The Combustion of the Right Combination

Lord, I know I'm a stranger here, and that's okay.

We come under your family name.

Jesus, you have brought us into a fold.

We're with legitimacy and full hearts.

We can call God our Father.

We can live under his love and his acceptance and build our whole lives here.

Lord, be with us tonight in your word.

Lord, some of my friends are tired.

Some of my friends have more going on than I'm able to know about, but we pray by your Holy Spirit,

you would be causing your word to rest on us and have its good way among us.

We ask that that would happen in a full measure because of your faithfulness.

In Jesus' name, so be it.

So, Sean's right.

I want to talk about love and truth, and I see the graphic that you guys have prepared here.

This would make a great tattoo.

But there's a sub, and I'm not dissing the person that made this.

This is good.

I want to talk this whole retreat, if this were kind of the roof over what we're doing,

is the life and warmth of love and truth.

It's not just these two conceptually.

It's the life and the warmth we draw by understanding how they work out in our hearts,

how they work out in our convictions, and how they work out in community among us.

I love the little letters of 2 and 3 John.

They're two of the smallest letters in the whole New Testament.

But there is such a way about them.

And when we read from the Apostle John, we're going to pick up on the inevitable life and warmth

that comes from love and truth.

But I want to make some new friends.

I don't have enough for everyone, but I have some illustrated scripture journals

that go through John's letters.

This person had like a reaction back here.

So I have to make sure that you get one.

But who else would benefit from one of these?

I'm going to do a little throwing.

I'm going to trust your dexterity here.

Okay, I'm not going to just cherry up on this side.

I'll make my way around.

Oh yeah, I got you.

There's still some more.

People are fear.

I see that humility there.

You're like, I want to get it in.

All right, you ready?

Oh, oh, that was there.

That was a double.

Okay, you're good.

What's up?

You're trying to steal her blessing, man.

I'm not charismatic.

That would scare you.

Oh, oh yeah, I see it.

Let's do this.

Oh, touchdown.

Touchdown.

How did I miss my guy?

I wouldn't even be on without him.

Thank you.

I have four more.

I got you.

Oh, I felt that.

There you go.

And here you go, sweetie.

And I'm going to get my water and eventually we're going to get into the word here.

So, if you have a Bible, now you have a scripture journal.

Turn to 2 John.

All right.

So, a way of introduction for our first message, which is entitled,

the combustion of the right combination.

I know you're not going to relate to this, but I just have to use the illustration.

When I was young, I was kind of delinquent.

Meaning, I was a latchkey kid.

I had a lot of freedom and not a lot of money.

So, I spent a lot of time at Taco Bell.

There was no YouTube.

There was no nothing else.

But I like to collect free things.

And non-dairy creamer was free.

I didn't even drink coffee.

But the price is right.

I'm sure there was some calcium involved.

And then I would get free matches from, like, you know, the convenience store.

I don't know when and where I got it in my mind to combine the matches and the non-dairy powdered creamer.

But somewhere in that magical 14-year-old mind of mine, I thought there must be a way.

Did you know that it's very combustible?

I'll teach you how to do it as we go along.

I didn't do it here.

I mean, they don't even let you have coffee in here, so I won't try any pyrotechnics.

But non-dairy creamer and lit matches create quite the combustion.

You're like, that's interesting.

Some of you are much smarter than me.

You're running through the science and the math.

Just trust me for right now.

But we're not talking about cremora and matches.

We're talking about love and truth at this retreat.

And at times as Christians, we know that we're to have both.

But we don't always know how they're meant to work together.

There is a combustion that's not meant to just give a momentary flame.

But a combustion that is actually what creates the warmth and dynamic that Jesus Christ intends for his people to share with one another.

And that's what we're going to look at.

And not just look at it.

We want to learn to own this.

I believe that combining love and truth is the craft of all Christians.

We're called to know how to work these together to see the wonderful warmth that the combustion is meant to bring.

With that said, let's read the first six verses of John, the second letter.

