1 00:00:01,184 --> 00:00:05,113 "I am writing to you, little children, 2 00:00:05,113 --> 00:00:07,017 because your sins are forgiven 3 00:00:07,017 --> 00:00:10,761 for His name's sake. 4 00:00:10,761 --> 00:00:13,167 I am writing to you, fathers, 5 00:00:13,167 --> 00:00:16,244 because you know Him who is from the beginning. 6 00:00:16,244 --> 00:00:20,406 I am writing to you, young men, 7 00:00:20,406 --> 00:00:24,521 because you have overcome the evil one. 8 00:00:24,521 --> 00:00:27,261 I write to you, children, 9 00:00:27,261 --> 00:00:30,079 because you know the Father. 10 00:00:30,079 --> 00:00:31,597 I write to you, fathers, 11 00:00:31,597 --> 00:00:35,723 because you know Him who is from the beginning." 12 00:00:35,723 --> 00:00:39,180 Him who is from the beginning. 13 00:00:39,180 --> 00:00:40,949 The "He" and the "Him" 14 00:00:40,949 --> 00:00:44,899 throughout this section is Christ. 15 00:00:44,899 --> 00:00:47,133 The Father is called out distinctly 16 00:00:47,133 --> 00:00:52,599 by "Father" or by the term "God," the title. 17 00:00:52,599 --> 00:00:55,762 The name. 18 00:00:55,762 --> 00:00:57,603 Him who is from the beginning 19 00:00:57,603 --> 00:01:01,106 throughout 1 John is 20 00:01:01,106 --> 00:01:02,673 the Lord Jesus Christ. 21 00:01:02,673 --> 00:01:04,497 "I write to you, fathers, because you know 22 00:01:04,497 --> 00:01:05,850 Him who is from the beginning. 23 00:01:05,850 --> 00:01:07,355 I write to you, young men, 24 00:01:07,355 --> 00:01:08,802 because you are strong 25 00:01:08,802 --> 00:01:12,006 and the Word of God abides in you, 26 00:01:12,006 --> 00:01:14,823 and you have overcome the evil one." 27 00:01:14,823 --> 00:01:17,303 Now, I'm just going to tell you right off, 28 00:01:17,303 --> 00:01:23,673 this might be a little bit strong to say this, 29 00:01:23,673 --> 00:01:26,753 but John perplexes me. 30 00:01:26,753 --> 00:01:28,872 And I don't know how else to say it. 31 00:01:28,872 --> 00:01:32,793 His mind does not work 32 00:01:32,793 --> 00:01:36,099 the same way mine does. 33 00:01:36,099 --> 00:01:37,723 He has an inspired mind, 34 00:01:37,723 --> 00:01:39,373 so if there's any fault here, 35 00:01:39,373 --> 00:01:41,253 it's undoubtedly with me. 36 00:01:41,253 --> 00:01:45,238 To me, Paul is systematic. 37 00:01:45,238 --> 00:01:47,458 I like Paul's way of thinking. 38 00:01:47,458 --> 00:01:49,133 I love Paul's letters. 39 00:01:49,133 --> 00:01:51,982 I can follow his logic. 40 00:01:51,982 --> 00:01:56,038 He somewhat goes on a straight line. 41 00:01:56,038 --> 00:01:58,587 John is just so different. 42 00:01:58,587 --> 00:02:00,123 I'm not saying he's not logical, 43 00:02:00,123 --> 00:02:01,613 but he's just different. 44 00:02:01,613 --> 00:02:03,741 John Piper I think hits it on the head. 45 00:02:03,741 --> 00:02:11,823 He likens John's mind to a bee 46 00:02:11,823 --> 00:02:13,648 that's coming up to a flower. 47 00:02:13,648 --> 00:02:14,995 Here you've got the flower 48 00:02:14,995 --> 00:02:17,497 and the bee just kind of buzzing around like this. 49 00:02:17,497 --> 00:02:19,300 (buzzing) 50 00:02:19,300 --> 00:02:21,510 That's kind of how his mind works. 51 00:02:21,510 --> 00:02:23,871 He likes to circle. 52 00:02:23,871 --> 00:02:25,841 In other words, he likes to come around 53 00:02:25,841 --> 00:02:28,106 to the same things over and over again, 54 00:02:28,106 --> 00:02:30,044 but he doesn't take exactly the same 55 00:02:30,044 --> 00:02:31,630 trajectory each time. 56 00:02:31,630 --> 00:02:33,618 He's kind of buzzing around the flower. 57 00:02:33,618 --> 00:02:35,188 When you get the feeling Paul - 58 00:02:35,188 --> 00:02:38,652 he's out here and he just goes right in there. 59 00:02:38,652 --> 00:02:42,050 And I think that's a good way. 60 00:02:42,050 --> 00:02:43,734 And that's what we see right here. 61 00:02:43,734 --> 00:02:45,317 I mean, we're going to see this 62 00:02:45,317 --> 00:02:47,015 all the way through 1 John. 63 00:02:47,015 --> 00:02:48,777 John is going to repeatedly 64 00:02:48,777 --> 00:02:52,382 come back around to the same ideas 65 00:02:52,382 --> 00:02:53,446 over and over. 66 00:02:53,446 --> 00:02:56,111 He uses a little bit different terminology, 67 00:02:56,111 --> 00:02:57,755 it's true but you're going to see, 68 00:02:57,755 --> 00:03:00,389 it's clearly the same thing 69 00:03:00,389 --> 00:03:02,825 all over again, and all the way through the book, 70 00:03:02,825 --> 00:03:05,376 he just continuously does this 71 00:03:05,376 --> 00:03:07,235 same kind of thing. 72 00:03:07,235 --> 00:03:09,761 Yes, as he buzzes around that flower 73 00:03:09,761 --> 00:03:12,148 he tends to introduce some new information. 74 00:03:12,148 --> 00:03:13,556 He takes us deeper. 75 00:03:13,556 --> 00:03:14,942 He takes us further. 76 00:03:14,942 --> 00:03:17,637 But he just keeps buzzing around in these circles. 77 00:03:17,637 --> 00:03:19,324 He's doing it right here. 78 00:03:19,324 --> 00:03:20,412 I mean think about it. 79 00:03:20,412 --> 00:03:21,813 "I'm writing to you, little children..." 80 00:03:21,813 --> 00:03:23,125 "I'm writing to you, fathers..." 81 00:03:23,125 --> 00:03:24,749 "I'm writing to you, young men..." 82 00:03:24,749 --> 00:03:27,328 You get the feeling if that was Paul - 83 00:03:27,328 --> 00:03:28,983 I get this feeling: 84 00:03:28,983 --> 00:03:30,809 if it was Paul, he would have given me 85 00:03:30,809 --> 00:03:32,559 an order that was like, 86 00:03:32,559 --> 00:03:33,674 little children, 87 00:03:33,674 --> 00:03:34,715 young men, 88 00:03:34,715 --> 00:03:35,735 fathers. 89 00:03:35,735 --> 00:03:37,709 I mean, there's descending 90 00:03:37,709 --> 00:03:38,986 or ascending order. 91 00:03:38,986 --> 00:03:40,095 There's order there. 92 00:03:40,095 --> 00:03:42,186 And he would have said it once. 93 00:03:42,186 --> 00:03:44,567 But that's not good for John. 94 00:03:44,567 --> 00:03:46,467 He has to come back around and say it 95 00:03:46,467 --> 00:03:47,516 all over again. 96 00:03:47,516 --> 00:03:49,240 "I write to you, children..." 97 00:03:49,240 --> 00:03:50,736 "I write to you, fathers..." 98 00:03:50,736 --> 00:03:52,269 "I write to you, young men..." 99 00:03:52,269 --> 00:03:53,753 And you know if you look at it, 100 00:03:53,753 --> 00:03:55,022 he says some of the things 101 00:03:55,022 --> 00:03:56,490 exactly the same, 102 00:03:56,490 --> 00:03:58,537 but he changes some things. 103 00:03:58,537 --> 00:04:00,788 And he adds different details. 104 00:04:00,788 --> 00:04:03,612 And that's just John's style. 105 00:04:03,612 --> 00:04:04,894 You can see this. 106 00:04:04,894 --> 00:04:10,658 And I'm not saying that there's anything wrong. 107 00:04:10,658 --> 00:04:13,820 John is not illogical. 108 00:04:13,820 --> 00:04:15,643 And repitition can be good, right? 109 00:04:15,643 --> 00:04:20,011 Wise teachers repeat themselves. 110 00:04:20,011 --> 00:04:22,233 It's like, you know, John is buzzing 111 00:04:22,233 --> 00:04:23,139 around this thing, 112 00:04:23,139 --> 00:04:25,176 and if he goes around it once and you didn't get it, 113 00:04:25,176 --> 00:04:27,057 well, he's going to buzz around it again 114 00:04:27,057 --> 00:04:29,032 and he's going to say it a little bit differently. 115 00:04:29,032 --> 00:04:31,168 So probably, if you don't get it the first time 116 00:04:31,168 --> 00:04:33,884 you can get it the second or the third or the fourth time. 117 00:04:33,884 --> 00:04:35,305 And each time, he's going to develop it 118 00:04:35,305 --> 00:04:36,643 a little bit more for us. 119 00:04:36,643 --> 00:04:38,282 And like I say, we're going to see 120 00:04:38,282 --> 00:04:40,236 in the months ahead throughout 1 John, 121 00:04:40,236 --> 00:04:42,298 you're going to feel like, 122 00:04:42,298 --> 00:04:44,801 weren't we already here? 123 00:04:44,801 --> 00:04:47,751 Yep, just look back a chapter. 124 00:04:47,751 --> 00:04:51,734 John already had us right here. 125 00:04:51,734 --> 00:04:54,909 So, anyway, we see that circling style 126 00:04:54,909 --> 00:04:59,248 in these three verses before us. 127 00:04:59,248 --> 00:05:01,575 Now, what I want to do here 128 00:05:01,575 --> 00:05:03,328 is give you an observation 129 00:05:03,328 --> 00:05:06,353 and ask a question or two, 130 00:05:06,353 --> 00:05:08,668 and then seek to answer those questions 131 00:05:08,668 --> 00:05:09,726 before we move on. 132 00:05:09,726 --> 00:05:12,027 Here's an observation. 133 00:05:12,027 --> 00:05:14,211 Throughout 1 John - 134 00:05:14,211 --> 00:05:16,255 I just want you to think about this. 135 00:05:16,255 --> 00:05:17,553 I can tell you, 136 00:05:17,553 --> 00:05:19,217 since I've been reading my Bible 137 00:05:19,217 --> 00:05:25,525 as a brand new convert 25 years ago, 138 00:05:25,525 --> 00:05:29,000 every time I'd read this, 139 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:31,142 I guess I would wonder, 140 00:05:31,142 --> 00:05:34,157 why is it even here? 141 00:05:34,157 --> 00:05:38,410 Why does John have to say it twice? 142 00:05:38,410 --> 00:05:47,807 Why aren't these folks apparently in order? 143 00:05:47,807 --> 00:05:51,253 Doesn't he deal with all the Christians 144 00:05:51,253 --> 00:05:52,773 that he's writing to as though 145 00:05:52,773 --> 00:05:54,327 they're little children? 146 00:05:54,327 --> 00:05:56,551 I see that title repeatedly 147 00:05:56,551 --> 00:05:57,727 throughout this letter 148 00:05:57,727 --> 00:05:59,409 when he's addressing everybody. 149 00:05:59,409 --> 00:06:01,683 Why in this one place does he call out 150 00:06:01,683 --> 00:06:06,249 fathers and young men as well? 151 00:06:06,249 --> 00:06:08,276 I just want you to see this. 152 00:06:08,276 --> 00:06:09,963 Throughout 1 John, 153 00:06:09,963 --> 00:06:11,682 notice 1 John 2:1. 