1 00:00:09,720 --> 00:00:12,560 You have your Bible going to make your way to second John 2 00:00:12,560 --> 00:00:16,079 this morning. First, second and third John. 3 00:00:16,079 --> 00:00:18,000 Hope you got your Bible marked there. 4 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:19,600 If not toward the very end of your Bible. 5 00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:22,360 If you get to Jude and Revelation gone too far, just 6 00:00:22,360 --> 00:00:24,720 back a couple pages to second John. 7 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:34,080 If you had the opportunity to physically walk with Jesus 8 00:00:34,080 --> 00:00:38,480 during his earthly life, what is it that you would say? 9 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:45,960 If you had witnessed the life, death, burial and resurrection 10 00:00:45,960 --> 00:00:52,560 and ascension of Jesus? What is it you would say if 11 00:00:52,560 --> 00:00:56,880 you'd personally been present when Jesus communicated the 12 00:00:56,880 --> 00:01:00,040 Great Commission to go there for and make disciples of all 13 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:03,440 nations and all authority in heaven and earth being His 14 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:08,280 commissioned you to go? What would you have said if you 15 00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:13,680 had witnessed all of your closest friends and ministry 16 00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:18,840 partners be slain for their testimony and faith to Jesus? 17 00:01:19,760 --> 00:01:25,280 What is it that you would say if you had been exiled for your 18 00:01:25,280 --> 00:01:28,720 faith? What is it you think you would 19 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:34,440 say if you were in the final years of your life, having lived 20 00:01:34,440 --> 00:01:36,840 and given all your life for Jesus? 21 00:01:37,800 --> 00:01:45,000 What is it that you would say? The second John, first, second 22 00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:51,160 and third John is essentially exactly what John the disciple 23 00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:56,120 would say under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. 24 00:01:56,120 --> 00:01:58,880 Remember, John's now an elderly man. 25 00:01:59,840 --> 00:02:02,280 He's been in exile. He's returned to the area of 26 00:02:02,280 --> 00:02:06,440 Ephesus where he is pouring his final years of life into 27 00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:08,520 ministry in the local church, into people. 28 00:02:09,039 --> 00:02:12,720 And he's written these 3 letters not long before his death in 29 00:02:12,720 --> 00:02:16,000 about 100 AD. And, and, and John is speaking 30 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:18,880 about the vitals, the essentials, the fundamentals of 31 00:02:18,880 --> 00:02:21,640 our faith. And again, second John, if you 32 00:02:21,640 --> 00:02:24,880 need some ketchup, has been called a concise form of first 33 00:02:24,880 --> 00:02:26,560 John. So he's taking everything he 34 00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:28,400 said. They're really whittling it down 35 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:31,320 to the vital essentials. We're seeing three things that 36 00:02:31,320 --> 00:02:34,120 John wants to say to us, but we've wrapped them really all 37 00:02:34,120 --> 00:02:38,200 into one thing, which is this. John says, here's what I'd say 38 00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:46,160 after all that Walk and stay in love and in truth. 39 00:02:46,920 --> 00:02:53,080 Walk and stay in love and in truth. 40 00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:59,680 I don't know if y'all notice, but the world is not too much 41 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:03,280 caught up in the pursuit of love and truth. 42 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:06,800 The world. You know what the world wants. 43 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:08,960 You know what the pursuit of the world is? 44 00:03:10,760 --> 00:03:22,280 Power, prestige, prominence, popularity, pleasure, profit, 45 00:03:23,320 --> 00:03:26,800 personal fulfillment. We could keep going. 46 00:03:27,760 --> 00:03:34,400 But me, myself, and I being better and greater than you and 47 00:03:34,400 --> 00:03:35,880 others, That's the world's pursuit. 48 00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:40,880 The Bible, Jesus himself, and through John, the inspirational 49 00:03:40,880 --> 00:03:46,360 Holy Spirit calls us to walk and stay in love and in truth, to 50 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:50,280 not pursue the other things the world says are important, but to 51 00:03:50,280 --> 00:03:54,240 pursue the things the Scripture and the Savior tells us are 52 00:03:54,440 --> 00:03:56,360 important. I want to read again John's 53 00:03:56,360 --> 00:03:58,080 message in second John. We're going to read the whole 54 00:03:58,080 --> 00:03:59,160 thing. It's not very long. 55 00:04:00,200 --> 00:04:03,080 Follow along as we read the Word of God together. 56 00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:09,120 The elder that's John to the elect lady, that's a local 57 00:04:09,120 --> 00:04:12,040 church just like us and her children. 58 00:04:12,040 --> 00:04:15,760 That's her church members whom I love in truth. 59 00:04:15,760 --> 00:04:20,519 There's that combo love in truth and not only I, but also all who 60 00:04:20,519 --> 00:04:24,280 know the truth because of the truth that abides in US and will 61 00:04:24,280 --> 00:04:28,560 be with us forever. Grace, mercy and peace will be 62 00:04:28,560 --> 00:04:32,240 with us from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father. 63 00:04:32,240 --> 00:04:36,480 Son in here's the combo again, Truth and love. 64 00:04:37,520 --> 00:04:41,720 I rejoice greatly to find some of your children walking in the 65 00:04:41,720 --> 00:04:45,080 truth, just as we were commanded by the Father. 66 00:04:45,760 --> 00:04:49,680 And now I ask you, dear lady Church, not as though I were 67 00:04:49,680 --> 00:04:53,200 writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the 68 00:04:53,200 --> 00:04:55,360 beginning, that we love one another. 69 00:04:55,360 --> 00:04:58,960 And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. 70 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:01,640 This is the commandment, just as you've heard from the beginning, 71 00:05:01,640 --> 00:05:07,400 so that you should walk in it. For many deceivers have gone out 72 00:05:07,400 --> 00:05:11,520 into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus 73 00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:17,280 Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver in 74 00:05:17,280 --> 00:05:21,560 the Antichrist. Watch yourselves so that you may 75 00:05:21,560 --> 00:05:27,400 not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward. 76 00:05:27,640 --> 00:05:32,160 Everyone who goes on ahead does not abide in the teaching of 77 00:05:32,160 --> 00:05:36,480 Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching 78 00:05:36,480 --> 00:05:42,040 has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does 79 00:05:42,040 --> 00:05:46,280 not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or 80 00:05:46,280 --> 00:05:51,640 give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in 81 00:05:51,640 --> 00:05:55,480 his wicked works. Though I have much to write to 82 00:05:55,480 --> 00:05:57,600 you, I'd rather not use paper and ink. 83 00:05:57,600 --> 00:06:00,840 Instead, I hope to come to you and talk face to face so that 84 00:06:00,840 --> 00:06:04,720 our joy may be complete. The children of your elect 85 00:06:04,720 --> 00:06:07,840 sister, another local church, greet you. 86 00:06:08,240 --> 00:06:11,520 John is the apostle John, as we talked about last week, this 87 00:06:11,520 --> 00:06:15,320 elect lady and her children, our local church and her members. 