Loving?

Well, please do have a seat and a very good morning to you.

As I said, I've been on a Christians in Sport camp all week.

I felt 30.

Felt unfit.

Hands up here if you've done a bleep test.

Do you remember doing that at school?

The fitness test called the bleep test.

There's a fitness test that we do, and we did it at Christians in Sport on the last day of the camp.

Leaders in, campers in, everybody in.

Ross and Daniel beat me.

And I'd love to say that that didn't bother me, but I'd be absolutely lying.

I am not 16 anymore.

I'm 30.

Here we go.

If you have a Bible, why don't you turn to 1 John chapter 2.

1 John 2 · chapter mention

We're in it verses 3 to 14 this morning.

1 John, one of the books of the Bible, quite easy to find.

If you go to Revelation right at the back of your Bibles and flick back a few, you'll find it there.

So 1 John chapter 2, verses 3 to 14.

1 John 2:3–14

Why don't we pause just before we begin and let's pray together.

Let's pray.

Father God, we've just been singing about the deepness of your love for us.

That all-excelling, costly, sacrificial love.

And so we ask now that you would come and you would move that truth from our lips down to our hearts.

That as we turn to look at your words now, your spirit would come and would help us to learn and would help us to love the Lord Jesus and the truth about him.

And so it's in his name that we pray.

Amen.

So before diving into this passage this morning, why don't we just take a minute just to remind ourselves of the situation into which John is writing this letter.

So John is writing to a very unsettled church congregation.

Unsettled because they've witnessed a lot of people leave their church.

Now I wonder at this side of the room, I wonder if I could ask you just to stand up for a minute.

And I want you to turn and I want you to face the rest of the church.

Now imagine John and I, first thing on Monday morning, we get an email from these guys collectively.

And it says that they are resigning their memberships and they're leaving the church.

So we're courteous.

We ask them why.

Why are they leaving the church?

Maybe they've got a job somewhere else in the country.

Maybe they're moving away.

Maybe they've got a job somewhere else in the city and they just want to go and be part of a local church.

Why are they leaving?

And we get an email back and it says, actually we're leaving because, and it's got nothing to do with relocation.

But we're leaving because you guys are actually holding us back in our Christian walk.

You guys are the spiritual kindergarten.

And to be honest, we pity you really.

And we've moved on to greater things.

In the email that comes back to us, they use phrases like,

we've got an inside track on hearing from God that the rest of you don't have.

We don't struggle with sin like the rest of you do.

In fact, we've written a book called Ten Ways to Avoid Sin.

Here's a signed copy of it.

We know God.

You don't.

And so with a superiority complex in the minds,

they wave goodbye

to the church

and

out of the door they head.

And they move

into Burrowmure High School,

just across the road there,

and they start meeting, calling themselves

the true Brunsfield Evangelical Church.

You can sit down now.

But that is the situation

into which John is writing.

That's what's gone on in the church

behind the scenes of this letter.

Now question,

if you were

one of the ones that were staying in the church

and you witnessed

all of this go on in front of you,

you heard what they were saying

about the rest of you,

what is the question

that would be

front and centre in your mind?

What's the question?

So if I were

sitting in the pew,

the question in my mind would be,

are they right?

Are they right?

As I sit in the pew

each Sunday morning,

as I come to meet

with my fellow believers

during the week

in a small group

or whatever it is,

how do I know

that I'm right

and they are wrong?

How do I know

that I'm backing

the right team

and have not just

completely misunderstood

this Christian thing?

Maybe there is

a natural higher progression

from the gospel

that I'm missing out on.

The question,

front and centre

of their minds,

would be,

how do I know

that I know God?

How do I know

when I witness this going on,

how do I know

that my faith

is the real deal?

You see,

that is the question

that's in the pews

behind this letter.

It is a massively

unsettling time

for this church family.

Confidence shaking,

certainty bruised,

assurance flagging

and probably lacking.

How do I know,

how can I be sure

that I'm a genuine,

bona fide,

real deal Christian?

