Word of Life - Jesus

2. 2^nd This life is to be experienced: When I am born again the H.S. comes in & fills my life & I enter into a relationship w/ Lord

1. Learn to listen to Him & be dependent upon Him ! Through His working in my life I experience the life God intended for me to Live & enjoy!

C) 3^rd thing John points out that it is a life to be shared! - given away

1. Once you have experienced salvation of Christ and life w/ Christ - Have to share - can't hold back!

4^th Ch.2:26 That we may not be deceived /

2. Ch.5:13 where he writes These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.

3. In this last one John gives a twofold reason : 1^st Assurance: that you may know that you have eternal life,

1. 2^nd That you would continue on in the faith !

4. These two are really at the Heart of the epistle that we would have an assurance / that been set free / Belong to the family of God /

1. Know where we are going /heaven / have eternal life

5. And knowing those things having that assurance we would continue on in the faith / continue to move forward !

B) John deals w/ the 1^st one in the passage before us this morning V. 5-7

1. As he contrast those who experience this life w/ those who merely claim to by talking about where we are to walk ! read v. 5-7

Now John begins w/ an interesting statement one that immediately grabs a hold of our attention GOD IS / NOW HAS MY ATTENTION

2. 2 words used 190 times in the Bible describing for us something about God’s

Character or attributes or the way He works in His peoples lives

1. Briefly mention some: Duet. 4:24 God is a consuming fire,/

3. Job9: 4 God is wise in heart and mighty in strength./ Psa 7:11 a just judge

46:1 God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.

1. Psa 54: 4 My helper / Psa 56:9 For me -like that one ( Rom. 8:31 Since God is for me who can be against me)

4. Psa 99:9 God is holy / Isa. 12:2 God is my salvation / 1Cor.14:33 Not the author of confusion

Aa) 1JN.4;8 God is love ! / 1Jn.1:5 God is light

A.) John begins w/ the statement God is light ... at all!

B.) God is associated w/ light in many places in the Word

1. Ps 104:2 - Seen as His covering - "You cover yourself w/ light as w/ a garment"

C.) Dan 2:22 - Light dwells in Him / Hab 3:4 - His brightness was as the light James 1:17 - Father of light

4. Jn 8:12 - "I am the light of the world" Jn 1:4 - "His life was the light of men"

E) But here in 1 Jn 1:5 - It is used as the essence of who He is! God is light ... no darkness at all

A.) Think of light - bright, glory, pure/ God is all these things - glory shines brightly/ pure / full of truth/ Righteous/ - all wrapped up in His holiness

2. Isa 6 Angels cried Holy , Holy , Holy is the Lord

1. things are clearly seen in the light / Ever try to get Dressed in dark! - In the light - truth is revealed/ scary

28. The only way to clearly see our walks & understand what Christianity is all about is to see them in light of the Holiness of God !

1) God is Light in Him is no darkness at all !

C.) Now Jn. makes this statement to show us that those who claim to know God; claim experience this life

1. Are going to be those who are walking in the light!

4. Little boy in Church stained glass windows of Apostles / Mom Who are those people ? Saints was her reply !

1. Later in Sunday school teacher asked Saint is This boy responded they are those people the light shines through

A.) Walk - speaks of a lifestyle - context it is used - life is marked by this! Also speaks of progression - moving

B.) Fellowship means to share in common - speaks of a relationship a closeness! - the two go together ( Enoch)

1. Amos 3:3 - Can two walk together unless they be agreed

28. This presented a problem for man because man was not in agreement w/ a Holy & righteous God because man has been marred by sin !

1. Yet God in His grace & mercy did the unthinkable He sent His son to earth to become sin / take on Himself the sin of the world

Cc) So that we could be made holy through Him! Amazing !

C.) John declares here that the person who claims to know God - be in fellowship w/ God - is going to walk in the light

1. Life is going to be marked by holiness! Not perfection but a deep desire to live for God ! Interest in the things God is interested in

D) Hatred for the things God hates

B.) The Bible has much to say about darkness - "The whole world lies in darkness"

3. John uses it here in terms of a lifestyle of sin & disobedience to God/

life marked by carnality & compromise

1. To walk in a way that is contrary to the holiness of God!

4. Person who says they know God but is walking in darkness is really living the life of a Hypocrite / Double life / but Jesus sees what we do in secret

Guy devotes hi life to fighting fires / teaching fire prevention/ but doesn’t abide by the rules ( Slow season )

Hypocrisy in Gov’t Congress passed a law in to mandate a drug-free work place.. Congress made a big to-do about requiring all agencies of government and industry to police the situation, to refuse to hire drug-users, to rehabilitate or dismiss users of drugs. Yet there's evidence drug use is as much a problem in the halls of congress as any place and yet three of four members of Congress neither test nor discipline employees found to be using drugs.

As a Pastor I have regrettably had to sit down w/ several men who were leading double lives / sucked into Pornography / cable/ videos or internet

Others may not know what you are watching or what is going on in Your home but Jesus does !

1. If we say we have fellowship & walk in darkness we Lie 7 do not practice the truth !

2. We are deceived like Sardis Our perception of our condition is flawed

name alive but dead

1. or Laodecia Rich have need of nothing / but I say you are wretched miserable poor blind & naked ( Quite a contrast )

1. I am going to be one who avoids darkness because I love God & I want to be where He is / Don’t want to be anyplace where he is not !

