AWHERE THERE IS ROOT THERE WILL BE FRUIT@
1 JOHN 3:4-10
INTRO: ILL: IF I WAS TO GO TO AN APPLE TREE AND SAY TO YOU THIS LOOKS LIKE AN ORANGE TREE TO ME AND I WANT AN ORANGE SO I AM GOING TO PLUCK AN ORANGE FROM THAT TREE, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO ME? YOU CAN’T GET AN ORANGE FROM AN APPLE TREE. WHAT IF I INSISTED THAT THE TREE LOOKS LIKE AN ORANGE TREE, IT MUST BE? I COULD TRY TO CONVINCE YOU I WAS RIGHT? YOU MIGHT SAY, INSPECT THE FRUIT AND YOU WILL FIND THAT YOU CANNOT GET AN ORANGE FROM AN APPLE TREE, ONLY APPLES! YOU WOULD BE CORRECT. THE APPEARANCE OF THE TREE MAY BE SIMILAR BUT THE FRUIT WILL TELL THE DIFFERENCE.
I SUBMIT TO YOU THIS MORNING THAT WE CHRISTIANS HAVE BEEN GIVEN A CHARGE BY THE BIBLE TO BE SPIRITUAL FRUIT INSPECT’S. WE ARE TOLD HOW TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SPIRITUAL FRUIT AND FLESHLY FRUIT THAT A PERSON MAY BEAR. JUDGE WHAT WE SEE AGAINST THE FRUIT THAT GODS WORD SAYS PEOPLE WILL BEAR. GAL 5:16-17 &19-24. ONE EXAMPLE, GOD HAS GIVEN THIS CHARGE FOR TWO REASONS,
1- WHO IS LOST - IS IT IMPORTANT FOR A CHRISTIAN TO KNOW WHO IS LOST? YES, WITNESS, MEMBERSHIP, UNITY, LOVE.
2 – WHO IS A THREAT (IN SIN) - IS IT WRONG FOR A CHRISTIAN TO ASSUME SUCH HIGH JUDGMENT? NO, ILL. THE ANTICHRISTS PRETEND TO BE SOMEONE ELSE, SO THEY CAN SPY, STEAL, OR DESTROY. 4:1-6 AND OTHERS DESCRIBES PRETENDERS. SEE THEM SO WE CAN REACH THEM AND BE PROTECTED FROM THEM. SOME ARE WOLVES IN SHEEP CLOTHING; OTHERS ARE JUST LOST IN THE DARK. EITHER WAY WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE THEM. DOESN’T MEAN ANYONE WHO WE DISAGREE WITH, BUT THOSE THAT ARE AANTI (AGAINST) CHRIST. HOW DO WE RECOGNIZE THESE PEOPLE? BECOME A FRUIT INSPECTOR. 1 JOHN 3:4-10 THERE ARE THREE REVEALING WAYS.....
I. KNOW WHAT SIN IS V4-5
1. WHAT IS SIN? A ROOT REBELLION V4
A. 5:17 “ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS IS SIN” WRONG
B. 1:8 “IF WE SAY WE HAVE NO SIN” DEFILEMENT
C. 3:4 DEFIANCE OR REBELLION - ALAWLESSNESS
1. EMPHASIS NOT ON SINS - PLURAL - FRUIT
2. EMPHASIS IS ON SIN - ONE – ROOT
2. WHAT SIN IS NOT? FRUIT OF THINGS V5
A. V4 AEVERYONE WHO SINS BREAKS THE LAW;@ US B/C
V5 AHE APPEARED SO THAT HE MIGHT TAKE AWAY OUR SINS.A
1. JESUS CAME TO TAKE AWAY SINS FRUIT
B. V4 AIN FACT, SIN IS LAWLESSNESS.@ ROOT-REBEL
V5 "IN HIM IS NO SIN.@ US IN CHRIST = NO SIN ROOT NO SIN FRUIT,
HE TAKES AWAY FRUIT BY KILLING THE ROOT
SO WE SEE THAT SIN IS NOT THINGS BUT IT IS A HEART OR A ROOT OF REBELLION AND DEFIANCE AGAINST (ANTI) CHRIST.
SIN ROOT = SIN FRUIT WHAT A FRUIT INSPECTOR CAN SEE IS DENIAL OF JESUS AS LORD AND KING.
NOW THAT WE KNOW WHAT SIN IS WE CAN....
II. KNOW HOW SIN WORKS V6-7
1. SIN WORKS IN THE MIND (ROOT OF US)
A. SINNERS MIND IS SIN AWHOEVER SINS HAS NEITHER SEEN HIM NOR KNOWN HIM (PRACTICING)....@
1. WHAT ONE PRACTICES (ROOT) IS WHAT WILL BE SEEN IN LIFE (FRUIT)
ILL. YOU ARE GOOD AT WHAT YOU PRACTICE. JACK NICHOLAS FAN, I WANT TO PLAY LIKE
YOU, NO YOU DON=T OR YOU WOULD COME
OUT HERE 10 HOURS A DAY EVERYDAY TO
PRACTICE.
CONTRAST THIS TO..
B. CHRISTIANS MIND IS RIGHTEOUSNESS V6 ABIDES
1. DOESN’T MEAN NO SIN, BUT PRACTICING SIN WHAT YOU PRACTICE IN YOUR MIND WILL DICTATE WHAT YOU WILL BECOME GOOD
AT. PRACTICE RIGHTEOUSNESS V7
KNOW HOW SIN WORKS, ON THE MIND OUR ROOT. THEN….
