What Do You Know?
I Know the Ways of God!
1 John 5:1-12
May 20, 2001
Intro:
A. [Unhappiness at Home and Work, Citation: Sally Pook, London Daily Telegraph (10-16-00); submitted by Alan Wilson, Nyon, Switzerland]
Ten percent of the British people believe they would be better off dead, according to a survey.
One in four people said they were unhappy in their jobs, while one in three felt exhausted, unappreciated, or underpaid.
Christine Webber, the psychotherapist who carried out the survey, said: "Sadly, it comes as no surprise to me that so many people are unhappy at home and work. It seems that people’s lives do not live up to their extremely high expectations. It is particularly worrying to see so many people dwelling on morbid thoughts, with a large proportion just plainly exhausted by life."
1. And I would guess that the figures wouldn’t be much different in the US.
2. Friends the ways of this world are not making people happy.
3. And unfortunately, I’m afraid to say that a lot of churches aren’t making much difference in people’s lives either.
B. But the good news is that the ways of God will make us happy!
1. The trouble is that even though the ways of God will make us happy, Satan has been very successful in twisting the things of God (even in a lot of churches) and has thereby sucked all of the life out of the ways of God.
2. So how do we know the ways of God?
3. In 1 John 5 today, John gives us four ways to know the things that are of God; first…
I. God’s ways are not burdensome
1 John 5:1-3, Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3 This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,
A. John begins this section by repeating some things that he has already said.
1. John says that we can tell those who love God by seeing how they love people.
2. And John says we tell those who love God by seeing how they obey God’s commands.
3. Then John says something new: God’s commands are not burdensome.
B. My friends, I cannot begin to tell you how true this is!
1. God’s ways are not burdensome!
2. That has been a problem with many of our churches recent years.
3. God’s people look like their dead!
4. When you go into church buildings, the people look like they’ve been sucking on persimmons.
5. When you go into some church buildings, the people look like they’ve been carrying a heavy load for a lot of years.
6. When you listen to their singing, they sound like their in a funeral.
7. And when you talk to them, they sound like they just can’t go on another day.
8. In fact smiling and happiness are often looked down upon as some sort of spiritual flaw.
C. But my friends that is not the way of God!
1. If people look like they have been carrying a heavy burden for a lot of years, then you need to stay away from them, because they’ll try to load you up with some burdens for you to carry around as well.
2. Jesus Himself said in Matthew 11:28-30, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
3. If someone says they are saved and they look and act like life is a burden, they’re NOT saved because that is not how it is in the kingdom of God!
D. Do you see that the truth of this is that burdens weigh people down and get them depress and you can see it on their faces.
1. And I have to be truthful with you that I am not happy enough myself.
2. The reason is because earlier in life I had bought the lie of the devil that I needed to be a good person.
3. And that lie will destroy you.
4. It will depress you and it will defeat you because it is not possible to be a good person!
5. It will only cause you to carry some heavy burdens and that is not the ways of God.
6. The ways of God are not burdensome!
E. Friends, I want people to come to Somerset and see the joy of the Lord in our faces and in our lives!
1. When Jesus talked about the Kingdom of God, do you realize how many times He likened it to a party?
2. There are so many parables that Jesus spoke about the Kingdom of God being a feast and a party!
3. Jesus talked about celebrating, not about mourning!
4. Jesus talked about fun, and love, and joy, and peace!
5. And that is what we should be like!
6. You see we need to be attracting people to our church because they see how fun Christianity is!
7. We need to be attracting people to Jesus because they see the JOY in our lives!
8. We need to be attracting people to the Kingdom of God because they realize that we don’t argue and fight.
9. We need to be attracting people to the God because they can see the love that we have for one another and new comers.
10. Church should not be a place of somberness—it should be a place where we experience the joy of life!
11. Church should not be a place of heavy burdens—it should be a place where we dance because our load has been lightened!
12. God’s ways are not burdensome.
13. If you are feeling burdened then you haven’t given your burden to Jesus.
14. If you are feeling down and depressed, then you haven’t given you burden to Jesus because He SAID that He would carry it for you!
15. We should be a people of love and joy and peace and unity because we have laid down our heavy loads!
16. The ways of God are not burdensome and…
II. God’s ways are victorious
1 John 5:4-5, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
A. The ways of God will overcome the world.
1. Faith will give us an attitude of victory.
2. An attitude of victory says that God has already won!
3. An attitude of victory says that the troubles of this life are only temporary.
4. An attitude of victory says that God can handle ANYTHING that comes our way.
5. Yes, we will have problems.
6. But friends if something has been eating you for years and years or if something has depressed you for years and years, then you haven’t really put your faith in God because His ways are victorious!
B. You see, we may get knocked down and bruise, but we will get back up because we know that we are going to win!
1. We may get bloodied and bruised, but we know that we are going to win.
2. We may look like Rocky, but we know we are going to win!
3. We may have a limp, but its a victorious limp!
C. Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God will overcome.