Now,

before our daughter

Chloe was born,

Alex and I

had a good spring

clean of her flat,

we needed to make room

for her room

and one of the things

that we found

when we were going

through all lots of clothes

and throwing stuff out,

I found my old watch.

I found the watch

that my dad had given me

as a skinny 17 year old.

I thought I'd lost it,

I was absolutely delighted

that I found it.

But the thing is,

when my dad,

I remember when my dad

gave me it

as a 17 year old,

I'll be honest,

I didn't think

it was a big deal.

Thanks dad.

But now as a 30 year old,

when I come to find

this watch,

I'm intrigued.

I want to know

how this watch works,

I want to know

the mechanics of it.

I want to know

if it's the real deal.

So I'm a 21st century man,

I googled it,

and lo and behold,

what came up

to test if your church,

sorry,

test if your watch

is the real deal,

what you look for

is the word

Swiss made

on your watch.

Tiny,

tiny little letters,

Swiss made.

That's what separates

a true watch

from a false watch.

That's how you know

you've got the real deal

and not just a pretender

to the watch world.

And lo and behold,

I looked at my watch

and there it was,

Swiss made,

tiny little letters.

And I felt good

because my dad

hadn't slipped me a fake.

But you see,

that is what John

is trying to do

in this section

this morning.

You see,

these people that are

still in this church,

the comments

from this group

have left them

massively unsure

about their faith.

Is it the real deal?

And what John

is doing this morning

is he's writing to them

and he's saying,

when I look at your lives,

when I see how you behave,

when I see your faith

in action,

you've got no need

to question your faith.

You have got Swiss made

rent all over your lives.

This is all about

assurance this morning.

And we've got to ask,

how does John know that?

Is he just kind of

hopefully saying that

to kind of cheer them up?

How does he know that

for sure?

Answer,

because their knowing

is showing.

Their knowing

is showing.

Their Christian lives

are displaying

certain traits

that those who are

the pretenders

aren't showing.

And what John

is doing all the way

through this section

and through this letter

as a whole,

he's got a dual aim

in mind.

He's seeking to

unmask and expose

the pretenders

and at the same time

he's seeking to give

great reassurance

to the rest of the church.

And the proof of the pudding

this morning

in our verses

that John identifies

is that they

obey Jesus.

They obey Jesus.

And most particularly

what they do

is that they love

the fellow brothers

and sisters

in the church.

Their knowing

is showing.

Look at what he says

about obedience

to Jesus

verses 3 to 6.

John writes this,

we know

that we have come

to know him.

Do you see that phrase

there?

We know.

We know that we have

come to know them

if we keep

his commands.

Whoever says

I know him

but does not do

what he commands

is a liar

and the truth

is not in that person.

But if anyone

obeys his words

love for God

is truly made

complete in them.

This is how we know

that we are in him.

Whoever claims

to live in him

must live

as Jesus

did.

So the logic there

if you follow it

is quite simple

isn't it?

You claim to know God

you do as he says.

You claim to be

living in the truth

then you'll follow

the one who is

the truth

Jesus Christ.

You see

true love for God

says John

shows itself

not in mystical

experience

not in theological

talk

not in sentimental

language

but true love

shows itself

in nitty gritty

self denying

all encompassing

obedience

to what God

has said.

Look with me

notice the speech

marks around

I know him

at verse 4.

Notice the phrases

like whoever says

or whoever claims

at verse 4 and 6.

If that's what you're

hearing out of

someone's mouth

I imagine that's

the precise claim

that this group

are making.

If that's what you

hear out their mouth

but you see something

completely different

in action

then you know

you're dealing

with a fake.

What does he say?

He's a liar.

A strong language

isn't it?

He's a liar

in whom the truth

does not reside.

You listen to him

you obey.

You talk the talk

you back it up

with the walk.

That's how you'll know.

That's how you know.

You know God.

I used to live

down in Bristol

for a few years

and I had a friend

down in Bristol

who used to work

for UCCF

the University College

Christian Fellowship

and he told me

this story one time

about an American

student mission team

and they went up

to the north of England

somewhere

I think it was Durham

and they were intent

on sharing the good news

of the gospel

all around campus

and the guys

from UCCF

once the American team

were back in America

they phoned them

and they asked

for some feedback.

