LIVE IN THE LOVE OF JESUS (Outline)
1 JOHN 3:18-24 - April 24, 2005 - EASTER 5
INTRO: What are you looking for out of life? Many have big dreams of success for this life. Others merely just want to get by. In either case, to pin one’s hopes on this life leads to disappointment. For no matter how much the world offers it is never enough to satisfy. Sadly, all too many people are living their lives for all the wrong reasons. Today’s text reminds us of the importance of God’s love for us. Today’s text also reminds us to live lives of love for others. Today’s text recalls the words in Paul’s letter to the congregation at Corinth. "For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again"(2 CORINTHIANS 5:14,15). Today we are encouraged to
LIVE IN THE LOVE OF JESUS.
I. In Jesus’ love is confidence
II. In Jesus’ love is joyfulness.
I. IN JESUS’ LOVE IS CONFIDENCE
A. We note first of all the blessed titles that John us to remind these believers of their closeness to God.
1. Verse 18a the believers are called dear children. They are God’s children, no longer orphans.
2. In verse 21a believers are called dear friends. Born as God’s enemies, they are now friends.
B. Just having these titles would provide these early, struggling Christian with much needed confidence.
1. There is more. Verse 19 states that the believers’ hearts are at rest, peace with God.
2. All around them there was no peace. The government sought their destruction and downfall.
C. With God and in God alone their hearts would have peace and rest. Verse 19b, 20.
1. Their sinfulness would condemn them. But God’s love is greater. With God is forgiveness.
2. Verse 21. These believers’ confidence came from the love of God by Jesus’ redemption.
3. The result of living in Jesus’ love is seen in verse 22. They could ask and would receive.
D. Where is your confidence today? At times our confidence can be misplaced. We may put our confi-dence or trust in the world around us. We may even trust in our own ability or decision-making above the advice of God. Again, our self-trust falls far, far short of living confidently in the love of Jesus. As be-lievers we realize that in us, in our sinful nature there is a birth defect. We have been born into sin. We have inherited a sinful nature from our first parents – Adam and Eve. Now all our thoughts, words, and actions are tainted by sin. "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away"(ISAIAH 64:6). We have seen the powerful force of a strong wind. Isaiah says our sins are also a strong force on earth.
E. Look around and see how the world reacts to disappointment. People try to put their trust and confi-dence in what the world provides. The things of this world cannot and do not bring any eternal satisfac-tion. They lead many to despair, wondering if this is all there is in life. As believers, we gather around the word of God confidently confessing Christ as our Savior. Out of love Christ gave up his life so that we may live on this earth in the love of Jesus. Sure, we will experience disappointment from time to time. But we also have the guarantee that our Savior loves us and provides salvation. "But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream"(JEREMIAH 17:7,8a). By grace the water of life provides for all our needs.
F. As believers we live humble lives realizing that we are not worthy of all the mercies our Savior has showered upon us. At times we might not act boldly or confidently. Again, purely out of God’s unde-served love for us we have eternal salvation. God’s love seen in his son, our Savior Jesus Christ, provides every believer with boldness and confidence. "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need"(HEBREWS 4:16).
TRANS: LIVE IN THE LOVE OF JESUS. In Jesus’ love is confidence because our sins are forgiven.
II. IN JESUS’ LOVE IS JOYFULNESS.
A. Joyfulness sometimes escaped these early Christians because of the intense persecution of the day.
1. This is why John wanted these believers to remember the confidence they had in Christ.
2. Now this love of God was to be seen in their love for others. Verse 18.
B. In showing love to others these persecuted believers would be displaying the joyfulness of faith.
1. The Lord God had provided them with faith by his grace. God made salvation simple.
2. In verse 23a reminded them simply to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ.
C. These believers would not have to come to faith on their own. By nature they would/could not.
1. Verse 24b tells how the power of the Holy Spirit brings faith into the hearts of believers.
2. With this faith in their hearts they had changed lives. They now would love one another.
3. Verse 23b, 24a. God was alive and well in them. They were not forsaken or forgotten, ever.
D. It would be easy to say that Christian living is joyful living. It may be harder for our lives to reflect that all of our living is joyful living. Consider the love of Jesus. On the night he was betrayed Jesus gathered his disciples together. He celebrated the Passover supper with them for the last time before he would be crucified on the cross the next day. The disciples would not think much about love in those next hours as they saw the inhumanity and cruelty of mankind at its worst. But what does the Lord Jesus re-mind them to do? "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another"(JOHN 13:34,35). In the midst of Jesus’ suffering and death people saw the disciples as disciples of Jesus as they loved one another. We, too, live in the love of Jesus with joyfulness as we show our love for one another.
E. To love others is not a common practice of our society today. We live in self-centered society. We live in a self-loving age. Maybe, at times, we fall into that same trap of only looking out for number one – ourselves. Then we are to remember the words and encouragement found in our text today. We see how much Jesus loved us and realize a lifetime of Christian living would not begin to repay our Lord’s divine kindness to us. Still, we are to live as children of the Lord Almighty. The world is to see in us people who are different. We are different because we do care about others. "In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven" (MAT-THEW 5:16). As we faithfully live in the love of Jesus others will praise God for our lives of love.
F. Look closely at the society today. Do you see happiness and joy or grumbling, complaining and de-spair? Listening to the news it seems as if there is nothing ever good happening anywhere. There is al-ways some new disaster to worry about. There is always some new crisis to make one wonder about the future. Believe me, when I say that there are many, many people who are living lives of discouragement and despair. It is all the more important that others see in us the joy of Christian living. Christ and eter-nal salvation does make a difference in our life and in our daily living. The fact is, Christ makes ALL the difference in the world. "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near"(PHILIPPIANS 4:4,5). Note that the Lord finds it necessary to remind us to rejoice. Note that the Lord is near in two ways. The Lord is near in respect to judgment day. The Lord is near to each and every one of us as believers. We can live in the love of Jesus with joyfulness.
CONCL: LIVE IN THE LOVE OF JESUS is the simple reminder of the John in our text today. This ought to be much easier for us. Today our government is not standing on our doorstep asking us not wor-ship. They are not threatening to take away our possessions as they were doing to the early Christian church when this letter of John was written. We still do live in a sin-darkened world. It is still important that, as believers, we LIVE IN THE LOVE OF JESUS. "We have confidence in the Lord that you are do-ing and will continue to do the things we command. May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance"(2 THESSALONIANS 3:4,5). Amen. Pastor Timm O. Meyer
EASTER 5 readings (ILCW – A): ACTS 17:1-12; 1 PETER 2:4-10; JOHN 14:1-12
