WEBVTT 00:00:04.799 --> 00:00:12.480 This podcast is brought to you by Grand Parkway Baptist Church, helping people to know, enjoy, and glorify God. 00:00:12.960 --> 00:00:18.000 For more information about Grand Parkway, visit Grandparkway.org. 00:00:19.839 --> 00:00:20.559 Morning, everybody. 00:00:20.719 --> 00:00:22.239 Would you join me in prayer? 00:00:22.800 --> 00:00:24.800 Lord Jesus, we want to thank you. 00:00:24.960 --> 00:00:30.239 Thank you that you're a God that is so much more full of grace than we can even imagine, Lord. 00:00:30.399 --> 00:00:33.520 There's no sin that we can sin that's beyond your grace. 00:00:33.759 --> 00:00:38.960 There's no one that's hurt us in a way that's beyond your grace that you haven't forgiven, Lord. 00:00:39.200 --> 00:00:44.640 I pray this morning we get more of an understanding of how great your grace toward us is, Lord. 00:00:44.799 --> 00:00:50.880 I pray that we'd realize that we're giving out of a wealth of grace and not just a little bit of grace, Lord. 00:00:51.439 --> 00:00:52.399 Would you come? 00:00:52.640 --> 00:00:54.240 Would you speak to us this morning, Lord? 00:00:54.320 --> 00:00:56.560 We came this morning because we believe you're going to speak. 00:00:56.719 --> 00:00:58.240 And we ask that you would, Lord. 00:00:58.320 --> 00:00:59.359 In your name we pray. 00:00:59.520 --> 00:00:59.920 Amen. 00:01:00.079 --> 00:01:01.280 You may be seated. 00:01:02.240 --> 00:01:03.600 It's good to have you all this morning. 00:01:03.679 --> 00:01:07.680 We're going to be in 1 John chapter 2, verses 3 through 11. 00:01:07.760 --> 00:01:10.799 If you guys want to go ahead and turn there, I'll give you a little bit of background. 00:01:10.959 --> 00:01:17.439 The question that people are asking this morning in this text is they're asking, do I really know God? 00:01:18.079 --> 00:01:20.480 Am I really a child of God? 00:01:20.959 --> 00:01:25.359 Would if I ask God right now, would he say that I'm his or not? 00:01:25.599 --> 00:01:34.959 And the reason they're struggling with this question is false teachers have come into their town and into their church, and they're spreading this stuff that it's just, it's it's not true. 00:01:35.040 --> 00:01:38.560 And it's gotten their thinking really messed up, right? 00:01:39.359 --> 00:01:48.799 So John is writing to them, and he's writing to them, if you look at 2 1, we're not, this isn't the passage we're looking at today, but in 2-1, he refers to them as my little children. 00:01:49.040 --> 00:01:49.840 My little children. 00:01:50.000 --> 00:01:51.599 That kind of says a couple of things to me. 00:01:51.760 --> 00:01:56.079 One, it says that they're they're members of the church that he's we're talking about today. 00:01:56.719 --> 00:01:58.959 These are people that are in the church, and this is a question they have. 00:01:59.120 --> 00:02:00.159 Do I know God? 00:02:00.879 --> 00:02:05.760 Also, him referring to them as little children, that that kind of shows how old that John is at this point. 00:02:05.920 --> 00:02:10.960 At this point, I saw he's he's probably somewhere between 70 and 90 years old when he writes this book. 00:02:11.199 --> 00:02:17.919 This is an old elderly man writing to them, and he's writing to them because he's he is upset about what's going on. 00:02:18.000 --> 00:02:22.800 These are people that he loves dearly, and he loves them enough to refer to them as children. 00:02:23.199 --> 00:02:25.280 Because he sees them as his spiritual children. 00:02:25.360 --> 00:02:30.240 And these false teachers have come in and have messed with them, and they're believing things that aren't true anymore. 00:02:30.400 --> 00:02:31.520 And John's upset. 00:02:31.680 --> 00:02:35.439 Like in this in this entire book, John, there's there's some there's some anger in John. 00:02:35.520 --> 00:02:40.000 He's like, What who why have you allowed these false teachers to come in and teach you wrong things? 00:02:40.159 --> 00:02:42.960 And this is John contending for the faith throughout the book. 00:02:43.120 --> 00:02:44.879 And that's why some of it is so sharp. 00:02:44.960 --> 00:02:46.800 He's so direct on some of it. 00:02:46.879 --> 00:02:49.520 He's like, that's false, this is true. 00:02:49.680 --> 00:02:49.919 Right? 00:02:50.080 --> 00:02:52.639 And so that that's what we're gonna be looking at today. 00:02:52.719 --> 00:02:57.919 So let's look at chapter two, and we want to start in verse three, and we'll read through to verse 11. 00:02:58.159 --> 00:02:59.520 2, 3 to 11. 00:02:59.680 --> 00:03:02.080 And by this we know that we have come to know him. 00:03:02.400 --> 00:03:09.360 If we keep his commandments, whoever says I know him, but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth's not in him. 00:03:09.599 --> 00:03:15.120 But whoever keeps his word, in him truly, the love of God is perfected. 00:03:15.360 --> 00:03:17.120 By this we may know we are in him. 00:03:17.280 --> 00:03:21.680 Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. 00:03:22.000 --> 00:03:26.400 Beloved, I'm writing to you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. 