LIVING UNSHAMED
1st John • Sermon • Submitted
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· 2 viewsWe are to live life unashamed of the return of Jesus Christ.
Notes
Transcript
1st John Sermon Series
GETTING BACK TO THE BASICS
Part 8
Living Unashamed
Scripture: 1 John 2:28-29
Amen and Amen
Hey, can you believe that we have been studying the book of 1st John for 8 weeks.? We have learned so much about the who, what, why, where, and how of this book already.
Remember that John is a very old man; he must be the last survivor of his generation, maybe the last man alive who had walked and talked with Jesus in the days of HIS ministry on this earth. He writes as a pastor to the Church community to encourage them to go back to the basic foundation of faith because of the trouble within the church of false teachers, a group called Gnostics who were leading people away from what they first learned about Jesus and His resurrection.
I want you to think about this question? If Jesus was not born with a physical body how could a Spirit die on the cross? And if He was a Spirit what the Gnostics believed: how could there have been a resurrection? How would the disciples have touched Him?
It just goes against the very basic foundation of Christianity.
So, can you see the dilemma that John is dealing with?
We are faced with a similar dilemma today. There are people today who deny the existence of God, there are people who deny that Christ was born of a virgin, that He walked this earth and that He died, was buried then was risen again.
If you remember from last week John called those people antichrists. As he said that were many antichrists during that day.
We learned that antichrist are people, who are against God. These are people in today’s culture who are spreading false truth in the world today about Jesus. Although false truth is designed to look like truth in the short distance it only takes you of course a little, but in the long distance it takes your completely off course. And we know from last week that this false truth is taking people off course of what their purpose in life is and that is worshipping God.
John also said that these antichrists were part of the church at one time but have strayed away. You can look at any cult in today's society and find that at some point they were part of the church, but then began moving away from the teachings of the truth.
Remember what we said last week- “you can be present in the church and not be part of the body”
I want you to know that Jesus expects you to be part of the body and I want to see that you are part of the body of Christ/ The Church.
We also learned last week that there are people like us who are disciples of Christ Jesus, who are being led by the true truth, the absolute truth which is governed by God and His word- according to the Bible makes each person complete for God’s good work.
Well, this week will also bless you as we talk about living life unashamed.
If you have your Bibles with you today and I hope that you do, please open them to the New Testament book of 1 John chapter 2, 1 John chapter 2. If you don’t already have that book marked, you can find 1st John if you go to the back of the Bible and count 5 books from the back, Revelation, Jude, 3rd and 2nd John then you will find 1st John.
Now, it is important remember as we read from God’s Holy Word that John is speaking to believers just like us, who are in and belong to the church, who are in the last days and are having difficult times in life.
If you are there in 1 John chapter 2 begin reading with me from verse 28. This is the Word of God and it begins like this.
“And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. 29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.”
Amen
It is important to note that these two verses are called hinge verses, because they are a transition point of the letter. John has divided his letter into two sections first is fellowship with God and other believers, then the second section is about our sonship, being Children of God.
In the first section of the letter the John points out the contrasts between light and darkness, love and hate, truth and non-truth. He has explained to us true Born-again believers live in obedience to God through love and truth and it is impossible to live in fellowship with God if we are living disobedient to Him. One commentator said it this way:
“You will have an artificial life instead of an authentic life.”
As verses 28-29 act as a bridge from the first section to the second section. John also uses these verses to encourage us about Christ’s return.
Which brings us to our Take Home Truth Today:
THE TAKE HOME TRUTH IS:
WE MUST LIVE WITH CONFIDENCE OF CHRIST’S RETURN.
I have been thinking about these verses for the last week and about the lack of confidence that we often have and show when it comes to showing our faith to the outside world. In today’s world it is all about if you say this or that you will be offending someone. I know that certain words do offend others, but I think that many believers have bought into the program that we don’t want to offend anyone. Do you agree with me?
But the cross should be offensive, the message of Jesus is offensive to those who are without Christ.
