SPEAKER_00: This podcast is brought to you by Grant Parkway Baptist.
SPEAKER_00: Helping people to know, enjoy, and glorify God.
SPEAKER_00: For more information about Grand Parkway, visit GrandProquay.org.
SPEAKER_01: Again, what a miracle it is that I'm talking to the living God of the universe right now.
SPEAKER_01: God, would you magnify your goodness to us in our lives and in this space?
SPEAKER_01: Lord, I keep having the image of shackles breaking.
SPEAKER_01: God, I pray in these next 30 minutes that shackles in people's lives and minds and hearts will be broken.
SPEAKER_01: Lord, I pray that these scriptures penetrate our hearts.
SPEAKER_01: We love you and we need you.
SPEAKER_01: It's in your beautiful name I pray.
SPEAKER_01: Amen.
SPEAKER_01: You may be seated.
SPEAKER_01: Good morning, Hara.
SPEAKER_01: Are we good?
unknown: Good morning.
SPEAKER_01: Awesome.
SPEAKER_01: If you have your Bibles, would you grab those?
SPEAKER_01: Go to 1 John chapter 2.
SPEAKER_01: Okay, 1 John chapter 2.
SPEAKER_01: If you don't have a Bible, just relax.
SPEAKER_01: The text is going to appear on the screen.
SPEAKER_01: My name is Leo Almeida.
SPEAKER_01: I'm one of the teaching pastors here at Grant Parkway.
SPEAKER_01: And I'm going to be leading us this morning.
SPEAKER_01: I'm going to continue our study in the book of 1 John.
SPEAKER_01: And today we're going to do that in verses 12 through 17 of 1 John chapter 2.
SPEAKER_01: Now, before we get to it, I have a story for you, a quick story that I think cascades us well into where we're going this morning.
SPEAKER_01: So there's a pastor in Oklahoma who used to office out of a warehouse.
SPEAKER_01: His office was in an old warehouse.
SPEAKER_01: And behind this warehouse, there was a field where irresponsible high schoolers would come do what irresponsible high schoolers do.
SPEAKER_01: Whatever you just filled in the blank in your mind, that, whatever.
SPEAKER_01: And his desk was right next to the window outlooking the field.
SPEAKER_01: And one day he turned around and he sees a car just coming in hot.
SPEAKER_01: Music blasting a car coming in at full speed.
SPEAKER_01: He just pumped the brakes and a guy gets out with music blasting.
SPEAKER_01: And then moments later, the same thing happens.
SPEAKER_01: And then again, and then again, and then again, and then again.
SPEAKER_01: And all of a sudden, before long, you have a group of high schoolers in a circle with their cars in a circle, and there's two boys, two young men that are in the middle, and they're about to duke it out.
SPEAKER_01: They're about to sell some differences.
SPEAKER_01: To which the pastor looks on and he responds by going, fight! And his whole staff gets up and they go to the window and they go watch.
SPEAKER_01: Naturally.
SPEAKER_01: Until finally it dawns on him, I'm an adult.
SPEAKER_01: I'm an adult who's a Christian.
SPEAKER_01: I'm an adult who's a Christian and a pastor.
SPEAKER_01: When those truths dawn on him, he springs into action, he goes downstairs, he goes outside, and he breaks up the fight, and all is well in the world.
SPEAKER_01: And this story will live on as a sermon illustration.
SPEAKER_01: But why do I tell you that?
SPEAKER_01: Everything changed when he remembered who he was.
SPEAKER_01: Friends, when you know who you are, you will know what to do.
SPEAKER_01: Identity informs your activity.
SPEAKER_01: Ironically, um, the people in the world that understand this reality the most are kids who are troublemakers.
SPEAKER_01: Because they continually make mistakes and they continually hear authority figures, whether it's mom, dad, coach, principal, teacher, they continually hear who do you think you are?
SPEAKER_01: And that sentence, that that question is telling because it smuggles in the reality that you do what you do because of who you think you are.
SPEAKER_01: And that's my point this morning.
SPEAKER_01: Because of who you are, because of who you are, invest in what will last.
SPEAKER_01: That's my sermon in one sentence.
SPEAKER_01: Because of who you are, invest in what will last.
SPEAKER_01: Look at verses 12 through 14.
SPEAKER_01: I'm writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name's sake.
SPEAKER_01: I'm writing to you, fathers, because you know him who was from the beginning.
SPEAKER_01: I'm writing to you, young men, because you've overcome the evil one.
SPEAKER_01: I write to you, children, because you know the father.
SPEAKER_01: I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning.
SPEAKER_01: I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
SPEAKER_01: Sword of the Lord.
SPEAKER_01: Now, if you remember anything this morning, it's this because of who you are, invest in what will last.