00:03:26.560 --> 00:03:29.039 The old commandment is the word that you have heard. 00:03:29.199 --> 00:03:37.520 At the same time, it's a new commandment that I'm writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining. 00:03:37.680 --> 00:03:40.560 Whoever says he's in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. 00:03:40.719 --> 00:03:45.360 Whoever loves his brother abides in light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. 00:03:45.520 --> 00:03:54.560 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in darkness and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. 00:03:54.800 --> 00:03:56.159 All right, so that's what we're gonna look at. 00:03:56.240 --> 00:04:00.560 We're gonna look at two, three to six first, and then we'll look at two uh seven through eleven. 00:04:00.719 --> 00:04:07.280 So three to six, something to notice as you look at this section, the word no is in there four times. 00:04:07.520 --> 00:04:09.759 So that should be that should be setting off alarm bells. 00:04:09.840 --> 00:04:12.879 You should be like, all right, no is important here because it's repeated multiple times. 00:04:12.960 --> 00:04:17.839 So no at this time in history, it means something a little different than it does today. 00:04:17.920 --> 00:04:20.879 Today, you can know something if you just intellectually understand it. 00:04:21.040 --> 00:04:22.959 But back then there was more to knowing than that. 00:04:23.040 --> 00:04:31.199 You needed to intellectually understand it, you needed to experience it emotionally, but the but the key thing to knowing was you couldn't know something unless you actually lived it out. 00:04:31.279 --> 00:04:34.000 If you really knew something, you would begin to live it out. 00:04:34.079 --> 00:04:36.399 It would start to affect your life, right? 00:04:36.800 --> 00:04:39.600 And that's what John is really advocating for here. 00:04:39.759 --> 00:04:43.839 He's saying if if you really know God, it's gonna start to affect your life. 00:04:43.920 --> 00:04:46.639 You're gonna begin to live out his commandments. 00:04:48.079 --> 00:04:56.319 So for all of us, everybody in this room, we've all sinned, and what we deserve for that sin, we we we have a we have a debt to God that we could never repay. 00:04:56.399 --> 00:05:02.240 It's like we owe God trillions of dollars, and there's no way for us to ever raise that kind of money. 00:05:02.399 --> 00:05:09.759 And not only that, for each and every one of us, at one point in our life, the creator of the universe, his wrath was against us. 00:05:10.000 --> 00:05:11.759 His wrath was against us. 00:05:12.079 --> 00:05:18.079 And what Jesus did on the cross is we are now completely forgiven of all of that sin. 00:05:18.720 --> 00:05:20.399 We're wiped completely clean. 00:05:20.639 --> 00:05:25.439 Jesus has declared us righteous in him, and and our sins are gone. 00:05:25.680 --> 00:05:28.560 That's a pretty drastic change. 00:05:28.720 --> 00:05:33.600 And if that has happened to you, there should you be able to see that in your life. 00:05:33.920 --> 00:05:41.759 So let's say somebody came up to me this morning in in first service, and they say, Hey Brent, I want to tell you a story about what happened to me this morning. 00:05:41.920 --> 00:05:47.120 I was driving down 59, and as I'm driving down 59, my car ran out of gas. 00:05:47.360 --> 00:05:54.319 And so I cruised over by the curb and I parked it there, and I was just gonna walk to a gas station to get some more gas for my car. 00:05:54.399 --> 00:05:57.839 I had a I had a little um uh container that I could get gas in. 00:05:57.920 --> 00:06:09.839 So I'm walking with my container down the side of the road, and uh I made sure I was over because I know it's dangerous, it's a big highway, and I look over my shoulder and I see this semi and it's coming toward me, but it's in its lane, so I figured I'd be okay. 00:06:10.000 --> 00:06:15.439 I continue to walk, and the only reason I'm able to tell you this part is because I I was able, I talked to the semi-driver afterward. 00:06:15.600 --> 00:06:18.959 This semi-driver was driving in his lane and suddenly a squirrel cut in front of him. 00:06:19.040 --> 00:06:23.279 And to miss the squirrel, he swerved and that semi just smashed into me. 00:06:23.360 --> 00:06:25.199 I mean, it hit me hard. 00:06:25.759 --> 00:06:31.839 Now, if somebody told me that story and they're standing there telling it to me, I would immediately have some questions. 00:06:31.920 --> 00:06:33.519 I would be like, when did this happen? 00:06:33.839 --> 00:06:36.160 It happened this morning at 7 o'clock. 00:06:36.560 --> 00:06:39.120 Why aren't you at a hospital right now? 00:06:40.240 --> 00:06:40.959 I'm fine. 00:06:41.199 --> 00:06:45.759 Why do I look at you right now and there's no scratches, no bruises, you're you're completely fine. 00:06:45.920 --> 00:06:48.160 What do you see what I'd start to question? 00:06:48.319 --> 00:06:51.279 I'd start to say, has this, did you actually get hit by a semi-truck? 00:06:51.360 --> 00:06:53.759 Because a semi-ruck should be a pretty powerful experience. 