The Forgiven (Part B)

Go out into the workplace is especially you younger believers don't be full by those who are fooled by Satan.

We expect more from you. You're able to do this, we are not asking you to do the impossible. We are asking you to do the wonderful stand up against the naysayers, get your faith. Solid know why you believe what you believe and it's not it's not calculus. Understanding the gospel is very simple and thorough keep it by faith God. This is cross-referenced with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston.

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 to hear more information about cross-referenced specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching.

If you have your Bibles. Please join Pastor Rick in first John chapter 2 as he continues his message called the forget so is not what you know to the Gnostics, it's who you know they did not know the son of God and he is to be no God is knowable. First Corinthians chapter 8 if anyone loves God this one is known by its of mutual relationship. That's what the communion speaks of a mutual knowledge to have this in common that we know each other were not strangers as Paul tells us in Ephesians, we are no longer strangers. These new Jesus and it was the Jesus of the apostles not be a Jesus not the Jesus of false believers and make believers.

I don't I don't think the universities if I had my way I would ban them from teaching about Creswell we have the churches we don't need their input and they take out so many believers with their half-baked ideas. Yeah, I wanted to of the professors might have their act together but is not worth the risk to many of them are there is a corrupting influence, offering a false and a fake Jesus and as I mentioned before, we have too many young adults to go off to the universities and colleges and workplaces, and everywhere else waving the white flag. I surrender my veil all please tell me more Mr. Prof. you know everything pastor… My parents on over there talking about the old-fashioned which you got together probably and you shoot Bobby in therapy. You mean nobody so Colossians 2 verse eight beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world and not according to Christ, see the apostles had been number they knew the bad guys they know how they rolled. Why don't Christians know we have no excuse.

We have an armada of teachings from the apostles from the prophets. We have a written litmus test.

There's no reason why we should be fold out of our faith. They don't have something better to offer you they have hell to offer you and you get nothing back. Nothing good you get something back right you wish you didn't have you think is bad to catch the flu try catching hell, you won't recover from that mature believers they in the days of John is in the days today.

They know better than this high sounding twaddle that comes from people don't know what they're talking about, but try to come off as being the most intelligent people alive listen because a person to get A's on the exam does not mean they know the gospel they get A's on exams. How about on the exam of faith get an a on that to ensure that every Christian should get a on that the blood of Christ. No one else comes down to. They don't believe the word of God. They don't want to.

They don't even like it.

Some of them tried to give it an acknowledgment of nonvolatile good literature. So he says the father is. I know you have known Christ from the beginning and you not, you're not going to be fooled.

I know that I got a switch on the say and says you young man.

I write to you young man. This is the young women to it's not gender specific. It includes both now all that he's going to say to the young men the fathers were supposed already know they have grass this and what young men lack in time in the grade because there's a teaching that can only come in life from time but there are other lessons in there other things that require strength, physical strength, it takes physical strength to study the word of God. I don't mean to just pick through it. I need to study it and these men were men of the word. These believers were men of the word what they lacked in time they get they made up with energy, they were involved and the were promised that if they stayed on the ship. They too would be the fathers and mothers in the church and so he says I write to you young men out when I say young and middle-aged men. We've got plenty of them here. There are now in the hallways guard the church. The look out for us and you young men here not serving Russia's ministry will wait to recruiting moment.

Okay, let's pause and go to our sponsor.

The Holy Spirit would like you to step forward and serve.

Maybe you can be one of them that maybe You can you can just little challenge as if I was a your agent once I was in someone said not. Maybe you can I would go yeah we will find out. The challenge them's fighting words in my embarrassing myself right now.

I write to you young man because you have overcome the wicked one, they remained in the faith. That's how they did that they took the hats whatever they were, as maybe you know one of the Eagle one of the easiest people on earth on anywhere to be angry with his God is so easy to just be angry at him.

The chances of him striking you did exist, but then not as high as they have been at some times in history.

We kind of figure that out and is so easy to just be so frustrated with God, yet overcome the power forward. What can Satan do to the believer who refuses to give into his junk's lives. You can do anything with that believable causing inconvenience to be pretty step sometimes over comers.

We overrun the enemy's position rather than having the enemy overrun our position will have the white flags the way math Band-Aids but no white flags.

Maybe we should do that when when the young adults get out of school and their weather. Now young adults in the going off to college in the workplace.

Maybe we should get you a box of tissues white ones and say bring this back to us full, show us that you've not surrendered your faith go into the world to universities wherever you find yourself the communities and be preachers of the gospel, not retrievers of the gospel because you have overcome the wicked one got a have strength to do that, they face the seductions they face the Gnostics and their false teachers and they soundly rejected the gibberish that was being thrown their way and John pointed out as word got to him. Somebody had to come see John, this is what's happening to churches in this region.

But there are the fathers of fighting this the young men and young women are standing up.

