“Love that hurts” 1 John 3:16-24
Incarnation-Jesus became a man and made His dwelling among us
Expiation-Jesus’ death cleanses us from the stain of sin and guilt and shame
Propitiation-Jesus took the wrath that we deserve as sinners upon Himself
Sanctification- the process that believers experience that sets us apart from living in a sinful way
Regeneration means that God has taken away the old self and given us a new self. This does not change the fact that our fleshly sinful nature still exists and that Satan is trying to deceive
Last week we ended with the challenge what are you abiding in Eternal life or death, your regenerated heart or your old self.
Now John challenges us with the example of Jesus, how much do you love.
Vrs 16 The Greatest example of love Jesus. Description of being crucified
We also ought to lay down our lives for each other.
How do we do this? Do we die for other people?
You need to serve but you need to be served as well (fed by His word)
Vrs 17 Lets start with your possessions
Bottom line here is if you have and others need in the name of Jesus you should give.
How does this play out, most of us are unaware of the needs that others have, or realistically most people that we know really don’t have that many needs but they are merely wants.
So what are the needs of people? I would suggest most of the needs the Christians and non-Christians that we know are spiritual needs. So who is in charge of meeting spiritual needs? The Church, this is what Jesus set up to bring forth the Gospel and build up believers
When you support the church you are giving to God and His work
Why: 1. He gave to you and every time you give it reminds you what Jesus has done in your life
2. Act of worship, it is showing Jesus that you understand that He owns it all it is just on loan to you.
3. Commanded to
How:
1. first fruits, how much is that? Some teach 10% but the OT tithe is actually 23% we are under the new covenant the NT says we should give as we are prospered.
2. The N.T. teaches that we should give Generously
3. Not grudgingly or pressured
I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare. C.S. Lewis.
This shows where your heart is Matt 6
Misconceptions people have and why they don’t give
-I am in debt or I can’t afford to
I have tried to keep things in my hands and lost them all, but what I have given into God's hands I still possess. Martin Luther.
-I don’t agree with what it is spent on (then you are not really giving it up to God) There is and should be accountability.
-I am young and don’t have money. The widows mite
For some strange reason people are offended when you talk about their money and I realize that, I would get offended if I walked in a room and the guy up from said my God wants some of your god and here is the plate you put that in, that is exactly the we have the giving box in the back, so people that don’t know Jesus don’t hold that against us, our heart is for you to know that Jesus is a giver.
For you who are Christians, that box should be where your worship starts, not, nice the bill collector didn’t come today lets see if I can dodge Him another week. It should be a time in which you are reminded that Jesus gave His life for you and you remember that.
If all of us make the decision to make giving a priority the more people can meet Jesus, the more people can grow to love Jesus, the more effective we can be for Jesus and we will be obeying Jesus by giving Him what is rightfully His.
Christian go home, pray, plan your giving on a weekly or monthly basis, give it and show Jesus that He is your God not your money. And this will show the love you have for Him and His work by meeting the spiritual needs of others
The bottom line is something that Hudson Taylor said. “When God's work is done in God's way for God's glory, it will never lack God's supply”. I believe that God’s work is being done here and I also believe the best is yet to come and I know the provisions will be there
Vrs 18 Talk is cheap, lets see some action and cling to what is true
Vrs 19 Last week I mentioned that a personal litmus test to know for sure if we do trust Jesus is the love we have for other Christians. Inward peace comes in our lives when we find a desire and a will to do what is right and love others.
Vrs 20- if our heart condemns us we know that God is greater then our heart and control, He is the one who regenerated our hearts so we know what is wrong.
Vrs 21 but if our heart/conscience does not condemn us or convict of us sin then we have confidence that God’s laws and standards are perfect and that He is the one who Regenerates our hearts
Oswald Chambers said
“It is easier to serve God without a vision, easier to work for God without a call, because then you are not bothered by what God requires; common sense is your guide, veneered over with Christian sentiment. You will be more prosperous and successful, more leisure-hearted, if you never realize the call of God. But if once you receive a commission from Jesus Christ, the memory of what God wants will always come like a goad; you will no longer be able to work for Him on the common-sense basis.”
Don’t listen to your reason or your heart, listen to Jesus
Vrs 22 The biblical concept that we reap what you sow, you cannot expect God to bless you if you are not keeping His commands, just because you are keeping His commands does not mean He will bless you.
So if you are asking God to bless your… marriage, dating relationship, friendships, neighbor relationship, parenting, finances, career, school work, etc
Jamison, Fausett and Brown’s Commentary says it like this. we receive--as a matter of fact, according to His promise. Believers, as such, ask only what is in accordance with God's will; or if they ask what God wills not, they bow their will to God's will, and so God grants them either their request, or something better than it.
Vrs 23 Only through Faith in Jesus can we truly love others
Vrs 24 This is how you maintain intimacy with Jesus, obedience. Only through the Holy Spirit can we abide in Him and keep His commandments
Sometimes being obedient hurts but it is worth it because it demonstrates our love toward God and those around us.
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