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Rod Gomez: 2018, KFC ran outta chicken.

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Seriously, I, I don't know how a chicken
company runs outta chicken, but they did.

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And so they closed down within two days.

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They closed down, uh,
nearly 300 of their stores.

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Out of the 900 that they had open.

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They still had everything they needed.

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They had all the staff, they had all
the stores, but they didn't have the

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one ingredient they needed to make the
thing profitable to make it fruitful.

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You might say they didn't have the
chicken and they took out an ad

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and they wrote a chicken restaurant
without any chicken is not ideal

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to, that's true.

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Uh, slightly understated,
which is what made it funny.

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Uh, but a Christian without fruit
is not ideal to say the least.

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And this morning what we're gonna look
at is one of the reasons that we may

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not have assurance, but we're gonna
look at three ingredients, if you will,

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that are critical to your walk with God.

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Three things that we need to look at
together that are often overlooked.

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Now, they may not be as obvious to you
as a chicken at a chicken restaurant,

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but these are three obvious things.

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They're so obvious that John.

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The apostle starts off with these things.

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In fact, what he's gonna say is
going to really help us to think

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through the rest of the letter.

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You'll remember the, the, the Apostle
John is the one who writes this letter.

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It's likely and encyclical, but primarily
focused to the church at Ephesus.

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His pastoral love and care for this
community is what warrants the letter.

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He's concerned because a group of
people have recently left the church,

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a large contingency of secessionists.

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Have departed from this church
and now left them vulnerable.

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They're shaken, they're concerned.

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What's next?

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What is this faith thing about?

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These guys are, are stagnating
and they're reeling.

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And so John, because he loves
these people, writes this letter

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to give them anchor and assurance
and hope about their faith.

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These three simple ingredients
that we're gonna look at, uh, two

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of them I'm willing to bet you're
probably doing pretty good on.

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But there's one that I read and
I thought, I don't know that

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a lot of us do this very well.

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I can't think of very many men who are
putting this ingredient into regular

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practice into their lives without a
great deal of intentionality and effort.

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We'll get to that one very soon.

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But these same three ingredients
that we're gonna look at, uh,

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some of these, because they're not
put into practice, are the very

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reasons that men leave the church.

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In fact, they read a post recently of
a man who left the church because of

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the reasons that we're going to read.

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It's the reasons that often people
become disenchanted with the church.

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Uh, people leave the church because, oh,
they're just a bunch of hypocrites and

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no one's real, and everyone's putting
on a show and they glad hand each

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other on Sunday and maybe on Wednesday
'cause of their midweek service.

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But during the rest of the week,
these guys are just disconnected.

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They don't, they don't share, honestly,
they're not truly loving one another.

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And some of those charges can land.

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Some of them may have
the ring of authenticity.

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These three ingredients
speak to those needs.

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These three ingredients also speak to
the needs of a lot of men's stagnancy.

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For some men, it's because of the lack of
these things that we find ourselves either

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slowing or not growing in our faith.

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And for some even reversing course where
it's no longer, I'm making progress.

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I feel like I'm regressing in my faith.

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And finally, this is one of the reasons.

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Among the many that John will
offer for why men don't have

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assurance of their salvation.

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And when I say assurance, as I
mentioned in one of my prior emails

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this week, what I'm talking about is
that sense that you know that you know,

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if God were to take your life today,
that you are confident I will stand

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before Jesus and be fully accepted.

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The Lord will receive me not on
the basis of my works, but on his.

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And that kind of assurance and
confidence is something that the

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Apostle John wants you to have.

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Lemme remind you of one
John, chapter five, verse 13.

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He says, I write these things
to you who believe in the name

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of the son of God, that you may
know that you have eternal life.

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John's letter has caused many Christian
men to shake in their boots with

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fear that they're not believers.

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Because he offers three tests
for your faith and he repeats

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them over and over again.

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The letter is cyclical in nature,
and yet John's intention is not to

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scare you and to discourage you from
your faith, but rather to to embolden

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it, to edify it, to strengthen it.

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But the reality is he has to walk you
through some of these tests in order

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for you to get that sense of assurance.

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And so these three ingredients
that we're gonna look at from First

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John chapter five, verses five
through 10 are, are basic and yet

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critical to our sense of assurance.

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The blessing of assurance
that God wants to give us.

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First John chapter one
verses five through 10.

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Lemme just briefly remind you verses one
through five rather one through four.

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John opens a letter to
testify to all of us.

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This is John, the son of Zedi, to tell us.

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To establish his credibility
as an eyewitness of Jesus.

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He tells him that he's writing
so that we can have fellowship

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and that we can have joy.

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And the Jesus that he talks about is
the one that he saw, the one he heard,

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the one he felt, the one he touched,
the one that he was able to testify to.

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And so we talked about this last month.

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The foundation of our assurance is.

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Jesus, the Biblical Christ, not the
one who's the, uh, the brother of the

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Archangel Michael, not the one who
was merely a man and died in our place

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as an example and not a substitute.

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We're talking about the biblical Christ.

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John starts us all there.

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This is the level ground for
all who are Christians, and

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that's verses one through four.

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And now he begins to
establish his argument.

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Take a look at chapter one verse five.

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In fact, I'll read, I'll read five
through 10 just so you get the feel of it.

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We're gonna camp on verse
five for our first point, but

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let's read through this here.

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John says, this is the message we
have heard from him and proclaimed

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to you that God is light and
in him is no darkness at all.

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Now, if we say we have fellowship
with him while we walk in darkness,

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we lie and do not practice the truth.

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But if we walk in the light as he is
in the light, we have fellowship with

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one another and the blood of Jesus,
his son, cleanses us from all sin.

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If we say we have no sin, we deceive
ourselves and the truth is not in us.

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If we confess our sins, he is faithful
and just to forgive us our sins and to

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cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

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Praise God for that.

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If we say, we have not sinned, we make
him a liar, and his word is not in us.

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This section, John establishes one
argument and then five conditionals.

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He says, here's my argument, verse five.

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In fact, we'll look at that together.

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Here's my argument in verse five.

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And then beneath that singular arguments,
he does, he does five conditionals.

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If this, if this, if
this, if this, if this.

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Those five if then statements are
meant to follow from the main argument.

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We'll get to that in a second, but
let's just start with this argument

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so we know where he's going here.

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This, I think, governs the rest of
the letter, and so it's critical that

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we understand what he's saying here.

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He says this is the message.

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Remember he was leading up to this
in the last four verses, but he

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says, this is the message that we
heard from him and proclaimed to you.

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Now what is the message?

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John God is light.

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He asserts it positively and then.

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He says in him, there is no darkness.

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And then there's a double negation.

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No darkness at all.

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No darkness, not even a little bit.

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God is light.

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He's perfectly light.

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And that's not to say that God is photons.

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You understand he's making a
theological case here about the, uh,

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about the nature of God's character.

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This makes perfect sense.

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If we just spend a few
moments thinking about it.

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If you are going to assure a Christian.

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About his standing with God.

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You first have to be sure he
understands who that God is.

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In fact, as we talk about sharing the
gospel with other men, uh, sometimes

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people jump right into the, the data
Jesus lived in your place, died for your

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sin, he rose again, and if you put your
trust in him, you'll be right with God.

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And that's not necessarily wrong.

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It's a, that's a, that's a great
encapsulation of the gospel.

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However, when you say God sends his son.

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And you fill in the word
God with all the meaning.

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People think about what are
they bringing to the table?

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Just think about all your different
kinds of neighbors, the people you

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work with, the students that you
teach, your kids, what do they think

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about when they think about God?

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Well, all sorts of things.

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Everybody has kind of a cafeteria
mentality about who God is, and

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if you were to ask somebody,
well, what do you think?

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What do you think about God?

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They're gonna say, well, I think
God is, and I believe that God be.

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God would also, and I think that my
God would also do this, this and this.

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John starts here with God as he's
preparing to assure his congregation

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of believing men and women.

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He says, think about God.

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God is light.

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God is light.

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And in him there's no darkness.

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Not even a little bit.

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It now, what does the light re
represent then, if we're trying to

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def, define and describe God lights
represents, especially in the gospel

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that John, but also in his letter, John
thinks about life in dualistic ways,

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light and darkness, life and death.

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Here light is meant to reflect
God's perfectly good, holy,

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and life-giving nature.

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He is perfectly good.

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Which means there's nothing evil in God.

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There's not a spot in which you
might say, oh God, you're wrong

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here, or God, you're mistaken there.

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Everything about God is
righteous, true and holy.

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He is the truth.

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John says, and and John 14, right?

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He's the way, the truth and the life.

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No one comes to the
Father, except through him.

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And so when we talk about God being
light, we're saying that God is

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the preeminent, he is the perfect.

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He is established and his, his
righteousness establishes everyone else's.

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Who he is tells us who we are.

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And in fact, if we understand who
God is, that will honestly put most

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of us in our place pretty quickly.

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It's the same reason why in Isaiah
chapter six, when God reveals His glory,

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you remember what happens here, right?

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God reveals his glory to Isaiah,
and Isaiah says, super cool.

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I love that, right?

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Comical, because that's exactly
the opposite of what happened.

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He pronounces a curse on himself.

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Woe is me.

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I am undone.

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I'm a man of unclean lips.

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My eyes have seen the king of glory.

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When Isaiah encounters God, he
pronounce his cursings on himself.

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Now, John's not trying to
get you to curse yourself.

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He is trying to get you to understand
though that God that you serve is light.

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He is perfectly good, holy life giving
his glory, his nce of glory has no end.

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And the glory that emanates from his
being is bright, shining, perfect.

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It also means that he, again,
possesses no trace of evil.

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Uh, when John says God is light and in
him is no darkness at all, he's trying

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to do two negatives on top of each other.

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There's no darkness, none at all.

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It's like saying, uh, it is like
if you take a, take a number and

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multiply it by an exponent, uh, you're
multiplying it over and over again.

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You're trying to say
super, not any darkness.

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If John is reaching for language to
say the God that you love and serve

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is perfectly good, no evil whatsoever.

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He's righteous in all his ways.

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As James will say in James chapter one,
there's no shadow due to turning or change

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because God is perfect and complete.

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There's nothing for God to gain.

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There's not a time where he, he needs
to grow up and become more like us.

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As somebody once said long ago,
has it ever occurred to you that

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nothing has ever occurred to God?

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His knowledge is perfect and complete,
and that knowledge is perfectly good.

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He possesses no evil, darkness or sin.

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No one can ever accuse God of wrongdoing.

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He is good.

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He's holy, and he is perfectly holy,
which all of this then is going somewhere.

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John is now just trying to
give us a theology lesson.

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He's actually trying to make the
point here that we all need to

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start with God is the standard.

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He himself is our standard.

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Now that's critical because that
means who God is in His character.

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His character, and in his
perfection defines the moral

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standard of every human life.

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Everything God says and does is
by definition, good and holy.

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And I'm not saying the opposite.

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I'm not saying God does what is good.

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What God does is good.

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00:13:02,700 --> 00:13:03,215
You see the difference?

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00:13:04,155 --> 00:13:08,475
When I say God does what is good, I'm
saying God fits under the category of

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some idea of goodness that we agree to.

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00:13:11,834 --> 00:13:15,225
I'm not saying that what I am
saying is whatever God does is

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good by his nature and being.

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00:13:16,875 --> 00:13:20,775
So for instance, in Luke 15
where the tower fell on all those

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people, the tower side alone fell.

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What God did was good.

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00:13:26,055 --> 00:13:27,375
What God did is good.

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00:13:28,395 --> 00:13:30,645
Now, I don't know the
inscrutable purposes of God.

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There is such a thing as a dual nature.

