Latest / Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast / #16202 - John the Tender Pastor - 1 John 1:1

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#16202 - John the Tender Pastor - 1 John 1:1 · Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast

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Welcome to the study of God's Word with pastor and author Ed
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Taylor, recorded live at Calvary Church in Aurora, Co.
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To learn more about the many resources available through
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Abounding Grace Media or to tune into our live stream services,
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visit us online at Calvary Co dot Church or download our free
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Calvary Church app. Now.
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Here's Pastor Ed to take us into our study.
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Amen. Open your Bibles first.
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John chapter 1 is where we are. First John chapter one I've
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entitled our Bible study. John the tender pastor.
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You're going to sense a tenderness in this letter
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because John himself was a tender pastor.
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He was a man consumed with love. We learned in our study
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previously how He started out in life as the Son of Thunder
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wiping out the Samaritans. We want to see it.
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They rejected you, Jesus, and this is how we'll deal with
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them. Let's just wipe them out.
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We'll call fire down from heaven.
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Jesus said no, no, no. You don't understand what spirit
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you are. And you know, the time that he
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spent with Jesus changed him into this apostle of a love and
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added to him this tenderness. And what a blessing it is that
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God would give us pastors to lead us and to serve us and to
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guide us. And really, whether we like it
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or not, God has put pastors and leaders in our lives to help
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keep our eyes on the Lord. Do you know how often your eyes
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get off the Lord and you get caught up with emotion and you
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get caught up and we all, it happens to all of us.
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So it's just we get our eyes off the Lord and then we listen to a
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Bible. Suddenly we go and we we're,
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we're receiving. Maybe we come in for an
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appointment. We go and it's not always a
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smile. Aw, you may not always like what
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it takes to wrestle with you in getting your eyes back on the
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Lord. You may come in so confident and
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you may come in so prideful and you may come in so strong
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headed. And you sit down with a brother
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and the brother opens the word and just speaks into your life
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and go, no, no, no brother, no sister.
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You got to get your eyes back on the Lord.
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And here's the issue. And here's the Scripture, sure.
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And if you're not careful, you keep fighting and fighting and
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fighting, but God gave you that man to get your eyes back on the
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Lord. And it's not always going to be
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an easy thing. It's not always going to be easy
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to share it, and it's definitely not always going to be easy to
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hear it. But we need both.
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And God has ordained the role of pastor, shepherd, elder, but
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also believers as we learning in Galatians 6.
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You who are spiritual restore such a one, those spiritual men
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and women being used of the Lord.
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And here at Calvary now close to 26 years, the Lord has blessed
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us with wonderful men of God along with their wives who
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lovingly care for the ministry and are looking to be used by
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God faithfully. That's John.
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He is a faithful pastor that God has given to the church in
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Ephesus, to all the churches in his later years, but also to us.
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First, John is that powerful letter.
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We know that a letter is also known as a epistle.
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He's given us this epistle that's written by a very old
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man, probably about 100 years old.
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But as you get older, one of two things happen.
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You either become very, very cranky or you become very, very
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soft. You let experience take care of
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all those rough edges in your life.
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Or unfortunately, it's also easy as you get older, just to become
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a really cranky older man or older woman.
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And nobody really wants that. But you have to guard your
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heart. Let the Holy Spirit continue to
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soften, change you, and mold you.
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We never even at 100 years old, Jesus was still John Savior.
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Jesus was still everything. You don't outgrow discipleship.
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You don't outgrow learning. You don't outgrow confession.
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You don't outgrow repentance and that could be years that can
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refer to years in age today, but it also can refer to years of
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walking with the Lord where in the early days you're real
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sensitive and you're confessing everything and you're telling my
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friends, oh, I can't believe and you're just really sensitive to
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the Lord. But then you go a couple years,
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3-4 years and oh, you know, I got this down.
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You meet people, I'm sure you've met people where you're talking
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to them and and one of the responses in helping them along
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the way is that, well, you know, I've already read the Bible as
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if it's just a one time thing. I've already read it and I
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already know all about it. And I don't really need that
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ongoing work of the Holy Spirit going through the word of God.
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But that mindset just is reflective of a distance from
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God. That's all.
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Like you've lost the consciousness of God.
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Or I'm going to cut you a little bit of slack if that's you today
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and say you've had that attitude.
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Maybe no one's ever taught you that the reading of the Bible is
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for the rest of your life. You're just going through the
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word year after year, month after month, day after day.
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It's just like food. It's sort of like saying, yeah,
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you know, I already ate and I'm done at five years old.
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I don't need to eat anymore. You're like, what do you?
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You can't live without eating. You didn't just end eating at
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five years old or 10 years old. You're continually getting that
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physical nourishment because your body needs it.
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Well, the Bible is spiritual nourishment.
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And you never come to the place where, you know, I read the
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Bible. Well, OK, again now to the
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person, and it might be hardened.
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You go, pastor, I've already read it.
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OK, here's my counsel to you. Read it again and again and
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again so that the Spirit of God will give you something every
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time. We've got a few lists now as we
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get into first John, just again, background.