How had it gone?

And amazingly

the American team

reported that

revival had hit Durham.

All around the campus

people were becoming

Christians

and the guys

from UCCF

looked at each other

they heard this

and they thought

somebody's forgot to

tell me

it's not what they were

seeing happen

in front of them

and do you know

what had happened?

The American mission team

had gone around campus

with a religious

identification survey

so all it said was

which religion

would you describe

yourself as?

Now you can picture that

can't you?

Hindu

Sikh

Muslim

Christian

you can imagine

what most people

think

so the report

had gone around

when they got back

to America

that revival

had hit

but actually

the guys in Durham

knew that was

a very different thing

they ticked

the Christian box

but I dare say

not all of those

who ticked the Christian box

would actually be

committed followers

of the Lord Jesus

now the question

how would you identify

the true followers

committed

to the Lord Jesus?

Well you'd look

for something akin

to what John is

outlining here

would you not?

Obedience

a heart

inclination

and a desire

that wants to go

with God

that wants to obey

his commands

not live like the world

lives

somebody who is seeking

to glorify God

every day

in their lives

they're saying no

to the desires

of the world

they're saying no

to themselves

and they're saying yes

to God

and his commands

someone who is seeking

to walk in the light

and not persisting

to walk in the darkness

obedience

that's how you'll know

a Swiss made

real deal believer

really simple

if you know him

you'll obey

and you see John

as we move on here

John doesn't leave them

to figure out

what that's going to look

like in their situation

remember this church

situation that's going

he tells them exactly

what obedience

will look like

and he sharpens his focus

it was quite general

in that first section

wasn't it?

if you love him

you'll obey

now he focuses right in

this is a sharp end

of this section here

what is it going

to look like?

well love

is the commandment

that John's got

in view here

and I think particularly

in thinking of that

verse from John 13

that John read

for us earlier

he's thinking of this

a new commandment

I give to you

love one another

as I have loved you

so you must love

one another

by this

everyone will know

that you are my disciples

if you love

one another

so let's read

verses 7 to 11

let's see how he works

that one out

John writes this

dear friends

I am not writing

to you a new command

but an old one

which you have had

since the beginning

this old command

is the message

you have heard

yet I am writing

you a new command

its truth

is seen in him

and in you

because the darkness

is passing

and the true light

is already shining

anyone who claims

to be in the light

but hates a brother

or sister

is still in darkness

anyone who loves

their brother and sister

lives in the light

and there is nothing

in them to make them stumble

but anyone who hates

a brother or sister

is in the darkness

and walks around

in the darkness

they do not know

where they are going

because the darkness

has blinded them

so these people

who have

who have waved cheerio

to the church

this group here

who are claiming

to walk in the light

but want nothing

to do with this church

family

who they don't get on

with

John makes it crystal

clear that

that doesn't add up

that's not how it works

you cannot claim

to walk in the light

and yet walk

in the darkness

you cannot claim

to love God

and love his people

and then have no regard

for God's children

and see the strong

language that John

uses there at verse 11

it's a strong word

isn't it

it's one that we tell

our children not to use

hate

and I think as John

watches this scene

unfolds in this church

he sees that as the

true reason that

these people have left

because to be honest

they can't be bothered

with the rest of you

you're holding them back

and John is saying

if that's what's truly

going on in somebody's life

if that's what's going

on in their heart

then that's a telltale sign

that they are not

people who know

God

they're walking

in the darkness

and not

in the light

you see

true light

true knowledge

of God

a true heart

that knows God

will be marked

by a radical love

for others

and I think that's

what he means

by this whole

old commandment

new commandment

language

it's a little bit

confusing at first

isn't it

but the command

to love God

and others

like we've sung

it's always been

part of the DNA

of God's family

isn't it

but now in the Lord

Jesus

not only did he

call it a new command

but actually he

invested in it

such a deeper

and richer meaning

and he embodied it

and the definition

of love now

is cross shaped

and it's this love

that is to mark

the Christian community

and so here

it's a big challenge

to all of us

isn't it

we need to see

the link

the inseparable link

between our relationship

with God

and our relationship

with others

you want to put it

another way

I'm quite simple

this is how I understand

it

my this way relationship

should be the same

as these way relationships

you cannot separate

your relationship

with God

and your relationships

with your brothers

and sisters in Christ

the two are interconnected

like Frank Sinatra said

love and marriage

they go together

but that's what he's saying

the gospel

joins us together

and the gospel

compels us

to love one another

as Christ has loved us

do you see

we are connected

in Christ

as a church family

the gospel

has connected us

in Christ

therefore

we care for one another

we love one another

we stick with

one another

we support one another

why?

