WEBVTT 00:00:03.200 --> 00:00:05.759 Welcome to the Refinery Church Sermon Podcast. 00:00:05.919 --> 00:00:07.599 We're so glad you've joined us today. 00:00:07.759 --> 00:00:13.359 Our prayer is that this message will help you grow in your pursuit to love and follow Jesus for life. 00:00:13.599 --> 00:00:21.280 If you'd like to learn more about the refinery, find ways to get connected, share a prayer request, or explore resources to help you grow deeper in your walk with Christ. 00:00:21.440 --> 00:00:24.239 Visit us online at refineryohio.com. 00:00:24.480 --> 00:00:27.280 Now let's dive into today's message. 00:00:31.839 --> 00:00:34.640 So the other day, I was out trail running. 00:00:36.320 --> 00:00:42.560 And from behind me, I hear this lady yell, 91! I was not encouraged. 00:00:42.640 --> 00:00:44.000 I didn't first service. 00:00:44.159 --> 00:00:50.240 So first service, I didn't drop that joke because it the Spirit didn't drop it into my life, but he dropped it in my life for you. 00:00:50.560 --> 00:00:54.320 So I'm glad you responded well, because if not, I was like, I thought that was pretty funny. 00:00:54.399 --> 00:00:55.759 I thought that was pretty funny. 00:00:56.000 --> 00:00:58.240 Hey, it's been a great morning to be together. 00:00:58.320 --> 00:00:59.679 We love baptism. 00:01:00.159 --> 00:01:02.399 Um I love hearing the testimonies. 00:01:02.640 --> 00:01:04.159 One of the testimonies, first service. 00:01:04.239 --> 00:01:08.879 Uh there's a guy and he's here for AA meeting, and he heard some music playing in the worship center. 00:01:08.959 --> 00:01:13.680 Uh the team was, I think, rehearsing for Easter or something, because it's normally a Thursday night rehearsal. 00:01:13.920 --> 00:01:22.239 And so he kind of just peeked in and listened, and he's actually a part of our ministry team now on Sunday mornings uh in the rotation to play. 00:01:22.319 --> 00:01:24.560 And he's like, I maybe should check out church. 00:01:24.640 --> 00:01:26.400 And the Lord brought him back in that way. 00:01:26.640 --> 00:01:30.560 There's another one that family member said, Hey, you you should come to church. 00:01:30.640 --> 00:01:32.959 You should come to church, you should come to church, kept inviting to church. 00:01:33.120 --> 00:01:33.920 There's stories. 00:01:34.000 --> 00:01:38.480 Uh, and I I just, man, I'm so grateful for how God reaches out to us in all the different ways. 00:01:38.560 --> 00:01:46.400 We had one other baptism that was supposed to take place this morning, but they had a family emergency, and so I was just texting with her, and so I said, Yep, we'll get you in the water uh soon. 00:01:46.480 --> 00:01:48.079 Just let us know anything we can do for you. 00:01:48.239 --> 00:01:52.480 And she said, if you'd pray for us, so so we'll we'll pray for her here in just a moment. 00:01:52.640 --> 00:01:57.439 Um and so, but it is, it's just so good to be together to celebrate those things. 00:01:57.519 --> 00:01:59.040 But let's pray for that one family right now. 00:01:59.200 --> 00:02:02.640 You don't know her specifically, but I told her we would pray, and so you'll pray with me. 00:02:02.879 --> 00:02:12.159 Father, we uh ask that you be with Jasmine and her family right now as they're just dealing with some stuff, navigating some things, and so thankful that they're getting the care they need, working through the stuff uh that's come up. 00:02:12.319 --> 00:02:16.639 And um, Lord, I I'm thankful that you're closer than we are, even. 00:02:16.800 --> 00:02:23.599 Uh Lord, if uh we become aware of other ways that we might tangibly meet needs and care for them and their family, uh help us to do that. 00:02:23.759 --> 00:02:27.439 Thank you for all the baptism, all the stories, uh, all the stories of lives today. 00:02:27.680 --> 00:02:28.479 Might we honor you? 00:02:28.560 --> 00:02:29.759 It's in the name of Jesus we pray. 00:02:30.000 --> 00:02:30.639 Amen. 00:02:31.280 --> 00:02:33.360 Uh, one last thing before we jump into the message. 00:02:33.439 --> 00:02:39.120 Uh, this Friday night we have block party, and so this is honestly just an excuse to be together. 00:02:39.280 --> 00:02:42.000 Uh we'll be in the backfield of the church. 00:02:42.080 --> 00:02:43.919 Uh, we have a bunch of inflatables for kids. 00:02:44.000 --> 00:02:45.599 Uh, there's free ice cream for anybody. 00:02:45.759 --> 00:02:48.000 Lil E's, I think, is what little ladies, little ladies. 00:02:48.240 --> 00:02:49.919 Lil E's is the only place from plain city. 00:02:50.240 --> 00:02:51.439 Anybody else remember that one? 00:02:51.599 --> 00:02:53.520 Oh, yeah, that was a tough one to lose. 00:02:53.680 --> 00:03:00.319 Um, but little ladies are great, we'll have some food trucks, just a chance to come, to hang out, to connect with people, uh, play pickleball, whatever it might be. 00:03:00.400 --> 00:03:02.479 And so it's an easy invite to to church. 