1 00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:11,560 Have your Bible and I hope you do go and make your way to 1st 2 00:00:11,560 --> 00:00:14,680 John chapter 3, first John chapter 3. 3 00:00:14,680 --> 00:00:16,920 Before we dive into the sermon, let me just kind of Orient you 4 00:00:16,920 --> 00:00:19,080 to. What's left for us after we. 5 00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:22,200 Spend some time in God's Word this morning after worship 6 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:24,280 through song. We're going to immediately 7 00:00:24,280 --> 00:00:27,840 observe the Lord's Supper after the message, so I just go ahead 8 00:00:27,840 --> 00:00:30,080 and invite you. To prepare your heart to 9 00:00:30,080 --> 00:00:32,560 partake. If you are a born again, 10 00:00:32,560 --> 00:00:36,120 baptized believer in Jesus Christ and I want to invite you 11 00:00:36,120 --> 00:00:39,840 to participate in that, and then following our time of the Lord's 12 00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:43,160 Supper, we'll have a time of invitation in response to what 13 00:00:43,160 --> 00:00:45,640 you've heard and and what you've seen before. 14 00:00:45,640 --> 00:00:47,840 We celebrate some things together this morning towards 15 00:00:47,840 --> 00:00:49,960 the end. So, but I hope you've found your 16 00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:54,760 way to 1st John chapter 3. My my question if you're looking 17 00:00:54,760 --> 00:00:57,640 on the inside of your worship. God, follow along in the notes. 18 00:00:58,200 --> 00:01:01,280 The question the title of the sermon might catch you off 19 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:03,280 guard. 3 1/2 months in advance are. 20 00:01:03,280 --> 00:01:05,840 You ready for Christmas? Might be wondering what all 21 00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:07,360 that's about. I'm causing some of you. 22 00:01:07,360 --> 00:01:09,880 Anxiety just by. Asking the question that I 23 00:01:09,880 --> 00:01:13,120 didn't really mean to. Of course that means different 24 00:01:13,120 --> 00:01:15,920 things to different people. If you were to ask any one of my 25 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:17,840 3 kiddos, are they ready for? Christmas. 26 00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:21,080 The answer was they were ready. On December the 26th. 27 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:25,320 Of 2024, all right. Now, if you ask me if I'm ready 28 00:01:25,320 --> 00:01:27,440 for Christmas, that means it's my Christmas list. 29 00:01:27,440 --> 00:01:30,080 The you know the word. Document updated with hyperlinks 30 00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:31,760 and. Prices and the right sizes for 31 00:01:31,760 --> 00:01:33,600 all the people. And family that request it. 32 00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:35,240 You'll think I'm kidding, but I'm actually not. 33 00:01:35,680 --> 00:01:37,200 I'll send it to you if you want it. 34 00:01:37,600 --> 00:01:39,240 And it means I've. Done all my Christmas shopping 35 00:01:39,240 --> 00:01:41,520 which I've not all right. No, that's that's not. 36 00:01:41,520 --> 00:01:44,760 What I mean right? I'm obviously not asking about. 37 00:01:44,760 --> 00:01:46,920 Are you ready for that kind? Of Christmas, is that what? 38 00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:49,280 We're trying to talk about. No, definitely not. 39 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:52,200 So what do I mean when I ask Are you ready for Christmas? 40 00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:55,240 Well, in order to be ready for Christmas, we have to know what 41 00:01:55,240 --> 00:01:58,400 Christmas really is. And so we're going to listen to 42 00:01:58,400 --> 00:02:02,080 1st John three one through 10. And as you listen, I want you to 43 00:02:02,080 --> 00:02:05,120 listen for Christmas as we read this text. 44 00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:06,920 Because it's there. All right. 45 00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:10,199 And then we're going to use that to connect with what John is 46 00:02:10,199 --> 00:02:13,520 trying to teach us in these verses from first John three one 47 00:02:13,520 --> 00:02:14,360 through 10. Here we go. 48 00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:22,440 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should 49 00:02:22,440 --> 00:02:27,920 be called children of God. And so we are. 50 00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:34,560 The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not. 51 00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:38,280 Know him? Beloved, we are God. 52 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:41,640 'S children now. And what we will be has not yet 53 00:02:41,640 --> 00:02:46,480 appeared, but we know that when he appears. 54 00:02:46,840 --> 00:02:51,520 We shall be like him. Because we shall see him, that's 55 00:02:51,520 --> 00:02:56,880 Jesus as he is, and everyone who thus hopes in him, hopes in 56 00:02:57,000 --> 00:03:02,680 Jesus, purifies himself as he. Jesus is pure. 57 00:03:03,600 --> 00:03:07,800 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices 58 00:03:07,800 --> 00:03:11,640 lawlessness. Sin is lawlessness. 59 00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:15,440 You know that he appeared in order to take away sins. 60 00:03:15,640 --> 00:03:18,080 And in him, in Jesus, there is no sin. 61 00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:22,000 No one who abides in him, that is in Jesus keeps on sinning. 62 00:03:22,720 --> 00:03:26,120 No one who keeps on sinning has either seen him, Jesus, or 63 00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:26,920 known. Him. 64 00:03:27,640 --> 00:03:30,320 Little children, let no one deceive you. 65 00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:34,880 Whoever practices righteousness is righteous as he, Jesus, is 66 00:03:34,880 --> 00:03:37,440 righteous. Whoever makes a practice of 67 00:03:37,440 --> 00:03:40,640 sinning is of the devil, for the devil's been sinning from the. 68 00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:43,640 Beginning the. Reason the Son of God appeared 69 00:03:43,880 --> 00:03:46,560 was to destroy the works of the devil. 