):
this.
What makes you a Christian?
A claim Like a belief in God,knowing that Jesus died on a
cross and rose again.
Come on, friends.
The demons believed all that.
What makes you a Christian?
He goes.
Well, let me tell you he sayswhat sets your faith apart from
demon faith?
It's obedience.
(12:22):
He says loving others is goingto be a part of your life.
Because that's exactly whatJesus stated.
And John was there at the tablethat last night in the upper
room when he heard this.
By this, everyone will knowthat you truly are a disciple by
(12:43):
the way that you love thisaction one another.
Jesus is saying like there'sgoing to be a lot of people that
are claiming to follow me, butis their life following me and
are they loving each other?
Now, john's just writing downwhat Jesus said, so this really
shouldn't surprise us.
The apostle Paul in Galatians5.14,.
(13:06):
He says this, for the entirelaw is fulfilled in keeping this
one command.
What is it?
Love your neighbor as yourself.
Then this is so good.
Just take this home with you.
If you bite and devour eachother, watch out or you will be
destroyed by each other.
Can I get an amen?
Jeez, louise.
Like we got the guy who wrotemore books in the New Testament,
(13:26):
the Apostle Paul.
We got Jesus.
And then we got the last of thedisciples right here with John,
all lining up and going here'show you know you're a follower.
Like, how are you at lovingothers?
And we might be sitting in ourchair right now going like well,
I actually know I'm a Christianbecause I said a prayer 20
years ago.
I just need to say real quick Idon't have verses for that.
(13:50):
I just don't the sinner'sprayer.
Now, I think saying a prayer canbe an amazing start to a
relationship.
It's an acknowledgement, anamazing repentance and salvation
moment.
But it's proven not through aprayer, not just believing, but
doing, acting that this lifewith Christ will actually
(14:13):
produce obedience like his andthen love like his.
That's what the life of Christdoes.
We just wrapped up aconversation, actually this last
summer, about the Holy Spiritand we got to discover what does
the Holy Spirit do in our lives, like why do we have the Holy
Spirit?
Well, it's to produce obediencelike His and love like His, to
(14:36):
actually bear fruit, good fruit,like you're going to become a
much more loving person, notbecause you've worked really
hard or you're watching yourlanguage or how you feel towards
other, but because the spiritis actually producing that in
your life.
This is why 22 times in thisbook, 11 times just at the last
(14:57):
supper, we have the word remain,remain.
He's saying you got to remainin me, you got to stay connected
, remain, remain, remain.
You're not supposed to justcome to understand who Jesus is
and then, like, muster up all ofthis strength of a better life,
a better morality and a betterbehavior.
Jesus came, died on a crossbecause of your behavior,
(15:18):
because of your and I's morality, and he puts his spirit then in
us, and so, if we remain in him, he produces a life of
obedience and love, and all Johnis doing is taking us back to
this really simple fact.
Is the Holy Spirit producingmore obedience in your life?
Are you becoming a much moreloving person?
(15:41):
Then I know you're walking withthe spirit.
But if you claim to be inChrist and Christ is in you, and
yet you have no problem walkingin sin, and you've got a large
group of people that you're notgoing to show love towards and
you're not going to help them,and then you're just going to
withhold love from them, then hegoes.
I don't think the Holy Spiritis in your life.
(16:03):
It's just a claim, and thiscan't just be a claim.
It actually has to be the workof Christ, and John's just
saying it.
Now, here's the problem, though.
For me and my guess is it'syours too it's hard to love
(16:26):
people.
You know, it's been said thatChristianity would be easy if it
wasn't for other Christians.
Look at some of you are sostinking hard to love.
We live in a day and age whereit is harder and harder to love
(16:48):
people.
Why?
Because we know way more aboutpeople than ever before.
Like, you know what they thinkin their head, right, with no
filter, than you ever knewbefore, right, you know more
people than you had ever knownbefore in your life.
If you just go back a hundredyears, a few hundred years, I
mean, you don't have to go backthat far where this is what
(17:09):
happened.
Who you knew it was who youbumped into Like, and what you
knew about them was whateverthey decided to divulge to you.
That was it.
But now we live in this day andage where we don't have to know
a person to know a person.
Like, we can follow them, wecan watch them on TikTok or
(17:30):
Instagram or we can do theirFacebook.
If you're still into that.
You can do social media.
Like, you know where they are,you know what they're doing, you
know where they're vacationing,you know who's in their life,
you know what they're thinking,you know what they're having,
right, we can find so much aboutpeople like the entire world.
You know what's happening inother countries now, like, we
don't even need the newspaperanymore.
(17:51):
That's old news.
Like, I know the rifts that aregoing on, the wars that are
going on in other countries, wecan make a very clear opinion in
our mind about what's going onin Gaza versus Israel.
We can, depending on what wewant to watch, what we listen to
.
It is very easy, friends, if Iwant, to then suddenly have
animosity towards sides orothers on the other side of the
(18:11):
planet.
And we live in a day and an ageright now where we know more
about people and people groupsand more about people than ever
before.
And so what does that mean?
It means it's really hard, then, to love people, because you
see people for, like who theyare and what's going on with
them.
And John knew this.
He knew that it was hard tolove people, and so I think we
(18:33):
should understand this a littlebit more.
By why is that?
Let's just pick only threereasons.
I'm sure you could make a longlist of why it's hard to love
people, but let me just give youthree big ones.
So it's hard to love peoplefirst when I'm convinced I'm
right, like knowing or thinkingI'm right makes it really easy
to see others as wrong, asfoolish, less mature.
