WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:07.679 So two weeks ago I had an appointment at the US Customs Office down at the uh the airport, the international terminal of the airport. 00:00:07.759 --> 00:00:10.640 So I wanted to get my uh global entry. 00:00:11.199 --> 00:00:16.239 Is anybody TSA approved or pre-approval or what whatever, the different levels? 00:00:16.320 --> 00:00:19.760 And so I was reading through the different levels because I want to skip security. 00:00:19.839 --> 00:00:25.039 I'm one of those people that will pay for that uh service, and so I'm really looking forward to skipping security. 00:00:25.120 --> 00:00:35.840 And then I read about this global entry, which sounds fascinating because I have a mission trip coming up to Costa Rica, and you get to come like coming back through customs to get your own quick line, and so I'm I'm all gonna be all into this. 00:00:35.920 --> 00:00:41.759 And so I'm I do the uh online application and I fill that out, it doesn't take that long, and I set my appointment. 00:00:41.840 --> 00:00:48.240 And for your appointment, you have to go down to the airport to the US customs office, which just sounds so official. 00:00:48.320 --> 00:00:52.799 Like all of that just sounded really, really official, and I was actually kind of nervous about it. 00:00:52.880 --> 00:00:55.920 I parked in the parking deck and walked into the international terminal. 00:00:56.000 --> 00:01:02.159 There's a customs office there, and there's just like customs officers with guns, and you know, it just made me nervous. 00:01:02.240 --> 00:01:03.600 I have nothing to hide, right? 00:01:03.759 --> 00:01:13.680 I've nothing to hide, and still I was a little nervous, and I get called back, you know, behind the counter to the back offices and the officer, very matter-of-fact, he didn't want to kid around. 00:01:13.760 --> 00:01:14.319 I tried. 00:01:14.400 --> 00:01:17.519 Uh that didn't that wasn't gonna work out, picked up on that message. 00:01:17.599 --> 00:01:18.640 Uh he sat me down. 00:01:18.719 --> 00:01:26.799 Apparently, this is not a kidding around subject, and so he sat me down and he said, Well, first thing is we're gonna talk about your citizenship. 00:01:27.280 --> 00:01:29.519 So, okay, great, preparing myself. 00:01:29.680 --> 00:01:31.040 And he says, Are you a U.S. 00:01:31.120 --> 00:01:31.519 citizen? 00:01:31.680 --> 00:01:32.640 I said, Yes. 00:01:32.799 --> 00:01:34.159 And he said, Where were you born? 00:01:34.319 --> 00:01:37.439 And I said, I was born at Northside Hospital in Atlanta. 00:01:37.680 --> 00:01:39.920 He says, Great, we could move on. 00:01:40.239 --> 00:01:41.200 That was it. 00:01:42.000 --> 00:01:43.680 It's just actually the end of my story. 00:01:43.840 --> 00:01:45.599 So it wasn't a great story. 00:01:45.840 --> 00:01:48.640 Uh but the point's actually pretty good. 00:01:48.879 --> 00:01:51.439 And the point is, like that is it. 00:01:51.599 --> 00:01:54.640 Like the point is that, like, like that's it about citizenship. 00:01:54.719 --> 00:01:56.239 Like it's it's actually pretty clear. 00:01:56.400 --> 00:01:58.319 It's pretty objective in that way. 00:01:58.480 --> 00:01:58.799 Right? 00:01:58.879 --> 00:02:07.599 This helps us understand, like, when the Bible says, like, you are a citizen of heaven, like that's a very objective thing that has been given to you. 00:02:07.680 --> 00:02:09.919 Um, it doesn't require a lot of questions, right? 00:02:10.000 --> 00:02:13.520 Like the the officer didn't like grill me, like he wasn't grilling me. 00:02:13.680 --> 00:02:18.879 He didn't ask me, he did not ask me if I felt like an American citizen. 00:02:19.039 --> 00:02:19.360 Right? 00:02:19.520 --> 00:02:25.680 He didn't ask me uh to what degree are you in love with America? 00:02:25.919 --> 00:02:27.199 Didn't ask me that. 00:02:27.520 --> 00:02:42.240 He didn't ask me, have you ever done anything or thought anything or had a motive in opposition to American values of freedom and democracy and equal rights for all people? 