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There's dual intents.

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Man intends one thing,
God intends another.

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That's Genesis chapter 50.

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00:13:37,215 --> 00:13:38,535
What God, what you meant for evil.

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God meant for good, but God always intends
what is good and God does what is good.

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Therefore, what God is and and
says and does is by definition the

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standard of goodness, his character,
his word, he defines goodness.

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This is critical.

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This is the starting place, and I trust
that when you track with what John is

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doing here, you'll understand why this
is so essential to our assurance, our

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00:14:00,584 --> 00:14:02,564
knowledge of being right with God.

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00:14:02,685 --> 00:14:04,635
It starts with saying, this is who God is.

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He's perfect, he's righteous,
he's good, and that matters.

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Why?

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00:14:07,695 --> 00:14:12,225
Because Ephesians chapter five, verse
one says, we're to be imitators of God,

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which means we are to match his goodness.

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This is why Tozer once said.

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If you've read his famous book, the
Knowledge of the Holy, he says, what

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comes into our minds when we think about
God is the most important thing about us.

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I would say heartily.

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00:14:24,555 --> 00:14:24,975
Amen.

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I think John would say that too,
which is why again, he begins here.

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00:14:28,425 --> 00:14:31,365
He says, this is the message we
have heard from him and proclaim

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to you that God is light, and in
him there's no darkness at all.

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00:14:34,995 --> 00:14:39,045
I think in part because John is
concerned that one of our temptations,

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00:14:39,045 --> 00:14:40,515
when we seek assurance from God.

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00:14:41,174 --> 00:14:43,965
We fall into one of two ditches,
and the one ditch I'm gonna help

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00:14:43,965 --> 00:14:47,834
you avoid this morning is the ditch
of bringing God down to our level.

284
00:14:49,154 --> 00:14:52,455
One of the ways that we can
seek assurance for our salvation

285
00:14:52,485 --> 00:14:54,795
is by making God human size.

286
00:14:55,035 --> 00:14:56,894
Now I'm talking about
Jesus in the incarnation.

287
00:14:56,894 --> 00:15:00,705
I'm saying taking his righteousness and
putting it down at manageable levels,

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00:15:01,424 --> 00:15:07,094
making it more accommodating, making it
more malleable to my life and my needs.

289
00:15:07,800 --> 00:15:10,800
And I don't think John wants us to have
any of anything to do with that, and

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00:15:10,800 --> 00:15:11,939
neither should we point number one.

291
00:15:11,939 --> 00:15:15,360
Then let's establish this ground,
this foundation we're to preserve the

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00:15:15,360 --> 00:15:17,009
biblical standard of righteousness.

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00:15:17,699 --> 00:15:18,360
Preserve it.

294
00:15:18,719 --> 00:15:21,749
I chose that word in other, in
other words, to indicate protection.

295
00:15:22,259 --> 00:15:24,060
I want you to guard this truth.

296
00:15:24,479 --> 00:15:28,860
I don't want you to give ground on
making God something less than perfect,

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00:15:28,949 --> 00:15:31,499
righteous holy, where no darkness exists.

298
00:15:31,890 --> 00:15:35,850
Even though initially what this is
going to do is make you feel bad.

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00:15:36,615 --> 00:15:40,245
If you're a tender conscience and you
love the Lord and you're trying to

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00:15:40,245 --> 00:15:44,865
walk as a Godly man, knowing that he is
perfectly good and in him, there's no

301
00:15:44,865 --> 00:15:49,815
flaw is going to make you by comparison,
feel unworthy and we'll get to that.

302
00:15:51,525 --> 00:15:55,095
But the challenge for us
is not to bring God down.

303
00:15:56,745 --> 00:16:00,705
If you're ever part of an orchestra
or a worship team, one of the

304
00:16:00,705 --> 00:16:04,815
things that you do first before
you start playing is you tune up.

305
00:16:05,189 --> 00:16:06,090
Everybody's supposed to do.

306
00:16:06,090 --> 00:16:08,729
Anyone who has an instrument
has to tune their instrument

307
00:16:08,729 --> 00:16:12,540
to make sure that everybody's
playing with the same standard.

308
00:16:13,229 --> 00:16:18,600
Now, it's possible that if I am playing
with David, uh, PO and I'm playing

309
00:16:18,600 --> 00:16:21,719
with, uh, with Craig, I say, Hey guys,
let's, let's just all tune to each

310
00:16:21,719 --> 00:16:24,180
other and we all tune our E and our A.

311
00:16:24,180 --> 00:16:26,130
We're all, we're all
playing the same thing.

312
00:16:26,340 --> 00:16:27,420
We play together.

313
00:16:27,600 --> 00:16:31,740
We might sound okay because we're all
tuning to one another, but the second

314
00:16:31,740 --> 00:16:33,300
you bring out the external standard.

315
00:16:33,900 --> 00:16:36,030
And you start playing according
to something that's already

316
00:16:36,030 --> 00:16:37,110
pret tuned, like a keyboard.

317
00:16:38,040 --> 00:16:40,980
If I have someone play a keyboard
with us, and we're, the three of

318
00:16:40,980 --> 00:16:43,380
us are tuned together, but the
keyboard's playing according to,

319
00:16:43,830 --> 00:16:46,470
uh, bit, uh, a, uh, above middle C.

320
00:16:47,220 --> 00:16:48,720
Now we sound discordance.

321
00:16:48,720 --> 00:16:51,420
We're outta tune with one another
because one of us is playing

322
00:16:51,420 --> 00:16:52,410
according to this standard.

323
00:16:52,530 --> 00:16:55,230
And three of us are pla are
playing according to our standard.

324
00:16:55,920 --> 00:16:58,290
And that's the same temptation
of what happens in a church.

325
00:16:58,709 --> 00:17:00,990
We can start looking at each other
and say, well, according to how

326
00:17:00,990 --> 00:17:03,870
I'm doing with this guy or that
guy, I'm actually not doing so bad.

327
00:17:04,530 --> 00:17:08,730
But God doesn't want us to compare
ourselves to the standard that others set.

328
00:17:08,730 --> 00:17:12,000
He wants us to have our
standard compared to his.

329
00:17:13,170 --> 00:17:14,670
But how often do we need to retune then?

330
00:17:14,670 --> 00:17:18,210
Well, I mean, as often as you play,
I guess your Christian life is being

331
00:17:18,210 --> 00:17:23,460
played out every day, and the standard
that you have to tune to is God.

332
00:17:23,550 --> 00:17:26,010
God is light, and in
him there's no darkness.

333
00:17:27,194 --> 00:17:30,104
God is light, has has to be the
standard that we build our lives upon.

334
00:17:30,374 --> 00:17:32,624
It has to be the way that we view God.

335
00:17:32,805 --> 00:17:35,265
Uh, it has to be the way that we
view ourselves in light of who God

336
00:17:35,265 --> 00:17:38,624
is, which again, if you're doing
it right, will cause you to say, oh

337
00:17:38,624 --> 00:17:40,544
man, I don't, I don't measure up.

338
00:17:42,135 --> 00:17:43,334
Exactly, precisely.

339
00:17:46,100 --> 00:17:48,615
Don't lower the standard of
righteousness that God sets.

340
00:17:49,410 --> 00:17:51,149
Even though it'll make you
feel bad, I need you to retune

341
00:17:51,149 --> 00:17:52,890
yourselves to his standard.

342
00:17:53,340 --> 00:17:58,140
If we do this, this guards us against
two major errors as we pursue assurance.

343
00:17:58,140 --> 00:18:01,590
And the first error that you
might pursue is legalism.

344
00:18:02,280 --> 00:18:05,610
You might think if you lower
the standard of God to fit your,

345
00:18:05,760 --> 00:18:09,149
your reality, you might think to
yourself, I'm fulfilling the law.

346
00:18:09,660 --> 00:18:10,410
I'm doing it.

347
00:18:10,950 --> 00:18:12,030
I'm walking in holiness.

348
00:18:12,030 --> 00:18:13,560
I read my Bible every day.

349
00:18:13,769 --> 00:18:15,629
I pray pretty regularly.

350
00:18:15,629 --> 00:18:16,860
I go to church every Sunday.

351
00:18:16,860 --> 00:18:17,669
I'm, I'm doing it.

352
00:18:18,075 --> 00:18:19,515
I, I, I made it.

353
00:18:20,235 --> 00:18:23,925
And those other schmucks who aren't doing
it, you guys just need to be more like me.

354
00:18:24,495 --> 00:18:25,935
I don't know why you can't
get your act together.

355
00:18:26,985 --> 00:18:28,035
You see what happened there?

356
00:18:28,185 --> 00:18:30,495
He started judging himself
against a different standard.

357
00:18:31,185 --> 00:18:33,915
He started giving himself measurements
of, well, I can do that, I can do that,

358
00:18:33,915 --> 00:18:36,675
I can do that, and if I check the box
and surely I'm fulfilling the law of

359
00:18:36,675 --> 00:18:40,935
God, that kind of legalistic arrogance
can sprout up in any man's heart.

360
00:18:41,430 --> 00:18:44,459
If we take God and remove
him from God is light in him?

361
00:18:44,459 --> 00:18:47,490
Those no, no darkness to well
God's okay with a little bit of,

362
00:18:47,729 --> 00:18:50,249
you know, I'm progressive in my
holiness, I'm making progress.

363
00:18:50,459 --> 00:18:51,959
No, I gotta keep the standard up here.

364
00:18:52,860 --> 00:18:55,410
And if I keep the standard up
here where God is, God is light

365
00:18:55,499 --> 00:18:57,840
him, there's no darkness, well
then I'm not gonna excuse myself.

366
00:18:57,840 --> 00:18:59,430
Well, I'm sitting even a little bit.

367
00:18:59,669 --> 00:19:02,700
I'm not gonna look down at Brother
Jim or Brother Bob because they

368
00:19:02,700 --> 00:19:03,870
don't do it the way I do it.

369
00:19:05,220 --> 00:19:06,570
They send different ways than I do.

370
00:19:07,019 --> 00:19:08,939
Legalism is one thing I
want to guard you against.

371
00:19:08,939 --> 00:19:10,260
And of course, pride is the other.

372
00:19:11,205 --> 00:19:12,225
Measured against God.

373
00:19:12,225 --> 00:19:13,575
You'll never think you've arrived.

374
00:19:14,325 --> 00:19:16,515
You'll never, you'll never be
tempted to think of yourself

375
00:19:16,515 --> 00:19:17,624
more highly than you ought.

376
00:19:17,624 --> 00:19:21,915
If God is your standard, if Pastor Bob
is your standard, or you know, brother

377
00:19:21,915 --> 00:19:24,435
Jim is your standard, you might be
tempted to think I'm doing pretty good.

378
00:19:24,615 --> 00:19:25,665
I, I'm nailing it.

379
00:19:25,754 --> 00:19:31,334
I am fulfilling all the Lord's
commands, all of us like skunks or

380
00:19:31,334 --> 00:19:33,705
among skunks, and we still stink.

381
00:19:34,334 --> 00:19:35,834
Some of us stink less than others.

382
00:19:36,165 --> 00:19:40,064
I'll grant that, but we all
still stink, especially.

383
00:19:41,175 --> 00:19:46,065
As we compare ourselves to the standard
of God himself, JC Ri in his book on

384
00:19:46,065 --> 00:19:51,225
Holiness, which I would commend to you
says, the more light we have, the more we

385
00:19:51,225 --> 00:19:57,885
see our own sinfulness, the more light we
have, the more we see our own sinfulness.

386
00:19:58,575 --> 00:20:04,905
If you're growing in holiness, you will
not think of yourself as crushing it.

