2-1 John 2:3-17

 2:3-6, Know of 39 times

By This of 11 times

2:7-11, Light and Darkness of 13 times

Commandment of 18 times

2:12-14, Perspective Groups based on age

2:15-17, The World of 24 times

Top 5 words used by John (3109)

1. Love 52 times
2. Know 39 times
3. Sin 27 times
4. Abides 26 times
5. World 25 times

Audio-Jeff, Shane, Dennis, Keith, Paul, Mike audio only.

1-Asked about Bible reading

Jeff in Job, Elihu new character (possible foreshadow of Christ)(no written word) What if you didn't have scripture or a church in a hard time

Shane Exodus 26, hard reading. 

Dennis, trying to keep up with politics, started 15-30 mins of Bible before other interest. Put your hope in Christ before you worry about woes of the world. Wake up in middle of night and listen to scripture when can't sleep. Try to get a least 15mins of written word. A good gravy can make any food taste good. Find a text you like.

Keith in Genesis. Almost to Exodus. Exodus great redemptive event. Door what saved them was the blood. Joseph led brothers to repentance.

Paul-finished Romans and Spurgon study, and at church married class. 1 John.

Mike-trying take 2, fell behind last year. 

2-1 John 2:3-6 (10:00)

• Mike's father in law would always point 1 John to how we can know we are saved
• By This, notice these statements, here vs.3 and vs. 5
• Know, 4 times in text. Love-52, Know-39, Abide-26 times
• Adam Knew His wife, a form of intimacy 
• 3 types of Know, 
• 1-What is the weather outside
• 2-Work profession skill, color code for phone man, 2nd degree of knowledge 
• 3-How you know your wife or your children
• I little bit of knowledge will make you a atheist at lot of knowledge will make you a Christian
• Shift from absolute truth to relative truth
• 18:00, Jeff 3 levels of knowing distinction, trying to keep commandment, application. Seeking after the desires of God's heart, a way of being intimate with Him
• it is not a check list, if you are in Him your attitude is changed and it is not so hard to obey
• If someone asked you what book to read about forgiveness? Forgiveness is throughout the whole Bible. A traditional book you would buy of the shelf, but the Bible is written in a different way. The idea of theology is developed about forgiveness. 25 concepts, person A have 15 and another has 10 and they interact together and collaborate, about what the Bible most clearly says about Forgiveness. That should encourage them to do that for more Biblical themes.
• 4 point thing systematic theology, push back because they think we are trying to force a system on scripture. the Bible tends to go from topic to topic. It is a system of thought on forgiveness, but not forced on
• Philosophy is were we can bring our bias to Scripture. Love and Wrath. If I am pro Love, I will ignore wrath text.
• Action-Social Justice, What every action we do should come from scripture, right theology, right philosophy then action. Submitting their thinking to the word of God
• People take the wrong path on knowledge
• 26:55, Shane, (Keep His commandments is legalistic, some would say) Because I am not in the word as much, I don't hunger to keep the commandment sometime. 
• It can almost be like a gauge if you don't desire to keep commands. (license to sin)
• Deceive ourselves 1 John 1:8, 1 John 2:4 By This, He is giving you a gas gauge
• something wrong under the hood
• Matt. 16, Peter confess Christ, This was not revealed to you by flesh and blood
• 31:14, Keith, "The have too's become the want too's (Rich young Ruler)(Works and the Faith_
• 32:35, encouraging us to go through the word.
• 33:10, about knowing, disciples in the boat vs. the centurion on authority. little faith vs much faith. not trying to mustard it up, but come to know Him. Delivered out of Exodus without lifting a weapon. Knowing is important, a lot of people can't persevere in loving Christ because they don't really know Him. Worshiping in Leviticus, some flesh has to burn and blood has to be shed, this is the cost of sin. They need to know the cost for sin. Not one sin that was not covered by blood and fat.
• 36:54, Paul (Love God and others, Love in deeds not just in words)(John 17)(It is time for you to walk with me)(Surrender your life to me)(Abiding in Him and the Holy Spirit help you)
• 39:20, Keith, on obedience "Our Action should confirm our salvation not secure it"

