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Be a LIGHT…
- 1st – In the Last Hour… vs. 18-19 / 22-23
- 1st – The Antichrist… vs. 18
- Little children – it is the last hour!
- Little Children [παιδίον] – 51x in NT – meaning a newborn infant…
- It is the Last HOUR – very similar to the phrase LAST days – Acts 2:17 – II Timothy 3:1
- The LAST DAYS began when the Holy Spirit was poured out on Pentecost – Acts 2:17
- And will continue right up to the rapture of the church – I Thessalonians 4:16
- Which begins the DAY of the LORD – and the Tribulation – Revelation 6-18
- The FIRST reason we should be a LIGHT – we are in the Last HOURS!
- We are no longer counting DAYS – until the RAPTURE – we are counting HOURS…
- Jesus is coming very SOON – and we need to be READY!
- Luke 21:28 – “When all these things begin to happen… look up – for your salvation is near!”
- You have heard that the Antichrist is coming!
- John gives us THREE evidences – that we are in the Last HOURS…
- FIRST – Antichrist [ἀντίχριστος] – 5x in NT – I John 2:18 – 2:22 – 4:3 – II John 1:7
- The name means to be OPPOSED to the Christ – to be AGAINST Jesus…
- The definite article [THE] is before the word – meaning THE Antichrist is coming [present]!
- He will be a leader who will rise out of Europe – the little horn – Daniel 7:8
- He will make a treaty with Israel for SEVEN years after the Magog invasion – Ezekiel 38
- There is a good chance he will have Jewish heritage – God of his fathers – Daniel 11:37
- He will make PEACE by offering to rebuild the THIRD Temple for Israel – Daniel 9:27
- North of the Dome of the Rock [monument] – in a place called the Dome of the Spirit…
- He will rebuild the Temple – and Jews will embrace him – John 5:43
- The rise of the Antichrist – is one of the main events – in the Day of the LORD…
- But since he has NOT yet come – then we know we are NOT yet in the Day of the LORD!
- II Thessalonians 2:3 – “Let no one deceive you by any means – for that Day will not come unless… the man of sin is revealed…”
- Since we are in the Last HOURS – there is a good chance the antichrist is alive today…
- But he cannot be revealed until the HOLY SPIRIT is removed – II Thessalonians 2:7
- If he revealed himself now – we would all know who he is – tell the world not to follow!
- Even now many antichrists have come – by which we know that it is the last hour!
- Although THE Antichrist has not yet come – there [perfect] are MANY antichrists…
- Meaning there are a LOT of people today who are OPPOSED to Jesus…
- Which lets us KNOW [γινώσκω] – we are living in the Last HOURS!
- Matthew 24:11 – “Many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.”
- There are over TEN thousands religions [false prophets] in the world today…
- Countless false religions – Islam – Hinduism – Buddhism…
- As well as CULTS – Mormons – JW – Iglesia – who claim to believe in Jesus
- Every one of them with only one purpose – meant to keep people from heaven…
- The SPIRIT of antichrist all around us – OPPOSED to the Lord!
- Little children – it is the last hour!
- 2nd – Falling away… vs. 19
- They went out from us!
- SECOND – those who went out from us – people who commit APOSTASY…
- APOSTASY [ἀποστασία] – meaning to depart from…
- Talking about DEPARTURE from the FAITH – turning away from God!
- II Thessalonians 2:3 – “Let no one deceive you by any means – for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first.”
- I Timothy 4:1 – “The Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith.”
- A 2006 survey of several nations – found ONLY 26% of people attend church weekly…
- MANY have gone out from us – 74% of people do NOT go to church!
- The most important command we have – is to LOVE God above all else – Matthew 22:37
- But in the last days people will LOVE themselves rather than God – II Timothy 3:2
- This is not hard for us to do – since we by nature tend to focus on ourselves…
- The world is becoming POST CHRISTIAN – where many if not most – have DEPARTED…
- Letting us know we are in the Last HOURS – but not yet the Day of the LORD!
- They were not of us – for if they had been of us – they would have continued with us…
- But they went out that they might be made manifest – that none of them were of us!