70 00:03:47,320 --> 00:03:51,240 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's 71 00:03:51,240 --> 00:03:55,720 seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because 72 00:03:55,720 --> 00:04:01,640 he's been born of God. By this it is evident who are 73 00:04:01,640 --> 00:04:03,800 the children of God, and who are the. 74 00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:06,880 Children of the Devil. Whoever does not. 75 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:11,400 Practice righteousness is not. Of God nor. 76 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:14,320 Is the one. Who does not love? 77 00:04:15,080 --> 00:04:18,160 His brother. Did you see, did you hear 78 00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:22,720 Christmas in this text? If not, I'll point it out to 79 00:04:22,720 --> 00:04:24,680 you. But starting in verse 5, this 80 00:04:24,680 --> 00:04:31,200 sentence here, you know that he appeared to take away since 81 00:04:31,360 --> 00:04:36,000 that's Christmas in a sentence, you know that he Jesus appeared, 82 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:39,120 took on human flesh, left heaven, came to earth, the 83 00:04:39,120 --> 00:04:42,920 miracle of the incarnation where he who was the Son of God fully 84 00:04:42,920 --> 00:04:46,840 God became fully man, remaining fully God born of a virgin so 85 00:04:46,840 --> 00:04:50,040 that he can live a sinless life for us, die on the cross as a 86 00:04:50,040 --> 00:04:53,680 sinless sacrifice in our place and defeat death for us. 87 00:04:53,680 --> 00:04:59,400 This is Christmas in a sentence he came to take away sins. 88 00:04:59,400 --> 00:05:02,880 In fact, when the Angel told Joseph what they were to name 89 00:05:02,960 --> 00:05:07,920 their son, it goes like this. He says you shall call his name 90 00:05:07,920 --> 00:05:11,960 Jesus, for he will save his people from their from their 91 00:05:11,960 --> 00:05:14,200 sins. Jesus came to take. 92 00:05:14,200 --> 00:05:16,560 Away sins, but in addition. To verse 5. 93 00:05:16,560 --> 00:05:19,120 Christmas is also in verse. 8 Did you see it? 94 00:05:19,880 --> 00:05:23,120 The reason the Son of God appeared was to I love this by 95 00:05:23,120 --> 00:05:29,080 the way, destroy the works of the devil man. 96 00:05:29,080 --> 00:05:32,800 Jesus came on a demolition mission, love that. 97 00:05:32,800 --> 00:05:36,000 He came to take out what was been built by the enemy, right? 98 00:05:36,160 --> 00:05:39,320 The Kingdom set up against his own, and of course, ultimately 99 00:05:39,400 --> 00:05:41,960 sin itself. The author of sin, the author of 100 00:05:41,960 --> 00:05:44,240 evil, is Satan himself, the devil himself. 101 00:05:44,320 --> 00:05:46,600 Jesus came to destroy the work of Satan. 102 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:50,840 So Jesus came not only to save sinners, but to destroy sin. 103 00:05:50,840 --> 00:05:55,040 So what is Christmas? Christmas is the fact, y'all, 104 00:05:55,640 --> 00:06:02,720 that a child was born to save sinners and destroy sin so that 105 00:06:02,720 --> 00:06:07,080 we could. Become children of God A. 106 00:06:07,080 --> 00:06:12,240 Child was born. To destroy the work of. 107 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:17,760 Sin and save sinners. So we could become children of 108 00:06:17,760 --> 00:06:19,040 God, that's what. Christmas. 109 00:06:19,280 --> 00:06:21,240 Is all about, so obviously I'm not. 110 00:06:21,240 --> 00:06:24,120 Asking Are you ready for December 25th? 111 00:06:24,120 --> 00:06:28,160 I'm asking if you're ready for something much bigger because 112 00:06:28,160 --> 00:06:30,640 if. Christmas is the celebration. 113 00:06:30,640 --> 00:06:32,920 Of the. First coming of Christ Listen 114 00:06:32,920 --> 00:06:36,320 closely. First, John three one through 10 115 00:06:36,480 --> 00:06:41,040 tells us how to be. Ready for the second coming of 116 00:06:41,040 --> 00:06:44,680 Christ? If Christmas is the celebration. 117 00:06:44,680 --> 00:06:47,680 Of the 1st. This text is how to live ready 118 00:06:48,200 --> 00:06:51,240 and how to live confident. And that you're ready for the 119 00:06:51,240 --> 00:06:54,200 second coming of. Christ, there's two parts. 120 00:06:54,400 --> 00:06:56,160 The 1st. Paragraph verses one through 3. 121 00:06:56,160 --> 00:06:57,960 We're going to see this as a child of God. 122 00:06:58,480 --> 00:07:00,200 God is calling you to live ready. 123 00:07:00,880 --> 00:07:02,760 To live ready for the second coming. 124 00:07:03,480 --> 00:07:05,960 Of Christ, all right. And then now in Part 2, that'll 125 00:07:05,960 --> 00:07:09,200 be verses 4 through 10. As a child of God, God is 126 00:07:09,200 --> 00:07:11,720 calling you to live confident as a child of God. 127 00:07:11,720 --> 00:07:13,640 Ready for the second? Coming of Christ. 128 00:07:13,640 --> 00:07:15,520 So we're going to walk through these things and some individual 129 00:07:15,520 --> 00:07:18,480 things, John tells us. In each part the first one is 130 00:07:18,480 --> 00:07:22,280 this how are we as children of God to live ready in verses one 131 00:07:22,280 --> 00:07:24,440 through three the first thing we learned in verse 1 is this 132 00:07:24,600 --> 00:07:29,360 marvel at God's love which has made you a child of God. 133 00:07:29,360 --> 00:07:33,320 We ought to daily marvel at the love of God, which has made us a 134 00:07:33,480 --> 00:07:36,240 a child of God. The first thing John does here, 135 00:07:36,520 --> 00:07:40,320 you know, is remind us of how in the world think about this. 136 00:07:40,320 --> 00:07:45,720 How in the world did we become children of God, children of the 137 00:07:45,720 --> 00:07:50,920 Maker of all things? Because at one time we were not. 138 00:07:52,040 --> 00:07:55,480 At one time every human being was spiritually dead. 139 00:07:56,640 --> 00:07:59,720 It was, according to the Bible, an enemy of God, separated from 140 00:07:59,720 --> 00:08:05,600 God in their sin, rebels of God at heart we were before coming 141 00:08:05,600 --> 00:08:08,360 to Christ. How in the world is it that we 142 00:08:08,360 --> 00:08:10,560 would become? How are we able to become 143 00:08:10,560 --> 00:08:12,480 children of God if that's who we were? 144 00:08:12,480 --> 00:08:16,120 Something miraculous had to happen that could cause us to 145 00:08:16,120 --> 00:08:18,040 become children of God. And it has happened. 146 00:08:18,160 --> 00:08:20,680 John says see what it is. Consider, realize, grasp, and 147 00:08:20,680 --> 00:08:24,600 marble at the kind of love which God has loved you with. 148 00:08:24,600 --> 00:08:27,960 When you hear the phrase God loves you, what does that mean? 149 00:08:27,960 --> 00:08:30,640 John says it like this. God loves you with a kind of 150 00:08:30,640 --> 00:08:34,440 love so lavish and wonderful and glorious and broad and deep and 151 00:08:34,440 --> 00:08:38,000 wide and marvelous and incomprehensible and endless 152 00:08:38,240 --> 00:08:42,480 that it literally changes your identity from someone who is an 153 00:08:42,480 --> 00:08:46,360 enemy of God, separated from God in your sin, destined for 154 00:08:46,360 --> 00:08:49,920 separation from God forever, a revel at heart, and the kind of 155 00:08:49,920 --> 00:08:53,640 love that would change your identity and make you a child of 156 00:08:53,640 --> 00:08:56,040 God. I wish I had words to describe 157 00:08:56,320 --> 00:08:59,720 this kind of love with which God has loved you with, and yet I 158 00:08:59,720 --> 00:09:02,120 don't. There's really no human earthly 159 00:09:02,120 --> 00:09:05,760 analogy for this. And out of this world kind of 160 00:09:05,800 --> 00:09:09,440 love some of. You are here this morning. 