387
00:20:05,999 --> 00:20:09,539
You'll see yourself in light of the
holiness of God and always be able to

388
00:20:09,539 --> 00:20:11,760
say, I have, I'm nowhere yet arrived.

389
00:20:12,629 --> 00:20:16,019
Lord, be merciful to me as
sinner pounding your chest.

390
00:20:19,860 --> 00:20:22,530
How does this help us gain assurance?

391
00:20:22,950 --> 00:20:27,180
While it doesn't initially, it just
ensures that the standard that we have

392
00:20:27,840 --> 00:20:29,370
is the standard and it stays there.

393
00:20:30,149 --> 00:20:31,590
This is the message we
have heard from him.

394
00:20:31,590 --> 00:20:34,200
Proclaimed to you, God is light, and
in him there's no darkness at all.

395
00:20:38,910 --> 00:20:41,760
The next two points that we're
gonna look at really do help

396
00:20:41,760 --> 00:20:42,899
us get in the right direction.

397
00:20:42,899 --> 00:20:48,059
So ingredient number one in our
chicken recipe has got to be who

398
00:20:48,059 --> 00:20:52,379
is God and the, the, the standard
of God being light in him.

399
00:20:52,379 --> 00:20:53,939
There's no darkness is going to qualify.

400
00:20:53,939 --> 00:20:56,490
Everything else we think
about, he's the standard.

401
00:20:56,789 --> 00:20:58,110
Okay, that's ingredient number one.

402
00:20:58,260 --> 00:21:00,030
Let's continue reading
in verses six and seven.

403
00:21:01,530 --> 00:21:03,479
If we say we have fellowship with him.

404
00:21:04,290 --> 00:21:10,800
While we walk in darkness, we lie
and we do not practice the truth.

405
00:21:10,800 --> 00:21:18,660
Notice there he says the word practice for
John theology is not a knowledge quest.

406
00:21:19,260 --> 00:21:20,220
It's a practice quest.

407
00:21:20,220 --> 00:21:24,780
It's Ortho John's conception of
truth is not that you have a good

408
00:21:24,780 --> 00:21:27,870
systematic theology at your fingertips
that you know a lot of theology.

409
00:21:27,870 --> 00:21:32,010
And for a lot of us, we will
sometimes confuse and conflate

410
00:21:32,010 --> 00:21:32,760
maturity with knowledge.

411
00:21:33,629 --> 00:21:35,790
John's word here is,
is not the same thing.

412
00:21:36,330 --> 00:21:38,280
You might have an MDiv behind your name.

413
00:21:38,280 --> 00:21:40,680
You might have some seminary
education, but John is saying, look,

414
00:21:41,280 --> 00:21:47,670
if you say you have fellowship with
him while you walk in darkness, you

415
00:21:47,670 --> 00:21:49,860
lie, and you'll practice the truth.

416
00:21:50,250 --> 00:21:50,820
Verse seven.

417
00:21:50,820 --> 00:21:54,660
But if we walk in the light, remember,
because God is light, as he is

418
00:21:54,660 --> 00:21:56,940
in the light, we have fellowship.

419
00:21:56,940 --> 00:21:58,530
Notice this, it's not with God.

420
00:21:58,830 --> 00:22:00,990
We have fellowship with one another.

421
00:22:02,235 --> 00:22:06,495
And the blood of Jesus, his
son cleanses us from all sin.

422
00:22:06,885 --> 00:22:08,655
Oh, what a rich section here.

423
00:22:09,044 --> 00:22:10,544
Well, let me show you what John is doing.

424
00:22:11,144 --> 00:22:14,415
I told you that there's one argument
John has, God is light in him.

425
00:22:14,415 --> 00:22:17,894
There's no darkness followed up
by five conditional statements.

426
00:22:18,570 --> 00:22:24,840
The first two pairs of conditional
statements work as contrasting pairs.

427
00:22:24,990 --> 00:22:29,490
So if we do this, but if we do that, if
we do this, but if we do that, so the

428
00:22:29,490 --> 00:22:34,050
first two are verses six and seven, the
contrast should be pretty clear to see.

429
00:22:34,050 --> 00:22:35,640
But let me start with verse six.

430
00:22:35,820 --> 00:22:37,740
If we say we have fellowship with him.

431
00:22:38,010 --> 00:22:41,490
So this is the claim probably
of that secessionist group.

432
00:22:41,490 --> 00:22:43,709
The, the, the group of
people that left this church.

433
00:22:44,535 --> 00:22:47,685
If we say that we have fellowship
with God, that is my, my lips

434
00:22:47,685 --> 00:22:52,274
testified to a relationship with
him, but I walk in darkness.

435
00:22:52,725 --> 00:22:58,035
The word walk is a common one in the, in
the New Testament as the word peripateo.

436
00:22:58,544 --> 00:23:00,044
That's usually the word underneath it.

437
00:23:00,044 --> 00:23:03,165
And what it means is travel
to, to move in a certain place.

438
00:23:03,165 --> 00:23:04,604
It actually does refer to walking.

439
00:23:05,145 --> 00:23:06,495
It's a, it's a way of life.

440
00:23:06,524 --> 00:23:08,715
A pattern, a path that you follow.

441
00:23:09,405 --> 00:23:15,645
So if we say one thing, but we do and
we live another, John says, well, we

442
00:23:15,645 --> 00:23:18,165
lie and we do not practice the truth.

443
00:23:18,165 --> 00:23:21,584
The word practice and walking give you a
sense of what John's trying to do here.

444
00:23:21,584 --> 00:23:25,305
He's marrying the idea of the
common pattern of your life.

445
00:23:25,695 --> 00:23:29,595
If we say we are this, but we live
and do that, we're not practicing

446
00:23:29,595 --> 00:23:31,334
what we preach as some would say.

447
00:23:32,445 --> 00:23:35,595
Verse seven, I slightly rearranged
for you just so that you can

448
00:23:35,595 --> 00:23:36,855
see how it works together.

449
00:23:37,095 --> 00:23:37,695
Verse seven.

450
00:23:37,695 --> 00:23:43,305
But if we walk, if we walk in the light,
we have fellowship with one another.

451
00:23:43,305 --> 00:23:46,455
Now remember here on verse
six, it's fellowship with him.

452
00:23:46,545 --> 00:23:49,815
Verse seven is fellowship with
one another, which tells us

453
00:23:49,815 --> 00:23:53,120
something about the way John
understands our Christian life.

454
00:23:53,175 --> 00:23:54,525
We talked about this last month.

455
00:23:54,525 --> 00:23:56,565
I would encourage you to listen
to that sermon if you weren't here

456
00:23:56,565 --> 00:23:59,895
for that, but fellowship with God.

457
00:24:00,465 --> 00:24:05,535
Is intimately and inextricably connected
to fellowship with the body of Christ

458
00:24:05,985 --> 00:24:09,675
and John's mind, I could say fellowship
with him, means fellowship with them.

459
00:24:10,334 --> 00:24:14,055
To have fellowship with God is to have
fellowship with the people of God.

460
00:24:14,774 --> 00:24:17,595
To not have fellowship with the
people of God is not to have

461
00:24:17,595 --> 00:24:21,285
fellowship with God, no matter how
much you might say the opposite.

462
00:24:21,794 --> 00:24:26,865
This is one reason why Christians are
meant to be in a local body together.

463
00:24:27,585 --> 00:24:31,965
If we try to do church by ourselves in
our home with just our computer screen

464
00:24:32,445 --> 00:24:36,495
or just a, you know, just my, me, myself,
and my wife, and my kids, the tendency

465
00:24:36,495 --> 00:24:38,325
for most of us is just to get weird.

466
00:24:39,075 --> 00:24:40,635
Like we just go off the rails.

467
00:24:41,205 --> 00:24:45,524
We need the body of Christ, and we need
as many of the body of Christ in our

468
00:24:45,524 --> 00:24:47,294
lives and in our business as possible.

469
00:24:47,535 --> 00:24:50,085
This is how God sharpens and sharpens us.

470
00:24:50,415 --> 00:24:53,475
If you want to grow in maturity, you
need to put yourself around other

471
00:24:53,475 --> 00:24:54,794
godly men who are not like you.

472
00:24:55,620 --> 00:24:58,260
Who will challenge you, who
will love you enough to say, you

473
00:24:58,260 --> 00:25:00,390
know, I don't think that's the
way that that should be working.

474
00:25:01,350 --> 00:25:05,070
If we have Fellowship with God,
fellowship with one another, those two

475
00:25:05,070 --> 00:25:06,840
things are inextricably con, connected.

476
00:25:06,840 --> 00:25:07,950
And I just, I wanna point it to you.

477
00:25:07,950 --> 00:25:09,629
I, I see that in verses six and seven.

478
00:25:10,229 --> 00:25:14,579
And of course, uh, if we walk in the
light, that is the, the contrast,

479
00:25:14,850 --> 00:25:18,510
uh, light and darkness part,
pardon this very silly thought.

480
00:25:18,510 --> 00:25:20,160
But light and darkness
are mutually exclusive.

481
00:25:21,374 --> 00:25:21,704
Right.

482
00:25:21,735 --> 00:25:24,885
In absolute terms, you could say, well,
there's shadows, and if there's multiple

483
00:25:24,885 --> 00:25:26,265
lights in the room, you got shadows here.

484
00:25:26,265 --> 00:25:29,175
You could see that's not exactly true,
but light and darkness are mutually

485
00:25:29,175 --> 00:25:34,845
exclusive, uh, for God's light to exist
in your life that will eradicate darkness.

486
00:25:35,595 --> 00:25:38,294
But if there's darkness in your
life, the darkness consumes a light.

487
00:25:38,294 --> 00:25:40,245
The darkness can put out
the light, if you will.

488
00:25:40,245 --> 00:25:41,115
We know that's not true.

489
00:25:41,115 --> 00:25:44,354
Biblically speaking theologically, John
says, if there's light in your life,

490
00:25:44,360 --> 00:25:45,519
the light will overcome the darkness.

491
00:25:46,379 --> 00:25:49,320
But there is a kind of person who
walks in the dark that John is saying,

492
00:25:49,320 --> 00:25:50,370
oh, that's the way that you live.

493
00:25:50,370 --> 00:25:52,620
Then you're, you're not
walking in consistency.

494
00:25:52,890 --> 00:25:55,290
And then he says, look, if you're
walking in this way, you have

495
00:25:55,290 --> 00:25:56,370
fellowship with one another.

496
00:25:56,910 --> 00:25:59,370
The consequence of your light
walking is you have fellowship

497
00:25:59,669 --> 00:26:00,959
and I know you're forgiven.

498
00:26:01,500 --> 00:26:04,320
There's fellowship and forgiveness for
those who are walking in the light.

499
00:26:04,350 --> 00:26:06,300
Now, John's not saying one.

500
00:26:06,945 --> 00:26:07,695
Is the other.

501
00:26:07,695 --> 00:26:09,825
That is, if you're walking in the
light, well then you're forgiven.

502
00:26:10,005 --> 00:26:12,045
If you're walking in the light,
well then you have fellowship.

503
00:26:12,255 --> 00:26:15,735
He's not trying to say that if you walk
in the light that you somehow earn the

504
00:26:15,735 --> 00:26:17,175
fellowship or you earn forgiveness.

505
00:26:17,175 --> 00:26:19,785
He's just saying, if this is
happening, that these are, these are,

506
00:26:19,845 --> 00:26:21,165
I know coming along for the ride.

507
00:26:21,825 --> 00:26:25,635
If the engine of your Christian life
is faith in Jesus Christ walking in

508
00:26:25,665 --> 00:26:27,585
the light, then I can be confident.

