1 John

1 John, chapter 2, starting at verse 3. We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, I know him, but does not do what he commands is a liar and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for god is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him.

Whoever claims to live in in him must live as Jesus did. Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command, but an old 1. Which you have heard since the which you have had since the beginning. The old command is the message you have heard. Yes, I am writing you a new command it's truth and scene in him and in you because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.

Anyone who claims to be in the light, but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light. And there is nothing in them to make them stumble. But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going because the darkness has blinded them.

I am writing to you dear children because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name. I am writing to you fathers because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil 1. I write to you dear children because you know the father. I write to you fathers because you know him who is from the beginning.

I write to you young men because you are strong and the word of God lives in you and you have overcome the evil 1. Do you not love the world or anything in the world? If anyone loves the world, love that the father is not in them. For everything everything in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life comes not from the father, but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of god, miss Rene.

Morning. My name is Pete Woodock. I'm a pastor of the church, and we've been working our way through, 1 John, and we're on this little passage now. Just to encourage you, if you if you you don't have to you don't have to be a child to come and see, the pilgrims progress. It looks pretty good, actually.

It'd be great if we packed out Kingston's cinema, on a Saturday afternoon to to watch that because, it it looked it looks pretty good. It looks pretty faithful to pilgrims progress. So that would be good. We did a series on pilgrims progress in the as well. So you can hear those if you if you want to.

Let me pray again. Father help us now to hear your word, receive it, by your spirit be doers of what we hear in Jesus' name, amen. I'd like you to turn to John 13. It's on page 10 81 of your of your bibles. John chapter 13 on page 10 81.

I'm gonna read a chunk of that as my introduction to 1 John. John chapter 13, This is an amazing passage. This passage alone sets Jesus out as a very very different leader. You have to remember as we read this passage. It's about washing of feet that in the culture that Jesus is going to do that or is doing that, in this passage to wash feet was the lowest of low things.

There were several grades of slaves and this was the lowest slave job. It was really not for Jews ever to do. It was for the pagans for the tiles and it was the lowest of low jobs. So we're gonna read this mark remarkable passage. It was just before the Passover Festival.

Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the father. Having loved his own who were in the world. He loved them to the end. So there's a theme it's about love and loving his followers. The evening meal was in progress and the devil had already prompted Judith the son of Simon asariot to betray Jesus.

So again, we've got a spiritual battle going on here before Jesus goes to the cross. It's about love and it's about who are his genuine disciples. First 3, Jesus knew that the father had put all things under his power and that he had come from god and risk returning to god. So He got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a base and began to wash his disciples feet, drying them with a towel that was wrapped around him.

And then in these next verses there is some conversation about how to wash and washing everything with Peter, but we're picking up in verse 12. When he had finished washing their feet, he put his clothes, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. Do you understand what I've done for you? He asked them. You call me teacher and lord and write so for that is what I am.

Now that I, your lord and teacher have washed your feet. You also should wash 1 another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Verily, I tell you no servant is greater than his master nor is a messenger greater than the 1 who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

It's an extraordinary scene if you can get it. An extraordinary, this is our lord. This is our god. This is our teacher. This is our example.

This is the lord Jesus Christ in action. The 1 who we're told has all power under him and I love the way it says it. He has all power under him He is the all powerful ruler of the universe. So what does he do as the all powerful ruler of the universe? So he washes their feet.

It's extraordinary. It doesn't sound right. He's the all powerful ruler of the universe So he will rule with a mighty rod. So he washes their feet. He is the 1 who has come from god and is going to god.

So he washes their feet. That's the 1 we love. That's the 1 we follow. That's the 1 we wanna be like. That's our teacher.

That's our king. That's the 1 who's our example. Verse 13 again. You call me teacher and lord, and write So for that is what I am now that I, your lord and teacher have washed your feet. You also wash 1 another's feet.

I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you. No servant is greater than his master nor is the message are greater than the 1 who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. The word blessed means complete.

You will be complete. You will be about what God is about. You will be a completed person, a blessed person. That is how you tell whether you're an authentic Christian or not. At the end of this foot washing section, you went down to chapter 13 of John to verse 34.