1. I love my wife : Love to spend time w/ her especially w/out our kids

2. She does same w/ me ! Watch a ballgame or something

A.) Why? When you were born again: miracle happened! Your spirit came to life - God's spirit came to dwell in you

B.) Your heart became His home! Plus you were given a new nature: Partakers of divine nature

1.) old nature still exist and it likes the darkness - but new nature doesn't

C.) Paul described this as war between flesh & spirit - conflict - not comfortable

1.) H.S. in you seeks to follow after God - longs for God - longs to continually walk in the light

D.) Spirit of God in you is constantly working in you - fashioning your heart to follow after the Lord

A.) Begins to convict you - uncomfortable

B.) Example. All of us have been to a movie that someone has said - so good - must see it!

1.) Get there suddenly bad language - sex scene or violence - inside thinking - shouldn't be here!

C.) That is the H.S. convicting you (own good)

D.) Come on at work! Spirit is saying Mayday, mayday - get out of here! Run!

1.) Paul said Gal. "Walk in spirit ... lust of flesh"

Flesh seeks to satisfy itself - gratify itself

E.) Spirit seeks to satisfy - the Lord! / Listen to voice of spirit!

1.) Marriage: want to walk in the light - listen to the voice of the spirit!

F.) He will speak to your heart tell you how to treat wife & husband

1.)He will whisper heart - "Your attitude stinks" - change it

He will speak heart -wife really needs - support now!

Guys, this is such a key - part of this life w/ God - learning to be moved and directed by the spirit Sensitive to His voice!

A) Learning to be led by the Lord not just in the big decisions - but in our daily life / Lord lead me - open to your moving

B) Now here is the thing - the person who is walking in darkness is going to be comfortable there!

1) Focus is going to be how does this benefit me - advance me; build me up

Bb) As he enters into situations that are so against God - full on disobedience - no conviction!

C.) But the person who knows the Lord, who is in fellowship w/ the Lord can find himself in darkness -

1. might even wallow in it for awhile - gives into temptation - but doesn't enjoy it - conviction

29. Like when on a diet or shouldn’t eat certain foods / big piece of Choc. Cake

You just don’t enjoy it the same !

1. Same is true of the person who is in fellowship w/ the Lord who indulges in sin / Doesn’t enjoy it ( Conviction in his heart )

Dd) Condemnation after ward !

D.) Word of caution though - danger we face: compromise H.S. voice, resist it, ignore it - eat at you

1.) David Ps. 32:3,4 - When I kept silent, my bones grew old Through my groaning all the day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was turned into the drought of summer.

E.) Ached in my insides and I was stripped of all my strength - when I didn't confess it!

1.) If you linger in that state your heart is going to become hard toward the Lord!

A) Your sin is going to be exposed! Reap what sow - and Lord spank you - because loves you! My kids - (discipline)

B) Now If you feel no conviction and are not being chastened - you are not a child of God

C) Now if we are walking in the light does that mean we never sin?

A.) No - of course going to sin - but not going to want to live in it!

B.) People who don't know Jesus often say - I don't want to give my life to Jesus - because quit doing whatever

1.) listen: you won't care - won't want to

C.)Sure we are still going to stumble - still have times where give into our flesh!

1.) but v.7 - If we walk in light ... every sin!

D.) I am covered by His blood!

Charles Finney was preaching in a in Detroit. After the service one night a man said "I want you to come home w/ me, Mr. Finney. Some who knew the man said to Finney, Don't go - but he went.

When they got to the man's house,/ the man locked the door, and pulled a revolver from his pocket. He said - "Don't be afraid, Mr. Finney. I am not going to shoot you. I heard you preach tonight about the Lord Jesus Christ. This revolver has killed four men. Is there any hope for a man like that?"

Finney replied, "The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin"

The man answered - "You don't understand, Mr. Finney. Down below this apartment where you are sitting there is a saloon. I have helped send men down the road to hell; I have helped men to rob their own children of food and milk. Is there any hope for a man who would run a saloon?"

Finney replied, The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin

The man continued, I have been a gambler all my life. I have spent my life taking money from people illegally. I there any hope for a man like that?"Mr. Finney said, "The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin

The man persisted. "Across the street there is a wife I have abused, a little girl who is disfigured. One night I came home from gambling and drinking in a drunken stupor. The child ran to put her arms around me and I pushed her away from me. She hit the heater and is terribly disfigured. Is there any hope for a man like that?

Finney said, "The blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanses us from all sin"

Soon thereafter Mr. Finney left. The next morning the man stumbled across the street. He had not slept; he had prayed all night. When he got into the house he stumbled up to his room.

In a little while his wife said to the little girl - "Tell your daddy it's time for breakfast"

She went upstairs and said, "Mama says it's time for breakfast"

The man said, "Maggie darling, I don't want any breakfast this morning.

She ran back downstairs and said, "Mama, Daddy said he did not want any breakfast this morning and he called me darling."

The mother said, You made a mistake; you heard him wrong. Go back up there and tell him it's time for breakfast.

In a moment the man came down, took his wife in his arms and his little girl on his knee. "O wife, he wept, I have sinned against you like few men have ever sinned against anyone, but last night I heard the preacher preach. I heard about Jesus and about the blood of Jesus.