The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth.

And not only I, but also all who know the truth.

Because of the truth that abides in us and will be with us forever.

Forever, grace, mercy, and peace.

Be with us from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father's Son in truth and love.

I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth just as we were commanded by the Father.

And now I ask you, dear lady, not as though I were writing you a new commandment,

but the one you have from the beginning.

That we love one another.

And this is love.

That we walk according to his commandments.

This is the commandment.

Just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it.

I look forward to unpacking this together.

But I think even upon a cursory reading, we can tell there is a sweetness and depth to John's writing here.

This is John the Apostle.

So he is the human agent that the Holy Spirit used to write the Gospel of John.

First, second, and third John.

And the Revelation.

And do you know, John is known as the Apostle of Love.

He uses the word love over 80 times in his collective writing.

More than anyone else.

But it may help us to know that this Apostle of Love,

this older elder, and probably at this time, the last living Apostle,

he didn't always start this way.

He had a brother named James.

Do you know the nickname they were given in Mark's Gospel?

The Sons of Thunder.

It sounds exciting, but the Sons of Thunder actually in Aramaic means rage.

And if you read Luke's Gospel, chapter 9,

remember when Jesus was being rejected,

do you know what James and John wanted to do?

Well, they wanted to call down fire.

Can you imagine saying to Christ,

can you call down fire to consume these people?

John did not always start in a place of love,

but a place of conviction.

A place of angst and energy.

But there was something about walking with Jesus,

and known as the one whom Jesus loved,

that the love of Christ shaped this Apostle,

sweetened him,

changed the atmosphere of who he was,

and then changed the atmosphere of what he creates.

And I believe a like work

is what God wants to invest in us at this retreat,

an internal warming

of what's real and right,

the gentle influence of Christ

that changes us at our core,

and then makes us effectual in our fellowship

in a way that leaves people with him and not ourselves.

So if this can happen for John,

we can take great hope.

And it's no surprise to us then

that John has almost a holy preoccupation

with love and truth.

It's throughout all his works,

as we've mentioned,

but tonight in this passage,

we're going to consider this in two points.

Our first point,

which will cover the first three verses,

is combine love with truth.

I think some of us can have a fear

that if we combine truth with love,

we will extinguish it,

not ignite it.

We can fear that the two

have a subtle competition with one another.

That if I'm too loving,

I'll compromise the truth.

And if I'm too truthful,

I won't be loving.

But I would say the commitments

are really meant to go together.

Now, with my opening illustration

with that creamer,

you would think if I put creamer on fire,

it would put the fire out.

And friends, we must realize biblically,

love and truth are not in competition

with one another.

They're in perfect tandem.

Biblically, they are inseparable.

To John, did you see what we read?

They're inseparable to John.

They're linked in a foundational way,

and we can start to see

the warmth of John already.

How does he start his writing?

The elder to the elect lady

and her children.

Very interesting line.

Now, elder speaks both of John's age

and his position of care.

He's a seasoned shepherd by this time.

But the recipients,

what's going on with the elect lady

and her children?

We don't talk that way.

And if you're familiar with John's writing,

John's very influenced by Greek culture.

He uses a lot of metaphor and imagery.

And what we have here is most likely

a personification more than it is a person.

He's speaking of the church with such affection.

He's speaking to her as the elect lady

and her children.

It can strike us odd,

but it should more impact us

to see the relational warmth

of such a statement.

Think about this.

When you speak of the church,

how do you speak of her?

Never speak about her

without the warmth that you should.

The church is like an elect lady

and all the saints in here,

they are the children.

I love getting time

with the Woo Girls at dinner.

We had quite the time.

We shared a pretty good cookie too.

But I love that they call you guys

all uncle and aunt.

Is that right?

I guess unless you're new,

that might be part of the membership process.

I love that.

That familial ethic.

And I almost left the retreat

when I came in here

because it was so evident

you guys love one another.

They almost thought

these messages aren't needed.

I'll give this back to Sean.

