Sermon Outline: 1 John 3:11-17

1 John 3:11-17

The Story Always Remains the Same

Pastor Jason Stewart

I.      Introduction:

   In the last decade we have been living in a generation that has witnessed worldwide catastrophes and tragic events that are unparalleled to any other time in world history.

   On September 11, 2001 we watched in horror as terrorists hijacked the airplanes and turned them into guided missiles flying them into the Twin Towers, which changed the face of America forever. In the aftermath of that horrific event, the Body of Christ from all over the world descended upon New York in order to practically love the people by serving them in their time of need.

   On December 26^th of 2004, an estimated 230,000 people died because of the giant Tsunami that hit Southern Asia, because of an earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter Scale. In the aftermath of that horrific event, the Body of Christ from all over the world descended upon Sri Lanka, and other parts of Southern Asia in order to practically love the people by serving them in their time of need.

   On August 29^th, 2005, the state of Louisiana was devastated by Hurricane Katrina, killing nearly 2000 people, leaving hundreds of thousands homeless, and causing over 81 billion dollars in damage. In the aftermath of that horrific event, the Body of Christ from all over the world descended upon Louisiana in order to practically love the people by serving them in their time of need.

   On January 12, 2010 an Earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter Scale literally destroyed Haiti’s way of life. Killing an estimated 316,000 people, injuring over 300,000 people, and causing over 1 million other people to be homeless. In the aftermath of that horrific event, the Body of Christ from all over the world descended upon Haiti in order to practically love the people by serving them in their time of need.

   This past Friday, on March 11^th, 2011, an Earthquake that measured 8.9 on the Richter Scale not only devastated the nation of Japan, and at the same time caused a massive Tsunami that destroyed everything in its path as well, while traveling some 6 miles inland. And now in the aftermath of this horrific event, which is still taking place when we consider the threat that is happening at the Nuclear Power Plant, we are going to see that the Body of Christ from all over the world will soon be descending upon Japan in order to practically love the people and serve them in their time of need.

   Tragic event after tragic event, the story never changes. The story that never changes... the story that always remains the same, is that the Body of Christ is always there to gently love and faithfully serve the people wherever the need may be. And as we continue on in our look at 1^st John 3 this morning, we are going to discover that John is reminding his readers of this very fact, that “The Story Always Remains the Same.”

II.     Revelation/Application: The Story Always Remains the Same

a. The message from the beginning is love (3:11)

   John is saying that it is this message of loving our brothers and sisters in Christ that has always existed in God’s economy. This is the heart of Jesus’ message to us in the Gospels, and how He said people “will know” that we are His disciples. In fact this is the very word that Jesus used in (John 13:34-35) to tell us that people will know that we are His disciples by our love for one another.The Greek word here that John uses here in (v.11) is agapao which literally means; “to show practical love”. It is a selfless, Christ like love. It is clearly defined in 1 Corinthians 13 as a word of selfless action.

   The reason that John has to remind his readers that this is the message that was from the beginning is because the early-Gnostics that we have been talking about were evidently teaching that it didn’t matter how they treated one another as long as they had experienced that inner-light which gave them secret gnosis. John wasn’t writing this letter to tell them that they are not loving one another enough, but because the false teachers were teaching this and living it out in their lives.

   For example one such teacher is called out by name in John’s 3^rd epistle. In 3 John 9-11, he writes, “I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us. Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church. Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God.”

   In this epistle we know that John battles this unloving cancer that was threatening the church by saying:

1. Whoever hates his brother is in spiritual darkness and is blinded (2:11)
2. In this passage we will see that those who hate the brethren are considered murderers (3:15)
3. Whoever does not love the brethren does not know God, for God is love (4:8)
4. Whoever hates his brother is a liar, and has never met God, and cannot possibly love God (4:20)

   And so we see that John is pointing out to the Body of Christ that the false teachers from his day, and those who are false professors of the faith lived a life which WAS NOT MARKED by love. So we see that John was writing them to encourage them to keep on keeping on in the practical love department. What they have always been taught from the beginning, and have tried to apply to their lives is still the mark of a true believer, so keep it up guys!

a. First Example: Cain

John then cuts across the entire span of humanity to show that even in the very beginning, God expects brotherly love. And what is important to remember her is that if God expects brotherly love to be shown in the natural realm of family life, how much more important is it to show love as spiritual brothers and sisters in Christ.

1. He was a murderer of Abel (Gen. 4:8)
2. He gave on his terms instead of on God’s terms (Gen. 4:3-5). He had a hardened heart and got angry with God (Gen. 4:6).
3. He ignored God’s warning about the dangers of sin (Gen. 4:7)
4. This led to him murdering his brother (Gen. 4:8), and lying to God (Gen. 4:9)

   John goes all the way back to the beginning of time to show that in the very beginning the message that God was preaching was love. But the first offspring of humanity, Cain and Abel, sets the example for us of what love does not look like! John goes all the way back to the beginning of time crossing over every culture to show how love is demonstrated by the way we treat others. In this first example John uses Cain to show us what love doesn’t look like.

   The text in Genesis appears to be implying that because Cain’s actions were evil (meaning he wasn’t a person who walked with God, but lived for unrighteousness), that God did not accept his offering. This made Cain angry and so God came to him to try and lead him out of sinful behavior (Gen. 4:6). But he refused and allowed his anger overtake him, and then he murdered his brother (4:8).

   Abel is referred to by the author of Hebrews to represent what faith looks like (Hebrews 11:4). When reading Hebrews we get the impression that the main difference between Cain and Abel was the fact that Abel was a man who walked by faith and his offerings to God were with a right heart, while Cain did not walk by faith but instead a lack of faith, and his offerings to God were with an impure heart.

How does this apply to us?

Application:

When we are a Cain in the butt to everyone. When we live like Cain we end up being miserable people.

Result:

We can make others feel unloved, and we have the potential of killing someone’s walk with God. Or at least emotionally killing someone in spirit. I know that is not anyone of our desires ever.

2. Second Example: Jesus (3:16-18)

   John then shows how Jesus came to set the example of what love is. It is not selfishly living for ourselves as Cain was, nor selfishly taking for ourselves as Cain did, which led to grave sin, and the death of Abel. Jesus didn’t come to the earth to simply say, “I love you!” And then leave us in our sin, and allow us to go to hell. Jesus came to the earth to say “This is how I love you. I have come to practically demonstrate My love for you by teaching you how to have a relationship with God, and then laying down My very life for you at the cross.”

III.   Conclusion:

   The Story Always Remains the Same, and because it always remains the same I want to encourage you to keep on keeping on in the area of practically loving other people this week. Cain took his brothers life, but Jesus gave up His life for us! And that is what God has called us to do as Christians, is to willingly and selflessly continue laying down our lives for one another by serving and supporting each other through life.

   In speaking about Christian Love, St Augustine once said: “What does it [Love] look like? It has hands to help others, feet to hasten to the poor and needy, eyes to see misery and want, ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like.” And in the same way, Jesus didn’t come to the earth to simply say, “I love you!” And then leave us in our sin, and allow us to go to hell. He went further than that for sure!

   And in this mornings’ message we see that John is reminding all Christians everywhere that we are called to always be willing to go the extra mile as well. Because this is “The Story that Always Remains the Same”, God’s kids are called to love one another deeper, longer, and further, laying down our lives through service.