WEBVTT 00:00:01.679 --> 00:00:04.360 Let's pray. Father, we thank you again for this 00:00:04.360 --> 00:00:07.040 evening. We thank you for your word and your 00:00:07.040 --> 00:00:10.619 keeping of it, giving it to us to this very day. 00:00:11.599 --> 00:00:13.660 We're asking then now as we open your word this 00:00:13.660 --> 00:00:15.699 evening that you would help us, that you'd guide 00:00:15.699 --> 00:00:17.820 and direct the time, that you'd open our hearts 00:00:17.820 --> 00:00:20.600 through the power of your Holy Spirit, that you 00:00:20.600 --> 00:00:23.440 would guide me as I deliver the word, that all 00:00:23.440 --> 00:00:26.420 would resound in your glory and our good. And 00:00:26.420 --> 00:00:30.699 we ask it in Christ's name, amen. Okay, first 00:00:30.699 --> 00:00:37.179 off, half the congregation's not here, but I 00:00:37.179 --> 00:00:40.619 listened to the sermon on the way back, and a 00:00:40.619 --> 00:00:45.240 reference was made to me in the sermon. So I 00:00:45.240 --> 00:00:52.820 wanted to clarify what actually happened in the 00:00:52.820 --> 00:00:56.310 administration of discipline. So I'm not trying 00:00:56.310 --> 00:00:59.210 to defend myself, but I'm taking this opportunity 00:00:59.210 --> 00:01:04.510 really as a teaching opportunity. What we were 00:01:04.510 --> 00:01:06.430 trying to do and what really I think everybody 00:01:06.430 --> 00:01:08.890 should try to do with their families is to create 00:01:08.890 --> 00:01:12.549 a culture and a culture that's built on the word 00:01:12.549 --> 00:01:15.790 obviously and proper priorities, but part of 00:01:15.790 --> 00:01:19.170 doing that then is to create a culture of love 00:01:19.170 --> 00:01:23.590 and honesty. If we don't have love and honesty, 00:01:23.810 --> 00:01:27.010 we don't really even have a family, much less 00:01:27.010 --> 00:01:30.049 a culture. So all the kids knew that if they 00:01:30.049 --> 00:01:32.670 told the truth, the discipline would be lighter. 00:01:34.290 --> 00:01:37.670 That's all that was required, really. Admit your 00:01:37.670 --> 00:01:42.609 mistake, your sin, whatever it was. So on this 00:01:42.609 --> 00:01:46.750 particular instance, everybody, all the children, 00:01:47.609 --> 00:01:51.700 should have known who the culprit was. They did 00:01:51.700 --> 00:01:54.439 know There's no way they could not know they 00:01:54.439 --> 00:01:58.840 were all involved So I just said I said okay, 00:01:58.939 --> 00:02:04.079 so who who did it and? Nobody came forward So 00:02:04.079 --> 00:02:08.740 I said well who did it? If the person doesn't 00:02:08.740 --> 00:02:11.240 come up forward and admit their guilt, then you're 00:02:11.240 --> 00:02:16.460 all gonna be punished And so nobody nobody told 00:02:16.460 --> 00:02:19.120 on the on the bad guy and the bad guy didn't 00:02:19.120 --> 00:02:23.870 never his his sin in the matter so yeah they 00:02:23.870 --> 00:02:26.789 all got they all got punished so that that's 00:02:26.789 --> 00:02:32.449 how it was and and really you know i don't know 00:02:32.449 --> 00:02:34.289 i don't know if i would do it again i probably 00:02:34.289 --> 00:02:38.590 would and obviously i guess timothy forgot the 00:02:38.590 --> 00:02:41.469 lesson or he he didn't he never got the lesson 00:02:41.469 --> 00:02:44.930 so i really didn't accomplish anything with the 00:02:44.930 --> 00:02:47.990 with the uh corporal punishment that i did administer 00:02:47.990 --> 00:02:52.879 but anyway that was the story So That's that 00:02:52.879 --> 00:02:55.819 whether I was right or wrong I'm not I'm not 00:02:55.819 --> 00:02:58.060 Judging that but I'm I'm just letting you know 00:02:58.060 --> 00:03:01.460 what we what I think is important to do and that 00:03:01.460 --> 00:03:05.479 is to establish like I said the culture of honesty 00:03:05.479 --> 00:03:13.180 and love So today I got the assignment this morning 00:03:13.180 --> 00:03:21.870 And so I I think this is what the Lord would 00:03:21.870 --> 00:03:24.949 have me to talk about this evening and hopefully 00:03:24.949 --> 00:03:28.389 it is beneficial to those of us that are here. 00:03:28.909 --> 00:03:31.590 So if you'd like to turn with me to Ephesians 00:03:31.590 --> 00:03:35.729 chapter four and five, we're gonna look at just 00:03:35.729 --> 00:03:39.389 a few of these verses. Hopefully we'll get the 00:03:39.389 --> 00:03:45.169 first John as a corollary to this place. But 00:03:45.169 --> 00:03:50.400 here in Ephesians four, Paul is talking about 00:03:50.400 --> 00:03:55.539 the new life in Christ and how it could be lived 00:03:55.539 --> 00:03:59.560 out in the church amongst Christians. Everybody 00:03:59.560 --> 00:04:02.300 has equal responsibility before the Lord and 00:04:02.300 --> 00:04:05.800 before each other to put these truths into practice 00:04:05.800 --> 00:04:09.379 with Paul's deliverance. So at the end of chapter 00:04:09.379 --> 00:04:15.099 four, in verse like 28, he says, let him that 00:04:15.099 --> 00:04:18.339 stole steal no more. but rather let him labor, 00:04:18.420 --> 00:04:21.120 working with his hands, the thing which is good, 00:04:21.540 --> 00:04:25.319 that he may have to give to him that is needy. 