154 00:06:11,682 --> 00:06:12,779 "My little children..." 155 00:06:12,779 --> 00:06:14,805 Who's he writing to? 156 00:06:14,805 --> 00:06:16,169 He's writing to everybody. 157 00:06:16,169 --> 00:06:18,776 Everybody that he's writing to who's saved. 158 00:06:18,776 --> 00:06:19,808 Let's just say that. 159 00:06:19,808 --> 00:06:22,157 He is making a distinction throughout this letter. 160 00:06:22,157 --> 00:06:25,437 He definitely has Christians in mind. 161 00:06:25,437 --> 00:06:27,588 But he calls all the Christians 162 00:06:27,588 --> 00:06:30,603 in 1 John 2:1 "my little children." 163 00:06:30,603 --> 00:06:32,174 "I'm writing these things so that 164 00:06:32,174 --> 00:06:33,533 you may not sin." 165 00:06:33,533 --> 00:06:35,220 Well, he certainly isn't excluding 166 00:06:35,220 --> 00:06:37,694 the older, more mature whatever 167 00:06:37,694 --> 00:06:40,430 and saying I don't care about you guys. 168 00:06:40,430 --> 00:06:43,670 Obviously, he's talking to everybody here. 169 00:06:43,670 --> 00:06:47,245 "If anyone does sin..." 170 00:06:47,245 --> 00:06:50,579 If anyone. He's talking to all of them there. 171 00:06:50,579 --> 00:06:52,554 1 John 2:18 172 00:06:52,554 --> 00:06:54,133 "Children, it is the last hour 173 00:06:54,133 --> 00:06:56,530 and as you've heard that antichrist is coming." 174 00:06:56,530 --> 00:06:59,700 Again, he uses two different Greek terms 175 00:06:59,700 --> 00:07:02,579 throughout 1 John for "little children," 176 00:07:02,579 --> 00:07:04,868 but nevertheless, he uses both of them, 177 00:07:04,868 --> 00:07:05,868 by the way. 178 00:07:05,868 --> 00:07:08,898 The first time in v. 12 he uses one, 179 00:07:08,898 --> 00:07:10,906 and then when he refers to the children 180 00:07:10,906 --> 00:07:13,194 again at the end of v. 13, he uses the other. 181 00:07:13,194 --> 00:07:16,004 But he's using both of these titles 182 00:07:16,004 --> 00:07:17,265 throughout the book 183 00:07:17,265 --> 00:07:19,838 to speak to everybody. 184 00:07:19,838 --> 00:07:21,177 1 John 2:28 185 00:07:21,177 --> 00:07:23,135 "Now little children, abide in Him." 186 00:07:23,135 --> 00:07:24,991 That's everybody. 187 00:07:24,991 --> 00:07:26,742 Everybody needs to abide in Him. 188 00:07:26,742 --> 00:07:28,384 1 John 3:7, "Little children, 189 00:07:28,384 --> 00:07:29,977 let no one deceive you. 190 00:07:29,977 --> 00:07:33,079 Whoever practices righteousness is righteous as He is righteous." 191 00:07:33,079 --> 00:07:34,266 That's everybody. 192 00:07:34,266 --> 00:07:35,831 1 John 3:18 "Little children, 193 00:07:35,831 --> 00:07:37,594 let us not love in word or talk, 194 00:07:37,594 --> 00:07:38,996 but in deed and truth." 195 00:07:38,996 --> 00:07:40,608 1 John 4:4 "Little children, 196 00:07:40,608 --> 00:07:42,557 you are from God." 197 00:07:42,557 --> 00:07:44,034 1 John 5:21 "Little children, 198 00:07:44,034 --> 00:07:46,732 keep yourselves from idols." 199 00:07:46,732 --> 00:07:48,383 That's the observation. 200 00:07:48,383 --> 00:07:50,005 The observation is that 201 00:07:50,005 --> 00:07:52,872 all the way through 1 John, 202 00:07:52,872 --> 00:07:56,423 he deals with all of the Christians 203 00:07:56,423 --> 00:07:59,531 as being little children. 204 00:07:59,531 --> 00:08:06,781 So, here in 1 John 2:12-13 - 205 00:08:06,781 --> 00:08:09,461 (incomplete thought) 206 00:08:09,461 --> 00:08:12,464 actually all three of these verses - 207 00:08:12,464 --> 00:08:14,080 John does something that he does 208 00:08:14,080 --> 00:08:15,546 nowhere else in his writings. 209 00:08:15,546 --> 00:08:17,460 Not just anywhere else in this epistle, 210 00:08:17,460 --> 00:08:19,481 nowhere else in any of his writings 211 00:08:19,481 --> 00:08:21,581 does he ever call out 212 00:08:21,581 --> 00:08:24,011 distinct categories of Christians. 213 00:08:24,011 --> 00:08:26,336 That's my observation. 214 00:08:26,336 --> 00:08:29,319 And the question is: why? 215 00:08:29,319 --> 00:08:30,813 And before we try to answer, 216 00:08:30,813 --> 00:08:33,248 perhaps a second question should be asked as well. 217 00:08:33,248 --> 00:08:35,776 Why does he throw these categories at us 218 00:08:35,776 --> 00:08:38,907 in such a seemingly random order? 219 00:08:38,907 --> 00:08:41,659 Little children, then fathers, 220 00:08:41,659 --> 00:08:45,795 then young men. 221 00:08:45,795 --> 00:08:50,231 And you know, who knows, right? 222 00:08:50,231 --> 00:08:53,839 (incomplete thought) 223 00:08:53,839 --> 00:08:57,399 Here's a possible solution. 224 00:08:57,399 --> 00:08:59,626 Why does John address three groups here 225 00:08:59,626 --> 00:09:01,119 and in the order that he does? 226 00:09:01,119 --> 00:09:02,924 I mean here's a possible scenario. 227 00:09:02,924 --> 00:09:07,527 The use of "little children," 228 00:09:07,527 --> 00:09:10,077 "fathers," "young men," 229 00:09:10,077 --> 00:09:12,064 and the order that they're in 230 00:09:12,064 --> 00:09:15,923 may have originated something like this. 231 00:09:15,923 --> 00:09:19,187 It's very possible that what John's doing here 232 00:09:19,187 --> 00:09:21,911 in v. 12 "I'm writing to you, little children..." 233 00:09:21,911 --> 00:09:24,050 is he does what he does everywhere else 234 00:09:24,050 --> 00:09:25,142 in the book. 235 00:09:25,142 --> 00:09:29,510 He is talking to everybody. 236 00:09:29,510 --> 00:09:34,502 But then, what he does, 237 00:09:34,502 --> 00:09:36,299 just this one time 238 00:09:36,299 --> 00:09:39,083 and perhaps for no other reason 239 00:09:39,083 --> 00:09:42,883 than respect, 240 00:09:42,883 --> 00:09:46,744 just to show honor, 241 00:09:46,744 --> 00:09:48,765 he feels led to address 242 00:09:48,765 --> 00:09:51,137 these two specific groups directly 243 00:09:51,137 --> 00:09:52,654 just this one time. 244 00:09:52,654 --> 00:09:54,832 And the reason I say that 245 00:09:54,832 --> 00:09:58,002 is with some biblical validity. 246 00:09:58,002 --> 00:09:59,873 Think with me here. 247 00:09:59,873 --> 00:10:01,551 You don't need to turn to it, 248 00:10:01,551 --> 00:10:02,760 but let me just tell you 249 00:10:02,760 --> 00:10:04,674 how Philippians starts. 250 00:10:04,674 --> 00:10:08,364 Philippians - Paul is addressing 251 00:10:08,364 --> 00:10:09,799 the Philippian believers. 252 00:10:09,799 --> 00:10:13,498 He says, "Paul and Timothy, 253 00:10:13,498 --> 00:10:15,322 servants of Christ Jesus..." 254 00:10:15,322 --> 00:10:17,858 Listen to how he addresses them: 255 00:10:17,858 --> 00:10:27,046 "to all the saints who are at Philippi 256 00:10:27,046 --> 00:10:31,508 with the overseers and deacons." 257 00:10:31,508 --> 00:10:34,356 Now you think about the three categories there. 258 00:10:34,356 --> 00:10:36,667 The first one is all-encompassing. 259 00:10:36,667 --> 00:10:39,162 And then the second and third, 260 00:10:39,162 --> 00:10:43,466 he calls out distinct people 261 00:10:43,466 --> 00:10:45,584 in the church. 262 00:10:45,584 --> 00:10:47,990 And he calls out those that are to have 263 00:10:47,990 --> 00:10:50,493 the highest honor first 264 00:10:50,493 --> 00:10:54,355 and then those that are honorable, 265 00:10:54,355 --> 00:10:57,222 but not quite with that venerability second. 266 00:10:57,222 --> 00:11:04,898 That seems to be perhaps why we get this. 267 00:11:04,898 --> 00:11:06,642 "Little children" is very endearing. 268 00:11:06,642 --> 00:11:09,154 He calls them all by that. 269 00:11:09,154 --> 00:11:10,562 But John knows he's got these 270 00:11:10,562 --> 00:11:14,318 venerable, grey-haired 271 00:11:14,318 --> 00:11:16,331 warriors of the cross out there 272 00:11:16,331 --> 00:11:18,646 and these vibrant, spiritually strong 273 00:11:18,646 --> 00:11:19,693 young men as well. 274 00:11:19,693 --> 00:11:21,195 And I don't think it necessarily needs 275 00:11:21,195 --> 00:11:22,690 to be gender specific. 276 00:11:22,690 --> 00:11:25,860 He might be encompassing the grey-haired 277 00:11:25,860 --> 00:11:27,197 and those that are young, 278 00:11:27,197 --> 00:11:28,586 but he calls them out. 279 00:11:28,586 --> 00:11:30,536 Like I say, maybe for no other reason 280 00:11:30,536 --> 00:11:35,388 than just to identify them 281 00:11:35,388 --> 00:11:37,133 and show his regard for them 282 00:11:37,133 --> 00:11:39,047 and to show respect. 283 00:11:39,047 --> 00:11:41,785 Anyway, Philippians 1 gives me 284 00:11:41,785 --> 00:11:44,501 kind of a pattern for this same thing. 285 00:11:44,501 --> 00:11:47,767 And so I think it is a worthy cross reference. 286 00:11:47,767 --> 00:11:50,216 It is worthy to look at. 287 00:11:50,216 --> 00:11:53,152 Another observation that I would make here: 288 00:11:53,152 --> 00:11:54,982 As you read through this, 289 00:11:54,982 --> 00:11:56,160 you never want to say, 290 00:11:56,160 --> 00:11:59,873 ok, well, I'm not in two of these categories. 291 00:11:59,873 --> 00:12:01,273 I'm only in the third, 292 00:12:01,273 --> 00:12:03,235 and so only what's in that third category 293 00:12:03,235 --> 00:12:04,285 applies to me. 294 00:12:04,285 --> 00:12:06,020 Listen, I can tell you this. 295 00:12:06,020 --> 00:12:08,455 Every single thing said 296 00:12:08,455 --> 00:12:10,841 in each of these categories 297 00:12:10,841 --> 00:12:12,288 is said of everybody 298 00:12:12,288 --> 00:12:14,452 somewhere else in 1 John. 299 00:12:14,452 --> 00:12:16,099 In other words, 300 00:12:16,099 --> 00:12:17,441 my observation is this. 301 00:12:17,441 --> 00:12:19,275 When John addresses "little children," 302 00:12:19,275 --> 00:12:21,762 when he addresses "fathers," when he addresses "young men," 303 00:12:21,762 --> 00:12:23,504 he does not mean that what he says 304 00:12:23,504 --> 00:12:25,721 about the fathers is only applicable 305 00:12:25,721 --> 00:12:27,274 to them and not to you 306 00:12:27,274 --> 00:12:30,055 if you're not one of the fathers. 