Truth Love and Lordship (Part A)

Forgiveness is for imperfect people on it is only for imperfect people. Those who not only sin but are prone to sin again and again. I need something big. I don't need a little dose of forgiveness I leave. I need a monster size dose and it's provided for us sinners a radical thing. The blood of Jesus Christ is more radical. This is cross-referenced with our pastor and teacher.

Rick asked Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of first John, please stay with us after today's message here. More information about cross-referenced specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, but for now let's join Pastor Rick in the book of first John chapter 3 as he begins a new message called truth, love, and Lordship. We are still in first John, if you have your Bibles first John chapter 3 please will take verses 16 through 24. By this we know love because he lay down his life for us. We also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren but whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him my little children, let us not love in word or tongue, but indeed, in truth, and by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. For if our heart condemns us.

God is greater than our heart knows all things. Beloved, if a heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. Whatever we ask, we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. This is his commandment that we should believe on the name of his son Jesus Christ love one another as he gave us commandment. Now he who keeps his commandments abides in him and he and him. By this we know that he abides in us by the spirit whom he has given us.

Sometimes I come up and my mind is racing with all the things that are here to be said.

And even as I'm reading the Scripture sometimes don't even on reading it.

Almost. It's sort of surreal because does John is writing he writes in a very absolute way.

But it's fragmented. It's almost as though using L is another thing the gnostics do without naming the gnostics and we come along and we read it and it seems to be very hard to follow but again I been saying this to our study. In first John those listening to him knew full well what he was talking about.

It would be today as if I were to come up and address the liberalism that is defiling the planet. You know what I was talking about when I talked about when if I were to say something like you know men are born men in a war.

Males of males and females and females.

You wouldn't know what the connection is this is how it was for John but with the gnostics and so I preface everything with that because again, this is a difficult letter for us to follow without understanding the historical setting. I've entitled this morning's consideration, truth, love, and Lordship that Christian life, love, and the word heart and the word truth and commandments.

These are the dominant words in this chapter V of this paragraph are you to take this paragraph in a word cloud out of it. Those words would be outstanding. Especially the word love truth. It is intended to do something is supposed to work its way into our hearts as we worship God and find its way through our lives for ourselves and for others. For those whom we love easily and those not so easily spirit and in truth, but not without love. And of course we hear about Christian love so much and we fail at it so often we we can become sort of numb to it. That's with the Holy Spirit comes hit. He stirs us see singles us out, and he does it so graciously. I don't recall ever in my life having God scream at me even when he corrects me when I done wrong.

The grace of God is not only a shield about me but it is also an instrument of violence against the interests of hell grace. Keep hell up at night causes hell not to have rest. It is the goodness of God.

It is the kindness of God.

It is a sweetness of God's firm is he is his commandments.

He not saying these are my suggestions. I love you so much. If these are my commandments, but I love you and know what's happening. I know story and I'm not leaving you, and I'm not forsaking you. And I don't want you to leave me up to forsake me. I don't want you to give up on Christianity because Christianity is real hard and that's with all the writers are trying to tell us that's why sometimes we read was that when Adam and my getting it.

When these loving menial amenities telling me I bet it will get my act together. It's the blend that would grace is grace is a blend of balance and force motion. All these things happening to get something done at some point. Truth received has to produce love, love has to be carried out that obedience that's under. That puts us under the Lordship of we obey him because he is Lord and when we don't obey him. We are conscious of his Lordship and his love. Now we look at the 16th verse, and John says by this we know love because he lay down his life for us.

We also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. Please linking of course. 16 with 15 whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. Then he says. By this we know by this love by the spirit abiding in us, Christ in us. Love is more pronounced in the New Testament than in the Old Testament. Not only is the ratio of words and how many times you hear the word love in the New Testament versus the Old Testament, but just in its its action it is more pronounced it in the Old Testament, but it comes center stage in the new. That's why we look back at some of the Psalms. The imprecatory Psalms of David is saying, Lord, break their teeth in her mouth and was aware of the love and that would love the break their teeth in their mouths. Very simple income.

The New Testament Jesus that I said you turn the other cheek. Not only is the word used but the fact is displayed for us unlike anywhere else in the Bible. Even when you take the great story of Abraham and Isaac being offered up in the love that is a part of that story. Nothing comes close to the cross of Christ, that we get in the New Testament slip-ups as he demonstrates his love, he shows until you reported on display. He works it out right there in front of us in the cross of his son.

How many songs we have that sing about that talk of God's love. You cannot do it without speaking of his forgiveness did it get goes with it. What good is love. If I'm not forgiven and does not love its sheer justice. Maybe it is not love how we enjoy the forgiveness of God would do we enjoy forgiving others. Forgiveness is for imperfect people only. It is only for imperfect people.