SPEAKER_01: And that begs the question: who are you?
SPEAKER_01: Well, according to this passage, Christian, in Christ you are forgiven.
SPEAKER_01: In Christ you are forgiven.
SPEAKER_01: Look at verse 12 one more time.
SPEAKER_01: I'm writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name's sake.
SPEAKER_01: At a first glance, when you look at these three verses, it almost sounds like John is writing to Little Rascals Bible Church, where Alfalfa is the lead pastor and there's no girls allowed.
SPEAKER_01: Right?
SPEAKER_01: But this isn't just a church of dudes, okay?
SPEAKER_01: In fact, um, seven times in the book of 1 John, uh, John references this crowd by calling them little children, but this is this isn't just a church um full of toddlers.
SPEAKER_01: Rather, okay, there's a lot of debate as to why he references these groups the way that he references these groups.
SPEAKER_01: Some people believe that these are spiritual stages.
SPEAKER_01: Okay, the the children are referring to new believers.
SPEAKER_01: Young men are referring to people who are growing in their faith, and finally fathers.
SPEAKER_01: Now, these are people who are spent decades knowing and loving Jesus.
SPEAKER_01: Other people believe these are church roles, the fathers are merely the ministry leaders, and the or the the young men are ministry leaders, and the fathers themselves are the pastors and the elders.
SPEAKER_01: No matter where you stand, here's what you need to know.
SPEAKER_01: As we reread this section, I'm going to treat them as stages, but what's true about all these groups is true of every Christian.
SPEAKER_01: What we see right here is, Christian, you are forgiven.
SPEAKER_01: You are forgiven.
SPEAKER_01: Friends, our God does not shove aside sin.
SPEAKER_01: He does not ignore sin.
SPEAKER_01: He does not scoff at sin.
SPEAKER_01: He does not dangle sin in front of us.
SPEAKER_01: The God who is there forgives sin.
SPEAKER_01: Oh, how thankful we should be that our God is not merely fair.
SPEAKER_01: Thank the Lord, He's not merely fair.
SPEAKER_01: Go to First Colony Mall.
SPEAKER_01: They're fair over there.
SPEAKER_01: If you're browsing around in a store and you break something, the policies, you break it, you buy it.
SPEAKER_01: Imagine if that was the if he was merely fair.
SPEAKER_01: But scriptures reveal a God who is just and he is rich in mercy.
SPEAKER_01: He forgives sin.
SPEAKER_01: And he does so for his name's sake.
SPEAKER_01: Listen, he doesn't forgive you because you're cute.
SPEAKER_01: He forgives you on account of Jesus.
SPEAKER_01: Earlier in this chapter, Jesus is called two things, an advocate for us, and it's a propitiation.
SPEAKER_01: That sounds like Christian needs, but it literally means advocate means he's our defense lawyer who pleas our case on our behalf.
SPEAKER_01: So you picture in a heavenly courtroom where you are guilty, but you are walking in with our defense lawyer as Jesus.
SPEAKER_01: And furthermore, he's our propitiation.
SPEAKER_01: This is a polytheistic society.
SPEAKER_01: People worship all sorts of gods, and one of the ways you worship gods is you uh you make a little sacrifice to God, these random gods.
SPEAKER_01: Okay, and these sacrifices are called propitiation, but Jesus is our final payment, he's our full payment, he's our propitiation that satisfies God's anger.
SPEAKER_01: Jesus is our advocate and our propitiation.
SPEAKER_01: Now I say that at the risk of sounding like good cop, bad cop.
SPEAKER_01: Like the father is super angry, but the son is really chill and he's gonna cover for us.
SPEAKER_01: Friends, Jesus was not on the cross trying to get God to like us.
SPEAKER_01: But rather, okay, Jesus is on the cross because God loved us before the foundations of the world.
SPEAKER_01: You are forgiven.
SPEAKER_01: Without this assurance, there cannot be an effective Christian life.
SPEAKER_01: Without the assurance of your forgiveness, you cannot be effective in your Christian life.
SPEAKER_01: In the 1960s, there was a basketball player named Swin Nader.
SPEAKER_01: Besides having the coolest name I've ever heard, Swin was an all-American junior college basketball player.
SPEAKER_01: And he was just a great, great player.
SPEAKER_01: He spent two years, I think, Cyprus Junior College in California.
SPEAKER_01: But after his sophomore year, he decided to transfer to the legendary basketball program at UCLA.
SPEAKER_01: And UCLA at the time was legendary.
SPEAKER_01: And what made them so legendary was the coach, John Wooden.
SPEAKER_01: And he's arguably one of the most famous coaches in American soil, just in American sports history.
SPEAKER_01: And Swen walks in as the underdog, grew up extremely poor, couldn't afford shoes.