There are those new believers. There also John does what he does deals with this so he says here in verse 13, I write to you little children out there is that Greek word by Edie on not grown these of the new believers new to the faith. We don't expect babes or little children to know very much. We wait for them to become teens before they act like they know everything that's all right we were there once to but we don't expect them to know very much, but we do expect them to learn and it's up to the teachers to find out what pace they can learn first Peter chapter 2 as newborn babes desired pure milk of the word as a newborn believer what you desire. What should they desire while we want to get the newborn believer quickly taught in our doctrine out the how much is give them the word. Let the Holy Spirit take that newborn babes desired pure milk of the word that you may grow thereby that's what Peter says everything to them's most fresh and new experience in the faith and hopefully when you come in contact with the new believer, the impression is not anything but I just met another believer that's their impression of you. I just met another believer, not a whole is strange one on one. I mean, you don't look some some people are just naturally eccentric.

All right, a little weird but that's not always bad. Some people are just naturally annoying. I'm not one of never had that problem but I've been victimized. Some people we just don't like.

Again everybody likes me okay I'm lying in the pulpit at that point still life is but that does not mean if someone is you know a bit of annoyance little on just don't like him doesn't mean that theology is wrong for our brothers and sisters at the not solid believers, nonetheless, that the not useful to Christ. I've seen Christians that everybody else got of the boys were very useful to Christ.

Nonetheless, oftentimes they do things that we normal ones don't do that so little humor and that not arrogance little humor so he says because you have known the father to many know the devil without knowing the father said it is knowledge is a part of everything we first hear of Christ speak when faculty first hear him speak in the Scriptures is talking about the father, why did you not seek me. Did you not know that I must be about my father's business so so my point is, John says because you've known the father is in his big deal. You've got to know the father of Christ Jesus always held father when he suffered on the cross, Jesus cried out with a loud voice and said father into your hands I commit my spirit. Having said this, he breathed his last.

I love if you think of how Jesus addressed the father righteous father holy father heavenly father when he died. Luke 23 verse 34 Jesus said, father forgive them for they do not know what they do that were causing him suffering great pain in Jenny's saying that they don't get forgive them for this act when he rose again, John chapter 20 Jesus said to her do not cling to me, for I have not ascended to understand what's happening for finished the quote he was giving people a sense of God that was not as pronounced as it should've been. He was telling believers that God is your father and all the goodness that goes with that is not just God's sovereign Almighty he is that every Bedell should die, but there's more there is that love. There's that care so he says do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to my father but go to my brethren and say to them.

I am ascending to my father and your father.

You see, the emphasis I'm going to my father and I want you to let the brethren know that he is there. Father also that we are joined together with going to the same place when he gathered the disciples together before he ascended after his resurrection. Acts chapter 1 and he said to them is not for you to know times and seasons which the father is put into his own authority to which were supposed to say okay, dad, father, he's got it. I'm good. Good.

Unfortunately, whenever I speak on the father I always include this experience of mine is a steelworker. There were many of those lads were from homes that were the fathers were drunks beat them would miss meat their wives misjudgments treat them. They were just awful men, many of them and when I began sharing the gospel.

I often would use the Lord's prayer is one of my sermon platforms and you know our father who is in heaven. And then of the spirit alerted me to the fact that when you say father to these men. They don't see the father is. You see the father they see their father who abuses them, so you've got to start correcting that with them and that's what I would do it. I would say no when the Bible talks about our father is higher than any father on earth. You might've been blessed with a good father or a bad father, but there is one we worship, we adore that has none of their faults and as every has everything about him that is glorious and honorable and distinct and worthy of our praise and adoration and full-blown worship. Verse 14 John says I've written to you.

Father's because you have known him, who is from the beginning.

I've written to you young men because you are strong in the word of God abides in you and you have overcome the wicked one say what he just said that. I don't know tell them when you get that Evan is driving home is at the as they do at the Old Testament poems in the bliss of the Psalms. For example, that they repeat the same thing from a different angle. That's what makes them poetic. That's how they pile drive the truth into us because we need this kind of exposure and education. This reinforcement and illustrated in various ways and he is reinforcing his statement and so he returns now to the mature them the most matured of the believers that more mature and seasoned group, those in the faith longer than the others, you know, one can be a Christian for decades and not mature. As I mentioned earlier not develop the skills of the faith.

What if you were a Levite in ancient Israel and you had to know where the kidneys go where the beep you how to cut Butch of the animal, but you never showed up for class you would not be skilled. We always found a reason to be there, you weren't applying yourselves.

We Christians are to apply ourselves to develop in the faith. Ecclesiastes chapter 4 Ecclesiastes of Solomon's great lamentation.

I was a smart dumb guy took me forever to figure it out.

He says better rapport and wise youth, then an old and foolish king who will be admonished, no more to the old foreskin thinks he knows everything. Are you young kids on already.

I know it all is not true is very dangerous place to get to and the Bible brings it out for us. So this sense of usefulness in your old age is important to all of us were all necessary all of us who would want to church of all young people who would want to church of all people of one race in a country like this: want to peep a church that lacked young men or children, or father, I want them all every body who God brings I want each and every one and I understand how useful the older saints can be. I just am not always sure they understand.