because Jesus

loves you

and it's really

as simple as that

isn't it

if you love him

then you'll obey

so there it is

plain and simple

from John

those who walk

in the darkness

will be those

who don't obey

God's commands

and who hate the brothers

that's what you'll see

in front of you

that's how you'll know

someone who truly

knows God

that's how you'll know

him

so what about these guys

who've stayed in the church

because it's been quite

general up to this point

hasn't it

if this

then this

if this

then this

how does he

diagnose

these guys

who are left

in the church

well at this section

verses 12 to 14

we get a cascade

of reassurance

and confidence

are they the real deal

remember that's the question

we're asking

are they the real deal

you bet they're the real deal

says John

and I think what he's doing here

is pulling a lot of the strands

together from this first section

that we've been looking at

over the first few weeks

this is the real Swiss made

section of this passage

verses 12 to 14

let's read it together

and see how this works out

John writes this

I am writing to you

dear children

because your sins

have been forgiven

on account of his name

I am writing to you

fathers

because you know him

who is from the beginning

I am writing to you

young men

because you have

overcome the evil one

I write to you

dear children

because you know

the father

I write to you

fathers

because you know

him who is from

the beginning

I write to you

young men

because you are strong

and the word of God

lives in you

and you have

overcome

the evil one

now here's what I think

John is trying to do here

we've got three groups

of people in this

little section here

you'll notice that

we've got children

we've got fathers

we've got young men

and he addresses them

twice doesn't he

now that's quite unusual

and I think when we see that

in our Bibles

when we see repetition

when we see authors

trying to do stuff like that

it's

we've got to hit the pause button

why is he doing that

why does he mention it twice

does one not suffice

well here's what I think

he is doing here

he's talking to the family of faith

and the reason he does this

is because what he's about

to say here

is something that they need

to stop and think about

and grasp

this is important

he's talking to the family of faith

so by children

I think he's thinking of new Christians

children in the faith

by young men

I think he's addressing those

who are developed

in the faith

by fathers

I think he's thinking of those

seasoned and mature

in their faith

so he's writing to the family of God

now if you're struggling to picture

what that looks like

just look around

is that not true

of the family here

do we not have people

who've been Christians

for maybe two months

maybe you've been a Christian

for two years

maybe you've been a Christian

for two decades

it's the family of God

isn't it

and just look at with me

because I think what we need to see

is

who he's addressing

but more importantly

what is he saying to them

and look with me

at some of the statements

he makes to these groups

your sins have been forgiven

on account of his name

you know him

who is from the beginning

you have overcome

the evil one

you know

the father

you know him

who is from the beginning

the word of God

lives in you

you have overcome

the evil one

now just think about that

for a minute

remember the situation

he's writing to this group

of Christians

who've remained in this church

who are unsettled

who are questioning

their faith

who are questioning

whether they can really trust

the apostles gospel message

that they've heard

do we know God

well look what he's saying

he says to the family of faith

regardless of whether

you've been a Christian

ten years

ten minutes

one year

because your trust is in Jesus

you've confessed your sins

you're walking in the light

you're loving

your brothers and sisters

you are the real deal

you have it all

forgiveness

fellowship with God

his word

living in you

victory over the evil one

wonderful truths

are they not

imagine what it must have been like

for that church family

and then John writes this

what wonderful assurance

the benefits

the truths

of what it means

to abide

in Christ

your life

says John

is tied up

with his

and these truths

these glorious truths

are yours

because you are

in Christ

don't let anyone

tell you that the gospel

is not enough

and what he's doing here

is he's saying

here is the test

of what it looks like

to live in the light

and not in darkness

and these guys over here

the guys who have left

they've failed

