The Choices We Make
The World is Watching • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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We are in the third week of our series, THE WORLD IS WATCHING and we have be focusing on the fact that as we go about our lives, there are people that we see everyday, who do not have a relationship with Jesus Christ. They may think they know who he is. They may even be able to tell you a few stories from the Bible, but if God were to fully examine their lives, he would see that they have denied His Son Jesus.
We call these people, the unbelievers. The lost. And we know, by the Word that we firmly believe that if they reach the end of their life, or if the time comes when Jesus returns and they have not trusted in Jesus, given Him their lives, and followed him, they will be separated from him in eternity. A place where no one would want to be. A place where you would not want your friends or anyone to go.
THE WORLD IS WATCHING. What can we do to keep people from going there? Ultimately, it is the power of the Holy Spirit that draws men to God, but we still play a part.
So two weeks ago, we talked about LIVING OUR LIVES AS AN ADVERT. Our life is on display as we go out. What are we showing? Are we showing the world our own desires of selfishness and sin? Is that what we are displaying. As a believer, is Jesus being reflected by your words? Your actions? Teh way your dress? The music you listen to? The things that are the most important to you?
Last week we looked at Jesus’ words about a New Commandment. We knew of the greatest commandment to Love God, Love Others, now he said to Love one another. This new Commandment to love one another pointed to our live for fellow believers. How we love them and treat them. Because THAT love is also a witness to the world that is watching. If the world see us maltreating each other, then why would they want something that we have? The relationship we have with other believers is an essential witness to the world that they need Jesus.
This morning, we are going to look at the choices we make and what these choices say about us as the World Is Watching.
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Open your Bibles to 1 John
Last week we looked at Jesus’ words John’s gospel, and we also looked into the Apostle John’s first letter here in 1 John.
The time of this writing is believed to be about 40 years after Jesus ascended into heaven. John was also believed to be the last Apostle that died. As the gospel went out from Jerusalem it began to spread. As it did, there were believers now in many places. One of the places where there were Christian, was a place called Asia Minor. Today, this place is known as Turkey.
So as the believers were growing in their faith, they faced people who were teaching a false gospel. This false teaching was known as Gnosticism. It’s not around anymore, but it was a false teaching back then. The Gnostics believed that Jesus was not fully divine. That he was not fully God. They believed that human flesh and the spirit could not be together. Their teaching went against the Scriptures and what teh Apostles were teaching…which was from God.
So John writes this first letter to this group of believers who are surrounded by this false teaching abd reminds them of the choices they are making.
Read 1 John 1:5-2:2
1 John 1:5–2:2 (ESV)
5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. 1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
The World is Watching and they are looking at the choices we make.
First I want you to see the authority John has for the words he is about o say...
1 John 1:5 (ESV)
5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
As John begins to encourage these believers, he is not speaking of his own mind, his own thoughts, or his own opinion, he is careful to point whose idea it is....message we have heard from him.
The Apostle Paul wanted his readers and listeners to understand the same thing. In Paul’s letter to the Galatians he said this...
Galatians 1:12 (ESV)
12 For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
Now today we may quickly read over something like that and have no mind of it. But this is important. Because just like John, there were false teachings. Teachings not given by Jesus. Like the Gnostics. And as John begins his letter he is letting those believers know that the basis for what he is telling them, is not a false teaching, but a true teaching from God…from Jesus.
So now, as they listen, he separates what is man made (the Gnostic false teachings) from the teachings that are from God.
So what does John want he audience to understand here in these verses?
1. Do the choices we make point to darkness or light? (1 John 1:6-7)
1. Do the choices we make point to darkness or light? (1 John 1:6-7)
6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
In the Scriptures darkness was a symbol for the forces of evil, Satan, and light was a symbol for God. Darkness was a symbol for bad moral choices, and light was a symbol for doing the things that pleased God.
As John is writing this letter, he was pointing them towards the light. The teachings from Jesus Christ himself,. Not the darkness. Not the false teaching that was being preached. This false teaching was not of the light, it was of the darkness.
And John reminds them that if they say they are walking with Jesus, but are following these false teaching…they are in the darkness. He uses teh word FELLOWSHIP. To have fellowship with something means to join in. To participate. To be a part of something. John tells them when you are joining in with the dark…you can’t be a part of the light. You can’t have it both ways.