- Anyone who DEPARTS the FAITH – was not part of the BODY of Christ…
- Because if they were – they would have CONTINUED [pluperfect] with us…
- CONTINUED [μένω] – to ABIDE – to hold cling to…
- But they LEFT – so we could SEE [φανερόω] – they were NEVER part of the BODY!
- There are going to be people who come to church for a while – then leave…
- Maybe because of a hard teaching – upset because of something the Bible says…
- Or because they expected something from God – other than salvation…
- Maybe thinking coming to church would make them rich…
- Whatever the reason – they choose to walk away from Jesus – deny the Faith…
- But by walking away it only proves they were never serious about following Jesus!
- They went out from us!
- 3rd – Denying… vs. 22-23
- Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ!
- THIRD – those who LIE – by denying who Jesus is…
- Anyone who DENIES [present] Jesus is the CHRIST – is a LIAR!
- Did you ever wonder why we call Jesus – Christ – like it is His last name…
- Jesus is His NAME – [יְהוֹשֻׁעַ] – Yahweh Shua – God is Salvation…
- Christ is His TITLE – [Χριστός] or [מָשִׁיחַ] – meaning the anointed one!
- I John 4:3 – “[Anyone] that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist.”
- The purpose of the MESSIAH – CHRIST – was to come and DIE – Philippians 2:7-8
- Jesus became a MAN – so that He could live a PERFECT life – and then DIE for our sin…
- Anyone who does NOT confess that – is a LIAR and does not speak the TRUTH!
- He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son!
- Anyone who DENIES [present] the Father and Son are ONE – TRINITY – is a LIAR…
- That person has the SPIRIT of the antichrist – they are OPPOSED to God…
- The Bible makes it VERY clear – Jesus is God!
- Romans 9:5 – Jesus is the eternally blessed GOD – Isaiah 9:6 – The Son is mighty the GOD…
- John 20:28 – Our Lord and GOD – I John 5:20 – the True GOD!
- Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ!
- 1st – The Antichrist… vs. 18
- The doctrine of the DEITY of Jesus – is the RED line that cannot be crossed…
- It is what makes a RELIGION that claims to believe in Christ – a CULT…
- There is great diversity within the Body of Christ – I Corinthians 12:27
- And we can agree to disagree and a VAST collection of non-essentials…
- But we CANNOT disagree on the Trinity – Deity of Jesus Christ – it is THE essential!
- Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either…
- He who acknowledges the Son has the Father also!
- ALL [πᾶς] who DENY [present] the SON is God – do NOT have the Father…
- But those who SAY [ὁμολογέω] the SON is God – have the Father too!
- John 10:30 – “I and My Father are one.”
- We cannot say we believe in the FATHER – but not the SON – they are the same…
- We cannot say we believe in the SON – but not the SPIRIT – they are the same…
- We cannot SEPARATE God – we either have God in our HEARTS – or we do NOT!
- John 14:23 – “If anyone loves Me … My Father will love him – and We will come to him and make Our home with him.”
- 2nd – In what we KNOW… vs. 20-21
- 1st – The Anointing… vs. 20
- But you have an anointing from the Holy One – and you know all things!
- The SECOND reason we should be a LIGHT – because of what we KNOW…
- There are TWO things John gives us that we KNOW [εἴδω]
- FIRST – we KNOW we have an ANOINTING from the HOLY one…
- ANOINTING [χρῖσμα] – 3x in NT [all of them here] – to pour oil onto someone…
- What OIL is poured OIL onto us – the HOLY [ἅγιος] – referring to the Holy SPIRIT…
- OIL in the Bible is used as a picture of the Holy Spirit – He ANOINTS us for MINISTRY!
- I Samuel 16:13 – “Samuel took the… oil and anointed [David]… and the Spirit of the LORD came upon [him].”
- Too often people are just placed in MINISTRY – with disastrous results…
- Listen if we are serving and feeling – BURNED OUT – if there is no JOY…
- Then we are very likely in the WRONG place – we are NOT called to do this!