But I think the reminder

is always helpful.

If we ever see this

as anything less

than a warm family,

we're not thinking

or speaking of the church

as we should.

But the passage continues

to go on.

He says,

whom I love in truth.

All who know the truth

because of the truth

that abides in us.

There's so much love in this place

because of what we share in common.

Naturally, we have many differences.

But what other place do you go to

where everyone is collectively saying,

I am here to worship Jesus Christ.

I acknowledge him

as my king

and my savior.

You won't get that at Walmart.

You won't get that at Barnes & Nobles.

You won't get that

in any other place.

What we share

in the truth

is where our love

comes from.

And so,

we have to be clear

about the truth.

I don't want you to think

that the truth needs love

to warm it up.

Truth is not cold by itself.

Truth, biblically,

is very warm.

I think of the beginning

of this letter.

Grace,

mercy,

and peace

will be with us

from God the Father

and from Jesus Christ,

the Father's Son,

in truth and love.

is there anything cold

about grace

or mercy

or peace

from the Father?

That's all truth.

See, it's not just like

John is this warm apostle

and he kind of warms up

truth with love.

If we see truth rightly,

truth already comes to us

very warm,

very alive,

and we definitely see that

in John's writing here.

And this also shouldn't surprise us

because what does John

refer to Jesus as

in his gospel?

The truth.

Jesus himself

says he's the truth.

Is Jesus cold?

Aloof?

No.

Full of grace

and truth.

Friends,

this is a warm reality

and this,

these are the ties

that bind.

Any other heat

is artificial.

But if the warmth

we have for one another

we draw from Christ,

that warmth

will be real

and ever

with us.

So let me ask you,

what is your love

and connection

to other Christians

based on?

Season of life?

Similar interests?

Interests?

Or a savior

like none of us

could have imagined

would bring us together?

All right,

that's,

that's that.

There's,

there's more to us

that we need to see here.

And it's not just

that the truth

is something beautiful

and binding.

It's something

to be embodied.

This leads us

to our second point

and these will

cover the last

three verses

of our passage.

this point

is to combine

love

with truth

and obedience.

And this is maybe

the most important part

that I think

we'll get

out of this

tonight.

So something

I didn't tell you

about the Cremora,

so if you go try this,

again,

that's on you,

I make no disclaimers

or anything like that.

I've actually burned

my eyebrows

doing this.

It's not just like

you can take the matches

and throw them

on a pile

of the non-dairy creamer.

You actually have

to oxygenate

the non-dairy creamer.

It has to have

enough oxygen.

So you have to

drop it from on top,

let it kind of

mingle like a fine powder.

I know some of you

are paying attention

and you hold the match

like underneath it

away from you though

because if you have

big brows like this,

you'll leave with no brows.

And you do it like that

and it works perfect.

And I think a lot

of people have tried

the love and truth thing

but they don't realize

something needs

to be mixed in.

That thing that needs

to be mixed in

for this to work,

it's oxygen

in the illustration.

It's obedience

when the Apostle John

is talking to us.

And now that might

throw us the most.

We're like,

okay,

you're telling me

the truth is not cold,

it's actually got

its own warmth,

but obedience,

that's a hard sell.

Well, I'm happy

to try to sell this.

Obedience should be

a very warm word

and I would say

from John's writing,

a word we always connect

to truth and love.

Because it's not just

that John had joy

in them for their love.

Read this with me.

This is so great.

Verse four,

I rejoice greatly

to find some

of your children

walking in the truth

just as we were commanded

by the Father.

What was John's joy in?

Not just the truth.

The truth lived out.

Remember,

John loves imagery

and metaphor.

Walking was a metaphor

we see elsewhere.

Paul uses it in Scripture.

So does our Lord.

But John uses it here.

He doesn't just rejoice

in the children

that they're children.

He rejoices

that they're living

out the truth.

When you think

of what makes you glad

for the believers

you're in fellowship with,

is it their obedience

to Jesus Christ

that comes up

among all the other things

you love about them?