I have been thinking about my walk with Christ and realizing that I am just as guilty as everyone else. But I have decided to put things in place in my life to say enough is enough. Because I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be caught as Christ is coming back not doing His work because of offending someone or even being ashamed.
The Bible says in 1 Peter 4:16-17 that “if anyone suffers as a “Christian,” he should not be ashamed but should glorify God in having that name. 17 For the time has come for judgment to begin with God’s household, and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who disobey the gospel of God?”
Did you hear that? Judgment begins with God’s household.
We are born- again believers, we are Christ followers, and we should be shaking the world by our convictions and beliefs. And we should be shouting from the roof tops of who we are, not hiding in the four walls of the building.
What good is this life that God has given us if we live it out in the shadows?
I mean; what good is life if we are shackled to the bondage of this world?
Seriously, what good is this life that God has given us if we don’t live it out for God?
John’s message is clear, we must live with confidence of Christ’s return.
The Bible tells us that Jesus will return and guess what? There is no doubt about that.
In the book of Hebrews chapter 9 verses 24-28 tells us that not only did Jesus appear, but He is coming back again.
Hebrews 9:26 tells us of His past appearance:
“He has appeared one time, at the end of the ages, for the removal of sin by the sacrifice of Himself.”
Then in Hebrews 9:28 of His return: “will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him.”
Folks, we need to be ready, with confidence. Can you honestly say today that you are ready for Jesus? That you live your life unashamed?
My very first pastor said that if could choose where he could die and what he could be doing, he would die in church preaching the Word of God. And I get that now… Doing the work of God.
I thought about that this past week as we did the week Community Encouragement.
So how can we live with confidence?
What does this eye-witness to the resurrected Christ Jesus say to us today?
The Apostle John gives us two keys on how to live with confidence of Christ’s return.
THE FIRST KEY TO LIVING WITH CONFIDENCE OF CHRIST’S RETURN IS THIS:
WE MUST REMAIN IN HIM.
Look back at verse 28:
“And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.”
Let me just note that again John addresses the Church Community as “little children” this is the fifth time John has called them children.
I think he is using the grandpa card here.
Do you know what the grandpa card is? Some of you know what I am talking about. I love being the grandpa- the Texas girls call me pop-pop and the Michigan grandkids call me Pappa Tim- but either way I am the grandfather and I get to use the grandpa card. Now the grandpa card is this. I get to be very direct; I can be stern – I don’t have to sugar coat anything to them, and then I get to spoil them, and our kids say that’s grandpa.
John says that the number one key to being confident when Jesus comes back is to remain in Him. There’s no sugar coating words. If you are going to have confidence in Jesus’ return you must abide in Him.
This word abide is translated in other versions as remain, it also is Johns favorite word, he uses the word abide or the remnants of the word over 11 times just in chapter 2 and a total of about 24 times in this letter. Jesus used the word abide or remain 12 times in in the upper room speaking to His disciples in John 15:4-16. The theme there was abide in Me and I will abide in you.
Now I prefer the word remain over abide, because to remain means that you already are there, in our case we are already believers, John is speaking to people who are believers.
The Greek word is used here describes living in a particular location. The word also carries with it the idea of persistence, where one continues to live. Here is what we need to be thinking about when we read that we are to “abide” in something or “remain” in someone is that we are persistently living in that location.
Did you get that? We are persistently living in that location.
We are persistently living in Christ. Our life is all about Him. We are staying with Him. It doesn’t have to do with reaching salvation, but rather walking close to the Lord in daily fellowship.
Last week we talked about how John wrote to the church “what you have heard from the beginning must remain in you”.
The truth about Christianity is that is not about a feel-good experience, it’s not about the choice or style of music, it’s not about you being completely satisfied with today’s service, but rather a life commitment. If you have professed Christ through faith, then God resides within you and true believers living, is a life lived with Christ as He abides or resides in you.
Look back at verse 28 “And now, little children, abide in Him, (Live life for Christ), that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.”