88 00:06:15,720 --> 00:06:19,680 And the first thing of the three things that we have are pulling 89 00:06:19,680 --> 00:06:22,400 out that John is communicating to us in this letter, one that 90 00:06:22,400 --> 00:06:24,960 we reviewed last week that we'll just cover quickly again, is 91 00:06:24,960 --> 00:06:27,760 that true? Faith walks in the truth. 92 00:06:28,840 --> 00:06:32,200 True faith walks in the truth. This is verse 4, right that I've 93 00:06:32,200 --> 00:06:34,360 rejoiced greatly to find some of your children. 94 00:06:34,680 --> 00:06:37,560 Not everybody in the church, but there are some praise God, John 95 00:06:37,560 --> 00:06:43,600 says, are walking in the truth. What does it look like to walk 96 00:06:43,600 --> 00:06:47,080 in the truth? It means to apply in our lives 97 00:06:47,280 --> 00:06:50,680 what the Scripture tells us, what Jesus has commanded us, 98 00:06:50,680 --> 00:06:53,920 what God has given us. And listen, we didn't name every 99 00:06:53,920 --> 00:06:56,840 one of them last week when we named a top ten that by the way, 100 00:06:56,840 --> 00:07:00,480 for men calling 10 for men that will do once a month starting 101 00:07:00,480 --> 00:07:02,920 next year, all year for ten months, taking off June and 102 00:07:02,920 --> 00:07:04,680 July. Registration will go live next 103 00:07:04,680 --> 00:07:07,320 week. So we can look at how to address 104 00:07:07,320 --> 00:07:10,400 and then walk in accountability of what it is. 105 00:07:10,400 --> 00:07:12,280 What truth should we be applying in our lives? 106 00:07:12,280 --> 00:07:13,760 But these truths are not just for men. 107 00:07:14,000 --> 00:07:16,000 They're for every Christian. Let me just give them to you 108 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:18,400 quickly. Again, number one, spend daily 109 00:07:18,400 --> 00:07:22,160 time in God's word. How are we going to do what God 110 00:07:22,160 --> 00:07:24,640 wants us to do if we're not hearing and learning what God 111 00:07:24,640 --> 00:07:26,880 says to do? Daily fellowship with God in 112 00:07:26,880 --> 00:07:29,280 prayer. Daily pray with your spouse, 113 00:07:29,440 --> 00:07:33,800 read God's word with your kids, be discipled by someone, share 114 00:07:33,800 --> 00:07:38,200 the gospel with a lost person, disciple someone tithe, honor 115 00:07:38,200 --> 00:07:42,160 God with your wealth #9 do life with a small group of Christians 116 00:07:42,160 --> 00:07:46,920 and #10 discover, identify your spiritual gift and serve. 117 00:07:47,680 --> 00:07:53,120 Those are 10 basics of basic that God's Word instructs us as 118 00:07:53,120 --> 00:07:55,440 believers to walk in. These are things all of us 119 00:07:55,440 --> 00:08:00,520 should life situation apply should be putting into practice. 120 00:08:00,840 --> 00:08:06,160 True faith walks in the truth #2 though where we pick up today is 121 00:08:06,160 --> 00:08:09,480 that true faith not only walks in the truth, true faith walks 122 00:08:09,480 --> 00:08:14,200 in love. When I say true faith, what am I 123 00:08:14,200 --> 00:08:20,160 talking about? I am not Speaking of a mystical 124 00:08:20,160 --> 00:08:22,560 intuition. A lot of times people when they 125 00:08:22,560 --> 00:08:26,120 hear faith, they think we must be talking about some mystical 126 00:08:26,200 --> 00:08:30,160 spiritual feeling or sensation. That's not what I'm talking 127 00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:33,159 about. When I say true faith, I'm not. 128 00:08:33,520 --> 00:08:39,280 I'm not talking about either any logical or irrational blind leap 129 00:08:39,280 --> 00:08:42,480 of belief when I'm talking about true faith. 130 00:08:42,480 --> 00:08:46,000 I'm talking about the most rational, the most logical, 131 00:08:46,120 --> 00:08:50,560 obedient response to God's revelation through His Son and 132 00:08:50,560 --> 00:08:53,560 through His Word and through all of creation that can be seen 133 00:08:53,560 --> 00:08:55,800 that He has made, that displays His power. 134 00:08:56,600 --> 00:09:00,960 Faith is the most logical, the most rational response to God's 135 00:09:01,080 --> 00:09:05,040 self revelation generally in creation and specifically in His 136 00:09:05,040 --> 00:09:09,280 Son and in His written word. This is what we mean, that true 137 00:09:09,280 --> 00:09:11,880 faith walks in the truth and also in love. 138 00:09:12,200 --> 00:09:16,560 Again, I want to emphasize truth and love are never opposed in 139 00:09:16,560 --> 00:09:19,440 the Christian life. They are always to be paired in 140 00:09:19,440 --> 00:09:21,840 the Christian life. When you light a fire like you 141 00:09:21,840 --> 00:09:23,880 might have done or will do this winter, you're going to get two 142 00:09:23,880 --> 00:09:26,160 things guaranteed that you can't separate. 143 00:09:26,160 --> 00:09:27,720 You know what they are when you light that fire. 144 00:09:28,920 --> 00:09:32,960 Light and think truth and love in the same way. 145 00:09:32,960 --> 00:09:36,000 When you get a Christian, when you get somebody walking in the 146 00:09:36,000 --> 00:09:37,480 truth, they ought to be walking in love. 147 00:09:37,480 --> 00:09:39,800 When someone's walking in love because of Christ, they ought to 148 00:09:39,800 --> 00:09:42,600 be walking in truth. When you put a 24 hour day 149 00:09:42,600 --> 00:09:45,200 together, you get 2 things that seem like polar opposites, but 150 00:09:45,200 --> 00:09:47,240 it takes both of them to make a full day. 151 00:09:47,240 --> 00:09:51,440 What are they? Day and night, light and 152 00:09:51,440 --> 00:09:56,880 darkness, truth and love are always together in the Christian 153 00:09:56,880 --> 00:09:57,840 life. Let me just kind of make 154 00:09:57,840 --> 00:10:00,720 something explicit that you know, but let me remind us of 155 00:10:01,160 --> 00:10:05,600 our loyalty to the truth must never keep us from loving one 156 00:10:05,600 --> 00:10:09,400 another. Our loyalty to the truth ought 157 00:10:09,400 --> 00:10:14,000 never keep us from loving one another and our love for one 158 00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:18,080 another must never undermine our loyalty to the truth. 159 00:10:19,280 --> 00:10:21,320 These two things always go hand in hand. 160 00:10:21,400 --> 00:10:24,120 Our love for one another and loyalty to the truth are never 161 00:10:24,120 --> 00:10:26,920 opposed but are always to go together. 162 00:10:27,080 --> 00:10:30,400 Before John reminds them of this command to love one another, he 163 00:10:30,400 --> 00:10:32,200 tells them again, this is not a new command. 164 00:10:32,280 --> 00:10:35,120 Hey y'all, this has been a non negotiable from the beginning. 165 00:10:35,120 --> 00:10:38,600 From the moment Jesus began his ministry and began giving 166 00:10:38,600 --> 00:10:40,080 instructions. Guess what? 167 00:10:40,400 --> 00:10:43,040 Jesus was commanding and teaching and even before Jesus 168 00:10:43,040 --> 00:10:47,320 came, the word of God instructed us to love one another. 