161 00:09:10,600 --> 00:09:14,560 You struggle to believe that this is true, that God would 162 00:09:14,560 --> 00:09:18,720 really love you that much, that God would love you with such an 163 00:09:18,720 --> 00:09:22,880 utterly kind of love that it could change who you are. 164 00:09:23,800 --> 00:09:25,560 That he would love you as you are. 165 00:09:26,400 --> 00:09:28,280 And that he would have the power to change. 166 00:09:28,360 --> 00:09:30,360 Who you are? To make you all he's designed 167 00:09:30,360 --> 00:09:32,520 for you to be. And I'm here to tell you, the 168 00:09:32,520 --> 00:09:35,960 first thing that Bible tells you to be ready for the return of 169 00:09:35,960 --> 00:09:38,960 Christ is to understand and marvel at the love of God for 170 00:09:38,960 --> 00:09:40,120 you. You know, even if you've 171 00:09:40,120 --> 00:09:42,640 realized the love of God for you and you call yourself a 172 00:09:42,640 --> 00:09:45,480 Christian because you've received that love, this ought 173 00:09:45,480 --> 00:09:48,960 to be a daily thing you go back to that you just marvel at when 174 00:09:48,960 --> 00:09:52,320 the sun comes up and there's breath in your lungs and there's 175 00:09:52,320 --> 00:09:54,440 daylight to be seen and life to be lived. 176 00:09:54,440 --> 00:09:56,040 God's love is being showered on you. 177 00:09:56,200 --> 00:09:58,680 You might be struggling with all kind of difficulty or all kind 178 00:09:58,680 --> 00:10:02,280 of pain or even grief or trial or difficulty, and yet. 179 00:10:02,280 --> 00:10:04,480 God has made life. Possible and given you an 180 00:10:04,480 --> 00:10:07,560 opportunity to receive this love to no eternal life to have a 181 00:10:07,560 --> 00:10:11,240 personal relationship with Him. We ought to daily marvel at the 182 00:10:11,240 --> 00:10:15,200 love of God for us. This is Part 1 of how you live 183 00:10:15,200 --> 00:10:19,360 ready right now as we anticipate the return of Christ. 184 00:10:19,960 --> 00:10:22,120 But there's a second thing we need to understand. 185 00:10:22,920 --> 00:10:27,440 It's in the end of verse one and it's this understand why this is 186 00:10:27,440 --> 00:10:31,200 a huge thing in these days in which we live to be ready to 187 00:10:31,200 --> 00:10:34,360 live ready. You've got to understand why the 188 00:10:34,360 --> 00:10:41,440 world does not get you. Look what again what it says 189 00:10:41,880 --> 00:10:43,040 that we should. Be called the. 190 00:10:43,040 --> 00:10:46,040 Children of God. And so we are. 191 00:10:46,040 --> 00:10:50,200 The reason why the world. Does not know us. 192 00:10:50,200 --> 00:10:53,000 That's the children of God, That's believers in Jesus. 193 00:10:53,200 --> 00:10:58,840 Is that it did not know him. Those who have not trusted in 194 00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:04,240 Jesus as their Savior, who don't know the love of God, they don't 195 00:11:04,240 --> 00:11:07,520 understand, they don't get those who have received the love of 196 00:11:07,520 --> 00:11:09,560 God. The Bible says that those who 197 00:11:09,560 --> 00:11:11,920 received the love of God and have seen the truth of who God 198 00:11:11,920 --> 00:11:14,640 is and his Son Jesus Christ have been changed. 199 00:11:14,640 --> 00:11:16,360 We no longer belong to this world. 200 00:11:16,480 --> 00:11:18,920 We don't live according to the value system of this world. 201 00:11:19,040 --> 00:11:21,640 We don't see as the world sees. Our eyes have been opened to the 202 00:11:21,640 --> 00:11:24,120 truth. We're citizens of heaven now, 203 00:11:24,120 --> 00:11:26,920 still living in for a period of time on this earth until Christ 204 00:11:26,920 --> 00:11:29,920 calls us home. But This is why, if we belong to 205 00:11:29,920 --> 00:11:32,800 a new Kingdom and a new savior, have a new identity, a new life, 206 00:11:32,920 --> 00:11:34,400 we're no longer spirit, virtually dead. 207 00:11:34,480 --> 00:11:37,000 We're no longer separated from God, and the world doesn't 208 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:39,120 understand that. Therefore, the world won't get 209 00:11:39,120 --> 00:11:42,120 those who belong. To Jesus Christ, mark it down. 210 00:11:44,400 --> 00:11:46,720 Jesus puts it more clearly. Than I can put it. 211 00:11:48,280 --> 00:11:51,840 OK, if you. Listen to what he says and John 212 00:11:51,840 --> 00:11:53,840 15 verse 18. Listen to this. 213 00:11:53,840 --> 00:11:58,560 This is just point blank if the. World hates you. 214 00:11:59,680 --> 00:12:03,000 Know that it has hated me. Before. 215 00:12:03,720 --> 00:12:07,080 It hated you. If you are of the world, the 216 00:12:07,080 --> 00:12:11,680 world would love you as its own. But because you're not of the 217 00:12:11,680 --> 00:12:13,880 world, why have you been saved out of the world? 218 00:12:14,120 --> 00:12:15,720 You've been called out of the world. 219 00:12:16,040 --> 00:12:18,280 Your identity has been changed by the love of God. 220 00:12:18,480 --> 00:12:20,320 You're not of the world. I chose you out of this world. 221 00:12:20,320 --> 00:12:27,400 Therefore the world hates you. This past week. 222 00:12:28,800 --> 00:12:34,680 We witnessed A tragic, violent reminder, but the world does not 223 00:12:34,680 --> 00:12:38,520 get those who belong to the Kingdom of God. 224 00:12:41,080 --> 00:12:43,400 The Wicked. Act of the assassination of 225 00:12:43,400 --> 00:12:47,720 Charlie Kirk. Whether or not you agree with 226 00:12:47,960 --> 00:12:51,760 all his perspectives on politics or culture or not, regardless, 227 00:12:53,040 --> 00:12:56,240 Charlie was a man who stood flat footed for his faith in Jesus 228 00:12:56,240 --> 00:13:00,800 Christ unapologetically. And I don't pretend to know or 229 00:13:00,800 --> 00:13:04,880 understand the mind or motive of the of the shooter, but I can 230 00:13:04,880 --> 00:13:09,040 tell you this, The same world that crucified Jesus is the same 231 00:13:09,040 --> 00:13:12,720 world we live in today, which is the same world. 232 00:13:12,720 --> 00:13:15,320 Jesus says that they hated me. Guess what they're going to do 233 00:13:15,320 --> 00:13:16,200 if? You stand for me. 234 00:13:16,880 --> 00:13:20,400 They're going to hate you now, I realized in our modern day, you 235 00:13:20,400 --> 00:13:22,520 know. In the values in which. 236 00:13:22,520 --> 00:13:24,240 Were instilled in the DNA of our country. 237 00:13:24,240 --> 00:13:26,400 In a day where we believe a religious liberty ought to 238 00:13:26,400 --> 00:13:29,360 reign, sometimes we think these things aren't going to happen. 239 00:13:30,400 --> 00:13:35,720 Jesus said they were going to happen because he said if you're 240 00:13:35,720 --> 00:13:37,400 going to stand for me, you're going to be hated. 