00:02:42.960 --> 00:02:44.800 He didn't ask me any of those things. 00:02:45.039 --> 00:02:46.560 He just said, Are you a citizen? 00:02:46.719 --> 00:02:47.039 Yes. 00:02:47.199 --> 00:02:48.000 Where were you born? 00:02:48.240 --> 00:02:49.039 Okay, good. 00:02:49.759 --> 00:02:51.680 Very objective in that way. 00:02:51.759 --> 00:03:05.360 And the point is, right, especially when we come around these ideas of our citizenship in heaven, or you know, another place where Paul says, you know, you're not orphans, you're sons and daughters of God, or in 1 John, where we've been reading, like God has lavish love for you. 00:03:05.520 --> 00:03:16.960 You are the beloved, and all these are images and truths for us to get inside of ourselves that it's like this is an objective thing given to us. 00:03:17.680 --> 00:03:23.120 Our belovedness is not subjective in truth with some objectivity. 00:03:23.439 --> 00:03:28.800 Our belovedness is objective in truth with some subjectivity. 00:03:28.879 --> 00:03:39.280 Now that's just a fancy way of me using bigger words to say you are by his love given to you, beloved, objectively. 00:03:40.240 --> 00:03:42.159 And then maybe there's some emotion, right? 00:03:42.240 --> 00:03:44.000 Like that's wonderful when there's emotion tied to it. 00:03:44.080 --> 00:03:44.800 Don't we love that? 00:03:44.879 --> 00:03:45.360 That's great. 00:03:45.520 --> 00:03:50.719 I love it when you know I'm at a 4th of July parade and I'm overwhelmed with being an American. 00:03:50.800 --> 00:03:51.919 That's a wonderful moment. 00:03:52.319 --> 00:04:00.560 And I love when I have emotion tied to my belovedness, but my my American citizenship and my belovedness is objective. 00:04:00.879 --> 00:04:02.560 Because there are days. 00:04:03.520 --> 00:04:06.319 There are days where my emotions are all over the place. 00:04:06.560 --> 00:04:08.479 There are days I have doubts. 00:04:09.280 --> 00:04:20.720 And to know that this is objective in its beginning point and its foundation, and the subjectivity comes and goes, that's incredibly, incredibly reassuring to us. 00:04:22.879 --> 00:04:29.040 And this is this agape, unconditional love that the Bible talks about and John is writing about. 00:04:29.279 --> 00:04:33.279 Agape is that is not conditioned upon anything. 00:04:33.600 --> 00:04:34.720 It's given to you. 00:04:34.879 --> 00:04:36.959 It's not our love toward him, it's his love toward us. 00:04:37.040 --> 00:04:38.959 That's what we read last week in 1 John. 00:04:39.439 --> 00:04:43.839 So we're gonna work through verses 11 through 15, I think, this morning. 00:04:44.000 --> 00:04:47.120 11 is time back into last week, and we'll kind of bridge our way in. 00:04:47.279 --> 00:04:50.720 It's actually a tie, it could be part two of the sermon from last week. 00:04:50.800 --> 00:04:52.000 These two could tie together. 00:04:52.079 --> 00:04:57.279 Some of it we'll sort of repeat, and then we'll kind of build and dig more deeper into some of the same ideas. 00:04:57.360 --> 00:04:59.040 So 1 John 4, 11. 00:04:59.279 --> 00:05:03.120 Beloved, so he says the six times, he calls these people beloved six times. 00:05:03.199 --> 00:05:05.839 So John is really drilling home his point here. 00:05:06.079 --> 00:05:11.360 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 00:05:11.839 --> 00:05:15.040 So revisiting a point from last week, this is a point that we just say all the time. 00:05:15.199 --> 00:05:16.480 Actually, it's point number one. 00:05:16.639 --> 00:05:21.360 Your belovedness means you are loved without conditions. 00:05:21.759 --> 00:05:25.040 It's not that you have loved God, but that he has loved you. 00:05:26.480 --> 00:05:31.920 And then that word beloved means dearly loved, worthy of love. 00:05:32.879 --> 00:05:37.360 Now, if you remember the context here in this letter, John is writing to a church. 