1 John
As we begin a new book of the Bible with a new series one question is asked, is what we believe about Jesus very important? The Apostle John begins his letter with a resounding yes. To understand who we are we have to view Jesus properly.
John lays out two truths for us. God is light and in Him there is no darkness and we are sinners. As we look at tonight's passage we can either believe the lies of the darkness and live in them or believe the truth of the light and walk in it.
This week's passage help's us tackle two questions; how do we know Jesus and what is his will? We learn that these are more that what we realize and start in our hearts before they are ever worked out in our lives.
In this week's passage John addresses three groups of people in the church: spiritual children, the spiritually growing, and the spiritually mature. He encourages them but also warns them that the kingdom of this world seeks to take away our attention for the kingdom of God.
Tonight we unpack this statement in our text: Jesus has called us to Gospel life and mission. His enemies seek to replace truth and destroy assurance, but God has provided for our perseverance.
The Gospel is the predetermined plan, incarnation, sinless life, substitutionary death, bodily resurrection, and impending return of Jesus and all of it's effects. Because of this, Christians live for a day because they have been changed by a day.
This week we begin with our first identity, family. Our sin has made us God's enemies but the Gospel makes us children. In the same way sin has separated us from one another but the Gospel restores those relationships and makes us family.
Our text this week expounds on the social test of being a follower of Jesus Christ, do I love like I believe Jesus is Lord?
In this week's sermon the Apostle John shows us how there are two agendas battling for our attention and submission. The Holy Spirit seeks to capture our attention with the truth of the Gospel while Satan tries to distract us with the ways of the world.