Those who not only sin but are prone to sin again and again. I need something big. I don't need a little dose of forgiveness I Lena I need a monster size dose and it's provided for us sinners a radical thing.

The blood of Jesus Christ is more radical.

This world is hard with this love found nowhere else.

It is imported from heaven only from heaven. It is available to all who receive. Even though relatively few to how many people rejected. It seems to us at least wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads construction.

There are many who find it narrow is the gate straight is the way leads to eternal life. You go and by forgiveness is for those fighting to be like Jesus because they love him. They know his love for them. They are under his Lordship have seen this truth and they do not disagree with him just have a hard time coming up to that standard. Those subjected to his truth and his love and his Lordship. Those are his people and that John is writing to over against these Gnostic teachers forgiveness for sinners who are willing to quit sin even if they don't have the power to pull it off. I wasn't so grateful that all maybe I was when I think about it in those years, ministering amongst heroin addicts, many of them. They love the Lord Jesus Christ. They just could not break that chain that monkey on their back and I would not dare question their desire to be free to serve Christ without it. What lessons were there for me as a young Christian about the grace of God.

Looking at the lives of others. Forgiveness for sinners willing to quit but not always strong enough.

This offer from God comes only through Christ, his son, who laid down his life for us. That's what John says look again at verse 16. By this we know love because he lay down his life for us. That's what Paul said he demonstrates his love for us is what John says we know love. We know it we look at what happened to Christ to leftist Roman glory to come here to be spat upon at his beard plucked from his face to be hammered to death with spikes and finally speared and yet they couldn't kill because of who he is. He gave up the spirit.

Many are incensed by this exclusive or these exclusive terms from God. How dear God, as though God has no right to God hears the Lord is not really that applying for the job, whether you receive it or not, God is God. John's chapter in his gospel 17 verse 14 Jesus speaking to the father.

I have given them your word, we pause there. Have you met Christians who really aren't interested in the word of God. Are they still Christian. I don't think we can be careful without one. But you certainly want to sound alarms to that individual. Jesus said he's given us the word, and you're saying refused. I have given them your word in the world has hated them because they are not of this world.

Just as I am not of this world. This is why we hated today and facing the persecutions that were persecuted and that that were that Barb will be persecuted upon us when not supposed to be surprised by persecution what how many of us are, we read that in verse 13 of John's letter. Look at verse 13 with me just for more.

Do not model my brethren, if the world hates you. Do not be surprised his preaching what is Lord preached to him and he experienced it.

Don't be shocked by hatred shocked by love, maybe, but not especially when it comes from you, toward somebody that's not very lovable John again in this 15th chapter of the gospel rights words of Jesus down if the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own yet because you are not of this world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you, right up to us. I mean, Christ makes no he doesn't hide this East.

He doesn't say you know there are no valleys of shadow of death in his life is and what they are out there are all over the place. The whole world is going to hate you. But within those numbers of people that make up the world. Our people to be saved out of the world and I'm going to use you to do it, which can do that truth can do without love and can do without Lordship and still be rewarded as well.doing good servant sin again indigenous to the soil of this planet of this life, it's here.

It's a blight on the soul of humanity. There's no escaping it in this life and it spreads but it's been dealt with by God.

The antidote is the blood of Jesus Christ, which of course is linked to the goodness of God truth of God. The omissions of God the sovereignty of God and Ellen are on the attributes of God are meaningful to us. They're not close. By the way thoughts of theology.

What kind of God would you have if he was absent-minded that would be terrible and I forget let the sunrise we hold out of life. And we also John Wright sought to lay down our lives for the brethren again with the brethren. John singling out believers, loving believers. You might not of figured this out yet, so I'm going to tell some of you might not have Christians can be as difficult as non-Christians in every sense of the word, they can go off on you when they get their feelings hurt and treat you as though they were a monster and you are the monster.

Where's the love you want to say I'm feeling it right now brother. Don't let that be you. I don't want to be me. Have I ever been loveless as a Christian, no matter recently. I don't think doesn't come but I've got some memories way back in the Lord has dealt with me on those I work hard to not commit that crime again.

Love volunteers. That's what love does it volunteers when everybody is not stepping forward. Love steps forward. What would happen if Christ did not step forward for us what would happen if he did not say I volunteered to die for them, but he did willing those willing to volunteer our courageous. It takes courage to volunteer in love when Peter writes therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind for this, Peter says, arm yourselves don't go in empty-handed. Be ready for loveless life entirely, but those that you know doesn't take much to throw us off the road. Romans 12 I beseech you, brethren, by the mercies of God you present your bodies a living sacrifice wholly acceptable to God which is your reasonable service. See love volunteers present yourself as a sacrifice to volunteer. It we may not be called to give our lives and sacrifice to others, and death. That is what we are called to serve in this life for others. That's what serving means serving means you are doing something that benefits others. David, the king, King David, when God had dealt with David on some of his sins and David was going to purchase land which would be the building of the temple.