509
00:26:27,705 --> 00:26:31,665
The sidecar caboose are going to
be fellowship and forgiveness.

510
00:26:31,725 --> 00:26:34,065
I know that's coming into, if
you're walking in the light.

511
00:26:37,395 --> 00:26:38,595
Christians live consistently.

512
00:26:39,915 --> 00:26:40,965
At least that's the idea here.

513
00:26:41,145 --> 00:26:42,555
You walk in the light
as he's in the light,

514
00:26:46,215 --> 00:26:47,025
and I know what you're thinking.

515
00:26:47,055 --> 00:26:47,980
At least I think I know
what you're thinking.

516
00:26:48,749 --> 00:26:50,580
You, you're gonna start
wondering about, okay, how much

517
00:26:50,580 --> 00:26:52,020
light walking, how consistent.

518
00:26:52,140 --> 00:26:52,860
We'll get to that.

519
00:26:53,010 --> 00:26:53,550
We'll get to that.

520
00:26:53,850 --> 00:26:55,260
But, but let me just make this point here.

521
00:26:55,649 --> 00:26:59,850
Uh, walking in the light results in,
or, or, uh, reveals our fellowship and

522
00:26:59,850 --> 00:27:01,470
affirms the status of our salvation.

523
00:27:01,740 --> 00:27:03,030
We're cleansed from all sin.

524
00:27:03,209 --> 00:27:05,820
And so what I want you to see here, I
think what John is doing for you, he's

525
00:27:05,820 --> 00:27:07,169
setting you up for the first test.

526
00:27:07,229 --> 00:27:09,749
Remember, there's three
tests in the, in the epistle.

527
00:27:09,749 --> 00:27:10,350
The first John.

528
00:27:10,709 --> 00:27:13,320
The three tests that John's gonna
hit are gonna be hit th several

529
00:27:13,320 --> 00:27:14,430
times over throughout the letter.

530
00:27:14,640 --> 00:27:17,820
The first test he's going to look
at is the test of your obedience.

531
00:27:18,015 --> 00:27:19,544
And that's the first test.

532
00:27:19,695 --> 00:27:22,245
And as you read first, John, if you did,
if you read it before you came here,

533
00:27:22,245 --> 00:27:26,294
like I suggested you do, you'll find that
John hits that test multiple times over.

534
00:27:26,655 --> 00:27:29,205
So we're gonna, for the first
time, look at this point.

535
00:27:29,205 --> 00:27:32,715
Number two, I want you to evaluate
the integrity of your obedience.

536
00:27:33,225 --> 00:27:34,544
And I think that's where John's going.

537
00:27:34,665 --> 00:27:38,805
His pastoral heart is concerned that
your obedience, that your walk with

538
00:27:38,805 --> 00:27:41,595
the Lord is consistent, not perfect.

539
00:27:42,165 --> 00:27:46,575
Save those, save those responses for,
for, for the next section here for 0.3.

540
00:27:48,540 --> 00:27:52,245
Se several weeks ago, maybe months
at this point, I, I started noticing

541
00:27:52,245 --> 00:27:55,575
because of our hot summer that the,
my foundation and my grass were,

542
00:27:55,575 --> 00:27:56,775
were pulling apart from each other.

543
00:27:57,345 --> 00:27:57,645
How?

544
00:27:57,645 --> 00:27:59,265
And so I started saying,
oh, what do I do with this?

545
00:27:59,265 --> 00:28:00,135
This looks like a bad thing.

546
00:28:00,135 --> 00:28:03,675
I, I realized you're supposed to
water your foundation in Texas.

547
00:28:03,765 --> 00:28:05,745
I don't know about this in
California, I never even had a

548
00:28:05,745 --> 00:28:07,155
lawn to own, so I just didn't care.

549
00:28:07,455 --> 00:28:11,295
Now I walk around my house and I
look at my foundation, and now I'm

550
00:28:11,295 --> 00:28:14,355
also that guy who in the evening,
I'm watering my foundation.

551
00:28:14,820 --> 00:28:15,600
I'm doing that.

552
00:28:15,660 --> 00:28:18,150
I have the, I have the, the sprinkler
system, I guess does some of it.

553
00:28:18,150 --> 00:28:19,230
So I, I do most of it.

554
00:28:19,230 --> 00:28:20,370
I water my foundation.

555
00:28:20,400 --> 00:28:25,500
And my goal, of course is to keep the,
the clay soil, uh, moist enough so that

556
00:28:25,500 --> 00:28:28,710
it doesn't shift, because that shifting is
what's gonna break your foundation, right?

557
00:28:28,710 --> 00:28:29,879
You don't want your foundation to crumble.

558
00:28:29,879 --> 00:28:32,879
So I've been doing that, but what
hap what had to happen first is that

559
00:28:32,879 --> 00:28:34,379
I had to go and observe the house.

560
00:28:34,410 --> 00:28:37,530
I walked around, I started looking
at things, and I see weeds and I

561
00:28:37,530 --> 00:28:38,670
say, oh, look at my foundation.

562
00:28:38,670 --> 00:28:39,750
I see things pulling away.

563
00:28:40,110 --> 00:28:42,840
That evaluation is what gave
me the ability to say, I need

564
00:28:42,840 --> 00:28:44,250
to have an action plan, unless.

565
00:28:44,535 --> 00:28:47,774
I'm okay with my foundation being
uneven and consequently having

566
00:28:47,774 --> 00:28:49,544
to pay some, some major cost.

567
00:28:50,865 --> 00:28:53,955
I need you to look at the foundation
of your life to walk around it.

568
00:28:54,285 --> 00:28:56,175
I need you to observe and take a look.

569
00:28:56,294 --> 00:28:58,245
Take careful stock of
how things are going.

570
00:28:58,905 --> 00:29:02,834
There is such a thing as
being too introspective and

571
00:29:02,834 --> 00:29:04,064
I, I'll warn you against that.

572
00:29:04,290 --> 00:29:06,825
If, if you're looking at yourself too
much, you're gonna get discouraged

573
00:29:06,825 --> 00:29:07,575
and you're gonna quit the faith.

574
00:29:07,590 --> 00:29:07,649
It.

575
00:29:08,520 --> 00:29:10,830
I'm not trying to say they should
do that, but I am saying there

576
00:29:10,830 --> 00:29:12,810
should be at least some measure of
your life where you're saying, I

577
00:29:12,810 --> 00:29:14,280
wanna take a look at how I'm doing.

578
00:29:14,879 --> 00:29:17,430
I wanna evaluate the
integrity of my obedience.

579
00:29:17,730 --> 00:29:20,490
I wanna see if my, my foundation
is intact, or if there's any

580
00:29:20,490 --> 00:29:22,260
threats to my foundation.

581
00:29:22,560 --> 00:29:25,620
Are there any things in my life that
are, that are threatening to undo me?

582
00:29:26,760 --> 00:29:28,379
I think this is part of
what John's doing here.

583
00:29:28,379 --> 00:29:30,810
So lemme give you just two
diagnostic questions from John's.

584
00:29:31,200 --> 00:29:33,330
Polarizing idea here, darkness and light.

585
00:29:33,330 --> 00:29:36,180
Just two simple questions that I
just want you to write down for

586
00:29:36,180 --> 00:29:37,800
you to take to the Lord later on.

587
00:29:38,189 --> 00:29:41,610
Question number one really is,
am I too tolerant of my sin?

588
00:29:42,209 --> 00:29:45,750
And this comes from John's
idea of walking and practicing.

589
00:29:46,410 --> 00:29:48,060
It's a characteristic lifestyle.

590
00:29:48,479 --> 00:29:53,010
Remember, he says here, if, if we say we
have fellowship while we walk in darkness,

591
00:29:53,010 --> 00:29:54,930
we lie and do not practice the truth.

592
00:29:55,800 --> 00:29:58,439
I need you to look at your
life and, and just observe.

593
00:29:58,935 --> 00:30:02,415
What is the normal walk
in practice of my life?

594
00:30:03,435 --> 00:30:06,044
What's the characteristic
lifestyle of how I'm doing?

595
00:30:06,615 --> 00:30:09,015
Am I consistent in my obedience to God?

596
00:30:11,385 --> 00:30:15,705
One of the dangers is that we know
if you've been in faith for any

597
00:30:15,705 --> 00:30:18,374
degree of time, you know, first John,
one night we're gonna get to it.

598
00:30:18,765 --> 00:30:22,965
And so in your mind you say, okay, if I
repent of my sin, I confess it, great.

599
00:30:24,165 --> 00:30:26,895
But there is such a thing as
repentance that never changes

600
00:30:26,895 --> 00:30:28,124
direction in someone's life.

601
00:30:29,249 --> 00:30:30,300
And that would be my concern.

602
00:30:31,350 --> 00:30:34,020
A a lot of people can say, I,
I Lord, I, I'm, I'm sinning.

603
00:30:34,020 --> 00:30:38,040
Will you please forgive me for
losing my temper with my family?

604
00:30:38,040 --> 00:30:39,060
Or whatever it is.

605
00:30:40,379 --> 00:30:44,399
But if that's all that it is, stands
to reason, whether it's actual

606
00:30:44,399 --> 00:30:49,800
confession, is that real repentance
or am I just providing coverage for

607
00:30:49,800 --> 00:30:51,780
my soul so that I don't feel guilty?

608
00:30:53,084 --> 00:30:55,995
I am not saying you have to be perfect
and neither is John, but I am saying

609
00:30:55,995 --> 00:30:57,644
what is the tenor and tone of your life?

610
00:30:57,644 --> 00:31:01,575
Is it consistent with the profession
of faith that you've made,

611
00:31:03,735 --> 00:31:08,474
which underscores the need for
men in your life who know you?

612
00:31:09,434 --> 00:31:12,615
I mean, John, we made the point
last month, but let me just quickly

613
00:31:12,825 --> 00:31:16,215
remind you how critical it is to have
someone hold the mirror to you and

614
00:31:16,215 --> 00:31:17,294
say, here's how you're doing, brother.

615
00:31:18,989 --> 00:31:23,009
You need people in your life who
can see you truly and clearly.

616
00:31:24,149 --> 00:31:25,199
You can't do it by yourself.

617
00:31:25,829 --> 00:31:28,769
You'll look in the mirror and you'll
only see one part of your body.

618
00:31:29,399 --> 00:31:31,829
You don't see the back of your
head, you don't see, you know,

619
00:31:31,829 --> 00:31:34,229
the piece of toilet paper hanging
outta the back of your trousers.

620
00:31:34,949 --> 00:31:36,809
You need men who have your six.

621
00:31:37,559 --> 00:31:41,159
You need people who know you enough to
be able to say, look, you're, you're,

622
00:31:41,159 --> 00:31:43,919
you're blowing it here, and I love
you enough to tell you that you've

623
00:31:43,919 --> 00:31:45,389
been really harsh with your wife.

624
00:31:46,740 --> 00:31:48,689
You've been showing up late
to church, what's going on?

625
00:31:49,800 --> 00:31:51,689
Or, you know, we don't see
you at small groups anymore.

626
00:31:51,689 --> 00:31:51,870
What?

627
00:31:51,870 --> 00:31:52,590
Where have you been?

628
00:31:52,890 --> 00:31:53,550
What are you doing?

629
00:31:54,780 --> 00:31:57,540
And not because they're trying to harass
you or shame you or make you feel bad,

630
00:31:57,540 --> 00:32:01,169
but you need people who love you enough
to come into your life to help you

631
00:32:01,169 --> 00:32:03,419
see, am I being too tallant of my sin?

632
00:32:04,740 --> 00:32:07,379
Am I just giving myself over to it?