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We're looking at the first verses, but really just giving a
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background. I've got a few lists for you to
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consider if you want to jot them down.
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You know, takers of highlighted themes in first John that you
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should look out for. Here's list number 15, basic
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things we're going to learn in first John.
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Number one, we're going to learn that John promotes fellowship,
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chapter one, verse 3, so that we may have fellowship with us.
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You also may have fellowship with us.
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And truly our fellowship is with the Father.
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So this letter promotes fellowship #2 this letter also
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will produce in you happiness or joy.
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And there is a distinction between the two, but you can use
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them both interchangeably if you like.
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First John chapter one, verse 4. John says why he wrote the
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letter. These things we write to you,
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that your joy may be full. So the promotion of happiness
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and joy, because if you're joyful, happiness will follow #3
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chapter 2, verse one. My little children, these things
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I write to you, that you may not sin.
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So now we will see that this letter will help you to protect
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your holiness and help you avoid sin #3 chapter 2, verse 26,
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chapter 3, or excuse me, chapter 2, verse 26.
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And these things I have written to you concerning those who try
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to deceive you. So John is writing against false
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teachings that was very prevalent already in the 1st
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century. And #4 he wants to prevent false
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teaching, promote fellowship, produce happiness, protect
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holiness, prevent false teaching.
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And #5 is in chapter 5, verse 13, chapter 5, verse 13.
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These things I've written to you who believe in the name of the
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Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.
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He wants to provide hope so you can have the assurance of your
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salvation. We will see these unfold over
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the time of our Bible study. I'll I'll refer back to them.
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I'll even use the different phrases as I'll show you even in
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our study now, but let's look at a few of them in depth.
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Let's start with chapter 2, verse 26.
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Let's start with the necessity to prevent false teaching or
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John's desire to expose spiritual deception.
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This is where we're headed as we study this letter in first John
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226. It says these things I've
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written to you concerning those who try to deceive you.
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John was a tender, loving and protective pastor.
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Now, those words going together don't always seem to go
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together. You know, tender, loving, but
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also protective. A tender, loving person will
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also seek to protect you from harm.
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And that is the heart of God. As such a tender, protective
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pastor, he knew that it is his responsibility to expose false
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teachers and tell the church about him.
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Why? A little leaven leavens the
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whole lump. It doesn't just affect a little
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bit. And I always see it in people's
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eyes when they're unhappy with an answer I give them.
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They may have heard someone or wants me to watch something or
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mention an author to to me. And I know to say, just stay
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away from that guy. And you see it all over their
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face. Like that is not what I wanted
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to hear. I was hoping this guy because I
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thought this was right. And then when I open the
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scriptures to you and go look at this one verse wipes out that
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guy, whole guy's ministry. Like he may have 1000 videos on
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YouTube, but there's one verse that he's obviously not paying
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attention to. You shouldn't be listening to
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him at all. Yeah, but it's so much that he
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says is right. Well, I guess the question is
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this. If I gave you a a fresh glass of
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beautiful, clean Aurora water from the reservoir the day after
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we baptized in it right there. I just turn on the spigot in
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here. It's Aurora water.
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And I say, here's a fresh glass of water.
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How many drops of poison would you like in it?
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123 And you're like, are you out of your mind?
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I'm going to call the police. There's no, I don't want any
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poison. And yet as believers, I don't
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understand why so many want poison in their water, the
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living water, the clean water of life, and they would just settle
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for some little drop of poison. I understand what the Bible
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says. In these last days, the church
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will raise up for themselves teachers tickling their ears,
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saying what they want to hear, promoting things outside of the
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Bible that they can really be a part of.
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But how much poison do you want in your water exactly?
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I mean, if you're so strong about saying no to a glass of
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water, then be strong about saying no to any false teaching.
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And even today, in a strong word, to know the Bible.
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Read your Bible every day and pray so you know the Bible, so
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you know the truth because when you know the truth, it doesn't
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really even matter what falsehood is presented to you.
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You go, no, that's not true. I already know it's not.
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What do you mean you go to? I didn't go to seminary.
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Well, you're going to go to Bible.
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I didn't go to Bible college. How long you been a believer?
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I've been a believer 6 months. But I'm telling you right now,
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bro, that ain't true because Jesus said this.
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He didn't say that. And you can just say be strong.
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And John is there to say, look, false teaching cannot continue.
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You guys need to stop it. And the approach that he takes
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is how false teaching can't survive in a healthy atmosphere.
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I'm not saying it may not exist. We have all sorts of people that
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will come through this church over the years and want to take
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advantage of you with their weird teachings and their
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wanting of your money and your following and maybe start a
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little deal with you and draw you to themselves.
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We've seen it. But I know this too.
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As much as I've seen that, I've seen what I'm about to say even
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more, and that is in a healthy, strong fellowship family.
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It purges out the poison. It's very clear and very
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evident. Even if you're here today and
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you're already working a deal and trying to figure out how
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you're going to take advantage of this church, how you're going
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to do this little thing and ask this person out so you can use
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them or abuse them, you will be readily revealed.
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Maybe not tonight. Well, you're not yet, pastor.