The land of or Nan. He was offered to have it for free, and David protested and this is what he said this is this is a good if are you all, Christina thinks the church should always be begging and haggling and trying to get the best deal you think the church is safe. How much is it I can afford it. I'll take it because I am not going to let you walk away from this transaction. Thinking that God is begging that God is needy is fully prepared to meet the terms, so long as they are right first Chronicles 21 then David said to or Nan know. But I will surely buy it for the full price for. I will not take what is yours for the Lord nor offer burnt offerings with that which costs me nothing profound. You see when this man David we could just love this guy, in spite of his mess ups. I want to be loved in spite of my mess ups here. David says I will not offer burnt offerings with that which cost me nothing. That service that's volunteering to be Christ like. What is the cost.

What is the cost of ministry brothers, pastoral or any other type pain you get hurt. That's what it is best to Christian code cross of Christ as the emblem of pain-and-suffering unfairness.

I don't mind so much suffering for something that is fair. We even have a saying, fair enough. I make sense as I actually would that what about when you can live with it when the terms are not handed to you but it dictated to you. This is Christianity we have and this is what John is talking about. We also also lay down alive to seem so easy and print right until somebody got a sword to your throat. Verse 17 he continues with this teaching, he says, but whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him is a way to lay down alive for each other and you're saying Amen brother. But yet you won't do what's necessary to act upon this love.

You won't volunteer of your resources.

You will not sacrifice that would cost you something when you see somebody means it took about the proverbial mooch ill. Paul said if a man is not where he does not eat pretty powerful is a saying if you know maybe you cannot work for some reason or another thought hit health or something with those who opt to just be lazy and live off of other diseases starting out, that ought to get on the work. John is talking about Christians who see other Christians in need and can help them and don't and they want to go to church and say I love the brethren.

Paul held the Corinthian believers accountable to their pledge to assist the Jerusalem Christians that were suffering and he writes about in second Corinthians 8, nine, his dog, so let me come there and you guys are ready to to own up to your own word, and he points to the Macedonians. He said they came from their resources which they really didn't even have I tried to slow them down but they insisted on giving. Don't let me down this carafe. Luke's Gospel, Jesus of course told the story of the prodigal son not just extract this part says he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine eight and no one gave him anything listening to that parable in your there to does that register doesn't ring a bell use away when bells are ringing alarms are going off in my the person what I have been one of the people that's would've said to the prodigal son. I give you nothing convicting that's what it means to come to the truth to come to it in love to be under his Lordship, no guilt trip to feed the many starving souls of all the Third World countries that are out there with those late at your gate, that's a different story.

The one laid at your gate what you are doing that one.

Jesus gave another parable of Lazarus the beggar, but there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores. Nobody wanted to touch him.

If you've ever been to some of the big cities and you've seen homeless people, you know, there are often full of stench and sores and other things and you just want to touch you don't even want to go within their sphere and so here's Lazarus full of sores, who was laid at his gate. The rich man desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. The dogs gave that man more care than the rich man.

That's the point, you know, in those days there were no napkins, no they use to wipe their fingers and mouth bread and often times it would need to just talk it. This man would've gladly feasted himself on someone's bread napkin, but he couldn't.

Not even that was allowed to him. And so Jesus said who was laid at his gate. That's what John is talking about your brethren are in need of one. It's late at your gate on your heart, you have the year gate.

The I gate the little things that get gain entrance to our soul to our heart that part of us that interact with each other and therefore is Christians with the spirit alive. It interacts with God also whenever our soul is interacting with another human being God as part of that discussion. That event not so with the unbeliever. His spirit is dead.

His soul is alive.

You can interact with people but God is in none of the stocks not the God of truth and certainly not the Lordship of God. Paul talks about that infusion. Ephesians you who were dead in your spirit has been made alive question Christ and so we were alive with to be sensitive to the needs of those around us takes skill to learn how to minister effectively for others and you get that skill by making mistakes to catch is when some of us make mistakes, loving others, we can burn for we abandon the abandon the process we no longer want to try on doing that again is why I die for you again have to, but I would, thanks for tuning in to cross reference cross reference is a ministry pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia.

If you'd like to learn more about this ministry, we invite you to visit our website cross reference for Dr. find a number of teachings from Pastor Rick available there. We also encourage you to subscribe to our podcast you subscribe will be notified of new editions of cross reference. Just search for cross reference iTunes Google play music or your favorite podcast apps. You can also follow the links@crossreference.com. We're glad we were able to spend time with you today to the next time to continue learning from the book of first John pastor here. Cross-reference