00:06:53.920 --> 00:07:00.959 Most people get hit by semi-trucks and they're dead, or they're at least in the hospital with some broken bones, and you're standing here, you don't have a scratch on you. 00:07:01.120 --> 00:07:04.000 I'm questioning whether or not this actually happened to you. 00:07:04.399 --> 00:07:06.879 And that's kind of what John is doing here. 00:07:06.959 --> 00:07:15.040 He's like, if Jesus really has come into your life and he's really forgiven you of all of that sin, it should begin to change the way you lived. 00:07:15.120 --> 00:07:20.160 You should begin to hate the things that God hates and love the things that he loves more and more. 00:07:20.480 --> 00:07:24.720 So maybe previously there was somebody in your life that you hated and you should begin to love them. 00:07:24.879 --> 00:07:36.399 Maybe previously you didn't even know where the nation of Yemen was, but now you know where Yemen is and you know it's an impoverished place, it's a predominantly Muslim place, and now you're praying for that country that they would come to know Jesus. 00:07:36.639 --> 00:07:40.480 Maybe you're someone that um your relationship with your parents isn't great. 00:07:40.560 --> 00:07:49.120 There's unforgiveness, there's bitterness there, you're mad at them, and you become a follower of Jesus and you start to realize that I can't, I kind of have some hatred toward my parents. 00:07:49.279 --> 00:07:50.720 God's not gonna let me stay here. 00:07:50.800 --> 00:07:55.279 I I need to I need to work on forgiving and reconciling with them, and you begin to work on that. 00:07:55.519 --> 00:08:01.360 Maybe you're somebody that you used to see homeless people along the side of the road, and you say, Man, they need to get a job. 00:08:01.519 --> 00:08:09.360 And now you see homeless people along the side of the road, and God's beginning to change your heart, and you're like, man, if Jesus hadn't come into my life, I probably would be just like them. 00:08:09.519 --> 00:08:10.800 God, what do you want me to do? 00:08:10.879 --> 00:08:14.240 How can how can I begin to help and serve these people? 00:08:14.480 --> 00:08:18.079 What John's saying is your heart needs to begin to change. 00:08:18.319 --> 00:08:23.519 It can't just stay where it is and you say you're you're a follower of Jesus. 00:08:23.680 --> 00:08:30.079 You can't just, you can't purposely go and do wrong things that you know are wrong over and over and say, Yeah, I still love Jesus. 00:08:30.560 --> 00:08:34.720 What John says here, he says, if you do that, if you don't keep his commandments, you're a liar. 00:08:34.799 --> 00:08:36.320 The truth's not in you. 00:08:36.720 --> 00:08:39.600 So my wife and I, we've been married about 15 years now. 00:08:40.480 --> 00:08:42.399 It's actually 16, 16 years now. 00:08:42.559 --> 00:08:45.120 And I know my wife, yeah. 00:08:45.440 --> 00:08:47.039 I know my wife pretty well. 00:08:47.279 --> 00:08:49.600 I know what she likes, I know what she dislikes. 00:08:49.840 --> 00:08:54.399 Um, my wife, our community group's coming over this afternoon. 00:08:54.559 --> 00:09:00.480 And I know that because the community group's coming over, we're gonna have to clean the house because my wife likes a house to be cleaned before we have people over. 00:09:00.639 --> 00:09:01.919 That's a pretty normal thing. 00:09:02.159 --> 00:09:08.080 I know that my wife likes, she loves really good coffee, like a nice dark roast. 00:09:08.159 --> 00:09:11.200 I know just how to make it just exactly the way she likes it. 00:09:11.360 --> 00:09:13.360 She loves good coffee. 00:09:13.600 --> 00:09:22.240 I know that when I pray for my wife, yeah, I can pray for her on my own, but what my wife really likes is if I pray for her there with her in person. 00:09:22.399 --> 00:09:23.200 She loves that. 00:09:23.279 --> 00:09:27.039 And I know it's a little weird for us guys, but I'll bet if you ask your wife, she probably likes the same thing. 00:09:27.120 --> 00:09:29.759 They like when you pray for them in person. 00:09:30.480 --> 00:09:32.639 My wife loves Mexican food. 00:09:32.720 --> 00:09:36.720 I used to, up in Pennsylvania, I used to think that we had good Mexican restaurants. 00:09:36.879 --> 00:09:40.960 And then we came down here, and my wife showed me what real Mexican food was. 00:09:41.200 --> 00:09:42.399 It's it is better down here. 00:09:42.480 --> 00:09:43.759 You're she's right. 00:09:44.000 --> 00:09:49.840 I know there's a restaurant in Florida, it's a noodle restaurant, and I think that's probably my wife's favorite restaurant she's ever been to. 00:09:49.919 --> 00:09:52.399 She she loves that restaurant. 00:09:52.639 --> 00:09:55.360 I know that my wife loves our kids deeply. 00:09:55.440 --> 00:09:59.200 Like, if any of you ever mess with our kids, my wife would fight you to the death. 00:09:59.279 --> 00:10:00.080 She loves them so much. 00:10:00.320 --> 00:10:01.919 I don't question that about her at all. 00:10:02.080 --> 00:10:04.720 So I know all these things, and I could go on and on. 00:10:05.679 --> 00:10:09.919 But what if, knowing all that about my wife, I choose to live the opposite? 