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Hello and welcome to the
Middletown Baptist Church podcast,

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where we are proclaiming the
truth to the world.

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My name is Pastor Josh, and I
want to thank you for listening to

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this podcast.

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I hope that this podcast can
be a blessing to you and strengthen

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you in the word of God.

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Now, come along, let's look
into the Bible and see what God has

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for us here today.

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All right, so your Bibles will
be in First John tonight.

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First John, chapter two.

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Thank you, Pastor Josh, for
allowing me to share God's word tonight.

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And it's been such an encouragement.

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Pastor sermons in the last
several Sundays to Second Corinthians.

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And as I was praying about a
passage that God wanted to speak

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from, it was just incredible.

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This morning's sermon,
specifically how there were many

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passages that just tied right
in with the idea of abiding in Christ,

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sustaining our lives in God's
commandments through his Word.

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And then he quoted the passage
directly this morning in the sermon.

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I was like, wow.

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I was like, that's awesome.

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You know, almost like a
preview for tonight.

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So it's amazing to see the
Holy Spirit just working in those

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different details like that.

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But a question for you.

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Have you ever had the
responsibility to train an animal

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or to train, whatever, like,
fill in the blank.

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Maybe as a child, maybe it's a
worker, maybe it's, you know, whatever

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it is, fill in the blank.

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When I was a young boy, I had
gotten this brand new puppy, Australian

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shepherd.

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And you talk about high energy.

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And Nelson could probably come
after the sermon if I'm wrong, but

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I believe those are like more
of an energetic type of a dog.

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And so they're more of a
challenge to train.

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And so my parents, they tell
me, we got this dog for you.

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And I go pick her up and bring
her back.

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And as soon as they out of the
cage, she goes running all over the

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garage, you know, goes pooping
everywhere, peeing here and there.

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And you're trying to train
this dog, trying to bring this dog

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in and be like, hey, hey, come
on, listen, listen.

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And to my shame, I wasn't able
to fully train that dog as I could

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have done that.

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But I remember the dog, they
would put the dog in the backyard,

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she'd be in this restricted
cage, and she would just be barking

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off like crazy.

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I mean, barking to no end.

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And the neighbor actually
called us out because the dog would

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not stop barking in the backyard.

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Now, obviously, as a child,
let's say I come in, I'm like, hey,

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you know what?

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Do you have a dog you want trained?

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Why don't you come ask me.

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I'm an expert, right?

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Are you going to come to me
when I tell you that experience,

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that story from that dog who I
didn't train very well?

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No.

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But if I told you about
somebody else I know who's an expert

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in training dogs?

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They take these dogs they go
out with and they have certain group

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training classes and they go
out and they take the dog out to

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go shopping, right?

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Maybe they take this dog to go
to Home Depot.

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They take it through more of a
lifestyle, right.

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More of a step by step
training program.

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Right.

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And that's fill in the blank
with that dog company.

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And in many ways we are like
that, right?

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God compares us to being like
a sheep.

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And as we're a sheep, what are sheep?

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They don't know what they're
doing, right.

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They get lost easily.

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They need a shepherd to guide
them, to direct them.

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But just like that, we are
called as God's people to follow

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God's commandments, to follow
after him.

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And here in the book of First
John, the author of this book was

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the apostle of Jesus Christ.

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And the beginning church
Father Arrhenius wrote at the early

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date.

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And all of the evidence
externally and internally concludes

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in this book that John the
apostle was the author.

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Now who is John?

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Well, John was the disciple
who was right next to Christ the

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night before his crucifixion.

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He was in the Lord's Supper
and he's laying right across Jesus,

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right across Jesus chest.

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This was the disciple whom
Jesus loved.

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Why?

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How did he love Jesus?

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Well, it was demonstrated
through his life.

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He loved Christ.

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He was a faithful follower of
Christ even to the end.

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And this book, when it was
written, it was actually written

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when he was in a very old age.

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They say he was around
somewhere around 90 to 100 years

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old, like much further on.

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But a faithful man of God who
loved Christ, who loved the Lord,

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who loved his Word, and he was
faithful to following after Christ.

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First John 5:13, it states
these things have I written unto

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you that believe on the name
of the Son of God that ye may know

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that ye have eternal life and
that ye may believe on the name of

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the Son of God.

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That pretty much summarizes
the whole purpose of the book of

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First John.

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So John writes this book near
the end of his life to encourage

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believers to be real about
their love for God through a genuine

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walk with him.

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In First John, chapter one, it
talks about how a genuine walk with

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God reveals a biblical
framework for Christ and for sin.

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As we get into chapter two, it
talks about how a genuine walk with

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God reveals a biblical
framework for obedience and love.

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In the last part of chapter
two into chapter three, it talks

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about how a genuine walk with
God reveals areas of self deceit

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and public deceit through Antichrist.

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And the final portion of one
John, it talks about how a genuine

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walk with God reveals a
biblical framework for proper doctrine.

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So we're here in First John
chapter two tonight.

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And what does God want us to
hear about this from?

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1 John chapter 2 Is this God
wants you to simply follow him.

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How can you follow Christ?

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Well, you can follow Christ by
noting three results of somebody

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who chooses to reflect him.

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Somebody of three specific
results that come of a follower of

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Christ.

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First, we're going to see that
you must completely yield to Christ.

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Second, you must remain in the light.

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And third, you must follow
God's will.

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So the first point tonight is
you must completely yield to Christ.

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Now, Christopher Reeb,
Christopher Reeve was an actor for

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the Superman Superman film Man
of steel back in 1978, right?

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A demonstration of a Superman.

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Somebody who was strong,
somebody who was powerful, someone

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who was able to conquer the
world and be the world's superhero.

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But one fateful day in 1995,
Christopher Reeves ended up getting

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paralyzed in equestrian competition.

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Now, before this accident,
Chris was known for his efforts and

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activism as a rich screen
career he had built before his accident.

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But it only took a horse in
this horse competition that was not

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trained properly.

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And I wonder today with this
example that we see of how this man

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who had been so strong, had
such a strong built career and this

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horse completely destroyed it
all by not simply yielding to him

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riding that horse for us, God
has called us to be Christ followers.

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And what is the testimony of
Christ for your life?

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Are you somebody who has
demonstrated that you are a true

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Christ follower, that you are
obeying God's commandments, that

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you're yielding yourself to him?

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Well, that's our first point
tonight we're going to see, and God

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having us follow after him, is
that you must completely yield to

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Christ.

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Let's look at 1 John 2, verse 1.

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It states, My little children,
these things write unto you that

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ye sin not.

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And if any man sinned, we have
an advocate with the Father, Jesus

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Christ the righteous.

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And he is the propitiation for
our sins, and not for ours only,

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but also for the sins of the
whole world.

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And hereby we do know that we
know him if we keep his commandments.

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He that saith, I know him and
keepeth not his commandments is a

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liar.

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And the Truth is not in him,
but whoso keepeth his word in him.

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Verily is the love of God perfected.

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Hereby know we that we are in Him.

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He that saith he abideth in
him ought himself also so to walk

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even as he walked.

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So you see here in verse one,
John is writing this in his older

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age, much later stage in life.

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He's writing this to
believers, and he's calling them.

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He's calling us, his little
children, younger believers, younger

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individuals who were in the faith.

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And what does he say?

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He says, I'm writing these
things to you.

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Why?

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Last part of verse one, it
says that ye sin not.

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Now is like Pastor Josh has
been saying in the sermons.

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Right?

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Does that mean we can.

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We'll never, ever.

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We'll completely stop sinning
in our entire lives?

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No.

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But we can continue to sin less.

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Right?

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And, but, and even in First
John, verse chapter one, you can

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see towards the end of chapter
one, in verse nine, John gives that

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remedy for sin in our lives.

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He says if we confess our
sins, he is faithful and just to

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forgive us our sins and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

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So John understands that there
is sin that comes into our life.

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But has God called us to
harbor sin?

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Has God called us to keep it
to ourselves, to keep it quiet?

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No.

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God calls us to have a life of
confession before God.

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And that word confess there,
it literally means to say the same

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thing as.

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And so as we confess our sins
to God, we're being open with God

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and we're saying, this is a
sin that I have committed against

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you, naming it out to God and
saying, lord, please forgive me.

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And John says there that he is
faithful and he is just.

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By God being faithful, every
single time we sin, every single

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time we fall, he is faithful
to forgive us, but also he's just.

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A lot of times, if you've been
like me or other people who I've

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talked to before, maybe it's
the same exact sin you've done many

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times over.

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And you're like man, will God
forgive me of this sin?

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I've done this for the
millionth time this year.

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I've done this to my spouse
for the 50th time.

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I've done this to my child the
nth time.

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Will God still forgive me?

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God is faithful, for he will
forgive you of your sin.

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And he is also just.

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Why is he just?

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Because he's the One who
created the whole system.

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He's the One who created the
whole system of forgiveness of sins

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by sending his own son Jesus,
to die for us.

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And it talks about that in
verse 2 of 1 John, chapter 2.

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It says, he is the
propitiation for our sins, not for

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ours only, but also for the
sins of the whole world.

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Now we are called to live holy
lives before God, right?

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Like that horse that was
supposed to submit to Christopher

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Reeve, that was supposed to.

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Was supposed to do all these
cool tricks and everything completely

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ruined the opportunity for
Chris to be able to be showing and

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having this fun and this competition.

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We have to be careful because
there are devastating consequences

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for the cause of Christ if we
do not choose to follow after him

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and for ourselves.

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Verse one, it says, if any man
sins, we have an advocate with the

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Father, with God the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous.

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This word for advocate, it
literally means to come alongside

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a pleader or an intercessor.

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Let me ask you a question.

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Have you found yourself in a
situation where you don't know the

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answer, you have no idea what
the solution is to get you out of

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this problem?

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Maybe it's recently, maybe
it's in the next week, as we have

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a huge question mark about the
results of certain things happening

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around us.

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But where do we find our answers?

239
00:11:24,337 --> 00:11:25,725
Do we find it in government?

240
00:11:26,305 --> 00:11:28,325
Do we find it in man?

241
00:11:28,665 --> 00:11:30,565
Do we find it in the man of steel?

242
00:11:31,385 --> 00:11:33,285
No, we find it in Christ.

243
00:11:33,625 --> 00:11:35,705
He is the wonderful counselor.

244
00:11:35,745 --> 00:11:37,369
Isaiah wrote that as one.

245
00:11:37,417 --> 00:11:41,353
As one of the titles of
Christ, he is our wonderful counselor.

246
00:11:41,449 --> 00:11:44,713
And every single time that we
are going through a situation, if

247
00:11:44,729 --> 00:11:48,001
there's anybody who knows
better than we do about a situation,

248
00:11:48,073 --> 00:11:49,005
it's Christ.

249
00:11:49,625 --> 00:11:51,361
Hebrews chapter four talks
about that.

250
00:11:51,393 --> 00:11:52,969
It says, we have a high priest.

251
00:11:53,057 --> 00:11:55,553
He is touched with the feeling
of our infirmities.

252
00:11:55,649 --> 00:11:56,169
Why?

253
00:11:56,297 --> 00:11:58,505
Because he walked this earth.

254
00:11:58,625 --> 00:12:02,321
He went through suffering, he
went through hardship, he went through

255
00:12:02,393 --> 00:12:05,313
difficulties, he went through
loss, he went through.

256
00:12:05,409 --> 00:12:08,411
He went through separation, he
went through isolation.

257
00:12:08,553 --> 00:12:13,795
If anybody knew what it was
like to be rejected, to be despised.

258
00:12:14,655 --> 00:12:16,755
If anybody knew what it was
like, it was Christ.

259
00:12:19,135 --> 00:12:22,995
Have you ever asked him to
help you get through your situation?

260
00:12:23,495 --> 00:12:29,007
Have you ever prayed to him
and said, lord, I find myself in

261
00:12:29,031 --> 00:12:32,415
this exact same issue again,
in this exact same problem again.

262
00:12:32,575 --> 00:12:35,883
What's the definition of
insanity is doing the same thing

263
00:12:35,939 --> 00:12:39,255
over and over and over again,
but expecting a different result.

264
00:12:39,675 --> 00:12:40,107
Right?

265
00:12:40,171 --> 00:12:43,011
Maybe you say to yourself,
well, you know, I've been trying

266
00:12:43,043 --> 00:12:44,099
to figure this out.