633
00:32:09,660 --> 00:32:12,780
John says, if we say we have
fellowship, but walk in darkness,

634
00:32:12,840 --> 00:32:14,460
we lie to not practice the truth.

635
00:32:15,644 --> 00:32:18,735
I mean, you gotta have people in your
life, your closest family members.

636
00:32:18,765 --> 00:32:19,515
They, they see it.

637
00:32:19,575 --> 00:32:21,644
They know if you're bold enough.

638
00:32:21,644 --> 00:32:24,975
Ask your kids, does
daddy live what he says?

639
00:32:25,754 --> 00:32:26,325
Do you think, dad?

640
00:32:26,325 --> 00:32:28,455
I mean, you can't ask
little kids, but you could.

641
00:32:28,455 --> 00:32:30,705
I mean, ask your wife, sweetheart.

642
00:32:30,705 --> 00:32:31,245
How am I doing?

643
00:32:32,475 --> 00:32:35,144
Does my profession match my life?

644
00:32:35,925 --> 00:32:37,215
Where do you see inconsistencies?

645
00:32:37,245 --> 00:32:38,175
'cause they're, they're there.

646
00:32:38,445 --> 00:32:39,075
They see it.

647
00:32:39,434 --> 00:32:40,124
Do you see it?

648
00:32:41,055 --> 00:32:43,789
Am I being too tolerant of my sin?

649
00:32:44,999 --> 00:32:47,010
That's a question we all need
to ask ourselves regularly.

650
00:32:48,090 --> 00:32:51,959
God hates our sin because God is light and
in him there's no darkness at all, fellas,

651
00:32:52,320 --> 00:32:54,269
which means any bit of sin in our lives.

652
00:32:54,269 --> 00:32:56,430
We need to feel as saying, okay,
wait, I didn't gotta get rid of that.

653
00:32:56,760 --> 00:33:00,749
Have you ever noticed, as you get
older in your faith, you're never

654
00:33:00,749 --> 00:33:05,369
aware of all your sin, but you're
aware of a few critical categories.

655
00:33:06,059 --> 00:33:06,894
Isn't that so kind of God?

656
00:33:07,979 --> 00:33:11,249
He doesn't flood you with,
here's all of your sin.

657
00:33:11,249 --> 00:33:12,959
You're such a loser sinner.

658
00:33:12,959 --> 00:33:13,679
What's wrong with you?

659
00:33:13,679 --> 00:33:14,939
Get your act together.

660
00:33:15,209 --> 00:33:18,539
He gives you a few areas where he
puts, he puts something on your

661
00:33:18,539 --> 00:33:21,119
chest to say, this is an area I
need you to pay close attention to.

662
00:33:21,719 --> 00:33:22,949
Like a father talking to his son.

663
00:33:22,949 --> 00:33:24,840
He says, son, I need you to, I
need you to give attention to this.

664
00:33:24,840 --> 00:33:25,529
This is important.

665
00:33:25,860 --> 00:33:28,679
Please give attention to
this area of your life.

666
00:33:29,354 --> 00:33:30,674
You need to pay attention to that voice.

667
00:33:30,735 --> 00:33:33,524
That's the father working three,
that's that's the Lord telling you.

668
00:33:33,554 --> 00:33:34,934
That's the area to give attention to.

669
00:33:35,114 --> 00:33:36,884
Am I too tolerant of my sin?

670
00:33:37,034 --> 00:33:40,454
Number two, am I growing in grace?

671
00:33:40,664 --> 00:33:42,164
This is the opposite of that.

672
00:33:42,284 --> 00:33:46,574
Am I too tolerant to sin and am I
making progress in my love and faith and

673
00:33:46,574 --> 00:33:49,424
obedience in the Lord, growing in grace?

674
00:33:49,634 --> 00:33:53,235
Peter says this in second Peter, chapter
three, but grow in the grace and knowledge

675
00:33:53,235 --> 00:33:55,514
of our Lord Jesus Christ grow in that.

676
00:33:56,595 --> 00:33:58,004
That doesn't happen by magic.

677
00:33:58,004 --> 00:33:59,175
It doesn't happen by osmosis.

678
00:33:59,175 --> 00:34:01,095
It doesn't happen if you
attend really great sermons.

679
00:34:01,095 --> 00:34:05,265
It happens by a willing obedience
done in faith in Christ.

680
00:34:09,645 --> 00:34:16,185
Obedience is not not a
prerequisite for salvation.

681
00:34:16,605 --> 00:34:20,205
Good works are not a
prerequisite for salvation.

682
00:34:21,435 --> 00:34:25,063
Hear me closely though
They are a post requisite.

683
00:34:26,175 --> 00:34:30,045
In Christ, fruit is expected in Christ.

684
00:34:30,074 --> 00:34:33,074
After sins are forgiven, good
works are planned for you.

685
00:34:33,074 --> 00:34:39,885
Ephesians two 12 In Christ, the Lord
expects a return on his investment in you.

686
00:34:39,944 --> 00:34:42,764
The spirit of God gifted to you,
the son of God dying for you.

687
00:34:43,934 --> 00:34:45,404
He expects a return on his investment.

688
00:34:47,893 --> 00:34:49,904
You see Christians gain assurance
by walking in the lights.

689
00:34:51,225 --> 00:34:52,784
John clarifies for us what that means.

690
00:34:52,784 --> 00:34:55,965
Part of it is walking in the
light by obey God's commands.

691
00:34:57,074 --> 00:35:00,345
But this next part, this is the third
ingredient, and this is the one that

692
00:35:00,345 --> 00:35:01,845
I'm like, oh the, the guys need this.

693
00:35:01,875 --> 00:35:03,225
We need this.

694
00:35:03,555 --> 00:35:05,805
The Lord, thank you for
putting this on our plate.

695
00:35:05,805 --> 00:35:07,455
'cause the Lord knows we need this.

696
00:35:08,564 --> 00:35:11,415
We're walking in the
lights from the darkness.

697
00:35:12,524 --> 00:35:14,715
We need to have people who know
us enough to help us with this.

698
00:35:16,979 --> 00:35:18,420
How consistent do I have to be?

699
00:35:18,990 --> 00:35:23,580
How obedience, how much disobedience
should I tolerate before I

700
00:35:23,580 --> 00:35:24,569
say I'm, I'm not a Christian.

701
00:35:24,599 --> 00:35:25,170
Clearly I'm not.

702
00:35:25,170 --> 00:35:26,250
Otherwise, I would be doing more.

703
00:35:26,880 --> 00:35:31,920
This next section is what clarifies
and consoles every anxious heart.

704
00:35:32,219 --> 00:35:34,109
Take a look with the at
verses seven through 10,

705
00:35:36,630 --> 00:35:39,569
I saved the last part of verse
seven for this section, so

706
00:35:39,569 --> 00:35:40,679
bear with me in verse seven.

707
00:35:40,920 --> 00:35:41,609
Let's finish it off.

708
00:35:41,609 --> 00:35:43,679
But if we walk in the light
as he is in the lights.

709
00:35:44,174 --> 00:35:47,234
We have fellowship with one
another and the blood of Jesus,

710
00:35:47,234 --> 00:35:50,714
his son, cleanses us from all sin.

711
00:35:51,825 --> 00:35:53,234
Does that make your
heart palpitate at all?

712
00:35:53,505 --> 00:35:54,615
That is, that is exciting.

713
00:35:55,125 --> 00:35:58,604
The blood of Jesus, his son,
cleanses us from all sin.

714
00:35:59,384 --> 00:35:59,774
Verse eight.

715
00:35:59,804 --> 00:36:03,969
If we say we have no sin, we deceive
ourselves and the truth is not in us.

716
00:36:04,859 --> 00:36:07,769
If we confess our sins, he is faithful.

717
00:36:07,800 --> 00:36:11,160
He's just to forgive us
our sins and to cleanse us.

718
00:36:11,160 --> 00:36:12,059
There's the word cleanse again.

719
00:36:12,120 --> 00:36:14,309
Cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

720
00:36:15,540 --> 00:36:18,990
If we say we have not sinned, we make
him a liar, at least by implication.

721
00:36:18,990 --> 00:36:19,200
Right?

722
00:36:19,410 --> 00:36:23,069
The Lord sent his son
Jesus to die for our sins.

723
00:36:23,745 --> 00:36:26,385
And so if we say we have
no sin, oh Lord, thank you.

724
00:36:26,390 --> 00:36:27,135
I, I don't need it though.

725
00:36:27,165 --> 00:36:28,125
I'm doing quite all right.

726
00:36:28,274 --> 00:36:31,484
If we say we've not sinned, we make
him a liar and his word is not in us.

727
00:36:31,575 --> 00:36:33,465
Another way to say his truth is not in us.

728
00:36:33,495 --> 00:36:35,024
And again, I have another chart for you.

729
00:36:35,234 --> 00:36:39,435
What we have here is a next
pair of contrasting conditions.

730
00:36:39,854 --> 00:36:43,395
So verse eight, if we say
verses uh, verse nine.

731
00:36:43,425 --> 00:36:47,535
If we confess verse eight, if we
say we have no sin, we deceive

732
00:36:47,535 --> 00:36:49,904
ourselves, the truth is not in us.

733
00:36:50,444 --> 00:36:53,024
Alright, so this is again, our,
the, the, our mouth profession.

734
00:36:53,609 --> 00:36:55,559
We have no sin, we, we deceive ourselves.

735
00:36:55,769 --> 00:36:56,309
Verse nine.

736
00:36:56,309 --> 00:36:58,170
Then if we confess our
sins, there we go again.

737
00:36:58,170 --> 00:36:58,859
We're owning it.

738
00:36:58,859 --> 00:36:59,700
We're acknowledging it.

739
00:36:59,700 --> 00:37:01,710
We're saying, yes, I agree
with the Lord on these things.

740
00:37:02,069 --> 00:37:03,870
God is faithful.

741
00:37:03,870 --> 00:37:07,679
And just those two words are so
precious, guys faithful and just

742
00:37:07,710 --> 00:37:09,089
he's faithful to his covenant.

743
00:37:09,149 --> 00:37:11,910
He made a promise to forgive your
sins through Christ, but he's

744
00:37:11,910 --> 00:37:14,639
also just in letting go your sins.

745
00:37:14,849 --> 00:37:17,130
Not to just look the other
way, like an unjust judge,

746
00:37:17,130 --> 00:37:18,450
but as the just judge to say.

747
00:37:19,005 --> 00:37:21,465
Your sin has been fully
dealt with in Christ.

748
00:37:21,524 --> 00:37:25,455
The the judgment has been paid, your
debt has been, has been resolved.

749
00:37:25,635 --> 00:37:27,404
Jesus has fulfilled it all.

750
00:37:27,585 --> 00:37:31,604
So when you go to Jesus, your
confession and the quality of what

751
00:37:31,604 --> 00:37:33,224
you say to God is not the point.

752
00:37:34,184 --> 00:37:35,955
It is Jesus on the cross.

753
00:37:36,075 --> 00:37:40,064
It is his death on the cross
that secures your salvation and

754
00:37:40,064 --> 00:37:41,894
your your perpetual forgiveness.

755
00:37:43,724 --> 00:37:44,200
And when we do that.

756
00:37:46,529 --> 00:37:48,359
He forgives us and cleanses us.

757
00:37:48,540 --> 00:37:52,559
You'll notice the word cleanse is in
both verse seven, the blood of Jesus.

758
00:37:52,559 --> 00:37:53,700
His son cleanses us.

759
00:37:53,760 --> 00:37:55,500
We have it here as well in verse nine.

760
00:37:55,649 --> 00:37:57,420
He cleanses us from all unrighteousness.

761
00:37:57,420 --> 00:38:01,080
We now see the vehicle or the medium by
which the Lord applies, that cleansing.