00:10:10.080 --> 00:10:12.480 What if this afternoon I know the community group's coming over? 00:10:12.559 --> 00:10:13.919 I'm like, I'm gonna mess the house up. 00:10:14.000 --> 00:10:19.120 I'm gonna get the clothes out, throw them everywhere, the spaghetti that's on the stove, I'm gonna throw it across the floor, go open the door. 00:10:19.200 --> 00:10:20.879 Come on in, guys, welcome. 00:10:21.919 --> 00:10:27.360 Or maybe even worse, what if I made her made her Folgers coffee for breakfast this morning? 00:10:27.759 --> 00:10:28.960 She would not be happy. 00:10:29.200 --> 00:10:31.039 If I did that, what would you guys say of me? 00:10:31.120 --> 00:10:33.039 You'd say, Brent, what are you doing? 00:10:33.200 --> 00:10:38.559 Like you're doing stuff that is is almost purposely upsetting your spouse. 00:10:38.720 --> 00:10:43.759 Like you can't say you love her and continue to do these kind of things to her. 00:10:44.240 --> 00:10:45.679 You see what I'm saying? 00:10:46.080 --> 00:10:50.960 Like Jesus has given us this entire book, and he said, This is how you need to live. 00:10:51.039 --> 00:10:53.679 And I'm not just he's not just giving us a bunch of rules. 00:10:53.840 --> 00:10:57.279 Like, if you live the way this book says, it it's for your joy. 00:10:57.519 --> 00:11:02.879 The only way you will experience true joy is to do what this book says. 00:11:03.440 --> 00:11:15.600 And if you refuse to do that, just like I break my wife's heart, when I know what she wants and I choose to do the opposite, when you know what this says and you choose to do the opposite, you break God's heart as well. 00:11:16.159 --> 00:11:19.840 And and and that's not what we're called to do. 00:11:20.639 --> 00:11:24.960 And John says that if you do that, that you're a liar. 00:11:25.279 --> 00:11:28.799 That's that's not why we're we we we started going to church. 00:11:28.960 --> 00:11:35.120 And so um I've often heard people share their testimony, and when they share their testimony, they'll say something like this. 00:11:35.200 --> 00:11:40.159 They'll say, you know, my husband and I, we started going to church and now we're followers of Jesus. 00:11:40.480 --> 00:11:42.159 And that's basically their testimony. 00:11:42.320 --> 00:11:47.840 And when they do that, I'm kind of like, how do I know if you're a Christian or not from that? 00:11:48.000 --> 00:11:49.840 Because going to church doesn't make you a Christian. 00:11:50.000 --> 00:11:54.320 Like I can't go home and stick my head in the oven and come out a brownie. 00:11:54.480 --> 00:11:56.240 Like you, that doesn't work, right? 00:11:56.480 --> 00:12:00.399 And you can't just come to church and I'm a believer because I go to church. 00:12:00.480 --> 00:12:04.559 I know in Texas it's popular to go to church, but that that is not what saves you. 00:12:04.799 --> 00:12:10.080 The only thing that saves you is actually you're going this way, you're you're sending it up, and you realize that's not the right way. 00:12:10.159 --> 00:12:10.960 I want to go after Jesus. 00:12:11.039 --> 00:12:16.480 You turn from your sin, you begin to follow Jesus, and he begins to slowly but surely change your heart. 00:12:16.639 --> 00:12:18.080 That's what John's talking about here. 00:12:18.159 --> 00:12:22.320 He's not talking about perfection, he's talking about what Neil talked about last week. 00:12:22.399 --> 00:12:27.200 That's what Jesus has done for us is he's given you, his righteousness has been uh imparted to you. 00:12:27.279 --> 00:12:28.799 It's it's been declared over your life. 00:12:28.879 --> 00:12:30.320 You're 100% righteous in him. 00:12:30.559 --> 00:12:31.039 That is true. 00:12:31.120 --> 00:12:37.039 But it's also true that this side of heaven, you're not gonna be perfect and you're still gonna mess up and have your struggles. 00:12:37.200 --> 00:12:41.279 But what this text is talking about is are you actually still going toward Jesus? 00:12:41.440 --> 00:12:45.919 Is that your trajectory of your life, or are you going the other way and rebelling against him? 00:12:46.559 --> 00:12:49.039 One way you can know that you're a follower of Jesus. 00:12:49.120 --> 00:12:54.399 If you're still going through him, toward him, and you stumble and you fall sometimes, you can know that you're in Christ. 00:12:54.639 --> 00:13:06.000 But if you can't identify any time, any point of change in your life or any time where you start going toward him and followed his commandments, and your heart hasn't changed, well then you're not a follower of Jesus. 00:13:06.240 --> 00:13:06.559 Okay? 00:13:07.600 --> 00:13:08.639 Let's carry on. 00:13:08.799 --> 00:13:11.600 Let's go to 2, 7 through 11. 00:13:11.759 --> 00:13:13.440 2, 7 through 11. 00:13:13.679 --> 00:13:14.559 Here's what it says. 00:13:14.639 --> 00:13:18.799 It says, Beloved, I'm writing to you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. 00:13:19.039 --> 00:13:21.360 The old commandment is the word that you've heard. 00:13:21.519 --> 00:13:26.480 At the same time, it's a new commandment that I'm writing to you, which is true in him and in you. 00:13:26.799 --> 00:13:28.480 And let's just stop there for a second. 