I think it certainly can

and it ought to have

a place in us.

I've said for years,

I don't think

there is anything

more beautiful

in the whole world

than healthy,

mature,

Christian disciples.

I think in John's language,

I don't think John thinks

there's anything

more beautiful

than believers

living out

what they believe.

I love what Psalm 16, 3 says.

As for the saints

in the land,

they are the excellent ones

in whom is all my delight.

Oh, friends,

what do you praise

to one another?

What do you encourage

one another in?

Because what you praise,

you promote.

Andrew and I,

I'm going to call you out, Andrew.

Both Andrew and I,

we like some new balances.

And it's no lie,

they're on both of our feet,

so we're guilty

as charged.

We're recovering sneakerheads.

We don't believe

people fully under Jesus Christ

can be under

that kind of bondage,

so we're seeking

reformation together.

And I think God's

given us grace,

but I don't love my man

because he's got

some NBs on.

I don't just love him

because he smiles.

I love the sincerity

and sweetness

of his faith.

But if all I ever

talk to Andrew about

is new balances,

what I'm praising,

I'm promoting.

And so when I'm

fellowshipping with

other believers,

when I'm in communion

with them,

I don't want to just talk.

I want to make fire.

I want to engender

the things that matter most.

Listen,

how many lies

are out there in the world

about what it means

to be a woman,

what it means

to be a man?

And you can read

the little videos

and get lost

in the rabbit trails,

and all of a sudden

you have no more

orientation of what matters.

And then for a believer

to strengthen your hand

in God's grace

in your life

and to say,

I love the way

you are living out truth.

I love the way

you are living out

your faith in this trial.

I love the way

you're living your faith

out in this blessing.

Friends,

we need that.

Our relationships

were meant

to carry that kind

of convoy

to bring the strength

that we need.

Now,

some of us

may be thinking,

well,

if we only talk

about Jesus,

is this going

to be real anymore?

Like,

I could say to Sean,

nice flan.

I mean,

I do this kind of stuff

you'll hear about

when we get into 3 John.

For tonight,

it's like,

well,

can I ever just give

someone a regular compliment?

Can I ever say

that's a nice coat

or something else?

Of course you can.

But I don't think

we need to fear

that this kind

of promotion

of godly living

is somehow

less human,

less warm,

or less real

than other things

we could talk about.

I don't know about you,

but when I came

to faith in Jesus Christ,

I learned

a kingdom mystery.

I was afraid

that the more

I conformed my life

to Jesus Christ,

the less I would be

in touch with

who I really am.

I thought I would

lose myself.

In fact,

the scripture did call me

to lose myself.

But the paradox here

is that in losing

yourself in Christ,

you really find yourself.

I am more truly human,

more truly alive,

more truly myself

in Christ

than I would be

ever in my own

identity or kingdom building.

And if we believe

that fundamentally,

we have no fear

of this kind

of holy promotion

among one another.

So,

carrying on with this,

this is where

John increases

his argument.

Look at verses

five and six

with me.

He says this.

I'm going to

bathe my eyes.

I'm getting worse

all the time.

I lost my regular

Bible this week.

I have my study Bible

with a smaller print.

I know you're like,

you guys are not

thinking about aging

and needing bigger

print Bibles,

but your brother up here

is,

but I found where

we're at.

And now I ask you,

dear lady,

not as though I were

writing you a new

commandment,

but the one we have

had from the beginning.

It just echoes

1 John.

Even echoes

the gospel.

John is just,

if you need to study

anything in the Bible,

read all of John's stuff

in sequential order.

It's amazing.

That we love

one another.

And this is love.

This is a definition

for us.

That we walk

according to

his commandments.

This is the

commandment,

just as you have

heard from the

beginning,

so that you

should walk

in it.

This is love

that we walk

according

to his

commandments.

This is such

a paradigm shift.

I will

love you

best

when I obey

Jesus most.

I never even

thought about this

before I read

this in John.