307 00:12:30,055 --> 00:12:33,480 You follow what I'm saying? 308 00:12:33,480 --> 00:12:35,278 What's true about one here 309 00:12:35,278 --> 00:12:37,311 is true about all. 310 00:12:37,311 --> 00:12:40,606 1 John will show us clearly 311 00:12:40,606 --> 00:12:41,771 that knowing the father, 312 00:12:41,771 --> 00:12:43,790 knowing Christ, overcoming the evil one, 313 00:12:43,790 --> 00:12:45,608 having the Word of God abiding in you, 314 00:12:45,608 --> 00:12:47,350 these are all realities that are true 315 00:12:47,350 --> 00:12:49,216 of all Christians. 316 00:12:49,216 --> 00:12:51,372 John applies these truths 317 00:12:51,372 --> 00:12:53,500 to specific groups that are real 318 00:12:53,500 --> 00:12:55,476 and true and valid for the whole church. 319 00:12:55,476 --> 00:12:57,681 So you don't want to skip over any of these verses as though 320 00:12:57,681 --> 00:12:59,029 they don't apply to you. 321 00:12:59,029 --> 00:13:00,885 What's true in each category is true 322 00:13:00,885 --> 00:13:02,626 of every Christian here. 323 00:13:02,626 --> 00:13:04,252 That's just an observation. 324 00:13:04,252 --> 00:13:08,350 So, now, I think we need to really ask ourselves, 325 00:13:08,350 --> 00:13:11,588 why are these verses here? 326 00:13:11,588 --> 00:13:15,958 Now, look, if you're not really acquainted 327 00:13:15,958 --> 00:13:16,997 with 1 John; 328 00:13:16,997 --> 00:13:18,726 if you just read this letter through 329 00:13:18,726 --> 00:13:20,717 over and over and over, 330 00:13:20,717 --> 00:13:23,358 I think it will begin to jump out at you 331 00:13:23,358 --> 00:13:27,009 that these seem to interrupt the flow. 332 00:13:27,009 --> 00:13:29,062 They almost seem misplaced. 333 00:13:29,062 --> 00:13:30,514 I mean, I'm thinking about 334 00:13:30,514 --> 00:13:32,208 if I'm going to write to somebody 335 00:13:32,208 --> 00:13:33,658 and tell them why I'm writing - 336 00:13:33,658 --> 00:13:34,854 "I'm writing to you, little children, 337 00:13:34,854 --> 00:13:37,016 because your sins are forgiven for His name's sake." 338 00:13:37,016 --> 00:13:39,463 If I'm going to tell somebody why I'm writing to them, 339 00:13:39,463 --> 00:13:41,416 I'm typically going to tell them that 340 00:13:41,416 --> 00:13:43,876 at the beginning of the letter. 341 00:13:43,876 --> 00:13:45,600 Why am I just going to jump in? 342 00:13:45,600 --> 00:13:46,957 And the thing about this, 343 00:13:46,957 --> 00:13:49,487 get a feel for the flow here. 344 00:13:49,487 --> 00:13:51,044 (incomplete thought) 345 00:13:51,044 --> 00:13:53,819 Let's read down through these verses 346 00:13:53,819 --> 00:13:58,438 and omit v. 12, 13, and 14. 347 00:13:58,438 --> 00:14:00,799 We have these tests of true Christianity 348 00:14:00,799 --> 00:14:03,591 coming at us one after another 349 00:14:03,591 --> 00:14:06,382 after another. 350 00:14:06,382 --> 00:14:09,923 I mean, if you just think about 2:3. 351 00:14:09,923 --> 00:14:12,299 "By this we know that we've come to know Him 352 00:14:12,299 --> 00:14:13,746 if we keep His commandments." 353 00:14:13,746 --> 00:14:15,089 Bang! You're hit with this. 354 00:14:15,089 --> 00:14:17,119 Do you keep His commandments? 355 00:14:17,119 --> 00:14:19,031 If you keep His commandments, 356 00:14:19,031 --> 00:14:21,238 you can know that you know Him. 357 00:14:21,238 --> 00:14:23,222 This is a test of true Christianity. 358 00:14:23,222 --> 00:14:25,154 "Whoever says 'I know Him,' (v. 4) 359 00:14:25,154 --> 00:14:27,718 but does not keep His commandments 360 00:14:27,718 --> 00:14:30,458 is a liar and the truth is not in him." 361 00:14:30,458 --> 00:14:34,610 Wow! John's being dogmatic about 362 00:14:34,610 --> 00:14:36,588 who is in and who is out. 363 00:14:36,588 --> 00:14:38,443 "Whoever keeps His Word (v. 5), 364 00:14:38,443 --> 00:14:40,877 in Him truly the love of God is perfected." 365 00:14:40,877 --> 00:14:42,115 I mean, he's saying, 366 00:14:42,115 --> 00:14:43,431 you need to be those that 367 00:14:43,431 --> 00:14:44,781 keep His commandments. 368 00:14:44,781 --> 00:14:48,007 You need to be those that keep His Word. 369 00:14:48,007 --> 00:14:50,118 "By this we know that we are in Him." 370 00:14:50,118 --> 00:14:51,827 How? "Whoever says he abides in Him 371 00:14:51,827 --> 00:14:53,907 ought to walk in the same way in which 372 00:14:53,907 --> 00:14:56,531 He walked," and if you don't, you're not true. 373 00:14:56,531 --> 00:14:58,608 You're not real. 374 00:14:58,608 --> 00:15:00,052 He goes on to talk about 375 00:15:00,052 --> 00:15:01,209 this one commandment. 376 00:15:01,209 --> 00:15:03,209 Love. "I'm writing you no new commandment, 377 00:15:03,209 --> 00:15:05,035 but an old commandment, that you had from the beginning. 378 00:15:05,035 --> 00:15:06,545 The old commandment is what you have heard. 379 00:15:06,545 --> 00:15:07,827 At the same time, it is a new commandment 380 00:15:07,827 --> 00:15:08,760 that I am writing to you, 381 00:15:08,760 --> 00:15:10,387 which is true in Him and in you 382 00:15:10,387 --> 00:15:12,073 because the darkness is passing away; 383 00:15:12,073 --> 00:15:13,825 the true light is already shining." 384 00:15:13,825 --> 00:15:15,419 He says this about that commandment: 385 00:15:15,419 --> 00:15:16,826 "Whoever says he's in the light 386 00:15:16,826 --> 00:15:19,141 and hates his brother is in the dark." 387 00:15:19,141 --> 00:15:20,702 You are not true. 388 00:15:20,702 --> 00:15:22,584 You are not real. 389 00:15:22,584 --> 00:15:24,958 "Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, 390 00:15:24,958 --> 00:15:27,324 and in him there is no cause for stumbling." 391 00:15:27,324 --> 00:15:29,348 "Whoever hates his brother is in the darkness 392 00:15:29,348 --> 00:15:31,899 and walks in the darkness and does not know where he's going 393 00:15:31,899 --> 00:15:33,840 because the darkness has blinded his eyes." 394 00:15:33,840 --> 00:15:35,201 Now you skip over to v. 15. 395 00:15:35,201 --> 00:15:36,976 "Do not love the world or the things in the world. 396 00:15:36,976 --> 00:15:38,120 If anyone loves the world, 397 00:15:38,120 --> 00:15:39,932 the love of the Father is not in him." 398 00:15:39,932 --> 00:15:41,601 Again. He goes right back to the tests. 399 00:15:41,601 --> 00:15:42,751 Bang! Bang! Bang! 400 00:15:42,751 --> 00:15:45,557 You love the world, you don't know God. 401 00:15:45,557 --> 00:15:47,381 The love of the Father is not in you. 402 00:15:47,381 --> 00:15:49,638 That means you're lost. 403 00:15:49,638 --> 00:15:51,310 "All that is in the world, the desires of the flesh, 404 00:15:51,310 --> 00:15:53,435 the desire of the eyes..." He goes on in v. 18. 405 00:15:53,435 --> 00:15:55,381 "Children, it is the last hour. As you have heard that antichrist..." 406 00:15:55,381 --> 00:15:58,251 In v. 19, "they went out from us because they were not of us." 407 00:15:58,251 --> 00:16:00,539 I mean, what's a good indication that somebody's not real? 408 00:16:00,539 --> 00:16:02,565 They go out from us. If they go out from us, 409 00:16:02,565 --> 00:16:03,707 they're not of us. 410 00:16:03,707 --> 00:16:05,756 I mean, he's got these tests - one after another. 411 00:16:05,756 --> 00:16:07,963 Why in the world did he just stop in v. 12 412 00:16:07,963 --> 00:16:09,987 and say, "I'm writing to you, little children, 413 00:16:09,987 --> 00:16:12,098 because your sins are forgiven." 414 00:16:12,098 --> 00:16:16,660 It's like John, this interrupts the flow 415 00:16:16,660 --> 00:16:18,492 of these tests. 416 00:16:18,492 --> 00:16:21,831 It's like we're getting this barrage, 417 00:16:21,831 --> 00:16:24,492 and then here's all these tests 418 00:16:24,492 --> 00:16:25,635 coming at us; 419 00:16:25,635 --> 00:16:27,476 shaking us with the reality 420 00:16:27,476 --> 00:16:28,615 of true Christianity 421 00:16:28,615 --> 00:16:32,343 and John just sort of unexpectedly 422 00:16:32,343 --> 00:16:36,572 injects v. 12-14. 423 00:16:36,572 --> 00:16:40,640 So what are we supposed to make of this? 424 00:16:40,640 --> 00:16:43,328 Well, I think it's clear. 425 00:16:43,328 --> 00:16:46,847 I think if you have any pastoral bone 426 00:16:46,847 --> 00:16:48,440 in your body, 427 00:16:48,440 --> 00:16:51,116 it's clear why he does. 428 00:16:51,116 --> 00:17:00,568 Just compare 1 John 2:4 and 1 John 2:12. 429 00:17:00,568 --> 00:17:02,294 Compare them. 430 00:17:02,294 --> 00:17:03,258 1 John 2:4 431 00:17:03,258 --> 00:17:05,573 "Whoever says, 'I know Him,' but does not 432 00:17:05,573 --> 00:17:08,478 keep His commandments is a liar 433 00:17:08,478 --> 00:17:10,285 and the truth is not in Him." 434 00:17:10,285 --> 00:17:12,682 Now, let's do that all over again 435 00:17:12,682 --> 00:17:15,251 with me adding this; 436 00:17:15,251 --> 00:17:17,298 with you thinking about this. 437 00:17:17,298 --> 00:17:22,460 How does this make you feel? 438 00:17:22,460 --> 00:17:24,660 "Whoever says I know Him but does not 439 00:17:24,660 --> 00:17:26,964 keep His commandments is a liar 440 00:17:26,964 --> 00:17:30,559 and the truth is not in Him." 441 00:17:30,559 --> 00:17:32,335 How does that make you feel? 442 00:17:32,335 --> 00:17:33,736 1 John 2:12 443 00:17:33,736 --> 00:17:35,831 "I'm writing to you, little children, 444 00:17:35,831 --> 00:17:37,514 because your sins are forgiven 445 00:17:37,514 --> 00:17:38,920 for His name's sake." 446 00:17:38,920 --> 00:17:40,275 How does that make you feel? 447 00:17:40,275 --> 00:17:42,948 Now, I recognize I changed my tone. 448 00:17:42,948 --> 00:17:45,062 (incomplete thought) 449 00:17:45,062 --> 00:17:47,894 But that's kind of the feel. 450 00:17:47,894 --> 00:17:50,462 Why does he stick these in here? 451 00:17:50,462 --> 00:17:52,592 I have a feeling he's sticks them in here 452 00:17:52,592 --> 00:17:56,628 just because of the rigors of these tests. 