00:03:02.560 --> 00:03:03.840 Just say, hey, want to check it out. 00:03:03.919 --> 00:03:11.280 And if you've got a friend that they're like, I don't like church, I think they just take from you or whatever, but then come take ice cream for free and then leave, and you kind of stick it to the man, right? 00:03:11.439 --> 00:03:15.840 Um, so however it works, but we look forward to being together, and so we'd love to have you there. 00:03:16.000 --> 00:03:18.159 6 30 to 8 30 or 6 to 8. 00:03:18.560 --> 00:03:19.759 It's one of those times. 00:03:19.840 --> 00:03:22.479 Just come at 5 30, you'll be fine, just in case. 00:03:22.719 --> 00:03:25.199 Um, but we're looking forward to being together. 00:03:25.439 --> 00:03:30.000 Hey, um, so people don't always have the same opinion on stuff. 00:03:30.159 --> 00:03:31.360 Have you noticed this? 00:03:31.759 --> 00:03:34.080 This kind of this kind of new is this new to anybody? 00:03:34.319 --> 00:03:36.240 You know there's different worldviews? 00:03:37.520 --> 00:03:40.080 And it no, okay, this is new information, right? 00:03:40.159 --> 00:03:41.280 I'm gonna help you out. 00:03:41.520 --> 00:03:50.479 People have different thoughts, different ideas, um, understandings of reality, of how the world works, of how it should work. 00:03:50.719 --> 00:03:52.319 Uh, and it can be highly contentious. 00:03:52.400 --> 00:03:56.800 Sometimes like it's silly stuff, sports stuff, whatever, but sometimes like it's a really big deal. 00:03:57.039 --> 00:04:00.479 Cultural issues, social issues, political issues, economic theory. 00:04:00.639 --> 00:04:04.800 And people have these strong opinions on how it should work. 00:04:05.120 --> 00:04:07.439 And we don't always agree with one another. 00:04:07.599 --> 00:04:14.240 It can become a problem in your family, or holidays can be a little off, it can be a difficulty in school. 00:04:14.479 --> 00:04:15.520 How do I communicate? 00:04:15.680 --> 00:04:21.439 Communicate well, it can be hard in the marketplace or in your professional life because somebody says something, uh, do I say something back? 00:04:21.600 --> 00:04:22.079 Do I not? 00:04:22.160 --> 00:04:23.600 Like I gotta be careful. 00:04:23.839 --> 00:04:27.759 It's one of those things that, I mean, just neighbors, you know, can I put up this sign? 00:04:27.920 --> 00:04:29.439 Should I not put up this sign? 00:04:30.000 --> 00:04:31.360 What should I do? 00:04:31.759 --> 00:04:35.920 But it's important, like, we try and actually understand the perspective of other people. 00:04:37.279 --> 00:04:47.600 If somebody says something that you're like, man, I just can't imagine somebody would think that or believe that or hold to that ideal or that understanding, like it's super important then to say, hey, would you mind sharing how you got there? 00:04:47.680 --> 00:04:56.399 And so, and if they start to get defensive, because that's kind of how our culture trains us now, just say, Oh no, no, I'm not attacking, I'm just I'm legitimately curious, how did you land on that opinion? 00:04:56.480 --> 00:04:58.240 Like, tell me your story. 00:04:59.120 --> 00:05:12.639 A person's perspective, right, it's inevitably shaped by what they've learned, by their experiences, both good and bad, depending on the home they grew up in, depending on the work that they've done before, depending on economic challenges maybe they faced. 00:05:12.800 --> 00:05:19.920 I was listening to a podcast just this past week, and there was a guy, and he was raised uh overseas up until he was about 12. 00:05:20.079 --> 00:05:29.680 Both countries, his parents were missionaries, they had to leave both countries because civil wars broke out in those countries, and it's radically shaped the way he views the world. 00:05:30.000 --> 00:05:32.959 It's just a different perspective than you or I might have. 00:05:33.439 --> 00:05:40.879 But people have this range of opinions, perspectives, viewpoints, and I know I'm belaboring the point, I'm doing it on purpose. 00:05:41.680 --> 00:05:43.519 We need to be aware of this. 00:05:43.759 --> 00:05:52.319 Uh, each week, on every every Sunday morning that I speak, like I'm aware, hundreds of people I speak to from a such a diverse background. 00:05:52.560 --> 00:05:58.879 Your educational experiences, your workplace experiences, I mean, just ages in the room. 00:05:59.120 --> 00:06:05.759 Some have barely traveled around this sun a decade, others have, you've been around it a few extra times. 00:06:06.000 --> 00:06:07.120 Bless your heart. 00:06:07.279 --> 00:06:08.560 You know who you are. 00:06:08.959 --> 00:06:10.639 And so there's just a range of people. 00:06:10.800 --> 00:06:17.839 Your educational background, whether it was a good week, whether it was a bad week, some of y'all don't say y'all, and I don't understand that. 00:06:18.399 --> 00:06:19.680 But it's just one of those things. 