Embracing True Love and Fellowship in Christ
Summary
In my sermon today, I began by addressing the concept of love as it is understood in our Christian faith, particularly focusing on the love for God and love for others. I emphasized that genuine love is first experienced through Jesus Christ on the cross, where He paid for our sins. This love calls us to follow Jesus and embrace eternal life over the material life, and to guide others to the same truth by revealing Jesus to them.
I then moved on to discuss how, unfortunately, many in our American Church culture have traded our first love for Jesus Christ for a diminished view of love. This trade has occurred in the name of tolerance, where sin is not called into repentance, and in the name of self-righteousness, where we fail to see God's beloved beneath the sin. I highlighted that this issue affects not only the broader Church but also our local community, influencing how we see one another, welcome the lost, and value our relationship with God and others.
I challenged the congregation to consider how we would respond if someone obviously lost in sin entered our church. Would we welcome them and show them the hope of Jesus Christ, or would we turn away? I stressed that the spirit of tolerance and self-righteousness is present in all of us, leading us to justify our own sins while ignoring or condemning others.
I then delved into the theme of fellowship as presented in the First Epistle of John, explaining that fellowship with God is a unified relationship on the common ground of Jesus Christ. I contrasted this with fellowship with the world, which is a unified relationship in shared rejection of Jesus. I urged the congregation to draw those in the world out of darkness and into the light by introducing them to Jesus.
I also addressed the dangers of loving the world, as described in 1 John 2:15-16, and the deception of the spirit of the Antichrist that denies Jesus and His power. I reminded the church of our anointing and knowledge of the truth, which exposes sin and leads to fellowship with Jesus Christ.
I concluded by encouraging the church to embrace our identity as God's adopted children and to bear His name to the world. I called on the congregation to show the fellowship we have with one another and with God through our love and fearlessness to walk in step with our Savior.
Key Takeaways:
1. Genuine love is rooted in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, which calls us to prioritize eternal life over the material world. This love compels us to lead others to Jesus, who frees us from the shackles of sin and death. ([10:06])
2. The spirit of tolerance and self-righteousness within us can distort our perception of love and hinder our relationships with God and others. We must be vigilant against these attitudes, which can prevent us from welcoming and guiding the lost to the hope found in Jesus Christ. ([13:02])
3. Fellowship with God is based on a unified relationship with Jesus Christ. This fellowship should extend to our interactions with other believers and our mission to draw those in the world out of darkness. Our relationships should reflect the redemptive power of Jesus and the hope of eternal life. ([17:13])
4. The love of the world is incompatible with the love of the Father. We must be aware of the spirit of the Antichrist that seeks to deceive and keep us in darkness. Our anointing from the Holy One empowers us to live in the truth and to expose sin through fellowship with Jesus Christ. ([29:40])
5. As God's adopted children, we are called to bear His name to the world and demonstrate the transformative power of fellowship with God and one another. Our identity in Christ should inspire us to live fearlessly and lovingly, drawing others to the Savior. ([31:37])
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. 1 John 1:1-4
2. 1 John 2:15-16
3. 1 John 3:1
#### Observation Questions
1. According to 1 John 1:1-4, what is the basis of our fellowship with God and with one another?
2. What does 1 John 2:15-16 say about the love of the world and the love of the Father?
3. How does 1 John 3:1 describe our identity as believers?
#### Interpretation Questions
1. In the sermon, the pastor mentioned that genuine love is rooted in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. How does this understanding of love challenge our everyday interactions with others? ([10:06])
2. The pastor spoke about the spirit of tolerance and self-righteousness within us. How do these attitudes distort our perception of love and hinder our relationships with God and others? ([13:02])
3. What does it mean to have fellowship with God based on a unified relationship with Jesus Christ, as discussed in the sermon? How does this contrast with fellowship with the world? ([17:13])
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your own life. Are there areas where you have prioritized material life over eternal life? How can you shift your focus to embrace eternal life more fully? ([10:06])
2. Think about a time when you encountered someone obviously lost in sin. How did you respond? How can you better welcome and show the hope of Jesus Christ to those who are lost? ([12:21])
3. The pastor mentioned that tolerance and self-righteousness can prevent us from welcoming and guiding the lost to Jesus. How can you be vigilant against these attitudes in your own life? ([13:02])
4. How can you actively draw those in the world out of darkness and into the light by introducing them to Jesus? What practical steps can you take this week to share your faith? ([17:13])
5. Reflect on your relationship with the world. Are there aspects of the world that you love more than the love of the Father? How can you realign your affections to be more in line with God's love? ([29:05])
6. As God's adopted child, how can you bear His name to the world and demonstrate the transformative power of fellowship with God and one another? What specific actions can you take to live fearlessly and lovingly? ([31:37])
7. Identify one person in your life who is curious about faith or lost in sin. How can you engage them in a spiritual conversation this week and introduce them to the hope found in Jesus Christ? ([12:21])
Devotional
Day 1: Embracing Sacrificial Love
Genuine love is not merely an emotion or a sentiment; it is an action that was perfectly exemplified by Jesus Christ on the cross. This sacrificial love is the cornerstone of Christian faith, calling believers to look beyond the temporary allure of the material world and to prioritize eternal life. It is a love that compels one to lead others towards the freedom and redemption found in Jesus, who triumphed over sin and death. This love is transformative, breaking the chains that bind humanity and offering a path to salvation. It is a call to live a life that reflects the depth of Christ's sacrifice for mankind. [07:40]
"For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised." - 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 ESV
Reflection: How can you demonstrate sacrificial love in your own life today, choosing eternal significance over temporary gain?