241 00:13:37,400 --> 00:13:40,680 By the world and we. Saw. 242 00:13:41,600 --> 00:13:47,160 We saw the absolute most violent, heinous example of that 243 00:13:47,800 --> 00:13:51,000 on display for a man who's bold for his faith in Christ on the 244 00:13:51,000 --> 00:13:54,840 front lines. You got to understand as a child 245 00:13:54,840 --> 00:13:59,000 of God why the world doesn't get you if you're a Christian. 246 00:13:59,600 --> 00:14:03,520 We need to keep this in mind because if we seek to live for 247 00:14:03,520 --> 00:14:05,640 Christ, you're going to encounter this. 248 00:14:06,360 --> 00:14:10,840 Maybe not to the extent that Charlie did, but whatever extent 249 00:14:10,840 --> 00:14:15,880 it is, you can't let it shake your faith when Jesus said this 250 00:14:15,880 --> 00:14:18,400 is part of what it's going to involve until we see Him face to 251 00:14:18,400 --> 00:14:24,680 face. All right #3 realize that what 252 00:14:24,680 --> 00:14:27,560 we are now is not all that we will be. 253 00:14:27,560 --> 00:14:31,400 This is amazing verse 2. Beloved, we are God's children. 254 00:14:31,400 --> 00:14:34,400 Now, what we will be has not yet appeared. 255 00:14:34,720 --> 00:14:36,480 But we know that. When he appears, we. 256 00:14:36,480 --> 00:14:39,920 Shall be like him, because. We shall see him as he is. 257 00:14:39,920 --> 00:14:41,280 This. This fires me up, honestly, 258 00:14:41,280 --> 00:14:44,920 because I'm like, man, God's word says we don't even fully 259 00:14:44,920 --> 00:14:47,480 understand all that's coming for us as children of God. 260 00:14:47,480 --> 00:14:49,680 We don't even fully understand all that we will be. 261 00:14:49,680 --> 00:14:52,560 We know we're going to be changed and made completely in 262 00:14:52,560 --> 00:14:54,480 the image of Christ. It's not that we'll be like 263 00:14:54,480 --> 00:14:56,160 identical to Jesus, like we're not. 264 00:14:56,160 --> 00:14:58,160 We're all going to look like Jesus physically, but there's 265 00:14:58,160 --> 00:15:00,560 going to be the striking similarity because our character 266 00:15:00,560 --> 00:15:04,040 is going to match Jesus. Our righteousness is going to 267 00:15:04,040 --> 00:15:07,800 match Jesus's right. Our purity is going to match our 268 00:15:07,800 --> 00:15:09,200 sanctification. We're going to be fully 269 00:15:09,200 --> 00:15:12,840 transformed so that God's very character, through his Son 270 00:15:12,920 --> 00:15:16,400 Jesus, will be imaged in us as we are fully transformed, fully 271 00:15:16,400 --> 00:15:19,040 finally sanctified and glorified with him. 272 00:15:19,760 --> 00:15:21,600 The best is yet to. Come for the believer. 273 00:15:21,600 --> 00:15:25,400 In Jesus Christ, this gives us hope beyond hope. 274 00:15:25,600 --> 00:15:29,520 This is why even if you lose your life for standing for 275 00:15:29,520 --> 00:15:36,000 Christ at 31, it's worth it. It's worth it because 31 years 276 00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:40,240 or even 75 or 90 if given it, can't compare it to an eternity 277 00:15:40,320 --> 00:15:43,760 with your King experiencing life that we can't even fully 278 00:15:43,760 --> 00:15:45,800 articulate. All that it's going to involve 279 00:15:46,520 --> 00:15:49,840 and all the blessings thereof. These temporary sufferings that 280 00:15:49,840 --> 00:15:52,040 we're going through in trials are light, momentary 281 00:15:52,040 --> 00:15:54,160 afflictions. Let me even put it more starkly, 282 00:15:54,920 --> 00:15:58,040 because this is hard to. Fathom but. 283 00:15:58,040 --> 00:16:00,840 One day if his two. Children that lost their father 284 00:16:02,080 --> 00:16:06,040 put their faith in Jesus. They too will realize the 285 00:16:06,040 --> 00:16:08,960 tragedy even of losing their father one day if they live for 286 00:16:09,040 --> 00:16:10,960 Jesus is worth it because they'll be with him around the 287 00:16:10,960 --> 00:16:12,600 throne of Christ one day forever. 288 00:16:13,840 --> 00:16:16,120 Forever. You all you. 289 00:16:16,120 --> 00:16:17,480 Got to mark it down. It does not. 290 00:16:17,480 --> 00:16:20,000 It does not matter what happens in this life. 291 00:16:21,840 --> 00:16:24,840 It does not matter. Ultimately, what happens in our 292 00:16:24,840 --> 00:16:28,440 lives as Christians under the sovereign control of God will be 293 00:16:28,440 --> 00:16:32,880 worth it to receive His love and to walk in it. 294 00:16:32,880 --> 00:16:37,280 Because the best is yet to come. And on days you get up and 295 00:16:37,280 --> 00:16:40,040 you're discouraged or. You're angry or you're hurting. 296 00:16:40,160 --> 00:16:42,720 You've got to go back and marvel at the love of God for you. 297 00:16:43,480 --> 00:16:46,160 You got to understand Jesus said why the world wouldn't get you. 298 00:16:46,680 --> 00:16:48,960 And you got to realize the best is yet to come and you can put 299 00:16:48,960 --> 00:16:52,160 another foot in front of the other and keep following Jesus 300 00:16:52,800 --> 00:17:00,720 knowing it's worth it. The best is yet to come #4 He 301 00:17:00,720 --> 00:17:04,119 says here to put your hope in Christ and to pursue Christ's 302 00:17:04,119 --> 00:17:05,359 likeness. This is verse three. 303 00:17:05,839 --> 00:17:08,200 He says in everyone who thus hopes in him, that's hopes. 304 00:17:08,200 --> 00:17:12,599 In Jesus purifies himself as he is pure. 305 00:17:12,800 --> 00:17:15,839 John is not using the word hope the way we. 306 00:17:15,839 --> 00:17:20,200 Define it in English. A wishful optimism about what 307 00:17:20,200 --> 00:17:22,880 may or may not happen. Like 5050. 308 00:17:22,880 --> 00:17:24,079 That's not what he's talking about. 309 00:17:24,560 --> 00:17:29,800 He's talking about a guarantee by promise of what is absolute, 310 00:17:29,800 --> 00:17:33,560 a settled certainty, a confident expectation based on the 311 00:17:33,560 --> 00:17:36,080 promises of God. John saying here that everyone 312 00:17:36,080 --> 00:17:39,840 that's placed their faith and trust in Jesus Christ and the 313 00:17:39,840 --> 00:17:45,720 reality of his return pursues purity because Christ is pure. 314 00:17:45,720 --> 00:17:49,000 In other words, the deal is if you know and believe Jesus is 315 00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:52,120 returning, it's going to change the way you live. 316 00:17:53,600 --> 00:17:56,640 You're living in expectation of someone that you put your hope 317 00:17:56,640 --> 00:18:00,240 in, that you're not like 5050 about, that you know for certain 318 00:18:00,320 --> 00:18:03,800 is coming back, that you have staked your life in this truth, 319 00:18:03,800 --> 00:18:06,200 in this reality. Then it permeates everything 320 00:18:06,200 --> 00:18:08,320 about what you do, everything you think, everything you say, 321 00:18:08,320 --> 00:18:10,760 everything you're living in light of, you're hoping in 322 00:18:10,760 --> 00:18:12,480 Christ. And that hope in Christ is 323 00:18:12,480 --> 00:18:15,080 purifying your life because you're seeking to follow Christ, 324 00:18:15,080 --> 00:18:17,600 not because it's a list of do's and don'ts or a list of rules, 325 00:18:17,960 --> 00:18:20,840 but because you carry a personal relationship with Him whom 326 00:18:20,840 --> 00:18:26,320 you're hoping in. Let me see if I can make this 327 00:18:26,320 --> 00:18:28,360 clear to you. I had a text message come to me 328 00:18:28,360 --> 00:18:31,760 from a young teenage boy recently. 