August 11, 2013
Morning Service

I Jn. 4

The writings of John, which is the Gospel of John, 1-2-3 Jn., and Revelations are last of the Bible writings.  God allowed John to go through a lot before he died, but allowed him to write these wonderful letters.

John starts out as one of the Sons of Thunder, ( Mk. 3:17) and ends up the Apostle of love.  John has told us a lot concerning love already, and will continue in it today.  We will be in chapter 4, and I know Greg spoke on this chapter last week, but I want to continue in this chapter, and finish with chapter 5 this evening.

 

1Jn 4:1-21  Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God:

·         Why John?

because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

 

Jesus also warned of this. 

·         Luk 21:8  And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them.

·         Jesus also said, Mat 15:14  Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.

 

This warning is throughout the Bible, so why wouldn’t we want to study, and know the truth, and not be deceived?  If we are serious with God we will want to know the truth.  Jesus’ Words simply means that false teachers, and preachers will cause people to be lost.  AFTER WE FINISH WITH JOHN I WANT TO BEGIN A SERIES OF STUDIES ON WHAT PAUL SAID CONCERNING BUILDING ON A SOLID FOUNDATION.  HIS GOSPEL. 

 

But back to discerning spirits:  God doesn’t want you mislead, or following false teachings.  So He gave a five fold ministry to the church He said He would build in Matt. 16:18. 

Eph 4:11-14  And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;  (12)  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:  (13)  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:  (14)  That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

AND THE TRUE SERVANTS THAT POSSESS THESE GIFTS WILL POINT PEOPLE TO JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE MESSIAH, THE CHRIST, THE ALMIGHTY, JUST AS JOHN BAPTIST DID.

 

NOTICE:

·         1Co 12:10  To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:

·         1Co 12:31  But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

And discerning of spirits is one of the most important gifts, and is easy to possess.

 

John has told us to try the spirits to make sure they are of God.  Now he tells us what to look for:

 

(2)  Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:  (3)  And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. 

·         this doctrine is essential to the Christian faith; and he who does not hold it cannot be regarded either as a Christian, or recognized as a Christian teacher.

(4)  Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.  (5)  They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.  (6)  We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us;

·         This is a truism.  ( He that knoweth God hears us. )  Because we speak His Word.

·         Jesus said;  Joh 15:20  Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

Two spirits, two types of people.  The ones who want to change the Word of God, and those who want to keep it.  A good example is how some people want to change what the Bible teaches concerning marriage.  We are not to add to it, or take away from it.  IT IS THUS SAITH THE LORD.

 

he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. 

·         This is how we discern good from bad.

(7)  Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.  (8)  He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.  (9)  In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.  (10)  Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  (11)  Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 

·         Very simple, people who don’t show forth the true love of God does not know God, nor has been born of God.

(12)  No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.  (13)  Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. 

·         Luk 11:13  If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

·         Act 5:32  And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

·         When Paul went through the upper coasts of Ephesus, and found believers who only knew about John’s baptism he ask them, “unto what then were you baptized?”  You see, we are baptized unto the receiving of the Holy Ghost in our lives, which produces eternal life. 

(14)  And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.  (15)  Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.  (16)  And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.  (17)  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 

·         Having this love of God will never fail.  You may have hangups, and faults, but if you are striving for this love John is talking about, you will never fail.

(18)  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 

·         2Ti 1:7  For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

 

(19)  We love him, because he first loved us.  (20)  If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?  (21)  And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

Joh 13:34  A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

Joh 13:35  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Joh 15:12  This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

Joh 15:17  These things I command you, that ye love one another.

John remembers this well, and we should too.

Almighty God, perfect in Your children the love that You would want us to have.  Amen.