3-1 John 2:7-11 (41:26)

• 41:26, read text, Light and Darkness of 13 times
• 42:30, Paul Darkness Sin and Light walking with Christ and in the Spirit, not a new thing.
• Gen 4, Cain madd because God didn't receive offering
• 45:30, Jeff, concept of darkness and light, JOY, Jesus, Others, Yourself last. 
• 46:45, Shane, when I got saved my friend relationships changed, but cared for them more now.
• 46:15, Keith, Darkness is passing away
• 48:10, The darkness blinded their eyes.

4-1John 2:12-14 (48:40)

• Little Children, first saved, Father's long time believer, Young men in the prime of their life.
• 52:42, Keith, Fathers
• 52:30, Paul,
• 54:26, memory, eyes, getting old. pray for the youth. Fighting age. Men who can go to battle.

5-1 John 2:15-17 (57:00)

• World used 6 time here. Rich Young Ruler, sell what you have and you will have treasures in heaven. Store up your treasures where moth and rust will not destroy. Peter said "we have given up so much" and Jesus said none of what you have given up will be rewarded.
• Pilgrims progress, sin, judgement and heaven and hell a real place. The struggle to get to heaven and glory. If we don't talk about the consequences of sin and judgement is coming
• Passion and Patience, waited 1 year but last forever. This life is temporary 
• 1:04:20, Keith, moon reflects the light of the sun, the earth gets in the way on light reflection
• 1:05:05, Shane, get wrapped up in world making money. vacations
• 105:48, Jeff, what world. How to define it? Kevin Deyoung. Not people of the world, but this corrupt system of the world.
• 106:40, Keith
• 107:04, Paul, what is Hebrew word there?
• 107:55, Shane, study Bible says
• 1:08:15, consider doctrine of original sin next week? Historical Christianity would say we were born with a sin nature. Progressive Christianity we are born good and we sin and act up because someone teaches us to sin or hate. 
• If you do not have a sin nature that cripples you there is no need for a savior.

 6-Pray (1:11:50)

• Dennis
• Shane
• Keith
• Paul

1-1 John 1-2:2

This morning, we started the letters of John. The hope and idea is to prepare our hearts for the Gospel book of John. 

As we spend the next 5 weeks or so in the letters of John, we hope to unpack to some degree or another some solid foundational doctrines. Three doctrines that stood out for me were, 1-The sufficiency of Scripture, 2-Penal Substitutionary Atonement, and 3-Assurance of Salvation. The book is not limited to just these 3 though because it speaks to much more than just these.

From the Beginning

John 1:1-4, The first idea we see here is based on "from the beginning". John starts his letters just like he does his gospel. John 1:1 says, "In the beginning", for those who abide in scripture this is a natural appeal to Gen. 1:1"In the beginning".

So as we survey the Bible, the very first 5 verses speaks about the first day of creation where God said "let there be light" and we have light and darkness. Then in the NT, John in his gospel starts with tying in two important moments of time, the creation of our world and the incarnation which is the start of redeeming our world. After the Church has begun its journey in the great commission, we see John writing a letter to shepherd the flock of God he has been entrusted too and again here we see him starting with reminding the sheep of who to look to, the one who all creation finds its being (Acts 17:24-31). We will look at this a little more in next section when we look at "light and darkness". 

Manifest

For me a key word here in this text was also "Manifest". In John 14, you can unpack 3 questions the disciples make. 

1-Thomas, "Lord we do not know where your are going, how can we know the way? (vs 5). 

2-Philip, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us"(vs 8). 

3-Judas not Iscariot, "Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world (vs 22)? 

3 key things here is knowing, seeing and understanding "The Way". 

The definition of manifest as an adjective is "clear or obvious to the eye or mind" and as a verb it is "display or show something by demonstration." 

In context this was the last conversation the disciples would have with Jesus before the Cross, so you can see the hunger to get their last instructions.