Listen to what he says a new commandment I give you, love 1 another as I have loved you so you must love 1 another By this, everyone will know they'll know that you are my disciples if you have love for 1 another. Now that's where we are. You can go back to 1 John chapter to. That's where we are in 1 John. In chapter 2, we were seeing last week.

How do we know we know god How do we know we know god? Well, look at verse 3. We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says I know him but does not do what he commands is a liar and the truth is not in that person But if anyone obeys his word, love for god is truly made complete in them. Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.

That's where we're at. Now if you have a look at a closer look in which we're going to do at this command to love, we'll see and this is my first point You will see that there's 1 command but it has 2 dimensions. It's 1 command but it has 2 dimensions, old and new. That's why there's a sort of tricky bit in versus, you know, he says I'm telling you an old thing, but now I'm telling you a new thing and you think what what's he on about? And it's quite confusing.

But let's just start with verse 7. So here's my first heading. 1 command 2 dimensions but look at verse 7. Dear friends, I'm not writing you a new command, but an old 1, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard.

Now why is John saying that here? Well, the first thing you've got to get is that we're we're not in the first generation church anymore. John is an old man and we're in the second generation of church. More people have been added to the church. People that weren't around at the beginning have become Christians and they've come into the church but also false teachers have come in with them and they're opposing the apostles.

They're opposing the historic, apostolic, message of the Bible. And you can almost hear when you read verse 7. You can almost hear these opponents, these false teachers, and what they were saying. John, have you turned from grace? If that's where you've turned, Don't you know now these were the no sticks which means no.

They're in the no. Don't you know what grace means? It's the free love of God to the undeserving sinner. Don't you understand that, John? Have you changed things?

Isn't it? Nothing in my hand I've rings simply to the crosscycling, but now you're adding on you. You're talking about keeping his commands in verse 3. You're talking about obeying his word. John, what is it?

Is it grace or is it obedience? Is it what God has done for us in Jesus Christ? Or is it what we do for him? What is it? Are you changing things John?

And John comes back? No. I'm not changing things. I'm staying with the historic message. I'm staying with the very thing that you heard from the beginning.

The command you heard from the beginning. I'm not changing things. This is historic Christianity. This has always been the command. This is ancient Christianity.

This is what we as apostles who were around at the beginning who walks and talks with the lord Jesus Christ This is the message that has always been. Of course, it's all about grace. Of course, you're only saved by grace and not what you do. Of course that's true. Of course it's you realize you're a sin and you come.

1 John chapter 1 verse 9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to purify from all unrighteousness. It's all about him purifying us chapter 2 verses 1 and 2 If anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the father Jesus Christ, the righteous 1. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins. It's all about grace and what he's done for us but the evidence that this amazing message of grace Jesus dying for our sins and forgiving us.

The evidence of that grace is worked out in your life. Authentically worked out so that when you know this brace, You walk like Jesus chapter 2 verse 6. Look whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did. The evidence that's what I'm talking about says John. The evidence that you are a disciple, you are follower of Jesus is that you obey his command to love.

And there's nothing new about that. You can go right back to the days when I was a young man says John, in the upper room with Jesus Where Jesus gave us a new commandment. You can go right back to the old days when the new commandment to love, to wash feet, to serve 1 another was given. You see, that's nothing new about this. In fact, this commandment to love god goes even further back than when Jesus gave it.

Jesus says that you can sum up prophets and the law of god by loving the lord your god with all your heart, soul, and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself. It's always been about love. It's always been about love. In fact, you can go back further. It's even older than Jesus washing the feet that Jesus is saying the whole of the scriptures is about love, loving god, and loving your neighbor as yourself.

You can go back to god himself. God is the lover. They why if you are in the family of god and you know the god who is called god is love, that's a description of him. If you know that grace of God, you will love 1 John chapter 4 verse 8 Whoever does not love does not know god because god is love. So you can go back.

This isn't something new, you know sticks. You're into the new stuff. This is old, historic Christianity that goes back to Jesus that goes back to the summary of the law and the prophets that goes back to god himself because god is love. The ancient of days is love itself. I'm not twisting and changing things.