329 00:18:32,720 --> 00:18:34,520 By the way, I just praise God for what God's doing in the 330 00:18:34,520 --> 00:18:37,120 lives of our young people. And seeing. 331 00:18:37,360 --> 00:18:38,760 Seeing. God get a hold of them and 332 00:18:38,760 --> 00:18:42,520 create a fire for His Word and for Jesus and living for Him. 333 00:18:42,520 --> 00:18:46,840 At a young age, this young man text me a prayer request for his 334 00:18:46,840 --> 00:18:49,280 family. And then he. 335 00:18:49,280 --> 00:18:51,280 Also included one for him and he said this. 336 00:18:51,280 --> 00:18:54,960 Also pray for me, I'm going to be honest I still struggle with 337 00:18:54,960 --> 00:18:55,880 lust. And I just. 338 00:18:55,880 --> 00:18:58,360 Realized that I've been lusting. For my own sake. 339 00:18:58,600 --> 00:19:02,280 But now I've got this mindset that I'm stopping to show my 340 00:19:02,280 --> 00:19:07,000 love for Jesus. Everyone who hopes in him 341 00:19:07,400 --> 00:19:11,880 purifies himself as Jesus is pure. 342 00:19:12,280 --> 00:19:15,400 If you hope in Christ and you know with guaranteed certainty 343 00:19:15,400 --> 00:19:17,240 he's coming back for you, guess what? 344 00:19:17,520 --> 00:19:19,120 It's going to change the way you live. 345 00:19:20,160 --> 00:19:21,960 It's going to change the way you do life. 346 00:19:22,760 --> 00:19:25,600 It's going to purify your life. It's going to cause you to run 347 00:19:25,600 --> 00:19:29,080 away from those things that don't honor Christ and run and 348 00:19:29,120 --> 00:19:31,960 grasp at those things with all that God's put within you for 349 00:19:31,960 --> 00:19:36,520 that which would honor. Christ y'all Part 1 as children 350 00:19:36,520 --> 00:19:37,960 of. God, we're called to live ready. 351 00:19:37,960 --> 00:19:41,040 How do we live ready? How do we live ready for 352 00:19:41,040 --> 00:19:43,080 Christmas? 2 point O the return of Christ. 353 00:19:43,520 --> 00:19:47,600 We marvel at God's love #2 we understand why the world doesn't 354 00:19:47,600 --> 00:19:51,200 get us #3 we realize what we are now is not all we will be. 355 00:19:51,200 --> 00:19:54,000 The best is yet to come. And we put our hope in Christ, 356 00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:59,200 and we pursue Christ likeness. There's a Part 2. 357 00:20:00,240 --> 00:20:02,680 And it says the. Children of God, we not only 358 00:20:02,680 --> 00:20:04,280 live ready, we ought to live confident. 359 00:20:05,280 --> 00:20:09,040 We ought to live confident. Not just ready, but confident. 360 00:20:09,040 --> 00:20:10,120 How are we going to live confident? 361 00:20:10,120 --> 00:20:12,400 Well, John is going to walk us through. 362 00:20:13,520 --> 00:20:16,160 A kind of a. Logical thought. 363 00:20:16,160 --> 00:20:19,080 Progression here in this second. Paragraph giving us some. 364 00:20:19,080 --> 00:20:21,680 Things we need to know in order to live confident. 365 00:20:21,680 --> 00:20:25,120 They may not all seem to be related, but they build on one 366 00:20:25,120 --> 00:20:27,200 another to get us to where He wants us. 367 00:20:27,400 --> 00:20:29,840 To be in our understanding. So let's pick up verse 4, 368 00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:31,880 everyone who makes a practice of sinning. 369 00:20:31,960 --> 00:20:36,280 Also practices lawlessness and. Sin is lawlessness. 370 00:20:36,400 --> 00:20:40,040 So lawlessness is a rejection of the law of God. 371 00:20:40,320 --> 00:20:44,200 It's a rejection of the word of God, of the truth of God, right. 372 00:20:44,360 --> 00:20:47,960 So John is saying here someone who lives with a blatant 373 00:20:47,960 --> 00:20:51,800 disregard for God's truth, God's word and for what is right is in 374 00:20:51,800 --> 00:20:54,360 lawlessness. Lawlessness is what I was. 375 00:20:54,640 --> 00:20:57,240 I remember when I was about 8 years old and I was in my. 376 00:20:57,240 --> 00:20:58,680 Living room and it was before church. 377 00:20:58,680 --> 00:21:01,280 One Sunday and my dad, who used to play a lot of golf, was 378 00:21:01,280 --> 00:21:04,120 practicing his putting toward a solo cup in the. 379 00:21:04,120 --> 00:21:06,560 Corner of the living room All right, So what you're doing 380 00:21:06,560 --> 00:21:08,640 waiting on the everybody else to get. 381 00:21:08,640 --> 00:21:09,120 Ready. All right. 382 00:21:09,120 --> 00:21:12,560 So now he teaches me. He teaches me in this moment how 383 00:21:12,560 --> 00:21:15,120 to grip a putter. All right, So I still remember 384 00:21:15,120 --> 00:21:16,240 he showed me how to grip the putter. 385 00:21:16,520 --> 00:21:19,000 And in my lawlessness, I wasn't saved yet. 386 00:21:19,000 --> 00:21:20,800 I was 8 years old. I got saved when I was 9. 387 00:21:21,080 --> 00:21:22,600 So I walked up and I gripped the putter. 388 00:21:22,640 --> 00:21:28,480 My dad's way or my way? My way didn't say anything and 389 00:21:28,480 --> 00:21:30,040 took my putting. Strike made the putt, looked at 390 00:21:30,040 --> 00:21:32,240 my dad and said dad. I made it my way instead of your 391 00:21:32,240 --> 00:21:35,160 way. Never forget the look on my 392 00:21:35,160 --> 00:21:38,400 dad's face. That's lawlessness. 393 00:21:39,600 --> 00:21:42,480 That's I heard what's right. I heard what's true. 394 00:21:42,600 --> 00:21:45,800 I heard what I ought to do. And I'm going to grip life my 395 00:21:45,800 --> 00:21:47,240 way. I'm going to do it my way. 396 00:21:47,240 --> 00:21:50,800 I believe I know best. I've got a blatant disregard. 397 00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:55,800 Forgot the way God. Says life's supposed to work. 398 00:21:58,280 --> 00:21:59,560 That what? John is trying to tell. 399 00:21:59,560 --> 00:22:01,520 Us here is this first truth, anyone. 400 00:22:02,320 --> 00:22:06,160 Living a lifestyle of sin. Lawlessness is in rebellion 401 00:22:06,160 --> 00:22:08,800 against God. Anyone living in a lifestyle of 402 00:22:08,800 --> 00:22:10,560 sin is in rebellion against God. That's. 403 00:22:10,560 --> 00:22:12,080 One thing you need to. Understand if you're going to 404 00:22:12,080 --> 00:22:15,240 live confident, ready for the return of Christ now verse 5, 405 00:22:15,240 --> 00:22:16,160 right? He says. 406 00:22:16,160 --> 00:22:19,520 That you know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and 407 00:22:19,520 --> 00:22:21,360 in him there's no sin. Again, this is Christmas in a 408 00:22:21,360 --> 00:22:24,600 sentence, right, that Christ came for the purpose of doing 409 00:22:24,600 --> 00:22:27,200 away with sin. This was our problem, right? 