What Jesus promised them in the John 14 text and following they are confirming here. They are acknowledging that this idea of that, they were equipped to know the way, to know the Father, and to see how they should conduct themselves even though they didn't have God in the flesh anymore was true and they are furthermore communicating to their audience the same message of truth is for them, that they were able to come to know. This promise is in vs. 3&4 surrounded around the key word "fellowship and joy". 

Light and Darkness

John 1:5-7, Here with pick back up on the idea of "light and darkness". As a group it was pointed out that God created light on the first day and that was before He created the sun on the fourth day. Also in  Revelation 21:23 & 22:5, we see "And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and it's lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk" and "They will need no light of lamp or sun for the Lord God will be their light. We spoke about how dark it can get. If you neighborhood loses power at night and you walk outside it is scary dark. It has a thick feel to it. God has been good to us to give us the reflections of light from the Sun and the moon. They are not sources of light but reflections of it. We spoke of 

John 1:8-10, 

John 2:1-2, 

Audio-Dennis, Jeff, Mike, Paul, and Keith. (Shane helping with another study)

• Intro to 1 John with comments from Paul and Jeff and opening prayer. 

Part 1

• 6:20, 1 John 1-4, reading of the text
• Manifest, John 14, How will you make yourself know to us but not to the world?
• Absolute truths and infallibility of scripture, If the word of God a firm foundation or not?
• Outside of reading scripture, your eyes ears and heart will just not be open to digest truth.
• Without scripture is like knowing your blind and refusing to put on your glasses.
• 11:15 Jeff, "In the beginning" Gen. 1 and John 1.
• 12:30, response on Jesus incarnation and the importance of the information of what they did have.
• 15:00, Paul, Ch. 4:2, testing the spirits, follows up on false teaching that He was not God in the flesh. "Do not believe every spirit, test the spirits to see if they are of God, for many false prophets have already gone into the world, by this you know the spirit of God.
• 19:00, Keith being invited into a group to study
• 20:25, The physical, what we have seen, heard and touch. With many infallible proofs. 
• 21:50, We didn't write everything, but we wrote enough for you to know. We will not know it all, but we can know enough. We can give good answers, but will not be able to answer all. At some point they will have to go to Jesus personally.
• Put it in you knower. As time goes on God will make is makes sense or come alive.
• Without God's word understanding Him is a fools errand.
• 25:10, Mike on his friend Benny. Deut. 29:29. The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us forever, so that we may do all the words of this law.

Part 2

• 27:33, 1 John 1:5-7, Walking in the Light
• 29:30, Paul, Deep darkness is not desirable, but the reduction of light allows us to appreciate the lesser lights, but we are still enjoying the light.
• 31:15, Fellowship, unity, in order to have good fellowship with man we have to first have it with God. Sin creates division. Our unity with men is limited by our fellowship with God. Lured by the sin nature to do something in darkness because you wouldn't do it in the light. We do not pursue our actions in darkness.
• 34:20, Jeff, attributes of God, God is light. Walking in darkness
• 36:25, Paul, 7 days of creation, light before sun, where did that light come from? Rev. not sun?
• 37:10, Mike day 4 before sun was created
• 37:40, Jeff, the sun makes think grow and Jesus is going to do that for us in eternity
• 38:10, Paul, pitch darkness, terrifying feeling. Do we want it to be all the time. At night it is a different light
• 39:00 Keith, see moon because of reflection of the light. 
• 39:26, We are to be image bearers
• 39:40, Telescope, trying to explain about the sun and who it revolves around
• 40:30, Mike, the moonshiners bible study