453 00:17:56,628 --> 00:18:00,221 These tests can shake you. 454 00:18:00,221 --> 00:18:02,973 They sift us. 455 00:18:02,973 --> 00:18:08,075 John knows this letter is tough. 456 00:18:08,075 --> 00:18:10,200 And it is, is it not? 457 00:18:10,200 --> 00:18:11,803 I mean, he knows. 458 00:18:11,803 --> 00:18:15,614 He's calling people out. 459 00:18:15,614 --> 00:18:19,378 He's calling people liars. 460 00:18:19,378 --> 00:18:21,465 This is tough stuff. 461 00:18:21,465 --> 00:18:23,133 (incomplete thought) 462 00:18:23,133 --> 00:18:25,337 What happens when you start 463 00:18:25,337 --> 00:18:28,925 telling people, "by this we know 464 00:18:28,925 --> 00:18:30,390 that we've come to know Him, 465 00:18:30,390 --> 00:18:31,807 if we keep His commandments." 466 00:18:31,807 --> 00:18:34,070 I mean, where are your minds going? 467 00:18:34,070 --> 00:18:37,156 Man, what does my life look like? 468 00:18:37,156 --> 00:18:39,062 I mean, am I keeping His commandments? 469 00:18:39,062 --> 00:18:40,723 We just came off the one about loving. 470 00:18:40,723 --> 00:18:42,108 I mean, you start thinking, 471 00:18:42,108 --> 00:18:44,131 am I really loving the brothers and the sisters? 472 00:18:44,131 --> 00:18:45,401 Am I really loving them? 473 00:18:45,401 --> 00:18:47,674 I mean, any of us that have consciences - 474 00:18:47,674 --> 00:18:49,739 our imperfections, our failures, 475 00:18:49,739 --> 00:18:51,287 they begin to jump up and down 476 00:18:51,287 --> 00:18:52,494 in front of our face 477 00:18:52,494 --> 00:18:54,137 and we're saying, ok, we know 478 00:18:54,137 --> 00:18:55,207 this isn't perfection; 479 00:18:55,207 --> 00:18:56,838 we know that this is a pattern of life, 480 00:18:56,838 --> 00:18:59,159 and we're asking ourselves, I hope, 481 00:18:59,159 --> 00:19:00,786 trying to ask ourselves honestly, 482 00:19:00,786 --> 00:19:02,367 is there an evidence that God has 483 00:19:02,367 --> 00:19:04,050 done something in my life 484 00:19:04,050 --> 00:19:05,913 and produced this kind of person 485 00:19:05,913 --> 00:19:07,092 out of me? 486 00:19:07,092 --> 00:19:08,867 I mean, he knows that he is 487 00:19:08,867 --> 00:19:11,577 describing true Christianity 488 00:19:11,577 --> 00:19:13,987 in terms that are strong. 489 00:19:13,987 --> 00:19:17,402 Isn't John dogmatic? 490 00:19:17,402 --> 00:19:19,515 If you say you know Him, 491 00:19:19,515 --> 00:19:20,907 but this isn't true, 492 00:19:20,907 --> 00:19:22,743 you're a liar! 493 00:19:22,743 --> 00:19:27,762 He doesn't have much grey area. 494 00:19:27,762 --> 00:19:29,549 It's just boom! 495 00:19:29,549 --> 00:19:31,535 This or this! 496 00:19:31,535 --> 00:19:33,314 This is true or this is true! 497 00:19:33,314 --> 00:19:35,356 That's it. Two categories. 498 00:19:35,356 --> 00:19:37,465 There's no in-between. 499 00:19:37,465 --> 00:19:40,082 And you can come out of these things 500 00:19:40,082 --> 00:19:45,486 and feel beat up. 501 00:19:45,486 --> 00:19:48,527 And you can imagine, 502 00:19:48,527 --> 00:19:57,216 John - what's the reputation we have of John? 503 00:19:57,216 --> 00:19:58,980 He's the one that Christ loved. 504 00:19:58,980 --> 00:20:04,621 He was also called "Boanerges" with his brother. 505 00:20:04,621 --> 00:20:06,268 The sons of thunder. 506 00:20:06,268 --> 00:20:08,651 This feels kind of thunderous here. 507 00:20:08,651 --> 00:20:10,507 But you can imagine John feeling like, 508 00:20:10,507 --> 00:20:12,763 perhaps - think about it - 509 00:20:12,763 --> 00:20:14,492 preachers know this. 510 00:20:14,492 --> 00:20:16,028 You say hard things. 511 00:20:16,028 --> 00:20:19,370 You get a feeling when, you know, 512 00:20:19,370 --> 00:20:21,610 you're hitting people with hard things. 513 00:20:21,610 --> 00:20:22,779 You get that feeling. 514 00:20:22,779 --> 00:20:24,521 And undoubtedly, he's feeling, 515 00:20:24,521 --> 00:20:26,193 wow, I've been really forceful; 516 00:20:26,193 --> 00:20:34,542 I've been intense with people. 517 00:20:34,542 --> 00:20:37,584 (incomplete thought) 518 00:20:37,584 --> 00:20:38,962 What happens? 519 00:20:38,962 --> 00:20:40,373 What happens when you start 520 00:20:40,373 --> 00:20:43,117 laying tests out like this? 521 00:20:43,117 --> 00:20:44,926 You know another thing preachers know 522 00:20:44,926 --> 00:20:47,697 a lot of times is they take out 523 00:20:47,697 --> 00:20:49,792 the spiritual shotgun 524 00:20:49,792 --> 00:20:55,676 and this thing is full of bird shot, 525 00:20:55,676 --> 00:20:58,409 and they aim at a certain person 526 00:20:58,409 --> 00:21:00,197 or they've got certain people in mind 527 00:21:00,197 --> 00:21:01,867 that this is really applicable to 528 00:21:01,867 --> 00:21:02,817 and kaboom! 529 00:21:02,817 --> 00:21:04,794 They blow a person off the front row 530 00:21:04,794 --> 00:21:07,024 that they did not mean to hit. 531 00:21:07,024 --> 00:21:08,632 But that's one of the problems 532 00:21:08,632 --> 00:21:11,831 when you speak like this, 533 00:21:11,831 --> 00:21:14,412 you have people that sit there 534 00:21:14,412 --> 00:21:15,714 who are genuine Christians 535 00:21:15,714 --> 00:21:19,337 with very tender consciences. 536 00:21:19,337 --> 00:21:22,772 And you start talking like this, 537 00:21:22,772 --> 00:21:26,280 and the hardened professing sinner 538 00:21:26,280 --> 00:21:28,291 back there in that back row 539 00:21:28,291 --> 00:21:31,511 who this is every bit meant for - 540 00:21:31,511 --> 00:21:33,891 right over the top of their heads. 541 00:21:33,891 --> 00:21:36,302 You shoot them and they've got 542 00:21:36,302 --> 00:21:38,190 the bulletproof vest on. 543 00:21:38,190 --> 00:21:40,270 It just bounced right off of them. 544 00:21:40,270 --> 00:21:42,515 And you blew away sister so-and-so 545 00:21:42,515 --> 00:21:44,483 in the third row. 546 00:21:44,483 --> 00:21:46,753 And she's feeling crushed, 547 00:21:46,753 --> 00:21:48,662 like going out of there thinking, 548 00:21:48,662 --> 00:21:51,839 I can never be a Christian. 549 00:21:51,839 --> 00:21:54,590 Her failures are there in her face 550 00:21:54,590 --> 00:21:57,056 and she's going out. 551 00:21:57,056 --> 00:21:58,306 She's wounded. 552 00:21:58,306 --> 00:21:59,996 And that's the kind of thing that 553 00:21:59,996 --> 00:22:02,964 he recognizes happens. 554 00:22:02,964 --> 00:22:06,316 This very kind of thing. 555 00:22:06,316 --> 00:22:08,236 As a child of God, 556 00:22:08,236 --> 00:22:11,376 you can begin to feel like 557 00:22:11,376 --> 00:22:13,984 you're made aware of your weaknesses. 558 00:22:13,984 --> 00:22:15,860 You're made aware of your own failures 559 00:22:15,860 --> 00:22:17,142 and your own struggles, 560 00:22:17,142 --> 00:22:18,788 and John knows. 561 00:22:18,788 --> 00:22:21,033 You say hard things like this; 562 00:22:21,033 --> 00:22:23,046 strong statements. 563 00:22:23,046 --> 00:22:24,954 You end up wounding people 564 00:22:24,954 --> 00:22:26,167 and so what he does is 565 00:22:26,167 --> 00:22:31,176 he actually interrupts these hard things 566 00:22:31,176 --> 00:22:34,437 and he sticks something very comforting 567 00:22:34,437 --> 00:22:37,829 and very encouraging right here 568 00:22:37,829 --> 00:22:40,519 in verses 12, 13, and 14. 569 00:22:40,519 --> 00:22:43,402 He's backing off. 570 00:22:43,402 --> 00:22:45,029 He's certainly not backing down 571 00:22:45,029 --> 00:22:46,375 from anything that he said. 572 00:22:46,375 --> 00:22:49,192 But he's backing down from his 573 00:22:49,192 --> 00:22:51,559 rigorous dogmatism 574 00:22:51,559 --> 00:22:55,089 as to who's a liar and who's true. 575 00:22:55,089 --> 00:22:58,859 He seems to turn aside for a moment 576 00:22:58,859 --> 00:23:01,540 of comforting his hearers before he 577 00:23:01,540 --> 00:23:03,433 goes back and he resumes again 578 00:23:03,433 --> 00:23:06,020 the strong and rigid doctrine 579 00:23:06,020 --> 00:23:09,458 that goes back to sifting the hearts of men. 580 00:23:09,458 --> 00:23:11,522 Now, I think the thing we need to ask 581 00:23:11,522 --> 00:23:14,670 is well, ok, how are these verses encouraging? 582 00:23:14,670 --> 00:23:16,284 Because here's the thing; 583 00:23:16,284 --> 00:23:18,768 here's the thing I'm thinking about. 584 00:23:18,768 --> 00:23:23,141 Let's say I have a revelation from God, 585 00:23:23,141 --> 00:23:24,493 just like he did. 586 00:23:24,493 --> 00:23:25,911 And I know, 587 00:23:25,911 --> 00:23:28,155 there are lost people 588 00:23:28,155 --> 00:23:32,513 who profess to be Christians in this room. 589 00:23:32,513 --> 00:23:34,176 And I come up here 590 00:23:34,176 --> 00:23:36,180 and I'm giving you the test. 591 00:23:36,180 --> 00:23:38,689 And I begin to lay these tests down. 592 00:23:38,689 --> 00:23:40,940 I seek to weed out those who are false. 593 00:23:40,940 --> 00:23:43,496 I stress you have no true fellowship with God 594 00:23:43,496 --> 00:23:45,116 if you walk in the darkness. 595 00:23:45,116 --> 00:23:48,126 I stress that you're a liar about knowing Christ 596 00:23:48,126 --> 00:23:49,792 unless you keep His commandments. 597 00:23:49,792 --> 00:23:51,298 I mean, I'm hitting you hard. 598 00:23:51,298 --> 00:23:53,003 I have this revelation from God. 599 00:23:53,003 --> 00:23:55,257 I know some of you are not real. 600 00:23:55,257 --> 00:23:58,398 But at the same time, 601 00:23:58,398 --> 00:24:01,583 I know that I'm likely going to wound 602 00:24:01,583 --> 00:24:02,973 some of God's true ones. 603 00:24:02,973 --> 00:24:04,350 I don't want that to happen. 