267
00:12:44,267 --> 00:12:47,575
I keep going to TikTok, I keep
going to YouTube, I keep going to

268
00:12:48,315 --> 00:12:49,515
different books.

269
00:12:49,675 --> 00:12:52,987
But take God's book, take
God's Word.

270
00:12:53,131 --> 00:12:58,775
Ask God to show you Pastor
Josh was talking about thinking biblically.

271
00:12:59,805 --> 00:13:03,581
Take God's word, ask God to
show you as you go.

272
00:13:03,613 --> 00:13:04,909
And you're looking for resources.

273
00:13:04,957 --> 00:13:06,893
Maybe you're looking for a podcast.

274
00:13:06,949 --> 00:13:11,685
Maybe you're looking for
resources to be able to help to supplement.

275
00:13:11,805 --> 00:13:14,237
Okay, what is something that
ties in with what God's word is saying?

276
00:13:14,261 --> 00:13:16,869
Well, I would encourage you,
as you're looking at that resource,

277
00:13:16,917 --> 00:13:18,465
to say, where is this?

278
00:13:18,765 --> 00:13:21,105
Where are these thought
processes coming from?

279
00:13:21,645 --> 00:13:26,373
Is this just coming from
generic, the world's wisdom, where

280
00:13:26,389 --> 00:13:27,945
the world's saying, oh, you
know what?

281
00:13:28,645 --> 00:13:31,773
You have to do it this way
because behaviorally this is the

282
00:13:31,789 --> 00:13:32,421
right thing to do.

283
00:13:32,453 --> 00:13:35,701
Because we know intellectually
this is the right thing to do.

284
00:13:35,733 --> 00:13:38,701
Even though it may not be in
the practice of what God's word's

285
00:13:38,733 --> 00:13:42,565
saying, it may not be in
practice with, oh, God's called me

286
00:13:42,605 --> 00:13:45,901
to be, let's say, for example,
a godly parent.

287
00:13:46,013 --> 00:13:46,477
Right?

288
00:13:46,581 --> 00:13:51,333
I have to fulfill my role as a
father, as a mother, maybe as a godly

289
00:13:51,429 --> 00:13:51,925
grandparent.

290
00:13:51,965 --> 00:13:55,407
And being a biblical guide and
guiding them and following after

291
00:13:55,471 --> 00:13:56,047
Scripture.

292
00:13:56,151 --> 00:14:01,695
This is what we're talking
about, is finding how we can follow

293
00:14:01,735 --> 00:14:03,463
God's commandments and
following through Christ.

294
00:14:03,519 --> 00:14:06,847
And he says there in verse
one, if any man sin, we have an advocate

295
00:14:06,871 --> 00:14:08,415
with the Father, Jesus Christ,
the righteous.

296
00:14:08,455 --> 00:14:10,055
We confess our sins to him.

297
00:14:10,175 --> 00:14:11,695
We seek him for direction.

298
00:14:11,815 --> 00:14:13,635
And maybe you say, well, you
know what?

299
00:14:14,055 --> 00:14:16,075
Maybe I've been having this
one struggle.

300
00:14:16,375 --> 00:14:19,315
Maybe I've been having this
one addiction.

301
00:14:19,905 --> 00:14:25,329
And you say, I keep trying to
find other substitutes to find satisfaction

302
00:14:25,377 --> 00:14:26,485
with this problem.

303
00:14:27,225 --> 00:14:30,953
Well, God wants us not to be
turning to substitutes, not to be

304
00:14:30,969 --> 00:14:34,617
turning to other things, but
turning to him, saying, lord, I'm

305
00:14:34,641 --> 00:14:36,953
done with this struggle and
I'm yielding this to you.

306
00:14:37,129 --> 00:14:39,045
Have you yielded that struggle
to him?

307
00:14:39,465 --> 00:14:41,705
As you yield that struggle to
him, you ask him for wisdom.

308
00:14:41,745 --> 00:14:43,457
You take his word, he's going
to teach you.

309
00:14:43,481 --> 00:14:44,805
He's going to lead you.

310
00:14:46,635 --> 00:14:50,435
But in verse three, it says,
hereby we do know that we know him

311
00:14:50,515 --> 00:14:51,635
if we keep his commandments.

312
00:14:51,675 --> 00:14:55,375
Maybe you say, well, am I a
follower of Christ?

313
00:14:55,755 --> 00:14:57,735
Is Christ truly leading me?

314
00:14:58,595 --> 00:15:00,443
What's a good litmus test for that?

315
00:15:00,579 --> 00:15:02,575
How can we know if God is
leading us?

316
00:15:02,875 --> 00:15:06,075
Well, verse three there it
says, hereby we do know that we know

317
00:15:06,115 --> 00:15:08,295
him if we keep his commandments.

318
00:15:08,595 --> 00:15:09,827
A couple of things.

319
00:15:09,971 --> 00:15:12,569
One, are you spending time in
God's Word faithfully?

320
00:15:12,747 --> 00:15:15,629
Are you spending time with God
in prayer on a regular basis?

321
00:15:15,677 --> 00:15:19,061
Are you being faithful in your
walk with him as you're fellowshiping

322
00:15:19,093 --> 00:15:23,189
with him, as you're going
throughout your week Monday morning,

323
00:15:23,277 --> 00:15:23,477
right?

324
00:15:23,501 --> 00:15:25,385
You wake up Monday morning
before work.

325
00:15:25,805 --> 00:15:28,461
Maybe Monday night you're
going to bed.

326
00:15:28,573 --> 00:15:29,461
What's your first thought?

327
00:15:29,493 --> 00:15:31,021
What is your closing thought
to each day?

328
00:15:31,053 --> 00:15:32,105
Is it on Christ?

329
00:15:33,005 --> 00:15:34,381
Are you meditating on his word?

330
00:15:34,413 --> 00:15:36,741
Are you spending time talking
to him throughout your day?

331
00:15:36,773 --> 00:15:40,055
Is it possible to, all the
time, as the Bible says, pray without

332
00:15:40,095 --> 00:15:40,431
ceasing?

333
00:15:40,503 --> 00:15:43,159
I could be constantly praying,
you know, throughout the whole day,

334
00:15:43,247 --> 00:15:44,663
you know, throughout a whole
work project.

335
00:15:44,719 --> 00:15:45,615
Throughout the entire.

336
00:15:45,735 --> 00:15:46,967
Throughout my entire workday.

337
00:15:47,031 --> 00:15:47,255
No.

338
00:15:47,295 --> 00:15:47,471
Right.

339
00:15:47,503 --> 00:15:48,847
You have those responsibilities.

340
00:15:48,911 --> 00:15:54,551
But as you were in the motion
of life, we are yielding the end

341
00:15:54,583 --> 00:15:57,231
result of what we're doing to
him, saying, lord, take this project

342
00:15:57,303 --> 00:15:58,519
and use this for your glory.

343
00:15:58,567 --> 00:16:01,343
Lord, take this situation and
maybe you don't have an answer for

344
00:16:01,359 --> 00:16:01,879
it at work.

345
00:16:01,927 --> 00:16:05,407
Maybe it's a family situation,
maybe it's a financial situation.

346
00:16:05,591 --> 00:16:09,431
Whatever scenario it is, as
you are working through it, maybe

347
00:16:09,463 --> 00:16:13,327
you have to be physically
present, thinking through logistics

348
00:16:13,391 --> 00:16:15,991
of things, but yielding it to
him, saying, lord, I'm yielding this

349
00:16:16,023 --> 00:16:19,475
to you on a continual basis as
I'm working through this struggle.

350
00:16:20,895 --> 00:16:25,375
But if we are truly following
after Christ, if we're truly desiring

351
00:16:25,415 --> 00:16:28,675
to follow after him, we need
to yield it to Christ.

352
00:16:29,015 --> 00:16:30,703
Have you given that problem to Christ?

353
00:16:30,759 --> 00:16:32,007
Have you given that struggle
to Him?

354
00:16:32,031 --> 00:16:34,667
To saying, lord, I'm done
doing this myself.

355
00:16:34,731 --> 00:16:36,495
I want to give it over to you?

356
00:16:37,115 --> 00:16:41,451
We see in verse one, Jesus
Christ is titled as the advocate

357
00:16:41,603 --> 00:16:42,695
with the Father.

358
00:16:43,075 --> 00:16:45,723
But we see he's also Jesus
Christ the righteous.

359
00:16:45,779 --> 00:16:47,907
The last part of verse one,
there we have an advocate with the

360
00:16:47,931 --> 00:16:49,775
Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

361
00:16:50,155 --> 00:16:54,171
Now, this title talking about
Christ is one who is upright, keeping

362
00:16:54,203 --> 00:16:55,855
the commands of God.

363
00:16:56,395 --> 00:17:01,735
His way of thinking, feeling
and acting is wholly conformed to

364
00:17:01,775 --> 00:17:02,519
the will of God.

365
00:17:02,567 --> 00:17:04,035
Think about that for a second.

366
00:17:05,295 --> 00:17:08,975
This description of Jesus
Christ is somebody who is keeping

367
00:17:09,055 --> 00:17:10,663
the commands of God.

368
00:17:10,799 --> 00:17:15,871
However he's thinking, however
he's feeling, he continually has

369
00:17:15,943 --> 00:17:18,727
demonstrated a faithfulness to
following after God's commandments,

370
00:17:18,791 --> 00:17:22,235
following after what the
Father has for him.

371
00:17:22,655 --> 00:17:25,367
All throughout the Gospels,
you can see that Jesus talks about

372
00:17:25,431 --> 00:17:29,720
how I'm following after my
Father's will, I'm seeking after

373
00:17:29,832 --> 00:17:30,608
what he wants.

374
00:17:30,656 --> 00:17:34,440
Even the night before his
crucifixion, he was before the Father.

375
00:17:34,552 --> 00:17:39,656
He was battling, drinking the
cup of the wrath of God for the punishment

376
00:17:39,680 --> 00:17:41,560
of the sins in the entire world.

377
00:17:41,752 --> 00:17:46,360
And he was saying, father, if
it be your will, let this cup pass

378
00:17:46,392 --> 00:17:49,604
from me nevertheless, yet not
my will, but thy will be done.

379
00:17:49,984 --> 00:17:55,124
You see that really strong and
difficult situation where Christian

380
00:17:55,455 --> 00:17:57,879
Was praying and saying,
father, this is not my will, but

381
00:17:57,887 --> 00:17:59,435
I'm going to follow your will.

382
00:17:59,855 --> 00:18:04,167
It was a very hard struggle
for him, but he yielded it to the

383
00:18:04,191 --> 00:18:04,911
Father.

384
00:18:05,103 --> 00:18:08,023
Is there a hard struggle for
you that God's calling you to walk

385
00:18:08,079 --> 00:18:08,675
through?

386
00:18:08,975 --> 00:18:10,663
And you've not been embracing.

387
00:18:10,719 --> 00:18:14,463
You've been saying, man, this
is a very difficult thing that you're

388
00:18:14,479 --> 00:18:15,071
calling me to do.

389
00:18:15,103 --> 00:18:17,799
Maybe you say it's in your
marriage, maybe you say it's with

390
00:18:17,847 --> 00:18:18,295
parenting.

391
00:18:18,335 --> 00:18:24,553
Maybe you say it is a very
difficult task and I'm ready to throw

392
00:18:24,569 --> 00:18:27,085
the towel out, I'm ready to be
done with it.

393
00:18:27,465 --> 00:18:30,057
But God's called you to be in
that relationship.

394
00:18:30,201 --> 00:18:33,881
God's called you to work
through that problem because he wants

395
00:18:33,913 --> 00:18:38,897
to show you more through his
word, through the growth, through

396
00:18:38,921 --> 00:18:39,249
that.

397
00:18:39,337 --> 00:18:41,857
And you have no idea what
God's going to do as a result of

398
00:18:41,881 --> 00:18:42,445
it.

399
00:18:42,785 --> 00:18:47,123
If you choose to be faithful
into saying God, you've called for

400
00:18:47,139 --> 00:18:48,535
me to be in this situation.

401
00:18:48,835 --> 00:18:50,659
I'm going to embrace it.

402
00:18:50,827 --> 00:18:53,171
Because I know at the end of
it, you're trying to show me more

403
00:18:53,203 --> 00:18:53,723
about yourself.

404
00:18:53,779 --> 00:18:57,575
You're trying to show me more
of how I can be like you.

405
00:18:58,315 --> 00:18:59,695
And it's not easy.

406
00:19:00,275 --> 00:19:02,347
Going through the fire is not easy.