00:04:25.480 --> 00:04:28.240 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your 00:04:28.240 --> 00:04:31.199 mouth, but that which is good, to the use of 00:04:31.199 --> 00:04:34.560 edifying, that it may minister grace unto the 00:04:34.560 --> 00:04:38.500 hearers. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, 00:04:38.899 --> 00:04:41.839 whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 00:04:43.100 --> 00:04:45.930 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger The clamor, 00:04:45.949 --> 00:04:48.709 evil speaking, be put away from you with all 00:04:48.709 --> 00:04:52.430 malice. So pausing here just a moment, we can 00:04:52.430 --> 00:04:57.069 see that there's admonition after admonition 00:04:57.069 --> 00:05:01.370 not to sin. Paul was very much aware that it 00:05:01.370 --> 00:05:05.250 was a battle for Christians to not sin, to live 00:05:05.250 --> 00:05:07.850 a holy life, to live like a Christian should 00:05:07.850 --> 00:05:10.930 live, like he's called to live, to live after 00:05:10.930 --> 00:05:16.029 the pattern of Christ. And he's telling him that 00:05:16.029 --> 00:05:19.610 this is necessary. It's necessary. Hopefully 00:05:19.610 --> 00:05:23.529 none of us here has any kind of a real problem 00:05:23.529 --> 00:05:25.949 with these things that Paul listed here, but 00:05:25.949 --> 00:05:28.569 obviously these New Testament Christians did. 00:05:30.209 --> 00:05:32.829 And though we may not have these, what we would 00:05:32.829 --> 00:05:37.829 consider gross sin problems, we all do sin. We 00:05:37.829 --> 00:05:40.250 all do have a problem with sin and we all must 00:05:40.250 --> 00:05:44.220 be in the battle against sin. So again, it's 00:05:44.220 --> 00:05:47.120 just a reminder to us. We all know this. We've 00:05:47.120 --> 00:05:50.600 probably heard it a hundred times, but we are 00:05:50.600 --> 00:05:54.339 reminded of it here, the importance of not sinning. 00:05:54.639 --> 00:05:57.199 And one of the main reasons that it's important 00:05:57.199 --> 00:05:59.660 is in verse 30, where it says, grieve not the 00:05:59.660 --> 00:06:03.819 Holy Spirit of God. And in other places, I think 00:06:03.819 --> 00:06:06.040 he's talking about quenching not the Spirit. 00:06:06.600 --> 00:06:09.620 So we all have the Spirit, but we're all capable 00:06:09.620 --> 00:06:12.430 of grieving the Spirit. We grieve the spirit 00:06:12.430 --> 00:06:17.089 by our sin So that's a very important reason 00:06:17.089 --> 00:06:20.870 that we don't want to sin the spirit seals us 00:06:20.870 --> 00:06:25.149 He sanctifies us. He keeps us. He guides us. 00:06:25.149 --> 00:06:29.829 He directs us. He opens the word to us So he's 00:06:29.829 --> 00:06:33.069 our close friend and We don't want to grieve 00:06:33.069 --> 00:06:38.750 him. He is a person. He is God and in reality 00:06:38.750 --> 00:06:43.579 when one of the godhead is listed they're really 00:06:43.579 --> 00:06:48.600 all included it's not three separate gods but 00:06:48.600 --> 00:06:51.660 that's another that's another story so we don't 00:06:51.660 --> 00:06:54.199 want to grieve the spirit but we should be aware 00:06:54.199 --> 00:06:57.639 that we have the capability of doing it so let's 00:06:57.639 --> 00:07:02.899 not do it so then he's going to go into here 00:07:02.899 --> 00:07:08.399 in these next three verses some positive uh admititions 00:07:08.399 --> 00:07:14.310 positive facts and I'm gonna read those. I'll 00:07:14.310 --> 00:07:18.329 read all three verses beginning in verse 32 and 00:07:18.329 --> 00:07:21.029 then on into chapter five, verse two verses. 00:07:22.129 --> 00:07:25.509 He says, and be kind one to another, tenderhearted, 00:07:25.910 --> 00:07:28.910 forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's 00:07:28.910 --> 00:07:32.470 sake has forgiven you. Be ye therefore followers 00:07:32.470 --> 00:07:36.750 of God as dear children and walk in love as Christ 00:07:36.750 --> 00:07:40.829 has also loved us. and hath given himself for 00:07:40.829 --> 00:07:44.970 us for an offering and a sacrifice to God for 00:07:44.970 --> 00:07:48.850 a sweet smelling savor. So there's a lot there 00:07:48.850 --> 00:07:52.490 and obviously I'm not going to go into great 00:07:52.490 --> 00:07:56.529 detail on any of these admonitions and instructions 00:07:56.529 --> 00:08:01.930 but again to remind us what that what the sin 00:08:01.930 --> 00:08:04.930 was what we used to live in it's what we used 00:08:04.930 --> 00:08:09.639 to do what we were what we were all about. We 00:08:09.639 --> 00:08:12.660 couldn't get enough of it. But now we're leaving 00:08:12.660 --> 00:08:16.199 that behind. And the new man is just the opposite. 