CONFIDENT AT HIS APPEARING
1 John 2:28-29
INTRO: Vv. 28-29 form a bridge between the two main parts of 1 John. The first two chapters have to do with the theme of fellowship. The remaining three chapters have to do with sonship. So these two verses close out the first section and begin the second section. V. 28 is a summary statement that wraps up what he has been talking about in the matter of our fellowship with God. Born again has to do with our relationship, being a member of the family of God. Abiding in Him has to do with our fellowship, our daily walk with the Lord. I’m going to talk about three words in v. 28 in the message today. 1. ABIDE. 2. APPEAR 3. ASHAMED.
I. ABIDE.
The phrase “abide in Him” is vital to our understanding of what Christianity is all about. The tense of the verb is a present imperative. It is simply saying to us that we are to continually abide in Him. If you’re saved, you’re in Him. Every believer is in that category. But it is possible to be saved and not be abiding in Jesus, not walking in fellowship with Jesus every day. How can you stay in fellowship and abide continually in Jesus? First of all:
1. By Abiding in the Church (1 Timothy 3:15). The Bible calls the local church, “the pillar and the ground of the truth.” That just simply means that a New Testament congregation is a trustee for the truth of God. We have a mandate from God to dispense truth to our community. In this world there is truth and there is also error. The church is to be the trustee of God’s truth. That is why doctrinal integrity on the part of the church is so vitally important. If people can’t come to church and find the truth, then you tell me where they’re going to find the truth.
We owe the church several things: 1. We owe the church our presence. 2. We owe the church our prayers. 3. We owe the church our participation. By my giving, by my going, by my loving, I am to remain in the fellowship of my church, and it helps me remain in fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
2. By Abiding in the Word of God. Jesus said in John 17:17, “Thy word is truth.” He didn’t say it contains truth; He didn’t say it is partly true; He said, “It is truth.” Day by day I need to stay in the Word.
a. Search the Scriptures (John 5:39). Jesus said, “Search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life and these are they which testify of me.” Daily study the Bible searching the Scriptures.
b. Store the Scriptures (Psalm 119:11). “Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against Thee.” In your daily life as you are being a witness for the Lord Jesus, you will need a Scripture verse and you won’t have a Bible, you’ll need some Scripture to help you in a moment of temptation.
c. Share the Scriptures. I mean you just ought to give the Scriptures out. Get you a little booklet that’s got some Scripture in it. Give away gospel tracts.
3. By Walking in the Spirit of God. If you’re saved, the Holy Spirit is in you. But the Bible teaches that you are to be in the Holy Spirit. That simply means that you are to walk in the Spirit day by day. That’s the secret of victory in the Christian life. That’s how you stay in fellowship with the Lord Jesus. You say, Preacher what difference does it make whether or not I abide in Him. Well, it makes a difference because of the second word I want you to circle.
II. APPEAR.
This is talking about the personal return of the Lord Jesus. There are two words for the return of the Lord used in this one verse. One of the words is the word coming. It is a Greek word that really means “to be alongside of,” a word that was used to describe the arrival of a king in a village. The other word is the word appear, when He shall appear. One of these days Jesus is going to come. What should be our attitude toward the appearing of the Lord? Look at Hebrews 9:28.
1. Looking for His Appearing. The word looking means “tiptoe expectancy.” It means excited expectancy of the coming of the Lord. Do you have that kind of expectancy? Are you looking for the Lord to come? If you were looking for Jesus to come today, it might change your lifestyle a little bit
2. Love His Appearing (2 Timothy 4:8). Do you love the appearing of the Lord? To love His appearing means that there is nothing in your life that ought not to be there when He comes.
3. Live Looking for His Appearing (Titus 2:13-14). Every day we ought to be living looking for His appearing.
III. ASHAMED.
The word confidence there means “boldness, freedom in speech.” It is used to describe the ability of a slave who had done nothing to displease his master, who could face the coming of his master in absolute boldness and freedom of speech, because there was nothing he was trying to hide.
Look at 2 Corinthians 5:10. He has an appearing but, friend, we have an appearing, too. One of these days we are going to appear at the judgement seat of Christ, and at the judgement seat of Christ we are going to be examined concerning our lifestyle. There are only two ways we can appear before the Lord Jesus Christ. We can either be acceptable before Him when He comes or ashamed before Him when He comes.
If you and I are trusting Jesus as our Savior, if we’re in Him, we’re accepted in the Beloved. But the Bible says we are to so labor that whether present or absent we may be acceptable to Him. Are you going to be acceptable to Him or are you going to be ashamed before Him at His coming? There are going to be some Christians that are going to be ashamed when Jesus comes, if they don’t change their way of living.
CONC: ILLUS: When Dr. Stephen Olford was pastor of the Calvary Baptist Church in New York City he had the opportunity of leading his brother who had been an agnostic most of his life to the Lord, as he lay in the hospital desperately ill. One day Dr. Olford was called to come to the hospital quickly and visit his brother who was disturbed.
So he went into the room and said, “Richard, I want you to know, you’re saved and even though you have a terminal illness and though you are going to die, you’re saved and you’re going to Heaven when you die, and you don’t have to be afraid to die.” Richard said, “Oh, Stephen, you don’t understand. I know I’m saved and I know I’m going to Heaven when I die. It’s not that I’m afraid to die. I’m ashamed to die.” We ought to so abide in Jesus, we ought to be living so close to Jesus, that when He appears we may have confidence and not be ashamed at His coming (Stephen Olford Ministries).
NOTE: This message is a revision of a sermon preached by my late father Ted Wood. It appears (though I can’t be certain) that he may have used Warren Wiersbe’s book "Be Real" for some of his inspiration.