00:06:19.759 --> 00:06:24.480 There's all these kind of things operating, and I know what happens because it's happened from time to time. 00:06:24.720 --> 00:06:27.439 I'll say something, and somebody's like, I disagree. 00:06:28.079 --> 00:06:29.839 I think he's wrong. 00:06:30.800 --> 00:06:37.680 And I always tell people, listen, if that happens, I would love for you to tell me because one of three things has happened. 00:06:37.920 --> 00:06:42.079 Either first, like I've just miscommunicated, or I communicated poorly. 00:06:42.319 --> 00:06:53.519 Or I made a side statement that didn't mean much to me, and it was just to get from one place to the next, but for you, it really kind of hung you up, and so it's like, oh man, I didn't think about it from that vantage point or that angle. 00:06:53.600 --> 00:06:55.360 I appreciate you making me aware. 00:06:55.759 --> 00:06:58.800 The second thing that could happen is you just misheard. 00:06:59.759 --> 00:07:06.000 Sometimes it's just like, well, when you said this, you know, you must admit X, Y, and Z, it's like, oh no, I would have never actually even thought of that. 00:07:06.240 --> 00:07:07.519 And like, why would you think that? 00:07:07.600 --> 00:07:11.600 And it's like, oh, based on my life, I'm like, oh, I see how you got there, but that's that's not what I said. 00:07:11.680 --> 00:07:16.240 Or you got distracted by a text or a passage in the Bible and you heard half of the statement. 00:07:16.560 --> 00:07:18.000 The third thing that could happen, right? 00:07:18.079 --> 00:07:20.079 One, I maybe miscommunicate, two, maybe you misheard. 00:07:20.160 --> 00:07:22.240 The third, we just disagree fundamentally. 00:07:22.800 --> 00:07:26.800 But the reason I would love for you to tell me that is because it gives us a chance to grow. 00:07:27.040 --> 00:07:32.720 In the first case, like I can just become a better communicator, like, oh, okay, I've got to think through how I say those things. 00:07:32.959 --> 00:07:35.120 All right, yeah, I hadn't thought about that before. 00:07:35.199 --> 00:07:39.360 I didn't realize that that, you know, that expression work could work in that way. 00:07:39.680 --> 00:07:40.720 The second thing, right? 00:07:40.800 --> 00:07:43.759 I mean, it just gives you a chance to learn as to be a listener. 00:07:43.920 --> 00:07:45.759 Like, active listening is important. 00:07:45.839 --> 00:07:48.319 Like, we're both engaged in this process. 00:07:48.639 --> 00:07:55.759 But the third piece, even if we just fundamentally disagree with one another, how cool that we get to hear each other's perspective and try and figure out, hey, how'd you land there? 00:07:56.160 --> 00:07:57.519 What's your thought on that? 00:07:58.399 --> 00:08:01.519 Are you familiar with the uh blind men and the elephant parable? 00:08:01.759 --> 00:08:03.680 Anybody familiar with the blind men and the elephant? 00:08:03.839 --> 00:08:05.519 All right, a handful of us. 00:08:06.639 --> 00:08:13.040 So there's this story, and it goes, five men are blindfolded or they're blind, and they're placed before an elephant. 00:08:13.199 --> 00:08:20.560 And they said, Describe what's before you, and one is placed at the trunk of the elephant and describes the elephant like you'd describe an elephant's trunk. 00:08:20.800 --> 00:08:24.560 The other one's placed at the leg of the elephant and says, No, that doesn't make any sense. 00:08:24.639 --> 00:08:25.920 This is like a tree. 00:08:26.240 --> 00:08:29.600 This thing is powerful, and this is like a tree. 00:08:30.000 --> 00:08:33.840 The third one is placed at the body of the elephant and says, Well, that doesn't make any sense either. 00:08:33.919 --> 00:08:34.799 This thing's like a wall. 00:08:34.879 --> 00:08:36.159 I don't know what you're talking about. 00:08:36.240 --> 00:08:37.200 That's not what this is. 00:08:37.279 --> 00:08:38.559 This is a wall. 00:08:38.879 --> 00:08:46.000 Somebody else is placed at the tail of an elephant, which I should have looked up what the tail of an elephant looks like, because I'm not 100% sure. 00:08:46.639 --> 00:08:48.879 So they described it like that, yeah. 00:08:50.879 --> 00:08:56.320 And they begin to debate with one another what's before them, thinking, you're you've got to be kidding me. 00:08:56.399 --> 00:08:57.600 You have no idea what you're doing. 00:08:57.759 --> 00:08:58.320 This is a tree. 00:08:58.399 --> 00:08:59.200 This is a wall. 00:08:59.360 --> 00:09:00.480 It's like a giant snake. 00:09:00.879 --> 00:09:02.639 That's not what this is, it's a tail. 00:09:02.799 --> 00:09:04.960 Um, you know, because I don't know what to say. 00:09:05.279 --> 00:09:09.200 So in each case, they become more and more heat. 00:09:09.440 --> 00:09:10.000 Why? 00:09:11.039 --> 00:09:13.440 Because they can't understand the vantage point of the other person. 00:09:13.600 --> 00:09:15.440 Now the question is, who's right? 