410 00:22:27,200 --> 00:22:28,560 Jesus stepped in. Why? 411 00:22:28,560 --> 00:22:32,040 To take away the practice of sin, the power of sin, the 412 00:22:32,040 --> 00:22:35,240 penalty of sin, and ultimately one day even the presence of 413 00:22:35,240 --> 00:22:37,080 sin. Sin was our problem. 414 00:22:37,080 --> 00:22:41,000 It separated us from God. Sin still is your problem if 415 00:22:41,000 --> 00:22:43,440 you've not trusted in Jesus. Christ for salvation and 416 00:22:43,440 --> 00:22:46,560 forgiveness of sin. The problem is sin. 417 00:22:47,520 --> 00:22:50,440 The problem is that you've not trusted in the blood of Jesus to 418 00:22:50,440 --> 00:22:52,640 cleanse you and wash you of your sin. 419 00:22:52,640 --> 00:22:55,080 You say, Kyle, how do I do that? You realize that you're a 420 00:22:55,080 --> 00:22:57,120 Sinner. You realize Jesus is the only 421 00:22:57,120 --> 00:22:58,640 savior. And the Bible says simply. 422 00:22:58,760 --> 00:23:00,560 You. Call on the name of the Lord to 423 00:23:00,560 --> 00:23:03,120 save you you. Literally ask from your heart, 424 00:23:03,200 --> 00:23:05,040 the bottom of your. Heart God, would you forgive me? 425 00:23:05,760 --> 00:23:08,960 Would you cleanse me? Would you be my Lord and Savior? 426 00:23:08,960 --> 00:23:15,520 Would you save me from my sin? The deal here second we need to 427 00:23:15,520 --> 00:23:19,400 know is that Jesus came to eliminate sin and could because 428 00:23:19,400 --> 00:23:22,720 he was without sin. Jesus came to eliminate it 429 00:23:22,960 --> 00:23:26,680 because he was without it. Verse 6 now shouldn't catch us 430 00:23:26,680 --> 00:23:27,800 off guard. Look what it says. 431 00:23:27,920 --> 00:23:30,720 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning. 432 00:23:30,960 --> 00:23:34,360 No one who keeps on. Sinning has either seen him or 433 00:23:34,360 --> 00:23:37,160 known him. If Jesus came to eliminate sin 434 00:23:37,360 --> 00:23:40,840 and never send himself naturally, those of us who truly 435 00:23:40,840 --> 00:23:45,200 know Jesus don't continue to live in a habitual, ongoing 436 00:23:45,840 --> 00:23:49,040 lifestyle of sin. Now, this doesn't mean that once 437 00:23:49,040 --> 00:23:51,920 someone becomes a Christian that they never sin again. 438 00:23:52,040 --> 00:23:55,040 All right, by keep on sinning, John means one who keeps on 439 00:23:55,040 --> 00:23:58,000 living a habitual lifestyle of sin. 440 00:23:58,240 --> 00:24:02,560 A child of God doesn't do this. Yes, singular, isolated 441 00:24:02,560 --> 00:24:07,000 instances of sin can and do happen, but it's not the norm 442 00:24:07,000 --> 00:24:09,880 for them. How do how do you know? 443 00:24:10,680 --> 00:24:15,280 How do you know that Trevor Lawrence is a professional NFL 444 00:24:15,520 --> 00:24:22,600 quarterback? Is it because he's 66200 and 20 445 00:24:22,600 --> 00:24:26,680 lbs? No, there's lots of people that 446 00:24:26,680 --> 00:24:28,920 size that are not. NFL quarterbacks? 447 00:24:29,760 --> 00:24:32,120 Is it because he wears a Jaguars jersey? 448 00:24:34,080 --> 00:24:36,400 No. There's people who wear jerseys. 449 00:24:36,400 --> 00:24:40,240 Who are not on the team, right? So how do you know? 450 00:24:41,520 --> 00:24:47,080 Well, you know, because of his career total of 70 touchdowns, 451 00:24:47,280 --> 00:24:52,320 completion rate of 63.3% at an average of 10.73 yards per 452 00:24:52,320 --> 00:24:54,040 completion. You know Trevor is a 453 00:24:54,040 --> 00:24:57,960 professional quarterback because he consistently normally makes 454 00:24:57,960 --> 00:24:59,680 the play. It doesn't mean he makes it 455 00:24:59,680 --> 00:25:01,400 every time. It doesn't mean he doesn't 456 00:25:01,400 --> 00:25:03,120 fumble. It doesn't mean he throws never 457 00:25:03,120 --> 00:25:05,320 throws an interception. It doesn't mean he never throws 458 00:25:05,320 --> 00:25:10,040 an incompletion, but normally most of the time, Trevor makes 459 00:25:10,040 --> 00:25:12,000 the play. It's the same for the child of 460 00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:13,880 God. It's not that they never fumble. 461 00:25:14,080 --> 00:25:16,480 It's not that they never make an interception or throw an 462 00:25:16,480 --> 00:25:19,560 incomplete pass, but normally their habitual lifestyle of 463 00:25:19,560 --> 00:25:23,920 what's normal for them is. Walking in the ways of God. 464 00:25:26,400 --> 00:25:30,120 This is how you know. So third thing John wants you to 465 00:25:30,120 --> 00:25:33,920 know is that those who know Jesus will not live a habitual 466 00:25:33,920 --> 00:25:38,240 lifestyle of sin. In verse seven and eight, we get 467 00:25:38,240 --> 00:25:43,240 John's purpose for revealing how we can know for truly a child of 468 00:25:43,240 --> 00:25:45,200 God. Do you notice that little phrase 469 00:25:45,200 --> 00:25:47,480 he says They're little children. Let, let, let no one. 470 00:25:47,480 --> 00:25:48,520 What? What's that word? 471 00:25:49,760 --> 00:25:51,880 John does not want you to be deceived. 472 00:25:53,360 --> 00:25:55,160 John wants you to know the truth and how to know it. 473 00:25:55,920 --> 00:25:58,640 How do you clearly know? If you can live confident or 474 00:25:58,640 --> 00:26:03,040 not, If you should be confident or not for the return of Christ. 475 00:26:03,800 --> 00:26:06,640 He says here, let no one deceive you. 476 00:26:07,040 --> 00:26:09,800 Those who live a consistent lifestyle of righteousness, 477 00:26:09,800 --> 00:26:13,920 think obedience, belong to God. Those who belong or live a 478 00:26:13,920 --> 00:26:16,760 consistent lifestyle of sin belong to the devil. 479 00:26:16,760 --> 00:26:19,840 It's as simple as that. John says the bottom line y'all 480 00:26:19,840 --> 00:26:22,360 is that there's only two spiritual families to belong to. 481 00:26:23,320 --> 00:26:25,720 There's only two. You belong to one of two right 482 00:26:25,720 --> 00:26:32,360 now, and there is no in between. It is all one or all the other. 483 00:26:32,520 --> 00:26:35,720 There is the family of God. There is belonging to the family 484 00:26:35,720 --> 00:26:37,040 of God. Having received the love of 485 00:26:37,040 --> 00:26:40,600 Christ, having called on Jesus for salvation, having been born 486 00:26:40,600 --> 00:26:43,000 again and made alive and transferred from the Kingdom of 487 00:26:43,000 --> 00:26:45,080 darkness to the Kingdom of life. There is that. 488 00:26:45,200 --> 00:26:50,080 And then there is the Kingdom of the devil, even if you don't 489 00:26:50,080 --> 00:26:52,280 know that's to whom you belong. If you never trusted Christ, 490 00:26:52,400 --> 00:26:54,480 that's where the Bible says you are spiritual. 491 00:26:54,760 --> 00:26:56,800 You say, come on, I don't feel in bondage to the devil. 