Theme: Committed to Jesus (Pt.2)
Text: 1 John 2
Introduction
A. Last Sunday we learned what it means to be committed to follow Jesus. Three would-be disciples of Jesus failed to exhibit a kind of commitment that He required from those who would follow Him. One was actually not willing to pay the price of following Jesus, the second man was busy with other thing and was not available, and the third man was divided in his attention. The three of them failed to understand the urgency and importance of following Christ. Following Jesus requires willingness to sacrifice, availability to serve, and undivided attention.
B. This morning let us continue to learn what it means to be a committed follower of Jesus Christ. And this time, let us listen to the words and statements of those who literally “left” everything to follow the Lord. Let’s listen to what John had to say about following our Savior. John is one of the twelve disciples whom Jesus personally called to follow Him. He enjoyed an intimate relationship with the Lord. He was among the inner circle of Jesus, and being the closest disciple of the Lord.
His three years of being with Jesus in His public ministry, hearing firsthand the teachings of the Lord, being an eyewitness of Jesus’ death and resurrection, and his involvement in the powerful ministry of the church after the resurrection, this disciple’s words deserve our attention when it comes to understanding what it means to be a committed follower of the Lord. If Peter and James became martyrs of faith, John continued to receive revelations from the Lord in his old age. He died faithful to the Lord. Therefore, he is the best person who could tell us better about commitment to Christ.
In this letter, John encouraged all believers to be:
I. Committed to the Person of Jesus (v.1-2)
One time, Jesus asked his disciples what did the people say about Him. They reply, “Some say you are John the Baptist; others say Elijah, and some say you are Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” Then He asked them again, “What about you? Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” These people were right about who Jesus was; and they were right on in the direction they were heading in life.
What is the Lord’s intention to ask them? Apparently, Jesus wanted to know what His disciples thought about Him. But more than that, He wanted them to commit themselves and make a verbal confession about what they believed of Him. It’s the same with us. We are called to be committed to and make a verbal confession of what we believe of Jesus –committed to the Person He is as He claimed to be.
Here John tells us about the Person and Office of Jesus especially with relation to our salvation. He said that Jesus is our advocate to the Father. Advocate is another term for Christ. It means that He is our only way in our approach to the Father. He is our only way through whom God the Father has forgiven us our sins. Actually, through this letter, John is simply reminding every true believer about what they know and believe of Jesus Christ because false prophets are coming out to try to deceive them. John calls these false antichrists. They would deny Jesus. They would say Jesus is nothing more than any ordinary human being. They would say salvation does not rest on His sacrifice at the cross alone; that we need to follow laws and regulations and do sacrifices to earn our way to heaven.
One day, Daniel Webster was dining with a company of literary men in Boston. During the dinner the conversation turned upon the subject of Christianity. Mr. Webster frankly stated his belief in the divinity of Christ and his dependence upon the atonement of the Savior. One man said to him, “Mr. Webster, can you comprehend how Christ could be both God and man? Mr. Webster promptly replied, “No, sir, I cannot comprehend it. If I could comprehend him, he would be no greater than myself. I feel that I need a superhuman Savior.”
May we not be able to comprehend everything about the Savior of our souls, but by faith we believe He is what He claimed to be. After all, Jesus is incomprehensible, incomparable. We are called to believe on Him not to comprehend everything about Him. It is said: “If you would try to understand God in all that He is, you would lose your mind. And if you would reject Who He is as He revealed it in His Word, you would lose your soul.” The only alternative approach to it that can retain your sound mind and save your soul is by accepting through faith what God says Who He is and commit your life to live in light of it.
II. Committed to the Life of Jesus (v.3-6)
In one “Peanut” comic strip, a young lady came to Charlie Brown and said: “Yes sir, Abraham Lincoln was a great man. Now, would you like to have been Abraham Lincoln?”
“Well,” Charlie Brown replied slowly. “Now, I don’t think so, because I am having a hard enough time being just plain Charlie Brown.” Of course, it’s harder to be somebody.