407
00:19:02,531 --> 00:19:04,859
Going through a difficult
situation is not easy.

408
00:19:04,907 --> 00:19:05,495
Right?

409
00:19:06,475 --> 00:19:08,571
Our direct reaction is to jump
out, right?

410
00:19:08,603 --> 00:19:09,895
To abandon ship.

411
00:19:10,355 --> 00:19:14,041
But God calls us to endure
through it, to push through it.

412
00:19:14,073 --> 00:19:15,369
And that's what Christ did for us.

413
00:19:15,417 --> 00:19:16,297
I love this.

414
00:19:16,401 --> 00:19:20,017
In verse two that he says he
is the propitiation for our sins.

415
00:19:20,161 --> 00:19:25,121
He was the satisfying
sacrifice to God the Father, the

416
00:19:25,153 --> 00:19:28,793
perfect sacrifice that Jesus
Christ did for us.

417
00:19:28,849 --> 00:19:31,885
He endured the death of the cross.

418
00:19:32,305 --> 00:19:33,537
He endured it.

419
00:19:33,641 --> 00:19:35,605
He endured under it.

420
00:19:36,225 --> 00:19:40,161
Just as God is calling us to
go through difficulties, he's calling

421
00:19:40,193 --> 00:19:42,597
for us to endure under it.

422
00:19:42,701 --> 00:19:43,133
Why?

423
00:19:43,229 --> 00:19:45,253
Because God likes to see us
get tortured?

424
00:19:45,389 --> 00:19:49,565
No, he calls us to be able to
give him the glory through it.

425
00:19:49,685 --> 00:19:52,517
He calls us to be able to
follow after Christ.

426
00:19:52,581 --> 00:19:55,037
As Christ went through that,
he suffered.

427
00:19:55,141 --> 00:19:57,349
Philippians 2 talks about
that, how he humbled himself.

428
00:19:57,397 --> 00:19:58,665
The death of the cross.

429
00:19:59,125 --> 00:20:02,573
Wherefore God also hath given
image above every name.

430
00:20:02,749 --> 00:20:06,181
He was lifted up and he was
able to glorify God through that

431
00:20:06,213 --> 00:20:06,905
situation.

432
00:20:07,775 --> 00:20:09,655
And that's the design that God
has for us.

433
00:20:09,695 --> 00:20:14,767
He calls for us to not embrace
our own desires, to not embrace our

434
00:20:14,791 --> 00:20:18,759
own lusts, but to embrace what
God's will is through it.

435
00:20:18,927 --> 00:20:21,783
And sometimes God's will is
for us to endure through that difficult

436
00:20:21,839 --> 00:20:24,715
situation or that difficult circumstance.

437
00:20:25,935 --> 00:20:30,135
So Christ is that satisfying
sacrifice, but his perfect Sacrifice

438
00:20:30,295 --> 00:20:32,275
which pleased God the Father.

439
00:20:33,265 --> 00:20:35,369
Then it became accessible to anybody.

440
00:20:35,497 --> 00:20:37,249
You see this awesome result
that comes.

441
00:20:37,297 --> 00:20:39,073
John 1:12 talks about this.

442
00:20:39,209 --> 00:20:42,641
John wrote, he said, but as
many as received him, to them gave

443
00:20:42,673 --> 00:20:45,609
you power to become the sons
of God, even to them that believe

444
00:20:45,657 --> 00:20:46,645
on his name.

445
00:20:47,545 --> 00:20:51,097
John was saying that whoever
believes on Jesus, he gave them the

446
00:20:51,121 --> 00:20:52,177
power to become the sons of God.

447
00:20:52,201 --> 00:20:53,685
Let me get a question for you.

448
00:20:53,985 --> 00:20:56,417
What if God is calling you to
go through that difficult situation?

449
00:20:56,481 --> 00:21:03,211
You know what it is, and God's
able to use your testimony, he's

450
00:21:03,243 --> 00:21:08,011
able to use your life after
you come out of this fire, after

451
00:21:08,043 --> 00:21:11,451
you come out of this
situation, to be able to encourage

452
00:21:11,523 --> 00:21:14,255
others who are in that
difficult struggle.

453
00:21:14,715 --> 00:21:16,531
Christ is that for us.

454
00:21:16,723 --> 00:21:20,451
Christ has demonstrated that
he endured the death of the cross.

455
00:21:20,603 --> 00:21:23,699
He is able to give eternal
life to anybody who would receive

456
00:21:23,747 --> 00:21:24,335
him.

457
00:21:24,955 --> 00:21:28,475
And as we who are Christ's
followers, we're trying to follow

458
00:21:28,515 --> 00:21:29,955
in the example of Christ.

459
00:21:30,115 --> 00:21:34,539
He's calling us to endure
through hardships, to endure through

460
00:21:34,667 --> 00:21:37,611
the difficult things, so that
we can in turn, turn around to tell

461
00:21:37,643 --> 00:21:38,547
others about it.

462
00:21:38,651 --> 00:21:41,975
To be able to say, look at
what God has done through my life.

463
00:21:42,515 --> 00:21:45,855
And you know what the reality
is that that situation you're in,

464
00:21:46,235 --> 00:21:46,883
right?

465
00:21:47,019 --> 00:21:49,923
You think to yourself, man,
this is so humanly impossible for

466
00:21:49,939 --> 00:21:51,175
me to get through this.

467
00:21:51,655 --> 00:21:53,015
And maybe you've gone through it.

468
00:21:53,095 --> 00:21:54,395
I've gone through it.

469
00:21:54,695 --> 00:21:56,955
Earlier this year, Pastor Josh
went through it.

470
00:21:57,255 --> 00:22:01,195
But by the end of it, you can
turn back and say it was only God.

471
00:22:01,495 --> 00:22:04,515
You can turn back and you can
say, you know what?

472
00:22:04,935 --> 00:22:06,367
That was so worth it.

473
00:22:06,511 --> 00:22:08,263
That was so worth the struggle.

474
00:22:08,439 --> 00:22:11,367
Even though it was hard, even
though it was fiery, even though

475
00:22:11,391 --> 00:22:15,527
I got scars, even though I got
burns, I can give God the glory through

476
00:22:15,551 --> 00:22:15,975
it.

477
00:22:16,095 --> 00:22:20,097
And I can say, thank you for
helping me to get through this, God.

478
00:22:20,121 --> 00:22:23,873
And then when anybody asks you
now, right, man, how did you make

479
00:22:23,889 --> 00:22:24,649
it through?

480
00:22:24,817 --> 00:22:26,473
How did you get through that difficulty?

481
00:22:26,569 --> 00:22:28,005
You seem so strong.

482
00:22:28,585 --> 00:22:30,977
You say, no, it wasn't me.

483
00:22:31,001 --> 00:22:33,905
It was the power of Christ
that helped me to get through that

484
00:22:33,945 --> 00:22:34,605
situation.

485
00:22:36,785 --> 00:22:40,433
And so we see that Christ is
the advocate, and he's the righteous.

486
00:22:40,569 --> 00:22:42,057
He's the pleasing sacrifice.

487
00:22:42,121 --> 00:22:46,343
But next we see that in verse
three, it says, hereby we do know

488
00:22:46,359 --> 00:22:46,967
that we know Him.

489
00:22:46,991 --> 00:22:51,567
If we keep his commandments,
we do know that we know the word

490
00:22:51,591 --> 00:22:52,223
for both.

491
00:22:52,319 --> 00:22:55,951
Knows here means this is a
knowledge gained through experience.

492
00:22:56,063 --> 00:23:01,095
So you know what this means,
kind of tying in the idea of as an

493
00:23:01,135 --> 00:23:03,319
experiential knowledge, right?

494
00:23:03,407 --> 00:23:06,639
So going back, continuing that
talk about how we're going through

495
00:23:06,687 --> 00:23:07,431
the difficult times.

496
00:23:07,463 --> 00:23:09,911
It could be easy times,
honestly, it could be just throughout

497
00:23:09,943 --> 00:23:12,595
the regular, regular span of life.

498
00:23:13,335 --> 00:23:18,007
This knowledge that God
confirms in us in verse three here,

499
00:23:18,031 --> 00:23:21,567
it says, we do know that we
know him if we keep his commandments.

500
00:23:21,631 --> 00:23:25,315
It is something that is of a
faithful nature to it.

501
00:23:25,855 --> 00:23:30,035
We are consistently following
after God's commandments.

502
00:23:30,855 --> 00:23:34,847
We are consistently confirming
in our life with God's word.

503
00:23:34,991 --> 00:23:35,343
Right?

504
00:23:35,399 --> 00:23:37,389
Biblical thinking, right?

505
00:23:37,477 --> 00:23:41,197
As you maybe, maybe have a
conversation tomorrow at work, maybe

506
00:23:41,221 --> 00:23:45,305
have a conversation at home
tomorrow night on the dinner table.

507
00:23:45,965 --> 00:23:49,989
And maybe it's a certain
trigger issue that you don't want

508
00:23:49,997 --> 00:23:53,117
to talk about, but God's been
working on your heart about it all

509
00:23:53,141 --> 00:23:55,077
day as you've been thinking
about this conversation coming up.

510
00:23:55,101 --> 00:23:57,917
Maybe it's at work and maybe,
and maybe you've been thinking about

511
00:23:57,941 --> 00:23:58,101
it.

512
00:23:58,133 --> 00:24:01,811
Maybe this morning as Pastor
Josh is preaching, that specific

513
00:24:01,933 --> 00:24:04,879
thing came to mind and now
you're not even praying about it

514
00:24:04,887 --> 00:24:07,275
for 24 hours until that
conversation comes.

515
00:24:07,615 --> 00:24:08,167
Right?

516
00:24:08,271 --> 00:24:09,871
How are you processing?

517
00:24:10,063 --> 00:24:11,615
Are you thinking biblically?

518
00:24:11,735 --> 00:24:15,991
Are you asking God to show you
through the experiences of your life

519
00:24:16,183 --> 00:24:19,063
it isn't just something that
happens on Sundays and Wednesday

520
00:24:19,119 --> 00:24:19,871
nights?

521
00:24:20,063 --> 00:24:22,287
And it's supposed to be
something that's happening all the

522
00:24:22,311 --> 00:24:22,875
time.

523
00:24:23,255 --> 00:24:25,195
What is the first great commandment?

524
00:24:25,655 --> 00:24:28,847
The first great commandment is
God has called us to love the Lord

525
00:24:28,871 --> 00:24:32,569
thy God with all thy heart,
soul, mind and strength.

526
00:24:32,617 --> 00:24:33,321
What does that mean?

527
00:24:33,353 --> 00:24:36,769
That is an all encompassing
requirement for us.

528
00:24:36,857 --> 00:24:40,945
It is a command for us to love
God with all of our hearts, our affections,

529
00:24:40,985 --> 00:24:42,897
our desires, all of our mind.

530
00:24:42,961 --> 00:24:44,921
How we're processing, right?

531
00:24:44,953 --> 00:24:48,721
I know some of us are really
deep, deep intellectual.

532
00:24:48,793 --> 00:24:51,465
Some of us are deeper
emotional, but it doesn't matter

533
00:24:51,505 --> 00:24:52,913
what kind of a person you are.

534
00:24:52,969 --> 00:24:56,987
God wants us to love him with
all of our being and to ask him to

535
00:24:57,011 --> 00:25:00,667
show us in that entire aspect
of our entire being.

536
00:25:00,811 --> 00:25:03,291
God, what is your will
concerned in this situation?

537
00:25:03,483 --> 00:25:06,455
Because sometimes it doesn't require.

538
00:25:07,235 --> 00:25:09,875
I'm gonna say this carefully
so I'm not coming across wrong, but

539
00:25:09,915 --> 00:25:13,107
sometimes it may seem like
it's the least logical thing to do,

540
00:25:13,251 --> 00:25:14,323
but God's calling you to do it.

541
00:25:14,339 --> 00:25:17,699
And you're like, this makes no
sense, but God's calling you to do

542
00:25:17,707 --> 00:25:17,875
it.

543
00:25:17,915 --> 00:25:20,259
Maybe you may not feel like
it's the right thing, but God's word

544
00:25:20,307 --> 00:25:20,979
says this.

545
00:25:21,107 --> 00:25:23,627
And so I'm gonna follow
because this is what God's word is

546
00:25:23,651 --> 00:25:24,889
telling me to do.

547
00:25:25,067 --> 00:25:28,185
And ultimately what it comes
down to is obedience to Christ.