00:05:37.600 --> 00:05:38.240 Remember this? 00:05:38.319 --> 00:05:54.639 And there's been a group of people, and this group of people have decided they don't believe the core things that the church believes about Jesus, and so they are leaving and they're going off and they're headed out, but along the way, they are causing chaos, they are being difficult, and John is not excited about this. 00:05:54.800 --> 00:05:57.279 He is very emotional about his writing is emotional. 00:05:57.360 --> 00:05:58.959 You can feel his emotion about this. 00:05:59.120 --> 00:06:00.399 He is fired up about this. 00:06:00.560 --> 00:06:04.800 These people are causing deep problems and a lot of problems for a lot of people. 00:06:05.120 --> 00:06:16.079 But his concern is, even in those problems, John's concern very clearly, because this is what he's aiming at in his writing, is that the church isn't loving those people who are being difficult. 00:06:17.439 --> 00:06:32.079 This is really good stuff for us and Marietta in 2019 because your spouse, don't nudge them, your neighbor, your coworker, your friend, certainly your children, will not always cooperate with you. 00:06:32.959 --> 00:06:34.399 They just won't. 00:06:35.120 --> 00:06:36.720 Somebody's gonna turn on you. 00:06:38.000 --> 00:06:40.079 Maybe it's already happened, or it's a matter of time. 00:06:40.160 --> 00:06:42.319 Somebody's gonna turn on you, it's gonna really hurt. 00:06:44.000 --> 00:06:45.360 And then what do you do? 00:06:46.480 --> 00:06:48.160 Do you find a way to still love them? 00:06:48.319 --> 00:06:50.079 Maybe you have boundaries, maybe you have all that. 00:06:50.160 --> 00:06:50.560 That's fine. 00:06:50.639 --> 00:06:53.759 But do you find a way to still forgive? 00:06:53.920 --> 00:06:56.160 Do you find a way to still love them? 00:07:00.720 --> 00:07:03.279 Now John's not saying we don't feel that. 00:07:03.600 --> 00:07:05.759 John's not saying that we don't have opinions, right? 00:07:05.920 --> 00:07:06.879 We've been talking about that. 00:07:07.040 --> 00:07:08.240 John's writing is very clear. 00:07:08.319 --> 00:07:10.079 He he has feelings, he's fired up. 00:07:10.240 --> 00:07:21.759 He has feelings and he holds opinions, but he is resolute that if God so loved us, ought we to stay in the faith and ought we to love each other? 00:07:22.800 --> 00:07:23.120 Right? 00:07:23.199 --> 00:07:26.639 I mean, Jesus himself, love your enemy. 00:07:28.720 --> 00:07:31.759 And John's just hammering away through this chapter. 00:07:32.079 --> 00:07:41.360 The way to live out the mission to love is to rest perpetually in the love we already have from God. 00:07:41.600 --> 00:07:42.879 It's the way it's carried out. 00:07:43.040 --> 00:07:44.800 It's not something we move on to do. 00:07:44.959 --> 00:07:50.399 It's something that if we rest fuller in our belovedness, we are empowered to love. 00:07:50.720 --> 00:07:52.879 Verse 12 No one has ever seen God. 00:07:53.040 --> 00:07:56.800 If we love one another, God abides in us, and his love is perfected in us. 00:07:56.959 --> 00:07:59.519 So that means that the love is flowing through us. 00:07:59.680 --> 00:08:06.720 Not that it wasn't complete before, it's complete, but the love has a flow to it, a byproduct. 00:08:07.360 --> 00:08:10.720 That's the word I read this week in the commentary on this section. 00:08:10.800 --> 00:08:11.360 I love that word. 00:08:11.439 --> 00:08:16.800 That's point number two is love for others is a byproduct of belovedness. 00:08:17.680 --> 00:08:19.199 So let me show you a few pictures. 00:08:19.279 --> 00:08:20.959 I love playing these games now that we have screens. 00:08:21.040 --> 00:08:22.720 If you haven't picked up on it, I'll show you a few pictures. 00:08:22.800 --> 00:08:24.000 I'm gonna show you a picture. 00:08:24.160 --> 00:08:31.439 When I show you a picture, we will guess the byproduct of the image, of the thing in the image. 00:08:31.600 --> 00:08:33.279 All right, so here's the first picture. 