- Just because there NEED – does not mean we are the ones to step up and HELP…
- Just because we have certain GIFTS and abilities – does not mean we are QUALIFIED…
- The question is NOT who has the most talent – or the best ideas…
- The question is whom has God CALLED – ANOINTED for a work…
- We will be a LIGHT – when we step out to do what God has ANOINTED us to do!
- But you have an anointing from the Holy One – and you know all things!
- 2nd – The Truth… vs. 21
- I have not written to you because you do not know the truth…
- But because you know it – and that no lie is of the truth!
- SECOND – we KNOW [εἴδω] – THE [definite article] TRUTH!
- We live in a WORLD that is upside down – a WORLD that does not know God…
- A WORLD where ALL that is evil is good – and ALL that is good is evil…
- When it is a crime in some countries to pray in public places – or bring a Bible into school…
- But where homosexuality – and abortion are protected by the Law!
- Isaiah 5:20 – “Woe unto them that call evil good – and good evil…”
- The WORLD would love for us to question the TRUTH…
- What is right for you – may not be what is right for me – everything is RELATIVE…
- Event Pontius Pilate famously said to Jesus – what is TRUTH – John 18:38
- But it does not matter what MEN say – they are all LIARS – Romans 3:4
- The Bible is our ANCHOR in a backwards world – it is the TRUTH!
- John 17:17 – “Your word is truth.” – also Psalm 119:160
- 1st – The Anointing… vs. 20
We become a LIGHT in a dark world – just as Jesus is the LIGHT of the world!
3rd – By abiding in Him… vs. 24-29
1st – Abiding… vs. 24
Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning.
If what you heard from the beginning abides in you – you will abide in the Son and in the Father!
THEREFORE – in light of Last HOURS we are living in – and because of what we KNOW…
We MUST [imperative] – ABIDE in what we have HEARD…
ABIDE [μένω] 120x in NT – a word that John REALLY liked – 68x in his FIVE books…
The Word means to CLING to something – and never let go!
What did we HEAR – in the BEGINNING [ἀρχή] – we heard the WORD [λόγος]
John 1:1 – “In the beginning [ἀρχή] was the Word [λόγος]…”
When we ABIDE [present] in the WORD – we will [future] ABIDE in the SON – and Father…
Because it is through His WORD [λόγος] – that we have FAITH!
Romans 10:17 – “Faith cometh by hearing – and hearing by the word of God.”
If we were asked to defuse a bomb – but also given a book with detailed instructions…
How tightly would we hold onto the book – like our lives depended on it!
This life is like a bomb – one wrong move and it can blow up on us…
But we have been given an instruction manual that will keep us safe…
Yet too often our Bibles are just what we bring to church on Sundays…
They are only used when we cannot fall asleep at night…
We need to CLING to the Bible – because our life does depend on it!
2nd – The promise… vs. 25
And this is the promise that He has promised us – eternal life!
If we ABIDE in Jesus – we have the PROMISE from God…
PROMISE [ἐπαγγέλλομαι] 15x in NT – from the word ANGEL [ἄγγελος] – MESSENGER
The MESSAGE we have been given – is we have ETERNAL [αἰώνιος] life!
The fact is everyone will live forever – our spirit is eternal…
The question we are left to answer – is WHERE will we spend out eternity…
For those who REJECT the LIGHT – those who do NOT abide in the WORD…
They CHOSE to spend their eternity in hell – because they rejected the hope of the Word!
But for those who are in the LIGHT – those who ABIDE in Jesus…
Then we are given the PROMISE of HEAVEN – we will be with Jesus always!
3rd – The deception… vs. 26
These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you!
John wrote these THINGS – about the importance of ABIDING in the WORD…
Because of those who want to DECEIVE us…
DECEIVE – [πλανάω] – where we get the word PLANET – the WORLD!
We have to be so careful what we allow to INFLUENCE our lives…
If we are constantly pumping social media – Hollywood – advertising into our heads…
Is it no wonder that we are being DECEIVED by this world…
Instead of being filled with the LIES of the WORLD– we need to be filled with the WORD!
Matthew 18:13 – “Jesus answered and said to them – you are DECEIVED [πλανάω] – not knowing the Scriptures.”
4th – The instructor… vs. 27
But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you!