00:08:16.819 --> 00:08:22.100 So he says here, in verse 5, chapter 1, it says, 00:08:22.439 --> 00:08:24.959 Be ye therefore followers of God as dear children. 00:08:25.600 --> 00:08:28.379 So that's what we want to do. We want to follow 00:08:28.379 --> 00:08:32.539 God. And we don't want to follow God as soldiers 00:08:32.539 --> 00:08:38.539 or robots or everybody being exactly the same. 00:08:38.759 --> 00:08:42.019 We want to follow God as what? As dear children. 00:08:42.700 --> 00:08:45.759 As His dear children. We are followers of God 00:08:45.759 --> 00:08:50.299 as His children. He didn't just redeem us. He 00:08:50.299 --> 00:08:52.799 just didn't save us. He brought us into His family. 00:08:52.860 --> 00:08:57.120 He made us His children. He adopted us. He set 00:08:57.120 --> 00:09:00.820 us free from sin. He threw open the prison gates. 00:09:01.600 --> 00:09:05.840 We no longer are dominated by sin and the devil. 00:09:06.299 --> 00:09:09.509 And we are dominated by the Spirit. and by God 00:09:09.509 --> 00:09:12.830 himself who is transforming us into the image 00:09:12.830 --> 00:09:16.649 of Jesus Christ. That's what a follower is. If 00:09:16.649 --> 00:09:19.450 you're following somebody, you're becoming like 00:09:19.450 --> 00:09:22.309 him. That's what Paul's admonishing us to do. 00:09:23.029 --> 00:09:27.330 Be followers, be like God. As dear children, 00:09:27.750 --> 00:09:35.470 grow up into a mature Christian man and woman. 00:09:36.629 --> 00:09:40.779 And it doesn't just happen. It's up to us again. 00:09:40.779 --> 00:09:42.980 How much effort are you willing to put into? 00:09:43.860 --> 00:09:49.159 How much of a God do you want? We're going to 00:09:49.159 --> 00:09:53.000 get into that later. But but so that's that's 00:09:53.000 --> 00:09:55.840 the first thing we are children of God. How are 00:09:55.840 --> 00:09:59.759 we children of God? Well in chapter 4 we read 00:09:59.759 --> 00:10:05.600 that God for Christ's sake has forgiven you and 00:10:05.600 --> 00:10:09.159 then in verse 5 we say we see that God, that 00:10:09.159 --> 00:10:16.019 Christ, has offered Himself for us. So He's done 00:10:16.019 --> 00:10:20.000 it all for us. He's done it all. Jesus Christ 00:10:20.000 --> 00:10:23.080 has done it all. He was a sacrifice. It was a 00:10:23.080 --> 00:10:27.919 sweet savor unto God. He's given Himself to us. 00:10:28.179 --> 00:10:32.179 He's forgiven us. All of our sins washed away. 00:10:32.200 --> 00:10:35.529 It's gone forever. That's what God has done for 00:10:35.529 --> 00:10:38.190 us. We all know that right? Yeah, but does that 00:10:38.190 --> 00:10:41.049 have an effect upon how we live? That's what 00:10:41.049 --> 00:10:45.110 Paul said Therefore, how are you gonna live? 00:10:45.929 --> 00:10:49.450 Are you gonna be a follower? Are you gonna be 00:10:49.450 --> 00:10:55.429 like Christ? And who has given himself entirely? 00:10:56.129 --> 00:10:59.409 For the salvation of his people he held nothing 00:10:59.409 --> 00:11:09.700 back He didn't deny that the necessity of dying 00:11:09.700 --> 00:11:16.059 for sin. There is a punishment for sin. We didn't 00:11:16.059 --> 00:11:19.700 just get skipped. Christ took that punishment. 00:11:19.759 --> 00:11:24.059 He actually took our punishment. These truths 00:11:24.059 --> 00:11:26.840 are things that we all know, but do they have 00:11:26.840 --> 00:11:32.179 a real effect upon us? Do we really? Treasure 00:11:32.179 --> 00:11:36.960 Christ above all else? Are we really following 00:11:36.960 --> 00:11:43.559 after him? As dear children, we desire the Father's 00:11:43.559 --> 00:11:47.259 fellowship. We'll see. We'll see when we get 00:11:47.259 --> 00:11:53.279 to 1 John. So it says then, if you're going to 00:11:53.279 --> 00:11:56.399 walk in love, in verse 2, it tells us to walk 00:11:56.399 --> 00:12:02.840 in love. Now think about that. Doesn't say walk 00:12:02.840 --> 00:12:06.500 according to the law Walk according to all the 00:12:06.500 --> 00:12:12.399 rules It says walk in love You can keep all the 00:12:12.399 --> 00:12:15.399 rules you can follow it whatever whatever you 00:12:15.399 --> 00:12:18.600 want to bind yourself to But if you're not walking 00:12:18.600 --> 00:12:23.340 in love, that's all meaningless If you're walking 00:12:23.340 --> 00:12:28.759 in love you will not sin you will please God 00:12:29.620 --> 00:12:33.059 I mean, let's not kid ourselves. If you love 00:12:33.059 --> 00:12:35.220 me, Christ says, you will keep my commandments. 00:12:36.740 --> 00:12:40.080 There are commandments. Christ has his commandments. 