762
00:38:01,769 --> 00:38:05,040
Um, you, you, you're probably
saying the song as a young one.

763
00:38:05,279 --> 00:38:06,899
Uh, how precious is the flow?

764
00:38:07,109 --> 00:38:12,479
Um, how precious is the,
that makes me white ass.

765
00:38:12,479 --> 00:38:14,160
No, no other.

766
00:38:15,524 --> 00:38:16,394
Yeah, that song,

767
00:38:18,464 --> 00:38:20,144
it's the cleansing blood of Christ.

768
00:38:21,045 --> 00:38:23,684
There's nothing magical
about the actual fluid.

769
00:38:24,075 --> 00:38:27,194
It's the atonement of Jesus on the
cross that's being referred to here.

770
00:38:27,854 --> 00:38:28,755
He forgives us.

771
00:38:28,785 --> 00:38:30,734
He cleanses us from all unrighteousness.

772
00:38:30,734 --> 00:38:35,054
Just think about that word there, all
How much of your unrighteousness, fellas?

773
00:38:35,054 --> 00:38:37,064
All, all of it.

774
00:38:37,995 --> 00:38:40,995
Thank you, all of it.

775
00:38:46,439 --> 00:38:51,660
If we confess, if we confess,
verse nine is critical.

776
00:38:52,559 --> 00:38:55,769
One of the most important
pieces of walking in the light

777
00:38:56,550 --> 00:38:59,130
is confessing our darkness.

778
00:39:00,389 --> 00:39:04,800
I think this is the linchpin to
understanding this section, right?

779
00:39:05,939 --> 00:39:08,910
'cause the temptation is that you
think walking in the light means

780
00:39:08,910 --> 00:39:10,380
I just gotta get my act together.

781
00:39:10,649 --> 00:39:11,760
I gotta do better.

782
00:39:12,090 --> 00:39:13,380
I should sin less.

783
00:39:13,694 --> 00:39:14,835
And I should do righteousness more.

784
00:39:14,835 --> 00:39:16,095
And that's, that's, that's true.

785
00:39:16,305 --> 00:39:21,165
But John acknowledges and even
agrees with us, look, what about

786
00:39:21,165 --> 00:39:22,365
the Christians who perpetually sin?

787
00:39:22,365 --> 00:39:24,225
What about Christians that
fall and stumble in a sin?

788
00:39:24,285 --> 00:39:25,064
He's saying, great.

789
00:39:25,064 --> 00:39:28,484
I have a solution for you
confess if you confess your sins.

790
00:39:28,515 --> 00:39:30,854
He's faithful and he's just
to forgive us of our sins.

791
00:39:31,650 --> 00:39:35,100
Which means here that by definition
a Christian is one who lives

792
00:39:35,100 --> 00:39:38,040
by the truth, that Jesus died
to cleanse us from all sin.

793
00:39:38,310 --> 00:39:39,450
I still have sin.

794
00:39:39,600 --> 00:39:40,740
You still have sin.

795
00:39:40,830 --> 00:39:42,630
You're not gonna do this
the way that you should.

796
00:39:42,690 --> 00:39:43,620
You're not gonna make it.

797
00:39:43,830 --> 00:39:47,609
So the first test of obedience is not
only am I walking in the light to the

798
00:39:47,609 --> 00:39:55,200
extent that I have the ability, but am I
confessing the darkness that is clutch.

799
00:39:56,430 --> 00:39:59,615
Anyone here can say, I, I,
I put my faith in Jesus.

800
00:40:01,019 --> 00:40:04,170
A lot of us do that pretty regularly
and pretty, I think, I think ingredients

801
00:40:04,170 --> 00:40:05,819
one and two, you're probably okay.

802
00:40:06,029 --> 00:40:06,809
God is light in him.

803
00:40:06,809 --> 00:40:09,029
There's no darkness and
we walk in the light.

804
00:40:09,029 --> 00:40:11,010
That means that we're not
walking with duplicity.

805
00:40:11,130 --> 00:40:12,300
I'm trying to walk with integrity.

806
00:40:12,479 --> 00:40:14,429
But the third one, confession.

807
00:40:15,000 --> 00:40:16,920
This is the one I want to
spend some time on here.

808
00:40:17,519 --> 00:40:19,740
'cause what John is explaining
for us is, is really helpful,

809
00:40:20,160 --> 00:40:21,510
uh, is really helpful to us.

810
00:40:21,809 --> 00:40:24,840
And in fact, when you go to the mall,
when I first came to Stonebriar.

811
00:40:25,335 --> 00:40:27,104
Mall was so large, I
didn't know where I was.

812
00:40:27,435 --> 00:40:29,024
Uh, so I went to the
thing that everyone does.

813
00:40:29,024 --> 00:40:31,904
You go to that big old display, you
see, you look for the, you are here.

814
00:40:32,564 --> 00:40:35,205
Um, and then I looked at where
I was and where I wanted to be.

815
00:40:35,265 --> 00:40:38,295
See his candies over there, first
floor, next to the builder bear.

816
00:40:38,295 --> 00:40:38,745
Perfect.

817
00:40:38,745 --> 00:40:39,524
I know how to get there.

818
00:40:40,995 --> 00:40:42,194
Dark pecan buds.

819
00:40:42,375 --> 00:40:43,125
So delicious.

820
00:40:45,899 --> 00:40:49,185
Confession is your way of saying you.

821
00:40:49,185 --> 00:40:50,115
I, I am here.

822
00:40:50,850 --> 00:40:54,840
In fact, the word confess means to, to
say the same thing, the the word hamma,

823
00:40:54,870 --> 00:40:59,760
leg hamma or ho homo, the word homo, you
know, because of it's pop culture usage.

824
00:40:59,760 --> 00:41:03,390
Homo, same leg to say the
same, to say the same.

825
00:41:03,390 --> 00:41:04,500
To say the same thing.

826
00:41:05,279 --> 00:41:06,480
Who am I saying the same thing with?

827
00:41:06,480 --> 00:41:07,620
Well, I'm saying the same thing as God.

828
00:41:07,620 --> 00:41:08,670
God knows where you are.

829
00:41:08,819 --> 00:41:10,290
God knows what your condition is.

830
00:41:10,920 --> 00:41:12,840
Your job is to say, I am here, Lord.

831
00:41:12,840 --> 00:41:16,529
I recognize I can't get to where I
wanna go until I recognize where I am.

832
00:41:17,325 --> 00:41:21,194
And where you are is your present
state of progressive sanctification.

833
00:41:21,854 --> 00:41:24,734
You have to confess and
agree with God where you are.

834
00:41:25,005 --> 00:41:27,344
And so when I, when we look at
confession, we're gonna look at it.

835
00:41:27,344 --> 00:41:28,545
In fact, lemme give you
point number three here.

836
00:41:28,665 --> 00:41:30,314
I need you to readily confess your sins.

837
00:41:31,094 --> 00:41:33,165
And we're gonna do this
in three dimensions.

838
00:41:33,375 --> 00:41:35,955
Three overlapping, but
different dimensions where

839
00:41:35,955 --> 00:41:37,545
confession has to take place.

840
00:41:39,344 --> 00:41:41,024
This is the way that we say we are here.

841
00:41:41,835 --> 00:41:42,675
Recognize where you are.

842
00:41:47,955 --> 00:41:49,635
My grandma never said
this, but maybe yours did.

843
00:41:50,865 --> 00:41:57,734
Clean behind your ears between
your toes and, and up your nose.

844
00:41:58,484 --> 00:42:00,045
She didn't tell me up my
nose, uh, belly button.

845
00:42:00,404 --> 00:42:02,109
Um, those three areas.

846
00:42:03,179 --> 00:42:05,819
Are some of the most neglected
parts of your body apparently.

847
00:42:06,509 --> 00:42:09,719
Uh, I don't know what your showering,
showering situation is, but these

848
00:42:09,719 --> 00:42:12,630
researchers watched, not watched

849
00:42:15,210 --> 00:42:16,049
me that back.

850
00:42:17,219 --> 00:42:22,830
These researchers measured the
skin microbiome on 130 college

851
00:42:22,830 --> 00:42:26,219
age students, and they looked at.

852
00:42:26,925 --> 00:42:30,224
Control parts of the body where they
took a swab and tried to look at the skin

853
00:42:30,224 --> 00:42:35,205
bacteria, and then they looked at the,
the bacteria behind the ears in the navel.

854
00:42:35,295 --> 00:42:36,344
And what was the other one I said?

855
00:42:36,974 --> 00:42:42,670
Uh, between the toes, you're not gonna be
surprised that the, the skin behind the,

856
00:42:43,064 --> 00:42:47,804
the ears and the navel and between the
toes, uh, was not as healthy as the other

857
00:42:47,804 --> 00:42:49,904
parts that received regular cleansing.

858
00:42:51,795 --> 00:42:55,814
The regular, the regularly washed
parts of the body, uh, had more

859
00:42:55,814 --> 00:42:57,854
diverse and healthier skin bacteria.

860
00:42:58,335 --> 00:42:58,575
Okay?

861
00:42:58,755 --> 00:42:59,894
No one's surprised by that, right?

862
00:43:00,345 --> 00:43:01,965
The skin that's clean is healthier.

863
00:43:02,085 --> 00:43:04,995
The soul that is regularly
confessing sins is healthier too.

864
00:43:05,984 --> 00:43:10,484
This is crazy because this is such a, this
is such a big part of, of our, our bio.

865
00:43:10,515 --> 00:43:13,365
It's actually comparatively small, but
it's such a big part of what John is

866
00:43:13,365 --> 00:43:16,785
saying here that I'm surprised that we
don't talk about this more so level one.

867
00:43:17,370 --> 00:43:21,060
Three dimensions, confessing sin
first and foremost to yourself,

868
00:43:21,180 --> 00:43:23,399
being honest with God where you are.

869
00:43:23,580 --> 00:43:26,580
In fact, I'm gonna, I'm gonna talk about
God second, but let's talk about you.

870
00:43:27,540 --> 00:43:31,649
John says, if we confess our sins,
then all these conditional realities

871
00:43:31,830 --> 00:43:35,130
that are related to our, our, our
faith that comes to those people.

872
00:43:35,700 --> 00:43:40,035
Here's what ends up happening though,
for a lot of us, when we encounter some

873
00:43:40,035 --> 00:43:43,649
kind of sin category in our lives, one
of the things we might do is, excuse it.

874
00:43:44,310 --> 00:43:45,330
I didn't mean to say that.

875
00:43:45,854 --> 00:43:48,764
Um, she made me angry or
I've heard this one before.

876
00:43:48,764 --> 00:43:49,665
This is how I am.

877
00:43:50,175 --> 00:43:51,014
That's how I'm wired.

878
00:43:51,554 --> 00:43:52,394
That's how God made me.

879
00:43:52,394 --> 00:43:56,024
God made me a hothead and I'm Italian,
and you know, Italians, and we just do.

880
00:43:56,024 --> 00:43:58,455
Were upset and passionate people.

881
00:44:00,434 --> 00:44:02,505
One of the things that we might
do with our sin is, excuse

882
00:44:02,505 --> 00:44:05,205
it, and remember God is light.

883
00:44:06,135 --> 00:44:09,314
When the light giving God looks at our
life, does he say, you know what, son?

884
00:44:09,314 --> 00:44:10,755
That, that, that makes perfect sense.

885
00:44:10,844 --> 00:44:11,205
You're right.

886
00:44:11,205 --> 00:44:12,434
I did make you Italian.

887
00:44:12,495 --> 00:44:13,094
No problem.

888
00:44:13,140 --> 00:44:14,430
I'm gonna look the other way.

