A letter from John to his little children

LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH

SERMON NOTES FROM SUNDAY 27 FEBRUARY 2022

1 JOHN 2 VERSES 12 - 17, 24 - 29

"A LETTER FROM JOHN TO HIS LITTLE CHILDREN

Verse 12 starts "I write unto you little children because ..."  We could continue from there but did you notice how many times he uses the word "because" in the following verses?  John had a purpose in writing to these people at this time.  5 books of the New Testament are attributed to John the apostle.  The gospel of John talks about the divinity of the Lord Jesus.  Then there are 3 epistles and finally the book of Revelation.  In chapter 1 verse 1 of Revelation we read that these words are inspired by God, the revelation of Jesus Christ.  The book of Revelation is not about wars and conflicts although that is part of the narrative.  It is the revelation of Jesus Christ and his sovereign will and purpose, we are keeping in focus our Saviour working out his eternal purpose.  Johns gospel is an account of the things during the earthly ministry of our Lord.  John is speaking in a reflective mood when writing his gospel message.  He records the words and miracles of Jesus, everything about his crucifixion and resurrection.  The epistles speak in the current situation, writing in the present tense.  It was 60 years after our Lord's ministry and he writes to his little children.  It is in all probability that he was writing in the city of Ephesus where he lived in the latter period of his life.  Writing in that environment. The book of Revelation is a looking forward, prophecy, things yet to come.  What an overview - past, present and future.  Let's look today at John the man, John the message and John the mentor.

John the man.  Right through the gospel of John, 6 times it says he was the disciple whom Jesus loved.  When the Lord first met John and James his brother he gave them nicknames.  Boanerges - sons of Thunder.  John was a patriotic Jew to his finger tips.  We find that coming out of his life.  Jesus knew their personalities, the kind of these 2 men.  Remember the time when the disciples came to a Samaritan village and they would not offer hospitality?  John asked Jesus "Lord wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven and consume them even as Elias did?"  Jesus response was "Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.  For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives but to save them." (Luke 9 verses 55 and 56)  Prior to this incident John pointed out that there was a man casting out devils in Jesus name and they had forbade him because he was not with them.  Jesus told him "Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us." (Luke 9 verse 50)  On another occasion James and John came and asked to sit on either side of Jesus when he came into his kingdom.  Jesus response "But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared." (Mark 10 verse 40)  John was bold, tempestuous but he was also a testimony to the grace of God.  After a lifetime of fellowship with Jesus, of walking with the Saviour now this man, a patriot to the Jewish faith, he has become the apostle of love.  40 times in John's epistles we come across the word "love".  In the providence of God he was permitted to live a long life.  James his brother was one of the first apostle martyred for his faith in Acts of the Apostles.  He had a short ministry whereas John had a long one.  He was a father figure to those to whom he now wrote.

John the message.  Chapter 2 verse 12 "I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake."  We cannot be God's little children without that as a baseline.  Do you know that as a reality in your life?  John is writing to family members.  Here is John's purpose - "that ye sin not".  Then there is the premise - "you are forgiven".  It was to live holy lives.  He didn't say that it was impossible to sin but that he was presenting a life not a pattern of a sinful life.  The grace of G`od is meant to save us from sinning.  A tree is known by its fruit.  So a Christian is known by his life of righteousness.  Holiness.   As John wrote this epistle he was talking about the completeness of Christ.  We can be victorious through Christ.  Our lives should be different to those around us, in thought word and deed  Jesus asks us to live life on a higher level, to walk in the light as he is in the light.  The blood of Jesus keeps on cleansing us from all sin.  

John the mentor.  What is a mentor?  The dictionary definition says "a wise trusted advisor."  Don't we all appreciate someone like that?  How they can help us.  In his epistles John wrote as a mentor.  Chapter 2 verse 18 "it is the last time and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time."  Hebrews 1 verse 1 tells us we have been in the last days since Jesus came.  Within these last days there is more evidence than anything before.  We can see Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39 beginning to be fulfilled before our very eyes.  We are no longer looking for the signs of Jesus' coming again but rather we are looking at the signs.  In 1 John 2 verse 28 we read "abide in him"  That word "abide" means to dwell, to stay.  It means to enjoy fellowship together.  John seems to have intimacy with Jesus which helped him to settle.  He knew what it was to abide in Christ.  In John 15 he wrote so much about abiding.  He was talking there about being fruitful but now in this epistle it is about righteousness.  Are you watching for Jesus' return?  "Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure."  How do we abide today?  By devotion, obedience, prayerfulness, by constant watchfulness.  1 John 3 verse 7 "Little children, let no man deceive you; he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.  He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning.  Whoseover is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God."  Don't be led away by the misperception that character has no connection with conduct.  Character will be seen in conduct.  "As a man thinketh in his heart so is he." (Proverbs 23 verse 7)  The problem in Johns day was that there was an agnostic influencer who taught that even though you had committed a lot of sin your soul can still be pure.  John says in light of the cross, the son of God, Jesus was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil.  Chapter 3 verse 18 "My little children let us no love in word, neither in tongue but in deed and in truth."  Let's have a practical experience of grace - that which works out through our hands and our feet.  Chapter 3 verse 16 "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.  But whoso hath this world's good and seeth his brother have opened and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, now dwelleth the love of God in him?"  Let us not just love in tongue but love in truth.  1 John 5 verse 21 "Little children keep yourselves from idols"  His letter was written in Ephesus.  That was a city dominated by idolatry.  Diana was the goddess of Ephesus.  From reading the book of Acts it was a city of black arts, magical books and other such acts.  We don't have a goddess we ascribe to nationally but there are many idols today - business, fame, fortune, pleasure, self.  Anything that draws my devotion and seeks to displace Jesus from his pole position and primary authority in my life becomes an idol, it takes the place of him.