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You had the right word and you're, that's right, not yet.
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Because in a healthy church, those types of things reveal
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themselves. And can I just say, so those
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that might want to take advantage of this church or any
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church, why don't you just seek the Lord?
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I don't understand it. Why don't you just seek the
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Lord? Why don't you just seek to serve
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people and love them like Jesus taught you?
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Why can't you just die to yourself?
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But why can't you, You know, I think of those that might want
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to take advantage of you financially, Why don't you just
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get a job, Just work a job, get a second job if you need money
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that bad. But why would you want to steal
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from the church? Why would you want to harm the
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sheep? I I get that maybe there's
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blindness or you're falling. Maybe you're not even a
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believer. Then why don't you just repent
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and come to know the Lord? I found over the years, the
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people that are manipulative and just going after it want to take
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if they would just use that energy to follow the Lord.
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Do you know how strong they would be?
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What great believers you would be, how so much fruit would come
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from your life instead of flesh. And so I think the prayer
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requests tonight were very instructive, especially the
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second one. Why don't you just confess your
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sin? Because God is faithful and just
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to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
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And it'll just help the body. It'll help the church move
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forward. The pastors will be better to
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tend and care instead of protect, although we will do all
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of them. He wants to expose false
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teaching. If you're taking notes again,
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there was a particular false teaching that he's exposing.
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It's known as Gnosticism. I'll spell it for you.
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Gnosticism. Gnosticism and those that
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followed Gnosticism were known as the Gnostics.
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Makes sense. Gnosticism is a worldly
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philosophy that sprang out of Greek culture.
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The word gnosis. GNOSIS, it's a Greek word.
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The word gnosis means knowledge. It means knowledge, and the
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essence of Gnosticism was that they had a secret private
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knowledge that you would not be able to gain unless you became a
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part of their group. And if you became a part, you
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couldn't be a real Christian. You couldn't be a real God
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follower if you didn't become a part of their group and become a
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Gnostic. They believed that they alone
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only had true knowledge of God, which superseded even the
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Scriptures, the apostles, and the true Church of God.
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They would come into the true Church of God that was purchased
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by the blood of Jesus Christ and they would have the guts to say
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you guys don't have it, we have it.
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And to which anyone that would say that you can just say, well,
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who died for your sins? Because Jesus died for my sins.
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He shed his blood for me and he died and rose again.
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What happened to your founder? Because Jesus is alive.
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And the Gnostics came in wanting to draw people in themselves.
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They also had a belief that all matter, all physical matter was
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evil and only the spiritual realm was good.
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The reason that was important is that they saw the body as the
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soul's prison and thus their goal through their philosophy
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was to release the soul from the body.
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One of the key marks in this philosophy is that they denied
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that Jesus was the Jewish Messiah.
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Notice chapter 2, verse 22. Who is a liar, but he who denies
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that Jesus is the Christ. Now in a general sense, that
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applies to anyone that denies Jesus today.
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But John was riding against the Gnostics.
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Why? Because they denied that Jesus
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was Messiah. They also denied that God could
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or would become flesh. Why?
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They didn't believe there was any things good about the flesh,
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that it was evil. So they denied that Jesus could
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come in the flesh, which was a denial of an essential Christian
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doctrine, an essential 1A non negotiable.
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Every true believer believes in this.
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If you don't believe in this, then we need to sit down with
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the pastors and show you in the Scriptures or go through Bible
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studies that I've taught at a very essential Christian
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doctrine, and that is the doctrine of the incarnation
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according to Philippians. What did Paul say that God, John
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chapter 1, God became flesh. Gee, the Son of man, the word
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became flesh and dwelt among us. That's the incarnation.
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The Gnostics denied that. They would deny what John wrote
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in the very first chapter of the Gospel of John.
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What instead they offered is that Jesus was just a man like
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you and me, and that this Messiah Spirit came upon him at
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his water baptism. When the Father in heaven say,
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this is my beloved Son in whom I'm well pleased, He wasn't
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speaking not just in time. He was speaking out for all of
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time in eternity. The timeless Son Jesus Christ is
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the second person of the Trinity of the Godhead who is eternal.
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He is eternal and the waters are coming down.
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This idea of the Christ consciousness is still with us
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today. It doesn't come to us from
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Gnosticism, but it's still with us today.
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It isn't actually new. When you hear it said today, the
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spiritual, you know, Jesus was a good man and maybe this and
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maybe he had a little bit of Messiah.
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No, he is Messiah, God and human flesh.
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According to chapter 2 verse 19, they were a part of the church
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but then they left. According to chapter 226, that
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even though they left, they keep they kept trying to influence
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the church from a distance through their deception.
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John calls this group of Gnostics in chapter 2 verse 18
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Antichrist. He calls them false prophets in
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chapter 4 verse one and even calls them deceivers in second
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John. And there's only 1 chapter, so
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second John verse 7. And the real danger of this
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group was their desire to bring compromise into the church.