Light and darkness cannot exist together. It can’t happen. It can’t be light and dark at the same time. If you are walking down teh road in teh dark and you turn your torch on, the darkness ends and the light begins. In that place, where you are standing, the light has taken over the darkness.
But look how John describes the LIGHT here....practicing the truth.
When we live our lives with the World Watching, we cannot say we are in the light....practicing teh truth of God’s Word while we are fellowshipping, joining in with the ways of darkness. You can’t do both. Choices will reflect the Light of Jesus or the Darkness of Satan.
And John tells those people, and reminds us that....if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. (7)
The choices you make, even the smallest ones, reflect who you are and the truth that you beleive.
2. Do the choices we make point to the truth?
2. Do the choices we make point to the truth?
8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
John points out in verse 6 that we can’t have fellowship with God while we walk in darkness. This is clear. But he also talks about being deceived. He is not pointing to someone else deceiving them, but being deceived by their own minds. Believing their lives are one way, but they are another. It’s been said that if you tell yourself something over and over and over, you will begin to believe it as true. Even though it’s wrong, you can deceive yourself into thinking that it’s true.
This is why John told them to walk in the light. Walk in the light. Don’t move from the light to the darkness, walk in the light. When we walk in the light we can clearly see the truth of Jesus . We are not deceived when something of the dark looks good, or calls to us to enter in. We see darkness just as it is…darkness.
The problem is that in their world then, and our world now, there are people who claim to live in the light, but walk all day in the darkness. Are you getting me? There are people who say, I am a Christian, I am saved, I have ask Jesus to be my Savior, yet they are fully walking in the dark. It’s easy to see this.
You ask of their family or their work, or how their day, and they say “We thank God,” Or “by God’s grace.” But then they turn around and use Jesus’ name in vain. They steal. They gossip. Or they cheat on an exam. Those are all things of the dark. Their life is an advert for the darkness, not the the light.
As a believer, a fully forgiven, Jesus follower, we are to be different, and the choices we make should point to the truth....BUT IN WORD AND DEED. Don’t just talk talk....live live.
*****ONE THING I WILL SAY....Salvation in Christ does not come by works… we know this
*****ONE THING I WILL SAY....Salvation in Christ does not come by works… we know this
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
But your morals will show whether you are in darkness or whether you are in the light. Do you know what I mean by morals?
3. Do the choices we make point to seeking forgiveness?
3. Do the choices we make point to seeking forgiveness?
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
John tells his believers in Asia Minor that sin is a part of everyones lives. But reminds them what to do when they sin. Where will they turn?
Living in the light, are you going to sin? Yes! Because we have come to salvation doesn’t mean we will not sin anymore. You might have already sinned today! I might have already sinned today!
Don’t ever think that because you are a Christian you will never sin again. You will. I do. You do. But here is teh difference between the sin of the one living in the dark and teh one living in teh light....FORGIVENESS. God offers forgiveness to his children when they sin.
Salvation is not perfection. We are not Jesus. Salvation means that we are saved FROM darkness. But we still struggle with the sin nature that is in our lives. Even the greatest Apostle Paul struggled:
15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.
Sin still resides in us. It is still part of our everyday life and will be there until we leave this place. That doesn’t make sinning ok, but it reminds us that we have someone who we can go to when we sin.
1 John 1:9–10 (ESV)
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
The Holy Spirit convicts you of your sin. Then you, turn to Jesus for forgiveness. And teh Bible says that he takes that sin and removes it as far as from the east is from the west.
4. Do the choices we make point others to Jesus?
4. Do the choices we make point others to Jesus?
1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
It is John’s desire that those who are listening not sin. But he knows that they will. He even knows that you will. His desire for them not sinning is moving farther away from the sin and closer to God. Putting distance from a life of darkness and making those times of sin small. He knows they will never cease, but in making them small, he knows that they will grow in their faith and be a better witness to the world they live in.
The same is true for us. As we live our lives and make better choices that reflect the light and not the dark, we will point others to Jesus.
Look at what Paul wrote in Colossians 1:13
13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
If you are saved…you have been delivered from darkness…into His light. Your are different. Teh choices you makes should be different from those in the dark.
But let’s not look down on those in the dark....let’s show them them light.
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-If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, what choices are you making that don’t reflect the light of Jesus Christ?
-How are you going to change those wrong choices and move away from the darkness towards the light?
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Maybe this morning, you have never walk into the light. You may think you are a Christian, but you cannot remember a time...