169 00:10:47,320 --> 00:10:51,640 Another reminder, this love in the Greek called agape love is 170 00:10:51,640 --> 00:10:54,280 not a feeling. It's not an emotion. 171 00:10:55,360 --> 00:10:57,200 Again, I don't know why it's just stuck in my head. 172 00:10:57,400 --> 00:11:01,040 I'll just never forget in high school, senior year, English 173 00:11:01,120 --> 00:11:05,080 homeroom, first period, random conversations are going on that 174 00:11:05,080 --> 00:11:07,280 high schoolers have that are always usually immature. 175 00:11:07,400 --> 00:11:09,800 And I remember this one girl who was dating the guy she shouldn't 176 00:11:09,800 --> 00:11:12,880 date was just like, I just can't help who I love. 177 00:11:16,000 --> 00:11:17,840 Ted of Grace, I never want you to hear you say that. 178 00:11:17,840 --> 00:11:19,800 All right, you're not enough to date yet. 179 00:11:19,920 --> 00:11:24,640 But if you were, this love God speaks of is not this magnetic, 180 00:11:24,640 --> 00:11:28,120 instinctive animal like draw that you just can't help. 181 00:11:31,200 --> 00:11:34,840 This agape love is a deliberate choice to act for another's 182 00:11:34,840 --> 00:11:41,040 good, even at your own expense. It's not when you feel a certain 183 00:11:41,040 --> 00:11:44,760 way towards someone, It's not when you like someone, It's when 184 00:11:44,760 --> 00:11:48,520 you choose their good, even if it costs you. 185 00:11:48,760 --> 00:11:51,280 Why? Because Jesus has already paid 186 00:11:51,280 --> 00:11:54,080 it. Oh come on now, we got to do a 187 00:11:54,080 --> 00:11:55,600 different sermon if we can't answer that question. 188 00:11:56,080 --> 00:12:00,640 Jesus already paid it all, So what could I not give in 189 00:12:00,640 --> 00:12:03,880 response to His love for me? If He's given all for me, how 190 00:12:03,880 --> 00:12:07,640 could I not agape in the same? It's not a feeling, it's a 191 00:12:07,640 --> 00:12:10,520 response. It's a deliberate choice to live 192 00:12:10,520 --> 00:12:14,400 in a certain way because of the way Christ lived towards you, 193 00:12:14,400 --> 00:12:16,160 taking on human flesh. By the way, if you're not a 194 00:12:16,160 --> 00:12:18,680 Christian this morning, what you need to hear and know is that 195 00:12:18,760 --> 00:12:22,520 Jesus paid it all for you, for God. 196 00:12:22,520 --> 00:12:28,200 So love the insert your name that he gave Himself, taking on 197 00:12:28,200 --> 00:12:31,200 him in flesh, lived a sinless life, paid for your sin on the 198 00:12:31,200 --> 00:12:36,400 cross, shedding his blood to pay the price for your sin that 199 00:12:36,400 --> 00:12:39,720 separates you from your Maker. That Jesus made a way to offer 200 00:12:39,720 --> 00:12:43,280 you his righteousness if by faith you'd receive his payment 201 00:12:43,280 --> 00:12:46,920 on the cross for you, confessing him as Lord, receiving him as 202 00:12:46,920 --> 00:12:50,160 Savior, calling out in prayer to him, letting Jesus save me and 203 00:12:50,280 --> 00:12:54,120 let me be yours forever, and you're you mine. 204 00:12:55,400 --> 00:12:57,160 That's the decision God's calling you to make today. 205 00:12:57,160 --> 00:12:59,800 If you've never confessed Christ as Lord, you're responding to 206 00:12:59,800 --> 00:13:01,840 the love of God when you get saved. 207 00:13:03,360 --> 00:13:05,200 That, by the way, neither you nor I deserve. 208 00:13:06,880 --> 00:13:10,920 Have you responded to the love of God, to the sacrifice and 209 00:13:10,920 --> 00:13:13,840 payment of Christ by receiving it by faith? 210 00:13:14,040 --> 00:13:18,240 Agape love, Let me remind you, as one writer has said, is the 211 00:13:18,240 --> 00:13:24,560 life blood of the church. Take agape love out of the body, 212 00:13:24,560 --> 00:13:27,200 out of the veins of the church. And what do you have? 213 00:13:29,960 --> 00:13:34,880 A dead church? Take agape love out of the veins 214 00:13:34,880 --> 00:13:39,160 of the body and you lack what is needed to carry the vital 215 00:13:39,160 --> 00:13:40,880 nutrients to every part of the body. 216 00:13:40,880 --> 00:13:44,640 So it operates and it functions vitally and in a healthy manner. 217 00:13:44,640 --> 00:13:47,640 The way God has called the commands, the hands and the feet 218 00:13:47,840 --> 00:13:50,200 commanded our hands and feet to be used to film. 219 00:13:50,200 --> 00:13:53,800 Agape love is the lifeblood of the church, and this love we're 220 00:13:53,800 --> 00:13:57,600 called to as a love both for God and for others. 221 00:13:57,600 --> 00:14:00,800 And John really brings up both here and the way he describes 222 00:14:00,800 --> 00:14:02,240 it, he describes love for God like this. 223 00:14:02,240 --> 00:14:04,760 And this is love that we walk according to his commandments. 224 00:14:04,760 --> 00:14:07,360 Again, love is not a feeling or an emotion towards God. 225 00:14:07,360 --> 00:14:09,440 There may be some days you don't really like God. 226 00:14:11,040 --> 00:14:13,440 Nobody will say that out loud, but I'll say it for you, right? 227 00:14:15,800 --> 00:14:17,640 But God's not asking you to like Him every day. 228 00:14:17,640 --> 00:14:20,840 God's asking you to love him by obeying Him, even when you don't 229 00:14:20,840 --> 00:14:26,520 feel like it every day because you trust Him, you trust him. 230 00:14:27,920 --> 00:14:30,720 Love for God is an action of obedience. 231 00:14:30,720 --> 00:14:34,800 Matthew 2819 through 20 Jesus says go, therefore make 232 00:14:34,800 --> 00:14:36,880 disciples of all nations, baptizing in the name of the 233 00:14:36,880 --> 00:14:39,000 Father, Son and Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey. 234 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:41,520 What all that I've commanded you, right. 235 00:14:41,840 --> 00:14:45,080 So loving God, let's just break this down as a reminder quickly. 236 00:14:45,160 --> 00:14:48,640 Loving God looks like learning God's commands and then obeying 237 00:14:48,640 --> 00:14:50,320 God's commands. And you can't obey God's 238 00:14:50,320 --> 00:14:53,560 commands until you learn God's commands, which goes back to 239 00:14:53,560 --> 00:14:55,360 being in the Word of God on a daily basis. 240 00:14:55,480 --> 00:14:58,560 Loving God with all your mind, heart, soul and strength. 241 00:14:58,560 --> 00:15:01,320 Loving God with your mind. Begin by learning what God has 242 00:15:01,320 --> 00:15:02,680 said. So you can obey God with all 243 00:15:02,680 --> 00:15:06,920 your strength by applying what God has said and then love for 244 00:15:06,920 --> 00:15:09,200 God. Y'all is always going to then 245 00:15:09,200 --> 00:15:11,040 express itself in love towards others. 246 00:15:11,400 --> 00:15:15,520 The Bible gives amazing descriptions of what love for 247 00:15:15,520 --> 00:15:17,480 others should look like in our lives. 248 00:15:17,760 --> 00:15:21,760 I'm currently reading in my quiet time the book of Isaiah 249 00:15:21,760 --> 00:15:24,320 among some other books, and the book of Isaiah will just flat 250 00:15:24,320 --> 00:15:26,840 hit you in the face. The prophets have a way of doing 251 00:15:26,840 --> 00:15:30,360 that and there's passages that are so convicting because he 252 00:15:30,360 --> 00:15:33,720 describes God. He gives literally God's wording 253 00:15:33,840 --> 00:15:36,360 for what love for others should look like in our lives. 