LOVE THAT CONQUERS THE WORLD
Text: I John 5:1 - 6
1 John 5:1-6 (ESV) Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. (2) By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. (3) For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. (4) For everyone who has been born of God overcomes [conquers] the world. And this is the victory that has overcome [conquered] the world—our faith. (5) Who is it that overcomes [conquers] the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? (6) This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.
Who doesn’t like to win? How many of us have played games with a desire to win? We always think about some sort of competition when it comes to winning. No matter whether its sports or a chili cook-off there are always the first place winners and those who come in second place. Borrowing a line from the movie Top Gun, “there are no points for second place”. The Gospel is not about a competition. The Gospel is about becoming victorious over the things that hinder God’s plans---God’s will for our lives and our roles in winning others to Jesus Christ!
Competition is important, but it is not the most important thing. Consider the words of famous coach Lou Holtz about how to look at what it means to win. Lou Holtz writes, “I didn’t realize it at the time, but during those formative years [his childhood experiences in sports] I practiced what I would later learn was my WIN strategy for life. WIN is an acronym for “What important now?” …The WIN strategy is as applicable in time of prosperity as it is during a depression.” (Lou Holtz. Wins, Losses and Lessons. New York: William Morrow, 2006, p. 7). Overcoming and victory can only be a constant through our faith in our Lord Jesus Christ as I John 5:4 testifies! How are we winning and advancing the kingdom of God in this world through our love, faith and witness?
UNVEILING
Are we as Christians enlightened and animated by our faith in God’s grace?
1) Autonomous? Does this passage of scripture not remind us that we are not living for ourselves? John 15:5 reminds us that autonomy equals death.
2) Awareness: Before we were born again---born of God and believed, we walked in darkness and stumbled but because we now believe we walk in the light of the day because of Jesus Christ---the light of the world (John 11:9,10 paraphrased).
3) Are we conquerors?: How can we conquer the world (I John 5:5) if we play by the rules of the world? The only thing that makes sense is that being “born of God” means that we are no longer citizens of this world, but citizens of the Kingdom of God. We succeed when allow God to abide in us as we also abide in Him referring back to what Jesus said about our ability to live how apart from Him we can do nothing (John 15:5).
4) Fruit: Have we passed from death to life (I John 3:14)? Do we practice love in deed and truth (I John 3:18)?
How can we win, conquer and overcome the world we live in today? Could it be that Lou Holtz was on to something with his WIN strategy? Remember Holtz said about winning? The way that he looked at winning is not about earning a national championship trophy. His view of winning jells well with our mission as Christians who are in the world but not of the world. Remember Holtz’s acronymn for winning? What’s Important Now? If there are things that are important to God’s kingdom now, then we do we sometimes play kick the can to the next generation with those things that we neglect?
SYMMETRY
What does symmetry mean for God’s Kingdom here on earth? How many of you have a ceiling fan at home? What happens if you take off one of the blades? It will spin out of balance---symmetry, rattling, wobbling and making noise. Our lives are like a ceiling fan missing a blade without obeying commandments.
How important is obeying God to our lives? Obedience gives us the needed balance.
1) Balance through obedience: Symmetry means balance. Symmetry means keeping God’s commandments as citizens of His kingdom here on earth as resident aliens. As I John 4:4 says “greater is God who is in us [abides] than he [satan] that is in the world”. If God abides in us and we abide in God then nothing in all the world will be able to separate us from the love God in Jesus Christ (Romans 8:39).
2) Belief and obedience: Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said, “Unless a man obeys, he cannot believe”. (Dietrich Bonhoeffer. The Cost Of Discipleship. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1959, p. 66). He cites Peter’s call to discipleship as an example of how obedience and belief go together.
3) The Gold Rule: The Gold Rule seems to echo practicing love in both truth and deed (I John 3:18): “Therefore, whatever you want people to do for you, do the same for them, because this summarizes the Law and the Prophets" (ISV).
Is there such a thing as kingdom ethics? Does following God’s commandments equal kingdom ethics? In answering that question, let us ask another question. Can we ever conquer the world if we do not keep God’s commandments? Consider how church history proves that we can conquer the world by keeping God’s commandments. "Chastity was the one completely new virtue that Christianity brought into the world. In the ancient world sexual relationships before marriage and outside marriage were the normal and accepted practice. The sexual appetite was regarded as a thing to be gratified, not to be controlled. That is an attitude that is not unfamiliar today, although often it is supported by specious arguments." (William Barclay . The Daily Study Bible Series: The Letters To The Philipians, Colossians, And Thessalonians. Revised Edition. Louisville: Westminster Press, 1975, pp. 150-151). The Church needs to make herself known now, just as it did then, if we are to witness effectively in the world!