This wasn't

on my radar.

But the

apostle John

by the

Holy Spirit

wants to get

this truth

embedded in us.

That the

best,

most loving

thing I can

do for the

community,

the best way

I can love you

is to keep

the commandments

of Jesus Christ.

The plural's

important there.

Let me read

some verses

here because

this is

beautiful.

In John's

gospel,

Jesus is

recorded saying

this,

John chapter

John 15 · chapter mention

15,

if you keep

my commandments,

you will

abide in

my love.

Just,

just as I

have kept

my father's

commandments

and abide

in his love.

Jesus is not

calling us to

do anything

he did not

do himself

here.

These things

I have spoken

to you

that my

joy may

be in you

and that

your joy

may be

full.

What I'm

prescribing

from the

apostle of

love

is not

legalism.

It is not

threat.

This will

not take you

away from

the heart

of Christ

or the

gospel.

This is

what Jesus

Christ did

himself.

Friends,

and it will

not take you

away from

life and

joy.

There is

fullness of

joy and

life here.

He goes on

in the first

letter of

John.

He says

this,

for this

is the

love of

God,

that we

keep his

commandments.

Oh,

and his

commandments

are not

burdensome.

Did anything

that Jesus

teach,

was it

full of

hate,

regret,

burden,

deception?

No.

These

commandments

are beautiful.

They come

from God's

heart,

his very

nature.

And remember,

this is all

familial.

Our Father

wants to

share his

heart and

likeness with

us,

not just in

original creation,

but in

Christ and

the Holy

Spirit in

renewal of

our creation.

Friends,

this is

life.

But oftentimes,

we don't

connect keeping

commandments to

love or truth

or warmth or

life.

But the

apostle of

love is

showing us

a better

way,

a rich

way.

And one

more,

in case we're

like,

I still don't

know.

This is what

we signed

up from,

and I'm

going to

pull something

that's not

from John,

just in

case you're

like,

well,

I don't

even think

he has a

full Bible.

That's why

he just

gives out

John journals.

That's what

he lost.

He doesn't

even owe

one.

Small

print.

This is in

the Great

Commission

itself.

I love

this.

The risen

Christ says

to his

disciples,

all authority

in heaven

and on earth

has been

given to

me.

Go

therefore

and make

disciples of

all nations.

We're familiar

with that.

Baptizing

them in the

name of the

Father and

the Son and

the Holy

Spirit.

Yes.

Teaching them

to observe

all that I

have commanded

you.

Yes.

Yes.

And behold,

I'm with you

always to the

end of the

age.

I know it's

late,

so I won't

stress it.

Make this a

point of prayer.

don't let

this be

something

conceptual.

This is

how we're

to understand

how we

craft these

things.

This is a

calling for

all of us.

I don't

expect us

to get it

in a moment.

I don't

have it

all myself,

but I

want to

learn this

craft better

and better.

And if I'm

going to

learn how

love and

truth work,

I need to

learn how

obedience

mingles in

and I

need to

see the

good intention

of my

father in

all of

this.

So,

we carry

on with

this and

I would

ask in

your

friendships,

how much

do you care

about one

another's

obedience and

how much do

you care about

your own

obedience?

obedience.

I work with

parents and

youth at our

church and I

get a lot of

questions about

gossip.

And we do a

lot of Q&A and

some of our

youth stuff and

they're like,

what do I do

if I'm in a

circle with my

friends and they

start gossiping?

Should I make a

declaration that

that's sinful?

Should I leave?

Should I wait?

And they're trying

to navigate how

to do this.

Here's what I'm

saying.

If we care about

our own

obedience, I

know the best

way to love

somebody else is

to be obedient

to Christ.

And if I want

to love them,

their obedience

is something I'm

going to care

about.

But do we see

anything cold or

harsh in this

apostle of love?

No.

So when we

think about how

we live this

out and how

we look out

for one another,

it's not

rigid.

It's not

mean.

It's not

proud.

It's not

condemning.

It should have

life and

warmth.