00:08:33.360 --> 00:08:34.639 And what is the byproduct? 00:08:34.720 --> 00:08:35.519 Here's the first picture. 00:08:35.600 --> 00:08:41.919 This is a cow ice cream hamburger, ice cream, creative answers. 00:08:42.000 --> 00:08:45.200 I'm thinking a little bit more reduced that. 00:08:46.000 --> 00:08:47.600 Milk, thank you. 00:08:48.720 --> 00:08:49.279 Thank you. 00:08:49.440 --> 00:08:51.039 We didn't have to kill the cow. 00:08:52.960 --> 00:08:54.399 We didn't have to. 00:08:55.039 --> 00:08:58.480 So the cow doesn't try to make milk. 00:08:59.039 --> 00:08:59.360 Right? 00:08:59.519 --> 00:09:01.679 The cow's not trying to make milk. 00:09:02.559 --> 00:09:05.679 The milk is a byproduct of a cow being a cow. 00:09:05.840 --> 00:09:06.159 Okay. 00:09:07.600 --> 00:09:08.559 Picture number two. 00:09:08.639 --> 00:09:09.679 What is the byproduct? 00:09:09.840 --> 00:09:10.639 Picture number two. 00:09:10.960 --> 00:09:13.360 We're gonna get some smart answers. 00:09:14.879 --> 00:09:16.480 Alright, what's the byproduct? 00:09:17.200 --> 00:09:17.919 Oxygen. 00:09:18.080 --> 00:09:18.399 Thank you. 00:09:18.480 --> 00:09:19.679 I was looking for like two by four. 00:09:19.840 --> 00:09:20.960 Somebody says a two by four. 00:09:22.399 --> 00:09:23.120 Oxygen. 00:09:23.279 --> 00:09:26.080 The tree doesn't try to make oxygen. 00:09:26.960 --> 00:09:29.759 The oxygen is a byproduct of the tree being a tree. 00:09:30.000 --> 00:09:35.759 Last picture, what is the byproduct of don't answer. 00:09:36.480 --> 00:09:37.519 We're not gonna answer. 00:09:37.600 --> 00:09:39.279 We're not gonna answer the byproduct of her. 00:09:39.360 --> 00:09:40.320 There's all sorts of answers. 00:09:40.399 --> 00:09:41.759 I don't want to know the answers, right? 00:09:41.919 --> 00:09:44.080 Chaos, crazy, artistry. 00:09:44.159 --> 00:09:44.559 I don't know. 00:09:44.720 --> 00:09:45.440 I don't know, actually. 00:09:45.519 --> 00:09:49.919 I was just looking for a picture of like who knows what the byproduct of her is. 00:09:50.159 --> 00:09:51.279 We don't know. 00:09:51.519 --> 00:09:52.240 Here's the point. 00:09:52.320 --> 00:09:55.279 You don't have to keep staring at that image, by the way, we can take that down. 00:09:55.840 --> 00:09:57.360 Soiled all of you for the day. 00:09:57.519 --> 00:09:58.720 Y'all can relax, by the way. 00:09:59.120 --> 00:10:00.960 Y'all got uptight with that one. 00:10:01.919 --> 00:10:03.200 Here's the point. 00:10:04.480 --> 00:10:06.480 Belovedness has a byproduct. 00:10:06.799 --> 00:10:08.159 Stuff has byproducts. 00:10:08.399 --> 00:10:10.000 Miley Cyrus has a byproduct. 00:10:10.159 --> 00:10:11.759 A cow has a byproduct. 00:10:12.960 --> 00:10:14.480 Tree has a byproduct. 00:10:14.799 --> 00:10:16.799 Belovedness has a byproduct. 00:10:16.960 --> 00:10:18.240 You are loved. 00:10:19.039 --> 00:10:19.840 You are loved. 00:10:20.080 --> 00:10:39.600 The more you rest in that, the more you know that, the more you set your soul, the very core of who you are, not in your work or in your children or in your and how successful successful you are, status, or what you look like, the more you rest your soul in your belovedness of how loved you are, that you're already loved. 00:10:41.519 --> 00:10:43.200 Love becomes a byproduct. 00:10:43.919 --> 00:10:45.679 Here's what we said last week. 00:10:46.159 --> 00:10:46.879 We said this. 00:10:47.039 --> 00:10:54.879 We said, as we are already beloved, we don't have to judge people as to feel we are better than them. 00:10:55.279 --> 00:10:56.399 Isn't that freeing? 00:10:56.559 --> 00:10:57.759 That's amazing. 00:10:58.639 --> 00:11:01.759 Our judgment can be transformed into compassion. 00:11:02.639 --> 00:11:04.720 That's how this works itself out. 00:11:05.759 --> 00:11:08.480 Christy and I ate lunch Friday at the Marietta Market. 00:11:08.799 --> 00:11:11.360 We got our food and we sat out there on that front deck. 00:11:11.440 --> 00:11:12.240 You know, the front deck. 00:11:12.399 --> 00:11:16.559 There's a front deck and a little bar, and you look out over just a beautiful parking lot and highway. 