you've passed

you're the real deal

what a wonderful assurance

these words must have been

I don't think we can

fully understand it

what wonderful assurance

can you feel the confidence

draining back into this church

you've watched all this happen

but what does this mean for us

well I think just as we come to

close this morning

there's two applications

that I want us to take away

from this passage

now I like the letter C

I don't know why

but both of these applications

begin with the letter C

there's a challenge

in this passage

and there's a great comfort

in this passage

firstly the challenge

John is telling this group

of Christians

that he's confident

that the real deal

why?

because their knowing

is showing

and it begs the question

doesn't it?

is our knowing

showing?

with people who

look in at our lives

people from outside the church

as they look at our lives

would they see

do they see

a living faith

in the Lord Jesus?

are we people

who are striving to be

not those who just

tick the Christian box

but actually those

whose hearts tick

with the sound of the gospel?

are we those

who live lives radically

that are cross shaped?

are we radical

in our obedience

to the Lord

even when it doesn't

make sense?

even when we add it up

it doesn't make sense

even when it doesn't

look pretty

even when it costs us

are we those

who are staking it all

to follow Jesus?

and notice that word

that he uses there

at verse 6

abide

and I ask myself

as I read this

and prepared for this week

am I one

who is making

every effort

to abide

in Christ?

Christ

now what does that

look like?

would you want to know

something that I found

out this week?

I don't know whether

I'm coming ridiculously

late to the party

here or not

but I found out

what HMB stands for

does anyone know

what HMB stands for?

put your hands up

right so I am coming

late to the party here

right

every day is a school day

it's great

so I never knew

what HMB stood for

but it stands for

his master's voice

doesn't it?

and again

googled it

what does it mean?

well here's the logo

it's the dog

and the gramophone

and the story goes

that the dog's name

is Nipper

it's a great name

it has to be said

and the story goes

that Nipper's owner

Mark died

and his brother

Francis

from Mark

inherited three things

he inherited the dog

he inherited the gramophone

and he inherited some recordings

of Mark

when he used to sing

and

Francis noticed

that when he put

the recordings

on

on the gramophone

the dog would drop

everything

and would come and sit

and listen

he just loved being there

and that's where HMB

comes from

I didn't know that

but it's a great

illustration isn't it?

because

let's ask ourselves

this morning

are we listening

to the master's voice?

is there

a loving

relationship

there

of obedience?

if

when there's all

the noises in life

when it comes down

to the crunch of it

where would you want to be?

are you somebody

who wants to be

right at the master's feet?

listening to the

master's voice?

are you reading

your bible

to hear

what God

is saying

in his words?

are you exposing

yourself to his voice

at every single

given opportunity?

because in order

to obey

we need to know

what he's saying

don't we?

you see the people

who have left

this church

they're like dogs

who are running

after novelties

even though they

claim to be

listening to the master

John knows

that they're not

because if they were

they'd be obeying

what he was saying

I know

that you are

listening to the

master's voice

because not only

are you there

listening to it

but you're obeying

him

are we those

who are abiding

in Jesus?

are we making

every effort

to abide in him?

is our knowing

showing?

and I think especially

let's kick it up

a gear

especially in the way

that we are

with one another

are we those

who demonstrate

this radical love

to each other

that Jesus spoke about?

would the world

looking in at us

would they see us

as the real deal

by the way that we love

and we care for one another

by the way that we stick

with one another

through thick and thin

by the way that we

encourage one another

you know I was challenged

this week

do I play it safe

with the way I love?

when somebody in this family

when they rub you up

the wrong way

what's your reaction?

do you run a mile?

or do you stick with them?

do you love them?

do you pray for them?

do you care for them?

and do you love them again?

simply because

they are your brother

and sister

in Christ

you know when was the last time

on a Sunday morning

you spoke to somebody

who was not like you?