00:13:28.559 --> 00:13:33.039 So, you know, John, when he writes, I think he's speaking in riddles sometimes. 00:13:33.120 --> 00:13:38.559 Like I read, like when I first read that, I'm like, I don't know what that I don't get it at first. 00:13:38.639 --> 00:13:44.000 You have to sit there and kind of marinate in it a little bit to kind of get it to start to make sense in your mind. 00:13:44.879 --> 00:13:49.120 And as I sat and I thought about this, here's what I think he's saying. 00:13:49.200 --> 00:13:52.159 I don't have a lot of time this morning, so I'm just gonna kind of jump to what he's saying. 00:13:52.240 --> 00:13:54.000 We're gonna skip a little bit. 00:13:54.799 --> 00:14:00.080 He's saying there was an old, there was this old commandment, and the commandment was to love one another. 00:14:00.320 --> 00:14:06.320 And that commandment, that's still true today, but it's it's a new commandment today, and it's new in this sense. 00:14:06.480 --> 00:14:10.080 It's new in the sense that Jesus has come and he's actually lived that out now. 00:14:10.240 --> 00:14:13.360 Like he's not just telling you to love, he shows you how to love. 00:14:13.519 --> 00:14:15.759 And now your understanding of love goes deeper. 00:14:15.840 --> 00:14:28.960 And it goes deeper because Jesus has said it's not just about loving people, but it's this self-sacrificing kind of love where you're even willing to die for people if need be, that they could come to know Jesus or grow in him. 00:14:29.759 --> 00:14:32.639 You know, there's a story in the New Testament that kind of illustrates this. 00:14:32.720 --> 00:14:34.559 It's this story of the Good Samaritan. 00:14:34.720 --> 00:14:39.519 And so Jewish people at this time in history, they kind of thought, you know, we just need to reach the Jews and we're good. 00:14:39.600 --> 00:14:43.039 Jesus isn't calling us to reach anybody outside of the Jewish kingdom. 00:14:43.200 --> 00:14:50.879 And so Jesus, this this lawyer, one of the Jewish lawyers, comes up to him and and he starts to have this interaction and he tells him a story of the Good Samaritan. 00:14:50.960 --> 00:14:55.039 And the story is basically there's this guy that gets beat up and left along the side of the road. 00:14:55.200 --> 00:15:01.279 A priest goes by him, a Levite goes by him, both kind of today would be modern day preachers, right? 00:15:01.360 --> 00:15:06.159 So modern-day preachers just walk right by this guy by the side of the road, and then finally a Samaritan. 00:15:06.480 --> 00:15:10.000 A Samaritan is someone who's part Jewish and they're part Gentile. 00:15:10.159 --> 00:15:12.559 Gentile is just a non-Jewish person, that's their racial background. 00:15:12.639 --> 00:15:15.679 So the Samaritan comes by and that would be somebody the Jews would look down on. 00:15:15.840 --> 00:15:26.799 The Samaritan comes by and helps this guy, pays for his hotel, takes him to a doctor, gets him cleaned up, and Jesus is basically saying to him that that the Samaritan is how you should live and not the way that your preachers treated that guy. 00:15:26.960 --> 00:15:40.080 And what Jesus is saying with the story is it he's breaking some things down and he's saying, regardless of their race or their rank in society, they're equally loved by me and they need to be equally pursued. 00:15:40.320 --> 00:15:42.399 I died on the cross for each and every one of them. 00:15:42.480 --> 00:15:46.000 Whether you're poor or you're rich, I love you the same. 00:15:46.799 --> 00:15:50.240 And so you see, Jesus came and he proclaimed a new kind of love. 00:15:50.399 --> 00:15:54.720 Jews in that day, they had this saying, the rabbis taught them this. 00:15:54.960 --> 00:15:57.679 Gentiles, again, that's people that just aren't Jewish. 00:15:57.919 --> 00:16:04.799 Gentiles, they said that these Gentiles, they're created by God to be fuel for the fires of hell. 00:16:05.279 --> 00:16:07.919 That's a pretty strong statement. 00:16:08.159 --> 00:16:10.480 But that's what the Jews believed about Gentiles. 00:16:10.559 --> 00:16:15.600 And Jesus comes and he tells them the story of the Good Samaritan, just breaking that all down and saying, That's not, that's not how my kingdom operates. 00:16:15.759 --> 00:16:17.519 My kingdom's for everyone. 00:16:18.080 --> 00:16:18.399 Okay? 00:16:18.799 --> 00:16:23.360 And so this text continues and it says that's true in him, and it's true in you. 00:16:23.440 --> 00:16:26.639 So Jesus lived that out, but he's also calling you to live it out. 00:16:26.799 --> 00:16:32.320 And then the next passage it says, the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. 00:16:32.480 --> 00:16:34.080 So you think of the people in this time period. 00:16:34.159 --> 00:16:39.600 They got these false teachers in their town, and I'm sure there were people in the town that were like, man, culture is falling apart. 00:16:39.679 --> 00:16:43.519 We're all fighting each other, we got these false teachers, this guy saying this, we got this guy saying this. 00:16:43.679 --> 00:16:44.879 This must be the end of the world. 00:16:44.960 --> 00:16:46.720 Things are just getting worse and worse. 