00:12:41.980 --> 00:12:45.539 He didn't tell us, if you love me, keep Moses's 00:12:45.539 --> 00:12:49.620 law. He didn't say, if you love me, put yourself 00:12:49.620 --> 00:12:53.720 back under that law and do what it says. That's 00:12:53.720 --> 00:12:56.299 not what he said. He said, if you love me, you 00:12:56.299 --> 00:12:59.600 keep my commandments. You will walk in love. 00:13:00.039 --> 00:13:03.360 That's how you will walk in love. You will be 00:13:03.360 --> 00:13:09.379 like me. You will love as I love. And then in 00:13:09.379 --> 00:13:14.220 particular, it tells us back in verse 32, it 00:13:14.220 --> 00:13:18.139 says, be kind one to another. Tender hearted, 00:13:18.220 --> 00:13:22.460 forgiving one another. Now if you're doing that, 00:13:23.379 --> 00:13:25.539 is it going to be even possible for you to sin? 00:13:26.830 --> 00:13:31.450 Can you do that and sin? Well, you can't You 00:13:31.450 --> 00:13:35.049 can't do both. One is light and one is dark. 00:13:35.129 --> 00:13:38.190 We're going to see it in first John, but they're 00:13:38.190 --> 00:13:44.090 total opposite So we want to we want to spend 00:13:44.090 --> 00:13:46.710 our time and our efforts and our energies and 00:13:46.710 --> 00:13:53.149 our Studies on the light on the positive Be kind 00:13:53.149 --> 00:13:58.879 one to another Hopefully we are hopefully I can 00:13:58.879 --> 00:14:02.840 say yeah, we're kind We are kind one to another 00:14:02.840 --> 00:14:06.200 we want the other ones good. We want the other 00:14:06.200 --> 00:14:09.960 one to benefit We want the other one to receive 00:14:09.960 --> 00:14:16.299 the blessing We're kind we go out of our way 00:14:16.299 --> 00:14:22.399 To do things for one another We are we're kind 00:14:22.399 --> 00:14:26.649 one to another we're tender -hearted It's the 00:14:26.649 --> 00:14:31.250 direct opposite of hard -heartedness. We're tender 00:14:31.250 --> 00:14:36.549 -hearted. We're affected by other people's problems. 00:14:37.330 --> 00:14:40.370 We're affected by other people's blessings. We 00:14:40.370 --> 00:14:46.289 rejoice, we cry. We're tender. Other people have 00:14:46.289 --> 00:14:51.590 an effect upon us. We don't hold ourselves aloof, 00:14:51.669 --> 00:14:56.970 in other words. We become... What is, we live 00:14:56.970 --> 00:15:00.909 out what we actually are as a body of Christ, 00:15:01.309 --> 00:15:04.830 joined together in Christ. What happens to one 00:15:04.830 --> 00:15:09.649 affects the whole body. That's tenderheartedness. 00:15:11.889 --> 00:15:15.190 So your actions have an effect upon other people 00:15:15.190 --> 00:15:21.529 because everybody should be tenderhearted. We're 00:15:21.529 --> 00:15:25.779 not isolated, we're not in a vacuum. What we 00:15:25.779 --> 00:15:30.639 do affects everybody. That's what Paul's telling 00:15:30.639 --> 00:15:33.039 us. We need to realize this and we need to act 00:15:33.039 --> 00:15:38.399 accordingly, forgiving one another. What do I 00:15:38.399 --> 00:15:41.919 need to say? We are going to hurt one another's 00:15:41.919 --> 00:15:47.620 feelings. We are going to be encountering difficulties 00:15:47.620 --> 00:15:49.919 and problems if we're living close together. 00:15:51.759 --> 00:15:54.139 Some of us or maybe most of us here are married. 00:15:56.100 --> 00:15:58.860 And there's nobody I love more than my wife. 00:15:59.940 --> 00:16:04.679 But even we have difficulty. It's usually my 00:16:04.679 --> 00:16:08.960 fault. I'm not going to throw any shade on my 00:16:08.960 --> 00:16:12.879 wife. But there's always something to work out. 00:16:13.960 --> 00:16:17.379 There's tension sometimes. There's disagreements. 00:16:18.600 --> 00:16:23.019 Forgiving one another. Most of the time, you 00:16:23.019 --> 00:16:29.000 don't even say anything. forgotten about. And 00:16:29.000 --> 00:16:32.820 that's what most of these hurt feelings and everything 00:16:32.820 --> 00:16:36.620 should. It doesn't need to be blown up and make 00:16:36.620 --> 00:16:40.460 a big deal out of it. We just forgive each other. 00:16:42.279 --> 00:16:45.019 Nobody is going to need more forgiveness than 00:16:45.019 --> 00:16:49.159 we ourselves before God. That's the point. God 00:16:49.159 --> 00:16:54.259 has forgiven us everything when we deserve exactly 00:16:54.259 --> 00:16:59.259 the opposite. Therefore it's easy for us or it 00:16:59.259 --> 00:17:02.360 should be easy for us to forgive one another. 