SPEAKER_01: Okay, he was an immigrant, he was an orphan, didn't even make the basketball team at his high school.
SPEAKER_01: He walks in as an all uh an underdog in a room full of a bunch of all-Americans, people who are destined for basketball immortality.
SPEAKER_01: So he walks in that first meeting, ready to either compete or hear about the championship dream at UCLA.
SPEAKER_01: And he walks in, he sees Bill Walton, and he sees all these guys that are just destined for basketball immortality.
SPEAKER_01: And then Coach Wooden walks in.
SPEAKER_01: In their first meeting, he didn't get that big championship speech.
SPEAKER_01: John Wooden, the first thing he does is goes, All right, everyone, take off your shoes.
SPEAKER_01: All right, now everyone, take off your socks.
SPEAKER_01: And he spends that first meeting teaching this team how to put on your socks.
SPEAKER_01: Okay, here is how to put don't pull it.
SPEAKER_01: Don't pull it.
SPEAKER_01: Okay, you want to rub your heel, make sure there's no wrinkles over there.
SPEAKER_01: Rub your pinky toe, make sure there's no wrinkles over there.
SPEAKER_01: Because if there's wrinkles, you can be blisters.
SPEAKER_01: And whenever there's blisters, there's pain.
SPEAKER_01: Whenever you feel that nagging pain, you start limping, you start favoring it a little bit.
SPEAKER_01: Whenever you start limping, you're a step slow.
SPEAKER_01: When you're a step slow, you can't play your best.
SPEAKER_01: When you can't play your best, we don't win games.
SPEAKER_01: Therefore, here's how to put on your socks.
SPEAKER_01: Right?
SPEAKER_01: So, just a reference point, in his last 12 years at UCLA, John wouldn't won 10 championships.
SPEAKER_01: And listen, it's not because they knew how to put on their socks really well, okay?
SPEAKER_01: You gotta know how to ball if you want to do that.
SPEAKER_01: But this shows us that his basics were extremely important.
SPEAKER_01: In our case, you and I are called to grow.
SPEAKER_01: You're not called to stay stagnant in Christ, you're called to grow in your love.
SPEAKER_01: Um 2 Peter chapter 1, um, supplement your make every effort, try your hardest at make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, with self-control, with knowledge, with love, with uh brotherly affection.
SPEAKER_01: You are called to grow.
SPEAKER_01: But if you are bored or unaffected by the basic reality of your forgiveness, you are doomed to spiritual blisters.
SPEAKER_01: I wonder how many of us are walking around with blisters, forgetting that you're forgiven.
SPEAKER_01: Listen, you are not yet done being sanctified.
SPEAKER_01: That's a process.
SPEAKER_01: You are not yet perfected, you do you are not yet have your glorified body, you do not yet see the Father, you do not yet hear that, well done, my good and faithful servant.
SPEAKER_01: You don't yet have those things.
SPEAKER_01: However, when it comes to your position before God, when it comes to your position before God, you will never be more forgiven than you are right now.
SPEAKER_01: When it comes, this is what it means that Jesus imputed his righteousness unto us.
SPEAKER_01: When it comes to your position before God, you will never be more forgiven than you are right now.
SPEAKER_01: Romans chapter 8, verse 1 says this there is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
SPEAKER_01: There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
SPEAKER_01: Let me tell you, like my parents used to tell me after the 8,000th time of asking to go to Toys R Us.
SPEAKER_01: Listen, no means no.
SPEAKER_01: As you read this sentence, get in your head.
SPEAKER_01: No means no, no condemnation means no condemnation.
SPEAKER_01: The verdict is not less condemnation.
SPEAKER_01: We're not, we haven't improved our status in Jesus.
SPEAKER_01: Okay, he hasn't been improved, it's been completely transformed.
SPEAKER_01: We went from standing condemned to no condemnation.
SPEAKER_01: Friends, this is where the body of Christ metaphor becomes so critical for us.
SPEAKER_01: We are the body of Christ.
SPEAKER_01: Okay, Christ lives in Leo through his spirit, and I am in Christ by faith.
SPEAKER_01: So you can't acquit the head and condemn the hand.
SPEAKER_01: You can't say not guilty to the head and condemn the knee.
SPEAKER_01: In that same way, um, for our students here who are who are younger, if your head is above water, you can't, I can't drown your hand.
SPEAKER_01: If your head is above water, I can't drown your foot, or I can't drown your finger.
SPEAKER_01: In that same way, we are joined to him.
SPEAKER_01: We hear the verdict, no condemnation.
SPEAKER_01: And as we get on the exit ramp of this point, I want to ask you, does your joy match your status?
SPEAKER_01: Could we tell by your joy?