00:16:47.039 --> 00:16:51.519 And this this old man John comes walking in and he says, uh-uh, that's not what's happening. 00:16:52.000 --> 00:16:53.200 That's not what's happening. 00:16:54.240 --> 00:16:58.480 The darkness, even in the here and now, is passing away, and the true light is already shining. 00:16:58.799 --> 00:17:00.240 Let me bring this into the modern day. 00:17:00.399 --> 00:17:02.720 You know, uh Ukraine just got invaded by Russia. 00:17:02.799 --> 00:17:06.240 And some of us we look at that and we're like, man, things, this isn't good. 00:17:06.400 --> 00:17:09.200 I mean, this could this could end up, this could lead to World War III. 00:17:09.359 --> 00:17:10.960 That could happen. 00:17:11.680 --> 00:17:15.759 We look at our culture here in America and we're like, man, we got COVID. 00:17:15.920 --> 00:17:24.000 We have critical race theory, we have we have parents that send their kids to homeschool, and parents send their kids to public school, and parents that do private school. 00:17:24.160 --> 00:17:26.079 We are so divided as a society. 00:17:26.160 --> 00:17:32.640 We got Democrats, we got Republicans, we like our society is so divided, like things are just getting worse and worse, it's not going well. 00:17:33.119 --> 00:17:38.799 And what what John would say to you, and what God would say to you this morning, is that's that's not what's happening. 00:17:39.039 --> 00:17:40.480 That's not what's happening. 00:17:41.039 --> 00:17:44.480 The darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining. 00:17:44.720 --> 00:17:47.359 In their day and in our day, that is what is happening. 00:17:47.440 --> 00:17:49.440 God's kingdom is forcefully advancing. 00:17:49.599 --> 00:17:51.599 You know, we got to see that video of Jill and Chris. 00:17:51.680 --> 00:17:52.480 They're not the only ones. 00:17:52.640 --> 00:18:02.319 God is restoring marriages, God is setting men free from their porn addictions, God is setting young women free from their addiction to anxiety and all of that. 00:18:02.720 --> 00:18:03.440 That's happening. 00:18:03.599 --> 00:18:06.160 The kingdom of God is forcefully advancing. 00:18:06.559 --> 00:18:09.279 He says in here that the darkness is passing away. 00:18:09.440 --> 00:18:14.960 You know, I picture that almost like it's like Satan's on his deathbed and he's throwing darts at you and trying to mess your life up. 00:18:15.119 --> 00:18:17.599 Because Satan and his demons are already defeated. 00:18:17.680 --> 00:18:20.079 Jesus defeated them at the cross. 00:18:20.559 --> 00:18:22.480 And the light is shining. 00:18:22.720 --> 00:18:24.720 We should be full of hope. 00:18:24.960 --> 00:18:28.559 Because the kingdom is constantly expanding. 00:18:30.079 --> 00:18:31.440 9 through 11. 00:18:31.839 --> 00:18:35.119 Whoever says he's in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. 00:18:35.359 --> 00:18:41.039 Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there's no cause for stumbling. 00:18:41.920 --> 00:18:46.400 And so it's like another test almost for whether or not they they really know Jesus. 00:18:46.559 --> 00:18:49.920 And I think this is a test that, again, we we've all had to wrestle with. 00:18:50.000 --> 00:18:53.119 Like, who among us has not been hurt by someone else in their life? 00:18:53.279 --> 00:18:59.599 Whether it's been through their words, their actions, maybe their hands, all of us have been hurt by someone. 00:18:59.839 --> 00:19:02.880 I wish it wasn't true, but we're all sinners and we've all been hurt by other people. 00:19:02.960 --> 00:19:05.359 We we carry that hurt with us. 00:19:05.599 --> 00:19:19.359 And what John is saying here is he's saying, you know, if you if you're if you walk in the light, then you're doing good, but if if you hate your brother, you're not walking in the light anymore, you're walking in darkness now. 00:19:20.720 --> 00:19:26.319 And and he says, he says, whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and there's no cause for stumbling. 00:19:26.400 --> 00:19:32.880 So if you're somebody that, do you guys remember those seasons in your life where there was you just didn't have any issues with anyone? 00:19:33.039 --> 00:19:41.839 There was there was no unforgiveness in your life, and life is just rosy and wonderful and good, and you're full of vision for God, and there's just no stumbling blocks in your life. 00:19:42.079 --> 00:19:43.839 That's how God wants us to live. 00:19:44.000 --> 00:19:45.279 That's how he wants us to live. 00:19:45.359 --> 00:19:48.960 But unfortunately, that's just not always how it goes. 00:19:49.200 --> 00:19:56.319 Um this week, as I was preparing this passage, I woke up one morning and my wife and I we began to talk. 00:19:56.559 --> 00:20:00.960 And my wife said to me, she said, Brent, you know, I'm really excited to hear your sermon on forgiveness. 00:20:01.039 --> 00:20:03.359 And I had just woken up, so I was very direct back with her. 00:20:03.440 --> 00:20:04.880 I said, What are you talking about? 00:20:05.039 --> 00:20:07.279 There's nothing about forgiveness in that passage. 