(18:55):
It's hard to show them grace,doesn't it get tough nowadays,
like the more you know aboutfollowers of Jesus Christians,
the more about their beliefs,the more about where they stand,
the more about what they post,the more about that they watch
or they tweet what they're up to.
Like we feed ourselves thisstuff and all of a sudden it
becomes really difficult.
We've got so many new familiescoming to Northgate right now,
(19:20):
which is awesome.
Why?
It's because they've heard that, in spite of this or that, that
thing that's going on in theirlife or their past, they're
leaving places that have saidlike no, you won't be accepted
and lovable if you think thisway or stand this way or talk
like this or believe like this,vote like this, walk like this.
In our church, our faithcommunity has chosen to say like
(19:42):
we follow a God of love all theway to our own sacrifice.
And, by the way, that doesn'tmean that we're going to be like
the feel good church, likewe're not going to water down
the truth, we're not going todismiss God's work, we're not
going to dismiss God's will.
We teach the Bible hereliterally, verse by verse, and
it takes us a very long time,and we're going to see what's
(20:04):
right and very clearly what'swrong and what needs to change,
and we're going to love peopleevery step of the way.
That may disagree, I'm going totell you I love being a part of
a church that gets it to thepoint that now we're seeing so
many people starting to say,like I was told I couldn't
believe like this, or vote likethis, or stay like this and find
love here.
And I'm like, well, youprobably can Like, everyone's
(20:27):
welcome here, everyone's goingto be loved, but for God's sake,
please don't stay that way.
Like Jesus died on a cross forall of us, and there is actually
something in all of us that wedo need to look at and search
for and find his truth, deny ourtruth, get repentance and
follow him.
(20:47):
But I'm telling you you'regonna be met with that
incredible truth, withincredible love.
Fam, thank you for being thattype of church, because the
other way that we find itdifficult to love people is when
we're hurt, when we've beenhurt.
(21:07):
When we're hurt like this is atough one, right Like this is
where it becomes way morepersonal for us.
What do you do when you've beenhurt?
Well, you've been hurt for agood reason, whether someone has
hurt you or someone has hurtsomeone that you love, and the
longer we spend in hurt, whathappens is it just simply turns
into anger.
And then it doesn't take longin the midst of anger to then
(21:31):
start to turn to bitterness.
And then where does bitternessgo?
Bitterness then leads toresentment.
And then what happens?
When you live in bitterness andin resentment towards people
that you're angry at becausethey hurt you, you get this
crazy word vengeance.
You want vengeance why?
Because someone deserves to gettheir butt kicked right.
(21:53):
Someone deserves to be punished.
Like that's just the way lifeworks.
Someone hurts you and when thishappens to you from another
follower, a Christian like howin the world do you love them?
You're like I don't know how toget through that.
I don't know how to get overthat, especially because a lot
of the times I'm probably rightand they were wrong.
(22:13):
Or there's this one when Ibelieve that I'm doing God's
work or God's will, because alot of the times I know what
God's will is, god's work is,and they are outside of it.
You know, I now can justifybeing harsh or unloving in the
(22:35):
name of truth, or I'm defendingGod.
And all of this suddenly comesto a place where we're just
sitting in life and you're justsitting here, going.
You know what, lawrence, Ithink you're right.
I think you're right.
I'm going to withhold love froma lot of people who believe and
think on issues the way that Idon't.
(22:56):
Because why they drive me crazy, right?
I don't.
You know, you sit there and Idon't even understand, I don't
even understand how Christianscan, like, get in a place where
they even think that way.
Because I stand for truth, Istand for righteousness, I stand
for what's right and I knowwhat's right.
And my words might not seemloving to many, but you know
what it's?
(23:16):
Because I'm standing for truthand there's somebody in the
church and I don't like them,and there's somebody in the
family of God that I've beenhurt by and I'm angry and I got
bitterness and I've gotresentment and I want someone to
just pull the rug out fromunderneath them and I want to
watch them fall.
Friends, truth without lovedoesn't look very much like
(23:36):
Jesus.
So now, what do you do withthat?
See, no sooner in this momentthan does John start talking
about why we must love oneanother.
He breaks out into these stanzas.
He says I'm writing you, dearchildren, because your sins have
been forgiven on account of hisname.
I'm writing to you, fathers,because you know him, who is
(23:59):
from the beginning, and I'mwriting to you, young men,
because you have overcome theevil one.
Then he continues I write toyou, dear children, because you
know the father.
I write to you, fathers,because you know him, who is
from the beginning, and I writeto you, young men, because you
are strong and the word of Godlives in you and you have
(24:21):
overcome the evil one.
So what are these stanzas about?
Well, I don't think he'swriting to small children and
adolescents and adults here.
As I see it in context and asI've read and studied this, I
think that he's actually justseparating here spiritual
maturity like this journey.
John addresses these threestages of maturity.
He says look, I'm writing toyou, some of you who are brand
(24:42):
new to this thing, brand newChristians.
I'm writing to you, some of youwho are brand new to this thing
, brand new Christians.
I'm writing to you some of youwho are adolescents in this.
And then some of you have beenwalking for God for some years
now.
And I'm writing to you, thoseof you who have some maturity,
who've been walking with God andspent time.
That's like you know him.
And so if this is, just for ustoday, simply a path of growth,
spiritual maturity, that thelonger that you walk with God,
(25:04):
then let's just write down youcan take notes on this, just
write down like, what is hedoing here?
What is the path of spiritualgrowth?
Well, it's this.