00:09:17.279 --> 00:09:18.240 All of them. 00:09:19.039 --> 00:09:22.720 If all you know is the side of the elephant, it feels like a wall. 00:09:22.799 --> 00:09:24.799 If all you know is the leg of an elephant, it feels like a tree. 00:09:24.879 --> 00:09:32.879 If all you know it's a simple little story, and there's some wisdom in it. 00:09:33.519 --> 00:09:40.639 Sometimes arguments or disagreements break out because we've just not fully understood the perspective of another person. 00:09:40.799 --> 00:09:42.240 That can happen. 00:09:44.720 --> 00:09:49.600 But sometimes our disagreements are because we're of something more. 00:09:49.840 --> 00:09:59.759 Sometimes it's because we see different parts of the same thing, but this is in there's a hidden assumption in the story that all men are touching the same elephant, but what if they're not? 00:10:01.919 --> 00:10:05.919 At times, disagreements rooted in a need for greater understanding, but that's not always the case. 00:10:06.080 --> 00:10:11.919 What if we're not describing the same thing from different angles, but we have fundamentally different takes on what is real? 00:10:14.720 --> 00:10:23.919 What if we literally disagree, and it doesn't matter how much you see it from my vantage point or I see it from your vantage point, we just fundamentally see the issue differently. 00:10:25.120 --> 00:10:29.600 And so suddenly the question isn't, man, can I appreciate your perspective? 00:10:29.919 --> 00:10:33.679 The question becomes, like, what's true? 00:10:34.240 --> 00:10:36.559 How do I discern what is true? 00:10:36.720 --> 00:10:39.519 How do we determine what's true? 00:10:40.080 --> 00:10:42.879 I'd like to invite you to this morning to turn with me to the book of 1 John. 00:10:42.960 --> 00:10:47.840 We've been walking through 1 John, understanding more and more how we might be full followers of Jesus. 00:10:48.000 --> 00:10:51.840 If you're not familiar with the Bible, it's Old and New Testament, 39 books in the old, 27 in the new. 00:10:51.919 --> 00:10:53.919 It's a library, an ancient library. 00:10:54.240 --> 00:10:59.120 In John, he's written the Gospel of John, first, second, third, John, and then the book of Revelation. 00:10:59.360 --> 00:11:03.120 A couple quick notes, though, before we jump into it, we'll be in chapter 4, beginning in verse 1. 00:11:03.279 --> 00:11:10.080 When John talks about spirits here, don't think Disney fairies, don't think Ebenezer Scrooge and the spirits that are gonna visit him. 00:11:10.320 --> 00:11:12.480 Think something much more practical. 00:11:13.840 --> 00:11:16.240 What are people saying is true? 00:11:16.799 --> 00:11:19.519 People are claiming to speak for God or speak for truth. 00:11:19.679 --> 00:11:22.080 What is it that they're saying is true? 00:11:23.679 --> 00:11:27.279 So don't, he's gonna say, don't simply accept everything presented as true. 00:11:27.440 --> 00:11:28.080 Test what you hear. 00:11:28.159 --> 00:11:28.960 And this is the way it reads. 00:11:29.039 --> 00:11:36.879 It says, Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. 00:11:38.159 --> 00:11:41.600 Because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 00:11:42.159 --> 00:11:46.480 So it's not enough to just have good intentions. 00:11:46.960 --> 00:11:49.120 You can be well-meaning and still be wrong. 00:11:49.360 --> 00:11:55.519 I can be very well-intentioned, and man, I sought to convey something in as best of manner possible, and it was just wrong. 00:11:55.600 --> 00:11:56.960 It missed the mark. 00:11:58.159 --> 00:11:59.360 Verse 3. 00:12:01.919 --> 00:12:03.759 Or sorry, verse 2 first still. 00:12:04.000 --> 00:12:05.840 This is how you can recognize the spirit of God. 00:12:06.000 --> 00:12:10.399 Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God. 00:12:11.519 --> 00:12:15.440 But every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. 00:12:16.240 --> 00:12:20.000 This is the spirit of the Antichrist, which, again, we talked about last week. 00:12:20.080 --> 00:12:26.159 Some people hear that and they get wigged out, like, oh, I gotta figure out which political feeder leader or business leader or whoever is the Antichrist. 00:12:26.320 --> 00:12:26.879 No, no, no. 00:12:26.960 --> 00:12:29.679 It's anybody who is anti-the things of God. 00:12:30.480 --> 00:12:37.200 Advocating for a way of treating people, of living in life, of engaging in the world in a way that is anti-the things of Christ. 00:12:37.279 --> 00:12:42.960 And he's gonna go on to say this, which you have already heard is coming and even now is already in the world. 00:12:45.440 --> 00:12:48.639 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them. 00:12:51.039 --> 00:12:55.120 Because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 00:12:55.279 --> 00:12:57.840 And remember what John means by the world here. 00:12:58.720 --> 00:13:02.559 The world in this sense is not for God so loved the world, that's just God loves all of humanity, right? 