00:17:02.440 --> 00:17:06.119 It's not always that way Because we're still 00:17:06.119 --> 00:17:09.579 in the flesh, but that's the idea Just remember 00:17:09.579 --> 00:17:13.519 how much you have been forgiven in your relationships 00:17:13.519 --> 00:17:17.539 and dealings with one another So it's a beautiful 00:17:17.539 --> 00:17:22.140 picture there of Christian relations living together 00:17:22.140 --> 00:17:26.609 in the church living together as families Following 00:17:26.609 --> 00:17:30.369 after Christ we should we should really I think 00:17:30.369 --> 00:17:34.710 we should say following hard after Christ putting 00:17:34.710 --> 00:17:41.609 the decent effort into Being desiring it So that's 00:17:41.609 --> 00:17:44.809 the picture there. That's what that's the positive 00:17:44.809 --> 00:17:48.509 Christian life It's the positive relationship 00:17:48.509 --> 00:17:52.569 that we have with God and with each other And 00:17:52.569 --> 00:17:55.309 it's it's a beautiful relationship it's it's 00:17:55.309 --> 00:18:01.549 wonderful it doesn't happen without the church 00:18:01.549 --> 00:18:06.369 remember that so then if you turn with me then 00:18:06.369 --> 00:18:24.210 to first john john wrote this epistle so that 00:18:24.059 --> 00:18:26.700 All of the Christians would know that they had 00:18:26.700 --> 00:18:30.039 eternal life. That was the purpose of the letter. 00:18:31.240 --> 00:18:35.619 We want everybody to be assured of their standing 00:18:35.619 --> 00:18:39.519 before God. And again, that's vitally important. 00:18:39.900 --> 00:18:42.079 If you don't have assurance of your salvation, 00:18:42.420 --> 00:18:46.220 it's very difficult to walk in confidence and 00:18:46.220 --> 00:18:48.480 with love and everything that we've already talked 00:18:48.480 --> 00:18:50.839 about. Because you're always wondering, you're 00:18:50.839 --> 00:18:54.880 always in doubt. Am I really saved? Are my sins 00:18:54.880 --> 00:18:57.900 really forgiven? So on and so forth. So John 00:18:57.900 --> 00:19:00.180 doesn't want that. He wants these folks to know. 00:19:01.599 --> 00:19:05.079 And so he starts off here, and this is just a 00:19:05.079 --> 00:19:10.700 remarkable beginning to a letter here. If you 00:19:10.700 --> 00:19:15.859 let it sink in, it's just wonderful. So he says, 00:19:15.960 --> 00:19:18.680 that which was from the beginning, which we have 00:19:18.680 --> 00:19:21.299 heard, which we have seen with our own eyes. 00:19:21.640 --> 00:19:25.200 Which we have looked upon and our hands have 00:19:25.200 --> 00:19:28.740 handled of the word of life Now he's talking 00:19:28.740 --> 00:19:32.920 about Jesus Christ there. So you realize that 00:19:32.920 --> 00:19:36.579 for the life was manifested and we have seen 00:19:36.579 --> 00:19:41.119 it and bear witness and Show unto you that eternal 00:19:41.119 --> 00:19:44.940 life which was with the father and was manifested 00:19:44.940 --> 00:19:49.279 unto us So there's Jesus Christ again. Jesus 00:19:49.279 --> 00:19:53.000 Christ is the life He said so himself. I'm the 00:19:53.000 --> 00:19:56.539 way, the truth, and the life. John's witnessing 00:19:56.539 --> 00:20:00.519 to that. And it's this eternal life. It's not 00:20:00.519 --> 00:20:03.240 just life, it's eternal life. He was with the 00:20:03.240 --> 00:20:06.140 Father. From all eternity he was with the Father. 00:20:06.599 --> 00:20:10.059 He was in the glory of heaven, the close relationship 00:20:10.059 --> 00:20:13.759 with his Father. And then, at the appropriate 00:20:13.759 --> 00:20:17.299 time, at the exact time, was manifested unto 00:20:17.299 --> 00:20:22.970 us. He revealed himself unto us, John says. And 00:20:22.970 --> 00:20:26.210 then he says in verse 3, that which we have seen 00:20:26.210 --> 00:20:29.789 and heard declare we unto you. I'm not making 00:20:29.789 --> 00:20:33.890 this up, he says. This isn't my gospel. This 00:20:33.890 --> 00:20:37.069 isn't something that I just decided to tell you 00:20:37.069 --> 00:20:40.430 about. This is something that we have felt, we've 00:20:40.430 --> 00:20:45.430 heard, we've seen it. We declare unto you. He's 00:20:45.430 --> 00:20:49.789 declaring what he knows to be true All about 00:20:49.789 --> 00:20:54.190 Jesus Christ. It's all about Christ here as always 00:20:54.190 --> 00:20:58.509 So he says we declare unto you that you also 00:20:58.509 --> 00:21:06.390 may have fellowship with us So there's that the 00:21:06.390 --> 00:21:10.269 fellowship that we were talking about back in 00:21:10.269 --> 00:21:13.670 Ephesians John once fellowship with these folks 00:21:13.930 --> 00:21:17.690 He wants to have a relationship with these folks. 00:21:17.950 --> 00:21:21.309 And he wants them to be happy in their relationship 00:21:21.309 --> 00:21:24.109 with him. And the only way that this can happen 00:21:24.109 --> 00:21:26.470 again, as we've already said, and as John now 00:21:26.470 --> 00:21:30.470 repeats for us, is that we are in Christ. We 00:21:30.470 --> 00:21:34.970 are in eternal life. We are living in the regeneration. 