First, is children forgiven andadopted.
It says I'm writing you, dearchildren, because your sins have
been forgiven and you know theFather.
Well, what's the first step incoming to Jesus and walking with
God?
Well, it's realizing that I'm asinner.
(25:25):
I need forgiveness, that he'spaid for my sins.
And now what?
Well, now that you're a slaveand you work for God the rest of
your life, no, no, no, no.
What happens is he's saying no,no, no, you're adopted Like
you're a son, you're a daughter,you're loved, so loved that
you've been actually broughtinto the family.
(25:46):
So when we're talking aboutloving others, let's go all the
way to the first step of you'reloved Like you were forgiven and
you were given what youcouldn't earn, what you couldn't
even hope for, what you couldnever live up to or even deserve
, like you were adopted.
(26:08):
The next stage of the path ofspiritual growth is young men,
women, that the word is in you.
It says I'm writing to you,young men, because you are
strong and the word of God livesin you and you have overcome
the evil one.
See, friends, christianityshouldn't just be about saying a
prayer and then just go livelike hell, because one day
(26:28):
you're going to get heaven.
He's like get into the word.
We can say like come onseriously.
Like what's the big deal aboutgetting into, like life groups
or signing up for rooted about?
About getting into the Word andstudying this, about having
your own Bible, like yourphysical Bible that you could
like circle and highlight andunderline and all of these
(26:49):
things.
Well, I'm glad you askedbecause he says because then you
can overcome the evil one, youcan overcome your sins.
To which you might say likewell, I don't need to get in the
Word to do that.
Let me just say you don't knowwhat sin is until you're in the
Word.
Without the Word of God, whathappens?
We define right and wrong.
(27:10):
When living in the Word is inme, the more and more my eyes
start to open Because, as Johnsaid, you're walking away from
darkness and you're going in tosee the light more clearly.
And then in you.
It's going to grow in you andyou're going to live in this and
it's going to live in you andyou're going to see the sins
that then you want to confessbecause the more and more you
(27:32):
walk in love and grace and mercyand then he goes.
This is this process that takesplace in you, this growth and
then your spiritual maturity.
What's going to happen is nowyou're going to become fathers
and mothers.
You know him deeply.
He says I write to you fathers,I write to you older, mature in
(27:53):
the faith.
Simply put, you know God.
After years of walking with God,like love just starts to flow
out of you naturally because youknow God.
After years of walking with God, like love just starts to flow
out of you naturally because youknow his heart, like you're a
grace-filled person andspiritual maturity isn't about
like time served in this space,it's about letting his spirit
(28:13):
actually fill you, so his lovecomes out of you when you're
squeezed.
Now John has asked you and I tolove some people that are
unlovable, the people that havemade it really hard to love.
Now I can only guess, like thisis probably pushing a button
for some of you, right?
And then he says this can Ijust take you back?
(28:36):
Can I just take you back?
You've been forgiven, you'vebeen adopted, you've been loved
when you were unlovable, come on.
You made it really hard.
And John just writes and saidlet me just tell you, whenever
(28:56):
you're in the spiritual life,the goal is to walk more and
more with God.
And then what happens as hemoves on to this warning verses
15 through 17.
It says don't love the world oranything in the world.
If anyone loves the world, lovefor the Father is not in them,
(29:17):
for everything in the world, thelust of the flesh, the lust of
the eyes and the pride of lifecomes not from the Father, but
from the world.
And the world and its desirespass away, but whoever does the
will of God lives forever.
Now, this is confusing, right?
Because why?
I'm living in the world?
And frankly, I'm going to tellyou right now, I love lots of
(29:37):
things in the world, the world,and frankly I'm going to tell
you right now, I love lots ofthings in the world.
I really love pizza and campingand my family and sports.
And now Michigan, go blue,dropped one off there, right?
And so what's John saying,right?
Like, what do we do with this.
It's confusing.
Well, john warns us not to lovethe world's systems.
And what does he do?
He defines it for us.
You just read it the lust ofthe flesh, the lust of the eyes,
(30:00):
the pride of life.
And he talks about the worldand its desires actually pass
away, that they're temporary.
They pull our hearts from theseexternal priorities, which is
what?
Well, our external prioritiesis God's spirit, god's word and
people.
Surprise, these three thingsare the only things that will
last an eternity.
Some of you are freaking out,right, because you're like
(30:21):
they're there forever, right?
God's spirit, god's word andpeople.
Now, here's the question howare you investing in things that
will last versus things thatwon't?
When we love the world systems,we will always find ways to not
love people, but when we remainand stay connected to Christ,
(30:45):
his love then begins to flowthrough us, even when, and to
those who are difficult to love.
So what?
What do we do with all this?
Well, I'd ask you for thesemoments.
Deal with all this.
Well, I'd ask you for thesemoments, these like crunch times
, when everything's on the lineand when I'm being squeezed.
(31:06):
What comes out of me?
When you're squeezed this week,what's going to come out of you
.
When life squeezes us throughstress, criticism us.
Through stress, criticism,inconvenience, disappointment,
(31:26):
whatever we may be fillingourselves up, I'm telling you,
friends, it will spill out.
And if our hearts are full ofGod's love, then love, grace and
kindness will then flow out.
But if we've been fillingourselves with frustration,
bitterness and pride, that'swhat's gonna begin to leak out
into the lives of those aroundus.
And so this week, I'm tellingyou, friends, you will be
(31:47):
squeezed and what comes out ofyou might surprise you.
Will it be love, patience andkindness, or is it gonna be like
a full-blown?