Part 3

• 41:00, 1 John 1:8-10,
•  Unpack sin in about 3 ways. 
• If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
• If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
• Sometimes we don't share the Gospel in a good news way.
• If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and his word is not in us.
• 43:30, Mike, The word "sin" can be used as a noun and a verb.
• If you remember in English class, a noun is a person, place or thing. Where a verb is something you do. State of Sin, Jesus rescues us from that and rescues us from that and redefines us. Other times you sin but that is not what defines you. If you get this wrong you can see "losing salvation".
• Jesus took away the sin of the world as a noun not as a verb. 
• 46:35, Infallibility of scripture, PSA, and losing salvation.
• 47:20, Paul, confessing Weirsby
• 47:45, Jeff, How important is it to confess your sins? If you don't confess it, you are saying you have no need for it.
• 48:50, Mike, It restores the relationship. Bench seat. She moves over. We don't move. Relationship is settled at the cross, but lack of confession kills fellowship and intimacy. 
• 50:20, Keith, 
• 51:05, the refusal to confess, does that link to the idea of you walking in darkness, prepare you for deception. 
• 52:00, Paul, Ps. 51, I am in agreement with the Lord on how He sees his sin
• 53:40, Mike, restore the joy of my salvation. Be restorative.

Part 4

• 54:10, 1 John 2:1-2
• 1 John 1:7, The blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
• 1 John 1:9, If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
• 1 John 2:1-2, But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins.
• Clear about the hope of Christ, a tool to realize it.
• The gospel is still light that penetrates to darkness of our day.
• Gen. 3 Adam sinned and blaming others. When we fall, repent and trust in God
• 57:45, Jeff, Advocate. We need and advocate between us and our Father. Satan the accuser
• 58:40, Mike, Hebrews 4, Jesus a high priest that understands us.
• 59:15, Jeff raising kids, does it get easier. Praying for you.
• 1:00:35, Keith, follow my command if you love me.

Prayer 

• 1:01:40
• You don't call us to be perfect, but you call us to come into the light.
• You know our heart and you can guide us through our struggles.

Q&A Luke 12 week series Review

12 "The Parable of the Prodigal Son" (Luke 15:11-32)

11 "The Parable of the Rich Fool" (Luke 12:13-21)

1)13-14, (The Situation)

In the middle of a teaching Jesus is interrupted by a brother that is not content with his share of the family inheritance.

He appeals to a custom where Rabbi’s would take on the role of settling civil disputes among the people.

Jesus responds with a question to him about who He is? 

Jesus responded this way in Luke 18:18-19 with the Rich Ruler. He approached Jesus as a “Good Teacher” and Jesus asked Why do you call me good?

I believe both of the responses with a question is similar to what we see in Matt. 16:13-16. 

First Jesus ask His disciples who do others say that I am and then He makes it personal, who do you say that I am. 

We have all had someone deal with us in a way that you realize they know nothing about you. 

With the magnitude of the work that Jesus came to accomplish, He often dealt with people that had a very small view of what He was all about. 

When you consider the words of Jesus in Luke 12:8-12, He is not talking about a trivial matter, He is talking about some of the most weighty topics for men to consider. 

This line of questioning that the man proposes shows he is fairly oblivious to the grown up conversation that is going on and Who he is talking too.

Who is Jesus? Do you really know Him?

Remember how in Luke 5:21-26, we see the Pharisees struggle with the truth that only God can forgive sins. This was a 100% accurate theological statement.

The problem was not that they were theological wrong, but that they failed to realize Who it was that they were talking with. Jesus vaguely gives them a hint in vs 24, by saying “so that you know that the son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins” He is identifying Himself as the Messiah at this point and they fail to recognize that the miracle He performed before their eyes was evidence that He is the one the scriptures pointed to as rescuing them.

2)15, (The Command)

10th Commandment, Do not Covet. Exodus 20:17

In John 14:15, Jesus says, If you love me you will keep my commandments. 

In Matt. 28:20 Jesus  says make disciples by teaching them to observe all that He has commanded.

Here we see, Him making a commandment base on the 10th commandment handed to Moses by God. 

Be on guard against all tendencies of a covetousness nature.

He teaches to this commandment here saying that one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.

As people seek to find value in their life, some inventory their worth by the abundance of possession they acquire in this life.

Jesus will use a parable here to teach to the perspective and importance of seeing the value of treasures in Heaven.

3)16-17, (When a Blessing comes your way!!!)

What do you do when a door is open before you? 