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They had it wrong. They were compromising of who
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Jesus was. And let me just say, if you have
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Jesus wrong, if you have a wrong definition of Jesus, everything
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else is going to be wrong. You're going to be worshipping
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the wrong Jesus. The truth cannot coexist
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peacefully with a lie. Light and darkness cannot exist
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together. Again, chapter one, verse 5,
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this is the message which we have heard from him and declare
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to you that God is light and what does it say and him is no
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darkness at all. They wanted this head knowledge
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and they used it. To those that may not know so
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much, those of you that are newer to the faith, those of you
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that are newer to the Bible, those of you that are newer to a
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Bible teaching church, you, you need to really have your
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spiritual guard up. I don't think you should panic
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and be worried about it, but I also didn't think you just kind
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of accept everything everyone says, even if they come through
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the church here. You need to be like Bereans and
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everything that's said to you needs to be tested by the word
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of God. You can't just accept everything
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coming through here. You, you eat.
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When you hear a pastor teaching from this pulpit, me or anyone
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else, you test us by the word of God.
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Open it up. Read along.
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Look at the context and look at the historical there.
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There's so many tools available to you today that will help you
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understand the Bible, but nothing's greater.
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All the tools, all the books, all the commentaries, none of
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those are all the Bible studies, all the videos, all the sermons
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you might hear, those are all great.
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They help us a lot. Nothing helps you like reading
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the Bible. Just read the Bible, just read
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it every day. Just let it come in.
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Just soak it in. You don't need to read it like a
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student. You don't need to read it like a
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scholar. Just read it like a son or a
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daughter learning about your Father in heaven.
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That's how Jesus spoke so often. He would talk about his Father.
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He would talk about his Father. Follow me and I'm only going to
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do the Father's will was always learning about the Father.
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And as we see the Son, we learn about the Father.
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It's a beautiful thing, the Gnostics, don't forget them,
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they'll come up over and over again.
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One other thing before we get on to the next point, the the
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Gnostics were also adding to the finished work of Christ.
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So you could say they had a works based theology and
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understanding of God, not necessarily Christianity, but
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they were making, they were saying to the church that faith
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in Jesus Christ isn't isn't enough.
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This is a theme throughout the Bible, by the way.
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We'll see it again in Colossians.
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We'll see it again in Ephesians. This is all throughout.
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There's always somebody that wants to add something to
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following Jesus. It's not enough.
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You got to do this. It's not enough.
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You need this knowledge. It's not enough.
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You have to be circumcised, not enough.
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You have to be water baptized. Not enough.
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You have to sign this document. You have to follow this creator.
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Go. Oh, wait, wait a minute, like
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I'm, I, I, I prayed, I'm born again.
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My whole life has changed. How is it that, how is it that I
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have to now do all these things? God's already doing a work in my
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life. He's already saved my marriage.
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Like what happened? And they'll just use things,
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twisting scriptures to try to draw you after themselves.
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OK #2 another big theme. I've given you 5 and I'm kind of
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looking at some of them, but a big theme.
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If you wanted to put a bucket, I like to see these as buckets
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where you're giving these buckets through the Bible study
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and every time you learn something, you can drop it in
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the bucket. Here's the next bucket I want to
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give you. John writes to comfort believers
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first. John is a letter that will
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comfort you and that because he has a tenderness about him, he's
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not going to have that edge with him.
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He's going to say the same thing as Paul did, as James did,
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because the Holy Spirit is the author, but his personality is
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different. He's tender.
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He's been tried and true. He's not calling fire down from
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heaven anymore. He knows that.
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I mean, that was just hard for him.
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Peter's the same way, you know, and that when you read Peter,
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Peter is this fisherman, this rugged fisherman.
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And when you read his letter, the word he uses a lot is
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precious. Can you imagine big Peter
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talking about, oh, you're so precious.
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And the word of God is so precious because God changed
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him. And that's how John is.
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He's changed and he wants to comfort the believers.
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He wants to comfort believers because he loves the flock of
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Jesus and he's giving them direction to calm their restless
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hearts. The loveless and legalistic
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system of belief had stumbled many believers, and he wants to
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comfort them in at least two ways.
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He wants to comfort them, first of all, through the fullness of
23:33
joy. He reminds them in chapter 1,
23:35
verse four that he's writing so they their joy might be
23:38
restored. As you go off in some false
23:41
teaching, you follow some guy, you know, you think about, you
23:44
just follow some guy who's your friend or he gets off on some
23:48
weird thing. You're like, well, you're my
23:49
buddy, I'm going to follow you. But then as you're following me,
23:51
like there's no joy. Like what this is, this is not
23:55
what we were experiencing over there.
23:57
This is not what we were enjoying.
23:59
We were enjoying fellowship, but we're talking about the things
24:01
of God. But now you got this new thing.
24:03
That's all you talk about that new thing.
24:05
You talk about this new thing more than you talk about Jesus,
24:08
and then all of a sudden you go, yeah, I just, I want joy.
24:11
I don't know why I ever followed you.
24:14
I don't know why I ever picked. I mean, I love you.
24:16
I think you're my buddy, but you're off, man.