I need to apologize for thatmoment.
Whatever is in you will spillout.
So let's fill ourselves withhis word, his spirit and love so
(32:11):
that when we are squeezed, theworld gets a taste of Jesus.
Would you stand as we respondin worship?
Hi, my name is Zoe, I'm a freshman at BHS and I'm
going to be reading scripture.
Anyone who claims to be in thelight but hates a brother or
sister is still in the darkness.
Anyone who loves their brotherand sister lives in the light
and there is nothing in them tomake them stumble.
But anyone who hates a brotheror sister is in the darkness and
walks around in the darkness.
(00:25):
They do not know where they aregoing because the darkness has
blinded them.
I am writing to you, dearchildren, because your sins have
been forgiven on account of hisname.
I am writing to you, fathers,because you know him, who is
from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men,because you have overcome the
evil one.
I write to you, dear children,because you know the Father.
(00:46):
I write to you, fathers,because you know him, who is
from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,because you are strong and the
word of God is in you and youhave overcome the evil one, but
one who loves the world oranything in the world.
If anyone loves the world forthe Father is not in them For
everything in the world.
The lust of the world for theFather is not in them For
(01:06):
everything in the world.
The lust of the flesh, the lustof the eyes and the pride of
life comes from the Father, butfrom the world.
The world is from.
Desire passes away, but whoeverdoes the evil of whoever does
the will of God will liveforever.
This is the word of Lord.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Thanks, zoe.
Thanks be to God.
All right, we're going to hopin.
We are in 1 John.
There's three letters.
It's in the back of the NewTestament.
If you're new with us, we'regoing through this verse by
verse.
You're not going to, you canhop right in where we're at.
So we're in 1 John, chapter two.
Like I said, go all the way tothe back of your Bible or on
(01:46):
your screen as you're looking itup, and you can follow along.
We're going to have a handful ofverses today, and today I'm
going to tell you right now wecome to a doozy right Before we
open the Bible.
Let's just get real.
Here's the deal.
When you squeeze an orange,what do you get?
Orange juice, right.
When you squeeze a tube oftoothpaste, what do you get?
Toothpaste, hopefully.
And when life squeezes youthrough stress or disagreement
(02:10):
or hurt, what comes out of you?
Is it love, grace, patience orfrustration, criticism,
bitterness, stop.
Some of you guys are saying,yes, that's me right.
Well, here's the deal.
John's letter is written to achurch that has been squeezed by
division, by hurt, by pride,and what is coming out isn't
(02:34):
always love.
We're going to watch what'shappening when we dive in today.
We're going to see what waswritten to them, what was said
to them and how it actuallyapplies to us today.
The church, at this time, aswe're hopping in, has split.
There's a group of Christiansthat feel like they have the
right to be Christians and yetwithhold love from other
(02:56):
followers of Jesus, look down onother disciples because they're
not standing for what theystood for.
And John is only getting intochapter two right now.
He's writing to this churchthat's spread out across this
area in Ephesus, and he'sstarting to get to the heart of
the matter.
So I want to invite you, goahead and open up your Bible to
(03:16):
1 John, chapter two.
I'm actually going to pick itup in verse nine just to recap
real quickly for a moment, butwe're going to start in verse 7
for a quick recap.
It says this Dear friends, I amnot writing you a new command,
but an old one, which you havehad since the beginning.
This old command is the messagethat you have heard.
(03:38):
So the question then is what dothey hear?
Well, they heard that God soloved the world that they gave
his son and that his son is love.
And then you find in the 14thchapter of the gospel of John,
where John was sitting there inthis upper room, whereas this is
where Jesus actually says Ihave a new command that I'm now
gonna give you.
You must love one another as Ihave loved you, and then by this
(04:01):
, by doing this, everyone willknow that you are truly a
Christian, a disciple, one of me, if you love one another the
way that I loved you, john saidlook, I'm not writing you
anything new.
You've heard this from thebeginning.
Like this is the deal.
Jesus called this a new commandbecause he is giving us.
He's saying, like we have hislove in us now and so, because
(04:22):
of that, we're going to lovepeople differently.
And then he takes us into thesenew verses for today, verse
nine here we go.
Anyone who claims the sky thing,okay, it's going to come up,
maybe, maybe it's not working.
Let me try this one.
No, all right, anyone, I got itin the back.
(04:43):
Anyone who claims to be thelight but hates his brother or
sister is still in the darkness.
Anyone who loves their brotherand sister lives in the light.
There is nothing in them tomake them stumble.
But anyone who hates a brotheror sister is in the darkness and
walks around in the darknessand they do not know where they
(05:04):
are going because the darknesshas blinded them.
So, john, what he's doing righthere is already he's got two
sides of the corn.
Once again, he's claiming anyone, he says anyone who claims
right.
And he's gonna say this sixtimes in these five little pages
.
We saw this last week thatanyone who claims to walk in the
light, walking with Christ, butyour lifestyle is in sin, then
(05:27):
you're walking in darkness.
Like, frankly, he's just sayinglike you're a liar, the truth
isn't in you.
You're deceiving yourself andyou're making God then out to be
a liar.
Or how about this wordHypocrite?
We've heard that one before.
And so now he says again oh, soyou say, yeah, I'm a Christian
and I'm walking with the God oflove, but I'm hating a brother
(05:49):
or sister.
Now, real quick, just so youunderstand the word hate here.
This isn't just talking aboutlike rage or revenge or any of
that.
What it is is it's withholdinglove, treating God's kids the
way that you'd never treat him.