you spoke to them

and the primary motivation

for you speaking to them

was simply that you wanted

to love them

and encourage them

and to spur them on

John knows that this church

they walk in the light

because they listen

and they obey

their loving

is showing

so there's the first scene

second scene

and we'll finish with this

see the comfort

that these verses are to us

John is writing

to this church

and he's saying

no matter what's being said

over here

you've got everything

in Jesus

what the departed

are claiming

let's be honest

it looks quite impressive

doesn't it?

victory over sin

new insights into God

higher spiritual knowledge

of God

victory over sin

I mean that sounds

impressive

and I bet those who stayed

they looked at their own lives

having hearing all this

they looked at their own lives

and they felt

seriously deflated

I long for that

and I wonder if that's true

in your own life

as well

do you

feel that

in your Christian life?

let's take it on a

global sense first

do you look at the church

in Edinburgh?

do you look at the 2%

of this population

that goes to an evangelical church

under the scent of the gospel?

and then do you look

at the size of the city?

do you look at the size

of the nation

of Scotland?

and you think

boy we are seriously

not impressed

do you look then

at your own life

and you still struggle

with sin?

you are so aware

of it in your life

you know where you want

to be in your Christian walk

but you can never seem

to get there

and you think to yourself

why can I not

just

shrug this one off?

I wonder if you feel like that

do you feel deflated

in your faith?

let me ask you a simple question

are you more aware

or are you less aware

of your sin

since you became a Christian?

I don't know if you're like me

I am massively more aware

of my sin

of my shortcomings

now that I'm a Christian

than I was before

and we can feel deflated

but I think the assurance

in this passage

is if you feel like that

then that is what it looks like

to be in the light

because you see

this isn't about us

being perfect

this is about Jesus

this isn't about me

this is about him

this isn't about my kingdom

this is about his kingdom

and Christ is all we need

he is all sufficient

he is all powerful

it is all about him

because Jesus

he isn't just a good start

in your Christian walk

actually he's the every breath

of your Christian walk

we have everything in him

forgiveness

fellowship with God

his spirit living in us

final victory

all in him

because we abide in Christ

now maybe you're here

this morning

and actually

you're not

abiding in Jesus

well can I just point out

to you from this passage

lovingly

that actually

outside of him

there is no assurance

there is no forgiveness

there is no final victory

and you need to repent

you need to stop

and you need to turn

and you need to start

walking towards him

you need to put your faith

in him

and you need to follow

Jesus

but if you are

trusting in him

this morning

then see the wonderful

assurance that we have

from these verses

and see to it

that you never move on

from the glorious

gospel of Christ

Charles Spurgeon

one of my heroes

he said this

we hope to understand

the truth better

but we shall never

discover better truth

let me ask you

honestly as we come

to a close

does Jesus

does the gospel

does it still

thrill your heart

does Jesus

still move your heart

to sing

have you grown cold

in your affection

for him

in your understanding

of the gospel

are you tempted

to move on

to seemingly

greater things

have you become

distracted

by something else

and allowed it

to push the gospel

from the centre

of your life

well can I

encourage you

as we close

we never move on

from the gospel

we never move on

from the gospel

but we do

gaze deeper

into it

it is glorious

not that we are

glorious

but that he

is glorious

now we're going to

stand in just a second

and finish

by singing

all glory be to Christ

let me just read

some of the lyrics

to you

and then we'll stand

to sing this together

all glory be to Christ

our king

all glory be to Christ

his rule and reign

will ever sing

all glory be to Christ

his will be done

his kingdom come

on earth

as is above

who is himself

our daily bread

praise him

the lord

of love

all glory

be to Christ

our king

all glory be to Christ

his rule

and reign

will ever sing

all glory

be to Christ

amen

amen

let's pray together

oh father god

we are so thankful

so thankful

for our time

together this morning

as we've gazed

at the glorious gospel

as we've gazed

at the glorious Christ

and it's our prayer

this week

that you would help us

to be those

who live

and love

as those who

truly treasure

Jesus Christ

in our lives

may we seek

your kingdom first

so help us lord

to be ever looking

to him

and his victory

and to find our identity

in him this week

we pray

amen

peace

rem露

and

amen

why

and

so

and

so

you

ah