24:18
And then when you're following, the longer you get away, the
24:21
less joy you have. And legalism, as we are
24:25
learning, just steals joy. False teaching robs a Christian
24:30
of joy. It says there in verse 4, these
24:34
things we write to you that your joy may be full joy and
24:38
happiness, although similar, they're also different.
24:42
Happiness has everything to do with what happens to us.
24:44
That's a great way to to remember its circumstances.
24:47
We have a good week, yes. Have a bad week.
24:51
Oh, that's happiness. You know, we can be happy about
24:53
something and be sad about something else, but joy is given
24:57
by the Lord, It's abiding. It's not so dependent on
25:01
circumstances, although circumstances goes after it.
25:05
But you know, when you're lose your happiness, you might be
25:07
discouraged for very good reason.
25:10
The enemy's really not even after your happiness, he's after
25:13
your joy and your confidence in the Lord and your trust in Him.
25:19
I think of grief, something I can relate to, you know, grief,
25:22
just there's an honest response to loss, Yes, but then your
25:28
flesh and the enemy would love to steal away not just that
25:31
honest response, but get you to doubt the Lord, get you to
25:36
wonder what his will is and why God and just wrestling with
25:41
things. And if you're in that place,
25:45
when you read first John, you may find the Holy Spirit
25:48
restores your joy. The Bible says that the joy of
25:52
the Lord is our strength. The joy of the Lord is our
25:55
strength. Jesus said in John 15, these
25:58
things I've spoken to you that my joy may remain in you.
26:04
So you pick up John 15 and you, you feel like you're losing joy
26:07
today or you're unhappy and now you're kind of upset with the
26:11
Lord and not sure. Go back into John 15 and listen.
26:15
What did things did he say? Jot it down, ride them down,
26:19
pray over them. You learn before we entered into
26:23
our Bible study today how to pray the scriptures.
26:26
And how do you pray the scriptures?
26:27
You just go in and you start reading them and talking to God
26:30
through the Scriptures. You kind of look down and look
26:33
up and you look down and you look up and you repeat the Bible
26:36
to God, letting it filter through you and then and then
26:40
matching it with a heart that wants God to answer that.
26:43
So there were things that Jesus said in John 15 and maybe even
26:46
John 14. I mean, turn back real quick.
26:49
I think we need to because something just popped into my
26:51
mind and I want to make sure I got it right.
26:53
John 14. John 14, I think is a beautiful
26:58
Yeah. John 14.
26:59
So you go back to John 14 and these are some of the things
27:03
that were spoken. You ready?
27:04
Jesus said let not your heart be troubled.
27:08
You believe in God, believe also in me.
27:10
And isn't our emotions, sadness and you know, lack of joy and
27:14
such? Isn't that exactly what the
27:16
enemy's after? Don't let your heart be
27:19
troubled. You believe in God.
27:23
And so you just say it out loud. I believe in God, God, you.
27:27
I don't, I don't want to follow this emotion.
27:29
I don't want to follow like, you know, I'm hurting Lord, but I
27:33
just wanted to, I just want to stay here.
27:35
I want to hurt. I want to mourn, I want to
27:36
grieve, I want to emote whatever this emotion is, but I don't
27:40
want to go any farther where I start doubting you.
27:43
I don't believe in you. I don't believe your word
27:46
anymore. I mean, it's a familiar path.
27:48
So you just kind of read through these things.
27:50
He says I wrote to you. I'm I'm teaching you these
27:52
things Jesus said so that your joy will stay.
27:57
So go back to what he said. He talks about preparing a
28:01
place. He talks about being with him
28:02
forever. And to that our joy is yes,
28:05
Lord, yes, it's really hard today, but there's a day coming.
28:11
It's really hard today, but I'm going to be with you forever.
28:14
Joy and happiness. We'll get to that a little bit
28:16
more. And when we get to verse four,
28:20
another way that he wants to comfort you is he wants to show
28:25
you your freedom from sin, especially to those of you that
28:30
struggle. You know, that's how you
28:31
describe your life. You struggle, especially those
28:34
of you that have a besetting sin, those that have an ongoing
28:38
sin, those of you that may have a, an addiction, what the world
28:43
calls addiction, you might have that in your life.
28:46
This this is this is the word of the Lord chapter 2 verse one.
28:50
I'm writing these things to you, my little children, so that you
28:53
may not send, which is the flip side of the coin that God has
28:59
given you, me, you and me the power to say no to send.
29:03
We may not send is not good news.
29:06
Whatever you walked in here today.
29:08
You don't have to send. You don't have to do it well,
29:10
but head, I'm just so stuck. I've just I can't stop smoking
29:13
marijuana. No, you, you don't have to smoke
29:15
marijuana anymore. You've been free.
29:18
Yeah, but you don't understand. You know, I actually probably do
29:20
understand. It's going to be hard for you to
29:22
quit or you don't want to quit. You like the feeling you have,
29:26
whatever it might be, marijuana, alcohol, whatever drunkenness,
29:30
anger, whatever it is, you've been set free.
29:33
And so John says, I just want to let you know I'm writing to you
29:36
so you don't sin. So I want to remind you you
29:38
don't have to sin. You don't have to live in sin.