He's talking about Christiansand the family of God in this
moment, right here, and onceagain he's saying you're making
(06:11):
yourself out to be a liar.
If you do this, in fact, you'veactually deceived yourself.
You've blinded yourself withthis.
So, therefore, you're stumblingaround in your walk with Christ
and you can't even see whatyou're doing or what's going on.
Here, frankly, is where all ofus just got to stop and think
Anyone who hates their brotherand sister now I know a lot of
(06:34):
you would be like yeah, no,that's not me.
Like I don't hate, I don't walkaround with anger or walk
around with all this rage,waiting to get my hand around
somebody's neck.
And I'm not this person who'swalking around just trying to
unleash all this animositytowards someone you know,
throwing my lightning bolts andthunder at them Like that's not
me.
But that's not what John'ssaying.
He's not saying you walk aroundthis like hate burning inside
of you.
He simply says are youwithholding love towards others
(06:58):
in the family?
Are you not acting in a lovingway towards others in the family
?
How about this one?
Are you gossiping under thedisguise of sharing a prayer
request?
Oof, like, oh, you reallyshould pray for so-and-so.
They just can't seem to get ittogether Right, quickly labeling
(07:23):
someone as less spiritualbecause they don't dress or
worship or vote the same way youdo, using scripture more like a
weapon to shame than a tool toheal, or online arguments where
believers sound more like trollsthan ambassadors of Christ,
sound more like trolls thanambassadors of Christ, ignoring
(07:44):
those struggling financially,emotionally or spiritually
because they brought this onthemselves.
The tension here, friends, isthat people often judge Christ
by the behavior of Christians.
Let me say that again thetension that people is this that
(08:05):
people often judge Christ bythe behavior of Christians,
jesus followers.
That's why Paul talks about inPhilippians.
He says live in a manner thatis worthy of the gospel of
Christ.
I beg you, like, how can yousay that you're loving God, the
Father, when you're actingtowards his kids this way?
It's like this.
(08:26):
Let me give you an example.
Don't try to hang out with meand want to build a relationship
with me, and then one of mykids walks in and you know how
about this?
You ever been in that situationwhere you're not quite sure who
goes with who?
I'm going to tell you right nowI can get you.
Both of my sons are black,right, so I run into this
(08:46):
occasionally.
Don't be trying to hang outwith me and all of a sudden you
don't know this, but my sonrolls by and you look over and
you're like, oh, that kid, oh, Isee the way they dress.
He's always got his hood on andyou know, like he must be a
thug and he's got earrings, it'sprobably tattoos.
It's probably gonna do drugs.
I'm glad my kid's not hangingout with that kid, like that'd
be a bad influence, right.
And what am I doing?
I'm sitting there going, youknow that's my kid, right.
(09:12):
And then, like you're gonna turnto me and go like, oh man, we
should hang out more.
Like I really like you, like Iwanna get to know you, like you
and I are going to be okay.
We're not going to be okay.
I would much rather you dislikeme than dislike one of my kids.
And yet, john, he's saying youknow there's a group in the
(09:36):
church today and you're notgoing to be loving towards them.
That's a problem.
Like you're going to withholdlove from them If you're going
to start to look down on thembecause of their belief, their
stand, their rhetoric orwhatever it is, and John goes.
Now this is the danger, becauseyou're stumbling around in the
(09:57):
darkness, like you're blinded bythis and you don't even get it
and you're withholding, as we'reabout to find out, god's love
in your life.
You're not fully walking in itbecause you're withholding it
from my kids Like man.
I'm telling you guys right nowthis is a gut check.
Why?
(10:17):
Because when you're honest withyourself, you know that
Christianity is a claim to beproven by your obedience and our
love for others.
Christianity, look, it's justsimply a claim.
Anyone can claim to beChristian.
How many people in our countrytoday claim to be Christian?
Right?
How many people self-identifythis way?
(10:37):
Just checking a box of likeyeah, that's the religion I hear
too.
Right, I'm a Christian.
It's just simply a claim.
I'll tell you about 62 to 68%,according to Pew Research, says
like, yeah, yeah, that's what Igo to.
Right.
And twice now John has done whathe's going to do six times in
this little book, saying if youclaim to be walking in the light
but you're not, you're livingin sin.
(10:59):
You're in your living in sin.
You're lying.
And now he says if you claim tobe walking with this source of
love but then you're not lovingothers, I'm telling you you're
lying.
Love just isn't in you.
You're stumbling in thedarkness.
Christianity isn't just a claim.
It needs to be proven, friends,by our obedience and our love
(11:19):
for others.
And this is where.
Listen to me, we just got tostop.
John is writing to a group ofpeople that have gone through a
split, like they're goingthrough a soft tub.
He's writing a group of peoplewho've already traded a bunch of
harsh words with one another.
They shared it back and forth.
He's writing to a bunch ofpeople where, like shots have
already been fired at oneanother.
People have taken differentpolls and different votes,
(11:40):
different positions on things,and some have been asked to
leave.
And now there's a lot of hurt inthe church.
And now, now there's a groupthat seems to be living and
calling themselves followers ofChrist, but they aren't loving
towards Christ's family, god'schildren.
And John steps in and he goes.
You've got to really stopyourself and check yourself with
(12:02):
this.
What makes you a Christian?
A claim Like a belief in God,knowing that Jesus died on a
cross and rose again.
Come on, friends.
The demons believed all that.
What makes you a Christian?
He goes.
Well, let me tell you he sayswhat sets your faith apart from
demon faith?