00:13:02.639 --> 00:13:05.360 It's written in Greek, Koinea Greek, common Greek of the day. 00:13:05.440 --> 00:13:06.960 And so words can mean different things. 00:13:07.039 --> 00:13:08.399 We've understood this before. 00:13:08.639 --> 00:13:16.480 But he's saying the world as it's framed in chapter two, broken systems, broken ways of viewing the world that lead to broken people. 00:13:16.960 --> 00:13:19.919 John's saying, make no place for that in your life. 00:13:20.559 --> 00:13:23.840 Because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 00:13:24.000 --> 00:13:29.039 Like, we don't rally up on Sundays, like, man, just hunkered down, been a tough week, just hang in there, we gotta go to heaven someday. 00:13:29.200 --> 00:13:29.679 No, no, no. 00:13:29.919 --> 00:13:34.080 Like it's this sense of like, man, the Spirit of God is at work in our lives. 00:13:34.720 --> 00:13:39.679 We're not hiding, we're not fearful, we rally up, make sure we got the game planned, let's go live this thing out. 00:13:40.000 --> 00:13:40.799 Boldly. 00:13:40.960 --> 00:13:47.120 In our schools, in our workplaces, in our communities, when life is on the mountaintop and when we're walking in the valley. 00:13:52.159 --> 00:13:57.679 They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. 00:13:58.879 --> 00:14:04.559 We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us, but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. 00:14:04.639 --> 00:14:11.919 This is how we recognize the spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood. 00:14:14.080 --> 00:14:19.679 We don't know exactly all the conversation unfolding in the first century that John's writing to. 00:14:20.639 --> 00:14:24.320 There was a heresy around that time called Gnosticism. 00:14:24.559 --> 00:14:37.120 People believe they had a special insight, a special knowledge of God, and they also believe that Jesus didn't actually become fully human, he was kind of partly human, so he didn't actually die, and there's some things that John is probably dealing with here. 00:14:38.080 --> 00:14:44.559 But the concept holds that there's a multitude of ideas and concepts, and people want to know so what do I actually listen to? 00:14:45.200 --> 00:14:49.759 And it's not a problem only in the ancient world, it's been a problem throughout all of human history. 00:14:50.080 --> 00:14:57.840 There's different theories, there's different ideas, there's different beliefs, and there's different philosophies and claims about what is true and how we should live. 00:14:58.879 --> 00:15:06.879 And sometimes people say, Well, your truth is your truth, I'll let my truth be my truth, but and that works as long as you don't apply any logic whatsoever. 00:15:07.440 --> 00:15:18.320 But as soon as you apply logic, and the truth I hold to is diametrically opposed to the truth you hold to, we either have to say that truth means nothing, or that, man, we have a tension here that we could wrestle through. 00:15:19.200 --> 00:15:23.840 And John, the whole text actually would invite us to wrestle through the tension. 00:15:26.559 --> 00:15:29.120 How are people to know what is true? 00:15:31.360 --> 00:15:36.080 John wants his to help his readers then, and so his letter can be a help to us today. 00:15:36.559 --> 00:15:48.399 He would invite us to ask this do the claims, do the beliefs, do the positions, does the thinking being advocated, does it actually hold up? 00:15:50.320 --> 00:15:52.720 Can it bear a little bit of scrutiny? 00:15:56.639 --> 00:16:03.679 Does this for John, in fact, what he would want to say is, does this align with what God has revealed in Jesus? 00:16:04.639 --> 00:16:12.960 Um, at times, like as a pastor over 20 years now, I've heard people say, well, the Bible doesn't actually say anything about that, so you just have to, this is what I believe or hold true. 00:16:13.279 --> 00:16:22.799 Well, the Bible doesn't actually have anything to say about, and they'll say some kind of huge cultural or social issue as if it's just like God forgot to mention that one. 00:16:23.519 --> 00:16:25.039 And so we get to figure it out. 00:16:25.200 --> 00:16:29.200 For John, Jesus is the measuring point for discerning truth. 00:16:29.919 --> 00:16:36.240 So if we want to understand truth, we look to the life of Jesus, we look to the teachings of Jesus, and Jesus points us to the whole of Scripture. 00:16:36.480 --> 00:16:41.679 And here's what I would contend: the principles of Scripture speak to the big issues of our day. 00:16:42.000 --> 00:16:50.159 Did you guys know that there's currently a conversation taking place around the issue of human sexuality, and there's some disagreement in our world? 00:16:50.240 --> 00:16:51.600 Did you, were you aware of this? 00:16:51.919 --> 00:16:52.559 Anybody? 