Sermons on 1 John 2:18-27
The various sermons below interpret 1 John 2:18-27 by emphasizing themes of urgency, discernment, and perseverance in faith. They commonly highlight the distinction between the singular "Antichrist" and the plural "antichrists," underscoring the presence of false teachings and the need for vigilance. The analogy of a tachometer is used to convey the rapid progression of end-time events, while the concept of abiding in Christ is presented as essential preparation for His return. The sermons also stress the importance of sound doctrine, using analogies like rat poison to illustrate the subtle dangers of false teachings. Additionally, the cyclical nature of John's writing is noted, reinforcing themes of light, love, truth, and righteousness, with the "last hour" being a period marked by both anticipation and challenge.
In contrast, the sermons diverge in their focus and thematic emphasis. One sermon highlights the necessity of staying connected to the church and understanding the true nature of Jesus, warning against false gospels that add to the message of Christ. Another sermon emphasizes the role of community and sound doctrine in recognizing false teachings, while a different sermon underscores the assurance of salvation through God's grace, which enables perseverance amidst deception. Additionally, one sermon focuses on overcoming false teachings by adhering to the truth of Jesus' dual nature as both God and man, emphasizing love and obedience as evidence of true faith.
1 John 2:18-27 Interpretation:
Faith, Maturity, and Discernment in Challenging Times (Westminster Calvary) interprets 1 John 2:18-27 by emphasizing the distinction between the Antichrist (capital A) and many antichrists (lowercase a). The sermon uses the analogy of a tachometer to explain the concept of the "last hour," suggesting that when events begin to unfold, they will accelerate rapidly, much like a car's tachometer when the accelerator is pressed. This interpretation highlights the urgency and rapid progression of end-time events.
Abiding in Christ: The Foundation of Our Faith (Impact Church FXBG) interprets the passage by focusing on the concept of abiding in Christ as a means to prepare for His return. The sermon uses the analogy of a welcoming committee versus a planning committee to emphasize that Christians should focus on being prepared for Christ's return rather than trying to predict it. The sermon also highlights the linguistic detail of the term "antichrist," explaining it as "against Christ" or "instead of Christ," which helps to identify false teachings.
Living in the Light: Discernment and Community in Faith (Hyland Heights Baptist Church) interprets the passage by emphasizing the importance of recognizing false teachings and staying rooted in sound doctrine. The sermon uses the analogy of rat poison, which is 99% real food but 1% poison, to illustrate how false teachings can be dangerous even if they contain some truth. This interpretation underscores the need for discernment and vigilance in the face of false teachings.
Persevering in Faith Amidst Deception and Grace (Solid Rock Community) interprets 1 John 2:18-27 by emphasizing the cyclical nature of John's writing, which reinforces themes of light, love, truth, and righteousness. The sermon highlights John's use of the term "last hour" as unique, explaining it as the period between Jesus' ascension and His second coming. The sermon also distinguishes between the singular "Antichrist" and the plural "antichrists," focusing on the latter as those who were once part of the Christian community but fell into apostasy. The sermon uses the analogy of a "preserving grip of the grace of God" to describe how believers are held secure in their faith, emphasizing that God's grace enables perseverance.
Overcoming Challenges Through Truth, Love, and Faith (Faith Baptist Artesia) interprets 1 John 2:18-27 by focusing on the challenges faced by early Christians due to false teachings, particularly those denying Jesus' humanity. The sermon emphasizes the importance of adhering to the truth of Jesus as both God and man, and the necessity of love and obedience to His commandments. The sermon uses the analogy of a loving father writing to his children to describe John's relationship with his audience, highlighting the importance of spiritual maturity and discernment in identifying false teachings.
1 John 2:18-27 Theological Themes:
Abiding in Christ: The Foundation of Our Faith (Impact Church FXBG) presents the theme that true followers of Jesus must stay connected to the church and know who Jesus is. The sermon emphasizes that false teachers often offer a version of Jesus that includes "Jesus and" something else, which is a false gospel. This theme highlights the importance of understanding the true nature of Jesus as the foundation of faith.
Living in the Light: Discernment and Community in Faith (Hyland Heights Baptist Church) introduces the theme of the last hour and the presence of many antichrists. The sermon emphasizes the need for believers to be grounded in God's word to recognize false teachings. This theme underscores the importance of sound doctrine and community in maintaining faith.
Persevering in Faith Amidst Deception and Grace (Solid Rock Community) presents the theme of assurance in salvation, emphasizing that true believers are held secure by God's grace, which enables them to persevere in faith. The sermon also discusses the concept of "antichrists" as those who deny Jesus and fall away from the faith, highlighting the importance of discernment and remaining in the truth.