SPEAKER_01: What are your friends and family learning about the forgiveness of God through you?
SPEAKER_01: Like earphones before a big game.
SPEAKER_01: What if the forgiveness of God became your soundtrack?
SPEAKER_01: What would you sound like what would your life look like?
SPEAKER_01: In Christ, you are forgiven.
SPEAKER_01: Because of who you are, invest in what will last.
SPEAKER_01: Who are you?
SPEAKER_01: Well, again, uh Christian, in Christ, you are victorious.
SPEAKER_01: Look at verse 13b.
SPEAKER_01: I'm writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one.
SPEAKER_01: Again, um, this is true of all Christians, but I believe John here is talking to the young people of the church.
SPEAKER_01: So I'm gonna take this opportunity to do the exact same.
SPEAKER_01: Okay, to our young disciples here, okay.
SPEAKER_01: Because of your energy, because of your strength, because of your influence in culture, you are currently being hunted.
SPEAKER_01: You are currently being hunted.
SPEAKER_01: And if that sounds ridiculous, you're probably losing.
SPEAKER_01: You have a target on you, and I don't say it to be shocking.
SPEAKER_01: Okay, I'm not the type of guy who once found a demon under every rock.
SPEAKER_01: Oh, I couldn't go feed the poor because somebody tied my shoes together.
SPEAKER_01: The demons did it, right?
SPEAKER_01: I'm not that guy.
SPEAKER_01: Okay, but I hear so many deconversion stories.
SPEAKER_01: I want to be as sensitive as possible, but oftentimes when I hear these deconversions, I walked away from the church because of this, I walked away from the church because of this.
SPEAKER_01: My question sometimes wells up in me is like, did you not know you were a target?
SPEAKER_01: When I came to know the Lord, I heard so many poems about sand.
SPEAKER_01: There is one footprint, and then there's two footprints, and then there's one footprint.
SPEAKER_01: Listen, no offense.
SPEAKER_01: Or offense, whatever, but listen, to bear the name in Christ is to enlist.
SPEAKER_01: You're enlisting.
SPEAKER_01: I want to encourage you in this way.
SPEAKER_01: Notice the tense of this sentence.
SPEAKER_01: I am writing to young men because you have overcome.
SPEAKER_01: Not you will overcome, or you may overcome, or you are overcoming, you have overcomed.
SPEAKER_01: You are not just pardoned, you are empowered.
SPEAKER_01: Please do not give in to a skinny gospel.
SPEAKER_01: I can't stand, I know a thing or two about being skinny.
SPEAKER_01: A skinny gospel.
SPEAKER_01: What is the gospel?
SPEAKER_01: Jesus died for my sins.
SPEAKER_01: And I'm like, right?
SPEAKER_01: So yeah, he's not still dead, okay?
SPEAKER_01: He he rose again and then he ascended to the Father and He sent us a helper.
SPEAKER_01: Matter of fact, and Johnny says, it's better that I leave.
SPEAKER_01: It's better that I'm gonna leave you a helper.
SPEAKER_01: It's better that I leave.
SPEAKER_01: I'm gonna give you this helper.
SPEAKER_01: And that helper gives us power over sin.
SPEAKER_01: So on the cross, Jesus died for the penalty of sin, and that helper gives us power over sin.
SPEAKER_01: You are not just pardoned, you are empowered.
SPEAKER_01: So listen, whether you're fighting addiction, whether you're fighting laziness, whether you're fighting Bible confusion, whether you're fighting doubt, whether you're fighting discouragement, you're not just fighting for victory, but you're fighting from victory.
SPEAKER_01: Whatever conflict remains is being thrown at you by a baffled and conquered enemy.
SPEAKER_01: Now, what's the source?
SPEAKER_01: What's the source of your strength?
SPEAKER_01: Okay, you're not hardwired with the strength at birth, okay?
SPEAKER_01: It's been imparted to you.
SPEAKER_01: Look at verse 14b.
SPEAKER_01: I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
SPEAKER_01: Friends, you get strength as God's word abides in you.
SPEAKER_01: Again, that that can sound like um Shakespearean Christianese abides in you.
SPEAKER_01: It literally means make your home in.
SPEAKER_01: Does God's word make its home in you?
SPEAKER_01: Like if I interviewed your family and friends, how many of them say, listen, I can hear I can see God's word moving into her mind.
SPEAKER_01: Look at how she talks now.
SPEAKER_01: I can see God's word making moving in and moving into her heart.
SPEAKER_01: Look at her desires.
SPEAKER_01: I can see God's word moving into her life, look at her behaviors.
SPEAKER_01: That's your source.
SPEAKER_01: Young people, that's your source.
SPEAKER_01: That's our source.