00:20:08.640 --> 00:20:11.599 Um, and my wife was like, I think there is. 00:20:11.759 --> 00:20:14.400 I don't think you've actually studied it that well yet. 00:20:14.640 --> 00:20:17.920 Um and I hadn't, I hadn't completed studying it yet. 00:20:18.000 --> 00:20:19.680 I was only part way through. 00:20:20.160 --> 00:20:22.319 So I disagreed with her in the moment. 00:20:22.400 --> 00:20:25.599 I got to the office and I realized my wife's right. 00:20:25.680 --> 00:20:27.920 It is about forgiveness that is in here. 00:20:28.640 --> 00:20:31.279 And once I realized that, this heaviness came on me. 00:20:31.440 --> 00:20:35.359 Like I'm driving my car and I'm about to cry, and I'm like, what is going on? 00:20:35.920 --> 00:20:37.279 Why am I so sad all of a sudden? 00:20:37.359 --> 00:20:38.079 And then it hit me. 00:20:38.160 --> 00:20:39.279 I knew what it was. 00:20:39.519 --> 00:20:43.200 I have a relationship in my life that's broken. 00:20:44.079 --> 00:20:47.599 And this person, I've done everything I can to reconcile with them. 00:20:47.759 --> 00:20:52.960 I've gone to counseling with this person, I have met with them, the two of us, and tried to work it out. 00:20:53.119 --> 00:20:56.160 I've met with them and with another person trying to work it out. 00:20:56.319 --> 00:21:00.240 I've done everything you can possibly do to try to reconcile a relationship. 00:21:00.400 --> 00:21:06.880 I've I have repented of my sin, I've told them what I did wrong, I've asked for their forgiveness, and I've forgiven them. 00:21:07.200 --> 00:21:08.480 But here's what hasn't happened. 00:21:08.559 --> 00:21:09.680 We have not reconciled. 00:21:09.759 --> 00:21:16.960 And the reason we haven't reconciled is because this person has refused to admit that they've done anything wrong. 00:21:17.279 --> 00:21:20.319 When they've kind of been the one who's done the most wrong. 00:21:21.039 --> 00:21:22.799 And this is a person I love. 00:21:23.920 --> 00:21:36.079 And so every time I have to speak on forgiveness or something, my heart just gets heavy because I want, I so want this to be fixed, and there's nothing I can do about it besides pray for them, which is a powerful thing to do about it. 00:21:36.160 --> 00:21:40.559 But I I'm a doer, I want to do more than that, but I I just I can't right now. 00:21:41.279 --> 00:21:47.359 And so I think what I'm wondering this morning, for any of you, do you have anybody like that? 00:21:48.000 --> 00:21:52.000 Is there anybody that you maybe you've forgiven, maybe you haven't even forgiven them? 00:21:52.400 --> 00:21:55.279 And and it and it there's a heaviness on your heart right now. 00:21:56.400 --> 00:22:05.359 You know, I when I've had people like this that I've needed to forgive, a process that Gone through is I often start to think, you know, what they did to me was so bad, so harsh, so cruel. 00:22:05.519 --> 00:22:06.720 I don't want to forgive them. 00:22:06.799 --> 00:22:08.160 I don't think they deserve my forgiveness. 00:22:08.240 --> 00:22:10.079 I think they deserve to suffer for this. 00:22:11.680 --> 00:22:20.079 I think when we're in that place, I think Jesus comes to us and he says, you know, I actually went to the cross for that sin. 00:22:20.160 --> 00:22:26.559 Because I think what we think is we think that being a Christian that we have to minimize this, we think Jesus is just like, just get over it and just forgive them. 00:22:26.799 --> 00:22:28.960 You know, I forgive you, why can't you just forgive them? 00:22:29.119 --> 00:22:30.720 I don't think that's what Jesus does at all. 00:22:30.799 --> 00:22:31.920 I think he does the opposite. 00:22:32.079 --> 00:22:36.960 I think he says, actually, just as bad as you think their sin was, I think it, I think it was worse. 00:22:37.200 --> 00:22:39.440 Do you realize what I did for them? 00:22:39.759 --> 00:22:41.759 They beat me 39 times on my back. 00:22:41.920 --> 00:22:44.319 They left my back a bloody pulp. 00:22:44.640 --> 00:22:52.799 And then they took me and they put me up on a cross, nailed my hands to the cross, nailed my feet to the cross, and I hung there and I suffered for their sin. 00:22:52.960 --> 00:22:54.319 I don't take their sin lightly. 00:22:54.400 --> 00:22:56.960 In fact, I take it more seriously than you take it. 00:22:57.279 --> 00:23:00.880 And then I rose again, conquering sin and death. 00:23:01.279 --> 00:23:02.559 Is that enough? 00:23:03.839 --> 00:23:04.720 Is that enough? 00:23:04.960 --> 00:23:08.400 Or is there more that you would have me do to fix that? 00:23:09.680 --> 00:23:16.720 And I think when Jesus has come to me and said that, I've been like, yeah, that's enough. 00:23:17.440 --> 00:23:19.680 And then I don't think he lets it stay there. 00:23:19.759 --> 00:23:28.559 I think he often will come as well, and he'll say, Do you know when I went to the cross, it wasn't just for their sin, it was for your sin as well. 00:23:30.400 --> 00:23:32.720 You deserve the same punishment. 00:23:32.880 --> 00:23:34.799 You deserve to be beaten 39 times. 00:23:34.880 --> 00:23:40.559 You deserve to go to a cross and be nailed to it, your hands nailed and your feet nailed and suffer and die. 00:23:41.599 --> 00:23:42.960 But I didn't leave it there. 