254 00:15:36,440 --> 00:15:38,400 There's one particular passage I want to read you. 255 00:15:38,600 --> 00:15:40,640 I have a little slightly different version at home that 256 00:15:40,640 --> 00:15:43,040 I'm reading. It's the CSB, not the ESVI. 257 00:15:43,640 --> 00:15:45,840 Think I threw some people off in the first service and I wasn't 258 00:15:45,840 --> 00:15:47,640 reading from the main one I read from each week. 259 00:15:47,640 --> 00:15:49,880 So not going to maybe sound like if you're follow along with the 260 00:15:49,960 --> 00:15:52,720 ESV, but I'm going to to read Isaiah 58 six through 12. 261 00:15:52,760 --> 00:15:55,560 I want you to listen to the description of what loving 262 00:15:55,560 --> 00:16:00,320 others should look like in our lives because I can't put it any 263 00:16:00,320 --> 00:16:04,480 more practical than this. Isaiah 58 verse 6. 264 00:16:04,480 --> 00:16:07,840 Isn't this the fast that I choose? 265 00:16:07,840 --> 00:16:10,760 In other words, isn't this the way I'd rather be worshipped by 266 00:16:10,760 --> 00:16:15,480 you? To break the chains of 267 00:16:15,480 --> 00:16:20,120 wickedness. To untie the ropes of the yoke 268 00:16:20,520 --> 00:16:23,800 that is of wickedness. To set the oppressed that is 269 00:16:24,000 --> 00:16:27,960 under wickedness free. To tear off every yoke that is 270 00:16:27,960 --> 00:16:31,600 every yoke of ungodliness. Is it not to share your bread 271 00:16:31,600 --> 00:16:34,040 with the hungry? To bring the poor and homeless 272 00:16:34,040 --> 00:16:37,080 into your house? To clothe the naked when you see 273 00:16:37,080 --> 00:16:40,280 him, and not to ignore. Not to ignore your own flesh and 274 00:16:40,280 --> 00:16:43,920 blood. Then your light will appear like 275 00:16:43,920 --> 00:16:46,520 the dawn and your recovery will come quickly. 276 00:16:46,640 --> 00:16:49,320 Your righteousness will go before you and the Lorde glory 277 00:16:49,320 --> 00:16:52,400 will be your rear guard. At that time when you call, the 278 00:16:52,400 --> 00:16:54,760 Lord will answer. When you cry out, He will say, 279 00:16:54,760 --> 00:16:57,720 here I am. If you get rid of the yoke among 280 00:16:57,720 --> 00:16:59,640 you, listen to this yoke that was among them. 281 00:16:59,800 --> 00:17:01,920 This is a modern day yoke. It's an old day yoke. 282 00:17:01,920 --> 00:17:05,119 This is a yoke we all fight as sinners, the finger pointing and 283 00:17:05,119 --> 00:17:08,040 the malicious speaking. And if you offer yourself to the 284 00:17:08,040 --> 00:17:11,839 hungry and satisfy the afflicted one, then your light will shine 285 00:17:11,880 --> 00:17:14,240 in the darkness and your night will be like noonday. 286 00:17:14,240 --> 00:17:17,599 The Lord will always lead you, satisfy you in a parched land 287 00:17:17,599 --> 00:17:20,720 and strengthen your bones. You'll be like a watered garden, 288 00:17:20,720 --> 00:17:23,480 like a spring whose water never runs dry. 289 00:17:23,680 --> 00:17:25,839 Some of you will rebuild the ancient ruins. 290 00:17:25,839 --> 00:17:28,000 You'll restore the foundations laid long ago. 291 00:17:28,200 --> 00:17:31,800 You'll be called the repair of broken walls, the restorer of 292 00:17:31,800 --> 00:17:37,240 streets where people live. Does your love for others ever 293 00:17:37,240 --> 00:17:42,480 look and sound like that? I'll just be honest, that was 294 00:17:42,480 --> 00:17:48,120 super convicting for me to read. How far short God does my life 295 00:17:48,120 --> 00:17:51,240 look like compared to what the Bible says? 296 00:17:51,880 --> 00:17:55,560 Just start with that first line to break the chains of 297 00:17:55,560 --> 00:17:57,600 wickedness. What are the chains of 298 00:17:57,600 --> 00:18:03,920 wickedness? Generational sin in families 299 00:18:03,920 --> 00:18:06,800 that continue to keep us living in brokenness. 300 00:18:09,160 --> 00:18:13,240 Laws in our land that give us license to sin and do that which 301 00:18:13,240 --> 00:18:17,920 does not honor God. Stuff that leads people to 302 00:18:17,920 --> 00:18:20,800 addiction that people are profiting off of and it's 303 00:18:20,800 --> 00:18:23,880 killing people and leading them to destruction. 304 00:18:25,320 --> 00:18:29,200 I could keep going right? We as people living to then what 305 00:18:29,200 --> 00:18:32,000 about as simple as putting meals in front of people and clothing 306 00:18:32,000 --> 00:18:34,480 on their back and shelter over their head. 307 00:18:34,880 --> 00:18:36,880 God says you want to worship me, you want to love me. 308 00:18:36,880 --> 00:18:39,160 Do it like this. Does your love for others look 309 00:18:39,160 --> 00:18:41,440 and sound like this? True faith is going to walk in 310 00:18:41,440 --> 00:18:43,640 the truth y'all. And then true faith is going to 311 00:18:43,640 --> 00:18:45,640 walk in love and the 2GO hand in hand. 312 00:18:45,640 --> 00:18:48,280 But thirdly and finally, what we're going to see from this 313 00:18:48,280 --> 00:18:50,520 letter and this is really the really the main reason I believe 314 00:18:50,520 --> 00:18:52,160 John wrote this 2nd letter of John. 315 00:18:52,160 --> 00:18:53,360 This is the high point of the letter. 316 00:18:53,360 --> 00:18:57,720 This is the main emphasis is this final truth is that true 317 00:18:57,720 --> 00:19:01,280 faith doesn't just walk in the truth and doesn't just walk in 318 00:19:01,280 --> 00:19:04,920 love, but true faith remains in the truth. 319 00:19:05,960 --> 00:19:10,600 True faith remains in the truth. It doesn't pass, go and collect 320 00:19:10,600 --> 00:19:15,480 $2.00. It remains in the truth. 321 00:19:15,480 --> 00:19:18,400 Listen to verse 7 for many deceivers have gone out into the 322 00:19:18,400 --> 00:19:20,000 world. Those who do not confess the 323 00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:23,840 coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh, Such a one is the 324 00:19:23,840 --> 00:19:27,000 deceiver and the Antichrist. Let's talk about this for a 325 00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:28,520 moment. Who is John talking about? 326 00:19:28,520 --> 00:19:30,400 The deceivers. Who are they? 327 00:19:30,560 --> 00:19:33,880 They are false teachers. They have gone out. 328 00:19:34,080 --> 00:19:38,040 They are going out. They will go out just like the 329 00:19:38,040 --> 00:19:40,680 Christian missionaries we just prayed about. 330 00:19:40,680 --> 00:19:45,240 Let me say that again. Satan is sending out 331 00:19:45,280 --> 00:19:51,520 missionaries. Satan is sending out deceivers, 332 00:19:51,560 --> 00:19:54,680 false teachers, missionaries. They often make call themselves 333 00:19:54,680 --> 00:19:58,800 Christians sometimes. But the the devil never creates 334 00:19:58,800 --> 00:20:00,800 anything new. Jesus sent him out. 335 00:20:00,800 --> 00:20:04,160 Guess all he knows what to do is to do a false imitation to seek 336 00:20:04,160 --> 00:20:06,960 to steal, kill and destroy. And Satan has been sending out 337 00:20:06,960 --> 00:20:10,080 false teachers from the moment Jesus has been sending out false 338 00:20:10,200 --> 00:20:15,760 real teachers of the truth. Some call themselves Christians, 339 00:20:15,760 --> 00:20:17,720 they might even claim they're leading you to a deeper 340 00:20:17,720 --> 00:20:21,000 knowledge or greater faith or greater truth. 341 00:20:21,680 --> 00:20:24,880 But they come from Satan, and John says they are the very 342 00:20:24,880 --> 00:20:28,680 expression of the Antichrist. Do you get the idea that John in 343 00:20:28,680 --> 00:20:31,040 his old age doesn't give a RIP about what's politically 344 00:20:31,040 --> 00:20:34,920 correct? He's like, y'all, I'm about to 345 00:20:34,920 --> 00:20:36,920 die anyway, let me just tell you what you need to hear. 346 00:20:37,880 --> 00:20:43,600 Y'all deal with it, right? Why are they false teachers? 