It's obedience.
(12:22):
He says loving others is goingto be a part of your life.
Because that's exactly whatJesus stated.
And John was there at the tablethat last night in the upper
room when he heard this.
By this, everyone will knowthat you truly are a disciple by
(12:43):
the way that you love thisaction one another.
Jesus is saying like there'sgoing to be a lot of people that
are claiming to follow me, butis their life following me and
are they loving each other?
Now, john's just writing downwhat Jesus said, so this really
shouldn't surprise us.
The apostle Paul in Galatians5.14,.
(13:06):
He says this, for the entirelaw is fulfilled in keeping this
one command.
What is it?
Love your neighbor as yourself.
Then this is so good.
Just take this home with you.
If you bite and devour eachother, watch out or you will be
destroyed by each other.
Can I get an amen?
Jeez, louise.
Like we got the guy who wrotemore books in the New Testament,
(13:26):
the Apostle Paul.
We got Jesus.
And then we got the last of thedisciples right here with John,
all lining up and going here'show you know you're a follower.
Like, how are you at lovingothers?
And we might be sitting in ourchair right now going like well,
I actually know I'm a Christianbecause I said a prayer 20
years ago.
I just need to say real quick Idon't have verses for that.
(13:50):
I just don't the sinner'sprayer.
Now, I think saying a prayer canbe an amazing start to a
relationship.
It's an acknowledgement, anamazing repentance and salvation
moment.
But it's proven not through aprayer, not just believing, but
doing, acting that this lifewith Christ will actually
(14:13):
produce obedience like his andthen love like his.
That's what the life of Christdoes.
We just wrapped up aconversation, actually this last
summer, about the Holy Spiritand we got to discover what does
the Holy Spirit do in our lives, like why do we have the Holy
Spirit?
Well, it's to produce obediencelike His and love like His, to
(14:36):
actually bear fruit, good fruit,like you're going to become a
much more loving person, notbecause you've worked really
hard or you're watching yourlanguage or how you feel towards
other, but because the spiritis actually producing that in
your life.
This is why 22 times in thisbook, 11 times just at the last
(14:57):
supper, we have the word remain,remain.
He's saying you got to remainin me, you got to stay connected
, remain, remain, remain.
You're not supposed to justcome to understand who Jesus is
and then, like, muster up all ofthis strength of a better life,
a better morality and a betterbehavior.
Jesus came, died on a crossbecause of your behavior,
(15:18):
because of your and I's morality, and he puts his spirit then in
us, and so, if we remain in him, he produces a life of
obedience and love, and all Johnis doing is taking us back to
this really simple fact.
Is the Holy Spirit producingmore obedience in your life?
Are you becoming a much moreloving person?
(15:41):
Then I know you're walking withthe spirit.
But if you claim to be inChrist and Christ is in you, and
yet you have no problem walkingin sin, and you've got a large
group of people that you're notgoing to show love towards and
you're not going to help them,and then you're just going to
withhold love from them, then hegoes.
I don't think the Holy Spiritis in your life.
(16:03):
It's just a claim, and thiscan't just be a claim.
It actually has to be the workof Christ, and John's just
saying it.
Now, here's the problem, though.
For me and my guess is it'syours too it's hard to love
(16:26):
people.
You know, it's been said thatChristianity would be easy if it
wasn't for other Christians.
Look at some of you are sostinking hard to love.
We live in a day and age whereit is harder and harder to love
(16:48):
people.
Why?
Because we know way more aboutpeople than ever before.
Like, you know what they thinkin their head, right, with no
filter, than you ever knewbefore, right, you know more
people than you had ever knownbefore in your life.
If you just go back a hundredyears, a few hundred years, I
mean, you don't have to go backthat far where this is what
(17:09):
happened.
Who you knew it was who youbumped into Like, and what you
knew about them was whateverthey decided to divulge to you.
That was it.
But now we live in this day andage where we don't have to know
a person to know a person.
Like, we can follow them, wecan watch them on TikTok or
(17:30):
Instagram or we can do theirFacebook.
If you're still into that.
You can do social media.
Like, you know where they are,you know what they're doing, you
know where they're vacationing,you know who's in their life,
you know what they're thinking,you know what they're having,
right, we can find so much aboutpeople like the entire world.
You know what's happening inother countries now, like, we
don't even need the newspaperanymore.
(17:51):
That's old news.
Like, I know the rifts that aregoing on, the wars that are
going on in other countries, wecan make a very clear opinion in
our mind about what's going onin Gaza versus Israel.
We can, depending on what wewant to watch, what we listen to
.
It is very easy, friends, if Iwant, to then suddenly have
animosity towards sides orothers on the other side of the
(18:11):
planet.
And we live in a day and an ageright now where we know more
about people and people groupsand more about people than ever
before.
And so what does that mean?
It means it's really hard, then, to love people, because you
see people for, like who theyare and what's going on with
them.
And John knew this.
He knew that it was hard tolove people, and so I think we
(18:33):
should understand this a littlebit more.
By why is that?
Let's just pick only threereasons.
I'm sure you could make a longlist of why it's hard to love
people, but let me just give youthree big ones.
So it's hard to love peoplefirst when I'm convinced I'm
right, like knowing or thinkingI'm right makes it really easy
to see others as wrong, asfoolish, less mature.
(18:55):
It's hard to show them grace,doesn't it get tough nowadays,
like the more you know aboutfollowers of Jesus Christians,
the more about their beliefs,the more about where they stand,
the more about what they post,the more about that they watch
or they tweet what they're up to.