548
00:25:29,005 --> 00:25:30,865
Example I give you is Abraham.

549
00:25:31,485 --> 00:25:33,385
Abraham in the Old Testament, right?

550
00:25:33,725 --> 00:25:36,533
God told him, you're going to
have a son, and you're going to have

551
00:25:36,549 --> 00:25:38,665
a son with your wife in her
old age.

552
00:25:39,965 --> 00:25:41,665
Crazy, crazy thing.

553
00:25:42,005 --> 00:25:43,837
But God blesses him with a son.

554
00:25:44,021 --> 00:25:47,325
And after he has the son, he
tells him to go sacrifice his son,

555
00:25:47,485 --> 00:25:48,865
to go kill his son.

556
00:25:49,325 --> 00:25:50,865
Was that logical, guys?

557
00:25:51,755 --> 00:25:53,123
No, that made no sense.

558
00:25:53,179 --> 00:25:56,355
God, maybe if it was you.

559
00:25:56,395 --> 00:25:59,083
If it was me, like, you've
given me the son.

560
00:25:59,179 --> 00:26:00,835
This is the son of the
promised God.

561
00:26:00,915 --> 00:26:02,299
Why are you calling me to do this?

562
00:26:02,347 --> 00:26:03,615
This does not make sense.

563
00:26:04,275 --> 00:26:06,739
In my heart of hearts, I love
my son.

564
00:26:06,867 --> 00:26:08,335
I don't want to kill him.

565
00:26:08,795 --> 00:26:14,051
But Abraham obeyed God because
it was what God told him to do.

566
00:26:14,243 --> 00:26:18,167
And by faith, Abraham knew
that he was going to work through

567
00:26:18,191 --> 00:26:18,847
that situation.

568
00:26:18,951 --> 00:26:23,515
He told his son, he said, my
son, God will provide himself a lamb.

569
00:26:24,135 --> 00:26:28,039
And sure enough, as soon as
Abraham raises that blade, it literally

570
00:26:28,087 --> 00:26:34,967
took to the moment where he
was about to kill his son that the

571
00:26:34,991 --> 00:26:36,279
angel says, don't kill him.

572
00:26:36,367 --> 00:26:37,855
And over in the distance is a ram.

573
00:26:37,935 --> 00:26:40,647
Its horns are stuck in the
thorns and the briars.

574
00:26:40,751 --> 00:26:43,275
And Abraham's like, that's it
right there.

575
00:26:43,895 --> 00:26:46,115
That's why God called me here.

576
00:26:48,495 --> 00:26:53,075
It may not make logical sense,
it may not make emotional sense,

577
00:26:54,255 --> 00:26:56,075
but we have to follow God.

578
00:26:56,375 --> 00:27:00,355
We have to obey what he is
telling us to do.

579
00:27:01,935 --> 00:27:05,279
And that's why it's so
important that we don't lean upon

580
00:27:05,327 --> 00:27:05,895
how we.

581
00:27:06,015 --> 00:27:08,871
How we feel necessarily, or
upon how we think.

582
00:27:08,903 --> 00:27:11,007
But it's according to what
God's Word tells us.

583
00:27:11,031 --> 00:27:12,967
Now, I'm not saying you're
throwing out logic and throwing out

584
00:27:12,991 --> 00:27:13,319
emotions.

585
00:27:13,367 --> 00:27:14,367
It ties in.

586
00:27:14,511 --> 00:27:18,031
But what really is guiding you
is God's Word with His Holy Spirit

587
00:27:18,063 --> 00:27:19,955
that's leading you and
directing you.

588
00:27:21,335 --> 00:27:25,511
And so we see here in verse
three, we do know that we know him

589
00:27:25,543 --> 00:27:27,399
if we keep his commandments.

590
00:27:27,487 --> 00:27:28,655
But what does that mean for us?

591
00:27:28,695 --> 00:27:32,135
The only way to know if you
know Jesus is if you're faithfully

592
00:27:32,175 --> 00:27:33,191
keeping God's commandments.

593
00:27:33,223 --> 00:27:35,631
I love the next part of this
verse of verse three.

594
00:27:35,663 --> 00:27:37,815
It says, if we keep his commandments.

595
00:27:37,855 --> 00:27:41,369
It's one thing to say, okay,
you know, every Sunday morning, Sunday

596
00:27:41,417 --> 00:27:44,305
night, you know, I'm coming
out Wednesday night, I'm learning

597
00:27:44,345 --> 00:27:47,325
God's Word, I'm learning God's
commandments, right?

598
00:27:47,785 --> 00:27:53,153
But the word keep there means
to attend to carefully, to guard

599
00:27:53,289 --> 00:27:54,605
and to observe.

600
00:27:55,505 --> 00:27:56,553
Let me ask you a question.

601
00:27:56,609 --> 00:28:01,321
Can we keep God's word only on
Sundays and Wednesdays, and then

602
00:28:01,353 --> 00:28:03,201
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday,
Friday, Saturday?

603
00:28:03,273 --> 00:28:03,885
Not.

604
00:28:04,225 --> 00:28:04,965
No.

605
00:28:05,355 --> 00:28:09,955
That's why John is Saying here
for us as believers, that if we are

606
00:28:09,995 --> 00:28:13,707
truly following after Christ,
truly desiring to be Christ followers,

607
00:28:13,811 --> 00:28:18,099
that we are keeping God's
commandments consistently walking

608
00:28:18,147 --> 00:28:20,015
his commandments on a regular basis.

609
00:28:21,275 --> 00:28:25,243
So what happens when you, when
tomorrow morning you wake up and

610
00:28:25,259 --> 00:28:29,323
you see a work email and it
just completely throws you off guard

611
00:28:29,499 --> 00:28:30,855
and you're like, really?

612
00:28:31,155 --> 00:28:32,835
I did not expect this on a
Monday morning.

613
00:28:32,875 --> 00:28:33,723
My morning coffee.

614
00:28:33,739 --> 00:28:35,403
Maybe you did Monday morning.

615
00:28:35,499 --> 00:28:36,135
Right.

616
00:28:36,555 --> 00:28:37,931
But what's your initial reaction?

617
00:28:37,963 --> 00:28:39,535
What's your initial response?

618
00:28:39,955 --> 00:28:43,459
Oh, you know, I'm just going
to respond, you know, out of my gut

619
00:28:43,507 --> 00:28:45,835
feeling, uh, oh, that person,
you know, that person was saying

620
00:28:45,875 --> 00:28:48,375
this, by doing this, this
person was meaning that or whatever.

621
00:28:48,995 --> 00:28:52,811
No God, what are you trying to
show me through this?

622
00:28:52,883 --> 00:28:57,133
How can I respond in the best
way biblically, in the best way of

623
00:28:57,149 --> 00:29:00,045
how you've called me to be as
your follower of Christ?

624
00:29:00,205 --> 00:29:04,965
It needs to be consistent at
work, at home, across the whole board,

625
00:29:05,005 --> 00:29:08,421
not just at church, but behind
the scenes and behind closed doors

626
00:29:08,453 --> 00:29:09,905
and nobody else sees it.

627
00:29:11,645 --> 00:29:12,813
Let's look at the next verse there.

628
00:29:12,829 --> 00:29:15,565
In verse four, it says, he
that saith, I know him and keepeth

629
00:29:15,605 --> 00:29:19,745
not his commandments is a liar
and the truth is not in him.

630
00:29:21,925 --> 00:29:23,425
So what does this look like?

631
00:29:23,985 --> 00:29:26,961
This is somebody who claims to
be here in our midst, right?

632
00:29:27,033 --> 00:29:30,845
They're here at church with us
on Sundays, Wednesday nights.

633
00:29:31,265 --> 00:29:34,225
They may look the part, they
act the part, they know the right

634
00:29:34,265 --> 00:29:37,885
Christian vernacular, they
know how to talk properly and everything.

635
00:29:38,665 --> 00:29:42,025
But when that person leaves
the doors of this church week in

636
00:29:42,105 --> 00:29:45,297
and week out, they, apart from
the word of God, they leave their

637
00:29:45,321 --> 00:29:48,185
Bible closed, gathering dust
throughout the week until the next

638
00:29:48,225 --> 00:29:48,805
Sunday.

639
00:29:50,395 --> 00:29:51,495
Is that you?

640
00:29:52,675 --> 00:29:53,775
Is that me?

641
00:29:56,155 --> 00:30:00,859
For me as a pastor, it's very
easy to get so involved with Bible

642
00:30:00,907 --> 00:30:04,915
lesson preparation, sermon
preparation, that I completely, I

643
00:30:04,955 --> 00:30:08,203
completely forget to take that
personal walk with him for myself

644
00:30:08,339 --> 00:30:12,291
to take the Bible and to say,
God, isolate the pastor role.

645
00:30:12,403 --> 00:30:14,295
And what is my role as your son?

646
00:30:15,885 --> 00:30:18,845
What about for you when you're.

647
00:30:18,965 --> 00:30:20,901
Maybe you say, man, you know what?

648
00:30:21,093 --> 00:30:23,021
I get so consumed with work.

649
00:30:23,173 --> 00:30:25,425
Work is just eats up my time.

650
00:30:25,765 --> 00:30:27,125
It's literally around the clock.

651
00:30:27,165 --> 00:30:28,865
Maybe it's 12 hours a day.

652
00:30:29,765 --> 00:30:33,213
But is Christ at the forefront
of your heart, at the forefront of

653
00:30:33,229 --> 00:30:34,117
your minds?

654
00:30:34,261 --> 00:30:37,637
Is his commandments
consistently leading you and guiding

655
00:30:37,661 --> 00:30:41,135
you in your thinking, how
you're responding to different situations

656
00:30:41,175 --> 00:30:42,075
in your life?

657
00:30:43,535 --> 00:30:48,815
The same is true also for
spouses, for children, right?

658
00:30:48,935 --> 00:30:51,279
Maybe your spouse comes to you
and asks you a question.

659
00:30:51,327 --> 00:30:52,199
What do you think about this?

660
00:30:52,247 --> 00:30:54,711
Specifically husbands, Your
wife Comes to you.

661
00:30:54,783 --> 00:30:56,915
They're looking to you for
spiritual leadership.

662
00:30:57,255 --> 00:30:58,127
And they're asking you.

663
00:30:58,151 --> 00:30:59,159
And they're asking you a question.

664
00:30:59,207 --> 00:31:00,515
What do you think about this?

665
00:31:01,335 --> 00:31:02,759
What's your response?

666
00:31:02,927 --> 00:31:04,911
Yo, honey, I'm gonna go hide
in the bathroom for the next half

667
00:31:04,943 --> 00:31:05,515
hour.

668
00:31:06,945 --> 00:31:10,045
Or you say, honey, let's open
the Bible together.

669
00:31:10,505 --> 00:31:12,929
Let's talk through this, let's
pray through this.

670
00:31:12,977 --> 00:31:15,401
Or maybe more of a thinker processor.

671
00:31:15,553 --> 00:31:17,129
Get me up till tomorrow night.

672
00:31:17,217 --> 00:31:18,377
Maybe tomorrow night, dinner.

673
00:31:18,481 --> 00:31:21,737
That gives the opportunity
over the next 24 hours to be digesting

674
00:31:21,761 --> 00:31:23,845
and thinking about God's
commandments, right?

675
00:31:24,305 --> 00:31:25,645
Maybe it's your children.

676
00:31:26,025 --> 00:31:28,849
Maybe it's a teenager, a
child, right?

677
00:31:28,977 --> 00:31:31,445
And they come to you as a father.

678
00:31:32,265 --> 00:31:33,445
What's your answer?

679
00:31:33,745 --> 00:31:35,465
Oh, you're just a kid.

680
00:31:35,505 --> 00:31:36,953
I'm not going to answer your
question right now.

681
00:31:36,969 --> 00:31:38,497
I'll get to you when you get older.

682
00:31:38,681 --> 00:31:42,721
No, you're responsible as that
child's father to give them that

683
00:31:42,753 --> 00:31:44,125
answer from scripture.

684
00:31:44,825 --> 00:31:47,777
Just as Deuteronomy 6 talks
about how we're supposed to have

685
00:31:47,801 --> 00:31:50,153
the scriptures up all around
our room, the scriptures are supposed

686
00:31:50,169 --> 00:31:53,057
to be at the center of our
home, the center of our family.