00:16:52.960 --> 00:16:53.440 Few of you. 00:16:53.679 --> 00:16:54.559 Few of you. 00:16:55.200 --> 00:16:57.519 The Bible speaks to this issue. 00:17:00.559 --> 00:17:08.880 Did you know there's some conversation taking place today around like the issue of marriage and how to understand it and what it's meant to be and how it looks? 00:17:09.359 --> 00:17:12.000 And the Bible speaks to this very issue. 00:17:13.599 --> 00:17:16.559 Did you know the Bible speaks to things like life? 00:17:17.519 --> 00:17:20.319 How to steward and manage the environment? 00:17:20.559 --> 00:17:22.799 The Bible speaks to economics. 00:17:23.599 --> 00:17:30.960 It's not one of those things where God's like, listen, just confess Jesus as Lord, put a few bucks in the plate, pray, read the Bible every now and again, and we'll sort it all out in heaven. 00:17:31.039 --> 00:17:33.680 And big stuff you're gonna have to figure out on your own. 00:17:34.960 --> 00:17:36.880 No, God says, look at Jesus. 00:17:37.119 --> 00:17:44.400 Look at the life and the teachings of Jesus, and then run everything through that filter, through that lens, so that you might discern what is true. 00:17:46.480 --> 00:17:53.039 If we look at the life and teachings of Jesus, then we can look at how to live well in our world today in all spaces. 00:17:53.599 --> 00:18:02.799 In fact, if you would say, man, I I disagree with you here, Lana, there's some stuff that the Bible has nothing to say whatsoever, and they are major issues in our world today, I would be happy to have coffee with you. 00:18:02.880 --> 00:18:04.799 You can bring up any issue you want. 00:18:05.839 --> 00:18:12.480 I won't point you a chapter and a verse necessarily, but we'll talk about does this does the text speak to this at all? 00:18:12.880 --> 00:18:17.119 And I've yet to find something that's a significant issue that this text won't weigh in on. 00:18:20.240 --> 00:18:22.960 So the work of the church is to make immature disciples of Jesus. 00:18:23.200 --> 00:18:24.880 The way we get this is the Great Commission. 00:18:24.960 --> 00:18:28.559 Jesus said, Go into the world, baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, right? 00:18:28.640 --> 00:18:35.440 We've continued this practice for thousands of years, this idea of dying to self, being raised a new life in Christ, and teaching them to obey everything I've commanded you. 00:18:36.559 --> 00:18:41.359 In other words, we're to be formed or we're to be shaped by a Christ-centered way of living. 00:18:41.599 --> 00:18:44.640 The way of Jesus, the cross, is to shape us. 00:18:45.200 --> 00:18:51.839 Because we're all being shaped, we're all being formed by someone or something, and so we want to be intentional about this work. 00:18:52.160 --> 00:18:57.279 So a disciple then is someone who spends time with Jesus to learn from Jesus how to be like Jesus. 00:18:57.519 --> 00:19:03.440 And when we do that, John is saying we can know what is true and what is good in our world. 00:19:03.599 --> 00:19:04.880 It's not a guess. 00:19:05.200 --> 00:19:09.119 It's not one of those things where my kids will say, Hey, hey, Dad, what do I do about X, Y, or Z? 00:19:09.200 --> 00:19:09.839 No, I don't know. 00:19:10.000 --> 00:19:11.759 Just try and figure it out best you can. 00:19:11.839 --> 00:19:13.359 That's bad parenting. 00:19:13.759 --> 00:19:15.039 Like, let's wrestle through this. 00:19:15.119 --> 00:19:15.759 What do you think? 00:19:15.839 --> 00:19:17.279 How'd you land there? 00:19:17.519 --> 00:19:18.400 What can we believe? 00:19:18.480 --> 00:19:19.279 What can we hold to? 00:19:19.440 --> 00:19:24.799 And we have a good father who doesn't just leave us out on our own to try and figure things out. 00:19:24.960 --> 00:19:26.960 God says, hey, look, look to Jesus. 00:19:30.640 --> 00:19:32.559 Read a little bit further with me. 00:19:33.519 --> 00:19:35.519 1 John 4, 7 through 11. 00:19:35.599 --> 00:19:41.680 So we've got this tension, we've got this difficulty, we recognize there's all these viewpoints, and so we're to advocate for truth. 00:19:42.240 --> 00:19:43.279 So then what? 00:19:44.079 --> 00:19:45.920 Verse 7, down through 11. 00:19:46.240 --> 00:19:50.720 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. 00:19:51.279 --> 00:19:52.799 Well, I thought we were just talking about truth. 00:19:52.880 --> 00:19:53.519 We are, 100%. 00:19:54.000 --> 00:19:55.440 We're to seek after truth. 00:19:55.759 --> 00:19:56.400 How? 00:19:56.880 --> 00:19:57.519 Love. 00:20:00.079 --> 00:20:04.559 We should be truthful, we should be honest with each other, we should seek truth to know what is truth. 00:20:04.799 --> 00:20:05.440 But how? 00:20:05.759 --> 00:20:06.400 Love. 00:20:06.799 --> 00:20:10.319 Sometimes people have made the decision, well, I listen, I don't care how people feel. 00:20:10.400 --> 00:20:13.839 Like, I'm just gonna proclaim the truth, I'm gonna speak the truth, doesn't matter what they think. 