00:21:36.690 --> 00:21:39.450 We're not in the world. We're not like we were. 00:21:41.029 --> 00:21:44.000 So he says, that you might have fellowship with 00:21:44.000 --> 00:21:48.579 us. And then here's the kicker. And truly, our 00:21:48.579 --> 00:21:52.160 fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, 00:21:52.200 --> 00:21:57.599 Jesus Christ. Now, do you have fellowship with 00:21:57.599 --> 00:22:02.940 the Father and with the Son? Hopefully you do. 00:22:04.640 --> 00:22:08.039 Hopefully when you get in your closets and open 00:22:08.039 --> 00:22:12.990 your Bibles and prayer, that's... It's real fellowship 00:22:12.990 --> 00:22:18.750 to you. You are experiencing God when you're 00:22:18.750 --> 00:22:21.230 having your quiet time or devotional or whatever 00:22:21.230 --> 00:22:25.910 you call it. You're not just sitting there in 00:22:25.910 --> 00:22:31.509 an empty room. Now how do you do that? Well, 00:22:31.950 --> 00:22:35.710 you prepare yourself. You come expectantly. Maybe 00:22:35.710 --> 00:22:39.009 you have to sing a hymn. Maybe you have a favorite 00:22:39.009 --> 00:22:41.609 song or a favorite verse or so whatever it is 00:22:41.609 --> 00:22:45.009 that you need to read To bring all of these things 00:22:45.009 --> 00:22:49.829 that you know to your mind Then you ask God to 00:22:49.829 --> 00:22:53.589 be with you you ask God to open his word to you 00:22:53.589 --> 00:22:57.829 Encourage you through the Holy Spirit And you 00:22:57.829 --> 00:23:02.990 start to read the word and you it certain parts 00:23:02.990 --> 00:23:07.490 jump out at you You make notes or whatever you 00:23:07.490 --> 00:23:10.869 do it In other words, it's you're not studying 00:23:10.869 --> 00:23:13.089 the Bible just to be studying the Bible like 00:23:13.089 --> 00:23:16.690 any other book You're studying the Bible to be 00:23:16.690 --> 00:23:19.269 in fellowship with God through Jesus Christ in 00:23:19.269 --> 00:23:24.829 the power of the Holy Spirit It's a real relationship 00:23:24.829 --> 00:23:30.930 in other words This this relationship with other 00:23:30.930 --> 00:23:35.599 folk other Christians is really all about the 00:23:35.599 --> 00:23:39.779 fellowship that we have with Jesus Christ and 00:23:39.779 --> 00:23:42.380 our Father. That's what John's saying. It's a 00:23:42.380 --> 00:23:51.299 personal relationship. So it's good. It's fun. 00:23:53.019 --> 00:23:59.859 It's strengthening. It's comforting. It meets 00:23:59.859 --> 00:24:04.980 the need of all of our hearts. And it's just 00:24:04.980 --> 00:24:08.079 an amazing thing to think about that everybody 00:24:08.079 --> 00:24:11.019 can read the same chapter and everybody can get 00:24:11.019 --> 00:24:13.579 something for themselves out of that same chapter. 00:24:15.700 --> 00:24:19.960 Why? Because the Holy Spirit's involved. He's 00:24:19.960 --> 00:24:23.660 using the Word in an individual basis to speak 00:24:23.660 --> 00:24:31.720 to individual Christians. And here. In verse 00:24:31.720 --> 00:24:36.299 four, here's the really exciting thing. And these 00:24:36.299 --> 00:24:40.160 things write we unto you that your joy may be 00:24:40.160 --> 00:24:45.039 full. And there you have it. How's your joy gonna 00:24:45.039 --> 00:24:51.759 be full? Is your joy full? Joyful. Are you joyful? 00:24:54.160 --> 00:25:00.339 The joy of the Lord. The joy. of knowing eternal 00:25:00.339 --> 00:25:04.059 life, knowing Jesus Christ, serving Jesus Christ, 00:25:04.599 --> 00:25:07.539 being empowered to live for Christ by the Holy 00:25:07.539 --> 00:25:10.740 Spirit. Is that our joy? Is that your joy? Would 00:25:10.740 --> 00:25:13.779 you rather do that than anything else? Where 00:25:13.779 --> 00:25:17.140 is your joy coming from? If it's not coming from 00:25:17.140 --> 00:25:20.880 the Lord, if it's not coming from your personal 00:25:20.880 --> 00:25:24.400 relationship with Jesus Christ and the Father 00:25:24.400 --> 00:25:28.259 through the power of the Holy Spirit. And you 00:25:28.259 --> 00:25:31.220 say, well, I do have joy. And that's a wonderful 00:25:31.220 --> 00:25:33.819 thing, a statement. If you can make that statement, 00:25:33.859 --> 00:25:37.660 that's wonderful. Hopefully we all can. But it's 00:25:37.660 --> 00:25:42.980 not full. And it never will be full. Until that 00:25:42.980 --> 00:25:48.539 day. Until that day that we are there. Or we 00:25:48.539 --> 00:25:52.660 meet him in the air. One of the two. Then the 00:25:52.660 --> 00:25:55.980 joy will be full. So what am I saying? So I'm 00:25:55.980 --> 00:25:59.279 saying... Don't ever be convinced that this is 00:25:59.279 --> 00:26:01.940 all that you're ever going to get, because it's 00:26:01.940 --> 00:26:05.559 not. You can get whatever you want. What do you 00:26:05.559 --> 00:26:08.759 want? What's the desire of your heart? If you 00:26:08.759 --> 00:26:12.140 have no desire, you'll have no joy. If you have 00:26:12.140 --> 00:26:15.500 no desire, you'll have a very shallow and just 00:26:15.500 --> 00:26:20.119 elemental relationship with the Lord. It's not 00:26:20.119 --> 00:26:25.539 that