492 00:26:56,960 --> 00:26:59,000 No, you don't, because the devil doesn't want you to feel that 493 00:26:59,000 --> 00:27:00,840 you're in bondage to him. And sometimes you don't even 494 00:27:00,840 --> 00:27:03,400 realize until your eyes are open to the fact of your sin 495 00:27:03,400 --> 00:27:05,920 separating you from God. And that sin holds you in 496 00:27:05,920 --> 00:27:09,000 bondage until the love of Christ opens your eyes and you realize, 497 00:27:09,000 --> 00:27:11,440 Oh my goodness, I am separated from God. 498 00:27:11,600 --> 00:27:15,960 I'm justly deserving of the wrath of what I've done against 499 00:27:15,960 --> 00:27:17,480 God. And the only way to God is 500 00:27:17,480 --> 00:27:19,520 through his Son Jesus Christ, if I call on Him. 501 00:27:19,600 --> 00:27:23,640 For salvation, there's only two spiritual families. 502 00:27:23,640 --> 00:27:25,720 John says that one can belong to. 503 00:27:25,720 --> 00:27:29,080 Which one do you belong to? Satan has been sinning from the 504 00:27:29,080 --> 00:27:31,200 beginning. Jesus Christ came from heaven to 505 00:27:31,200 --> 00:27:34,840 earth to destroy his work #4 what he's saying is this verse 7 506 00:27:34,840 --> 00:27:37,520 and 8 what you do. Proves who you are. 507 00:27:37,680 --> 00:27:45,240 What you do proves who you are. Y'all, this does not mean a 508 00:27:45,240 --> 00:27:51,840 Christian never sins, but when a Christian sins it ought to be 509 00:27:51,840 --> 00:27:53,520 like this. Have y'all ever caught the tip 510 00:27:53,520 --> 00:27:55,200 of your finger on a cheese grater? 511 00:27:59,760 --> 00:28:08,040 God will bless you right there. That ought to be like what 512 00:28:08,040 --> 00:28:09,880 happens in your life when sin happens. 513 00:28:11,720 --> 00:28:13,880 You react to it. It's painful. 514 00:28:14,000 --> 00:28:18,040 You wouldn't do that again if somebody paid you, you didn't 515 00:28:18,040 --> 00:28:20,880 mean to, you didn't want. To and it hurt. 516 00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:25,040 That's. The way sin ought to feel in the 517 00:28:25,040 --> 00:28:30,160 life of a child of God, it ought to grate against your soul. 518 00:28:31,920 --> 00:28:34,960 You wouldn't want to do that again if given the opportunity 519 00:28:35,320 --> 00:28:38,520 you wished you wouldn't have. You do everything you can next 520 00:28:38,520 --> 00:28:40,600 time to avoid it. And so therefore what happens in 521 00:28:40,600 --> 00:28:42,640 the life of a child of God is when it does happen. 522 00:28:42,640 --> 00:28:44,680 Because every now and then we do scrape our finger against the 523 00:28:44,680 --> 00:28:47,840 cheese grater is what we do is we seek forgiveness and we say 524 00:28:47,840 --> 00:28:50,160 I'm sorry and we say I was wrong and we repent. 525 00:28:52,480 --> 00:28:54,080 So it's not that sin never happens in the life. 526 00:28:54,080 --> 00:28:55,480 Of a child of. God, but when it happens. 527 00:28:55,640 --> 00:28:59,320 It's not pleasurable, it's not what you want to do, it's not 528 00:28:59,320 --> 00:29:03,560 what you wish you did. Verse 9. 529 00:29:03,560 --> 00:29:07,120 Why can a child? Of God not continue a habitual 530 00:29:07,120 --> 00:29:10,600 lifestyle of sin, John says Here, listen to it again. 531 00:29:11,400 --> 00:29:17,800 No one born of God. Makes a practice of sinning, for 532 00:29:17,800 --> 00:29:21,360 God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because 533 00:29:21,360 --> 00:29:23,280 he's been born of God. What in the world does it mean 534 00:29:23,280 --> 00:29:28,600 to be born of God? When one realizes your sin and 535 00:29:28,600 --> 00:29:31,080 you realize the truth of what Jesus Christ has done for you, 536 00:29:31,080 --> 00:29:35,720 living a sinless life, dying on the cross for your sin and your 537 00:29:35,720 --> 00:29:39,400 place, defeating death for you by overcoming the grave, walking 538 00:29:39,400 --> 00:29:43,520 out alive on the third day. When one realizes that and one 539 00:29:43,520 --> 00:29:46,880 realizes that in your sin you're separated from God and you 540 00:29:46,880 --> 00:29:49,920 desire to call on the name of God, and you do from your heart 541 00:29:49,920 --> 00:29:51,880 of hearts, you say, Lord Jesus, would you forgive me? 542 00:29:52,000 --> 00:29:54,280 Would you be my Lord and Savior in that moment? 543 00:29:54,280 --> 00:29:57,720 The Bible describes that as what happens as being born again. 544 00:29:57,720 --> 00:30:00,560 Not born physically, but born spiritually made alive 545 00:30:00,560 --> 00:30:03,920 literally. Born of God, a divine birth, 546 00:30:04,560 --> 00:30:06,480 it's called. Regeneration is the fancy word 547 00:30:06,480 --> 00:30:09,360 for it. You're made alive spiritually. 548 00:30:09,360 --> 00:30:11,640 You're made alive from death to life. 549 00:30:11,800 --> 00:30:16,440 If one has been born of God, John says here, then God's seed, 550 00:30:16,600 --> 00:30:19,480 that is the life of God, the Holy Spirit of God literally 551 00:30:19,480 --> 00:30:22,200 abides in you. God is living in you. 552 00:30:22,200 --> 00:30:25,240 If you've been born of God and are alive, and if God's living 553 00:30:25,240 --> 00:30:29,680 in you as one who's been born again and made alive, then such 554 00:30:29,680 --> 00:30:32,520 a person with the life of God in them can't continue to live a 555 00:30:32,520 --> 00:30:36,400 lifestyle of sin and death and sinning against God who's made 556 00:30:36,400 --> 00:30:38,400 them alive. It's not natural to them. 557 00:30:41,440 --> 00:30:45,080 Think about it like this, if God and it's truly given you birth 558 00:30:46,760 --> 00:30:52,840 and he is your father, who are you going to resemble as his 559 00:30:52,840 --> 00:30:58,440 child? You ought to resemble him. 560 00:30:59,760 --> 00:31:03,760 Not perfectly, but there ought to be a resemblance. 561 00:31:05,680 --> 00:31:09,360 I know the proper word in English is acorn. 562 00:31:10,200 --> 00:31:14,480 I don't say acorn, I say acorn. Don't laugh at me. 563 00:31:14,480 --> 00:31:15,680 Y'all do too. Don't laugh at me. 564 00:31:15,680 --> 00:31:18,000 Come on now. But you know what? 565 00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:21,720 They say in the country, acorns don't fall far from the the 566 00:31:21,720 --> 00:31:24,520 tree. If you've been born of God, 567 00:31:25,840 --> 00:31:28,960 God's seed abides. In you when you. 568 00:31:28,960 --> 00:31:30,720 Send it off to great against your soul. 569 00:31:32,680 --> 00:31:35,520 And it all cannot be the lifestyle in which you live. 570 00:31:35,720 --> 00:31:39,840 John says, because #5 A child of God cannot continue to live in 571 00:31:39,840 --> 00:31:42,120 sin because they are born of God. 572 00:31:42,760 --> 00:31:44,960 They are born of God. Verse 10 finally brings it all 573 00:31:44,960 --> 00:31:45,880 together. Listen to this. 574 00:31:47,080 --> 00:31:50,880 By this it is evident who are the children of God and who are 575 00:31:50,880 --> 00:31:53,920 the children of the devil. Whoever does not practice 576 00:31:53,920 --> 00:31:57,840 righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his 577 00:31:57,840 --> 00:32:01,240 brother. John says, how can you know that 578 00:32:01,240 --> 00:32:04,880 you can live confident for the return of Christ? 