Sometimes they do spoken before about a man named Mr. Adams when I was a boy my grandmother she would take in vets and she would know the than have a place of their own and they would often not ever live anywhere else. That's where they would would die in this one, Mr. Adams. I remember as a boy.

They would always take me to see in which I was kind of strange interruption of playtime. Let's go see Mr. Adams is in a separate building in and I just remember and I didn't think of this for decades, until maybe a year ago in the pulpit.

I remember I remember his face remembers he would do this. Greg's cross stitching and stubble always scripture verses and he would always talk about Jesus, which to me. Everybody with my grandmother Lois is not okay. He's just he's in the club energy really didn't mean much. But now I look back and fall of the Holy Spirit.

I can see that now. Psalm 71 verse nine. Do not cast me off in the time of old age.

Do not forsake me when my strength fails. Psalm 71 verse 18 now. Also, when I am old and gray headed over God. Do not forsake me, until I declare your strength of this generation your power to everyone who is to come.

I was Mr. Adams. To me, declaring Christ to everybody who came Isaiah 64 even to your old age. I am he, and even to your gray hairs. I will carry you I have made and I will bear even I will carry and will deliver you.

God says if your strength is forgetting you, but I'm not forgetting you I am your strength is still more for you to do maturity doesn't come easily. Notice growth without challenges. I don't like challenges.

I like everything handed to me. I'm looking forward to that feature in heaven who challenges no one will ever have to say to me in heaven. How's your day going Lord. Can you give him a little help her hood anyway, no challenge, no change is a part of life change is constant and so he says it is good to get addresses these fathers who have been through these things would understand what he's saying is, is because you have known him, who is from the beginning I'm talking to you all time is because you know all the God from all eternity.

Even before the virgin birth, even before his public ministry you have known him. John uses this word beginning more than anyone in the Bible, no less than 25 times in his writings from John's Gospel's epistles in the book of Revelation.

Isaiah uses it 12 times and so John is just that easy keen on the starting point meant something. The source of of you know to to see the headwaters of something see the headwaters of the Jordan design. That's where the Jordan starts pretty much it would treat was so much greater when it comes to spiritual truths is because you have known him from the beginning God who acted in creation knew that he would also have to act in redemption. When God created man is designed know I'm I'm creating a monster because I'm Cree I'm giving them self will, they will choose wrongfully but I will give a solution and out of that group of created beings. I would take for myself.

Those who will be with me, world without end, no sorrow, no pain, no suffering, no death.

This is the proving ground the battleground and those who come by faith come to me and I will not cast them out, he says I have written to you young men singling them out with honor. That's what I want God to do me a minute to do to me, singled me out with honor. There's a young man various Proverbs chapter 20 verse 29 the glory of young men is this strength in the splendor of all men. Is there gray head. He says because you are strong. That's what the Holy Spirit says to the young man you are strong what you wanted to let it when you do it the muscles you've got muscles for those of you who still trying to catch up to the last joke that didn't go so well. I know you're driving on the road all now I get it because you are strong.

First Corinthians, well before."

First Corinthians, when the Philistines were getting ready to fight with the Jews. You know what the Philistines, the enemy of God's people said to their own troops be strong fight like men. That's what the enemy said the right principle in this dispensation. In this period of creation of time is to be said to us to first Corinthians 16 watch stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong fight like men and women of the faith. He says the word of God abides in you and you have overcome the wicked one. That's how they've done it through the Scripture when they get their feelings hurt when something doesn't go quite that way when they wanted something else on the got less than whatever it is the didn't like their allotment stage strong is what makes the difference against an enemy.

Jesus said, quoting Moses man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Why do not churches get that every word, not the words they lie not the ones that are acceptable and don't hurt feelings about the one that agrees with the culture with the defiant word of God. God's word is defined, it defies that which defies him every single time without exception.

Revelation chapter 12 verse 11, they overcame him by the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony because they did not love their lives to the death.

Why did they not love their lives to the debt because they know there was another life waiting for them. That was better than this one.

Psalm 105 or 24, he increased his people greatly and made them stronger then their enemies. This is what we believe this is what we aspire to lay hold of as believers. This is why we want to be faithful. We hear these words that is right we hear other junk from the world was he that is wrong because we have the word of God. John has nothing at this point to say to the little children because it not been around long enough. There's not much to say to them, they know the father okay that your starting point now become young strong men and women of the faith. These younger men. They were not fooled by fools.

We get that closing with this we go out into the world as we go out into the workplace is especially you younger believers don't be fooled by those who are fooled by Satan.

We expect more from you. You're able to do this, we are not asking you to do the impossible. We are asking you to do the wonderful stand up against the naysayers, get your faith. Solid know why you believe what you believe and it's not it's not calculus. Understanding the gospel is very simple and thorough keep it by faith God, no one can take that from 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.com find a number of teachings from Pastor Rick available there.

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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