687
00:31:53,241 --> 00:31:57,401
You as the man of God, me as a
husband, as a father, you as a husband

688
00:31:57,433 --> 00:32:01,493
and a father, maybe a
grandfather, maybe an uncle, maybe,

689
00:32:01,549 --> 00:32:02,229
maybe as a.

690
00:32:02,277 --> 00:32:03,865
As a spiritual father.

691
00:32:04,925 --> 00:32:08,157
We're responsible for that in
wives as well, right?

692
00:32:08,221 --> 00:32:10,773
We're responsible in our
marriage relationship to hold each

693
00:32:10,789 --> 00:32:13,785
other accountable in those
relationships before God.

694
00:32:14,645 --> 00:32:18,293
We've taken that
responsibility on biblically, when

695
00:32:18,309 --> 00:32:22,133
we get married, when we have
children, we have those responsibilities

696
00:32:22,229 --> 00:32:23,065
that come.

697
00:32:23,445 --> 00:32:24,985
That come on for us.

698
00:32:25,525 --> 00:32:27,597
And maybe your son and
daughter, maybe they've been asking

699
00:32:27,621 --> 00:32:29,825
you the same question over and
over and over again.

700
00:32:30,925 --> 00:32:34,701
Just take a few minutes and
pray about it.

701
00:32:34,733 --> 00:32:35,701
Ask God.

702
00:32:35,893 --> 00:32:39,517
And if anything, maybe it's a
good opportunity to take your child

703
00:32:39,581 --> 00:32:43,061
out for coffee or for coffee,
for breakfast maybe, or for dinner

704
00:32:43,133 --> 00:32:46,413
or whatever it is to spend
time talking to them, saying, you

705
00:32:46,429 --> 00:32:46,941
know what?

706
00:32:47,053 --> 00:32:50,133
I'm going to cut out one hour
of my day to go out on a date with

707
00:32:50,149 --> 00:32:52,705
my daughter because she has a
question for me that I got to answer.

708
00:32:53,395 --> 00:32:57,459
That is our responsibility as
being followers of Christ and being

709
00:32:57,507 --> 00:32:59,695
faithful in God's word.

710
00:33:01,075 --> 00:33:04,427
So in this verse, it states
that this person knows Christ, but

711
00:33:04,451 --> 00:33:06,867
when they don't actually
follow God's commandments, they're

712
00:33:06,891 --> 00:33:07,563
a liar.

713
00:33:07,699 --> 00:33:08,815
And do you know what?

714
00:33:09,675 --> 00:33:13,747
If we have this pretence, if
we have this pretension where we're

715
00:33:13,771 --> 00:33:16,819
coming to church and we're
portraying like we're following Christ

716
00:33:16,987 --> 00:33:20,585
but then we go home and we're
not the same at home with our children.

717
00:33:21,005 --> 00:33:22,185
They know that.

718
00:33:22,645 --> 00:33:27,665
And they know that we are
lying, we are deceiving our children.

719
00:33:28,085 --> 00:33:31,893
And not only that, but your co
workers know that you're a Christian.

720
00:33:31,989 --> 00:33:34,117
Your co workers, I hope they
know, right?

721
00:33:34,141 --> 00:33:36,821
Maybe through your life, but
just maybe in conversation.

722
00:33:36,893 --> 00:33:39,269
But if they know that you're a
Christian, they know that you go

723
00:33:39,277 --> 00:33:41,077
to church, that you're
following after God.

724
00:33:41,181 --> 00:33:45,181
But they see you, they see you
not demonstrating what a true Christ

725
00:33:45,253 --> 00:33:46,265
follower is.

726
00:33:47,445 --> 00:33:48,805
They know that you're lying.

727
00:33:48,965 --> 00:33:51,205
They know there's something
that's measuring up.

728
00:33:51,325 --> 00:33:54,549
This person claims to be
following Christ, claims to be following

729
00:33:54,597 --> 00:33:56,865
after God's Word, but they're
not actually doing it.

730
00:33:58,885 --> 00:34:02,661
But I wonder how many in here
would be considered as somebody who

731
00:34:02,693 --> 00:34:06,221
is keeping God's word, who is
keeping God's commandments faithfully

732
00:34:06,253 --> 00:34:09,997
in their home, faithfully in
their workplace, that they are the

733
00:34:10,021 --> 00:34:11,853
real deal through and through.

734
00:34:11,909 --> 00:34:13,941
Guys, I'm going to be
completely transparent and tell you

735
00:34:13,973 --> 00:34:14,585
tonight.

736
00:34:14,885 --> 00:34:18,101
The last six weeks have been
very, very challenging for me as

737
00:34:18,133 --> 00:34:21,661
I have been praying through
this with pastor sermons the last

738
00:34:21,693 --> 00:34:26,581
several Sundays, and really
when I was coming to present this

739
00:34:26,613 --> 00:34:30,677
sermon tonight, asking God to
help me to be who I'm supposed to

740
00:34:30,701 --> 00:34:31,265
be.

741
00:34:31,885 --> 00:34:34,745
Because the reality is that
I'm nowhere near perfect.

742
00:34:36,205 --> 00:34:41,225
But I strive to follow after
Christ, striving to follow his commandments,

743
00:34:42,084 --> 00:34:43,424
and I mess up.

744
00:34:44,164 --> 00:34:47,196
But I'm thankful for Christ,
how He is that perfect example for

745
00:34:47,220 --> 00:34:47,784
us.

746
00:34:49,644 --> 00:34:50,524
Look at verse 5.

747
00:34:50,564 --> 00:34:53,212
It says, Whoso keepeth his
Word in him.

748
00:34:53,268 --> 00:34:57,516
Verily is the love of God
perfected hereby knowing that we

749
00:34:57,540 --> 00:34:58,504
are in him.

750
00:34:58,804 --> 00:34:59,844
And what's he saying here?

751
00:34:59,884 --> 00:35:01,020
Whoso keepeth his Word?

752
00:35:01,052 --> 00:35:04,604
The person who is truly
following after Christ, who is truly

753
00:35:04,644 --> 00:35:06,364
abiding in God's commandments.

754
00:35:06,524 --> 00:35:07,508
It says here that.

755
00:35:07,556 --> 00:35:10,263
That verily is the love of God perfected.

756
00:35:10,319 --> 00:35:13,967
The love of God is perfected
through the person who chooses to

757
00:35:13,991 --> 00:35:15,315
follow God's commandments.

758
00:35:15,815 --> 00:35:19,031
Because God's love cannot be
artificially manufactured.

759
00:35:19,183 --> 00:35:19,967
I wish it could be.

760
00:35:19,991 --> 00:35:20,943
Wouldn't that be nice?

761
00:35:21,079 --> 00:35:21,783
It's okay.

762
00:35:21,839 --> 00:35:22,943
I can just show God's love.

763
00:35:22,959 --> 00:35:24,275
But it's not natural.

764
00:35:24,775 --> 00:35:25,879
It takes work.

765
00:35:26,007 --> 00:35:30,311
It takes that faithful
diligence in living by God's commandments

766
00:35:30,383 --> 00:35:34,351
and following after God for
His love to be demonstrated in and

767
00:35:34,383 --> 00:35:35,155
through us.

768
00:35:35,985 --> 00:35:38,849
Whoever abides in Christ will
walk in God's commandments.

769
00:35:38,897 --> 00:35:41,817
The one who keeps the Word
will see God's love perfected in

770
00:35:41,841 --> 00:35:43,165
and through their life.

771
00:35:43,585 --> 00:35:46,985
God's agape love here, that
self Sacrificial love is demonstrated

772
00:35:47,025 --> 00:35:48,817
perfectly through this individual.

773
00:35:49,001 --> 00:35:52,377
As you demonstrate a self
sacrificial love, you will demonstrate

774
00:35:52,481 --> 00:35:54,525
that you are keeping God's commandments.

775
00:35:55,065 --> 00:35:56,097
Our second point is this.

776
00:35:56,121 --> 00:35:57,845
You must remain in the light.

777
00:36:01,115 --> 00:36:02,115
Look down at verse seven.

778
00:36:02,155 --> 00:36:04,675
It says, brethren, I write no
new commandment unto you but an old

779
00:36:04,715 --> 00:36:06,379
commandment which ye had from
the beginning.

780
00:36:06,507 --> 00:36:08,483
The old commandment is the
word which ye have heard from the

781
00:36:08,499 --> 00:36:09,035
beginning.

782
00:36:09,155 --> 00:36:10,547
Again, a new commandment.

783
00:36:10,571 --> 00:36:13,131
I write unto you which thing
is true in him and in you.

784
00:36:13,243 --> 00:36:16,539
Because the darkness is past
and the true light now shineth.

785
00:36:16,707 --> 00:36:19,387
He that saith he is in the
light and hateth his brother is in

786
00:36:19,411 --> 00:36:20,935
darkness even until now.

787
00:36:21,275 --> 00:36:23,267
He that loveth his brother
abideth in the light.

788
00:36:23,291 --> 00:36:25,603
And there is none occasion of
stumbling in him.

789
00:36:25,779 --> 00:36:28,651
But he that hateth his brother
is in darkness and walketh in darkness

790
00:36:28,683 --> 00:36:31,537
and knoweth not whither he
goeth, because thy darkness hath

791
00:36:31,561 --> 00:36:32,765
blinded his eyes.

792
00:36:33,345 --> 00:36:35,969
I write unto you little
children, because your sins are forgiven

793
00:36:36,017 --> 00:36:38,165
you for his name's sake.

794
00:36:39,625 --> 00:36:40,833
So what is John saying here?

795
00:36:40,849 --> 00:36:42,545
He's saying, well, I'm not
writing a new commandment.

796
00:36:42,585 --> 00:36:45,097
This is something that's been
faithfully declared through the life

797
00:36:45,121 --> 00:36:45,745
of Christ.

798
00:36:45,865 --> 00:36:47,329
It's been taught through the apostles.

799
00:36:47,417 --> 00:36:48,889
It's been taught in the church.

800
00:36:49,017 --> 00:36:52,825
This is something foundational
that we should be doing as Christ

801
00:36:52,905 --> 00:36:53,377
followers.

802
00:36:53,441 --> 00:36:56,945
We should be following after
God, obeying his commandments, loving

803
00:36:56,985 --> 00:36:59,565
the Lord our God with all our
heart, so mind and strength, loving

804
00:36:59,605 --> 00:37:00,589
our neighbor as ourself.

805
00:37:00,637 --> 00:37:02,425
That's what God has called us
to do.

806
00:37:05,725 --> 00:37:08,149
And the Bible says how God is light.

807
00:37:08,277 --> 00:37:11,093
Back in chapter one of John,
verse five, it says, this then is

808
00:37:11,109 --> 00:37:11,509
the message.

809
00:37:11,557 --> 00:37:14,749
We have heard of him and
declared unto you that God is light.

810
00:37:14,877 --> 00:37:18,105
And in him is no darkness at all.

811
00:37:19,005 --> 00:37:20,373
Who has demonstrated.

812
00:37:20,509 --> 00:37:21,925
Who has demonstrated this light?

813
00:37:21,965 --> 00:37:24,405
Who has demonstrated this
perfect light?

814
00:37:24,445 --> 00:37:26,021
It's been God himself.

815
00:37:26,213 --> 00:37:29,265
It says that within him there
is no darkness at all.

816
00:37:29,925 --> 00:37:31,829
Now let me ask you a question.

817
00:37:31,877 --> 00:37:33,065
Is the world light?

818
00:37:33,445 --> 00:37:33,781
No.

819
00:37:33,813 --> 00:37:35,125
The world is filled with darkness.

820
00:37:35,165 --> 00:37:36,965
The world is filled with deceitfulness.

821
00:37:37,085 --> 00:37:41,349
But God is one who is, who is
open, who is honest, who is very

822
00:37:41,397 --> 00:37:43,853
straightforward and saying,
look, these are my commandments.

823
00:37:43,909 --> 00:37:45,909
Just take my commandments and
abide in them.

824
00:37:46,037 --> 00:37:48,357
Live by My commandments, live
by my word.

825
00:37:48,501 --> 00:37:50,021
And this is part of who God is.

826
00:37:50,053 --> 00:37:51,533
He gives us transparency.

827
00:37:51,669 --> 00:37:54,385
He gives us authenticity
through his life.

828
00:37:56,585 --> 00:38:00,433
But it says there, but if we
walk in the light as he is in the

829
00:38:00,449 --> 00:38:02,273
light, we have fellowship one
with another.