When you have a great opportunity? 

Do you consider how God wants you to handle or manage the opportunity? 

The man in our parable has only thoughts of his own well being. He doesn’t think of anyone else.

He isn’t described as a person who would be mindful of others needs.

In comparison we can look to Gen. 41, where we see Joseph in a place to steward an unusual blessing of the Lord. 

He is guided to lead the greatest nation of his day in the Lord’s direction so that many nations can be cared for. 

It is revealed to him that there will be 7 years of prosperity and 7 years of famine. 

He puts together a plan of stewardship that makes a way for others to be cared for throughout this time of famine.

4)18-19, (Do you inquire of the Lord???)

In 2 Chronicles 18, Two Kings. One like the rich fool is only mindful of his own prosperity. The other like Joseph considers what is God’s will in this matter?

The Rich Fool worries about where to store his stuff. He never considers sharing with others. He never considers he was blessed to be a blessing. He never comes to know there is treasure in helping others meet their needs and being a conduit for the Lord that feeds a soul greater than the meager rations of the physical life. There is a food that the eyes of the earthly body can’t perceive. But in obedience to the commands of Christ our eyes can be opened to some degree to a food and a treasure that can not be compared to the things of this life.

5)20-21, (Do your treasures join you to God or separate you from Him?)

Treasures in heaven are not a consolation prize. Denying things of this life in order to know more about the life to come is not a foolish choice. 

Mark 8:36-37, says “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul?

We may can buy temporary comforts in this life, but we can not buy our salvation. This is a much weightier topic for consideration than how we will retire in this life.

Jesus showed us how He handled this situation in Matthew 4:8-10 when tempted the 3rd time. The devil offers all the kingdoms to Jesus if He would bow down and worship Him.

Jesus could not be bought or bribed to misplace His worship.

John 1:3, Everything that exist was spoke into existence and has derived it’s being from God. All that we can perceive is from Him. 

It is foolish for any of us to worship the creation over the creator Romans 1:25. The only practical way we fall in this trap is by being ignorant to Who God is Mark 4:41.

Our ability to walk in the light is foundationally established by knowing who He is John 3:18-21. All too many people try to earn their salvation by mustering up a measure of faith as a means to a desirable end, but faith is not something we muster up, but it is a result of truly knowing who God is. It is impossible to give all that we have away without knowing the God of the Bible Luke 18:24-27. But in knowing Him like we seen with Matthew Luke 5:28 or Zaccheus Luke 19:8 the tax collectors forsaking all is the wisest thing we could ever do.

We can try to acquire things, so that we don’t need God or we can learn to trust in the Lord to provide our needs.

Like the Rich Fool, we can comfort ourselves with our ability to acquire stuff in this life or we can inquire of the Lord to direct our steps.

In the book of Exodus, we do not see the people of God needs being overlooked. He meets all their needs. He protects and provides for them. 

He gives them sunblock in the day by a cloud. He gives them warmth at night by a pillar of fire. He leads their steps in the moving of the cloud or pillar of fire Exodus 13:17.

He gives them food either by manna or doves Exodus 16. He gives them water from a rock Exodus 17. And even when the Egyptian army comes after them again, He defends them by fighting for them Exodus 14.

Some that were part of the Exodus journey was ready to go anywhere with God and others still longed to go back to Egypt.

So is he who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God

In closing, take time to consider where you are at in regard to coveting? That is the key teaching here. That is what Jesus told the Parable for. Is your security found in your stuff or the creator of your stuff. Does your stuff have a hold on you? Are you willing to surrender your stuff for His will in and through you? 

Overcoming a covetous desire puts you in a position to be a blessing to others. Joseph in Gen. 41, was not a slave to a covetous heart and because of that he was found to be the only one wise enough to manage God’s provisions for the people. In this his eyes were opened to a foretaste of the goodness of God to use him as a vessel of grace to meet the needs of others. Jesus said it best in John 4:32, “I have a food to eat that you do not know about.”

Philippians 4:11-13 “I have learned in whatever situation I am in to be content.”