Now notice with me that if we are remaining in Christ we are in Him and He is in us and that our lives are reflecting that life, and John says that this gives us two benefits:
FIRST BENEFIT IS BOLDNESS- The Greek definition of this word means confidence – out spoken- to be frank, to be blunt- assured. Our boldness is not of ourselves or what we can accomplish, but rather it is boldness that comes from God abiding in us. It is a deep confidence that shows itself in bold, candid speech, by one being "ready and willing" to make their convictions known in public without fear of repercussions.
The Bible illustrates this boldness in the book of Acts chapter 4. The Church began in Acts 2, in chapter 3 Peter and John heal a lame man and began teaching when they were held by the priests and the Sadducees confronted them. They were arrested the next day they were questioned and when they began to speak the religious leaders saw their boldness and that they were uneducated men they were amazed and recognized that they had been with Jesus. After threatening them they released them. The Bible then says that they went back to the church and reported everything that had happened. Listen to this; after hearing the report the church began to pray and the Bible says in Acts 4:31 “The place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.”
Here is the truth I want you to know, when we remain in Jesus not only do we have the boldness to speak the truth, but we have the boldness to be able to go to approach God at any time in our lives. Because Jesus remains in us, we have God’s undivided attention.
The Bible says in Hebrews 4:16 “Therefore let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us at the proper time.”
I am turning over to the 5th chapter you can turn there also. In verse 14 John writes: “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”
Brothers and sisters because of Christ living in you, you can approach the God of Creation, the God of the entire universe, the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob, and you have His undivided attention.
That’s bold!
THE SECOND BENEFIT THAT JOHN SPEAKS OF IS THAT WE CAN LIVE UNASHAMED
Verse 28 again “and not be ashamed before Him at His coming”
The phrase, "not be ashamed before Him" could be translated, "will not shrink in shame from Him."
Here John is talking about two kinds of people:
1. Those who are unsaved they will be ashamed of final judgment.
2. Believers who are living like there is no God.
When Eisenhower was president, he vacationed in Denver, Colorado. There was a 6-year-old Denver boy who had incurable cancer. He expressed his wish to meet President Eisenhower. One day, Eisenhower arrived in his presidential limousine. He came to the front door and knocked. The father opened the door, wearing blue jeans, an old shirt, and a day's growth of beard. When he saw the president, he was speechless!
Eisenhower took the boy out to the limousine and talked with him for a while. Then he shook his hand and left. When the father would recount the story, he would say, "And to think, there I stood in my blue jeans, my old shirt, and a day’s growth of beard. What a way to meet the president!"
He was ashamed of the way he looked before the president of the United States.
I have come to the conclusion that some of those believers who had been in the church were leading others away from the church into false teachings about Jesus. Others were living lives outside of Christ Jesus. Today there are many who professed Jesus as their savior and they leading other lifestyles than remaining in Him.
Jesus gives a warning to all people in Luke 9:26 “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and that of the Father and the holy angels.”
That father's embarrassment as he meet the president is nothing compared to the embarrassment that will be felt by too many of people when Jesus returns. And guess what, it will be too late.
If you are ashamed to call Jesus your Lord today in front of people in your life, what will it look like when you come face to face with Him?
But here is the thing; if you are abiding in Christ and He in you, you will never have worry about being embarrassed when Jesus returns.
Listen this is the best advice I can give you right now- are you ready? You might want to write this down.
DON’T GET CAUGHT WITH YOUR PANTS DOWN!
In other words, don’t be doing something you shouldn’t when Jesus comes – because it will be a surprise!
We need to maintain the kind of fellowship with the Lord daily so we will always be ready to face Him with confidence!
THE FIRST KEY - WE MUST REMAIN IN HIM.
John moves from the 1st to to the second key TO LIVING WITH CONFIDENCE OF CHRIST’S RETURN AND THAT IS:
WE MUST LIVE RIGHTEOUSLY.
Look back with me at verse 29
“If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.”
Verse 29 really explains how we won’t get caught with our pants down- or ashamed when Christ Jesus returns.