347 00:20:45,000 --> 00:20:47,440 He makes it clear. Look what the Bible says because 348 00:20:47,440 --> 00:20:53,240 they do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. 349 00:20:53,240 --> 00:20:55,520 Let me just spell that out what that means. 350 00:20:55,520 --> 00:20:58,040 Now some of you are going to be like these seems to be like 351 00:20:58,520 --> 00:21:00,840 irrelevant details. Pastor Kyle, they're not hang 352 00:21:00,840 --> 00:21:03,120 with me. What does John mean? 353 00:21:03,320 --> 00:21:07,880 He means they do not confess that Jesus being fully God, 354 00:21:08,160 --> 00:21:12,280 eternally pre existent eternal God, second person of the 355 00:21:12,280 --> 00:21:16,400 Trinity, took on human flesh while remaining fully God and 356 00:21:16,400 --> 00:21:18,800 then becoming fully man simultaneously. 357 00:21:18,800 --> 00:21:23,880 They deny that. They deny the coming of the one 358 00:21:23,880 --> 00:21:27,320 who is God, Jesus Himself in the flesh. 359 00:21:27,320 --> 00:21:32,520 Now one of the most common false teachings about Jesus that was 360 00:21:32,760 --> 00:21:36,800 and is, is that Jesus was just an ordinary man. 361 00:21:38,200 --> 00:21:41,600 And that Jesus as an ordinary man had the extraordinary 362 00:21:41,600 --> 00:21:46,880 experience of the Christ coming upon him at his baptism for a 363 00:21:46,880 --> 00:21:50,120 temporary three-year time and then departing from him 364 00:21:50,120 --> 00:21:52,040 therefrom before his crucifixion. 365 00:21:52,040 --> 00:21:54,120 So that the Son of God doesn't actually die. 366 00:21:54,240 --> 00:21:57,080 That's Jesus, the ordinary man that dies, but the Christ came 367 00:21:57,080 --> 00:22:02,760 upon him for a three-year period of time, denying that Jesus 368 00:22:02,760 --> 00:22:08,160 Christ, who is the Christ, actually came in the flesh. 369 00:22:08,160 --> 00:22:11,000 Mark it down. Mark it down. 370 00:22:11,480 --> 00:22:15,600 You will not find an exception. Every world religion or cult or 371 00:22:15,600 --> 00:22:20,120 every false teaching without exception denies Jesus Christ is 372 00:22:20,120 --> 00:22:23,640 eternally fully God, who's come in the flesh is fully man. 373 00:22:23,640 --> 00:22:29,120 They will deny it. Mark it down, you say, Kyle, how 374 00:22:29,120 --> 00:22:31,720 does that work itself out? I'm, I'm about to be specific. 375 00:22:31,720 --> 00:22:35,240 And again, what I'm about to do is probably kind of like John, 376 00:22:35,240 --> 00:22:37,320 not politically correct. And what I'm about to do, I 377 00:22:37,320 --> 00:22:43,120 actually do not enjoy publicly critiquing and calling out 378 00:22:43,120 --> 00:22:45,160 what's wrong or error in any way. 379 00:22:45,160 --> 00:22:48,680 But I don't believe I would be a faithful shepherd unless I did. 380 00:22:49,720 --> 00:22:52,000 And if it was only my kids in the room, I would want them to 381 00:22:52,000 --> 00:22:56,160 hear this, but I certainly would want everybody else. 382 00:22:56,160 --> 00:22:59,320 So I want to say it in that light, truth in love. 383 00:22:59,320 --> 00:23:04,200 But let me give you just one example, the Articles of Faith 384 00:23:04,200 --> 00:23:07,120 of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, otherwise 385 00:23:07,120 --> 00:23:12,880 known as Mormonism, Chapter one, number one says we believe in 386 00:23:12,880 --> 00:23:19,160 God the Eternal Father and in his Son Jesus Christ and in the 387 00:23:19,160 --> 00:23:22,480 Holy Ghost. Now how does that sound? 388 00:23:26,400 --> 00:23:29,640 Sounds great, you and I can date. 389 00:23:30,360 --> 00:23:37,880 Not so fast, we're good. Sounds like the doctrine of the 390 00:23:37,880 --> 00:23:40,280 Trinity to me. But it isn't. 391 00:23:40,760 --> 00:23:43,600 Because here's what they don't tell you unless you dig deeper. 392 00:23:43,600 --> 00:23:48,960 Mormonism teaches that Jesus Christ is a created being who 393 00:23:48,960 --> 00:23:53,600 was not fully God from eternity past who is not Co eternal with 394 00:23:53,600 --> 00:23:56,640 the Father nor is the Holy Spirit Co eternal with the with 395 00:23:56,640 --> 00:23:59,240 the Father. Many other unbiblical 396 00:23:59,240 --> 00:24:03,280 perspectives will also will claim in a different way that 397 00:24:03,280 --> 00:24:05,800 again like I said earlier that Jesus was just a mere man. 398 00:24:06,240 --> 00:24:08,880 Mormons actually can't claim when you go deeper that Jesus 399 00:24:08,880 --> 00:24:12,200 that even God the Father was originally a mere man who 400 00:24:12,200 --> 00:24:14,440 originally became God and so can you. 401 00:24:14,440 --> 00:24:20,200 Do you see how flip flop, totally satanic backwards this 402 00:24:20,200 --> 00:24:24,120 is that the God who has always been God they actually claim was 403 00:24:24,120 --> 00:24:28,520 originally a man. They don't tell you this on the 404 00:24:28,520 --> 00:24:33,520 surface though. Again, the denial here is that 405 00:24:33,520 --> 00:24:39,920 Jesus of Nazareth and the eternal Son of God are not the 406 00:24:39,920 --> 00:24:47,200 same person. The Bible declares that Jesus of 407 00:24:47,200 --> 00:24:56,800 Nazareth was God in the flesh, living, dying and rising, doing 408 00:24:56,800 --> 00:25:01,120 what only fully God, fully man could make possible for the 409 00:25:01,120 --> 00:25:05,800 salvation of all mankind. Which is why Jesus would look at 410 00:25:05,800 --> 00:25:07,480 you and say unashamedly truth and love. 411 00:25:07,480 --> 00:25:13,680 I am the truth and the and no one comes to the Father except 412 00:25:13,680 --> 00:25:17,720 through me. John Jesus says he doesn't say 413 00:25:17,720 --> 00:25:23,480 that out of like anything other than love for the world, knowing 414 00:25:23,480 --> 00:25:26,440 there's no other way and knowing that in the enemy was going to 415 00:25:26,440 --> 00:25:30,720 send out all sorts of fake, counterfeit other ways that I 416 00:25:30,720 --> 00:25:35,560 actually are no way at all. Why is this such a big deal? 417 00:25:35,560 --> 00:25:37,600 Why you say pastor God? That sounds like something 418 00:25:37,600 --> 00:25:39,240 preachers would argue about in seminary. 419 00:25:39,240 --> 00:25:40,960 Why do I need to know? Let me tell you why you need to 420 00:25:40,960 --> 00:25:45,480 know because if you don't have Jesus right, you don't have a 421 00:25:45,520 --> 00:25:49,040 right relationship with God. And if you don't have a right 422 00:25:49,040 --> 00:25:51,440 relationship with God, you don't have salvation and you don't 423 00:25:51,440 --> 00:25:55,480 have heaven. If you don't have Jesus, right, 424 00:25:56,680 --> 00:25:57,920 you don't have eternal life, right? 425 00:25:59,600 --> 00:26:02,960 Jesus is God who's come in the flesh. 426 00:26:03,360 --> 00:26:05,280 So what does John say here? Verse 8? 427 00:26:05,280 --> 00:26:07,880 This is the high point purpose of the letter. 428 00:26:08,160 --> 00:26:11,680 Watch yourselves. It's a warning. 429 00:26:11,680 --> 00:26:16,200 Watch yourselves listen so that you may not, he says, lose what 430 00:26:16,200 --> 00:26:20,800 we have worked for, but may win a full reward. 431 00:26:20,800 --> 00:26:22,920 Now, I want to be explicitly clear so we don't have 432 00:26:22,920 --> 00:26:24,960 misunderstanding about what John is riding right there. 433 00:26:24,960 --> 00:26:28,520 What does he mean to watch out so that we may not lose what 434 00:26:28,520 --> 00:26:30,960 we've worked for but may win a full reward? 