The ANOINTING [χρῖσμα] we have received from Jesus – ABIDES in us…
As we have already noted – the ANOINTING – speaks of the Holy Spirit…
The HELPER [παράκλητος] that Jesus sent to us – John 16:7
I Corinthians 6:19 – “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit…”
God gives us His Holy Spirit to give us the POWER to take action…
When was the last time we experienced God doing something amazing in our lives…
We may NEVER have experienced it – because we have no power!
Zechariah 4:6 – “Not by might – nor by power – but by my spirit – says the LORD.”
You do not need – anyone teach you – but as the same anointing teaches you all things!
We do NOT need anyone to TEACH us – we have THE teacher in us…
The ANOINTING [χρῖσμα] – the Holy Spirit who ABIDES in us – He will teach us ALL things!
John 14:26 – “The Holy Spirit… will teach you all things – and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”
Have you even been talking about Jesus – and suddenly remember a verse – teaching…
That is the ANOINTING – the Holy Spirit working in us!
Often we get the mistaken idea we are not able to understand the Word…
We need to have someone INTERPRET it for us – EXPLAIN the Word to us…
There are plenty of people who are willing to tell us what the Bible means…
But the question is are they RIGHT – or is it just their OPINION…
God has given each of us His Holy Spirit – HE is the one who will TEACH us…
We can be absolutely certain that what the Holy Spirit gives us – it the truth!
And is true – and is not a lie – and just as it has taught you – you will abide in Him!
The Holy Spirit is TRUTH – He cannot lie – He ONLY speaks the TRUTH…
John 16:3 – “The Spirit of truth has come – He will guide you into all truth.”
The TRUTH the Holy Spirit TAUGHT [aorist] us – is to ABIDE in Jesus…
John 15:26 – “When… the Spirit of truth [comes]… He will testify of Me.”
Some church today have unusual practices they say come from the Spirit…
Where people lay hands on each other and are slain in the Spirit – fall over…
I have even heard of churches where people bark like dogs – in the Spirit!
We are left to wonder if these things are really from the Spirit of God…
While it is true the Holy Spirit does gift us GIFTS – I Corinthians 12-14
WHAT those gifts are very clearly defined – prophecy – miracles – healing…
As well as HOW they are to be used in the church – I Corinthians 14:40
Most importantly – everything the Spirit does ALWAYS points to Jesus!
5th – The confidence… vs. 28
And now – little children – abide in Him!
Little Children [τεκνίον] – 7x in this letter – someone who is NEW to the FAITH…
ABIDE [μένω] in Jesus – this is not a suggestion – it is a COMMAND [imperative]
There are not many commands in I John – less than TEN…
Yet for the SECOND time in this passage – we are COMMANDED to ABIDE!
When He appears – we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming!
We MUST abide in Jesus – so that we can be [subjunctive] CONFIDENT and not ASHAMED!
Jesus gave the parable of the TALENT – Luke 19:11-27
The Master gave TALENTS to each of His servants – and went away for a LONG time…
When we returned – He demanded to know what they had done with their TALENTS…
TWO of the servants – had used their TALENTS wisely – and were CONFIDENT…
ONE of the servants – was not WISE – and he was ASHAMED when the Master appeared!
Luke 19:21 – “I was afraid because you are a hard man…” [NLT]
If Jesus came back TODAY – how would we REACT…
Would we be CONFIDENT – exciting to see Him – because are living for Him…
Or ASHAMED – embarrassed – because we know have not!
If we are ABIDING in Jesus – then we can be CONFIDENT we are using are TALENTS wisely!
6th – The Evidence… vs. 29
If you know that He is righteous – you know that everyone…
Who practices righteousness is born of Him!
If we can SEE [subjunctive] that Jesus is RIGHTEOUS – He is the standard of being GOOD…
Then we will SEE [indicative] that everyone who is RIGHTEOUS is – BORN from Him!
It has been said the Apple does not fall that far from the tree…
You can SEE what family a person comes from – by how they act!
The PROOF that we are ABIDING in Jesus – EMPOWERED by the Holy Spirit…
Is the GOOD works that come from our life – so that look just like Jesus Christ…
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