00:11:16.639 --> 00:11:20.879 It's a very serene place to have lunch. 00:11:21.600 --> 00:11:26.559 So we're out there watching traffic, having a you know, a real date moment. 00:11:27.759 --> 00:11:35.919 Eventually the parking lot filled, and then it did get pretty fun because you've been, maybe you've been there and you've gotten there after the parking lot fills. 00:11:36.000 --> 00:11:38.879 There's about 15 parking spots in that parking lot for us. 00:11:39.039 --> 00:11:49.279 And you pull in, once once you're in and it's full, one row's a dead end, and then the next row has a little loop, and you come back out, and then you have to make the decision: am I gonna go pay for parking? 00:11:49.440 --> 00:11:50.799 Am I gonna circle around again? 00:11:50.879 --> 00:11:52.720 Am I gonna like camp out and wait? 00:11:52.799 --> 00:11:54.399 Uh everybody's have a strategy. 00:11:54.559 --> 00:11:57.759 And so we're sitting here eating, and then we pick up on like this is fun. 00:11:57.919 --> 00:12:08.320 Like, we are watching people's strategies play out in front of us because some people camp out, some people are looping, some people do one loop and they bail, and then Sam pulls in. 00:12:08.559 --> 00:12:15.200 Sam and Rachel pull in, and this was awesome because now we get to watch somebody, we get to judge somebody that we know. 00:12:15.360 --> 00:12:17.840 And so they pull in, and Rachel's telling him stuff. 00:12:18.159 --> 00:12:19.759 We were picking up on that, by the way. 00:12:19.919 --> 00:12:23.279 She had some she had some things to say. 00:12:23.840 --> 00:12:33.200 And so they pull in and he pulls down the dead-in row, and we're like, all right, we know, like right away, we're like, there's no spots, and we're spotting if people are walking out, getting in their car. 00:12:33.360 --> 00:12:34.159 Nobody's in their car. 00:12:34.240 --> 00:12:35.039 He's not missing anything. 00:12:35.120 --> 00:12:36.879 We're like, he's he's dead, he's got nothing. 00:12:37.200 --> 00:12:42.080 Pulls in, dead in, nice three-point turn, by the way, because there's no space down there. 00:12:42.159 --> 00:12:48.399 Most people take like 17 cuts, and he really clean turnaround, and we're going like, hey, he's good. 00:12:48.480 --> 00:12:49.600 That's very good. 00:12:49.759 --> 00:12:52.240 Uh, Rachel has some things to say on the way back. 00:12:52.399 --> 00:12:53.679 I'm not sure what. 00:12:53.919 --> 00:12:58.399 Loving, encouraging things for how to park in a busy parking lot. 00:12:58.559 --> 00:13:04.720 And then Sam he comes and he he drops uh Rachel and little Samuel off there at the curb. 00:13:04.799 --> 00:13:06.559 We thought that was very sweet, by the way. 00:13:06.720 --> 00:13:12.000 Um we don't know whose idea it was, but it looked to be really sweet. 00:13:12.480 --> 00:13:16.240 While he's over there, like six people walk out to go get in their cars. 00:13:16.320 --> 00:13:18.320 We're like, oh, he's gotta circle back around. 00:13:18.399 --> 00:13:32.799 And like we're waiting for him to circle back around, and then this other lady pulls in and she comes down, she's in her SUV, she gets to the dead end, she decides she's not doing any cuts, she's gonna reverse all the way back out with people all over, and she's not gonna reverse. 00:13:32.879 --> 00:13:37.759 And we are laughing at her, not with her, she's stressed, we can see it. 00:13:37.919 --> 00:13:38.879 We're laughing at her. 00:13:39.039 --> 00:13:47.600 Eventually, she hits a curb, she runs her car up on a curb, and then finally, Christy and I, we just look at each other, and by the way, Sam got a parking spot. 00:13:47.679 --> 00:13:48.559 He did a great job. 00:13:48.799 --> 00:13:51.279 We could just say, good job, Sam, he did great. 