SPEAKER_01: So, young person and Christian in Christ, you are victorious.
SPEAKER_01: Okay, so you are forgiven, you are victorious, and lastly, you are connected to the consistent.
SPEAKER_01: You are connected to the transcendent and consistent.
SPEAKER_01: That is really good news.
SPEAKER_01: So many fly by night trends, and you are connected to the consistent.
SPEAKER_01: Look at verses 13 through 14.
SPEAKER_01: 13 and 14.
SPEAKER_01: I'm writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning.
SPEAKER_01: Again, applies to everyone who has Christ.
SPEAKER_01: But I believe what John is doing here, he's addressing the fathers, okay, and the people who are the heads of their household or the head of the church.
SPEAKER_01: This is fathers, mothers, mothers.
SPEAKER_01: Grandma, grandmas, grandpas, uh, elders, pastors, overseers, he's talking to those.
SPEAKER_01: These are the people who have decades with God.
SPEAKER_01: They've walked with Jesus for decades.
SPEAKER_01: And these people who, whenever, whenever God comes up, they don't just have Bible knowledge, but they start talking about memories with him.
SPEAKER_01: They don't just start talking about him, they start talking about memories with him.
SPEAKER_01: They don't just know about him, they actually intimately know him.
SPEAKER_01: And he says this twice.
SPEAKER_01: I'm writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning.
SPEAKER_01: Last week, Brent told us the context of this, this letter.
SPEAKER_01: He's not just writing to them and saying, hey, what's up, guys?
SPEAKER_01: No, no, no.
SPEAKER_01: There are heresies.
SPEAKER_01: There are lies about God, lies about Jesus that are forming in the perimeter of the church, and they might be even seeping into the church.
SPEAKER_01: And he's writing to them to warn them about that.
SPEAKER_01: And what he's doing here, he's repeating this to the fathers, and he's telling them, listen, the truth you know is durable.
SPEAKER_01: These lies are enticing, these lies maybe sound powerful, but the truth you know is durable.
SPEAKER_01: The truth you know outlasts these lies.
SPEAKER_01: The truth you know was made for this moment.
SPEAKER_01: And that's how I want to exhort the heads of households, the heads of this church.
SPEAKER_01: Okay, look at this world.
SPEAKER_01: Look at this, and yet the truth you know was made for this moment.
SPEAKER_01: You have experienced the goodness of Psalm 90, verse 2.
SPEAKER_01: From everlasting to everlasting, you are God.
SPEAKER_01: Infinity that way to infinity that way, God is relentlessly Himself.
SPEAKER_01: You've experienced the truth of Hebrews chapter 13, verse 8.
SPEAKER_01: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
SPEAKER_01: You've experienced that.
SPEAKER_01: I can only quote that.
SPEAKER_01: You have experienced that.
SPEAKER_01: You know him who is from the beginning.
SPEAKER_01: You have seen trends come and go in and outside the church.
SPEAKER_01: You've watched pop culture change its mind over and over again.
SPEAKER_01: Pants were tight.
SPEAKER_01: Then they were baggy.
SPEAKER_01: What are we doing now?
SPEAKER_01: Like, which by the way, these are slim.
SPEAKER_01: People keep these are slim.
SPEAKER_01: These are not skinny.
SPEAKER_01: Don't believe these are man, seriously.
SPEAKER_01: Never believe when Neil talks about my wardrobe.
SPEAKER_01: Don't believe it, okay?
SPEAKER_01: But all these trends, and yet you have experienced the fact that God is a rock.
SPEAKER_01: And in Exodus 33 and 32, when uh Moses is praying at the end of his life, what you see there is he starts referring to God as a rock.
SPEAKER_01: Meaning, he's the rock of ages.
SPEAKER_01: You've experienced this.
SPEAKER_01: Therefore, I want to say, stay in the game and guide us.
SPEAKER_01: We need you.
SPEAKER_01: Stay in the game and guide us.
SPEAKER_01: Consider these last several decades a good start.
SPEAKER_01: Stay in the game and guide us.
SPEAKER_01: The body of Christ needs your energy.
SPEAKER_01: We need your wisdom.
SPEAKER_01: We need your knowledge.
SPEAKER_01: We need your encouragement.
SPEAKER_01: A compliment from you or encouragement that goes.
SPEAKER_01: So this time last year, I was um one of the dreams of my life was to plant a church.
SPEAKER_01: And um this time last year, actually, as soon as COVID started, I the rubber hit the road.
SPEAKER_01: I started making documents, I started dreaming.
SPEAKER_01: And I think last January, I started an assessment process to get vetted out to see if I was gonna go out and church plan.
SPEAKER_01: It was a very long assessment process and there was ended with the boot camp.