29:40
You don't have to take the identity of a Sinner.
29:42
You don't have to say it's how you're going to be your whole
29:44
life. That's that's comforting that
29:46
way you're wrestling with right now because there are real
29:49
battles and there are real struggles and there are real
29:52
wrestlings. But John says kids, you don't
29:56
know how to care how old you are.
29:58
John's older kids, just like you tell your your children, your
30:04
parents or your nieces and nephews.
30:05
You're just like, there's so much more for you.
30:11
You don't have to do this. We love you.
30:14
We hear you, we see you, trust us.
30:19
I mean, these are the words of a parent, a grandparent, an aunt,
30:22
an uncle, but more importantly, they're the words of our
30:25
Heavenly Father through John the tender pastor.
30:28
Hey, kids, you don't have to do this.
30:31
As we read and study through this letter, we'll find
30:33
ourselves strengthened against falling into a lifestyle of sin.
30:37
Of course, you and I deal with sin all the time.
30:39
That's not the issue. We have stumblings and issues.
30:42
That's not the problem, although sin is a problem, but that's not
30:46
what he's addressing. He's addressing a lifestyle,
30:49
practicing sin, practicing. Hey, I'm just writing to you
30:53
that you don't have to practice sin.
30:56
And if you do, even if you find yourself in that place today,
30:59
notice what he says in verse one.
31:01
You have an advocate. Jesus is fighting your battles.
31:04
He's fighting for you. You have an advocate with the
31:08
Father. Jesus Christ is the righteous.
31:10
He died for you, verse 2, He, he died in your place.
31:13
That's what the word propitiation means.
31:15
And we'll learn that when we get there.
31:17
He died to cover our sins, to remove them, not ours, but for
31:21
everyone that will believe in him.
31:23
We have an advocate and again, comforting.
31:27
Another comforting thing as we wind down is he wants to
31:30
encourage you and your spiritual assurance.
31:34
It's a different way of the list that I share with you.
31:36
He wants to encourage your spiritual.
31:38
That's chapter 5, verse 13. These things I've written to you
31:41
who believe in the name of the Son of God.
31:44
Can you just say I'm going to give you a chance today.
31:46
Here's the question of the day. Do you believe in the name of
31:49
the Son of God? Yes.
31:51
So everyone, this is for you. For those of you that believe,
31:55
again, you see, when you take the Bible and you just reduce it
31:58
down to its simplest, this is what the Bible says.
32:02
This is to those of you that believe in the name of the Son
32:04
of God, and then you just have to say, well, that's me.
32:06
I believe in the name of the Son of God.
32:08
I believe in Jesus. He's my life.
32:11
John wants you as believers to know with certainty that you can
32:14
have eternal life, that you have it.
32:17
He wants you to have confidence in the finished work of Jesus,
32:20
not a lack of confidence in your unfinished work and your
32:25
inability to keep the law or any set of standards.
32:30
As you read John over and over, first, John over and over and
32:33
apply the spiritual truths, you'll find your faith growing.
32:36
You'll find victory over sin increasing.
32:38
You'll find your spiritual sensitivity improving and your
32:41
assurance of your own salvation becoming stronger.
32:47
The final bucket that he has that he will be teaching us in
32:52
this letter is this letter conveys an authentic
32:56
Christianity. The fundamentals first John has
33:01
been called this letter is often been called a basic book on
33:04
Christian fundamentals. If you had to assign another
33:08
theme to it such a pact small book packed with so much.
33:12
If you had to assign another theme to it, you could say, how
33:14
do you know that you're a real Christian?
33:17
How do I know I'm a real Christian?
33:18
Jesus said there will be a group of surprise people in the last
33:21
days where they say, Lord, Lord, I did all these things in your
33:24
name, so I never knew you. So it's not based on what you
33:27
do. It's based on who you are and
33:31
what God has done in your life. You'll find a phrase over and
33:34
over again as you read in this letter.
33:37
You want to watch out for it. It's a phrase that says
33:39
something like if a man says or if you say or if someone says,
33:46
it's like Jesus, you have heard it said, but I say to you.
33:48
John is using the same terminology.
33:51
If a man says, if someone says you, you hear something, but you
33:55
got to match it to the truth. And John will use this contrast
33:59
to reveal the genuine marks of a true Christian.
34:02
Just a few things. Obedience to God's word, love of
34:07
the brethren. And I always share this list.
34:11
If you're looking for things, you're just talking with someone
34:14
and they're lacking confidence. They're not sure.
34:16
Here are 7 more things that you can look for in your life #1A
34:21
true believer loves God. It's a different thing.
34:25
They don't just say I believe in God or my higher power.
34:28
Like there's a genuine personal love for a genuine creator.
34:32
Personal God #2A real believer wants to be in communion with
34:37
God. He longs for communion, loves to
34:41
be hearing from and talking to God #3 You start to love what
34:45
God loves. So as you're reading through the
34:47
scriptures and says God loves, says to love your enemy, well
34:51
then I want to love my enemy. I'm not saying it's going to be
34:54
easy, but if God tells me something's good for me, then
34:57
that's what I want. I love what God loves #4 A true
35:01
believer begins to hate what God hates.
