HoHum:
Mike Mack- When I was about 10 years old, I made friends with two brothers in my neighborhood, Tim and Jeff Ward. Perhaps because I did not have a brother living at home, or just for fun, I told them I had a twin brother named Mark. We would be playing Wiffle ball, and I’d go home, change clothes, and come back as Mark. At first Mike was a better batter, but Mark steadily improved (which is how I became a decent switch hitter). After a week or so, they grew suspicious, asking me questions like why we rode the exact same bike (our parents were too poor to afford two bikes I said) or why they never saw us together (because we only had one bike!). When they came to our house, only one of us was ever around; the other had a game, choir rehearsal, or was at another friend’s house. Then one day, Jeff asked my mom where Mark was, “Who’s Mark?” my mom asked. The gig was up.
Why do so many of us pretend to be something we’re not? Probably because we’re afraid people won’t accept us for who we really are. So we put on a mask that hides the real us. We wear these masks at church, too- the one place we should be real, authentic and genuine. Someone once said, “There’s more lying on Sunday morning than any other day of the week.”
Real discipleship can only happen in an environment of authenticity. If we cannot be real and admit our faults to one another, we cannot grow beyond where we are. When we have an environment where we can be real with one another, sin loses its grip on us. Church should be the place where we get encouragement to battle against Satan’s attacks. The accountability of friends helps us live the life we want to live but can’t live by ourselves.
WBTU:
Christian community, the church, is often described as something safe and comfortable, a place “where everyone knows your name and they’re always glad you came.” While that’s true, healthy community isn’t always nice and clean. In fact, it can be downright messy! It takes G.U.T.S to live in real, Christ centered community.
Use this acronym to talk about Christian community. G stands for genuine. Romans 12:9 in English Standard Version says, “Let love be genuine.” Genuine means to be authentic; to be real; not counterfeit. Romans 12:9 in NASB says, “Let love be without hypocrisy.” In other words don’t be phony. Romans 12:9 in NIV says, “Love must be sincere.” Sincere means without wax. In the NT days when many statues were made, if the sculptor made a mistake and something fell off they would take hot wax and put the piece back on. To be sincere, without wax, meant that a person was genuine, the real deal, without hypocrisy.
Thesis: 5 reasons to share who we really are from 1 John
For instances:
1. That we may have fellowship (1 John 1:3)
Simply fellowship is to share what we have in common. As sinners, we have nothing in common with a holy God. But God in his grace sent Christ to have something in common with us. Christ took upon himself a human body and became a man. Then He went to the Cross and took upon that body the sins of the world. Because He paid the price for our sins, the way is open for God to forgive us and take us into His family. When we repent, confess, and are baptized in water we “participate in the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4). The term translated “participate” is from the same Greek root as the term translated “fellowship” in 1 John 1:3.
We cannot share what we do not have. Invitation time at end
Many people pretend to look like they are Christians. “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” Matthew 7:22, 23, NIV.
2. That we may have joy (1 John 1:4)
Fellowship is Christ’s answer to the loneliness of life. True fellowship results in joy. When a London newspaper offered a cash award from the best answer to this question, “Which is the shortest way to London?” the winning answer was: “The shortest way to London is good company.” Our way through this life is made shorter and sweeter all the way to heaven by the company of brothers and sisters in Christ.
Jesus said on the night before his crucifixion: “Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no-one will take away your joy.” John 16:22, NIV.
We notice what happens because of this joy from the early church: “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts (glad here means wild and exuberant joy), praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people (could be said “and all the people liked them). And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” Acts 2:46, 47, NIV.
3. That we may not sin (1 John 2:1)
John is writing this to help us to overcome sin. When we really get to know each other we realize that we can overcome sin. We find an alcoholic who hasn’t taken a drink in so many years. We find a man who used to be addicted to pornography who is now helping other men to overcome their addiction.. We come to know a person who used to be a corrupt in her business but now uses her influence to be a shining light in the business world. Can we done!
On the other hand, if we do sin we can confess to Jesus Christ and he will speak to the Father in our defense. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9, NIV.
If we find something in our lives that is difficult to overcome, constantly sin in this area, then we need to confess this to others. They will help us to be accountable. “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” James 5:16, NIV. “No way am I going to confess my sins to others in the church!” Not saying that need to come forward and confess at the invitation time (good idea if a public sin) but it shouldn’t be that hard to confess to trusted Christian friends. Notice this: “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” “If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.” 1 John 1:8, 10, NIV. Don’t deceive myself and others, be honest!
4. That we may not be deceived (1 John 3:7-8)
Sin that is continuous in our lives deceives us. We try to justify our actions and we deny the Word “his word has no place in our lives.” “Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.” “I know the Bible says this but I think this...” A good answer is since we believe in the Scriptures and it says something that convicts us then we need to believe the Word and repent of our sins. Important for us to come together and wrestle with the Scriptures. When we find something in the Word that convicts us, do not pass it off, but continue to wrestle with it.
In 1 John we find that people are trying to lead the Christians astray. “I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray.” 1 John 2:26, NIV. Find something hard to understand take it to trusted Christian friends and wrestle with the issue together. As never before, Christians today need the ability to distinguish between right and wrong, between truth and error. The notion is widespread that there are no “absolutes”- that nothing is always wrong and that nothing is always right. False doctrines, therefore, are more prevalent than at any time in history- and most men and women seem to be willing to accept almost any teaching except the truths of the Bible.
1 John uses a word that no other NT writer uses- antichrist. That prefix “anti” has two meanings: against and instead of. There are in this world teachers of lies who are opposed to Christ, and their method of “seducing” people is to use lies. They offer a substitute Christ, a substitute salvation, and a substitute Bible. They want to give us something instead of the real Word of God and real eternal life.
Christ is the Truth, but Satan is the liar. The devil leads people astray- not necessarily with sensual sins, but with half truths and outright lies. How can we combat him? Together we need to wrestle with the Scriptures. Like Paul we need to reason together in the Scriptures
5. That we may know we are saved (1 John 5:13)
We started with fellowship and now we are talking about having assurance of our salvation. How do these go together?
No fellowship with other Christians we find this in their lives:
Disobeyed God’s will. “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:25, NIV. God’s will is for us to be in fellowship with other Christians.
They are hating, not getting along with, fellow Christians. “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death.” 1 John 3:14, NIV.
They are living a lie or believing a lie. “If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.” 1 John 1:6, NIV.
God’s invitation to us today is, “Come and enjoy fellowship with Me and with each other! “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” 1 John 1:7, NIV.
For the U (Unfailing Acceptance; Mike Mack called it unconditional acceptance in his series) of the G.U.T.S. series I used material from David Owens at: http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/accept-one-another-david-owens-sermon-on-church-general-140018.asp. Great material and there is no reason to recreate the wheel so...