00:13:51.440 --> 00:14:01.440 We're but we're busy laughing at the lady who puts her car up on a curb because she can't reverse, and we just look at each other and say, like, this is a lot of fun. 00:14:02.399 --> 00:14:08.960 Like sitting in judgment over people and just talking about them and laughing at them. 00:14:09.120 --> 00:14:12.399 This was so we I we were really enjoying this. 00:14:12.799 --> 00:14:13.200 Right? 00:14:13.279 --> 00:14:17.679 And you know what I'm talking about because you've done it some a little bit. 00:14:18.320 --> 00:14:26.559 And part of what I loved about it was it's like when you're in that position, like you don't have to think about any of the ways you're not perfect. 00:14:26.720 --> 00:14:26.960 Right? 00:14:27.039 --> 00:14:32.799 Like, I've never at once did I say, you know, it is really difficult to park in this parking lot. 00:14:33.200 --> 00:14:35.120 Like, I I really feel for that lady. 00:14:35.200 --> 00:14:36.480 I I'm gonna go down and help her. 00:14:36.559 --> 00:14:38.080 Like, no, no, not ever a bit. 00:14:38.159 --> 00:14:46.320 Like, I we're just in, we're just laughing, we're having a great time because when you're in judgment, you're not considering all of your imperfection. 00:14:47.360 --> 00:14:47.759 Right? 00:14:47.840 --> 00:14:49.519 You you've passed that burden off. 00:14:49.600 --> 00:14:53.759 Like you're just you're laughing at the other person, you're in judgment over the other person. 00:14:53.840 --> 00:14:55.120 Now, here's the problem with it. 00:14:55.279 --> 00:15:04.000 The problem with it is if we are becoming judgmental people toward others, eventually we come back and judge ourselves. 00:15:06.080 --> 00:15:11.120 And on top of that, compassion is impossible when you're sitting in judgment. 00:15:13.279 --> 00:15:17.600 Maybe you've kept up with the shooting and the death of Botham Gene in Dallas. 00:15:17.679 --> 00:15:18.240 Do you remember this? 00:15:18.399 --> 00:15:21.679 It's it's been a while because the court case is was going on for a while. 00:15:21.759 --> 00:15:29.120 Uh it was the off-duty police officer, the lady who walked into, she she claimed she walked into the wrong apartment, and then she saw uh him. 00:15:29.200 --> 00:15:36.159 He was eating ice cream on his own couch in his own apartment, and she said she missed took him for an intruder and she shot him and she killed him. 00:15:36.240 --> 00:15:40.480 Uh, two weeks ago, she was convicted of the murder of Botham. 00:15:40.960 --> 00:15:45.279 And then I as this video came out, I think it was this week or last week, and I I saw it. 00:15:45.360 --> 00:15:46.720 It was his little brother. 00:15:46.960 --> 00:15:49.279 So his big brother was shot and killed. 00:15:50.080 --> 00:15:56.320 And this is the little brother, he's 18 years old, and this is what he says when he gets on the stand uh there in the court. 00:15:57.120 --> 00:15:58.240 I can speak for myself. 00:15:58.399 --> 00:16:00.720 I I forgive you. 00:16:02.080 --> 00:16:09.360 And I know if you go to God and ask him, he will forgive you. 00:16:15.759 --> 00:16:17.679 And I don't think anyone can say it. 00:16:18.240 --> 00:16:21.759 Again, I'm speaking for myself, not even behalf of my family. 00:16:22.639 --> 00:16:25.200 But I love you just like anyone else. 00:16:28.320 --> 00:16:41.360 And I'm not gonna say I hope you rot and die just like my brother did, but I see I I personally want the best for you. 00:16:42.799 --> 00:16:54.240 And I I wasn't gonna ever say this in front of my family or anyone, but I don't even want you to go to jail. 00:16:55.679 --> 00:16:58.480 I want the best for you. 00:17:01.440 --> 00:17:05.920 Because I know that's what that's exactly what both of them would want you to do. 00:17:06.559 --> 00:17:10.000 And the best would be give your life to Christ. 00:17:13.519 --> 00:17:15.519 I'm not gonna say anything else. 00:17:16.160 --> 00:17:23.440 I think giving your life to Christ would be the best thing that both of them would want you to do. 00:17:25.519 --> 00:17:28.160 Again, I love you as a person. 