35:04
And here's one of the ways you'll see it in your life.
35:06
You're just caught up in some sin and you were caught up in
35:09
sin all your for a very long time.
35:11
Didn't think anything of it. Now that you're a believer,
35:14
you're bothered. You haven't completely forsaken
35:17
it yet, which is what we want, but you're bothered by it.
35:20
It doesn't feel good anymore. You're, you're like about ready
35:22
to take that drink. You go, what am I doing?
35:25
Well, I'm not sure. And just like just wrestling
35:27
with because you're beginning to develop in you, God hates
35:32
drunkenness, It's a sin that destroys people lives.
35:35
God hates divorce. And so you begin to feel the
35:39
hatred, not toward people, but even as you look at your own
35:42
life and you're like, man, well, you know now, OK, divorce is in
35:45
my past. Well, I'm sure as a true
35:49
believer, you don't like it. You don't like what it did to
35:52
your kids. You don't like how it ripped out
35:55
your heart, even if it was a very difficult relationship.
35:59
You know why God hates divorce. It's not a statement of
36:02
condemnation. You just understand God's heart
36:05
so that when you sit down with someone, you sit down with
36:08
someone and they're talking about divorce from your heart,
36:13
you will share with them. I just wanted you to know God
36:16
hates divorce. He doesn't hate you.
36:18
But let me tell you about the pain.
36:21
Let me tell you about the consequences.
36:23
It's a whole different perspective.
36:24
You begin to hate what God hates.
36:26
Number five, You love people that God loves.
36:33
You love people that God loves. Again, loving your enemy, loving
36:37
the brethren, loving the lost. How many of you don't need to
36:42
raise a hand or anything, but how many today just have a whole
36:44
new appreciation for people that don't know Jesus, where you
36:49
didn't really think twice about them before?
36:51
That really wasn't your gig. You didn't really have any
36:55
consideration necessarily for the community you live in or
36:58
your neighbors or anything like that.
37:00
But now as a believer, it's different.
37:03
There's a sensitivity about you and you're growing in it.
37:06
Maybe some of you. Again, I, I look at my own life
37:09
and I just think, man, one of the things that God dropped into
37:12
my heart as he replaced my heart of flesh, or excuse my heart of
37:16
stone with a heart of flesh was love and a deep care for
37:19
someone. It's, it's really a powerful
37:22
thing that only God can do. Number six, a true believer
37:25
longs for and thinks about the return of the Lord.
37:29
You, you just know he's coming back and you want him to come
37:32
back. But it's a wrestling too, isn't
37:34
it? I want him to come back, but I
37:35
do not now because I, you know, I'm going to get married.
37:39
I'm going to kid, not now. And it's a, it's a wrestling.
37:42
It's a human wrestling. But in your heart of hearts,
37:45
you're like, yeah, I want to be with you.
37:46
Lord, don't come back too soon. Because my mom, my dad, my
37:49
brother, my sister, my uncle, I want to see him get saved.
37:52
But Lord Maranatha, Even so, Lord, come quickly.
37:55
And it's a true, it's OK wrestling and loving your, your
37:59
family and seeing people get saved.
38:00
It's OK. God knows.
38:02
And #7 another sign of a true believer.
38:04
It's a pretty dramatic sign. You desire to forgive and
38:07
reconcile with others, even pay restitution to make things right
38:13
and just. You just want a peaceful
38:15
existence with You just want to reflect Jesus.
38:18
Oh, I've stolen for you, remember?
38:19
It's like he is. I've stolen so much.
38:21
I'm going to give way more back because I'm broken hearted over
38:24
it. Powerful stuff.
38:26
And I believe the Lord has LED our little fellowship into this
38:29
letter because some of you are wrestling with these very
38:31
issues, preparing us to minister to a world filled with believers
38:36
and unbelievers alike that are also wrestling with these very
38:39
issues. Issues like lacking the joy of
38:42
the Lord, issues that are struggling and overcome with
38:45
sin, issues that you need to be protected from false teaching
38:50
and, and false doctrine. And even we're moving into a
38:53
time and culture where it's going to be very, very hard.
38:56
Hard to tell the difference between right and wrong, and
38:59
very hard to tell the difference between what is true and what is
39:03
false, what is real and what is fake.
39:07
This is the world. The culture we're living in
39:09
right now with the proliferation of AI is going to force us to
39:15
put a little more effort into discerning what is truly real
39:19
and what is truly fake and not just accepting things and how
39:23
can we do it? Go ahead.
39:24
I don't even know. I'm not even sure it's not on
39:27
your shoulders. The Spirit of God dwells in you,
39:30
and as you feed that spirit, as you feed yourself upon, He's
39:35
going to lead, guide you and protect you.
39:38
But you got to look to him. You go out on your own and like,
39:40
oh, I can do it, I can do it. I can do it.
39:42
You're going to be wiped out. And that's not God's will for
39:45
us. So protection from false
39:47
teaching doctrines, right and wrong, real and unreal.