604 00:24:04,350 --> 00:24:06,372 But I know in trying to get to the others, 605 00:24:06,372 --> 00:24:07,924 I've got to speak that strong. 606 00:24:07,924 --> 00:24:11,208 But I also know how true Christians 607 00:24:11,208 --> 00:24:15,215 are going to deal with this. 608 00:24:15,215 --> 00:24:16,607 My question is this, 609 00:24:16,607 --> 00:24:18,424 if I'm speaking really strong 610 00:24:18,424 --> 00:24:20,686 and you've got sister so-and-so there 611 00:24:20,686 --> 00:24:24,249 who is trembling. 612 00:24:24,249 --> 00:24:28,785 She feels like I'm weak. 613 00:24:28,785 --> 00:24:31,087 There's these doubts that are cropping up. 614 00:24:31,087 --> 00:24:32,847 She's questioning. 615 00:24:32,847 --> 00:24:34,818 She's wondering: am I true? 616 00:24:34,818 --> 00:24:36,114 Am I false? 617 00:24:36,114 --> 00:24:39,598 And you know the devil can take advantage right there too, 618 00:24:39,598 --> 00:24:44,090 and say, you're not keeping His commandments. 619 00:24:44,090 --> 00:24:46,788 Think about this time and this time. 620 00:24:46,788 --> 00:24:48,174 You're not loving so-and-so. 621 00:24:48,174 --> 00:24:49,738 Think about your failures here. 622 00:24:49,738 --> 00:24:51,086 He can come right along. 623 00:24:51,086 --> 00:24:53,143 That standard is so high, 624 00:24:53,143 --> 00:24:55,251 you've never measured up to it. 625 00:24:55,251 --> 00:24:58,014 Just listen to how he's talking. 626 00:24:58,014 --> 00:25:01,685 Just listen to John's words. 627 00:25:01,685 --> 00:25:04,115 And a feeling of condemnation can creep in. 628 00:25:04,115 --> 00:25:05,983 You feel like there's no hope. 629 00:25:05,983 --> 00:25:07,652 And here's the thing, 630 00:25:07,652 --> 00:25:10,032 if you're a true Christian sitting out there 631 00:25:10,032 --> 00:25:11,522 and you suddenly are flooded 632 00:25:11,522 --> 00:25:18,270 by what are unwarranted doubts, 633 00:25:18,270 --> 00:25:20,304 by these tests, 634 00:25:20,304 --> 00:25:24,623 how is it going to be encouraging to you 635 00:25:24,623 --> 00:25:27,124 for me just to interrupt all these 636 00:25:27,124 --> 00:25:29,358 strong assertions, 637 00:25:29,358 --> 00:25:31,833 and say, "I'm writing to you, little children, 638 00:25:31,833 --> 00:25:34,317 because your sins are forgiven for His name's sake." 639 00:25:34,317 --> 00:25:37,064 I mean, if you've just been shaken 640 00:25:37,064 --> 00:25:39,497 to even wondering if you're truly a child or not, 641 00:25:39,497 --> 00:25:41,765 and I come along and I say "I'm writing to you, little children," 642 00:25:41,765 --> 00:25:44,031 you're saying, yeah, but he knows some of us aren't true, 643 00:25:44,033 --> 00:25:45,626 and I think I'm one of those. 644 00:25:45,626 --> 00:25:47,374 So I'm not even in that crowd. 645 00:25:47,374 --> 00:25:49,539 How does that comfort me? 646 00:25:49,539 --> 00:25:51,466 What does that do for me? 647 00:25:51,466 --> 00:25:54,220 How does that help? 648 00:25:54,220 --> 00:25:57,015 If your assurance has been shaken 649 00:25:57,015 --> 00:25:58,510 by these things, 650 00:25:58,510 --> 00:26:00,065 some of you, your assurance 651 00:26:00,065 --> 00:26:03,877 should be shaken by these. 652 00:26:03,877 --> 00:26:05,872 But if you're genuinely a Christian 653 00:26:05,872 --> 00:26:07,905 with a sensitive conscience, 654 00:26:07,905 --> 00:26:11,571 the devil's there throwing accusations at you, 655 00:26:11,571 --> 00:26:13,357 if your assurance has been shaken, 656 00:26:13,357 --> 00:26:14,668 how does a verse like this 657 00:26:14,668 --> 00:26:19,801 rescue you from this? 658 00:26:19,801 --> 00:26:21,787 I mean, do you see what I'm saying? 659 00:26:21,787 --> 00:26:23,152 If you're already doubting, 660 00:26:23,152 --> 00:26:25,213 how does this take away your doubts? 661 00:26:25,213 --> 00:26:27,767 Wouldn't you just be minded to say 662 00:26:27,767 --> 00:26:30,802 I don't even think I'm in that group? 663 00:26:30,802 --> 00:26:31,991 He comes along here 664 00:26:31,991 --> 00:26:34,136 and he's really positive 665 00:26:34,136 --> 00:26:37,321 that somebody's sins are forgiven 666 00:26:37,321 --> 00:26:40,032 for Christ's name's sake. 667 00:26:40,032 --> 00:26:42,342 But we can tell by the way he's talking, 668 00:26:42,342 --> 00:26:45,499 he already assumes some of us aren't real. 669 00:26:45,499 --> 00:26:48,011 And I'm thinking I might be one of those people. 670 00:26:48,011 --> 00:26:50,003 And so when he goes and he starts talking 671 00:26:50,003 --> 00:26:51,616 just to the little children, 672 00:26:51,616 --> 00:26:53,323 how does that help me? 673 00:26:53,323 --> 00:26:57,445 How does that rescue me 674 00:26:57,445 --> 00:27:00,965 from my assurance being shaken? 675 00:27:00,965 --> 00:27:03,215 Here the Holy Spirit undoubtedly prompts 676 00:27:03,215 --> 00:27:04,822 John to back off for a second 677 00:27:04,822 --> 00:27:06,537 in order to comfort and encourage 678 00:27:06,537 --> 00:27:07,803 the true people of God 679 00:27:07,803 --> 00:27:09,549 lest they become overwhelmed 680 00:27:09,549 --> 00:27:12,943 by a false sense of condemnation. 681 00:27:12,943 --> 00:27:15,516 How does saying this rescue them? 682 00:27:15,516 --> 00:27:17,770 If they come away from these tests with doubts 683 00:27:17,770 --> 00:27:19,520 by the highness of the standard, 684 00:27:19,520 --> 00:27:20,837 the dogmatism of John, 685 00:27:20,837 --> 00:27:22,146 then he just shifts gears 686 00:27:22,146 --> 00:27:26,657 and he throws these three verses at us. 687 00:27:26,657 --> 00:27:28,815 "I'm writing to you, little children..." 688 00:27:28,815 --> 00:27:30,738 Isn't this person just going to conclude 689 00:27:30,738 --> 00:27:32,409 that they probably aren't really 690 00:27:32,409 --> 00:27:34,948 one of the little children that John's addressing? 691 00:27:34,948 --> 00:27:37,744 And brethren, it happens all the time. 692 00:27:37,744 --> 00:27:39,489 The devil is an accuser. 693 00:27:39,489 --> 00:27:43,469 And you start setting up things like this. 694 00:27:43,469 --> 00:27:46,146 Look, there's not one of us that have 695 00:27:46,146 --> 00:27:48,586 loved the brothers and sisters perfectly. 696 00:27:48,586 --> 00:27:51,034 There's not one of us that have kept the commandments perfectly. 697 00:27:51,034 --> 00:27:52,299 There's not one of us that is 698 00:27:52,299 --> 00:27:55,077 imitating Christ, walking like Christ walked perfectly. 699 00:27:55,077 --> 00:27:57,364 And as soon as we start looking at this 700 00:27:57,364 --> 00:27:58,919 and examining this in our life - 701 00:27:58,919 --> 00:28:00,108 and these are the tests. 702 00:28:00,108 --> 00:28:01,607 You don't want to ignore them. 703 00:28:01,607 --> 00:28:02,862 These are God-given tests. 704 00:28:02,862 --> 00:28:04,599 These have to be true in your life. 705 00:28:04,599 --> 00:28:06,749 You are in one camp or the other. 706 00:28:06,749 --> 00:28:08,756 We have to take these things seriously. 707 00:28:08,756 --> 00:28:12,534 But as we're sorting through our life, 708 00:28:12,534 --> 00:28:16,159 I think any of us that are honest, 709 00:28:16,159 --> 00:28:22,761 this makes us feel like 710 00:28:22,761 --> 00:28:25,863 this is a high standard. 711 00:28:25,863 --> 00:28:29,951 Who can measure up? 712 00:28:29,951 --> 00:28:31,506 Does anybody feel like that 713 00:28:31,506 --> 00:28:40,250 when you hear these things? 714 00:28:40,250 --> 00:28:44,749 (incomplete thought) 715 00:28:44,749 --> 00:28:45,697 And I know this. 716 00:28:45,697 --> 00:28:48,386 I hear this from Christians. 717 00:28:48,386 --> 00:28:50,521 They struggle. 718 00:28:50,521 --> 00:28:54,010 They just feel like I don't feel like 719 00:28:54,010 --> 00:28:56,646 I'm loving the brethren like I ought to. 720 00:28:56,646 --> 00:28:57,893 I don't feel like my life 721 00:28:57,893 --> 00:29:00,662 is committed to Christ as it ought to be. 722 00:29:00,662 --> 00:29:03,429 I don't feel like there's a level of purity there 723 00:29:03,429 --> 00:29:07,087 that I know there ought to be. 724 00:29:07,087 --> 00:29:10,675 Here John, he sees the Christian struggling, 725 00:29:10,675 --> 00:29:12,089 and he interrupts things. 726 00:29:12,089 --> 00:29:13,331 Just interrupts by saying, 727 00:29:13,331 --> 00:29:15,685 "I'm writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven 728 00:29:15,689 --> 00:29:18,637 for His name's sake." 729 00:29:18,637 --> 00:29:20,082 Isn't there a possibility that 730 00:29:20,082 --> 00:29:22,416 that Christian is just going to get carried away 731 00:29:22,416 --> 00:29:24,067 with their doubts and assume that 732 00:29:24,067 --> 00:29:28,215 John's probably not talking about them? 733 00:29:28,215 --> 00:29:29,175 You know John knows 734 00:29:29,175 --> 00:29:31,626 that there's imposters among us. 735 00:29:31,626 --> 00:29:33,433 So he doesn't for a second believe 736 00:29:33,433 --> 00:29:35,959 that we're all little children. 737 00:29:35,959 --> 00:29:37,782 How does this really help bolster 738 00:29:37,782 --> 00:29:41,967 the assurance of the true Christian? 739 00:29:41,967 --> 00:29:43,680 That to me is huge, 740 00:29:43,680 --> 00:29:45,014 because I'm looking at this 741 00:29:45,014 --> 00:29:46,758 and I'm recognizing, 742 00:29:46,758 --> 00:29:49,801 we get this. 743 00:29:49,801 --> 00:29:51,660 I know we get people that struggle 744 00:29:51,660 --> 00:29:52,857 with their assurance, 745 00:29:52,857 --> 00:29:54,428 and they need to struggle with it 746 00:29:54,428 --> 00:30:00,916 because they're not measuring up. 747 00:30:00,916 --> 00:30:03,276 But we get people that get shaken 748 00:30:03,276 --> 00:30:05,871 and they ought not to be shaken. 