00:20:14.000 --> 00:20:15.839 That's not what the Bible says. 00:20:19.359 --> 00:20:22.319 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. 00:20:22.480 --> 00:20:25.279 Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 00:20:26.480 --> 00:20:29.680 Whoever does not love does not know God because God is love. 00:20:29.839 --> 00:20:32.720 But I know all the truth claims, but do you love? 00:20:35.119 --> 00:20:37.680 Because if you don't love, the Bible says you don't know God. 00:20:37.839 --> 00:20:39.759 If I don't love, the Bible says I don't know God. 00:20:39.839 --> 00:20:43.839 But I know all the truths, but I can't live out the truths without love. 00:20:46.480 --> 00:20:48.960 This is how God showed his love among us. 00:20:49.440 --> 00:20:53.119 He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 00:20:54.640 --> 00:20:55.920 This is love. 00:20:57.279 --> 00:20:57.839 What's love? 00:20:58.000 --> 00:20:59.279 People debate what love is today. 00:20:59.440 --> 00:21:00.319 This is love. 00:21:00.559 --> 00:21:06.240 Not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 00:21:06.640 --> 00:21:07.599 Dear friends. 00:21:08.799 --> 00:21:11.680 Since God so loved us, do you recognize the tension? 00:21:11.920 --> 00:21:12.960 Like in what John's right? 00:21:13.279 --> 00:21:14.640 Like, friends, listen, listen, listen. 00:21:14.799 --> 00:21:16.160 Like I'm for you. 00:21:16.480 --> 00:21:18.000 I'm with you, like I care about. 00:21:18.640 --> 00:21:19.920 Dear friends. 00:21:21.440 --> 00:21:27.279 Since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 00:21:29.200 --> 00:21:38.960 As we wrestle through what it means to follow God, what ideas, what philosophies, what beliefs, what understandings are true, and those that are not. 00:21:40.799 --> 00:21:49.599 The inevitable tension that will arise, the inevitable difficulty that can come about, make sure you anchor yourself in love. 00:21:52.640 --> 00:21:59.759 The overriding concern for the practical application of how to actually live out what John is saying is love. 00:22:02.240 --> 00:22:04.400 But it's not love without any sense of meaning. 00:22:04.480 --> 00:22:09.359 The followers of Jesus believe love is revealed in the life and the teachings of Jesus. 00:22:11.359 --> 00:22:12.799 I mean, what is love after all, right? 00:22:12.880 --> 00:22:15.759 There's so many songs, there's so many stories, there's so many poems. 00:22:16.000 --> 00:22:18.160 Well, love, I mean, you can't really define it. 00:22:18.240 --> 00:22:21.359 You know, it's just whatever you experience, or no, that's no. 00:22:22.319 --> 00:22:24.799 Maybe if you're in middle school, you can slide with that. 00:22:25.039 --> 00:22:27.039 Middle schoolers have all been dismissed, right? 00:22:32.160 --> 00:22:33.599 Love comes from God. 00:22:34.480 --> 00:22:36.720 We're invited to love because God loved us first. 00:22:36.880 --> 00:22:42.400 God sets the parameters then and the understanding for what love is and what love is not. 00:22:44.319 --> 00:22:47.519 I mean, you've you've known somebody, right, before, where it's like, hey, that's not okay. 00:22:47.599 --> 00:22:49.039 It's like, no, it's okay, he loves me. 00:22:49.119 --> 00:22:50.799 No, that's not what love is. 00:22:53.519 --> 00:22:57.519 It's not only okay to draw boundaries, in fact, it's life-giving. 00:23:01.200 --> 00:23:02.799 Notice how love is revealed by God. 00:23:02.960 --> 00:23:07.359 Love is not set in what God wanted or desired in some selfish way. 00:23:07.519 --> 00:23:10.000 Well, I mean, the heart wants what the heart wants. 00:23:11.279 --> 00:23:15.039 No, love is revealed in how God sacrifices on behalf of people. 00:23:17.759 --> 00:23:20.640 We're then called to love people in the same way God loves us. 00:23:20.799 --> 00:23:24.559 We're not to love rooted in base desires. 00:23:25.200 --> 00:23:29.039 We're to love rather through service and to sacrifice for others. 00:23:29.200 --> 00:23:31.920 That's how God loves people, after all. 00:23:32.559 --> 00:23:33.920 Look with me again. 00:23:34.240 --> 00:23:37.519 John 1, 4, 16, the second half through 17. 00:23:37.839 --> 00:23:39.440 God is love. 00:23:41.440 --> 00:23:44.559 Whoever lives in love, lives in God, and God in them. 00:23:44.720 --> 00:23:49.359 This is how love is made complete among us, so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment. 00:23:49.440 --> 00:23:53.519 Once all this thing is done and everything's worked out, this is how we can stand with confidence. 00:23:53.680 --> 00:23:56.640 In this world, we are like Jesus. 00:23:57.839 --> 00:24:00.559 I've heard people say, it's like, well, I'm not Jesus. 00:24:00.720 --> 00:24:01.759 I'm supposed to be like him. 00:24:07.119 --> 00:24:09.200 Return to that concept from earlier. 