39:51
A lot of people wrestling with spiritual assurance.
39:54
And God is already sowing his love in your heart because you
39:57
received from John the tender pastor.
39:59
It's so good. So God has given us this letter.
40:04
Here's another list for you. If you're already listed out.
40:07
Some of you are like, I love this study lists.
40:10
Give me lists. OK, let me give you one more
40:14
number one, that we might not might have joy #2 that we might
40:18
not send. #3 We might not be deceived #4 we might know that
40:24
we are saved. We're going to see this all
40:26
throughout. And just for way of going,
40:29
circling back to the beginning, promoting fellowship, producing
40:34
happiness, protecting holiness, preventing false teaching, and
40:39
providing hope. Good stuff awaits.
40:42
Father, Thank you for your word tonight.
40:44
We're grateful for it, for the prayer, even for the rain, Lord,
40:49
and all that it brings and it's washing away.
40:52
We pray for those down in Pagosa, Lord, with all the
40:54
floods, I know it's very unusual what they're facing down there,
40:59
but keep them protected. And you know, just so much going
41:04
on. We can't do everything, Lord,
41:06
but Lord, help us to do something to be faithful what's
41:09
before us, to be obedient to your high calling, to be vessels
41:16
in your hands, to help people walk a walk that's worthy of
41:23
that high calling that we've been given.
41:25
And today, if you've never been born again, if you're not born
41:28
again, today, I want to invite you to receive Jesus.
41:30
Right now. You can repent of your sins and
41:33
receive Jesus Christ. He'll forgive you of your sins.
41:37
He'll flood your life. He'll enter into your life.
41:40
The Bible says He will change you from the inside out, help
41:47
you to be the man and the woman that you were destined to be,
41:51
give you this in revelation of a divine destiny by being born
41:55
again. You will no not have to spend
41:58
eternity apart from God. Often you'll hear us refer to
42:02
that, and the Bible does sometimes as spending eternity
42:05
in hell. Who wants that?
42:08
And God warns us about that. That's not some pastor tool.
42:12
God warns as real as heaven is, hell is just as real.
42:17
And so today for those of you listening to me, they would say,
42:19
yes, I need and want to follow Jesus Christ with my life.
42:24
Would you just stand to your feet?
42:25
I want to pray with you that today would be the day so that
42:28
we don't leave here without a sense of giving you a chance to
42:32
publicly choose to follow Jesus. And the reason why you publicly
42:37
choosing is because God has drawn you to Himself.
42:42
It starts with Him. I know we use language that
42:46
refers to us, and that's OK, but that's not where it starts.
42:50
God today what He just did was use the Bible through a man's
42:55
voice to penetrate your heart and speak to you as a daughter
43:01
or as a woman or as a man and invite you to be a son or a
43:05
daughter. You know the Bible actually uses
43:08
the language that God adopts you into the family but you have to
43:14
come. There is no other way.
43:18
The invitation is to follow Jesus anyone here.
43:22
I really do sense in my heart God is working on hearts more
43:25
than one heart, not just one but I don't want to coerce you.
43:30
I'm always drawn like whether I beg you or whether I, God bless
43:36
you over here. We'll see.
43:38
The Lord knows. Is there anyone else?
43:42
Today is the day God bless you. Well, well, well, maybe there's
43:47
more. The Spirit of God moving in this
43:50
place. God bless you.
43:52
Today is the day of salvation. And I know you guys downstairs
43:58
are not forgotten. And on the radio you're not
44:01
forgotten. And right now you have someone
44:03
coming up near you that's a pastor or a leader.
44:06
That's how we do follow up here. So it's normal.
44:09
And they're going to be with you.
44:10
So, you know, you're not alone. You're right immediately in a
44:14
family. But is there a straggler among
44:18
us? Maybe someone just really
44:19
fighting? Can I just say you don't have to
44:22
live your life fighting God anymore.
44:25
You can finally just give up and trust God.
44:30
Maybe a man has hurt you or a pastor or a church.
44:34
And for that I'm very sorry. But God, his wounds are always
44:42
to draw you closer to him because you know, you're like,
44:46
that hurts. But it's only because God is
44:50
drawing you out of complacency into a real relationship.
44:55
So it's those of you that respond near and far in the
44:57
building, outside of the building, ask God to forgive you
45:00
of your sins. The Bible says if you confess
45:03
your sins, if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and
45:07
you believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,
45:09
you will be saved. And so do that right now you can
45:12
say, God, I admit that I've sinned and I ask you to forgive
45:17
me. I believe Jesus died for me and
45:23
I choose to follow him. I turn away and repent from all
45:28
of my sins and I'm asking for your help for my life to follow
45:34
you in Jesus name, Amen. We pray that you've been
45:40
encouraged by this Bible study, delivered live from the
45:42
sanctuary of Calvary Church. For prayer, call us at 87730
45:48
Grace that's 877-304-7223. To listen to this message in its
45:55
integrity or to join us for our live stream services, visit us
46:00
online at Calvary Co dot Church or download our free Calvary
46:05
Church app. Be blessed as you worship Jesus
46:07
this week.