SPEAKER_01: And long story short, okay, um, I basically came up short.
SPEAKER_01: Okay, I basically failed.
SPEAKER_01: The big things were hey, uh marriage and an seminary.
SPEAKER_01: You gotta, you know, you gotta do something about those two before we we move forward.
SPEAKER_01: And it was discouraging.
SPEAKER_01: I was discouraged this past summer.
SPEAKER_01: Uh uh, however, I preached in July.
SPEAKER_01: I don't remember what I preached on, but I preached in July, and it was a mediocre.
SPEAKER_01: And that I walk off the stage and I remember Jim Skarzinski.
SPEAKER_01: Um, Jim Skarzinsky, he's a he's he lives over in in Delweb.
SPEAKER_01: He's one of my just a just a good, good man.
SPEAKER_01: And I remember after after the sermon, he came up to me.
SPEAKER_01: He didn't know anything that was going on in me.
SPEAKER_01: He put his arm around me and he goes, Boy, does God have a church for you.
SPEAKER_01: Now, Jim is not a guy who shows much emotion.
SPEAKER_01: He's very, very serious guy.
SPEAKER_01: Very, very serious guy.
SPEAKER_01: And yet in this moment, he starts tearing up and crying.
SPEAKER_01: And he hugged me really tight, and then he disappeared.
SPEAKER_01: That stayed with me.
SPEAKER_01: That's big.
SPEAKER_01: When I get encouragement from my peers, that's important.
SPEAKER_01: But from someone that's witnessed everlasting to everlasting goodness of God and saying, hey, I see potential in you, that's huge.
SPEAKER_01: That's huge.
SPEAKER_01: So we need your encouragement.
SPEAKER_01: Again, so many lies are forming in and outside the church, but the truth you know is made for this moment.
SPEAKER_01: So I want to encourage you to stay in the game.
SPEAKER_01: In as much as you're able, stay in the game.
SPEAKER_01: The church desperately needs you.
SPEAKER_01: Because of who you are, invest in what will last.
SPEAKER_01: You are forgiven, you are a victor, you're victorious, and you are connected to the consistent.
SPEAKER_01: Now in here, um, what will last?
unknown: Right?
SPEAKER_01: What will actually last?
SPEAKER_01: Look at verses 15 through 17.
SPEAKER_01: Do not love the world or the things in the world.
SPEAKER_01: If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
SPEAKER_01: For all that is in the world, the desires of the flesh, and the desire of the eye, desire of the eyes, the pride of life, is not from the father, but is from the world.
SPEAKER_01: And the world is passing away along with its desires.
SPEAKER_01: But whoever does the will of God abides forever.
SPEAKER_01: Do not love the world or the things of the world.
SPEAKER_01: What is what does that mean?
SPEAKER_01: Okay, God so loved the world, so I can't let actually that mean.
SPEAKER_01: Well, he here's what John's not saying.
SPEAKER_01: He's not saying, hate earth.
SPEAKER_01: Okay, that's not it.
SPEAKER_01: Okay, earth itself, nature and cosmos, the order, it's marred by sin.
SPEAKER_01: Creation is groaning, but yet it was declared good at creation.
SPEAKER_01: Okay, when you see Genesis 1 and 2, this is a God who has who has pleasure in creating, and he creates and he sees that it is good, it is good, it is good, it is good.
SPEAKER_01: So John is not saying, hey, hey earth.
SPEAKER_01: Furthermore, John's not saying, hate people.
SPEAKER_01: Okay, Jesus did not come to condemn the world's population, but he came to save the world's population.
SPEAKER_01: John 3.16 gets all the publicity, but John 3.17 is just as explosive.
SPEAKER_01: He did not come into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world.
SPEAKER_01: He's not saying hate earth.
SPEAKER_01: He's not saying hate people.
SPEAKER_01: But when he refers to the world, he's talking about this creative order that has set its face against God.
SPEAKER_01: The rebellious, sinful patterns and mindset and systems of the world.
SPEAKER_01: And he's asking us, what will it be in you?
SPEAKER_01: Love of this world or the love of the Father?
SPEAKER_01: What will it be in you?
SPEAKER_01: And he gives us a couple hints to make us to help us make our choice.
SPEAKER_01: He shows us what's at what's at stake.
SPEAKER_01: Look at verse 15b again.
SPEAKER_01: If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
SPEAKER_01: The love of the Father is not in him.
SPEAKER_01: Actually, what's happening here is John is borrowing capital from Jesus' money sermon or the sermon on the mount, because Jesus says something very, very similar to this same exact concept in Matthew 6.24.
SPEAKER_01: No one can serve two masters.
SPEAKER_01: For either he will hate the one, hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.
SPEAKER_01: You cannot serve God and money.