Let me explain right now that verse 29 is not – I repeat not saying that righteous behavior is a condition of new birth in Jesus.
In-fact, there are a lot of false teachers out there that say if you just live a good life you will get to heaven, there are people who believe that if they are not as bad as an axe murderer they will get to heaven.
Others believe that only the bad people will go to hell and the really bad people are the ones worse than they are.
These are all false teachings, false desires to make one feel good about themselves in the state of acting in their sinfulness.
The term “has been born of Him” means just the opposite. It means that a righteous life is the evidence of being born-again. This is where we turn water into wine in our lives.
Righteousness is the right actions proceeding from right character. The principle of righteousness is found throughout the Bible.
Jesus said in Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.”
Just as children are like their parents because they share their nature and character traits. Those who practice righteousness are those who are born of God because they know that God is righteous.
Being born of God carries a simple picture. Since God is righteous, then it is not possible for us to be born of God unless we also practice righteousness. It is a matter of character traits. The Bible says that when we are born again that God gives us everything that we need to live this life:
2 Peter 1:3 “His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.”
God has given us everything we need to live a life that is pleasing to Him. God has given us His Son so that if we have faith in Him we have eternal life. He has given us victory over sin and death. He has given us access to Himself (when Jesus dies on the Cross the veil that separated man and God was torn given us full access to Him).
He has given us The Word in the form of the Holy Bible, some call it the instruction book of life. The Bible is the living Word of God to govern our lives by.
God has given us His Church to live with others like us, to be encouraged by others, to serve others and to be loved by others.
He has given us mercy and grace that what we have done in the past is forgiven if we just ask.
He has also given us a future, a future in the presence of Him in the one place the Bible describes as heaven.
He has literally given us everything we need to succeed in righteousness.
So how can we live a life of righteousness?
Let me give you three practical ways to live righteously.
FIRST, FOCUS ON GOD -The Bible tells us “Set your minds on what is above not on what is on earth” (Colossians 3:2).
To live a righteous life, we must always have God on our minds. We all have stuff in our lives that can overtake our thoughts and our actions. The world has a way of dominating us. But if we set our minds on what is Godly- we will always put God first.
When I am living out my discipleship the most is when my thoughts and worship are all about HIM.
SECOND, READ AND STUDY THE WORD OF GOD- notice that I said read and study- Joshua 1:8 “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written it.”
This is true to us today keep Gods Word on your lips, study it, put it on your heart – live by it daily.
I believe that this is where most people fail. We have so many ways to be encouraged by God’s Word, read the Bible itself, download an app that sends you verses- receive emails or text messages of daily readings- God’s Word has never been more accessible than in today’s world, yet so many people don’t read the Bible daily. If you want to live what you believe – you must know what you believe. You cannot live a righteous life if you don’t know what it takes to be righteous.
Listen to this conversation between two little boys
One of the boys noticed that the other's grandmother spent a lot of time reading her Bible. "Why does she read the Bible so much?" the boy asked his friend. The other boy replied, "She is cramming for her final exam!"
THIRD IS PRAYER –
Listen, you must talk to God.
What God’s Son went through so you can have access to Him is beyond amazing. When you go to a concert people who can get backstage have an access pass.
Everyone wears it around their neck. So that people know that you are supposed to be there. As a believer you have an unlimited access pass to God.
Don’t take that for granted, you need to take advantage of that.
Father God wants to hear from His children. The Bible says in 1st Thess 5:18 to pray continually, now we talk about this all the time, praying at the beginning of the day is great, but you need to speak to God throughout the day- give thanks, give Him honor and praise – seek your desires- listen for Him to answer- watch for Him being at work around you.
As born- again believers we must live life unashamed!
THE FIRST KEY IS TO REMAIN IN HIM.
THE SECOND KEY LIVE RIGHTEOUSLY.
We can live righteously if we put God first , Read and study His Word and pray,,
Invitation:
If Jesus came back today- would you be ashamed?