830
00:38:02,409 --> 00:38:06,593
And the blood of Jesus Christ,
His Son, cleanseth us from all sin.

831
00:38:06,649 --> 00:38:09,905
If we walk in the light, the
question for you is this.

832
00:38:09,945 --> 00:38:11,345
Are you walking in God's light?

833
00:38:11,385 --> 00:38:13,049
Are you walking in his commandments?

834
00:38:13,137 --> 00:38:17,145
If you're living in his word,
if you're abiding by his commandments,

835
00:38:17,265 --> 00:38:20,201
then his light is going to
naturally show in and through you.

836
00:38:20,233 --> 00:38:24,065
As you have this open before
the Lord, and as you have this openness

837
00:38:24,105 --> 00:38:27,297
before the Lord, it's going to
naturally reflect an openness towards

838
00:38:27,321 --> 00:38:28,525
others around us.

839
00:38:29,785 --> 00:38:32,929
If you're hiding yourself from
God, you're going to hide yourself

840
00:38:32,977 --> 00:38:33,705
from others.

841
00:38:33,865 --> 00:38:36,622
And that's why it's saying
here when it says in verse 11.

842
00:38:36,668 --> 00:38:39,057
Well, verse verse 10, it says,
he that loveth his brother abideth

843
00:38:39,081 --> 00:38:39,977
in the light.

844
00:38:40,161 --> 00:38:42,569
You have this love before God,
this openness before God, you're

845
00:38:42,577 --> 00:38:45,361
going to have this openness
before those around you, this love

846
00:38:45,513 --> 00:38:46,417
before those around you.

847
00:38:46,441 --> 00:38:48,209
But 11, it says verse 11.

848
00:38:48,297 --> 00:38:51,745
He that hateth his brother is
in darkness and walketh in darkness

849
00:38:51,785 --> 00:38:54,961
and knoweth not whither he
goeth, because that darkness hath

850
00:38:54,993 --> 00:38:56,205
blinded his eyes.

851
00:38:57,745 --> 00:39:02,201
This is the contrast here that
we see is if we, if we're not abiding

852
00:39:02,233 --> 00:39:05,033
in God's commandments, then
what's guiding us?

853
00:39:05,129 --> 00:39:09,505
Well, it talks about that
later on in verse 15 where it says,

854
00:39:09,625 --> 00:39:10,569
love the world.

855
00:39:10,657 --> 00:39:11,697
Do the things that are in the world.

856
00:39:11,721 --> 00:39:14,587
If any man love the world, the
love of the Father is not in him.

857
00:39:14,611 --> 00:39:16,859
For all that is in the world,
the lust of the flesh, the lust of

858
00:39:16,867 --> 00:39:19,883
the eyes and the pride of life
is not of the Father, but is of the

859
00:39:19,899 --> 00:39:20,051
world.

860
00:39:20,083 --> 00:39:21,275
What are the lusts?

861
00:39:21,435 --> 00:39:23,539
Those lusts are just mere.

862
00:39:23,667 --> 00:39:25,251
Those are desires.

863
00:39:25,403 --> 00:39:28,019
Desires that are not the right
desires to have.

864
00:39:28,067 --> 00:39:31,571
And I would say this way,
desires of things that we should

865
00:39:31,603 --> 00:39:32,851
not be desiring after.

866
00:39:32,963 --> 00:39:36,531
Or it's desiring in the wrong
manner from what God has called us

867
00:39:36,563 --> 00:39:42,053
to do and to desire in the
right way, but as we have those wrong

868
00:39:42,109 --> 00:39:42,653
desires.

869
00:39:42,709 --> 00:39:45,509
That's what Pastor Joshua
mentioned this morning from the book

870
00:39:45,517 --> 00:39:47,025
of James, chapter 4.

871
00:39:47,805 --> 00:39:53,317
When James calls Christians,
he calls these liars who are not

872
00:39:53,341 --> 00:39:54,525
flying after God's commandments.

873
00:39:54,565 --> 00:39:57,025
He calls them adulterers and adulteresses.

874
00:39:57,445 --> 00:39:59,837
Because it says, know you not
that friendship of the world is enmity

875
00:39:59,901 --> 00:40:00,865
against God.

876
00:40:01,285 --> 00:40:04,133
Therefore, who is the friend
of the world is the enmity is the

877
00:40:04,149 --> 00:40:05,145
enemy of God.

878
00:40:05,755 --> 00:40:08,979
That's where you see what's
going on here is there's this reflection

879
00:40:09,067 --> 00:40:12,491
that if you are, if you are
loving the world, if you're abiding

880
00:40:12,523 --> 00:40:15,339
in the world, you're abiding
in your Lust, then you're going to

881
00:40:15,347 --> 00:40:18,531
be hating your brother because
your brother is striving to live

882
00:40:18,563 --> 00:40:19,195
after God.

883
00:40:19,275 --> 00:40:21,107
They're striving to love God,
but you're going to be hating them

884
00:40:21,131 --> 00:40:21,955
because this is conflict.

885
00:40:21,995 --> 00:40:23,975
And ultimately it's because
you're the enemy of God.

886
00:40:24,395 --> 00:40:27,387
And so in order for us to
truly love our brothers, to love

887
00:40:27,411 --> 00:40:31,545
our sisters in Christ, we need
to be abiding in his commandments.

888
00:40:31,585 --> 00:40:34,217
And I love verse 10 there,
where it says, he that loveth his

889
00:40:34,241 --> 00:40:37,649
brother abideth in the light,
and there is none occasion of stumbling

890
00:40:37,697 --> 00:40:37,953
in him.

891
00:40:37,969 --> 00:40:38,925
You know what that means.

892
00:40:39,465 --> 00:40:40,777
You don't get easily offended.

893
00:40:40,841 --> 00:40:41,665
Or if you do go.

894
00:40:41,745 --> 00:40:44,353
If you do get offended by
something, you go and you talk to

895
00:40:44,369 --> 00:40:46,041
them about it, and you.

896
00:40:46,073 --> 00:40:48,465
And you resolve it, right?

897
00:40:48,625 --> 00:40:50,137
You don't harbor bitterness in
your life.

898
00:40:50,161 --> 00:40:54,129
You don't harbor this
unforgiveness before somebody else.

899
00:40:54,177 --> 00:40:55,788
Hebrews 12 talks about this.

900
00:40:55,848 --> 00:40:59,363
Hebrews 12, verses 14 and 15,
it says, follow peace with all men

901
00:40:59,489 --> 00:41:03,903
and holiness without which no
man shall see the Lord looking diligently

902
00:41:03,959 --> 00:41:07,495
lest any man fail of the grace
of God, lest any root of bitterness

903
00:41:07,535 --> 00:41:11,375
springing up trouble you, and
thereby many be defiled.

904
00:41:11,415 --> 00:41:13,035
Maybe you've known someone
like this.

905
00:41:13,535 --> 00:41:16,623
Maybe you've known someone who
has been offended and this root of

906
00:41:16,639 --> 00:41:19,795
bitterness has just completely
consumed their life.

907
00:41:20,775 --> 00:41:25,463
And it's been evident, maybe
in your workplace, where it's like,

908
00:41:25,479 --> 00:41:29,237
you know, there's this one
person who has clearly been offended

909
00:41:29,381 --> 00:41:32,437
and it affects the entire work environment.

910
00:41:32,621 --> 00:41:33,013
Right.

911
00:41:33,069 --> 00:41:33,653
Monday morning.

912
00:41:33,709 --> 00:41:35,637
Oh, I don't look forward to
talking to Joe, because I know how

913
00:41:35,661 --> 00:41:36,477
Joe's going to respond.

914
00:41:36,541 --> 00:41:37,145
Right?

915
00:41:37,925 --> 00:41:41,525
Or maybe you're that person
and people like walking in eggshells

916
00:41:41,565 --> 00:41:42,385
around you.

917
00:41:44,165 --> 00:41:45,709
Is that how God's called us to live?

918
00:41:45,797 --> 00:41:46,309
No.

919
00:41:46,437 --> 00:41:49,917
God's called us to be abiding
in Christ, to be loving after God,

920
00:41:49,981 --> 00:41:52,105
following in his word,
following his commandments.

921
00:41:52,535 --> 00:41:55,959
It is through this pursuit of
peace and holiness that we forgive

922
00:41:56,007 --> 00:41:56,599
others.

923
00:41:56,767 --> 00:41:59,295
And this protects us from
having a heart of bitterness against

924
00:41:59,335 --> 00:42:00,055
a brother.

925
00:42:00,215 --> 00:42:03,195
And this is how brotherly love
is shown and demonstrated.

926
00:42:03,735 --> 00:42:07,335
Now he goes on, in verse 14,
he says, I have written unto you

927
00:42:07,375 --> 00:42:09,671
fathers, because ye have known
that it is from the beginning.

928
00:42:09,783 --> 00:42:12,423
I have written unto you young
men because you are strong and the

929
00:42:12,439 --> 00:42:15,995
word of God abideth in you,
and ye have overcome the wicked one.

930
00:42:16,735 --> 00:42:18,487
Why is John writing this to fathers?

931
00:42:18,511 --> 00:42:20,195
Why is he to dress fathers here?

932
00:42:21,025 --> 00:42:23,185
Because fathers are the
leaders of their home.

933
00:42:23,305 --> 00:42:24,805
They're the leaders in society.

934
00:42:25,385 --> 00:42:28,285
They're the leaders that God
has called to lead their Family,

935
00:42:29,585 --> 00:42:33,817
that is our responsibility as
men is to lead our wives, to lead

936
00:42:33,841 --> 00:42:35,445
our children, to lead our homes.

937
00:42:36,265 --> 00:42:37,553
That's what God has called us
to do.

938
00:42:37,569 --> 00:42:40,585
And he addresses fathers,
here, I've written unto you because

939
00:42:40,625 --> 00:42:42,705
ye have known him, that is,
from the beginning.

940
00:42:42,865 --> 00:42:44,365
You know what is right.

941
00:42:45,555 --> 00:42:49,491
And the question is, are we
going to faithfully follow after

942
00:42:49,523 --> 00:42:52,987
God's commandments as fathers,
or are we going to say, oh, I know

943
00:42:53,011 --> 00:42:54,855
what is right, but I'm not
going to do it?

944
00:42:55,555 --> 00:43:01,019
And then what results is
broken families or broken relationships,

945
00:43:01,107 --> 00:43:02,755
skewed things that mess up.

946
00:43:02,915 --> 00:43:06,971
And what you have to do is you
have to go back and to realize, man,

947
00:43:07,003 --> 00:43:07,731
you know what?

948
00:43:07,883 --> 00:43:09,771
Maybe you made mistakes in
your past.

949
00:43:09,923 --> 00:43:11,015
Maybe you have.

950
00:43:11,725 --> 00:43:14,837
You just say, God, please
forgive me.

951
00:43:15,021 --> 00:43:16,197
God will forgive you, right?

952
00:43:16,261 --> 00:43:19,381
Confess, Confess before God to
say, I made this mistake.

953
00:43:19,413 --> 00:43:20,405
Lord, please forgive me.

954
00:43:20,485 --> 00:43:21,665
Help me to move on.

955
00:43:21,965 --> 00:43:23,405
And God forgives us.

956
00:43:23,565 --> 00:43:25,325
We're able to move on from
that point.

957
00:43:25,405 --> 00:43:29,429
We don't have to get caught up
with guilt, with depression, with

958
00:43:29,477 --> 00:43:32,749
anxiety, thinking about, oh, I
should have done this.

959
00:43:32,797 --> 00:43:34,149
Because it's before God.

960
00:43:34,317 --> 00:43:35,745
It's been given to him.

961
00:43:37,135 --> 00:43:39,039
And so fathers, they've lived
life longer.

962
00:43:39,087 --> 00:43:42,127
They know, they have known
that God, they've known him since

963
00:43:42,151 --> 00:43:42,999
they were young men.

964
00:43:43,087 --> 00:43:46,527
He also says to young men, he
says, these young men, they have

965
00:43:46,551 --> 00:43:49,647
great strength with more
energy and vitality than their fathers,

966
00:43:49,791 --> 00:43:50,143
right?

967
00:43:50,199 --> 00:43:52,711
Younger men, they have the
energy, the excitement to get out

968
00:43:52,743 --> 00:43:53,271
there.

969
00:43:53,423 --> 00:43:56,519
They have less experience, but
they have practiced demonstrating

970
00:43:56,567 --> 00:43:57,515
their strength.