much different in a relationship here. If 00:26:25.539 --> 00:26:29.819 you're in a relationship with a man or with a 00:26:29.819 --> 00:26:34.619 woman, you're not just satisfied with saying, 00:26:34.980 --> 00:26:37.680 hello, I had a good day, everything's fine, bye. 00:26:38.619 --> 00:26:41.500 That isn't. That doesn't cut it, does it? That 00:26:41.500 --> 00:26:48.019 will never cut it. It's just like that. You got 00:26:48.019 --> 00:26:58.759 to go deeper than that. It's not quarter to nine 00:26:58.759 --> 00:27:15.119 Good so then in verse 5 we say this then is the 00:27:15.119 --> 00:27:17.519 message which we have heard of him and declare 00:27:17.519 --> 00:27:21.660 unto you that God is light and In him is no darkness 00:27:21.660 --> 00:27:25.079 at all if we say that we have fellowship with 00:27:25.079 --> 00:27:30.119 him walk in darkness we lie and do not the truth 00:27:30.119 --> 00:27:33.759 but if we walk in the light as he is in the light 00:27:33.759 --> 00:27:36.980 we have fellowship one with another and the blood 00:27:36.980 --> 00:27:41.180 of Jesus Christ his son cleanses us from all 00:27:41.180 --> 00:27:45.779 sin so there we have it again this contrast the 00:27:45.779 --> 00:27:50.279 old darkness everything is darkness and sin and 00:27:50.279 --> 00:27:56.910 decay and now it's all light and life, and joy, 00:27:57.789 --> 00:28:04.609 and rejoicing in our fellowship with the eternal 00:28:04.609 --> 00:28:12.789 life. And then, it's really a test here. He says, 00:28:13.569 --> 00:28:18.789 if you're walking in the light, you have fellowship. 00:28:19.690 --> 00:28:22.829 And the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from 00:28:22.829 --> 00:28:26.440 all sin. So how do you know that your sins are 00:28:26.440 --> 00:28:29.720 forgiven? How do you know that you're cleansed? 00:28:30.200 --> 00:28:33.539 Well, you know that your sins have been forgiven 00:28:33.539 --> 00:28:36.140 because you're walking in the light. You have 00:28:36.140 --> 00:28:38.240 fellowship with the light. You have fellowship 00:28:38.240 --> 00:28:41.539 with one another. In other words, you're doing 00:28:41.539 --> 00:28:44.539 the right things. It's not really complicated. 00:28:46.400 --> 00:28:50.220 You expect to have fellowship with God and walk 00:28:50.220 --> 00:28:53.240 in darkness? You expect to have the assurance 00:28:53.240 --> 00:28:55.519 of your salvation that your sins are forgiven 00:28:55.519 --> 00:28:59.680 if you're walking in darkness Maybe you think 00:28:59.680 --> 00:29:04.019 that you're just neutral I'm not really walking 00:29:04.019 --> 00:29:06.440 in darkness, and I'm not really that excited 00:29:06.440 --> 00:29:08.559 about the light. I'm just kind of I'm in the 00:29:08.559 --> 00:29:12.539 middle Maybe you think I'm in the gray area and 00:29:12.539 --> 00:29:14.500 there's plenty of people who think like that 00:29:14.500 --> 00:29:17.799 And maybe they're Christians, and maybe they 00:29:17.799 --> 00:29:20.720 aren't but they sure shouldn't have any assurance 00:29:20.720 --> 00:29:23.519 of your salvation under those circumstances. 00:29:25.440 --> 00:29:28.140 So are you all out for God? Are you all in the 00:29:28.140 --> 00:29:31.799 light? Are you shunning the darkness? If that's 00:29:31.799 --> 00:29:34.319 true of you, your sins are forgiven. You can 00:29:34.319 --> 00:29:36.839 have assurance of your salvation, in other words. 00:29:38.000 --> 00:29:42.059 That's what John is saying. And then I'll wrap 00:29:42.059 --> 00:29:46.400 it up with this. In verse 8, if we say that we 00:29:46.400 --> 00:29:49.509 have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth 00:29:49.509 --> 00:29:54.109 is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful 00:29:54.109 --> 00:29:56.730 and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse 00:29:56.730 --> 00:30:01.490 us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we 00:30:01.490 --> 00:30:04.789 have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his 00:30:04.789 --> 00:30:11.950 word is not in us." So John, as in all of the 00:30:11.950 --> 00:30:15.240 writings of scriptures, they want reality. They're 00:30:15.240 --> 00:30:18.740 not they're not interested in pretend they want 00:30:18.740 --> 00:30:25.079 reality We all sin we all have a problem We're 00:30:25.079 --> 00:30:28.779 none of us are perfect We're agreeing with God 00:30:28.779 --> 00:30:31.579 if we're a Christian. We already agreed with 00:30:31.579 --> 00:30:36.359 God and admitted our sin That's though that's 00:30:36.359 --> 00:30:40.519 the life that's that's that's the battle that's 00:30:40.519 --> 00:30:43.019 the battle that we're involved with all of our 00:30:43.019 --> 00:30:48.319 lives It can wax and wane and change from day 00:30:48.319 --> 00:30:52.000 to day, month to month. Sometimes we're on top 00:30:52.000 --> 00:30:56.039 of the mountain, sometimes for maybe years. Then 00:30:56.039 --> 00:30:59.440 all of a sudden we fall off the cliff and we've 00:30:59.440 --> 00:31:03.619 got to get back up again. That's life. That's 00:31:03.619 --> 00:31:06.859 the Christian life. That's one of the biggest 00:31:06.859 --> 00:31:08.940 differences between the world and the Christian. 