435 00:26:30,960 --> 00:26:35,280 Well, John is warning us as believers that it not that he's 436 00:26:35,280 --> 00:26:39,440 not saying that it's possible to lose 1 salvation and he's not 437 00:26:39,440 --> 00:26:41,400 saying that we've worked for salvation. 438 00:26:41,920 --> 00:26:44,280 That's a gift that we receive by faith. 439 00:26:44,440 --> 00:26:49,280 OK, So what he's describing here are the loss of rewards though, 440 00:26:49,440 --> 00:26:53,800 that our believer can receive for living out faithfulness and 441 00:26:53,800 --> 00:26:56,880 obedience to Jesus. That John has worked so hard to 442 00:26:56,880 --> 00:27:00,960 disciple them into living out, to living out truth and love and 443 00:27:00,960 --> 00:27:03,520 remaining in the truth, that he wants them to receive a full 444 00:27:03,520 --> 00:27:05,640 reward for when they see Jesus face to face. 445 00:27:05,920 --> 00:27:09,520 And again, the implication is if the possibility of a full reward 446 00:27:09,520 --> 00:27:14,040 is there, guess what? Also is the possibility of a 447 00:27:14,040 --> 00:27:17,840 less than a what? That doesn't mean loss of 448 00:27:17,840 --> 00:27:20,520 salvation, but it doesn't mean a loss of a full reward. 449 00:27:20,520 --> 00:27:23,280 You say, well, Kyle, what kind of rewards does the Bible speak 450 00:27:23,280 --> 00:27:24,720 of? I'm not necessarily familiar 451 00:27:24,720 --> 00:27:26,280 with those. Well, let me make sure you are 452 00:27:26,400 --> 00:27:30,040 familiar with how the Bible describes this for believers. 453 00:27:30,040 --> 00:27:34,000 But John, again, is writing so that he knows it's possible for 454 00:27:34,000 --> 00:27:37,520 believers to get caught up and influenced by false teaching. 455 00:27:38,200 --> 00:27:39,640 Otherwise he wouldn't give you the warning. 456 00:27:40,240 --> 00:27:43,480 So here's what he says, here's what the Bible says about 457 00:27:43,480 --> 00:27:44,720 rewards. Let me just kind of give you a 458 00:27:44,720 --> 00:27:46,960 little overview. The Bible number one mentioned 459 00:27:46,960 --> 00:27:51,320 several types of crowns that can be received as rewards in 460 00:27:51,320 --> 00:27:52,360 heaven. That by the way, we're going to 461 00:27:52,360 --> 00:27:55,480 put right back at the feet of Jesus, crowns of rejoicing, 462 00:27:55,480 --> 00:27:57,760 crowns of righteousness, the crown of life. 463 00:27:57,760 --> 00:28:01,240 Jesus himself in Revelation 311 says I am coming soon. 464 00:28:01,360 --> 00:28:05,800 Hold fast what you have so that no one may seize your crown. 465 00:28:05,880 --> 00:28:08,520 He's not saying so that someone can come snatch your salvation 466 00:28:08,520 --> 00:28:11,800 from you, but He is saying so that no one may steal what you 467 00:28:11,800 --> 00:28:15,120 may be living out faithfully to Him can be taking, just so that 468 00:28:15,120 --> 00:28:18,560 what may be unfaithfulness would mean loss of the reward. 469 00:28:18,880 --> 00:28:22,880 In terms of that description of a crown #2 Jesus states that 470 00:28:23,040 --> 00:28:29,120 He'll reward every man according to his what his works are. 471 00:28:29,120 --> 00:28:33,040 Every man's works the same, so they're going to be a different 472 00:28:33,040 --> 00:28:37,640 level of reward based on one's works, based on how one is 473 00:28:37,640 --> 00:28:39,320 walked out. The good works in advance. 474 00:28:39,320 --> 00:28:40,880 God's prepared for those who love him. 475 00:28:40,960 --> 00:28:46,200 Absolutely #3 Furthermore, Jesus instructs us to store up 476 00:28:46,200 --> 00:28:47,600 treasure in heaven instead of earth. 477 00:28:47,600 --> 00:28:50,160 Is everybody going to have stored up the exact amount of 478 00:28:50,160 --> 00:28:55,040 treasure in heaven? No, Sir. 479 00:28:55,040 --> 00:28:59,560 There's going to be a different level of treasure in heaven 480 00:28:59,560 --> 00:29:01,920 based on how 1 steward of what God's entrusted to us. 481 00:29:02,200 --> 00:29:03,760 Paul says in First Corinthians 3/8. 482 00:29:03,880 --> 00:29:06,960 He who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will 483 00:29:06,960 --> 00:29:10,360 receive his wages according to his labor. 484 00:29:10,360 --> 00:29:14,760 Is everybody's labor the same? No. 485 00:29:17,480 --> 00:29:19,760 Then Peter describes the opposite side of the coin in 486 00:29:19,760 --> 00:29:23,760 second Peter 1/8 when he says for these qualities are yours 487 00:29:23,760 --> 00:29:26,120 and increasing. In other words, the godliness 488 00:29:26,120 --> 00:29:28,560 and the faithfulness and the endurance and the character. 489 00:29:28,560 --> 00:29:31,120 He says this should be added to 1's fate. 490 00:29:31,280 --> 00:29:34,720 He says if these qualities are yours and increasing, they keep 491 00:29:34,720 --> 00:29:39,120 you from being ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge of 492 00:29:39,120 --> 00:29:41,520 the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 493 00:29:41,520 --> 00:29:44,880 In other words, Peter saying here, it's possible to be in a 494 00:29:44,880 --> 00:29:47,880 knowledge of relationship of salvation with Jesus and yet 495 00:29:47,880 --> 00:29:50,920 live ineffective and unfruitful for the Kingdom of God. 496 00:29:50,920 --> 00:29:53,360 Lord, let it not be, but it's possible. 497 00:29:54,920 --> 00:29:58,760 It's possible. John saying watch out so we 498 00:29:58,760 --> 00:30:02,720 don't lose what we've worked for, walking in obedience to 499 00:30:02,840 --> 00:30:06,960 Jesus for his name and the crowns we'll put back at his 500 00:30:07,280 --> 00:30:08,520 feet. Don't be deceived. 501 00:30:09,600 --> 00:30:11,160 No, to be clear, let me make this statement. 502 00:30:11,160 --> 00:30:15,000 We have not worked for our salvation, but once we receive 503 00:30:15,000 --> 00:30:22,440 it by faith, the Bible calls us to work it out with fear and 504 00:30:22,440 --> 00:30:25,000 with trembling. That means out of the fear of 505 00:30:25,000 --> 00:30:28,400 God, not this I'm afraid of God, but out of an overwhelming all 506 00:30:28,400 --> 00:30:31,320 of the majesty of God and out of love for God, for what He's done 507 00:30:31,320 --> 00:30:33,160 for me. I can't help but live it out 508 00:30:33,160 --> 00:30:35,880 back to Him. Not because I've earned it, 509 00:30:36,600 --> 00:30:39,840 because I've received it by grace and I'm seeking to live 510 00:30:39,840 --> 00:30:42,160 for His glory. Watch yourselves first nine. 511 00:30:42,320 --> 00:30:44,600 John then goes on ahead with another level of warning. 512 00:30:44,880 --> 00:30:49,640 Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching 513 00:30:49,640 --> 00:30:56,800 of Christ does not have God. What does it mean to go on 514 00:30:56,800 --> 00:31:00,560 ahead? It means to move beyond the 515 00:31:00,560 --> 00:31:08,320 teaching of Jesus and His Word. Most of the time it will sound 516 00:31:08,320 --> 00:31:14,200 like I found superior, deeper, greater knowledge or revelation. 517 00:31:14,720 --> 00:31:17,200 Let me tell you what it sounds like written on a statement of 518 00:31:17,200 --> 00:31:21,360 faith that will lead you astray. Back to the Articles of Faith of 519 00:31:21,360 --> 00:31:26,080 the Latter Day Saints #8 we believe the Bible to be the word 520 00:31:26,080 --> 00:31:28,800 of God as far as it's translated correctly. 521 00:31:29,840 --> 00:31:31,080 Here's where they really go wrong. 