SPEAKER_01: Later on, Jesus' little brother chimes into this conversation.
SPEAKER_01: James 4, 4 says this, you adulterous people, do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity or hostility with God?
SPEAKER_01: Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
SPEAKER_01: Friends, what they're saying is this the throne of your heart holds one.
SPEAKER_01: Choose wisely.
SPEAKER_01: The throne of your heart holds one.
SPEAKER_01: And to the extent that you love the world and the rebellious patterns, you do not love the Father.
SPEAKER_01: So this week, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal corners and crevices of your heart that's still a little bit too flirty with the world.
SPEAKER_01: Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal that to you.
SPEAKER_01: John shows us what's at stake.
SPEAKER_01: Furthermore, he shows us the strategy of the world.
SPEAKER_01: Look at verse 16.
SPEAKER_01: For all that is in the world, the desires of the flesh, and the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not from the Father, but it's from the world.
SPEAKER_01: Okay, this is a plot twist.
SPEAKER_01: The weapons the world uses to lure you in, the marketing strategy the world uses to lure you in, they're actually already inside of you.
SPEAKER_01: They're actually already in us.
SPEAKER_01: The desires of the flesh.
SPEAKER_01: This is a desire to do something outside the will of God.
SPEAKER_01: This is the cravings of sinful man.
SPEAKER_01: This is the old nature wanting what it wants.
SPEAKER_01: It leads to gluttony, to sexual perversion, to drunkenness, and etc.
SPEAKER_01: And my question to you is this what's a consistent craving of yours that you need to be more violent about starving?
SPEAKER_01: Desire of the eyes.
SPEAKER_01: A desire to have something apart from the will of God.
SPEAKER_01: This leads to sexual lust and coveting.
SPEAKER_01: There's a Native American talking to his grandson, and he's talking to him about the inner conflict that's happening in his chest.
SPEAKER_01: And he says, This man, it feels like inside of me there are two wolves, a black wolf and a white wolf.
SPEAKER_01: And the black wolf represents everything that's bad in me, all my jealousy, all my anger issues, all my issues, all my defects, all my moral defects.
SPEAKER_01: And the white wolf represents all that's good in me, my generosity, my love, my care, my tenderness.
SPEAKER_01: It seems like these two wolves are beating themselves up and fighting each other inside of me.
SPEAKER_01: To which the grandson replies and asks, which one's winning?
SPEAKER_01: And the grandfather says, Whichever one I feed, whichever one I feed.
SPEAKER_01: As partakers of his divine nature, which one are you feeding?
SPEAKER_01: We are partakers of his divine nature and we still have flesh in us.
SPEAKER_01: Which one are you feeding?
SPEAKER_01: Is it time to block your line of sight to things that are wreaking havoc on your soul?
SPEAKER_01: And lastly, you have the pride of life.
SPEAKER_01: And this is a desire to be something apart from the will of God.
SPEAKER_01: This appeals to your ambition, placing your hope and prestige and power and possession.
SPEAKER_01: Now, there's a time change this morning, and it's pretty cold.
SPEAKER_01: And you're here.
SPEAKER_01: What probably means you're pretty moral people.
SPEAKER_01: With that being said, okay, I want to ask this question a different way.
SPEAKER_01: What do you find yourself internally bragging about?
SPEAKER_01: What are the subtle ways you find yourself bragging about yourself?
SPEAKER_01: Is it your education?
SPEAKER_01: What do you find yourself internally bragging about?
SPEAKER_01: That's the strategy of the world, and it's not new here.
SPEAKER_01: Genesis 3, verse 6.
SPEAKER_01: This is what Eve, this is how it happens with Eve.
SPEAKER_01: She sees that it's good for food.
SPEAKER_01: That's the lust of the flesh, less of the eyes, and its desire to make one wise.
SPEAKER_01: That's the pride of life.
SPEAKER_01: It's not new, but this is the strategy of the world.
SPEAKER_01: And lastly, John gives us the biggest hint to make our decision.
SPEAKER_01: Says it's only one will last.
SPEAKER_01: Look at verse 17.
SPEAKER_01: And the world is passing away, along with its desires.
SPEAKER_01: But whoever does the will of God abides forever.
SPEAKER_01: Whoever does the will of God abides forever.
SPEAKER_01: Friends, listen to the words that the Bible uses to describe the brevity of life.
SPEAKER_01: Wind, shadow, mist, grass, fleeting breath, and so on and so forth.
SPEAKER_01: But the Bible saying this, the clock is ticking.
SPEAKER_01: These things are melting away, they are passing away.
SPEAKER_01: But whoever does the will of God abides forever.
SPEAKER_01: My senior year, I was not super school spirit guy, but the one time I was like, you know what?