00:31:10.000 --> 00:31:12.579 The world just goes on living and they don't 00:31:12.579 --> 00:31:15.119 have a clue of what they're doing. Their sin 00:31:15.119 --> 00:31:19.619 doesn't bother them a bit. They die and they're 00:31:19.619 --> 00:31:22.140 on the brink of hell, but they don't know it. 00:31:22.180 --> 00:31:26.299 They don't care. Their destiny is sealed and 00:31:26.299 --> 00:31:27.940 they're going into judgment and they're gonna 00:31:27.940 --> 00:31:32.140 be damned forever. Their sin never bothered them. 00:31:33.460 --> 00:31:36.539 The Christian's not like that. The Christian's 00:31:36.539 --> 00:31:40.670 bothered by his sin. and we confess our sin. 00:31:41.809 --> 00:31:44.450 Now you say your sin's all forgiven and that 00:31:44.450 --> 00:31:49.170 it has been. Christ died for our sins and that's 00:31:49.170 --> 00:31:53.049 it. We are perfect before God. That's what we 00:31:53.049 --> 00:31:57.309 believe. That's our position in Christ. So what 00:31:57.309 --> 00:31:59.289 does that mean? Well, how does that affect our 00:31:59.289 --> 00:32:02.309 personal relationship to Christ through and with 00:32:02.309 --> 00:32:05.369 our Father? Does that mean that when we mess 00:32:05.369 --> 00:32:07.690 up and sin that we don't have to admit it and 00:32:07.690 --> 00:32:12.710 ask forgiveness? Well, John says we do. We know 00:32:12.710 --> 00:32:15.230 for sure that he's going to forgive us. That's 00:32:15.230 --> 00:32:18.789 what John told us. When we confess our sins, 00:32:18.809 --> 00:32:21.049 he's faithful and just to forgive us our sins. 00:32:22.329 --> 00:32:26.309 So that's a big, the biggest indication here 00:32:26.309 --> 00:32:30.369 for me anyway, is that this is a personal relationship. 00:32:31.060 --> 00:32:34.559 We must maintain this personal relationship. 00:32:35.200 --> 00:32:38.920 We can't presume upon our forgiveness. We can't 00:32:38.920 --> 00:32:42.680 make light of sin. We confess it. We tell him 00:32:42.680 --> 00:32:45.500 about it. You say he already knows. Of course 00:32:45.500 --> 00:32:47.380 he already knows. That's got nothing to do with 00:32:47.380 --> 00:32:55.180 it. You confess your sin to God. Now I know we 00:32:55.180 --> 00:32:57.680 can't confess every little sin. I'm not saying 00:32:57.680 --> 00:33:00.839 anything like that. But when the Holy Spirit 00:33:00.839 --> 00:33:02.920 convicts you of something, you better talk to 00:33:02.920 --> 00:33:07.019 God about it. That's how our relationship is 00:33:07.019 --> 00:33:12.180 maintained. If we need forgiveness, we need to 00:33:12.180 --> 00:33:15.480 ask with full assurance and confidence that we 00:33:15.480 --> 00:33:19.140 will be forgiven. And when you do that, that 00:33:19.140 --> 00:33:24.420 should give you a big gigantic lift of joy and 00:33:24.420 --> 00:33:27.019 happiness when you know you have the forgiveness 00:33:27.019 --> 00:33:32.339 of God for your sin. So it's a wonderful life. 00:33:32.940 --> 00:33:37.460 Well, that's a movie But this this really is 00:33:37.460 --> 00:33:41.420 a wonderful life. This is a life full of wonder 00:33:41.420 --> 00:33:46.279 Knowing God experiencing God growing in our love 00:33:46.279 --> 00:33:49.740 for God I thought I loved Christ when I was converted, 00:33:49.740 --> 00:33:52.720 but I didn't love him anywhere near what I do 00:33:52.720 --> 00:33:58.420 now That's a growth that's knowing more of myself 00:33:58.420 --> 00:34:01.359 and more of God Hopefully that's what we're all 00:34:01.359 --> 00:34:05.779 after. We all want God. We all want a real relationship 00:34:05.779 --> 00:34:09.920 with God through Jesus Christ. One that is full 00:34:09.920 --> 00:34:14.800 of joy and happiness and assurance of our standing 00:34:14.800 --> 00:34:17.780 before Him. Okay, we got a few minutes if there's 00:34:17.780 --> 00:34:21.519 any questions. I know I didn't say anything new. 00:34:31.079 --> 00:34:40.960 Verse what verse 9 I thought I said enough of 00:34:40.960 --> 00:34:49.760 what you got a question Well, that's what he 00:34:49.760 --> 00:34:57.039 does that's what forgiveness of sins is Well, 00:34:57.099 --> 00:34:59.860 it's also giving you the hope that you you don't 00:34:59.860 --> 00:35:04.170 have to sin You are cleansed from all unrighteousness. 00:35:04.530 --> 00:35:07.869 Does it talk about sanctification too? Well, 00:35:08.190 --> 00:35:12.250 yeah that's a word for it. Conformity to Christ. 00:35:21.369 --> 00:35:22.130 Okay.