Now, that's

really gracious

that you said,

I love people

well enough that

I can.

And that's kind

of my policy.

I'll love you

big, and if I

see something,

I'll tell you.

But that's

something you

learn to work

on.

That is a

craft.

But there's

no place for

condemnation when

we do this.

And listen,

and give each

other grace.

We're not always

going to walk

this out

perfectly.

Someone's

going to care

about your

obedience, and

you're going to

feel like they're

overstepping their

bounds.

Someone's going to

make a hard call

about something, and

maybe they didn't do

it the right way.

Yeah, we're

learning together.

I don't think this

son of thunder got

here overnight.

I think he was

gradually shaped by

the love of Christ

over time.

And I have that

same confidence that

that grace that's

with the apostle is

also with us.

Check out these two

quotes.

They're wonderful.

Ray Van Ness' work on

2nd and 3rd John.

By the way, there's

not a lot of

commentary work on

2nd and 3rd John.

I guess scholars felt

like they had bigger

things to do.

But not Ray.

And Ray wrote a

wonderful work in the

ESV expository

commentary.

He says this,

proper love is

shaped and informed

by the commands

of God.

To love another

person is to do

what God commands

us to do or not

do in regards to

them and is to

help them obey

God's commands.

Any action towards

the other person

that violates God's

commands, no matter

how well intended

or how romantically

inclined, is not

love.

any action that

encourages or helps

that person to

avoid obedience to

God's commands, no

matter how nice the

motivation, is not

love.

And then Matthew

Henry simply and

profoundly writes,

it is loving to

affirm people in

obedience.

To call people to

obedience and to

rebuke disobedience.

friends, I want us

to learn this

craft

of combining

love and truth

in a way that

really brings life

and warmth to

ourselves

and to our

communities.

And we do this

from a place of

confidence.

And I close here,

go back to the

beginning of 2 John.

Grace, mercy, and

peace will be with

us.

Do you hear the

apostle of love and

his confidence for the

believers?

Grace, mercy, and

peace will be with

us.

Surely, goodness and

mercy shall follow

me all the days of

my life.

That confidence of

the psalmist is

John's confidence.

Friend, while we're

trying to learn this

craft of how this all

works out, we do it

with the confidence

that we could not be

more loved and

accepted than we

already are by Jesus

Christ.

I believe all real

love, all real

obedience comes from

this truth.

Truth is a trusted

confidence.

If something is

true, I can rest my

weight on it.

And there is nothing

more true than

grace, mercy, and

peace will always be

with God's people in

Jesus Christ.

And friend, we don't

get our ultimate

ideas and way of

warmth and life

from the apostle

John.

We get it from

Jesus Christ who

made a rageful man

a man of love, a

man of strong, even

hyper conviction, to

have a beautiful

balance where truth

isn't compromised

and love is rich and

satisfying.

Friends, we can have

confidence.

right now, tonight,

there is no way

you're going to be

more loved or more

accepted than you

already are.

That is your place

in Christ.

Any of these

renovations, they're

for our joy to

deepen, for our

shared experience to

rich in, but they

will not give you any

more confidence.

They will not give you

any more peace,

mercy, and grace than

he has already given

you.

Believer, in this way,

this love of Christ,

this is where we

build from.

It's that confidence we

give ourselves to this

craft.

Would you pray with me?

Father, I pray now as

we transition to

discussion groups,

that you would fill

those times, Lord.

Give us listening

ears and

helpful,

constructive

conversation, but

above all, Lord,

help us learn this.

Teach us your ways,

Lord.

We want to be more

like you.

Lord, we confess there

are areas of our life

that are in

disobedience.

there are areas of

our life that need

more of your way.

Thank you for your

patience with us.

Thank you for your

commitment to us in

Christ.

Lord, John's

confidence is from

Christ.

May ours be all the

more.

Lord, we love you

because you loved us.

So lead us on as we

fellowship and reflect

on your word together.

In Jesus' name,

so be it.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.