Day 2: Resisting Tolerance and Self-Righteousness
The spirit of tolerance and self-righteousness can subtly infiltrate one's heart, distorting the true meaning of love and impacting relationships with God and others. This spirit can lead to a complacency where sin is not confronted with the hope of repentance, and a pride that blinds one to the image of God in every person. It is a challenge to remain vigilant against these attitudes, which can create barriers to welcoming and guiding the lost to the hope found in Jesus Christ. Believers are called to hold fast to the truth, to extend grace, and to humbly recognize their own need for the Savior. [13:02]
"Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge." - James 4:11 ESV
Reflection: In what ways might the spirit of tolerance or self-righteousness be affecting your approach to others, and how can you seek to embody Christ's love instead?
Day 3: Cultivating Fellowship with Christ
Fellowship with God is not a casual acquaintance but a deep, unified relationship founded on the common ground of Jesus Christ. This fellowship is a source of strength, guidance, and joy that believers are called to share with one another. It is also a mission to draw those living in darkness into the light of Christ. This fellowship is marked by a shared commitment to the truths of the gospel and a mutual desire to grow in the knowledge and love of Jesus. It is through this fellowship that believers can reflect the redemptive power of Jesus and offer the hope of eternal life to a world in need. [17:13]
"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." - 1 John 1:7 ESV
Reflection: How can you deepen your fellowship with God and with other believers to better reflect the light of Christ to those around you?
Day 4: Rejecting Worldly Love
The love of the world is fundamentally at odds with the love of the Father. The spirit of the Antichrist seeks to deceive and lead believers astray, denying the power and truth of Jesus Christ. However, as anointed ones, believers have received the knowledge of the truth, which empowers them to live in the light and to expose sin. This anointing calls for a rejection of worldly desires and a commitment to the eternal values of the kingdom of God. It is a reminder to live in the victory that Christ has already achieved and to stand firm against the deceptions that vie for allegiance. [29:40]
"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." - 1 John 2:15 ESV
Reflection: What worldly desires are you holding onto that might be hindering your relationship with God, and how can you begin to let go of them?
Day 5: Living as God's Adopted Children
As God's adopted children, believers are called to bear His name to the world with boldness and love. This identity is not a passive status but an active vocation to demonstrate the transformative power of fellowship with God and one another. It is a call to live fearlessly, inspired by the identity in Christ, and to draw others to the Savior through a life that exemplifies the love and grace of God. This identity should shape every interaction, decision, and aspiration, as believers seek to embody the hope and restoration offered through Jesus Christ. [31:37]
"See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him." - 1 John 3:1 ESV
Reflection: How does your identity as an adopted child of God influence the way you interact with others, and what steps can you take to more fully live out this identity?
Quotes
"result love for God therefore follows Jesus and Embraces eternal life over material life life love for others directs us to reveal Jesus who exchanges our shackles to sin and death for a Crown of Life many at least in our American Church culture have traded our first love that of Jesus Christ on the cross for our sins the first experience of genuine love we know is Jesus Christ on the cross amen we've traded it because of our sins we've traded it for a diminished [10:06]
view of love"
"if somebody were to come into the church this is not my notes so I want to put that down if somebody were to come into our church today and it was obvious by looking at them that they are lost that they are steeped in sin they don't look like the rest of us they don't behave like the rest of us how would you [12:21]
respond would you approach them would you welcome them would you show them the hope of Jesus Christ and say this this isn't the way this is the way we can show you the way we can point you on the way"
"loved we are not perfect but God is creating in each of us a new heart he is preparing us for heaven for eternal life we are his adopted children [32:29]
others others are waiting to be adopted they just don't know it yet 1 John 22 24-2 what you have heard from the beginning is to remain in you if what you have heard from the beginning remains in you then you will remain in the sun in the father and this is the promise that he himself made to us eternal life"
"the spirit of Tolerance the spirit of self-righteousness is heavy inside every [13:02]
single one of us it's a call to us we tolerate one thing and not something else because it justifies what we want to justify for ourselves we remain self-righteous over one thing and not something else because we refuse to see our own sin"
"the spirit of the Antichrist masquerades within the body of Christ to deceive us and to keep us in the dark Church don't forget your anointing verse 20 but you have an anointing from the Holy One and all of you know the truth again allow me to paraphrase verse [29:40]
21 church I am not saying these things to you because you don't know the truth because you don't know the good news but because you do know it you have heard it because you can testify of the grace and the glory of Jesus Christ you know the truth and know life can come from the truth no deception can come from the truth and truth exposes sin in love through fellowship with Jesus Christ"
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