Sermons - Love Bible Church

	LOVE
	Bible Church
	Madison, Tennessee

The First Epistle of John Series
Sermon 4
Walking as Jesus Walked
I John 2:1-11
Love One Another Gospel Church
Thor F. Carden
July 11, 2004

This is the fourth sermon in a series on I John. Today we will be looking at the first eleven verses of chapter two.

Outline:
OUR ADVOCATE & OUR PROPITIATION
Keep His commandments
To claim to know Him and not keep commandments is to lie
We know Him when we keep is word and His love worketh in us
WALK AS JESUS WALKED
Self-denial
Commitment to Obedience to the Father's Will
LOVE
Old commandment – love
New commandment – love as He loved us
Claim to be in light and hate we are in darkness
Loving means we are in the light
Hating is walking darkness

PRAYER

I John Chapter 2:1-11

1 John 2 1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. 7 Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. 8 Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. 9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. 10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. 11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

(Some sermon ideas suggested by http://www.rftpsermons.com/1john03.html )

Advocate & Propitiation

1 John 2:1-2 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

Verse 1: Advocate = lawyer, representative
Verse 2: Propitiation = offering for sin, atonement, restitution

ELABORATE

Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Keep His commandments

1 John 2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

James 2:10 "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." And the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as the person who has broken all of God's laws.

Obedience is the answer in the test of assurance of walking in the light with God.

ELABORATE

Read as poetry:

Blessèd assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.
(Blessed Assurance - hymn by Fanny Crosby - http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/b/l/blesseda.htm)

To claim to know and not keep commandments is lie

1 John 2:4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

"Knowledge of God can be proved only by obedience to God; and knowledge of God can be gained only by obedience." - William Barclay

1 Corinthians 6:15 Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.

THIS REFERS BACK TO THE CONCEPTS IN CHAPTER ONE WE TALKED ABOUT AT LENGTH IN JUNE

ELABORATE

We know Him when we keep is word and His love worketh in us

1 John 2:5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

God is committed to starting and finishing His work within us … but He also expects us to do our part. What is our part? To "Read and Heed" the Word of God.

There is a story about a teenage boy who was deeply interested in scientific subjects, especially astronomy. So his father bought him a very expensive telescope. Since the young man had studied the principles of optics, he found the instrument to be most intriguing. He took it apart, examined the lenses, and made detailed calculations on the distance of its point of focus. The youth became so absorbed in gaining a technical knowledge of the telescope itself that he never got around to looking at the stars. He knew a lot about that fine instrument, but he missed seeing the wonders of the heavens. As Christians, to know all the facts and figures contained in the Bible is not the end for which God has given us this Book. The purpose is that we might see God and know him.
(Story found at http://www.trinitycrc.org/sermons/ps119v097-100.html, http://www.sheriff.co.wise.tx.us/cuffnstuff/08-23-02.htm, and several other places on the web)

Walk as Jesus walked

1 John 2:6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

(Here I asked them to do what I did. I raised one arm, put it back down, pointed left, etc. Then I said lets do that again and hid behind the pulpit.)

The point is you must see me to be able to imitate me. In the same way we don't look at Him and try to understand Him, imitating him is hopeless.

Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Let us look at Jesus so that we can walk as he walked. How did he walk?

Just as we are expected to imitate Jesus, Jesus was an imitator of God.

"Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise." (John 5:19).

We are to be Christians. Christianity is not a religion. It is a way of life.

Acts 11:26 And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch. (Christian means little Christs)

What other examples did Jesus give us to follow?

Self-denial

Matthew 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

ELABORATE

(See also 1 Peter 2:19-23, Matthew 11:29, 2 Corinthians 10:1, Philippians 2:7)

Commitment to Obedience to the Father's Will

"For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me." (John 6:38).

(See also John 5:19, John 5:30, John 8:28, John 7:16, John 5:17, 14:11 and John 4:34)

We should seek to carry out God's will.

Read as poetry:

Perfect submission, perfect delight,
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels descending bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.
(Blessed Assurance - hymn by Fanny Crosby - http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/b/l/blesseda.htm)

Frank Laubach 1884-1970 – explain who he was
(Directly responsible for teaching hundreds of people to read so they could read the Bible. Indirectly responsible for the literacy of millions of people. See http://chi.gospelcom.net/DAILYF/2002/06/daily-06-11-2002.shtml or put "Frank Laubach" in Google.)

Frank Laubach journal excerpts:

"I now have the mind-bent to explore with all my might. It means two burning passions: First, to be like Jesus. Second, to respond to God as a violin responds to the bow of the master. Open your soul and entertain the glory of God and after a while that glory will be reflected in the world about you and in the very clouds above your head.

"The trouble with nearly everybody who prays is that he says 'Amen' and runs away before God has a chance to reply. Listening to God is far more important than giving Him your ideas.

"I feel simply carried along each hour, doing my part in a plan which is far beyond myself. This sense of cooperation with God in the little things is what astonishes me. I seem to have to make sure of only one thing now, and every other thing 'takes care of itself,' or I prefer to say what is more true, God takes care of all the rest. My part is to live in this hour in continuous inner conversation with God and in perfect responsiveness to His will. To make this hour gloriously rich. This seems to be all I need to think about."
(From http://www.mrrena.com/lau.shtml)

Read as poetry:

This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior, all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior, all the day long.
(Blessed Assurance - hymn by Fanny Crosby - http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/b/l/blesseda.htm)

WALKING AS JESUS WALKED

John 13:15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.

The rest of our passage in 1^st John spells out what John had in mind when he exhorts us to walk as Jesus walked.

Old commandment – love

1 John 2:7 Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.

LOVE

Acts 10:38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

Feeding the five thousand. Lepers and other sick.

Perhaps there was a teacher who dried your tears the first day of school or a friend who held your hand at the funeral of a loved one or a handshake of welcome when you started a new job? Maybe there was someone who simply put their hand on your shoulder during some trial in your life. We have all known the power of a godly touch and if we are to reflect Jesus if we are to live as He lived then we must offer the same compassionate touch to the hurting people in our realm of influence. As there was in Jesus’ day, there are many "untouchables" in the world today who need Christians who will "be Jesus" to them.
(From What Happens When We Do What Jesus Would Do? a sermon by Mark Adams at Redland Baptist Church, Maryland, Aug 30, 1998 http://sermons.redlandbaptist.org/s_083098.php)

Ephesians 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

Perfect submission, all is at rest
I in my Savior am happy and blest,
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.
(Blessed Assurance - hymn by Fanny Crosby - http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/b/l/blesseda.htm)

Galatians 5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

(See also Romans 15:7, Colossians 3:13, 1 John 3:11, 1 John 3:23, 1 Peter 1:22, 1 Thessalonians 4:9, 2 John 1:5, Hebrews 13:1, Leviticus 19:18, Deuteronomy 6:5, Levitcus 19:34, Leviticus 19:18)

Old Testament Law commanded love ...

The law to love is old but not out dated or obsolete.

New commandment – love as He loved us

1 John 2:8 Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.

"To know God is to experience His love in Christ, and to return that love in obedience." - C.H. Dodd

John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

John 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.