522 00:31:31,080 --> 00:31:35,320 We also believe the Book of Mormon to be the Word of God. 523 00:31:35,320 --> 00:31:38,480 The problem is, the Book of Mormon directly contradicts the 524 00:31:38,480 --> 00:31:42,280 Word of God and therefore cannot also be the word of God. 525 00:31:42,440 --> 00:31:46,160 The moment you elevate anything with the authoritative level of 526 00:31:46,160 --> 00:31:50,040 this, you have gone beyond the teaching of Jesus. 527 00:31:51,240 --> 00:31:56,040 You've said Jesus plus this, Jesus plus Muhammad, Jesus plus 528 00:31:56,040 --> 00:32:00,200 Joseph Smith, Jesus plus Charles Russell or Jesus plus Ron 529 00:32:00,200 --> 00:32:03,240 Hubbard or Jesus plus whomever else you want to put there, 530 00:32:03,360 --> 00:32:08,040 you've gone beyond. And John, not Kyle, says when 531 00:32:08,040 --> 00:32:15,760 you go beyond Jesus, you no longer have, you no longer have 532 00:32:17,400 --> 00:32:24,880 God, you no longer have God, you forfeit Jesus, you lose God. 533 00:32:25,160 --> 00:32:27,320 So that's not a deeper knowledge, it's darkness and 534 00:32:27,320 --> 00:32:30,040 deception to go beyond the teaching of Jesus in his word. 535 00:32:30,640 --> 00:32:36,120 To deny Jesus is to forfeit God. Again, why is this important? 536 00:32:37,000 --> 00:32:39,640 Because if you don't have Jesus, right, you don't have the 537 00:32:39,640 --> 00:32:41,640 Father, right? If you don't have Jesus, you 538 00:32:41,640 --> 00:32:43,280 don't have God. Look what John says. 539 00:32:43,400 --> 00:32:45,400 Whoever abides, this is where we rest. 540 00:32:45,640 --> 00:32:51,360 Whoever abides remains, stays in the teaching of who Christ has 541 00:32:51,360 --> 00:32:58,160 both the Father and the Son. We need to be congregationally 542 00:32:58,160 --> 00:33:05,120 burdened that we and one another walk and stay in the truth. 543 00:33:05,120 --> 00:33:09,080 Often times you'll hear the slogan military or in a reading 544 00:33:09,080 --> 00:33:12,000 campaign or whatever it may be, no one left. 545 00:33:14,160 --> 00:33:17,120 But in the church we also need to be concerned about no one 546 00:33:17,120 --> 00:33:22,200 going beyond, no one left behind, no one that would never 547 00:33:22,200 --> 00:33:25,920 hear, but also no one that hears going beyond and leaving and not 548 00:33:25,920 --> 00:33:29,160 remaining in the teaching of Christ and being deceived by the 549 00:33:29,160 --> 00:33:32,080 enemy and his false missionaries that are out there seeking to 550 00:33:32,080 --> 00:33:35,160 kill, steal and destroy. Go beyond Jesus. 551 00:33:35,160 --> 00:33:39,960 You don't have God. Young people, mark it down. 552 00:33:40,440 --> 00:33:44,040 What they say about Jesus will reveal what they believe. 553 00:33:44,840 --> 00:33:48,560 What they say about Jesus will reveal what they believe. 554 00:33:49,680 --> 00:33:50,920 Now listen to what he says in verse 10. 555 00:33:51,160 --> 00:33:54,800 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not 556 00:33:54,800 --> 00:33:58,000 receive him into your house or give him any greeting. 557 00:33:58,200 --> 00:34:01,640 Forever greets him, takes part in his wicked works. 558 00:34:01,800 --> 00:34:05,840 That's an amazing command in light of the New Testament's 559 00:34:05,840 --> 00:34:09,239 emphasis on a little word that Christians are called to 560 00:34:09,239 --> 00:34:11,159 practice. That starts with an H called 561 00:34:11,320 --> 00:34:16,000 hospitality, and the only instance in the New Testament 562 00:34:16,000 --> 00:34:18,360 you'll find where it's not to be practiced is when you're 563 00:34:18,360 --> 00:34:22,560 standing face to face with one who is robbing people of Jesus 564 00:34:22,719 --> 00:34:24,760 and saying things that are leading them to hell. 565 00:34:24,760 --> 00:34:30,639 Let me put it like this. John's like, hey, if a snake had 566 00:34:30,639 --> 00:34:35,440 arms, a poisonous snake had arms and can knock on your door, 567 00:34:35,440 --> 00:34:41,679 would you invite him in? No. 568 00:34:43,960 --> 00:34:48,440 So why would someone full of eternal, spiritual, deadly 569 00:34:48,440 --> 00:34:53,880 venom, would you entertain their fangs around yourself or your 570 00:34:53,880 --> 00:35:00,440 family? If we are the flock and sheep of 571 00:35:00,440 --> 00:35:05,160 God, we ought not entertain wolves. 572 00:35:07,440 --> 00:35:09,600 No, I don't think he's saying that. 573 00:35:09,600 --> 00:35:13,680 You can, in the love of Jesus, have a polite conversation if 574 00:35:13,680 --> 00:35:15,440 you're spiritually, prayerfully prepared. 575 00:35:15,560 --> 00:35:17,880 You try to confront them of their error and have a 576 00:35:17,880 --> 00:35:19,480 conversation leading them to the truth. 577 00:35:19,680 --> 00:35:22,200 But John's basically saying, hey, they've heard the truth and 578 00:35:22,200 --> 00:35:25,760 moved on from it and made a decision and are seeking to lead 579 00:35:25,760 --> 00:35:28,320 you astray. And you ought not do anything 580 00:35:28,320 --> 00:35:31,440 that would look like endorsing, supporting, or authenticating 581 00:35:31,480 --> 00:35:34,320 what they're Hawking because it's leading people to hell. 582 00:35:35,760 --> 00:35:37,320 There's just a different response to a wolf. 583 00:35:37,320 --> 00:35:41,920 There's a different response to a snake, and so it's the most 584 00:35:41,920 --> 00:35:46,160 loving response when someone is not not leading people to the 585 00:35:46,160 --> 00:35:49,880 truth. Y'all, this whole scenario 586 00:35:50,840 --> 00:35:53,040 really raises this tension for us. 587 00:35:53,040 --> 00:35:56,400 OK, Well, Kyle, that brings up the question like, OK, if you 588 00:35:56,400 --> 00:35:59,400 say love and truth are always to go together, it sure feels 589 00:35:59,400 --> 00:36:02,440 strained at times for love and truth to stay together. 590 00:36:04,800 --> 00:36:08,280 And you'd be right. There's times that sure feels 591 00:36:08,280 --> 00:36:10,720 hard to put those two things together in ways that we think 592 00:36:10,720 --> 00:36:13,160 of them going together. Let me just make this statement. 593 00:36:14,840 --> 00:36:23,240 There has, I believe, been no exception to if someone, a 594 00:36:23,240 --> 00:36:29,280 Christian, has chosen to stand for the truth, no matter how 595 00:36:29,280 --> 00:36:33,600 loving they've been while doing it, There's not going to be an 596 00:36:33,600 --> 00:36:36,560 instant somewhere someday where they stand for the truth. 597 00:36:36,560 --> 00:36:39,600 So loving that someone somewhere is not going to accuse them of 598 00:36:39,600 --> 00:36:42,920 being unloving. I'm going to say that again. 599 00:36:43,480 --> 00:36:46,520 If you choose to stand for the truth, no matter how loving you 600 00:36:46,520 --> 00:36:52,240 may do it, somebody is going to accuse you of being unloving. 601 00:36:54,080 --> 00:36:56,760 OK, So you just got to be. That's one of the attacks of the 602 00:36:56,760 --> 00:37:01,160 enemy. You're going to have to face 603 00:37:01,160 --> 00:37:04,600 that and continue to stand in truth and in love. 604 00:37:04,600 --> 00:37:06,600 John finishes like this, verse 12 and 13. 605 00:37:06,920 --> 00:37:10,200 Though I have much to write to you, I'd rather not use paper 606 00:37:10,200 --> 00:37:13,200 and ink, but instead hope to come to you and talk face to 607 00:37:13,200 --> 00:37:15,200 face so that our joy may be complete. 608 00:37:15,840 --> 00:37:19,760 The children of your fellow church elect sister greet you. 609 00:37:20,640 --> 00:37:22,040 I just want you to notice quickly. 