971
00:43:57,935 --> 00:44:00,327
The word of God abides in
these young men because they don't

972
00:44:00,351 --> 00:44:02,343
have knowledge and
understanding necessarily.

973
00:44:02,479 --> 00:44:06,407
So they have to rely heavily
on God's Word to guide them.

974
00:44:06,431 --> 00:44:08,799
And it's through the use of
the Word, how these young men have

975
00:44:08,847 --> 00:44:10,275
overcome the wicked one.

976
00:44:10,735 --> 00:44:11,743
Let's look at our last point.

977
00:44:11,759 --> 00:44:13,927
Here it says, you must follow
God's will.

978
00:44:13,951 --> 00:44:14,743
Look at verse 15.

979
00:44:14,799 --> 00:44:17,031
Love not the world, the things
that are in the world.

980
00:44:17,063 --> 00:44:20,175
If any man love the world, the
love of the Father is not in him.

981
00:44:20,295 --> 00:44:22,599
For all that is in the world,
the lust of the flesh, the lust of

982
00:44:22,607 --> 00:44:24,727
the eyes and the pride of
life, is not of the Father, but is

983
00:44:24,751 --> 00:44:25,479
of the world.

984
00:44:25,607 --> 00:44:28,313
And the world passeth away in
the lust thereof.

985
00:44:28,439 --> 00:44:33,013
But he that doeth the will of
God abideth forever for all that

986
00:44:33,029 --> 00:44:33,985
is in the world.

987
00:44:34,445 --> 00:44:35,901
A commentator once said this.

988
00:44:35,933 --> 00:44:39,357
We are not to love the world
with congeniality and sympathy in

989
00:44:39,381 --> 00:44:41,065
its alienation from God.

990
00:44:41,565 --> 00:44:44,709
We cannot have this latter
kind of love for the God estranged

991
00:44:44,757 --> 00:44:48,185
world, and yet have also the
love of the Father in us.

992
00:44:49,445 --> 00:44:53,225
There's several areas here
that we have to be careful of.

993
00:44:54,085 --> 00:44:58,273
When he addresses not loving
the world, verse 16, it says, the

994
00:44:58,289 --> 00:45:03,273
lust of the flesh, the lust of
the eyes and the pride of life, the

995
00:45:03,289 --> 00:45:08,729
lust of the flesh here, that
is us looking and desiring, and desiring

996
00:45:08,777 --> 00:45:12,905
to fulfill a mere fleshy
desire, right?

997
00:45:12,945 --> 00:45:14,365
Maybe you say, you know what?

998
00:45:16,185 --> 00:45:19,977
Maybe you know that nice piece
of cake, right?

999
00:45:20,001 --> 00:45:22,305
Maybe you go to a coffee shop
and maybe you're a coffee drinker.

1000
00:45:22,345 --> 00:45:25,839
You see that, that nice, big,
juicy piece of cake, and you're like,

1001
00:45:25,887 --> 00:45:28,935
oh, man, I would just love to
eat that piece of cake, but it's

1002
00:45:28,975 --> 00:45:29,999
1600 calories.

1003
00:45:30,047 --> 00:45:31,967
This is actually the other
day, I was looking at this piece

1004
00:45:31,991 --> 00:45:35,279
of cake, and I'm like, man, I
can really eat that cake.

1005
00:45:35,367 --> 00:45:36,831
But it's 1600 calories.

1006
00:45:36,903 --> 00:45:39,595
That's an entire day of
calories for me, guys.

1007
00:45:40,295 --> 00:45:42,155
I can't eat a piece of cake, right?

1008
00:45:42,695 --> 00:45:47,239
Even though I'd love to, but I
have to be responsible for my body.

1009
00:45:47,407 --> 00:45:50,225
But likewise, there's desires
that God gives us.

1010
00:45:50,265 --> 00:45:52,809
Maybe as men, you have sexual desires.

1011
00:45:52,857 --> 00:45:55,697
We find that fulfillment, that
relationship with our spouse.

1012
00:45:55,841 --> 00:45:56,569
Maybe.

1013
00:45:56,737 --> 00:46:00,081
Maybe we have to yield those
desires to God and to say, God, I'm

1014
00:46:00,113 --> 00:46:01,605
content with where you have me.

1015
00:46:02,545 --> 00:46:03,849
Maybe we need to do that.

1016
00:46:03,977 --> 00:46:06,433
The second one there, it says
is the lust of the eyes needs to

1017
00:46:06,449 --> 00:46:09,405
pertain to what is visually
pleasing to the desires of our sight.

1018
00:46:09,865 --> 00:46:10,385
Maybe.

1019
00:46:10,465 --> 00:46:12,081
Maybe some of you guys are
Tesla fans.

1020
00:46:12,113 --> 00:46:12,885
I don't know.

1021
00:46:13,505 --> 00:46:18,189
I know Elon Musk has came out
with some nice, nice new gear, and

1022
00:46:18,197 --> 00:46:21,437
you're like, man, I look at
that and I just desire that.

1023
00:46:21,461 --> 00:46:22,941
It's a really nice vehicle, man.

1024
00:46:23,013 --> 00:46:26,013
I want to buy that and I want
to go spinning across the way right

1025
00:46:26,149 --> 00:46:26,373
now.

1026
00:46:26,389 --> 00:46:28,013
Am I saying buying a Tesla is wrong?

1027
00:46:28,069 --> 00:46:28,237
No.

1028
00:46:28,261 --> 00:46:31,117
But if it's something that
you're idolizing, you're desiring

1029
00:46:31,181 --> 00:46:33,037
over what God has given you, right?

1030
00:46:33,061 --> 00:46:34,985
Then your bank account can afford.

1031
00:46:35,285 --> 00:46:36,821
Maybe that's a problem, right?

1032
00:46:36,853 --> 00:46:40,325
We need to desire things that
God has for us to be with contentment,

1033
00:46:40,365 --> 00:46:42,745
with Satan.

1034
00:46:42,785 --> 00:46:45,961
In Matthew chapter four, Satan
tempted Jesus, right?

1035
00:46:46,033 --> 00:46:48,553
Satan brought him up and
showed him all the kings of the world.

1036
00:46:48,689 --> 00:46:51,041
And he said, you can have all
these kingdoms, right?

1037
00:46:51,113 --> 00:46:55,073
You can completely skip,
completely bypass your death, completely

1038
00:46:55,129 --> 00:46:58,209
bypass the punishment, your
death on the cross, and just bow

1039
00:46:58,257 --> 00:47:00,841
down to me now, and I'll give
you all the kingdoms in this world.

1040
00:47:01,033 --> 00:47:02,285
You can have it.

1041
00:47:02,585 --> 00:47:03,817
But did Jesus do it?

1042
00:47:03,881 --> 00:47:08,433
No, he quoted scripture and he
did not do that.

1043
00:47:08,529 --> 00:47:08,991
He didn't.

1044
00:47:09,073 --> 00:47:10,843
He didn't fall to that Temptation.

1045
00:47:11,019 --> 00:47:13,695
But a bad example of that is
David, right?

1046
00:47:14,395 --> 00:47:16,419
He saw Bathsheba bathing on a roof.

1047
00:47:16,547 --> 00:47:20,455
That desire came and he
fulfilled that wrong desire.

1048
00:47:22,315 --> 00:47:24,243
And so we have to choose for ourselves.

1049
00:47:24,339 --> 00:47:27,267
One, the lust of the flesh,
lust of the eyes, but finally the

1050
00:47:27,291 --> 00:47:27,859
pride of life.

1051
00:47:27,907 --> 00:47:30,643
This is an arrogant
disposition of self being at the

1052
00:47:30,659 --> 00:47:31,755
center of everything.

1053
00:47:31,915 --> 00:47:35,745
These self vain motives for
personal pride and gain, this does

1054
00:47:35,785 --> 00:47:37,365
not come from the father, guys.

1055
00:47:37,665 --> 00:47:39,273
This has not come from the father.

1056
00:47:39,369 --> 00:47:41,977
God's not like, oh, yeah, you
know, you have that pride coming

1057
00:47:42,001 --> 00:47:42,561
up in your life.

1058
00:47:42,593 --> 00:47:46,553
Go on and act upon it, right,
man, you know, I'm a guy, I gotta

1059
00:47:46,569 --> 00:47:49,297
go and I gotta buy big,
massive, you know, I have to go out

1060
00:47:49,321 --> 00:47:50,865
to, I don't know, fill in the blank.

1061
00:47:50,905 --> 00:47:53,913
I gotta spend all this money,
you know, blow my bank account, you

1062
00:47:53,929 --> 00:47:55,553
know, and just be a waster of everything.

1063
00:47:55,609 --> 00:47:57,105
I have no right.

1064
00:47:57,145 --> 00:47:59,465
God has called us to be
responsible with what he's given

1065
00:47:59,505 --> 00:48:00,085
us.

1066
00:48:02,555 --> 00:48:05,515
But these are self vain
motives for personal pride and gain.

1067
00:48:05,555 --> 00:48:08,035
Maybe it's a status, A status symbol.

1068
00:48:08,075 --> 00:48:12,051
I know Joy and I were talking
earlier this year about we're looking

1069
00:48:12,083 --> 00:48:16,203
at possible vehicle upgrades
and for us, our decision.

1070
00:48:16,339 --> 00:48:19,135
Nobody else who made a
different decision than we made,

1071
00:48:19,435 --> 00:48:24,387
but I was dying to get a Ford
Expedition for my next vehicle upgrade.

1072
00:48:24,571 --> 00:48:25,763
And Joy is like, what?

1073
00:48:25,779 --> 00:48:28,577
You know, the minivan is very economical.

1074
00:48:28,721 --> 00:48:30,921
There's plenty of space in the
back of the van.

1075
00:48:30,993 --> 00:48:33,881
You know, we're always lugging
stuff to go camping or whatever.

1076
00:48:34,073 --> 00:48:37,041
And I was like, no, I was
like, that's like a soccer mom vibe,

1077
00:48:37,073 --> 00:48:39,561
you know, I don't want that
kind of vibe for us as a family.

1078
00:48:39,753 --> 00:48:40,345
And.

1079
00:48:40,465 --> 00:48:43,193
But over time, you know, I
realized, okay, it was more of a,

1080
00:48:43,249 --> 00:48:46,265
it was more of a status symbol
than responsibility, right?

1081
00:48:46,305 --> 00:48:48,217
And obviously we could have
gotten the expedition no problem,

1082
00:48:48,241 --> 00:48:50,945
but it wouldn't allow space
for store, less space for the storage

1083
00:48:50,985 --> 00:48:54,045
in the back, and it would
entirely impractical for us.

1084
00:48:55,245 --> 00:48:58,173
But I had to swallow my pride
and I had to say, okay, you know,

1085
00:48:58,189 --> 00:49:01,533
if that's the next vehicle for
us to get one day minivan, I'll be

1086
00:49:01,549 --> 00:49:03,781
content with whatever that
step happens, right?

1087
00:49:03,933 --> 00:49:05,749
And it was a struggle, guys.

1088
00:49:05,877 --> 00:49:09,425
It took me a little while to
say, all right, Lord minivan it is.

1089
00:49:10,845 --> 00:49:12,165
But what is there for you?

1090
00:49:12,245 --> 00:49:14,733
What is that level of pride
that comes up in your heart and you're

1091
00:49:14,749 --> 00:49:19,999
like, man, I gotta yield this
to God and follow his will with it.

1092
00:49:20,197 --> 00:49:22,939
So it says in verse 16, all
that is in the world, the lust of

1093
00:49:22,947 --> 00:49:24,691
the flesh, lust of the eyes,
the pride of life.

1094
00:49:24,723 --> 00:49:26,535
Is not of the Father, but of
the world.

1095
00:49:27,235 --> 00:49:29,803
Now, verse 17, this is a
really awesome point here.

1096
00:49:29,859 --> 00:49:30,643
Almost done, I promise.

1097
00:49:30,699 --> 00:49:31,491
Almost done.

1098
00:49:31,643 --> 00:49:36,611
Verse 17, it says, and the
world passeth away and the lust thereof,

1099
00:49:36,763 --> 00:49:39,611
but he that doeth the will of
God abideth forever.

1100
00:49:39,803 --> 00:49:41,179
Now, the world passing away.

1101
00:49:41,227 --> 00:49:45,495
This word for passing away, I
just think of, you know, for example,

1102
00:49:45,955 --> 00:49:48,059
someone passing away, right?