Like we feed ourselves thisstuff and all of a sudden it
becomes really difficult.
We've got so many new familiescoming to Northgate right now,
(19:20):
which is awesome.
Why?
It's because they've heard that, in spite of this or that, that
thing that's going on in theirlife or their past, they're
leaving places that have saidlike no, you won't be accepted
and lovable if you think thisway or stand this way or talk
like this or believe like this,vote like this, walk like this.
In our church, our faithcommunity has chosen to say like
(19:42):
we follow a God of love all theway to our own sacrifice.
And, by the way, that doesn'tmean that we're going to be like
the feel good church, likewe're not going to water down
the truth, we're not going todismiss God's work, we're not
going to dismiss God's will.
We teach the Bible hereliterally, verse by verse, and
it takes us a very long time,and we're going to see what's
(20:04):
right and very clearly what'swrong and what needs to change,
and we're going to love peopleevery step of the way.
That may disagree, I'm going totell you I love being a part of
a church that gets it to thepoint that now we're seeing so
many people starting to say,like I was told I couldn't
believe like this, or vote likethis, or stay like this and find
love here.
And I'm like, well, youprobably can Like, everyone's
(20:27):
welcome here, everyone's goingto be loved, but for God's sake,
please don't stay that way.
Like Jesus died on a cross forall of us, and there is actually
something in all of us that wedo need to look at and search
for and find his truth, deny ourtruth, get repentance and
follow him.
(20:47):
But I'm telling you you'regonna be met with that
incredible truth, withincredible love.
Fam, thank you for being thattype of church, because the
other way that we find itdifficult to love people is when
we're hurt, when we've beenhurt.
(21:07):
When we're hurt like this is atough one, right Like this is
where it becomes way morepersonal for us.
What do you do when you've beenhurt?
Well, you've been hurt for agood reason, whether someone has
hurt you or someone has hurtsomeone that you love, and the
longer we spend in hurt, whathappens is it just simply turns
into anger.
And then it doesn't take longin the midst of anger to then
(21:31):
start to turn to bitterness.
And then where does bitternessgo?
Bitterness then leads toresentment.
And then what happens?
When you live in bitterness andin resentment towards people
that you're angry at becausethey hurt you, you get this
crazy word vengeance.
You want vengeance why?
Because someone deserves to gettheir butt kicked right.
(21:53):
Someone deserves to be punished.
Like that's just the way lifeworks.
Someone hurts you and when thishappens to you from another
follower, a Christian like howin the world do you love them?
You're like I don't know how toget through that.
I don't know how to get overthat, especially because a lot
of the times I'm probably rightand they were wrong.
(22:13):
Or there's this one when Ibelieve that I'm doing God's
work or God's will, because alot of the times I know what
God's will is, god's work is,and they are outside of it.
You know, I now can justifybeing harsh or unloving in the
(22:35):
name of truth, or I'm defendingGod.
And all of this suddenly comesto a place where we're just
sitting in life and you're justsitting here, going.
You know what, lawrence, Ithink you're right.
I think you're right.
I'm going to withhold love froma lot of people who believe and
think on issues the way that Idon't.
(22:56):
Because why they drive me crazy, right?
I don't.
You know, you sit there and Idon't even understand, I don't
even understand how Christianscan, like, get in a place where
they even think that way.
Because I stand for truth, Istand for righteousness, I stand
for what's right and I knowwhat's right.
And my words might not seemloving to many, but you know
what it's?
(23:16):
Because I'm standing for truthand there's somebody in the
church and I don't like them,and there's somebody in the
family of God that I've beenhurt by and I'm angry and I got
bitterness and I've gotresentment and I want someone to
just pull the rug out fromunderneath them and I want to
watch them fall.
Friends, truth without lovedoesn't look very much like
(23:36):
Jesus.
So now, what do you do withthat?
See, no sooner in this momentthan does John start talking
about why we must love oneanother.
He breaks out into these stanzas.
He says I'm writing you, dearchildren, because your sins have
been forgiven on account of hisname.
I'm writing to you, fathers,because you know him, who is
(23:59):
from the beginning, and I'mwriting to you, young men,
because you have overcome theevil one.
Then he continues I write toyou, dear children, because you
know the father.
I write to you, fathers,because you know him, who is
from the beginning, and I writeto you, young men, because you
are strong and the word of Godlives in you and you have
(24:21):
overcome the evil one.
So what are these stanzas about?
Well, I don't think he'swriting to small children and
adolescents and adults here.
As I see it in context and asI've read and studied this, I
think that he's actually justseparating here spiritual
maturity like this journey.
John addresses these threestages of maturity.
He says look, I'm writing toyou, some of you who are brand
(24:42):
new to this thing, brand newChristians.
I'm writing to you, some of youwho are brand new to this thing
, brand new Christians.
I'm writing to you some of youwho are adolescents in this.
And then some of you have beenwalking for God for some years
now.
And I'm writing to you, thoseof you who have some maturity,
who've been walking with God andspent time.
That's like you know him.
And so if this is, just for ustoday, simply a path of growth,
spiritual maturity, that thelonger that you walk with God,
(25:04):
then let's just write down youcan take notes on this, just
write down like, what is hedoing here?
What is the path of spiritualgrowth?
Well, it's this.
First, is children forgiven andadopted.
It says I'm writing you, dearchildren, because your sins have
been forgiven and you know theFather.
Well, what's the first step incoming to Jesus and walking with
God?
Well, it's realizing that I'm asinner.