2. SIN WORKS ON THE WILL (OUR FRUIT)
CONVINCE THE MIND THE WILL FOLLOWS
A. FOR US TO ASSERT OUR WILL AGAINST GODS WILL IS REBELLION, WHICH IS ROOT SIN.
ILL. CHILD STANDING IN REAR SEAT, DAD SAYS SIT TWICE, CHILD SAYS ADADDY I=M STILL STANDING ON THE INSIDE@ WAS SHE IN REBELLION OR OBEY? HER FRUIT OBEYED BUT HER ROOT WAS IN SIN!
B. ROOT IS WHAT MATTERS, FRUIT WILL FOLLOW.
ILL. CHRISTIANS REMOVE SINS FRUIT- IT GROWS BACK
ROOT IS SIN - FRUIT JESUS NO!
ROOT IS JESUS - FRUIT IS SIN NO!
ROOT IS JESUS - FRUIT WILL BE LIKE JESUS
SIN WORKS IN OUR MINDS, JESUS SETS US FREE FROM THAT SIN. V5 IF A PERSON CONTINUES TO SIN AND THEY KNOW IT V6 AWHOEVER SINS HAS NEITHER SEEN HIM NOR KNOWN HIM.” NOW WE HAVE LEARNED WHAT SIN IS, HOW SIN WORKS, NOW WE NEED TO....
III. KNOW HOW SIN LOOKS V7-10
1. SIMPLE CONTRAST V7 AND V8
A. V7 ONE WHO DOES RIGHT (GODS RIGHT) HAS JESUS
B. V8 ONE WHO DOES WRONG HAS THE DEVIL
2. A PERSONS ROOT WILL SHOW ITSELF, LOOK FOR IT NIV V9 ANO ONE WHO IS BORN OF GOD WILL CONTINUE TO SIN, BECAUSE GOD’S SEED REMAINS IN HIM; HE CANNOT GO ON SINNING, BECAUSE HE HAS BEEN BORN OF GOD.@
A. JESUS CAME TO DESTROY DEVILS WORK; CAN
JESUS BE ONE WITH IT? LOOK FOR ROOT
3. JUDGE FOR YOURSELF V10 AIN THIS THE CHILDREN OF GOD AND THE CHILDREN OF THE DEVIL ARE MANIFEST”
NIV “THIS IS HOW WE KNOW WHO THE CHILDREN OF GOD ARE AND WHO THE CHILDREN OF THE DEVIL ARE:@
4. KEY TO FRUIT INSPECTION - INSPECT LIKE JESUS DOES
A. CENTER ON TRUTH - GODS STANDARD NOT YOURS
A. DEFEND AGAINST WOLVES IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING
B. LOVE THE THOSE LOST AT ROOT V11 WITNESS
C. COMMIT COMPLETELY TO THOSE WHO ARE TRUE
PRAY
INVITATION: ALL GET 2 TOOTHPICKS
CHRISTIAN ONLY - THIS PASSAGE DOES NOT TELL US THAT WE WILL NEVER SIN BUT THAT WE SHOULD NOT CONTINUE TO SIN. IT INSTRUCTS US THAT SIN IS ROOTED IN OUR MINDS AND HEARTS. DO YOU HAVE A SIN IN YOUR LIFE THAT IS TRYING TO SINK ROOTS IN YOUR MIND? PRIDE, UNFORGIVING, GREED, IDOLATRY, BITTERNESS, LUST, JESUS NOT YOUR LORD AND KING. BIBLE TEACHES THAT JESUS DESTROYED SIN AT CALVARY, WHY ARE YOU LETTING IT TAKE ROOT IN YOUR LIFE? TAKE TOOTHPICKS AND MAKE A CROSS WITH THEM IN YOUR HAND. VISUALIZE JESUS ON THE CROSS. PRAY RIGHT NOW AND CONFESS TO JESUS THAT SIN, ALORD MY ROOT IS IN YOU BUT I HAVE SOME FRUIT THAT DOESN’T BELONG IN MY LIFE, I CONFESS THIS SIN TO YOU AND I NAIL IT UPON THE CROSS, AND I ASK YOU TO FORGIVE ME AND HELP ME TO REPENT OF THIS SIN IN MY LIFE.@ NOW TAKE THAT PICK AND BREAK IT. THAT IS WHAT JESUS HAS JUST DONE WITH YOUR SIN. HE HAS BROKEN ITS POWER OVER YOU WHEN HE WENT TO THE CROSS. IN YOUR MIND ALLOW JESUS TO BECOME YOUR KING, THE ROOT OF YOUR LIFE AND THE FRUIT OF YOUR LIFE WILL FOLLOW. THANK HIM AND PRAISE HIM FOR HIS MERCY AND GRACE DO IT NOW.
GOSPEL - 4:9 GOD IS LOVE. IN THIS, THE LOVE OF GOD WAS MANIFESTED TOWARD US THAT GOD SENT HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON INTO THIS WORLD THAT WE MIGHT LIVE THROUGH HIM.
A. ADMIT YOU ARE A SINNER
B. BELIEVE IN YOUR HEART THAT JESUS IS GODS SON AND HE
CAME TO PURCHASE THE FORGIVENESS FOR YOUR
SINS.
C. CONFESS YOUR BELIEF IN JESUS BY FAITH AND BE SAVED.
“WHOSEVER WILL CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD
SHALL BE SAVED.”