“There is the story of a fellow from Long Beach who went to get some chicken. However, instead of getting a box of chicken. He got a box of the day's financial proceeds. The manager's mistake was that he was trying to camouflage the deposit that he was soon to make at the bank.
The fellow, having arrived at his pick nick destination, being good at heart took the box back, when he realized the mistake that the manager had made. The manager was relieved and pleased at the same time. In fact, the manager asked him to stick around so that the newspaper could put his picture in the paper. "You're the most honest guy in town," the manager complemented. But, this gentleman did not want the recognition. And his reason for declining the publicity of his heroism might surprise you. The young man said, "Oh no, please don't do that. I'm married, but she's not my wife."" (Charles R. Swindoll. Strengthening Your Grip: Essentials In An Aimless World. New York: Bantam Books, 1986, pp. 77-78). This man is good in his reputation, which is who others perceived him to be. His honesty concerning the mistaken box of chicken was admirable. However, his character was obviously flawed.
What happens if we slight our Christian duty in keeping God’s commandments? Consider once again the wisdom of Lou Holtz: “Discipline is not what you do to someone, but what you do for them”. (p. 147). Holtz tells the story of a fellow named Bill Cowher who was an NC State Center. One day he fell asleep during study hall which was clear violation of their rules. When asked how long he was asleep, Bill Cowher answered “About twenty minutes”. Coach Holtz gave him a punishment which was to run two miles every day for twenty days at six in the morning. He obeyed the assignment for the first week religiously. The semester ended and he still had a week of running left. When he returned home to Pennsylvania he felt tempted to slack of because the coach was not there to enforce the exercise. He obeyed and followed through, got up went to the track and finished the assigned punishment even when it was windy and snowing”. He was afraid that Coach Holtz would find out if he kept it honest or not”. (Quoted and paraphrased from page 119). A coach might not know if we followed through completely but God always knows whether or not we have obeyed and kept his commandments.
Do we make excuses where God expects results? The Apostle Paul has two pieces of advice that complement the message of John 5:1-6.
1) All seasonal service: 2 Timothy_4:2 “preach the word …[by witness in living out God’s word in truth and deed]; … be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching” (ESV).
2) Perseverance: Galatians 6:9 “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” (ESV). Jesus did not give up on us when He went to the cross when He had the option of calling on seventy-thousand angels according to Matthew 26:53. If you do the math a legion is 6000. multiply that by 12 and you get 72,000. Jesus did not fail us when He went to the cross for us! Remember John 3:16!
Who loses if we fail to keep God’s commandments? Three things will happen.
1) Our defeat: We will lose because we sang about the promise while we sat on the premises!
2) The world loses: The world loses because we will have fallen short and would have missed the mark of our mission to go and make disciples (Matthew 28:19).
3) Winning by default: Satan wins and grabs a foothold with every failure and act of disobedience of ours in the world which is at enmity with God.
How many of you like sports? How many watch their their favorite sport? If we watch a sport, then we are spectators. God has called us to be participants. We are the players on the field. The great cloud of witnesses (Hebrews 12:1) are the ones sitting in the stand pulling for us in the church triumphant while we seek to advance God’s kingdom as the church militant here on earth. The word bench warmers is not in the bible. We are born to win because are are of God!
What we do and how we behave as Christians matters! Do we not rob God (Malachi 3:8) of unlocked potential by offering less than we were capable of in reaching the lost, the least and the last who would be saved or would have been saved, if we had been faithful? How can we win and help in our role in overcoming the world if we don’t show up? Are we spectators or participants in our calling to help in overcoming the world? If we have been born of God (and we are), have we not been born to win (I John 5:4)? We are not supposed to be l.ike a spectator watching a football game or cheering for one from the stands. We are not supposed to be idly standing by hoping the judge picks our chili as the winner of a chili cook-off. One of the biggest and invalid excuses we sometimes offer is that we cannot afford this or that because we worry about money when God has called us to overcome the world and save souls! The truth is we can’t afford not to be unconcerned because of the souls that hang in the balance! We are born to win because we are called to be busy in God’s kingdom, because God did not call us to "look busy", but to busy in the forward of His kingdom through our service in loving obedience because Jesus is coming back one day! To borrow once again from Lou Holtz philosophy, “What’s Important Now?” In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen!