749 00:30:05,871 --> 00:30:09,646 They're not ones that God wants us to weed out. 750 00:30:09,646 --> 00:30:11,969 They're His true children. 751 00:30:11,969 --> 00:30:14,489 And so I'm really interested pastorally 752 00:30:14,489 --> 00:30:17,736 to just examine this and say John, 753 00:30:17,736 --> 00:30:19,873 teach me here. 754 00:30:19,873 --> 00:30:28,210 Teach me how to help and to comfort 755 00:30:28,210 --> 00:30:33,080 the little children when they get shaken. 756 00:30:33,080 --> 00:30:35,137 So how does it help? 757 00:30:35,137 --> 00:30:39,381 Well, look, to the best 758 00:30:39,381 --> 00:30:43,132 that I can decipher here, 759 00:30:43,132 --> 00:30:45,321 it helps just this way. 760 00:30:45,321 --> 00:30:47,712 If you think about what's being said here. 761 00:30:47,712 --> 00:30:49,185 John stops. 762 00:30:49,185 --> 00:30:54,142 He looks at the Christian 763 00:30:54,142 --> 00:30:59,102 who is feeling condemned; 764 00:30:59,102 --> 00:31:04,931 who is feeling overwhelmed; 765 00:31:04,931 --> 00:31:06,512 who's seen these tests 766 00:31:06,512 --> 00:31:10,170 and is somewhat unsure, 767 00:31:10,170 --> 00:31:13,074 and he says, look, 768 00:31:13,074 --> 00:31:16,263 walking like Christ walked, 769 00:31:16,263 --> 00:31:18,763 walking in the light, confessing your sins 770 00:31:18,763 --> 00:31:20,233 when you sin, 771 00:31:20,233 --> 00:31:21,867 keeping Christ's commandments, 772 00:31:21,867 --> 00:31:25,882 loving the brethren, 773 00:31:25,882 --> 00:31:28,003 are you feeling that this is way out there? 774 00:31:28,003 --> 00:31:31,121 Are you feeling like this is only for Charles Spurgeon, 775 00:31:31,121 --> 00:31:32,917 Amy Carmichael? 776 00:31:32,917 --> 00:31:34,318 Only they can live this way. 777 00:31:34,318 --> 00:31:36,353 Do you feel like this is just impossible 778 00:31:36,353 --> 00:31:38,299 for the average Christian? 779 00:31:38,299 --> 00:31:40,523 Do you feel the standard is just too high? 780 00:31:40,523 --> 00:31:43,052 And that what he's saying in this letter 781 00:31:43,052 --> 00:31:44,630 is just being too dogmatic 782 00:31:44,630 --> 00:31:46,488 and there's no hope for you to live 783 00:31:46,488 --> 00:31:47,522 up to this standard? 784 00:31:47,522 --> 00:31:49,044 The devil's throwing accusations 785 00:31:49,044 --> 00:31:50,179 of your failure at you 786 00:31:50,179 --> 00:31:51,522 and your own ineptness 787 00:31:51,522 --> 00:31:53,154 at loving the brethren? 788 00:31:53,154 --> 00:31:54,737 He comes and he says, 789 00:31:54,737 --> 00:31:59,535 "I'm writing to you, little children, 790 00:31:59,535 --> 00:32:01,941 because your sins are forgiven 791 00:32:01,941 --> 00:32:04,666 for His name's sake." 792 00:32:04,666 --> 00:32:06,217 You see what he's doing? 793 00:32:06,217 --> 00:32:08,008 He's saying, look, you're thinking 794 00:32:08,008 --> 00:32:10,530 these things are hard. 795 00:32:10,530 --> 00:32:12,585 But he says, I know there's reality 796 00:32:12,585 --> 00:32:13,979 among you. 797 00:32:13,979 --> 00:32:15,075 I see it. 798 00:32:15,075 --> 00:32:16,514 I know it. 799 00:32:16,514 --> 00:32:20,240 He says precious children. 800 00:32:20,240 --> 00:32:24,972 Let's take your eyes off the tests 801 00:32:24,972 --> 00:32:27,869 for a second. 802 00:32:27,869 --> 00:32:30,993 Let's just get your eyes off those 803 00:32:30,993 --> 00:32:34,325 rigorous tests of true Christianity, 804 00:32:34,325 --> 00:32:36,758 and turn your eyes 805 00:32:36,758 --> 00:32:40,963 back to the initial wonders of being a Christian. 806 00:32:40,963 --> 00:32:44,715 Just forget your own failures. 807 00:32:44,715 --> 00:32:49,463 You are forgiven for His sake. 808 00:32:49,463 --> 00:32:51,706 Now you just need to dwell there. 809 00:32:51,706 --> 00:32:54,994 It doesn't depend on your performance. 810 00:32:54,994 --> 00:32:58,532 Because that's where tests like that take us. 811 00:32:58,532 --> 00:33:00,662 They take us to examining our life. 812 00:33:00,662 --> 00:33:04,317 Rightly so. 813 00:33:04,317 --> 00:33:06,376 But you can't get away from it. 814 00:33:06,376 --> 00:33:08,019 You start looking at your life; 815 00:33:08,019 --> 00:33:11,929 you start looking at your failures; 816 00:33:11,929 --> 00:33:15,136 you start looking at your performance, 817 00:33:15,136 --> 00:33:17,104 and he backs off this for a second. 818 00:33:17,104 --> 00:33:20,214 He says, eyes off performance. 819 00:33:20,214 --> 00:33:22,410 I want to take you back 820 00:33:22,410 --> 00:33:24,875 just to the wonders 821 00:33:24,875 --> 00:33:26,933 that you encountered in Christ 822 00:33:26,933 --> 00:33:28,128 at the beginning. 823 00:33:28,128 --> 00:33:30,685 It does not depend on anything 824 00:33:30,685 --> 00:33:32,698 you have done or are doing 825 00:33:32,698 --> 00:33:34,408 or will ever do. 826 00:33:34,408 --> 00:33:38,181 Forgiveness of sins. 827 00:33:38,181 --> 00:33:41,219 It's all about receiving a gift. 828 00:33:41,219 --> 00:33:44,820 And it is free. And it is by faith. 829 00:33:44,820 --> 00:33:45,894 And you know what? 830 00:33:45,894 --> 00:33:48,145 The enemy of your souls may hound you 831 00:33:48,145 --> 00:33:50,797 and accuse you and condemn you. 832 00:33:50,797 --> 00:33:52,923 That may be true. 833 00:33:52,923 --> 00:33:54,217 For your sins and failures, 834 00:33:54,217 --> 00:33:55,474 and yes, they're there. 835 00:33:55,474 --> 00:33:56,795 But you know what? 836 00:33:56,795 --> 00:33:59,454 You can answer the snake. 837 00:33:59,454 --> 00:34:01,398 But as much as anything, 838 00:34:01,398 --> 00:34:07,356 you can answer your own conscience. 839 00:34:07,356 --> 00:34:09,105 I mean here he is and he's saying, 840 00:34:09,105 --> 00:34:12,715 I wrote to you because your sins 841 00:34:12,715 --> 00:34:15,878 have been forgiven for His sake. 842 00:34:15,878 --> 00:34:17,326 For His sake. 843 00:34:17,326 --> 00:34:19,753 They haven't been forgiven you 844 00:34:19,753 --> 00:34:22,492 for keeping any of these tests. 845 00:34:22,492 --> 00:34:25,268 They've been forgiven for His sake. 846 00:34:25,268 --> 00:34:26,904 You need to remember that. 847 00:34:26,904 --> 00:34:28,933 You need to go back there. 848 00:34:28,933 --> 00:34:30,889 Answer that snake every time 849 00:34:30,889 --> 00:34:34,340 that he brings up accusations. 850 00:34:34,340 --> 00:34:36,724 You bring up the name, 851 00:34:36,724 --> 00:34:38,669 the blood, the righteousness 852 00:34:38,669 --> 00:34:40,322 of the Lord Jesus Christ. 853 00:34:40,322 --> 00:34:42,592 You know what you do not want to do? 854 00:34:42,592 --> 00:34:44,657 You do not want to argue your performance 855 00:34:44,657 --> 00:34:46,718 with the devil. 856 00:34:46,718 --> 00:34:49,510 Don't do it. 857 00:34:49,510 --> 00:34:52,069 Let him back you right into the corner 858 00:34:52,069 --> 00:34:53,901 where your eyes have no place to go 859 00:34:53,901 --> 00:34:55,507 but back on the Lord Jesus 860 00:34:55,507 --> 00:34:58,050 just like in the very beginning. 861 00:34:58,050 --> 00:35:00,591 It's for His name's sake. 862 00:35:00,591 --> 00:35:02,782 You rely absolutely and utterly 863 00:35:02,782 --> 00:35:05,767 upon Jesus Christ and upon Him alone. 864 00:35:05,767 --> 00:35:06,953 He is your only hope. 865 00:35:06,953 --> 00:35:09,607 You can be sure that your sins are forgiven. 866 00:35:09,607 --> 00:35:11,824 Why? His name is at stake. 867 00:35:11,824 --> 00:35:14,184 It's for His name's sake. 868 00:35:14,184 --> 00:35:15,715 It must be. 869 00:35:15,715 --> 00:35:17,304 And he goes on to say this - 870 00:35:17,304 --> 00:35:19,415 and I'm going to deal with these in pairs. 871 00:35:19,415 --> 00:35:21,844 If you go down to 1 John 2:13, 872 00:35:21,844 --> 00:35:23,328 to the end there, 873 00:35:23,328 --> 00:35:24,789 "I write to you, children." 874 00:35:24,789 --> 00:35:27,918 This is the second thing he says. 875 00:35:27,918 --> 00:35:30,590 To the children - the little children - 876 00:35:30,590 --> 00:35:37,280 "because you know the Father..." 877 00:35:37,280 --> 00:35:42,550 You know the Father. 878 00:35:42,550 --> 00:35:44,429 Brothers and sisters, 879 00:35:44,429 --> 00:35:45,842 again, this backing away 880 00:35:45,842 --> 00:35:47,382 from these rigorous tests. 881 00:35:47,382 --> 00:35:48,420 And it's saying this: 882 00:35:48,420 --> 00:35:50,886 I know this. 883 00:35:50,886 --> 00:36:00,226 The Spirit is known as the Spirit of adoption. 884 00:36:00,226 --> 00:36:03,732 And as the Spirit of adoption, 885 00:36:03,732 --> 00:36:10,647 what does He produce within us? 886 00:36:10,647 --> 00:36:12,414 What comes out? 887 00:36:12,414 --> 00:36:14,233 What comes forth? 888 00:36:14,233 --> 00:36:16,473 What's the cry? 889 00:36:16,473 --> 00:36:20,995 Abba, Father. 890 00:36:20,995 --> 00:36:23,741 Abba, Father. 891 00:36:23,741 --> 00:36:29,666 Again, he backs them off of these tests 892 00:36:29,666 --> 00:36:33,157 just to the glories, 893 00:36:33,157 --> 00:36:36,798 just to the simplicity. 894 00:36:36,798 --> 00:36:43,111 Christian, have you not found 895 00:36:43,111 --> 00:36:46,611 that God is no longer some far off force? 896 00:36:46,611 --> 00:36:49,469 Some distant, out there God 897 00:36:49,469 --> 00:36:53,242 on the horizon? 898 00:36:53,242 --> 00:36:56,702 So often, the lost man just has this idea 899 00:36:56,702 --> 00:37:00,142 of God either as Santa Claus 900 00:37:00,142 --> 00:37:01,914 or is opposed to Him. 901 00:37:01,914 --> 00:37:05,271 But it's not that anymore. 902 00:37:05,271 --> 00:37:07,142 He's not some old man upstairs. 