00:17:32.240 --> 00:17:35.359 And I don't wish anything bad on you. 00:17:40.319 --> 00:17:44.400 I don't know if this is possible, but can can I give her a hug, please? 00:18:16.640 --> 00:18:22.160 The one who is offended, the one who should be sitting in judgment. 00:18:23.200 --> 00:18:29.200 I mean, if anybody should be sitting in judgment, it's that little brother offers compassion. 00:18:30.480 --> 00:18:31.759 And he gave her a taste, right? 00:18:31.839 --> 00:18:35.759 He gave us a taste just watching it of what redeeming love is. 00:18:36.000 --> 00:18:40.640 I mean, the scriptures say while we were sinners, Christ died for us. 00:18:41.359 --> 00:18:48.400 So while we were deserving of judgment, we receive the grace of God known in God and his love for us. 00:18:48.559 --> 00:18:51.519 This is what and who Christ is. 00:18:52.480 --> 00:19:04.079 That our sin is put upon him on the cross, and his righteousness is given to us that we might be the beloved of God, and that is secure, not because of our love for him, but his love for us. 00:19:07.440 --> 00:19:10.960 That in our imperfection, we should have judgment. 00:19:11.279 --> 00:19:16.720 But we have no judgment because all of the judgment was handled within God Himself, Christ on the cross. 00:19:17.200 --> 00:19:20.799 Verses 12 and 13, no one has ever seen God. 00:19:21.279 --> 00:19:25.039 If we love another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. 00:19:25.119 --> 00:19:27.279 So we just read that, tying that into verse 13. 00:19:27.440 --> 00:19:35.440 By this we know, so by that, what we just said, by this we know that we abide in him and he in us because he has given us of his spirit. 00:19:35.599 --> 00:19:41.519 So point number three is this loving others helps us experience what is already true about us. 00:19:41.680 --> 00:19:43.039 God abides in us. 00:19:44.160 --> 00:19:46.079 And that's fascinating. 00:19:46.880 --> 00:19:47.200 Right? 00:19:47.359 --> 00:19:59.200 That the call to love is an empowerment from your belovedness, and at the same time, it helps us actually experience in some way what is true of us, that God is in us. 00:19:59.519 --> 00:20:02.720 Let's keep reading verses 14 and 15, finishing out the passage. 00:20:02.880 --> 00:20:07.680 And we have seen and testified that the Father has sent his son to be the Savior of the world. 00:20:07.839 --> 00:20:13.440 Whoever confesses that Jesus is a son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 00:20:13.680 --> 00:20:21.759 So last point is this: you are secure solely because you confess Jesus is Son of God. 00:20:21.920 --> 00:20:30.000 So the gospel is not get good enough or be good enough or know enough or get enough enlightenment or enough self-improvement. 00:20:30.240 --> 00:20:33.839 Anytime you sniff that out in a message, that is not gospel. 00:20:33.920 --> 00:20:35.279 That's something else. 00:20:36.079 --> 00:20:38.799 We are secured not because we're strong and perfect. 00:20:38.960 --> 00:20:42.799 We're secure because we confess that we're imperfect. 00:20:42.960 --> 00:20:46.160 We confess we are in sinners in need of grace. 00:20:46.720 --> 00:20:48.319 And that there's a love for us. 00:20:48.480 --> 00:20:49.359 Isn't that relieving? 00:20:49.519 --> 00:20:55.839 There's a love for us that's not conditioned upon anything except God's grace to us. 00:20:57.839 --> 00:21:00.640 Now, were any of you aware that it was Fat Bear Week? 00:21:00.960 --> 00:21:02.160 Anyone up on that? 00:21:02.640 --> 00:21:04.880 Okay, a couple of you are up on Fat Bear Week. 00:21:04.960 --> 00:21:08.000 Let me fill you in because this was a pretty big deal, apparently. 00:21:08.240 --> 00:21:11.519 Uh this is up in Katma National Park in Alaska. 00:21:11.680 --> 00:21:23.119 So what they do is the rangers up there, there's about 20 bears that live in this area and they all feed from the same river, and so they're fattening up through the summer, moving into hibernation. 