610 00:37:22,040 --> 00:37:24,280 I'm not going to say much about this, but I do think this is 611 00:37:24,280 --> 00:37:29,440 worth saying that John connects here fullness or completeness of 612 00:37:29,440 --> 00:37:34,320 joy with the physical reality of being physically together with 613 00:37:34,320 --> 00:37:36,160 this church. In other words, he's saying 614 00:37:36,160 --> 00:37:39,000 y'all my joy, your joy is not going to be complete until we're 615 00:37:39,000 --> 00:37:41,760 together. There is the reality for us as 616 00:37:41,760 --> 00:37:44,480 Christians that our joy, guess what is not going to be complete 617 00:37:44,480 --> 00:37:47,760 till we see who face to face of Jesus and until we're all 618 00:37:47,760 --> 00:37:49,560 together face to face around the throne. 619 00:37:49,720 --> 00:37:52,440 And in the meantime, our joy is not going to be complete as it 620 00:37:52,440 --> 00:37:55,560 can be unless we're committed to physically gathering and being 621 00:37:55,560 --> 00:38:00,760 together in the fabric of the physical together family of God. 622 00:38:01,200 --> 00:38:04,600 Christianity is not some private on your own thing to do just in 623 00:38:04,600 --> 00:38:06,760 your living room or here or there when you want to. 624 00:38:06,760 --> 00:38:13,360 It is about being ultimately together, the family of God, one 625 00:38:13,360 --> 00:38:15,720 day forever. And we're practicing in the 626 00:38:15,720 --> 00:38:19,080 meantime, even every Sunday and other times that we gather, we 627 00:38:19,080 --> 00:38:22,120 ought to prioritize the togetherness of the body. 628 00:38:22,120 --> 00:38:26,120 I want to read you a quote I came across in a devotional this 629 00:38:26,120 --> 00:38:28,520 week by the name of Judith Haugen. 630 00:38:28,520 --> 00:38:30,480 She writes this and she's just spot on. 631 00:38:30,480 --> 00:38:32,840 Listen to this. And this is really an indictment 632 00:38:32,840 --> 00:38:35,600 on the American church. It's a warning to even for us to 633 00:38:35,600 --> 00:38:39,400 think about how we do church. Nothing, she says, changes 634 00:38:39,400 --> 00:38:44,040 people more deeply than the presence of love, humility and 635 00:38:44,040 --> 00:38:50,080 truth in actual relationship. Yet many churches, most American 636 00:38:50,080 --> 00:38:53,320 churches, have organized themselves around preaching, 637 00:38:54,240 --> 00:38:58,800 programming and production structures that can keep us 638 00:38:58,840 --> 00:39:04,760 safely in the pews, untouched. When we avoid the vulnerable 639 00:39:04,760 --> 00:39:08,560 work of community, that physical togetherness, we become 640 00:39:08,560 --> 00:39:13,520 institutions that talk about spiritual formation without 641 00:39:13,680 --> 00:39:23,520 actually experiencing it. Iron sharpens, which means life 642 00:39:24,320 --> 00:39:30,840 on life, which goes back to one of my 10 do life in a small 643 00:39:30,840 --> 00:39:35,720 group of Christians. We'll talk about that more in 644 00:39:35,720 --> 00:39:40,560 the days ahead. Walk and stay in love and truth. 645 00:39:41,640 --> 00:39:43,480 The world's running after everything else. 646 00:39:43,480 --> 00:39:49,200 The Bible calls us to run and stay in love and truth. 647 00:39:49,200 --> 00:39:51,240 John and praise team are about to come out and I want to ask 648 00:39:51,240 --> 00:39:53,000 you a few questions before we respond. 649 00:39:53,000 --> 00:39:59,040 Number one is this. Do you have a right relationship 650 00:39:59,280 --> 00:40:05,000 with Jesus? That's the most important 651 00:40:05,000 --> 00:40:06,880 question a human being could ever ask you. 652 00:40:08,840 --> 00:40:11,440 And if you don't, would you be willing to do something about it 653 00:40:11,440 --> 00:40:13,240 today? You can't earn a right 654 00:40:13,240 --> 00:40:18,880 relationship. You can receive it by faith if 655 00:40:18,880 --> 00:40:20,400 you'd be willing to step out from where you are. 656 00:40:20,400 --> 00:40:21,720 You don't have to do this to be saved. 657 00:40:21,720 --> 00:40:23,440 You don't have to talk to a preacher to be saved. 658 00:40:23,600 --> 00:40:27,400 You got to talk to Jesus. You got to talk to Jesus. 659 00:40:28,160 --> 00:40:30,720 I can help you. You can do it where you are. 660 00:40:30,720 --> 00:40:31,760 You can do it right here with me. 661 00:40:31,760 --> 00:40:34,600 You can do it on your own, but you got to have a conversation 662 00:40:34,600 --> 00:40:36,200 with Jesus. That sounds something like this. 663 00:40:36,200 --> 00:40:39,560 Jesus, I've sinned. You're the only Savior. 664 00:40:41,320 --> 00:40:44,640 I want to receive you and your payment for my sin. 665 00:40:44,840 --> 00:40:49,160 I'm sorry for what I've done. I'm choosing you as my Lord and 666 00:40:49,160 --> 00:40:51,040 Savior today. My life is yours. 667 00:40:51,840 --> 00:40:53,960 Save me. Save me. 668 00:40:54,760 --> 00:41:01,520 Would you say that maybe, maybe you have a right relationship 669 00:41:01,520 --> 00:41:05,080 with Jesus, but staying and walking in love and truth is 670 00:41:05,080 --> 00:41:08,680 probably, maybe you feel like you got areas you're just shy of 671 00:41:08,680 --> 00:41:14,400 that in some way and you just want to come talk to Jesus about 672 00:41:14,400 --> 00:41:15,960 those? Again, you don't need to talk to 673 00:41:15,960 --> 00:41:17,680 me necessarily. You need to talk to Jesus. 674 00:41:17,680 --> 00:41:20,920 But I can help you if you want to, if you just want to get on 675 00:41:20,920 --> 00:41:22,800 your knees or on your face before God, or just stand here 676 00:41:22,800 --> 00:41:25,240 to talk to Jesus about where you are in walking and staying in 677 00:41:25,240 --> 00:41:34,480 love and truth. God is God in his word has the 678 00:41:34,480 --> 00:41:38,000 best plans for us if we'll walk in it. 679 00:41:38,000 --> 00:41:39,960 So I'm just going to invite you to do that. 680 00:41:40,280 --> 00:41:42,520 We're going to sing. I'm going to ask you to stand 681 00:41:42,520 --> 00:41:44,520 after I pray, and I'm going to ask you to respond to the Lord. 682 00:41:44,520 --> 00:41:45,680 I'm here to help If you need counsel. 683 00:41:45,680 --> 00:41:47,080 Remember, we're going to have encouragers. 684 00:41:47,080 --> 00:41:48,760 It'll be close if you need to have a conversation with 685 00:41:48,760 --> 00:41:50,200 somebody. But this is just the time to 686 00:41:50,200 --> 00:41:52,480 talk to Jesus about what he's talking to you about. 687 00:41:52,480 --> 00:41:55,120 By His Spirit, you respond as the Lord leads you. 688 00:41:55,120 --> 00:41:58,440 Heavenly Father God, I want to ask right now, in these next few 689 00:41:58,440 --> 00:42:02,200 moments, the Lord Jesus you would make clear to us the next 690 00:42:02,200 --> 00:42:04,720 steps for each one of us. Father, we'd have a right 691 00:42:04,720 --> 00:42:07,440 relationship with you and we'd walk and stay in it until we see 692 00:42:07,440 --> 00:42:09,480 you face to face. Father, that we would walk into 693 00:42:09,480 --> 00:42:13,520 a full reward in heaven one day, crowns to lay at your feet, 694 00:42:13,600 --> 00:42:16,080 having walked in the good works, prepared in advance for us, 695 00:42:16,080 --> 00:42:19,200 having not wasted our lives and unfruitful and ineffective 696 00:42:19,200 --> 00:42:21,040 pursuits that the world says are important. 697 00:42:21,240 --> 00:42:23,480 But it will be ashes when it's all said and done. 698 00:42:23,480 --> 00:42:27,160 God, give us, give us the motivation and realization of 699 00:42:27,160 --> 00:42:29,960 what's really worth living and help us do it for your namesake 700 00:42:29,960 --> 00:42:32,680 in Jesus name, Amen. Would you stand sing with me?