00:24:09.519 --> 00:24:17.839 So, how do we navigate the inevitable tensions that arise because people have vastly different thoughts, different beliefs, different viewpoints, different philosophies on life? 00:24:19.119 --> 00:24:23.039 Well, John would say there's two things that are critically important. 00:24:24.160 --> 00:24:27.920 They're to kind of form cornerstones for our lives. 00:24:29.759 --> 00:24:32.960 We're to embrace truth and love. 00:24:35.920 --> 00:24:40.240 We're to be full of truth and we're to be loving. 00:24:41.440 --> 00:24:42.400 In all things. 00:24:42.640 --> 00:24:44.000 Yeah, but these things really matter. 00:24:44.079 --> 00:24:48.400 I mean, you know, I gotta just tell somebody, but it's like, yeah, are you being loving about it? 00:24:50.319 --> 00:24:52.559 Being loving is being truthful. 00:24:53.200 --> 00:24:55.359 It's not a loving thing to be dishonest. 00:24:55.839 --> 00:24:58.480 It's not a loving thing to bury stuff down. 00:24:59.200 --> 00:25:01.279 You would never never tell somebody you care about. 00:25:01.359 --> 00:25:04.000 Yeah, just bury that truth deep in your life. 00:25:04.480 --> 00:25:06.400 Suppress those emotions. 00:25:09.279 --> 00:25:11.680 So, how do we go about discerning truth? 00:25:12.319 --> 00:25:18.720 In a world full of different opinions, full of different ideas, full of different theologies, ways of understanding God, and what God would have. 00:25:19.279 --> 00:25:21.200 John would say it's Jesus. 00:25:22.240 --> 00:25:25.119 Look at the life, look at the teachings of Jesus. 00:25:26.319 --> 00:25:29.359 And will I submit to what he says and what he does? 00:25:30.880 --> 00:25:36.559 How are we supposed to understand then how we love such a wide range of people from such a wide range of experiences? 00:25:36.799 --> 00:25:38.559 And man, everybody has their different thoughts. 00:25:38.799 --> 00:25:41.759 I mean, you can't fully enter into somebody's story, and they can't fully. 00:25:42.160 --> 00:25:44.400 How are we supposed to do Jesus? 00:25:45.759 --> 00:25:48.240 Jesus full of grace and full of truth. 00:25:48.480 --> 00:25:49.359 What is grace? 00:25:49.440 --> 00:25:51.519 It's God's love expressed to his people. 00:25:53.680 --> 00:25:55.440 Don't leave out truth. 00:25:55.680 --> 00:25:57.759 Speak a hard word because you love people. 00:25:58.319 --> 00:26:03.200 Invite others to speak a hard word because you want to be loved. 00:26:05.359 --> 00:26:07.279 John makes clear the call on our lives. 00:26:07.440 --> 00:26:10.559 In this world, we are like Jesus. 00:26:12.160 --> 00:26:15.839 Remember 1 John 2, don't love the broken systems of this world. 00:26:16.000 --> 00:26:19.119 So John is now helping us to understand what to do instead. 00:26:19.359 --> 00:26:31.039 In this world, full of broken systems, broken attempts to define truth or that which is good, depending on whatever the whims of culture are, depending upon what I feel in the moment. 00:26:31.440 --> 00:26:36.960 John says, in this world, we are to be like Jesus. 00:26:37.839 --> 00:26:46.319 Because Jesus stepped into a world full of competing philosophies, theologies, ideas, and understandings in worlds where they shouted at each other. 00:26:47.279 --> 00:26:56.319 And Jesus walked a different way, and we're invited to walk a different way in our world, full of competing ideas, philosophies, theologies, and where everybody's shouting at each other. 00:26:58.240 --> 00:27:01.920 You are called to be like Jesus. 00:27:05.200 --> 00:27:08.240 John isn't saying we've reached some state of perfection. 00:27:08.799 --> 00:27:14.480 He's saying the love of God we've received has increasingly become visible in us. 00:27:15.519 --> 00:27:17.279 Think about the movement John's given us. 00:27:17.440 --> 00:27:18.480 God loves us. 00:27:18.720 --> 00:27:24.640 We make our home in that love, and as we make our home there, we increasingly learn to love like Jesus. 00:27:24.799 --> 00:27:29.200 We've spent time with Jesus to learn from Jesus how to be like Jesus. 00:27:29.440 --> 00:27:32.400 We don't just spend time with Jesus to learn from Jesus. 00:27:33.680 --> 00:27:36.880 We spend time to learn so that we can be like. 00:27:39.200 --> 00:27:43.039 And it's important because we don't get to define love however we want it to. 00:27:43.839 --> 00:27:49.039 Just as Jesus is the measuring point for discerning truth, Jesus is the measuring point for understanding love. 00:27:50.960 --> 00:27:52.240 So what does love look like? 00:27:52.400 --> 00:27:54.079 Look back again, verse 10. 00:27:54.319 --> 00:27:55.279 This is love. 00:27:56.240 --> 00:27:58.160 No ambiguity, no confusion. 00:27:58.400 --> 00:27:59.279 This is love. 00:27:59.839 --> 00:28:05.680 He loved us, and he sent his son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 00:28:07.359 --> 00:28:10.000