579 00:32:04,960 --> 00:32:08,680 Christmas 2 point. O Take a paternity test. 580 00:32:09,320 --> 00:32:15,400 Two criteria #1A lifestyle of consistently normally doing what 581 00:32:15,400 --> 00:32:20,680 is right, and #2A lifestyle of love towards others. 582 00:32:22,280 --> 00:32:25,400 A normal. Habit of doing what's right and 583 00:32:25,400 --> 00:32:27,280 a lifestyle of love towards others. 584 00:32:27,280 --> 00:32:30,000 John Stott, famous British preacher, said it better than I 585 00:32:30,000 --> 00:32:31,400 could say it. He says it like this. 586 00:32:31,880 --> 00:32:37,920 Lack of righteousness and lack of love prove lack of divine 587 00:32:38,080 --> 00:32:41,440 birth, lack of righteousness, lack of love. 588 00:32:41,440 --> 00:32:45,440 Prove lack of divine birth number six final thing we know 589 00:32:45,440 --> 00:32:47,560 we. Are children of God if we 590 00:32:47,560 --> 00:32:50,560 practice righteousness and love 1. 591 00:32:50,560 --> 00:32:53,080 Another. We know we are children of God. 592 00:32:53,480 --> 00:32:57,120 If we practice righteousness and love one another, Y know what is 593 00:32:57,120 --> 00:33:00,200 Christmas. It's the fact that a child was 594 00:33:00,200 --> 00:33:05,080 born. To save sinners and to destroy 595 00:33:05,080 --> 00:33:10,680 sin so we could become children of God. 596 00:33:11,680 --> 00:33:13,920 Do you know that? You know you're a child of God? 597 00:33:15,000 --> 00:33:18,200 Do you realize this one born of God, Jesus, who took on human 598 00:33:18,200 --> 00:33:21,120 flesh? Do you realize he's no longer a 599 00:33:21,120 --> 00:33:23,840 baby? He is the. 600 00:33:23,840 --> 00:33:27,640 Sovereign King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the resurrected One 601 00:33:27,640 --> 00:33:31,320 who is alive forevermore, reigning and ruling, and will 602 00:33:31,400 --> 00:33:35,000 return for his own. Have you surrendered your life 603 00:33:35,000 --> 00:33:37,520 to him? Are you ready to live? 604 00:33:37,520 --> 00:33:39,720 Ready. And live confident for his 605 00:33:39,720 --> 00:33:43,720 return. How John's told us here. 606 00:33:44,680 --> 00:33:47,640 The marvel it is love to understand who you are. 607 00:33:47,640 --> 00:33:50,800 Understand those why those who are not, who like you are why 608 00:33:50,800 --> 00:33:53,680 they don't get you. Understanding that the best is 609 00:33:53,680 --> 00:33:57,920 yet to come, understanding that what all we are now, what we 610 00:33:57,920 --> 00:33:59,720 will be, we can't even fully articulate. 611 00:34:00,200 --> 00:34:02,960 But one day we have a hope that can't be taken away from us, 612 00:34:02,960 --> 00:34:07,840 knowing that Christ. And His promise for us, we can 613 00:34:07,840 --> 00:34:09,920 live ready and we can live confident. 614 00:34:09,920 --> 00:34:15,080 By the way, there's no better way, even 3 1/2 months in 615 00:34:15,080 --> 00:34:17,520 advance of Christmas, to celebrate the fact that a child 616 00:34:17,520 --> 00:34:21,280 was born for your salvation than to give your life to Jesus 617 00:34:21,280 --> 00:34:26,239 Christ and be born of God. I'm going to give you a chance 618 00:34:26,239 --> 00:34:29,520 to respond in just a moment, but for now, we're going to turn our 619 00:34:29,520 --> 00:34:32,760 attention to the Lord's Supper. Deacons, I'm going to ask if you 620 00:34:32,760 --> 00:34:35,600 would to position yourselves to prepare to service. 621 00:34:35,600 --> 00:34:38,960 But as we come to a time of the Lord's Table, here's what I want 622 00:34:38,960 --> 00:34:44,639 to invite you to do to prepare your heart to participate #1 623 00:34:44,639 --> 00:34:48,920 what this is about is marveling again at the love of God for 624 00:34:48,920 --> 00:34:52,679 you. And say, Kyle, what is to marvel 625 00:34:52,679 --> 00:34:54,679 at? To marvel at the reality that 626 00:34:54,679 --> 00:34:58,160 what the bread and the cup. Symbolizes is literally the 627 00:34:58,160 --> 00:35:01,080 price. That was required to pay for 628 00:35:01,080 --> 00:35:06,880 your sin and for mine was the price of Jesus's body, His 629 00:35:06,880 --> 00:35:12,120 broken body, and his shed blood. That's the price that God was 630 00:35:12,120 --> 00:35:18,000 the Father was willing to pay to purchase your salvation to pay 631 00:35:18,000 --> 00:35:22,960 for your sin if you've received. That payment by faith in. 632 00:35:23,040 --> 00:35:25,840 Jesus Christ, I'm inviting you to marvel at that once again. 633 00:35:27,120 --> 00:35:28,240 Perhaps you're here this morning. 634 00:35:28,240 --> 00:35:31,240 You've you know deep down you've not made that decision. 635 00:35:31,240 --> 00:35:33,080 I just. Simply want to tell you it is OK 636 00:35:33,280 --> 00:35:35,080 to allow the. Elements to pass you. 637 00:35:35,080 --> 00:35:39,560 By that would be the proper response if you're here this 638 00:35:39,560 --> 00:35:40,720 morning. And you've got anything going? 639 00:35:40,720 --> 00:35:42,440 On in your. Life where just today is not 640 00:35:42,440 --> 00:35:43,320 the. Day you can partake. 641 00:35:43,320 --> 00:35:47,160 It is OK for the elements to pass you by in a moment. 642 00:35:47,160 --> 00:35:48,960 I'm going to give you a chance to just bow your head and close 643 00:35:48,960 --> 00:35:51,560 your eyes to just talk with the Lord about anything that may be 644 00:35:51,560 --> 00:35:53,440 on your heart. You need to deal with anything 645 00:35:53,440 --> 00:35:55,280 you need to. Confess if there's someone you 646 00:35:55,280 --> 00:35:59,400 need to text or go to and say I'm sorry, I need to apologize, 647 00:35:59,400 --> 00:36:02,280 I've wronged you. I can't participate in this and 648 00:36:02,280 --> 00:36:05,000 act like everything's right between me and God when it's not 649 00:36:05,000 --> 00:36:06,800 right between me and a brother or sister in Christ. 650 00:36:06,800 --> 00:36:09,280 This is why the Bible says don't participate in an unworthy 651 00:36:09,280 --> 00:36:12,280 manner. Don't do this in a way that 652 00:36:12,280 --> 00:36:15,520 wouldn't honor God if there's other businesses that needs to 653 00:36:15,560 --> 00:36:17,960 be done 1st and if you can't do that business first, then just. 654 00:36:17,960 --> 00:36:20,240 Let the elements pass you by. That's OK. 655 00:36:20,240 --> 00:36:24,120 I'm going to invite you to bow your head and close your eyes. 656 00:36:26,880 --> 00:36:29,160 Part of what Jesus told us to do, to live ready and to live 657 00:36:29,160 --> 00:36:33,160 confident, is to continually remind ourselves of His love and 658 00:36:33,160 --> 00:36:37,080 His sacrifice through the bread and the cup of the supper. 659 00:36:38,840 --> 00:36:43,160 Physical symbols, the reality that Jesus took on flesh for you 660 00:36:43,160 --> 00:36:45,760 and for me. I'm going to give you just a 661 00:36:45,760 --> 00:36:49,320 moment to sit quietly before the Lord and talk to Him about what 662 00:36:49,320 --> 00:36:51,400 you need to talk about before we pass the elements.