903 00:37:07,142 --> 00:37:10,913 Suddenly, God produces something in you 904 00:37:10,913 --> 00:37:14,428 when He saves you that cries, 905 00:37:14,428 --> 00:37:17,534 not just "Father," - "Abba." 906 00:37:17,534 --> 00:37:20,160 There's an endearment. 907 00:37:20,160 --> 00:37:23,265 And it's true. It's real. 908 00:37:23,265 --> 00:37:25,066 Do you not find a sweetness in that? 909 00:37:25,066 --> 00:37:27,152 It's like he's pulling these Christians 910 00:37:27,152 --> 00:37:31,025 back from "you're a liar," 911 00:37:31,025 --> 00:37:32,447 if you don't do this. 912 00:37:32,447 --> 00:37:35,963 He's pulling them back in to 913 00:37:35,963 --> 00:37:40,319 just come back to the very wonders 914 00:37:40,319 --> 00:37:42,236 of the foundations upon which 915 00:37:42,236 --> 00:37:44,662 your Christianity is built. 916 00:37:44,662 --> 00:37:48,859 You've been brought into this family. 917 00:37:48,859 --> 00:37:50,852 And then he says this, 918 00:37:50,852 --> 00:37:53,395 1 John 2:13 "I'm writing to you, fathers, 919 00:37:53,395 --> 00:37:56,681 because you know Him who is from the beginning." 920 00:37:56,681 --> 00:38:00,470 In 1 John 2:14 where he addresses the fathers 921 00:38:00,470 --> 00:38:02,620 the second time, he says, 922 00:38:02,620 --> 00:38:04,038 "I write to you, fathers, 923 00:38:04,038 --> 00:38:06,048 because you know Him who is from the beginning." 924 00:38:06,048 --> 00:38:07,856 He says exactly the same thing 925 00:38:07,856 --> 00:38:10,551 about the fathers both times. 926 00:38:10,551 --> 00:38:13,560 And I don't necessarily think 927 00:38:13,560 --> 00:38:15,720 Scripturally speaking that we need to 928 00:38:15,720 --> 00:38:21,188 think just of fathers in an age - 929 00:38:21,188 --> 00:38:25,114 a physical age sense, 930 00:38:25,114 --> 00:38:28,435 but more so the spiritually mature. 931 00:38:28,435 --> 00:38:31,013 But think about this, "Him who was from the beginning" 932 00:38:31,013 --> 00:38:32,247 as I pointed out before, 933 00:38:32,247 --> 00:38:34,645 this is speaking of Christ. 934 00:38:34,645 --> 00:38:36,911 And it's just come back from ideas 935 00:38:36,911 --> 00:38:38,488 about your performance 936 00:38:38,488 --> 00:38:41,415 and just think. 937 00:38:41,415 --> 00:38:43,745 John's saying I know this is true about you. 938 00:38:43,745 --> 00:38:46,132 I can see it. 939 00:38:46,132 --> 00:38:48,558 You've been professing to be a Christian 940 00:38:48,558 --> 00:38:51,249 for a long time, and I can see. 941 00:38:51,249 --> 00:38:54,399 There's an intimacy you have with Christ. 942 00:38:54,399 --> 00:38:58,058 I can stand off to the side and watch 943 00:38:58,058 --> 00:39:00,221 as some of these glorious lines 944 00:39:00,221 --> 00:39:02,481 come off these songs. 945 00:39:02,481 --> 00:39:04,922 I'm putting myself in John's position 946 00:39:04,922 --> 00:39:06,282 if he could see. 947 00:39:06,282 --> 00:39:07,775 He's saying, I know. 948 00:39:07,775 --> 00:39:09,447 I can see. 949 00:39:09,447 --> 00:39:12,234 I can see it in your eyes 950 00:39:12,234 --> 00:39:15,326 when the name of Christ comes up. 951 00:39:15,326 --> 00:39:19,720 It's not just some cold, dry, 952 00:39:19,720 --> 00:39:21,947 like you think when you're lost 953 00:39:21,947 --> 00:39:24,179 about the idea of religion. 954 00:39:24,179 --> 00:39:26,814 It was just dry. 955 00:39:26,814 --> 00:39:29,001 But the name Christ comes now, 956 00:39:29,001 --> 00:39:30,468 there is a sweetness. 957 00:39:30,468 --> 00:39:32,549 There is a beauty. 958 00:39:32,549 --> 00:39:34,650 He can look and say, I know. 959 00:39:34,650 --> 00:39:38,073 You guys have been walking with the Lord. 960 00:39:38,073 --> 00:39:39,599 I can see it. 961 00:39:39,599 --> 00:39:42,342 You know His voice 962 00:39:42,342 --> 00:39:44,773 in a way you used to not know it; 963 00:39:44,773 --> 00:39:50,634 His promptings. 964 00:39:50,634 --> 00:39:54,556 I see this. 965 00:39:54,556 --> 00:39:56,497 Not just knowing His voice, 966 00:39:56,497 --> 00:39:58,049 not just knowing His promptings, 967 00:39:58,049 --> 00:40:01,801 but knowing His silence. 968 00:40:01,801 --> 00:40:03,860 Just coming to know His dealings 969 00:40:03,860 --> 00:40:06,927 with His people. 970 00:40:06,927 --> 00:40:08,104 He says, I see it. 971 00:40:08,104 --> 00:40:10,508 I know it's there. 972 00:40:10,508 --> 00:40:12,567 This is spiritual maturity. 973 00:40:12,567 --> 00:40:13,783 John says I know, 974 00:40:13,783 --> 00:40:15,626 some of you might be shaken 975 00:40:15,626 --> 00:40:18,540 by the high standard that I put up. 976 00:40:18,540 --> 00:40:20,256 But I look at many of you, 977 00:40:20,256 --> 00:40:21,814 I look at your lives, 978 00:40:21,814 --> 00:40:27,452 I can see Christ is special to you. 979 00:40:27,452 --> 00:40:30,326 I know you are not serving Him the way 980 00:40:30,326 --> 00:40:32,329 you want to. 981 00:40:32,329 --> 00:40:37,035 I know you're not living the way 982 00:40:37,035 --> 00:40:40,264 you know He's worthy of. 983 00:40:40,264 --> 00:40:45,961 But I can see your eyes light up at His name. 984 00:40:45,961 --> 00:40:48,016 I can see the pain that you have 985 00:40:48,016 --> 00:40:49,930 when He's dishonored. 986 00:40:49,930 --> 00:40:51,777 I see that you know Him in a way 987 00:40:51,777 --> 00:40:54,640 that the rest of the world just doesn't know Him. 988 00:40:54,640 --> 00:40:56,304 You see, he's bringing these people 989 00:40:56,304 --> 00:40:58,448 to a place where he's going to 990 00:40:58,448 --> 00:41:00,020 some of the basics; 991 00:41:00,020 --> 00:41:06,229 some of the rudimentary realities 992 00:41:06,229 --> 00:41:12,062 about our walk, 993 00:41:12,062 --> 00:41:17,723 and how we view Christ. 994 00:41:17,723 --> 00:41:21,557 How we relate to Christ. 995 00:41:21,557 --> 00:41:24,230 And then he says this, 996 00:41:24,230 --> 00:41:26,417 he's going to talk to the young men 997 00:41:26,417 --> 00:41:30,257 about the devil. 998 00:41:30,257 --> 00:41:33,977 1 John 2:13 "I'm writing to you, young men, 999 00:41:33,977 --> 00:41:38,481 because you've overcome the evil one." 1000 00:41:38,481 --> 00:41:39,863 He says just the same thing, 1001 00:41:39,863 --> 00:41:41,159 but adds more detail 1002 00:41:41,159 --> 00:41:43,104 like that bee that he is, 1003 00:41:43,104 --> 00:41:44,717 he circles back around 1004 00:41:44,717 --> 00:41:46,462 and deals with it the second time. 1005 00:41:46,462 --> 00:41:49,328 1 John 2:14 "I write to you, young men, 1006 00:41:49,328 --> 00:41:51,773 because you are strong, 1007 00:41:51,773 --> 00:41:53,407 and the Word of God abides in you, 1008 00:41:53,407 --> 00:41:56,759 and you have overcome the evil one." 1009 00:41:56,759 --> 00:41:58,214 It's like can you imagine? 1010 00:41:58,214 --> 00:42:00,923 You get all these tests thrown at you. 1011 00:42:00,923 --> 00:42:02,114 And you're feeling like 1012 00:42:02,114 --> 00:42:07,202 you've not measured up so perfectly. 1013 00:42:07,202 --> 00:42:08,974 You feel weak. 1014 00:42:08,974 --> 00:42:11,581 You feel defeated by John's high standards. 1015 00:42:11,581 --> 00:42:13,655 And John says, 1016 00:42:13,655 --> 00:42:16,316 what are you talking about? 1017 00:42:16,316 --> 00:42:18,788 I can see you. 1018 00:42:18,788 --> 00:42:21,227 I know you're not perfect. 1019 00:42:21,227 --> 00:42:22,334 But weak? 1020 00:42:22,334 --> 00:42:23,962 When you sit there and talk about 1021 00:42:23,962 --> 00:42:25,633 your weakness and your failures, 1022 00:42:25,633 --> 00:42:28,658 it's sheer ignorance. 1023 00:42:28,658 --> 00:42:30,741 Really? 1024 00:42:30,741 --> 00:42:32,951 What does he see that we don't see? 1025 00:42:32,951 --> 00:42:35,741 John says I know you fail, 1026 00:42:35,741 --> 00:42:38,969 but as I mentioned, 1027 00:42:38,969 --> 00:42:42,666 the true Christian is going to confess it. 1028 00:42:42,666 --> 00:42:44,680 I'm writing to you that you don't sin, 1029 00:42:44,680 --> 00:42:46,560 but when you do, 1030 00:42:46,560 --> 00:42:48,224 the true Christian is going to find 1031 00:42:48,224 --> 00:42:50,281 an Advocate in Christ. 1032 00:42:50,281 --> 00:42:52,405 Their hope is only going to be there, 1033 00:42:52,405 --> 00:42:55,411 and the propitiatory work of His 1034 00:42:55,411 --> 00:42:57,899 upon that cross in satisfying God. 1035 00:42:57,899 --> 00:43:00,285 He says it's ignorance when you talk about 1036 00:43:00,285 --> 00:43:03,158 weakness like this. 1037 00:43:03,158 --> 00:43:06,620 That's strength. 1038 00:43:06,620 --> 00:43:07,892 We look at it as though, 1039 00:43:07,892 --> 00:43:11,944 well, it's only strength if we live perfect. 1040 00:43:11,944 --> 00:43:14,224 He sees strength. 1041 00:43:14,224 --> 00:43:20,007 He sees triumph over the evil one 1042 00:43:20,007 --> 00:43:23,545 when we sin and we go to God 1043 00:43:23,545 --> 00:43:25,722 and we confess it. 1044 00:43:25,722 --> 00:43:29,162 And we look to the healing blood 1045 00:43:29,162 --> 00:43:31,585 of Christ. 1046 00:43:31,585 --> 00:43:35,321 Do you recall what this same John 1047 00:43:35,321 --> 00:43:39,363 tells us in Revelation 12? 1048 00:43:39,363 --> 00:43:43,257 How do they overcome the evil one? 1049 00:43:43,257 --> 00:43:46,757 By the blood of Christ. 1050 00:43:46,757 --> 00:43:51,045 How does the conquering take place? 1051 00:43:51,045 --> 00:43:53,245 So much of the conquering is here 1052 00:43:53,245 --> 00:43:54,498 that when we do fail, 1053 00:43:54,498 --> 00:43:59,289 when we do sin, where do we go? 1054 00:43:59,289 --> 00:44:01,829 We go back to the blood. 1055 00:44:01,829 --> 00:44:04,004 Remember right before that verse, 1056 00:44:04,004 --> 00:44:07,096 it says he's an accuser of the brethren. 