1103
00:49:48,227 --> 00:49:48,975
Dying.

1104
00:49:49,915 --> 00:49:55,155
But the word for passing away
here literally means to be misled,

1105
00:49:55,315 --> 00:49:56,535
to be led away.

1106
00:49:57,435 --> 00:49:59,371
And how often for us, right?

1107
00:49:59,443 --> 00:50:02,907
As we have that lust, we have
a desire, and the world's holding

1108
00:50:02,931 --> 00:50:03,611
it right there.

1109
00:50:03,683 --> 00:50:04,411
Maybe it's like a dog.

1110
00:50:04,443 --> 00:50:05,563
You're trying to train a dog, right?

1111
00:50:05,619 --> 00:50:08,379
You have a little rubber ball,
whatever, and you're like, all right,

1112
00:50:08,427 --> 00:50:08,899
here, boy.

1113
00:50:08,947 --> 00:50:09,411
Here, boy.

1114
00:50:09,443 --> 00:50:10,627
You know, maybe you have no ball.

1115
00:50:10,651 --> 00:50:11,685
You just kind of hiding it.

1116
00:50:11,755 --> 00:50:12,737
Go get it, right?

1117
00:50:12,801 --> 00:50:17,721
And the dog goes running
after, but there's no ball, right?

1118
00:50:17,833 --> 00:50:21,169
The dog's gone running all the
way over here, and surprise, you

1119
00:50:21,177 --> 00:50:22,553
know, there's no ball or
anything, right?

1120
00:50:22,569 --> 00:50:25,605
And the dog's kind of like,
comes back again, right?

1121
00:50:27,305 --> 00:50:28,193
Is that what.

1122
00:50:28,289 --> 00:50:31,045
But the world's like that, right?

1123
00:50:31,705 --> 00:50:33,045
Are you like that?

1124
00:50:33,625 --> 00:50:35,401
Do you allow the world to take
you like that?

1125
00:50:35,433 --> 00:50:37,833
Whereas, you know, you're
like, yes, I really want this.

1126
00:50:37,889 --> 00:50:38,593
I really need this.

1127
00:50:38,649 --> 00:50:39,777
I need the Ford Expedition.

1128
00:50:39,841 --> 00:50:40,369
Yes.

1129
00:50:40,497 --> 00:50:44,465
And then God's like, psh, you
know, expensive, Too much for your

1130
00:50:44,505 --> 00:50:44,729
family.

1131
00:50:44,777 --> 00:50:45,657
No, you can't do that.

1132
00:50:45,721 --> 00:50:46,249
Minivan.

1133
00:50:46,297 --> 00:50:47,537
Okay, all right.

1134
00:50:47,721 --> 00:50:49,681
You know, what is there for you?

1135
00:50:49,713 --> 00:50:50,925
What is there for me?

1136
00:50:51,385 --> 00:50:52,785
What is God's will?

1137
00:50:52,945 --> 00:50:55,285
The world is passing away, right?

1138
00:50:56,025 --> 00:50:57,433
It may be nice.

1139
00:50:57,609 --> 00:50:59,965
It may be really, really nice
to have this.

1140
00:51:01,785 --> 00:51:03,565
But what is God's will with it?

1141
00:51:04,065 --> 00:51:05,193
What is his will?

1142
00:51:05,329 --> 00:51:06,209
What is his desire?

1143
00:51:06,257 --> 00:51:07,273
Is his desire.

1144
00:51:07,409 --> 00:51:07,651
Is.

1145
00:51:07,673 --> 00:51:12,543
Is his desire for you to have
to say no and to say yes to something

1146
00:51:12,599 --> 00:51:17,527
else and to saying, lord, I
don't just want what is good.

1147
00:51:17,711 --> 00:51:19,475
Even better, I want what is best.

1148
00:51:20,295 --> 00:51:23,727
What is the best plan for what
you have for me regarding what this

1149
00:51:23,751 --> 00:51:23,863
is?

1150
00:51:23,879 --> 00:51:24,835
In this situation?

1151
00:51:26,175 --> 00:51:29,035
People's lusts constantly mislead.

1152
00:51:29,415 --> 00:51:31,799
Many people think that the
lust is supposed to guide them, right?

1153
00:51:31,847 --> 00:51:33,407
Oh, I desire for this.

1154
00:51:33,471 --> 00:51:35,235
I want this or I want that.

1155
00:51:35,965 --> 00:51:41,309
But we have to be careful
because as we do this, I mean, we

1156
00:51:41,317 --> 00:51:43,053
have examples of this in
scripture, right?

1157
00:51:43,189 --> 00:51:44,637
Different people who say, oh,
you know what?

1158
00:51:44,661 --> 00:51:46,405
I feel like this is the right
thing to do, and they completely

1159
00:51:46,445 --> 00:51:47,265
mess up.

1160
00:51:47,845 --> 00:51:49,277
But we have to consult the Lord.

1161
00:51:49,301 --> 00:51:52,165
We have to ask God and ask his
word for direction.

1162
00:51:52,325 --> 00:51:55,397
Only God's will provides that
right and proper direction.

1163
00:51:55,461 --> 00:51:56,505
I Love this.

1164
00:51:56,885 --> 00:52:00,037
It says in the last part of
verse 17, he that doeth the will

1165
00:52:00,061 --> 00:52:02,655
of God abideth forever.

1166
00:52:03,155 --> 00:52:05,707
And do you want to hear the
awesome thing apart the awesome part

1167
00:52:05,731 --> 00:52:07,095
about this last part here?

1168
00:52:07,555 --> 00:52:09,067
That word doeth there.

1169
00:52:09,251 --> 00:52:10,635
He that doeth the will of God.

1170
00:52:10,675 --> 00:52:14,215
The word doeth means to act
rightly, and it means to do well.

1171
00:52:14,675 --> 00:52:17,499
And that reminds me of the
verse from Joshua 1:8.

1172
00:52:17,667 --> 00:52:20,427
This book of the law shall not
depart out of thy mouth, but thou

1173
00:52:20,451 --> 00:52:22,275
shall meditate therein day and night.

1174
00:52:22,395 --> 00:52:24,483
So then thou shalt make the
way prosperous, and then thou shalt

1175
00:52:24,499 --> 00:52:25,535
have good success.

1176
00:52:26,245 --> 00:52:26,985
Right?

1177
00:52:27,685 --> 00:52:30,741
I don't know about you, but I
want to be successful, right?

1178
00:52:30,813 --> 00:52:32,405
Successful in my Christian life.

1179
00:52:32,525 --> 00:52:35,265
I want to be successful with
who God has called me to be.

1180
00:52:35,765 --> 00:52:40,485
And I can do that by following
his will, following His Word, asking

1181
00:52:40,525 --> 00:52:41,821
God to help me.

1182
00:52:41,973 --> 00:52:46,125
The will of God here, that is
the will or the desire for what pleases

1183
00:52:46,165 --> 00:52:47,945
God, simply put, is this.

1184
00:52:48,725 --> 00:52:51,725
If you're struggling with a
decision, you need to ask God.

1185
00:52:51,765 --> 00:52:55,077
You have a desire in your life
to ask the Lord what He wants you

1186
00:52:55,101 --> 00:52:56,501
to do with that desire.

1187
00:52:56,693 --> 00:52:59,261
You get to say, God, I'm
yielding this to you, Lord, whatever

1188
00:52:59,293 --> 00:53:00,437
your will is.

1189
00:53:00,621 --> 00:53:05,189
And I remember back when Joy
and I were supposed to get engaged

1190
00:53:05,277 --> 00:53:10,277
January 4th of 2020, and that
engagement got put on hold for about

1191
00:53:10,341 --> 00:53:11,225
nine months.

1192
00:53:11,845 --> 00:53:13,661
I was holding on tightly to
one way.

1193
00:53:13,693 --> 00:53:16,105
I was like, man, I really want
to get engaged.

1194
00:53:16,605 --> 00:53:19,425
But God said, no, wait.

1195
00:53:20,935 --> 00:53:22,395
And it was hard.

1196
00:53:23,535 --> 00:53:27,663
But going through that
process, it taught me a lot about

1197
00:53:27,759 --> 00:53:31,275
opening up both hands to God
and just saying, you know what, Lord,

1198
00:53:32,055 --> 00:53:35,795
Joys of my relationship is
yours, and I'm yielding it to you.

1199
00:53:36,375 --> 00:53:39,831
And then God brought her back,
and God brought that relationship,

1200
00:53:39,863 --> 00:53:42,255
and we got engaged and we got
married, and now we have kids.

1201
00:53:42,295 --> 00:53:43,607
And God's so good.

1202
00:53:43,791 --> 00:53:44,991
But that's what God does for us.

1203
00:53:45,023 --> 00:53:45,897
When we abide.

1204
00:53:46,031 --> 00:53:48,221
When we abide in his will, we
will abide forever.

1205
00:53:48,293 --> 00:53:51,085
God will lead us to a
sustainable future.

1206
00:53:51,125 --> 00:53:54,877
He will provide, protect, and
lead with what he wants to ask what

1207
00:53:54,901 --> 00:53:56,145
he wants you to do.

1208
00:53:56,445 --> 00:53:59,933
God's will will reveal it to
you as you spend that intentional

1209
00:53:59,989 --> 00:54:02,465
time praying and reading His Word.

1210
00:54:02,765 --> 00:54:05,021
And that goes back to 1 John 1:1.

1211
00:54:05,053 --> 00:54:08,101
It says, that which is from
the beginning, which we have heard,

1212
00:54:08,133 --> 00:54:10,973
which we have seen with our
eyes, which we have looked upon and

1213
00:54:10,989 --> 00:54:14,025
our hands have handled of the
word of life.

1214
00:54:15,165 --> 00:54:16,705
We have it right here, guys.

1215
00:54:17,285 --> 00:54:19,105
We have God's word right here.

1216
00:54:20,085 --> 00:54:24,625
And the question is, are you
going to take the scripture for yourself?

1217
00:54:25,845 --> 00:54:28,117
Are you going to take it every day.

1218
00:54:28,221 --> 00:54:30,333
Are you going to abide in his word?

1219
00:54:30,429 --> 00:54:35,805
Are you going to ask the Lord
faithfully to truly guide your thoughts,

1220
00:54:35,845 --> 00:54:39,519
to truly guide your thinking,
to truly guide your desires, to truly

1221
00:54:39,567 --> 00:54:40,675
guide your life?

1222
00:54:42,575 --> 00:54:43,639
We'll close in prayer.

1223
00:54:43,727 --> 00:54:47,791
I'll turn to Pastor Josh Dear
Lord, I thank you for your word,

1224
00:54:47,823 --> 00:54:49,199
Lord, I thank you for your commandments.

1225
00:54:49,247 --> 00:54:53,023
God help us to keep your
commandments, Lord, to abide in your

1226
00:54:53,079 --> 00:54:56,311
will, Lord, that we can abide
forever, Lord, with you.

1227
00:54:56,343 --> 00:54:58,831
We thank you for your word, Lord.

1228
00:54:58,863 --> 00:55:00,135
Help us to be faithful.

1229
00:55:00,295 --> 00:55:01,311
In Jesus name I pray.

1230
00:55:01,343 --> 00:55:01,995
Amen.

1231
00:55:03,575 --> 00:55:04,463
Thank you Pastor John.

1232
00:55:04,519 --> 00:55:05,555
Appreciate that.

1233
00:55:08,095 --> 00:55:10,695
Thank you again for listening
to the Middletown Baptist Church

1234
00:55:10,735 --> 00:55:11,495
podcast.

1235
00:55:11,655 --> 00:55:14,195
I hope that this sermon has
been a blessing for you.

1236
00:55:14,575 --> 00:55:16,847
If you would like to find out
more information about our church

1237
00:55:16,871 --> 00:55:18,922
or this sermon, you can find
us at middletownbaptistchurch.org

1238
00:55:19,050 --> 00:55:23,435
or find us on Facebook or YouTube.

1239
00:55:23,895 --> 00:55:28,359
You can also email me directly
at joshmissaroiddletownbaptistchurch

1240
00:55:28,407 --> 00:55:32,873
dot com if you've enjoyed this
podcast, please subscribe and follow

1241
00:55:32,929 --> 00:55:35,925
along for future podcast and updates.

1242
00:55:36,265 --> 00:55:37,417
Thank you so much.

1243
00:55:37,561 --> 00:55:38,393
God Bless.

1244
00:55:38,529 --> 00:55:39,545
Have a wonderful day.