“Be yourself” is an advice we always hear. But, believe it or not, God wants us to be a person He wants us to be. He wants us to be somebody other than us –He wants us to be like His Son! Paul reveals this divine will of God in Romans 8: 29, he says, “…because those whom God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.” He wants us to pattern our life to the life of His Son. God does not want us to remain in the life we used to live.
Now look at what John says in v.6, “The one who says he resides in God ought himself to walk just as Jesus walked.” It means, if we really want to be a follower of Jesus, we must be committed to be like Christ –to live our life just as Jesus lived His life here on earth.
“How did our Lord live?” is therefore a big question. Well, Paul states it clearly in Phil 2: 5-8. Of Christ the apostle says: “who though He existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, but emptied Himself by taking on the form of a slave, by looking like other men, and by sharing in human nature. He humbled Himself, by becoming obedient to the point of death –even death on a cross!”
Deity veiled with humanity.
Glorious throne for a stable so lowly.
The righteous for vilest sinners died.
The Lord of glory crucified.
Does this poem I made bear a message that sounds mysterious? Marvelous? Unbelievable? Yes, it was because of two simple words –complete obedience. The whole life of Jesus is described with those two simple words. He lived in complete obedience to the will of God the Father. Living like Christ is living in obedience to the will of God. To put gravity on it, John tells us in verse 4-5: “Now by this we know that we have come to know God: if we keep his commandments. The one who says “I have come to know God” and yet does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in such a person. But whoever obeys his word, truly in this person the love of God has been perfected. By this we know that we are in him.” The emphasis of John here is that, obedience to God proves that we are in God. Living in obedience to the will of God is the only way to prove the reality of our commitment to Christ.
III. Committed to the Mission of Jesus (v.7-11)
The command given by John here, as he himself confessed, is not new. In fact, it was the same command given by our Lord to His disciples week before He died and ascended to heaven. The command is to “love your brothers.” I believe the purpose of this is salvific to those who are outside the faith. First of all, if the believers were referred to here for “brothers”, then John was concerned about the testimony of our fellowship and unity as followers of the Lord. People are watching how believers are treating each other. If they hated each other, what message would the people of darkness see? That Christians are no different from them? Jesus said: “A new commandment I give unto you. That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have loved one to another.”
Second, I believe that what John referred here was the general public. Of course it includes the unbelievers. After all, we have unbelieving relatives that need to see the love of God in us. Moreover, every person in this planet is our “brother” in some sense. We should love the outsiders as well. Our love is not intended for the Christian believers only. The Word of God commanded us to demonstrate the love of God to all men.
Now, John tells us about loving people with the love of God because he knew the primary mission of Jesus when He came here on earth 2 thousand years ago. In Luke 19: 10, the Lord Himself states His primary mission here on earth –to seek and save the lost. He came and died to redeem lost sinners from their sins (including us, of course). Everything He did were focused on this mission. His sermon messages, His teachings, His sacrifices and death and the Cross, the building of His Church, the sending of His Spirit into the hearts of the believers, calling people to salvation and ministry –these are all done to carry out His Redemptive Plan for the lost world. Salvation of men is the most important thing that God has in mind. He is in the business of saving men and women. It was said that, “when Jesus was hung at the Cross, we were in His mind.”
Therefore, salvation of the lost sinners must be our prime mission as a believer, as a follower of Jesus, as a Christian church. We must be committed to the mission of Jesus if we must be a true follower of Him. There must be something hypocritical with us if knowing and claiming we believe in this important truth but act as if it were unimportant. Have you done something? What have you been doing about it?
What is your priority for your children? Do you want to see them in heaven? What are you doing about it? Did you pray for them? Did you encourage them to seek the Lord? What about others? Family members? Friends?
Your friend might be prospering materially and socially admired, but if he does not know Jesus, he’s not doing well. He is spiritually lost. He needs salvation, and he needs you to show him how. He needs the Savior, and he needs you to lead him to the Redeemer of his soul.
C. In conclusion I would say: We firmly believe that Jesus is our Redeemer. His life is our pattern for living. His mission is our mission. Let us be committed to Him in all ways.