889
00:44:14,460 --> 00:44:15,180
Yeah, it's no big deal.

890
00:44:15,390 --> 00:44:16,650
No, we can't excuse it.

891
00:44:17,370 --> 00:44:18,450
We might compare it.

892
00:44:18,480 --> 00:44:19,650
We grate on the curve.

893
00:44:19,800 --> 00:44:22,200
I look at myself and say,
well, you know, based on how

894
00:44:22,200 --> 00:44:23,460
Pete's doing, I'm doing great.

895
00:44:24,270 --> 00:44:26,580
You know, if I'm looking at,
you know, I'm Pete Older and I'm

896
00:44:26,580 --> 00:44:27,960
doing a lot better for my age.

897
00:44:28,410 --> 00:44:29,250
Can't do that.

898
00:44:29,910 --> 00:44:31,560
God doesn't, not that I
have anything in mind.

899
00:44:31,560 --> 00:44:33,870
Pete, sorry, I just saw you there.

900
00:44:37,080 --> 00:44:38,460
I'm doing better than most of them.

901
00:44:38,940 --> 00:44:40,710
You wouldn't say that,
but you might think it.

902
00:44:42,705 --> 00:44:44,715
You should hear how other
dads talk to their kids.

903
00:44:46,125 --> 00:44:49,274
Might make you feel better
when you think that you should

904
00:44:49,274 --> 00:44:51,224
see how lazy my coworkers are.

905
00:44:52,575 --> 00:44:55,604
Well, I mean, these other kids, man,
they're, they're cussing up a storm

906
00:44:55,604 --> 00:44:57,585
and, you know, they're cheating with ai.

907
00:44:57,585 --> 00:45:00,675
And I, I, I go to class and
I, I don't do half of that.

908
00:45:03,555 --> 00:45:04,245
Don't excuse it.

909
00:45:04,245 --> 00:45:05,715
Don't compare it, don't justify it.

910
00:45:07,335 --> 00:45:08,505
And I was just so tired.

911
00:45:09,224 --> 00:45:10,245
I had such a bad week.

912
00:45:10,904 --> 00:45:12,795
I mean, I, you gotta understand.

913
00:45:12,795 --> 00:45:15,465
I was, I, I was frustrated
with this situation.

914
00:45:15,764 --> 00:45:18,285
So when you came at me with this
information, I was just so mad.

915
00:45:18,285 --> 00:45:19,425
You understand why I said what?

916
00:45:19,425 --> 00:45:20,115
I said.

917
00:45:21,555 --> 00:45:22,545
He had it coming.

918
00:45:23,684 --> 00:45:24,675
He was provoking me.

919
00:45:24,675 --> 00:45:25,635
What was I supposed to do?

920
00:45:28,335 --> 00:45:29,024
Don't excuse it.

921
00:45:29,024 --> 00:45:29,564
Don't compare it.

922
00:45:29,564 --> 00:45:30,585
Don't justify it.

923
00:45:31,064 --> 00:45:31,995
Don't minimize it.

924
00:45:33,229 --> 00:45:34,154
It was only one time.

925
00:45:35,325 --> 00:45:36,135
Never happen again.

926
00:45:39,255 --> 00:45:40,184
I raise my.

927
00:45:41,099 --> 00:45:41,969
Voice,

928
00:45:44,099 --> 00:45:46,559
but I didn't yell is there's a difference.

929
00:45:46,589 --> 00:45:47,399
I was just loud.

930
00:45:47,399 --> 00:45:48,299
I wasn't yelling at you.

931
00:45:48,299 --> 00:45:50,279
I was just, I was just
passionate about it.

932
00:45:51,839 --> 00:45:52,649
Nobody got hurt.

933
00:45:53,399 --> 00:45:53,939
It's not like anyone.

934
00:45:53,939 --> 00:45:56,969
I mean, I sure I threw the, I threw
the thing, but man, it hit the wall.

935
00:45:57,000 --> 00:45:58,799
It was just some, it's
some drywall damage.

936
00:45:58,799 --> 00:46:00,000
It's not that bad.

937
00:46:02,309 --> 00:46:02,939
Don't excuse it.

938
00:46:02,939 --> 00:46:03,450
Don't compare it.

939
00:46:03,450 --> 00:46:04,109
Don't justify it.

940
00:46:04,109 --> 00:46:07,830
Don't minimize its, here's a sneaky one.

941
00:46:08,339 --> 00:46:09,750
Don't rename it as a virtue.

942
00:46:11,474 --> 00:46:12,255
It's not rage.

943
00:46:12,255 --> 00:46:13,184
It's, it's just passion.

944
00:46:14,415 --> 00:46:15,255
It's not greed.

945
00:46:15,255 --> 00:46:18,434
It's providing for my family,
we, we need six bedrooms.

946
00:46:20,175 --> 00:46:21,465
It's not cowardice.

947
00:46:22,035 --> 00:46:23,384
I'm just keeping the peace.

948
00:46:23,444 --> 00:46:23,715
Right.

949
00:46:24,134 --> 00:46:27,194
Doesn't the scripture say blessed
are the peacemakers for they

950
00:46:27,194 --> 00:46:28,274
shall be called sons of God?

951
00:46:28,274 --> 00:46:28,365
Huh?

952
00:46:28,509 --> 00:46:28,729
Huh?

953
00:46:29,894 --> 00:46:31,064
This is like, this is a godly behavior.

954
00:46:31,394 --> 00:46:32,894
I'm just, I'm, I'm letting things be.

955
00:46:34,094 --> 00:46:37,274
I need we, God wants you to
tell yourself the truth, to

956
00:46:37,274 --> 00:46:38,564
not pull punches on yourself.

957
00:46:40,154 --> 00:46:41,895
If, if you're not gonna be honest
with yourself, it's gonna be

958
00:46:41,895 --> 00:46:44,234
much harder for you to be honest
with anyone else around you.

959
00:46:44,444 --> 00:46:46,635
And that includes the second
dimension, the second D.

960
00:46:46,635 --> 00:46:47,385
So the first one's you.

961
00:46:47,385 --> 00:46:48,314
Second one is the Lord.

962
00:46:48,765 --> 00:46:49,395
The Lord.

963
00:46:49,785 --> 00:46:50,984
The Lord knows where you are.

964
00:46:51,015 --> 00:46:51,795
You're lost in them all.

965
00:46:51,795 --> 00:46:54,585
But he knows exactly where you are
agreeing with God is to say, Lord, I

966
00:46:54,585 --> 00:46:55,965
know what, I know where my heart is.

967
00:46:56,355 --> 00:46:57,225
I'm angry.

968
00:46:57,314 --> 00:46:58,335
I'm impatience.

969
00:46:58,484 --> 00:47:00,255
I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm full of lust.

970
00:47:00,585 --> 00:47:02,774
Which Jesus says is adultery in the heart.

971
00:47:02,774 --> 00:47:03,825
I know it's just a few steps.

972
00:47:03,825 --> 00:47:06,135
Before I get to the end game
of that, Lord, guard me.

973
00:47:06,465 --> 00:47:09,915
And in fact, one verse I have for you,
uh, one passage, Psalm 1 39 verses

974
00:47:09,915 --> 00:47:13,245
23 and 24, I have this down for you.

975
00:47:13,330 --> 00:47:15,465
I, I would love for you to go
to the Lord of this with this.

976
00:47:15,644 --> 00:47:17,444
Search me oh God, and know my heart.

977
00:47:18,104 --> 00:47:21,255
Try me and know my thoughts and see
if there'd be any grievous way in me

978
00:47:21,255 --> 00:47:23,115
and lead me in the way everlasting.

979
00:47:26,715 --> 00:47:27,880
I need you to go to the
Lord with these things.

980
00:47:29,040 --> 00:47:30,479
This is probably the easiest part for you.

981
00:47:30,745 --> 00:47:33,720
I, I trust that for many of you,
you know this, this is the easy one.

982
00:47:33,720 --> 00:47:35,760
You go to the Lord, you talk
to the Lord about the things.

983
00:47:37,410 --> 00:47:39,660
But this third one, the third
D, in fact, let me just,

984
00:47:42,750 --> 00:47:43,649
the third D

985
00:47:45,810 --> 00:47:48,210
is where I need you to confess
to those you sin against.

986
00:47:50,310 --> 00:47:51,270
I don't know why.

987
00:47:51,750 --> 00:47:53,760
I have several guesses, and I'm
gonna let you figure this out in

988
00:47:53,760 --> 00:47:57,055
your small groups, it is so much
harder to confess this into people.

989
00:47:58,590 --> 00:48:02,670
Especially people that you love,
people that you trust, people whose

990
00:48:02,940 --> 00:48:06,600
relationship you value so much, you
would hate to lose them in your life.

991
00:48:06,630 --> 00:48:09,210
And yet they were some of the
hardest people to confess to.

992
00:48:09,450 --> 00:48:14,700
But scripture says, Jesus says in Matthew
chapter five, if you're offering your

993
00:48:14,700 --> 00:48:18,660
gift at the altar, you're, you're at,
you're at Sunday morning worship and

994
00:48:18,660 --> 00:48:20,190
you're ready to sing praises to the Lord.

995
00:48:20,190 --> 00:48:23,069
And, uh, you're, you're gonna
crown him the Lord of love as

996
00:48:23,069 --> 00:48:24,300
scripture, uh, as the song says.

997
00:48:24,899 --> 00:48:27,479
And Jesus says, but if you remember
that your brother has something

998
00:48:27,479 --> 00:48:30,899
against you 'cause you sinned against
them in some way, you said something,

999
00:48:30,899 --> 00:48:33,840
you did something, you hurt their
feelings, you sinned against them.

1000
00:48:34,019 --> 00:48:36,450
Jesus says, leave your gifts at the altar.

1001
00:48:37,109 --> 00:48:39,390
You pull out of the Compass
Bible Church parking lot and

1002
00:48:39,390 --> 00:48:40,740
you go drive to that friend.

1003
00:48:40,740 --> 00:48:41,790
And he said, man, I'm so sorry.

1004
00:48:41,970 --> 00:48:46,170
Can we rectify this first go and be
reconciled to your brother and then

1005
00:48:46,170 --> 00:48:48,840
come and offer your gift to the Lord?

1006
00:48:49,620 --> 00:48:52,019
That's how critical this is to Jesus.

1007
00:48:52,740 --> 00:48:56,460
Which I think you could assume this means,
this suggests that you're confessing.

1008
00:48:56,615 --> 00:48:57,779
I, I sinned against you.

1009
00:48:58,439 --> 00:49:03,330
I agree with God that what I said
to you was ungodly unhelpful.

1010
00:49:04,649 --> 00:49:05,760
Will you please forgive me?

1011
00:49:07,859 --> 00:49:13,950
I need you to confess your sins to those
you sinned against, man, woman, or child.

1012
00:49:15,750 --> 00:49:19,560
One of the best things you can do for
your kids is to own when you sin against

1013
00:49:19,560 --> 00:49:20,970
your kids, no matter how young they are.

1014
00:49:22,274 --> 00:49:23,955
What a beautiful display of the gospel.

1015
00:49:24,014 --> 00:49:26,444
It says, mom and dad need
Jesus as much as you do.

1016
00:49:27,135 --> 00:49:30,554
You need to see from me that I, I
mean this, and I'm gonna ask for your

1017
00:49:30,554 --> 00:49:31,724
forgiveness because it's sin against you.

1018
00:49:34,080 --> 00:49:37,425
I need you to confess your sins also
to those who can help you sin less.

1019
00:49:39,165 --> 00:49:43,064
The word for confession only appears
a few times in the New Testament,

1020
00:49:43,215 --> 00:49:48,644
believe it or not, but where it
does appear, most of those contexts.