(25:25):
I need forgiveness, that he'spaid for my sins.
And now what?
Well, now that you're a slaveand you work for God the rest of
your life, no, no, no, no.
What happens is he's saying no,no, no, you're adopted Like
you're a son, you're a daughter,you're loved, so loved that
you've been actually broughtinto the family.
(25:46):
So when we're talking aboutloving others, let's go all the
way to the first step of you'reloved Like you were forgiven and
you were given what youcouldn't earn, what you couldn't
even hope for, what you couldnever live up to or even deserve
, like you were adopted.
(26:08):
The next stage of the path ofspiritual growth is young men,
women, that the word is in you.
It says I'm writing to you,young men, because you are
strong and the word of God livesin you and you have overcome
the evil one.
See, friends, christianityshouldn't just be about saying a
prayer and then just go livelike hell, because one day
(26:28):
you're going to get heaven.
He's like get into the word.
We can say like come onseriously.
Like what's the big deal aboutgetting into, like life groups
or signing up for rooted about?
About getting into the Word andstudying this, about having
your own Bible, like yourphysical Bible that you could
like circle and highlight andunderline and all of these
(26:49):
things.
Well, I'm glad you askedbecause he says because then you
can overcome the evil one, youcan overcome your sins.
To which you might say likewell, I don't need to get in the
Word to do that.
Let me just say you don't knowwhat sin is until you're in the
Word.
Without the Word of God, whathappens?
We define right and wrong.
(27:10):
When living in the Word is inme, the more and more my eyes
start to open Because, as Johnsaid, you're walking away from
darkness and you're going in tosee the light more clearly.
And then in you.
It's going to grow in you andyou're going to live in this and
it's going to live in you andyou're going to see the sins
that then you want to confessbecause the more and more you
(27:32):
walk in love and grace and mercyand then he goes.
This is this process that takesplace in you, this growth and
then your spiritual maturity.
What's going to happen is nowyou're going to become fathers
and mothers.
You know him deeply.
He says I write to you fathers,I write to you older, mature in
(27:53):
the faith.
Simply put, you know God.
After years of walking with God,like love just starts to flow
out of you naturally because youknow God.
After years of walking with God, like love just starts to flow
out of you naturally because youknow his heart, like you're a
grace-filled person andspiritual maturity isn't about
like time served in this space,it's about letting his spirit
(28:13):
actually fill you, so his lovecomes out of you when you're
squeezed.
Now John has asked you and I tolove some people that are
unlovable, the people that havemade it really hard to love.
Now I can only guess, like thisis probably pushing a button
for some of you, right?
And then he says this can Ijust take you back?
(28:36):
Can I just take you back?
You've been forgiven, you'vebeen adopted, you've been loved
when you were unlovable, come on.
You made it really hard.
And John just writes and saidlet me just tell you, whenever
(28:56):
you're in the spiritual life,the goal is to walk more and
more with God.
And then what happens as hemoves on to this warning verses
15 through 17.
It says don't love the world oranything in the world.
If anyone loves the world, lovefor the Father is not in them,
(29:17):
for everything in the world, thelust of the flesh, the lust of
the eyes and the pride of lifecomes not from the Father, but
from the world.
And the world and its desirespass away, but whoever does the
will of God lives forever.
Now, this is confusing, right?
Because why?
I'm living in the world?
And frankly, I'm going to tellyou right now, I love lots of
(29:37):
things in the world, the world,and frankly I'm going to tell
you right now, I love lots ofthings in the world.
I really love pizza and campingand my family and sports.
And now Michigan, go blue,dropped one off there, right?
And so what's John saying,right?
Like, what do we do with this.
It's confusing.
Well, john warns us not to lovethe world's systems.
And what does he do?
He defines it for us.
You just read it the lust ofthe flesh, the lust of the eyes,
(30:00):
the pride of life.
And he talks about the worldand its desires actually pass
away, that they're temporary.
They pull our hearts from theseexternal priorities, which is
what?
Well, our external prioritiesis God's spirit, god's word and
people.
Surprise, these three thingsare the only things that will
last an eternity.
Some of you are freaking out,right, because you're like
(30:21):
they're there forever, right?
God's spirit, god's word andpeople.
Now, here's the question howare you investing in things that
will last versus things thatwon't?
When we love the world systems,we will always find ways to not
love people, but when we remainand stay connected to Christ,
(30:45):
his love then begins to flowthrough us, even when, and to
those who are difficult to love.
So what?
What do we do with all this?
Well, I'd ask you for thesemoments.
Deal with all this.
Well, I'd ask you for thesemoments, these like crunch times
, when everything's on the lineand when I'm being squeezed.
(31:06):
What comes out of me?
When you're squeezed this week,what's going to come out of you
.
When life squeezes us throughstress, criticism us.
Through stress, criticism,inconvenience, disappointment,
(31:26):
whatever we may be fillingourselves up, I'm telling you,
friends, it will spill out.
And if our hearts are full ofGod's love, then love, grace and
kindness will then flow out.
But if we've been fillingourselves with frustration,
bitterness and pride, that'swhat's gonna begin to leak out
into the lives of those aroundus.
And so this week, I'm tellingyou, friends, you will be
(31:47):
squeezed and what comes out ofyou might surprise you.
Will it be love, patience andkindness, or is it gonna be like
a full-blown?
I need to apologize for thatmoment.
Whatever is in you will spillout.
So let's fill ourselves withhis word, his spirit and love so
(32:11):
that when we are squeezed, theworld gets a taste of Jesus.
Would you stand as we respondin worship?
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