1. If you think that God doesn’t care about your problems, then you don’t know God.
2. If you think that God won’t give you victory over your problems, then you don’t know God.
3. If you think that God is punishing you for something you did years ago, then you don’t know God.
4. I don’t mean to be too negative, but the truth is that if we really understand who God is, then we KNOW that He can and will overcome everything!
D. Ephesians 3:20 says that God "is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine,"
1. God can handle my guilt!
2. God can handle my sorrow!
3. God can handle my trials!
4. God can handle my suffering!
5. God can handle my temptations!
6. God can handle the things that get me down and depress me!
7. He is able to handle anything that comes my way!
8. He is more than able!
9. He is able to do immeasurably more than I can ask or imagine!
10. God’s ways are victorious!
11. And since His ways are victorious I walk with my head up, with confidence on my face, and joy in my heart!
III. God’s ways are greater
1 John 5:6-9, This is the one who came by water and blood--Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. 9 We accept man’s testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son.
A. The ways of God are greater than the ways of men.
1. I had a preacher tell me one time that all I really needed to do was keep my faith in God and stand my ground.
2. He told me a story about two men that stood to oppose him in another church one time and wanted to fire him.
3. He prayed about how he should respond.
4. God told him that he should simply stand his ground and continue to do what he had been doing because he was doing what God wanted him to do.
5. God told him that he would take care of the opposition as long as he stood his ground.
6. It wasn’t as if he had never done anything wrong, but he was doing what God wanted him to do.
7. And he said that within two weeks both of the men were dead: one had a heart attack and the other was involved in an accident.
8. God’s ways are greater than the ways of man.
B. The Scripture is full of admonitions to test the teachings against the Word of God to see if they are merely teachings of men or teachings of God.
1. A wise man by the name of Gamaliel said in one such skirmish recorded in Acts 5:38-39, Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. 39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God."
2. The ways of God are greater than the ways of men.
3. Gods ways will always win out in the end, all we need to do is just willing to stand our ground.
4. If something is of men it will ultimately fail, if it is from God it will ultimately succeed because God’s ways are greater than man’s.
C. This goes in our church life as well as in our personal lives.
1. Man’s ways say it is good to live with someone before you marry them; God says marry before you live together. God’s ways are greater.
2. Man’s ways say that sex with anyone or anything is ok as long as everyone consents; God says only sex between a married man and woman is acceptable. God’s ways are greater.
3. Man’s ways say that not disciplining children builds their self esteem; God says that discipline will save a child’s life. God’s ways are greater.
4. Man’s ways say that there are many ways to get God; God says that Jesus is the only way. God’s ways are greater.
5. The ways of God are greater than the ways of man!
IV. God’s ways are life-giving
1 John 5:10-12, Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. 11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
A. God’s ways are life-giving!
1. That’s why the ways of the world are so easy to spot.
a. Alcohol and drugs lead to death and you can see it people’s lives.
b. Possessions leave us wanting for more just like any other addiction.
c. Gossip makes a person negative and critical and no one wants to be around them.
2. But the ways of God are life-giving!
a. Sex within the confines of marriage to one partner for life brings joy!
b. Giving our burdens to God brings joy!
c. Trusting God with our finances brings joy!
d. Being obedient to His commands brings joy!
e. Serving others brings joy!
3. The differences between the ways of the world and the ways of God are stark: one leads to depression and the other leads to joy!
B. And friends make no mistake: joy is real life!
1. John says that he who does not have the Son does not have life!
2. The ways of the world lead to death and when a person knows that his soul is dead or dyeing they get depressed—there is no joy; they loose hop eof ever being happy!
3. Jesus said in John 10:10, The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
4. Yes the ways of God lead to eternal life and the ways of the world and Satan lead to death.
5. But even in this life, you can tell who’s dead and who’s alive!
6. The ones who are dead or dying walk around somber and serious and there is no real joy in their lives.
7. But those who have Jesus, have joy in their lives; they’re happy.
8. They may experience set backs, but their tendency is toward joy and happiness—because that is the ways of God!
9. Those who know God personally experience life to the full!
10. Life at its best!
11. Those who know God personally experience real life: life to its fullest!
Conclusion:
A. Are we as a church demonstrating the ways of God to our community?
1. Are we showing people how enjoyable and exciting the ways of God are?
2. Are we showing people how God gives us victory in this life?
3. Are we showing people how much greater God’s ways are?
4. Are we showing people how to really live life to its fullest?
5. Do they see these things when they come to worship with us?
6. Do they see these things when they watch us at home and at work?
B. And perhaps more significantly, do you know the ways of God in your life and not just your head?
1. How is your life? Are you unhappy at home and at work?
2. Is your mind dwelling on things that are not good?
3. Has Christ made a difference in your life?
4. Is your life burdensome?
5. Is your life victorious?
6. Do you experience the greatness of God?
7. Do you experience life to the full?