1021
00:49:49,125 --> 00:49:51,524
At least point to public confession.

1022
00:49:53,115 --> 00:49:57,375
Now, it doesn't mean you're airing your
dirty laundry, but it does mean that,

1023
00:49:58,394 --> 00:50:03,314
that the tone of your life is one of
open, transparent honesty that I, I am,

1024
00:50:03,314 --> 00:50:08,085
I don't have it all together, and it's
more than that, James says in five 16.

1025
00:50:08,265 --> 00:50:11,234
Therefore, confess your sins
to one another and pray for one

1026
00:50:11,234 --> 00:50:13,425
another that you may be healed.

1027
00:50:14,055 --> 00:50:15,345
Confess your sins to one another.

1028
00:50:15,345 --> 00:50:17,745
Means I'm choosing some
godly men in my life.

1029
00:50:19,019 --> 00:50:22,889
Who I can say this is, this is
really where I'm at, and I'm not

1030
00:50:22,889 --> 00:50:24,240
going to give you platitudes.

1031
00:50:24,240 --> 00:50:26,609
I'm not gonna say, well, look,
I'm not gonna minimize it.

1032
00:50:26,670 --> 00:50:27,960
I'm not going to justify it.

1033
00:50:27,960 --> 00:50:29,910
I'm not going to validate
it or make it virtuous.

1034
00:50:29,910 --> 00:50:33,149
I'm just gonna say, man, I am,
I'm struggling with with sin,

1035
00:50:33,179 --> 00:50:34,410
or I'm struggling with greed.

1036
00:50:35,639 --> 00:50:38,819
I, I'm not giving anything to the church
because I, I feel like I need more money.

1037
00:50:41,790 --> 00:50:42,210
Sorry.

1038
00:50:42,444 --> 00:50:43,740
I, I feel, I feel for that.

1039
00:50:45,225 --> 00:50:48,165
It's not, I just, you know, I was, I
was maybe a bit harsh with my wife.

1040
00:50:48,165 --> 00:50:50,654
It's man, I, I said things
to her that I regret.

1041
00:50:50,715 --> 00:50:52,005
Here's, here's what I said.

1042
00:50:52,215 --> 00:50:53,475
Let me tell you what I did.

1043
00:50:56,685 --> 00:50:59,085
Confess your sins to one another
and pray for one another.

1044
00:50:59,654 --> 00:51:03,795
Purpose is not just to give you the
gossip, obviously purpose is to enlist

1045
00:51:03,795 --> 00:51:07,154
one another's help in prayer and also
in practice to walk in the light.

1046
00:51:07,484 --> 00:51:09,465
But James five points us to prayer.

1047
00:51:10,005 --> 00:51:10,575
Pray for one another.

1048
00:51:12,285 --> 00:51:15,224
Confession might be one of the things,
one of the ingredients that's often

1049
00:51:15,224 --> 00:51:19,514
missing in a godly man's life because
we think about confessing to God.

1050
00:51:20,115 --> 00:51:23,205
We might think about confessing to other,
you know, people that we sin against, and

1051
00:51:23,205 --> 00:51:24,434
we, maybe we get there, maybe we don't.

1052
00:51:25,394 --> 00:51:28,694
But I wonder how many of your
relationships contain genuine, honest

1053
00:51:28,694 --> 00:51:32,354
confession about where you're at, the
things that you're really wrestling with.

1054
00:51:34,080 --> 00:51:38,085
The, the reality is, man and I, I alluded
this beginning of, of my sermon here.

1055
00:51:39,285 --> 00:51:45,795
People are frustrated with churches, in
part because they're happy factories.

1056
00:51:46,455 --> 00:51:49,304
You know, there, there's production
and the songs are all upbeat

1057
00:51:49,304 --> 00:51:52,245
and uplifting, and everything's
amazing and life's wonderful.

1058
00:51:53,384 --> 00:51:55,125
And maybe for some
people that is the case.

1059
00:51:55,184 --> 00:51:57,790
But for many of us, we know what
it's like to live in a fallen world.

1060
00:51:58,979 --> 00:52:01,590
We know what it's like to have family
members diagnosed with cancer, and

1061
00:52:01,590 --> 00:52:04,319
maybe in front of people you're
smiling and happy about that.

1062
00:52:04,319 --> 00:52:05,729
You, I trust the Lord, God bless.

1063
00:52:05,729 --> 00:52:06,540
You know, God bless us.

1064
00:52:06,540 --> 00:52:09,149
He's been so kind, but maybe behind closed
doors, maybe you're on the verge of tears.

1065
00:52:09,149 --> 00:52:10,170
Maybe you are crying to the Lord.

1066
00:52:11,099 --> 00:52:12,569
Is anyone carrying that burden with you?

1067
00:52:12,960 --> 00:52:15,540
Is there anyone that you can confess
to and say, I'm weak right now.

1068
00:52:16,380 --> 00:52:20,250
Will you please, uh, I'm like, Moses,
I, I can't even hold my hands up.

1069
00:52:20,250 --> 00:52:21,509
I just, I'm losing hope.

1070
00:52:21,509 --> 00:52:23,009
I'm losing trust.

1071
00:52:23,189 --> 00:52:25,710
I'm wrestling with the sin
and I'm losing in that area.

1072
00:52:26,099 --> 00:52:26,729
I just need help.

1073
00:52:26,729 --> 00:52:27,719
Will you please pray for me.

1074
00:52:27,719 --> 00:52:28,319
Will you please?

1075
00:52:28,590 --> 00:52:30,719
Will you help me go to the Lord with this?

1076
00:52:31,920 --> 00:52:36,599
The beautiful thing about confession
is that it taps into Jesus cleansing.

1077
00:52:37,559 --> 00:52:40,889
It reminds you that your sins have in
fact been forgiven, and that's one of

1078
00:52:40,889 --> 00:52:42,120
the roles that we play with each other.

1079
00:52:42,314 --> 00:52:44,849
We, we remind each other, you
have been forgiven of sin.

1080
00:52:45,719 --> 00:52:53,370
Your sins have been washed by Jesus,
and you don't have to fear pride.

1081
00:52:54,870 --> 00:52:56,085
You don't have to fear shame.

1082
00:52:57,434 --> 00:52:58,455
Your sins have been dealt with,

1083
00:53:00,495 --> 00:53:04,455
and the kind of assurance that man
derives is not an assurance from

1084
00:53:04,455 --> 00:53:08,984
hiding, but from sharing and being
honest about his heart and his mind.

1085
00:53:10,514 --> 00:53:13,514
This is one of the areas that often
doesn't get talked about with regard

1086
00:53:13,514 --> 00:53:17,625
to our assurance, is that transparent,
vulnerable, honest relationship

1087
00:53:17,625 --> 00:53:19,724
with other godly men that we could
say, oh, this is where I'm at.

1088
00:53:19,724 --> 00:53:20,444
This is where I'm at.

1089
00:53:20,745 --> 00:53:21,345
Please help me.

1090
00:53:23,910 --> 00:53:26,880
KFC's recipe might be a heavily
guarded secret, but the recipe

1091
00:53:26,880 --> 00:53:28,319
for assurance is wide open.

1092
00:53:29,370 --> 00:53:33,720
John wants us to, to realize that the
recipe for assurance is preserving a

1093
00:53:33,720 --> 00:53:35,340
biblical standard of righteousness.

1094
00:53:35,700 --> 00:53:36,720
God is light in him.

1095
00:53:36,720 --> 00:53:37,560
There's no darkness at all.

1096
00:53:37,590 --> 00:53:38,730
Let's not lower that standard.

1097
00:53:38,730 --> 00:53:40,470
Let's keep the, let's
keep that standard high.

1098
00:53:41,850 --> 00:53:44,190
One of our distinctives is we
maintain a high view of God.

1099
00:53:44,190 --> 00:53:47,310
The word maintenance is important because
the tendency for most of us is to bring

1100
00:53:47,310 --> 00:53:49,140
God down, to make him more comfortable.

1101
00:53:50,085 --> 00:53:52,785
Secondly, we want to evaluate
the integrity of our obedience.

1102
00:53:53,205 --> 00:53:58,514
We have to be men who understand that good
works and fruit is not a prerequisite of

1103
00:53:58,514 --> 00:54:00,974
salvation, but it is a post requisite.

1104
00:54:01,604 --> 00:54:03,075
This is what God expects of us.

1105
00:54:03,524 --> 00:54:06,404
But knowing that we will never
fully walk or rights, we'll never

1106
00:54:06,465 --> 00:54:10,424
fully walk perfectly, we can number
three readily confess our sins.

1107
00:54:10,484 --> 00:54:11,894
Because our sins have been forgiven.

1108
00:54:12,465 --> 00:54:15,615
We've been freed, the
chains have been broken.

1109
00:54:15,915 --> 00:54:18,674
Your sin has been nailed to the cross,
and now you can walk in the lights.

1110
00:54:18,944 --> 00:54:22,995
And walking in light, as we just learned
critically, is not just perfection.

1111
00:54:23,745 --> 00:54:25,875
Walking in the light means
confessing our darkness.

1112
00:54:27,375 --> 00:54:31,844
And when we do that, assurance
grows your love for the Lord.

1113
00:54:31,844 --> 00:54:35,354
Your knowledge of him, your even your
intimacy with the body of Christ grows

1114
00:54:35,415 --> 00:54:37,304
and assurance grows where that happens.

1115
00:54:37,335 --> 00:54:37,934
Let's pray together.

1116
00:54:37,934 --> 00:54:38,774
God help us.

1117
00:54:39,915 --> 00:54:40,484
Please

1118
00:54:42,615 --> 00:54:45,884
help us to apply this Lord.

1119
00:54:45,884 --> 00:54:47,354
No one in this room ever says.

1120
00:54:48,224 --> 00:54:49,665
We never say that we're without sin.

1121
00:54:50,894 --> 00:54:54,465
No one, no one among this room would've
would've ever verbalize it out loud.

1122
00:54:55,365 --> 00:54:59,205
It's how we live that often
communicates that when we justify our

1123
00:54:59,205 --> 00:55:01,545
sin or downplay it, we minimize it.

1124
00:55:03,224 --> 00:55:04,064
We make it a virtue.

1125
00:55:04,064 --> 00:55:08,175
We, we, we explain away our sin in order
to, to say to others, I have no sin.

1126
00:55:09,075 --> 00:55:10,604
And Lord, your word exposes us.

1127
00:55:11,474 --> 00:55:14,444
Let it be true of this
church Lord, that our men.

1128
00:55:15,225 --> 00:55:19,995
Are acutely aware that we are
sinners who desperately need regular

1129
00:55:20,055 --> 00:55:22,125
forgiveness and cleansing from Christ.

1130
00:55:23,325 --> 00:55:25,635
We trust that all of us here have
put our faith in Christ once and for

1131
00:55:25,635 --> 00:55:30,944
all, and that has given us security
and assurance that will never expire.

1132
00:55:32,355 --> 00:55:35,295
That doesn't change the fact that we
still sin while we're in the flesh.

1133
00:55:35,475 --> 00:55:39,555
Help us Lord to walk in humble
contract, confession, even as

1134
00:55:39,555 --> 00:55:41,024
we seek to grow in obedience.

1135
00:55:41,595 --> 00:55:43,845
We pray for great small groups,
Lord, where we can be honest.

1136
00:55:45,420 --> 00:55:48,810
Prudently, honest and authentic
and helpful to one another's faith.

1137
00:55:49,830 --> 00:55:50,850
We ask this in Jesus' name.

1138
00:55:51,480 --> 00:55:51,810
Amen.