SPEAKER_01: Represent Spartans was my senior year for prom, the student council had a choice, and they could have spent hundreds, maybe even thousands of dollars on an ice sculpture for prom.
SPEAKER_01: But instead, they took that money and they sent it over to Central Africa to build wells.
SPEAKER_01: That's just a small parable how they're investing in what will last.
SPEAKER_01: An ice sculpture, it sets the vibe.
SPEAKER_01: It's pretty cool.
SPEAKER_01: You've seen one.
SPEAKER_01: It's pretty nice.
SPEAKER_01: And yet it will not last.
SPEAKER_01: Okay, but the work that there was happening in Central and North Africa, that will, that's lasting in that same way at the macro level, let us invest in what will last.
SPEAKER_01: On this topic, C.S.
SPEAKER_01: Lewis says this in The Weight of Glory.
SPEAKER_01: It would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but they're too weak.
SPEAKER_01: We're half-hearted creatures fooling about with drink and sex and ambition with when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in the slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by an offer of a holiday at the sea.
SPEAKER_01: We are far too easily pleased.
SPEAKER_01: Because of who you are, invest in what will last.
SPEAKER_01: You are forgiven, you are victorious, you are children of God.
SPEAKER_01: Choose that abundant life now while waiting for that kingdom that cannot be shaken.
SPEAKER_01: Let's pray.
SPEAKER_01: Thank you that I'm not just pardoned, though, I'm also empowered.
SPEAKER_01: Oh God, that we we might invest in what will last.
SPEAKER_01: That's you, that's your love, God.
SPEAKER_01: No matter how enticing this world looks, help us to be in it, but not of it.
SPEAKER_01: And that's not gonna happen by willpower.
SPEAKER_01: Holy Spirit, we need you to do a work in our hearts that we might love you more.
SPEAKER_01: Open our eyes to see your goodness more, Lord God.
SPEAKER_01: I can I repent of the times I've been bored or unaffected by the cross.
SPEAKER_01: God, would you please help this church be forever enamored by the cross?
SPEAKER_01: God, you are good.
SPEAKER_01: And I can see that in the scripture.
SPEAKER_01: Amen.
SPEAKER_01: So in this time in our service, I'd take a step back.
SPEAKER_01: I want to put some questions up here on the screen.
SPEAKER_01: Um, this is just for you and your mental worship.
SPEAKER_01: You can either take a picture of it or you can go through these questions in your mind now.
SPEAKER_01: And this is just a good space for us to be alone with the Lord, but together.
SPEAKER_01: So I'm gonna step back and allow you and the Lord um to um to talk about these things that we've just talked about.
SPEAKER_01: Holy Spirit, I just confessed my helplessness.
SPEAKER_01: These sermon illustrations are gonna melt away by Tuesday or today.
SPEAKER_01: We need you.
SPEAKER_01: And you teach us how to invest in the kingdom that can't be shaken.
SPEAKER_01: Have that at the forefront of our minds this week.
SPEAKER_01: Make us eternity-minded.
SPEAKER_01: Oh, that we become people who are way more giddy about what's waiting for us.
SPEAKER_01: The epic is coming, and I I can trust that.
SPEAKER_01: I can trust you, Jesus.
SPEAKER_01: We love you, we praise you.
SPEAKER_01: It's your name I pray.
SPEAKER_01: Amen.
SPEAKER_01: Um, as always, uh, church, it's so so good to be with you.
SPEAKER_01: Um, if you're a visitor here with us this morning, welcome.
SPEAKER_01: Um, you matter uh to God a whole lot, therefore you matter to us.
SPEAKER_01: And if you're a visitor, would you just look at the screen?
SPEAKER_01: You can text that number on the screen.
SPEAKER_01: That gives us a record of your visit.
SPEAKER_01: We're not gonna come knocking at your door, but that gives us uh a record of who was here.
SPEAKER_01: And if you belong um to this church, if you call this your church home, there are some boxes around the room.
SPEAKER_01: And if it's your day to worship um through tithes and offering, you can do so um through those through those boxes.
SPEAKER_01: Now, after this service, there's gonna be some pastors here if you want prayer, if you want to help a process in anything that um has been said here this morning.
SPEAKER_01: Um again, thank you so much for coming.
SPEAKER_01: Would you guys stand and receive uh a benediction as you go?
SPEAKER_01: Reconciled people of God.
SPEAKER_01: You are forgiven, you are victorious.
SPEAKER_01: May the Lord bless you, may the Lord keep you, may the Lord give you his favor, and may the Lord have his face shine on you this week, and the Lord give you his peace.
SPEAKER_01: I ask these things in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.
SPEAKER_01: Amen.
SPEAKER_01: Go in peace.