August 19 2007

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Sermon
 Scripture KJV

1 John

Reverend David S. Huffer

Westwood Baptist Church - 2124 Davis Road
 Waynesboro, VA

2:24    Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.
2:25    And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.
2:26    These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.
2:27    But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
2:28    And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.
2:29    If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.
 

1 John 2:24-29

 

Purpose Statement: Stay in the Light and Live in the Light

 

If I were to tell my children … “abide here” … they might not fully understand what I am talking about since the word abide is not common to our expressions of communication.

  • However, if I were to tell them … “stay here” … they would understand what I am asking them to do.

ABIDE = 1. To remain in a place; 2. To continue to be sure or firm; 3. To dwell or sojourn – abide by.

 

Now whether they will do what I have asked them – “Stay here” – is another question.

  • It is when you and I fail to abide – “stay here” – in the Light – we find ourselves in trouble.
  • Like children who refuse to “stay here” we are in need of learning to “abide” by the rules (God’s Word).

 

FRIENDS – It is when we conform our lives to the Word and comply with the Word that we become an “abider.”

 

John is affirming the truth that Jesus is the Light of the World.

  • Calling men out of darkness and into the light.
  • John 14:26 – “I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.”

 

We are not of the circle of darkness – but the circle of light, if we have confessed and believe in Jesus.

  • And though we are of the light every now and then we need the admonishment, the assurance, and the affirmation of “Abiding in the Light.”

 

THE ADMONITION OF ABIDING IN THE LIGHT – v.24

John states: “Therefore let that abide in you…”

  • The “therefore” draws our minds attention to the previous statements of truth: 1. the world is passing away (v.17) and 2. It is the last hour (v.18)

FRIENDS – You know the truth - there abide – remain and continue to be sure in them.

  • In other words – “Stay here and don’t go anywhere!”
  • Job 24:13 – “There are those who rebel against the light; they do not know its ways nor abide in its paths.”
  • To not abide is rebellion against the light!
  • The key to abiding is BELIEVING!

John 8:31-32 – “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My Word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.”

 

John wanting to encourage his readers gives them an admonishment (gentle correction) – a nudging in the right direction of abiding in the Light by hearing and doing.

A. Admonition of Hearing – v.24a

Throughout the Scriptures we are encouraged to “hear” the Word of God.

  • John takes no exception to those commands when he states: “let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning.”

 

FRIENDS - The Gospel message is truth and unchanging

  • Let the Christian message always be in your thoughts as well as live in your hearts.
  • Understand the truth that has been placed in and before you

 

B. Admonition in Doing – v.24b

Just as John admonishes his readers to remember what they have heard (truth) they are to remain in the truth by making compliance of it in their lives.

  • “If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.”
     

FRIENDS - The light is to have a practical point in all our lives as Christians.

  • Maintain a steady relationship of fellowship with God the Father through His Son
  • Abiding in the light is crucial for the health of the church (believers).

The very danger of watering down the Gospel that faced the church in John’s day continues to be a present danger.

The watering down of the Gospel happens today when:

  1. The Gospel is presented as a remedy to solve all our problems and give us a better life based on our terms
  2. The church teaches that God only gives and never expects!
  3. Sin that is pointed out in Scriptures is overlooked, tolerated, and accepted.
  4. Alternative ways of knowing God are considered acceptable means of salvation.

FRIENDS – The bottom line is this – If you know what you believe about Jesus – then abide in that truth and allow the results of abiding be evident in your life.

 

THE ASSURANCE OF ABIDING IN THE LIGHT – v.25-27

With every admonition we need a bit of assurance.

  • John was not writing to discourage or belittle BUT to bring encouragement of assurance to continue on in the security, discernment and instruction of the truth in the light.

A. Assurance of Security – v.25

  • Abiding in Christ (the Light) means both union and communion with Him
  • We can draw strength from knowing we are secure in Christ
  • John 10:28-30 – “And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.”

FRIENDS – Security of Christ is not about a “static” relationship filled with false notion: “I can do what I want”

  • It is to bring about a vital and dynamically active relationship with God as the Light.
  • The greatest security in the darkness is to walk in the Light.

 

B. Assurance of Discernment – v.26

An abiding mind is a discerning mind

  • Discernment is to try the spirits and detect what is truth and what is falsehood
  • 4:1 – Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
Discernment is not based on human understanding but upon
  • knowing God’s Word
  • Hebrews 5:14 (NLT) – “Solid food is for those who are mature, who have trained themselves to recognize the difference between right and wrong and then do what is right.”

C. Assurance of Instruction – v.27

The experience of the Holy Spirit is not a temporary thing.

  • He indwells and remains in the heart

FRIENDS – Christians need no other word than God’s Word!

  • The Spirit brings to mind and heart the truth of God’s Word – therefore let us place God’s Word in our mind and heart
  • The truth the Spirit instructs us in does not need supplemental material by false teachers.
  • Abiding assurance is ours when we stay in the truth

HERE ME CHURCH - Abiding in the light brings us the full assurance of whose we are and what we are doing is truth.

 

THE AFFIRMATION OF ABIDING IN THE LIGHT – v.28-29

From admonishment and assurance John gives us words of affirmation to build up our journey in the Light.

A. Affirmation of Confidence –v.28

If Jesus were to appear in the Eastern sky this very moment – Would our lives affirm us with confidence to stand before Him or would we cower in shame looking for a place to hide?

  • John exhorts us that to abide is to be ready for the second coming of Christ.
  • William Barclay – “The best way to be ready for the coming of Christ is to live with Him every day!”

FRIENDS – John is not posing a question of salvation – but a point of faithfulness.

·         When you know you are doing what you are suppose to be doing you don’t worry when the boss shows up

·         When we stay with Christ faithfully (abiding in the Light) – we can be confident and unashamed at His coming back for us.

Abide – Remain – Stay Here – with Christ so that when He comes again you can say with confidence – “Here I am Lord!”

 

B. Affirmation of Righteousness – v.29

John gives us one last word of affirmation … to keep us abiding in the light and that is … practice righteousness.
 

  • One day we will stand before Jesus and be clothed fully in His righteousness (completely with no sin to hinder)
  • Until then we need to practice!

FRIENDS – This statement of affirmation is not to be an intention or feeling – but it is truth that is to be put into practice in how we live.

  • Mary Meye Thompson – “Righteous conduct does not make us God’s children. Rather such conduct is the consequences or expression of a relationship that already exists.”

1 John 3:7-8 – “Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”

 

FRIENDS – Living a brazenly sinful life is strong evidence of an unrighteous standing before God.

  • We are deceived by the world to think the unrighteous will inherit the Kingdom of God.
  • How we live states where we are walking … in the Light or in the darkness

WHAT DOES YOUR LIFE AFFIRM?

 

CLOSE

We need to be:

  1. Admonished to stay in the Light
  2. Assured to go on in the Light
  3. Affirmed to live in the Light

 

To abide brings about … the Joy, the Fellowship, the Knowledge, the Truth and the Guidance of the Light in our lives.

 

1 John 1:5 – “This message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

 

ABIDE IN THE LIGHT!

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