Overcoming Challenges Through Truth, Love, and Faith (Faith Baptist Artesia) introduces the theme of overcoming false teachings through adherence to the truth of Jesus' dual nature as both God and man. The sermon emphasizes the importance of love and obedience to Jesus' commandments as evidence of true faith, and the role of the Holy Spirit in guiding believers to discern truth from falsehood.
1 John 2:18-27 Historical and Contextual Insights:
Faith, Maturity, and Discernment in Challenging Times (Westminster Calvary) provides historical context by explaining that the term "apostate" was used in the first century to describe a political revolt. This insight helps to understand the gravity of apostasy within the church as a rebellion against established doctrine.
Living in the Light: Discernment and Community in Faith (Hyland Heights Baptist Church) provides historical context by discussing the influence of Gnosticism and Docetism in the early church, which exalted the spiritual above the physical. This context helps to understand the challenges faced by the early church in maintaining sound doctrine.
Persevering in Faith Amidst Deception and Grace (Solid Rock Community) provides historical context by explaining that John's letter was written in response to heresies that had crept into the early Christian community, particularly in Ephesus. The sermon highlights the challenges faced by early Christians due to false teachings that denied Jesus' incarnation and promoted salvation through enlightened knowledge.
Overcoming Challenges Through Truth, Love, and Faith (Faith Baptist Artesia) explains the historical context of false teachings in the early church, particularly Gnosticism, which denied Jesus' humanity. The sermon highlights the challenges faced by young, spiritually immature churches in discerning truth from falsehood without the complete New Testament.
1 John 2:18-27 Cross-References in the Bible:
Faith, Maturity, and Discernment in Challenging Times (Westminster Calvary) references Revelation 13:1-2 to explain the traits and origin of the Antichrist, using the imagery from Daniel 7 to interpret the characteristics of the beast. This cross-reference supports the understanding of the Antichrist as a future figure with specific traits and authority.
Abiding in Christ: The Foundation of Our Faith (Impact Church FXBG) references several "I am" statements of Jesus from the Gospel of John (e.g., John 6:35, John 8:12) to affirm the identity of Jesus as the foundation of faith. These references support the sermon’s emphasis on knowing who Jesus is.
Living in the Light: Discernment and Community in Faith (Hyland Heights Baptist Church) references 1 Corinthians 15 to emphasize the importance of the gospel message centered on Christ's death and resurrection. This cross-reference supports the sermon’s focus on sound doctrine as the basis for faith.
Persevering in Faith Amidst Deception and Grace (Solid Rock Community) references 2 Peter 3:9 to explain God's patience in delaying Christ's return, emphasizing that God is gathering His church and calling people to repentance. The sermon also references John 14 and 16, where Jesus promises the Holy Spirit will guide believers into all truth, supporting the idea that believers have an anointing from the Holy One.
Overcoming Challenges Through Truth, Love, and Faith (Faith Baptist Artesia) references the Gospel of John to emphasize the deity of Christ and the importance of love and obedience to His commandments. The sermon also references the fruits of the Spirit, particularly love, as evidence of salvation.
1 John 2:18-27 Christian References outside the Bible:
Abiding in Christ: The Foundation of Our Faith (Impact Church FXBG) references C.S. Lewis, who famously stated that Jesus is either a liar, a lunatic, or Lord, emphasizing the importance of recognizing Jesus' true identity. The sermon also references Herman Bavinck, who stated that Christ is Christianity itself, underscoring the centrality of Jesus in the faith.
Persevering in Faith Amidst Deception and Grace (Solid Rock Community) does not explicitly reference any non-biblical Christian authors or sources in its discussion of 1 John 2:18-27.
Overcoming Challenges Through Truth, Love, and Faith (Faith Baptist Artesia) does not explicitly reference any non-biblical Christian authors or sources in its discussion of 1 John 2:18-27.
1 John 2:18-27 Illustrations from Secular Sources:
Faith, Maturity, and Discernment in Challenging Times (Westminster Calvary) uses the analogy of a tachometer in a car to explain the concept of the "last hour," illustrating how events will accelerate rapidly when they begin to unfold.
Abiding in Christ: The Foundation of Our Faith (Impact Church FXBG) uses the cultural phenomenon of Y2K and the Left Behind series to illustrate the fascination with end times and the importance of focusing on being prepared for Christ's return rather than predicting it.
Persevering in Faith Amidst Deception and Grace (Solid Rock Community) uses the illustration of a well-known pastor who fell into sin to discuss the concept of perseverance and the importance of repentance. The sermon emphasizes that faithful perseverance is not perfection but being quick to repent when one falls.
Overcoming Challenges Through Truth, Love, and Faith (Faith Baptist Artesia) does not provide any illustrations from secular sources in its discussion of 1 John 2:18-27.