00:23:43.200 --> 00:23:46.640 I rose again for you as well, and sin and death is conquered. 00:23:46.720 --> 00:23:53.119 And this morning, you deserve to be burning in hell, but you get to sit in this beautiful new building. 00:23:53.359 --> 00:23:57.839 How gracious and good am I to each one of you this morning? 00:23:59.920 --> 00:24:10.400 See, I think, you know, we often assume that Jesus comes to us, forgives us of our sins, and is like, here, here's a cup, and all of my forgiveness and grace is in this cup. 00:24:10.559 --> 00:24:14.079 I want you to take this and just pour this cup out on everyone. 00:24:14.319 --> 00:24:16.960 And when you run out, then I'm not gonna hold you responsible anymore. 00:24:17.039 --> 00:24:18.000 You'll you'll be fine. 00:24:18.079 --> 00:24:21.200 But just you use this little bit of grace that I've given you. 00:24:21.519 --> 00:24:24.079 And this isn't what he gave us. 00:24:24.480 --> 00:24:28.319 It's like Jesus gave us the Pacific Ocean of grace. 00:24:29.839 --> 00:24:33.440 And he said, like, this is what I want you to give from. 00:24:33.599 --> 00:24:41.119 And so there's never gonna be anyone that can sin so much that you won't have it in you to forgive, because I have shown you an incredible amount of grace. 00:24:41.200 --> 00:24:42.640 You're never gonna run out. 00:24:44.400 --> 00:24:47.519 I think that Jill understood this. 00:24:48.240 --> 00:24:54.160 She knew the ocean of grace that God had shown her, and that's what gave her the strength to be able to forgive Chris. 00:24:54.400 --> 00:24:55.920 I think Chris understood this. 00:24:56.079 --> 00:24:59.680 He knew that he hadn't sinned so much that God wasn't able to forgive it. 00:24:59.839 --> 00:25:03.920 He knew that God had shown him an ocean of grace that could even forgive that sin. 00:25:04.960 --> 00:25:08.079 And I think that's what he's shown each of us this morning as well. 00:25:08.319 --> 00:25:10.400 That his grace is big enough for your sin. 00:25:10.480 --> 00:25:15.359 And his grace is big enough for your brother's sin, your sister's sin as well. 00:25:16.160 --> 00:25:19.599 So I just want to take a little time here and I want to think about what we've just heard. 00:25:19.759 --> 00:25:21.599 It's been a lot this morning. 00:25:23.519 --> 00:25:26.160 Do you know that you're a follower of Jesus? 00:25:26.720 --> 00:25:33.519 Are you are you walking toward him, or is there no evidence in your life that you're a follower at all? 00:25:33.759 --> 00:25:40.480 Is there evidence in your life that you're you're you're you're choosing to go toward him, no matter how much you may stumble, you're stumbling toward him. 00:25:41.039 --> 00:25:46.079 And then the second thing is, is there any unforgiveness in your heart? 00:25:46.400 --> 00:25:50.079 Is there anybody in your life that you you need to make some things right with? 00:25:50.880 --> 00:25:54.079 So the questions are gonna come up here on the screen, and I'm gonna pray for us. 00:25:54.160 --> 00:25:55.440 And I just want us to think through that. 00:25:55.519 --> 00:26:00.160 Just pause for a moment and just connect with the Holy Spirit and ask him, what is he saying? 00:26:00.240 --> 00:26:05.279 Lord Jesus, I thank you for the grace that you poured out for us, Lord. 00:26:05.359 --> 00:26:08.079 You poured out so much more grace than any of us deserve. 00:26:08.319 --> 00:26:15.759 And I pray this morning, would you come, would you give us all a revelation of how big your grace is, God? 00:26:15.920 --> 00:26:20.240 Because I think often we just think it's a little cup, but you've given us the Pacific ocean of grace. 00:26:20.319 --> 00:26:23.839 And when we start to realize that, it fills us with so much joy. 00:26:24.000 --> 00:26:28.000 And it allows us to let go of bitterness and begin to forgive, Lord. 00:26:28.799 --> 00:26:31.359 We don't want to be bitter people walking around, Lord. 00:26:31.519 --> 00:26:38.640 We want to be people that are full of your joy and full of your grace, and we want to spill out all over everyone we come in contact with. 00:26:39.440 --> 00:26:41.440 Come, speak to us this morning. 00:26:41.680 --> 00:26:42.720 Your name I pray. 00:26:43.039 --> 00:26:43.680 Amen. 00:26:49.920 --> 00:26:51.759 So I have a couple of announcements. 00:26:51.920 --> 00:26:57.599 If you want to worship through giving this morning, the offering uh boxes are back in the back by the doors. 00:26:57.839 --> 00:27:03.119 Um as well, we as pastoral staff would love to get to know you if you're new here. 00:27:03.359 --> 00:27:09.839 If you're new here on your phone, you can uh there you go, you can text that number, and we'd love to get to know you. 00:27:09.920 --> 00:27:12.319 Uh maybe get lunch with you or something this week. 00:27:12.559 --> 00:27:15.920 The other thing is at the end of the service, there will be pastors here in the front. 00:27:16.000 --> 00:27:19.200 If you want to talk to us, pray with us, we'd love to do that as well. 00:27:19.440 --> 00:27:20.720 So would you guys stand with me? 00:27:20.799 --> 00:27:25.119 I want to pray a prayer of uh I don't, nope, that's not. 00:27:27.279 --> 00:27:28.720