1057 00:44:07,096 --> 00:44:09,111 You see, it's in his accusations 1058 00:44:09,111 --> 00:44:10,668 we overcome by the blood. 1059 00:44:10,668 --> 00:44:12,197 How? 1060 00:44:12,197 --> 00:44:14,543 Because you don't want to argue 1061 00:44:14,543 --> 00:44:17,293 performance with the devil 1062 00:44:17,293 --> 00:44:20,879 How do you overcome? 1063 00:44:20,879 --> 00:44:23,278 You know what the way to deal with the devil is? 1064 00:44:23,278 --> 00:44:27,566 And even the accusations of your own conscience? 1065 00:44:27,566 --> 00:44:30,250 It's true. I failed. 1066 00:44:30,250 --> 00:44:32,946 But let me tell you about the blood. 1067 00:44:32,946 --> 00:44:35,844 Let me tell you what that was shed for. 1068 00:44:35,844 --> 00:44:39,742 Devil, I did just fail. 1069 00:44:39,742 --> 00:44:45,617 I can list lots more failures in my life than just that one. 1070 00:44:45,617 --> 00:44:47,788 But let's talk about the blood. 1071 00:44:47,788 --> 00:44:51,627 Let's talk about what that accomplishes in my life. 1072 00:44:51,627 --> 00:44:53,606 These realities are found in Scripture. 1073 00:44:53,606 --> 00:44:55,254 He's talking to these young men 1074 00:44:55,254 --> 00:44:56,787 about the fact that this Word of God 1075 00:44:56,787 --> 00:44:57,906 is abiding in them. 1076 00:44:57,906 --> 00:44:59,660 And John's saying, I see you out there. 1077 00:44:59,660 --> 00:45:01,551 I see you that are reading your Bibles. 1078 00:45:01,551 --> 00:45:03,788 I see you that are affected by the truths in there. 1079 00:45:03,788 --> 00:45:06,548 I see those of you that see the Christ in there. 1080 00:45:06,548 --> 00:45:07,908 And He's your hope. 1081 00:45:07,908 --> 00:45:10,232 I see that. 1082 00:45:10,232 --> 00:45:12,245 I'm writing to you because you're strong; 1083 00:45:12,245 --> 00:45:13,242 you're not weak. 1084 00:45:13,242 --> 00:45:16,152 These things may make you feel like that, 1085 00:45:16,152 --> 00:45:20,382 but you have to recognize, 1086 00:45:20,382 --> 00:45:22,858 the Christianity that God puts forth 1087 00:45:22,858 --> 00:45:24,792 is for the average Christian, 1088 00:45:24,792 --> 00:45:25,954 if we can talk that way. 1089 00:45:25,954 --> 00:45:27,516 It's not just for the Charles Spurgeon's 1090 00:45:27,516 --> 00:45:29,149 and for the Amy Carmichael's. 1091 00:45:29,149 --> 00:45:31,879 This is for us. 1092 00:45:31,879 --> 00:45:37,287 And what these things look like in reality 1093 00:45:37,287 --> 00:45:38,836 is the kind of Christianity 1094 00:45:38,836 --> 00:45:40,925 we're living out in this place 1095 00:45:40,925 --> 00:45:43,131 by and large, most of us. 1096 00:45:43,131 --> 00:45:44,539 Those of us that are true. 1097 00:45:44,539 --> 00:45:45,862 What does it look like? 1098 00:45:45,862 --> 00:45:48,660 Yes, there's going to be failures. 1099 00:45:48,660 --> 00:45:50,241 Yes, that's going to be there. 1100 00:45:50,241 --> 00:45:53,093 Yes, we're going to fall on our faces at times. 1101 00:45:53,093 --> 00:45:55,439 We have doubts and things will crop up. 1102 00:45:55,439 --> 00:45:56,543 And we're not perfect. 1103 00:45:56,543 --> 00:45:58,548 And we know it and John knows it 1104 00:45:58,548 --> 00:46:01,023 and the devil knows it. 1105 00:46:01,023 --> 00:46:03,875 But we don't deny those things. 1106 00:46:03,875 --> 00:46:08,098 We confess it. 1107 00:46:08,098 --> 00:46:13,072 We know. We acknowledge we sinned. 1108 00:46:13,072 --> 00:46:14,476 But devil, you tell me, 1109 00:46:14,476 --> 00:46:16,618 how do you answer to the blood? 1110 00:46:16,618 --> 00:46:19,027 Are you going to keep on with your accusations? 1111 00:46:19,027 --> 00:46:20,718 It says we conquer him that way. 1112 00:46:20,718 --> 00:46:23,698 The truth is he has no answer to that. 1113 00:46:23,698 --> 00:46:25,884 And you know what happens when you do that? 1114 00:46:25,884 --> 00:46:28,361 You just overcame the evil one. 1115 00:46:28,361 --> 00:46:30,652 Really? Wow! 1116 00:46:30,652 --> 00:46:32,328 See, that's what he's saying. 1117 00:46:32,328 --> 00:46:34,632 You're strong! 1118 00:46:34,632 --> 00:46:37,390 You're strong when you do that. 1119 00:46:37,390 --> 00:46:39,857 John is just looking out at many of us 1120 00:46:39,857 --> 00:46:42,746 and he's saying, I know your faith. 1121 00:46:42,746 --> 00:46:45,614 It may be weak, 1122 00:46:45,614 --> 00:46:48,181 but though it's weak, it clings to Christ. 1123 00:46:48,181 --> 00:46:50,095 I see you hesitating; I see you at times 1124 00:46:50,095 --> 00:46:53,544 questioning at the forcefulness of these tests. 1125 00:46:53,544 --> 00:46:55,914 Yes, they're forceful. 1126 00:46:55,914 --> 00:46:57,371 They're strong. 1127 00:46:57,371 --> 00:46:59,564 Yes, your obedience is not always perfect. 1128 00:46:59,564 --> 00:47:03,046 Our love is certainly not always perfect. 1129 00:47:03,046 --> 00:47:05,852 But he says, look, there's evidence; 1130 00:47:05,852 --> 00:47:08,671 there's evidence of reality. 1131 00:47:08,671 --> 00:47:13,787 We must not expect this to be easy. 1132 00:47:13,787 --> 00:47:15,941 Because it's not going to be. 1133 00:47:15,941 --> 00:47:17,627 We're told to strive to enter in. 1134 00:47:17,627 --> 00:47:19,744 Many are going to seek to enter in there 1135 00:47:19,744 --> 00:47:22,819 and they're not going to be able. 1136 00:47:22,819 --> 00:47:24,746 We must not expect everything 1137 00:47:24,746 --> 00:47:27,356 in this Christian life to be automatic. 1138 00:47:27,356 --> 00:47:31,324 A lot of Christians, they become unsettled 1139 00:47:31,324 --> 00:47:32,493 because they feel like, 1140 00:47:32,493 --> 00:47:33,959 well, if I truly got saved, 1141 00:47:33,959 --> 00:47:36,061 this shouldn't be so hard. 1142 00:47:36,061 --> 00:47:37,585 They just feel like the switch 1143 00:47:37,585 --> 00:47:38,845 should just get turned off 1144 00:47:38,845 --> 00:47:45,176 on these lusts and desires of the flesh 1145 00:47:45,176 --> 00:47:48,031 that wage war against my soul. 1146 00:47:48,031 --> 00:47:51,189 It's just like, well, if I was really saved, 1147 00:47:51,189 --> 00:47:55,822 wouldn't I stop feeling that? 1148 00:47:55,822 --> 00:48:00,692 Wouldn't I stop feeling the pull of these things? 1149 00:48:00,692 --> 00:48:02,487 Well, as the Christian, 1150 00:48:02,487 --> 00:48:03,939 you battle this with truth. 1151 00:48:03,939 --> 00:48:05,426 You battle this with the blood. 1152 00:48:05,426 --> 00:48:07,008 Certainly, if you're born again, 1153 00:48:07,008 --> 00:48:08,906 you're a new creation. 1154 00:48:08,906 --> 00:48:10,777 But we know - Peter lets us know, 1155 00:48:10,777 --> 00:48:12,890 it's still a battle. 1156 00:48:12,890 --> 00:48:14,401 You're going to face combat. 1157 00:48:14,401 --> 00:48:15,893 You're going to face conflict, 1158 00:48:15,893 --> 00:48:16,783 fierce warfare. 1159 00:48:16,783 --> 00:48:17,582 It's hard. 1160 00:48:17,582 --> 00:48:18,655 We feel the hardness. 1161 00:48:18,655 --> 00:48:20,343 We watch others fall away. 1162 00:48:20,343 --> 00:48:22,400 It may cause us to tremble all the more, 1163 00:48:22,400 --> 00:48:24,972 but John says I see you there. 1164 00:48:24,972 --> 00:48:27,045 You have foundations in place. 1165 00:48:27,045 --> 00:48:30,010 I see there are those of you that struggle, 1166 00:48:30,010 --> 00:48:31,913 but you show promise. 1167 00:48:31,913 --> 00:48:34,739 I write to you because I see those things. 1168 00:48:34,739 --> 00:48:36,106 Take courage. Take heart. 1169 00:48:36,106 --> 00:48:37,978 Be brave. Be courageous. 1170 00:48:37,978 --> 00:48:41,301 Press onward; upward; forward. 1171 00:48:41,301 --> 00:48:43,033 You may feel weak. 1172 00:48:43,033 --> 00:48:45,177 But you've got to remember, 1173 00:48:45,177 --> 00:48:48,823 when you deal with sin by the blood, 1174 00:48:48,823 --> 00:48:52,481 you overcome a mighty fallen angel. 1175 00:48:52,481 --> 00:48:55,192 You're showing strength. 1176 00:48:55,192 --> 00:48:57,651 You show yourself strong. 1177 00:48:57,651 --> 00:49:01,335 Not in yourself, but in Christ. 1178 00:49:01,335 --> 00:49:07,072 This seems to be what these three verses 1179 00:49:07,072 --> 00:49:09,873 are meant to do; 1180 00:49:09,873 --> 00:49:12,338 just to bring us back 1181 00:49:12,338 --> 00:49:17,763 to the wonderful glories 1182 00:49:17,763 --> 00:49:19,664 of being a Christian. 1183 00:49:19,664 --> 00:49:22,265 Some of these things that are just 1184 00:49:22,265 --> 00:49:25,316 they're there, they're realities. 1185 00:49:25,316 --> 00:49:29,190 John can look at them and say, 1186 00:49:29,190 --> 00:49:31,155 "I'm writing to you, little children," 1187 00:49:31,155 --> 00:49:33,487 because I know these things are true about you. 1188 00:49:33,487 --> 00:49:37,014 I see these things are true about you. 1189 00:49:37,014 --> 00:49:43,246 Look, if these things are not true about you, 1190 00:49:43,246 --> 00:49:47,331 then Christ bids you - 1191 00:49:47,331 --> 00:49:48,862 He bids you to seek Him 1192 00:49:48,862 --> 00:49:50,009 while He may be found. 1193 00:49:50,009 --> 00:49:53,363 He bids you to cry out to Him. 1194 00:49:53,363 --> 00:49:55,732 He bids you, like He says, 1195 00:49:55,732 --> 00:49:57,684 "Come unto Me, all you that labor 1196 00:49:57,684 --> 00:50:00,740 and are heavy laden." 1197 00:50:00,740 --> 00:50:03,613 He bids you to plead for mercy 1198 00:50:03,613 --> 00:50:05,555 in the name of Jesus Christ. 1199 00:50:05,555 --> 00:50:10,925 He bids you do that. 1200 00:50:10,925 --> 00:50:14,979 We don't want to give the dogs 1201 00:50:14,979 --> 00:50:19,936 the children's food. 1202 00:50:19,936 --> 00:50:21,261 But at the same time, 1203 00:50:21,261 --> 00:50:23,305 He doesn't want the children all shaken 1204 00:50:23,305 --> 00:50:27,357 about these things.