00:21:23.440 --> 00:21:27.599 So they have a bracket, looks like March Madness a little bit, and they're tracking these bears. 00:21:27.680 --> 00:21:35.039 They use cameras and different stuff to kind of track their weight, and so it's different bears against different bears, and as they gain weight, they beat out the other bears. 00:21:35.200 --> 00:21:37.200 Well, championship was this past week. 00:21:37.359 --> 00:21:41.359 Lefty the bear versus Holly the Bear was the championship round. 00:21:41.440 --> 00:21:43.519 It ended on Tuesday, October 8th. 00:21:44.240 --> 00:21:46.960 And Holly the Bear, she won. 00:21:47.440 --> 00:21:47.759 Okay? 00:21:48.160 --> 00:21:51.920 Now here's a picture of Holly on July 12th. 00:21:52.000 --> 00:21:53.680 This is a picture of her on July 12th. 00:21:53.759 --> 00:21:56.000 This is a picture of her on Tuesday. 00:21:56.400 --> 00:21:57.759 On Tuesday. 00:22:00.480 --> 00:22:02.240 Holly the Bear won, right? 00:22:02.319 --> 00:22:04.640 Like Lefty had nothing. 00:22:04.720 --> 00:22:07.200 Like Lefty had no chance at all. 00:22:08.000 --> 00:22:10.000 But those are real pictures, by the way. 00:22:10.240 --> 00:22:11.359 Got them from CNN. 00:22:11.519 --> 00:22:12.559 Has to be real. 00:22:13.920 --> 00:22:15.680 The Ranger said this. 00:22:16.400 --> 00:22:31.599 The Ranger said it was nearly impossible to get a picture of Holly the Bear because she spent all of her waking hours submerged in the river looking for, looking at, and eating fish. 00:22:32.720 --> 00:22:32.960 Right? 00:22:33.119 --> 00:22:34.799 Like Holly the Bear knew something. 00:22:34.880 --> 00:22:35.839 I'm gonna tie this in. 00:22:36.240 --> 00:22:37.279 It's gonna take a little work. 00:22:37.759 --> 00:22:38.400 Get there. 00:22:38.880 --> 00:22:44.559 Holly the bear knows something that lefty and all the other bears, they're losing out on. 00:22:44.720 --> 00:22:45.359 And that's this. 00:22:45.519 --> 00:22:49.599 When something is lavish, you don't move on. 00:22:50.960 --> 00:22:53.039 You just keep fattening up. 00:22:54.720 --> 00:22:59.519 Like that girl was beholding, like we've been talking about, behold the lavish love of God. 00:22:59.599 --> 00:23:01.839 She was not moving on. 00:23:04.079 --> 00:23:12.720 This is why John just keeps saying six times, beloved, beloved, beloved, beloved, beloved, beloved. 00:23:13.440 --> 00:23:26.079 He just won't move on because he knows in all of your calling to love, all of my calling to love, and all of our failure to live up to that calling with perfection, you have to know you're loved. 00:23:26.400 --> 00:23:28.880 My brothers and sisters, give yourself grace. 00:23:29.039 --> 00:23:40.400 Give yourself grace for a little bit of time to rest more in the lavish love given to you that you might be empowered to live out the calling to love. 00:23:40.960 --> 00:23:42.160 Let's pray together. 00:23:42.720 --> 00:23:44.640 God, thank you for your grace and mercy. 00:23:44.799 --> 00:23:55.440 Thank you that love is not static, but it is dynamic, that it has a byproduct and it empowers, it rescues, it relieves, and it empowers. 00:23:56.720 --> 00:24:16.079 Thank you that all of our sin has been handled, all of our guilt and all of our shame on the cross, that Jesus is enough, and that we know this grace of God objectively true for us in history and the person of Christ, that you did not leave it up for debate, you did not leave it up for us to wonder, but we have something secured objectively in reality. 00:24:18.799 --> 00:24:22.799 God, thank you that our position with you is secure. 00:24:23.920 --> 00:24:29.839 Even while our love for you is not as strong as we would like, and our emotions come and go. 00:24:30.880 --> 00:24:40.160 Help us to rest more and more in your love for us, not our love for you, that we might be empowered to love you more and be empowered to love our neighbor. 00:24:40.559 --> 00:24:41.839 In Jesus' name we pray. 00:24:42.160 --> 00:24:42.799 Amen.