So for 7 dear friends, I'm not writing you a new command but an old 1 which you have since the beginning. This old command is the message that you've heard. Don't say I'm twisting it. It's always an evidence of great love but verse 8. Yet, I'm writing you a new command.

Has he come mad? It's truth he's seen in him and in you because the darkness is passing. And the true light is shining. It's new because it's no longer written on stones of tablets, you know tablets of stone. That Moses wrote them on.

It's new because there's a new age that's come and it's written on the heart. Those that receive the grace of god freely given, bring nothing but their sins and confess their sins and know that he is the for their sins. Those people are so affected that they have a new heart, they're born again, they're washed with grace, that actually love is written in their heart. With the coming of Christ, with the dawning of a new age, there's a new period in history where Christ rules now. He died because men locked on this and killed him, but he rose again because you can't kill this love man of love.

He rose again, die and rose again. And now in this new age, there is this new commandment that's ever new. It's old, but ever new. It goes back to god who is love but it's ever new written in your heart as you're born into the new age. This is basic Christianity and it's always been from the beginning says g says John.

You see it? Wonderful. That's the first point then. This 1 command but 2 dimensions is old. It's new.

It's It's alive. It's resurrection new. It's new life new. Here's the second heading. That love expels darkness.

It expels darkness. Look at verse 8 again. Yes, I am writing you a new command. It's truth is seen in him and in you because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining. So it's it's see that look, it's truth is seen in him and you.

We're seeing that last last week. It's no good just saying we love people and just have this sort of feeling of love. Is much more than feeling. It's an actual scene thing. You know someone's the disciple of Jesus because they love for 1 another.

That's how you know. You know that. It's truth, what truth the command to love is seen in him and seen in you. It's not just feelings with no actions. It's not just words with no actions.

This old commandment to love is so newly written in your heart that your heart beats love. It beats out the commandment. It understands Jesus because the commandment is written in our hearts. You can see it in Jesus and all his actions of love but it is seen in you. As you love your brothers and sisters, then this love is demonstrated and seen and you are seen to be a follower of Jesus.

Look at that other little bit in verse 8. Because the darkness, see how it expels darkness is love because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining. When Jesus came into the world, darkness tried to extinguish Jesus and he was crucified. But he rose again from the dead because you because darkness cannot extinguish the light of the world. And this new resurrection is dawning You see it in him?

He rose again, and he's imploring, and he's gonna come back for his people. But you see it in us As we follow him, as we've died and we are resurrected with the lord Jesus Christ, as we're with him, then that shining light of resurrection love is in us and we all be around the son of love and it's shining out in a dark vicious violent world. The world of self and shame and violence. You just look at the look at the news to see all of violence that's going on. You know, people will go to see a football match and there's utter violence.

People kicking each other's heads in, even in a game that they say they love or in a violent sit selfish world and this love shines out. Look at verse 10. Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light. And there is nothing in them to make them stumble or abides in the light lives in the light is orbiting the light is growing the home their home is is the light of love. That's their home and they're living in it and that light of love, it spells darkness.

Look at verse 9. Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother and sister is still in the darkness. Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light and there is nothing in them that make to make them stumble but anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they're going. Because the darkness has blinded them.

Now, 1 of the things you've got to get with John, you get it in his gospels and you get it in his letters, John is a black and white speaker. I think that's why we love him. He speaks in terms of black and white. He speaks in terms of extremes. That's that's that's how he speaks.

So when he says hate, we can we can let ourselves off because we say, that's extreme. I mean, I don't think I hate anyone. But you've got to remember what he's doing is he's speaking in for when he says the word hate. He's really dealing with all of the that family of words of hate. He's going to the extreme but it's the whole family of hate.

That's what he's dealing with. Just like a comp everything's compounding under the word hate. Anything that is not love is sort of put under the family of the the the word the family word hate. So do you hate? Oh.

I'll hold it. Let me ask you again. Are you indifferent to people? Then you hate? Are you detached from people?

Then you hate. Do you not need your brothers and sisters? You don't really need them. You like coming to church. But you don't need your then you hate.

Are you unapproachable as a person? No 1 can approach you. Are you self protective constantly? Are you a jealous person? Do you draw racial distinctions in your thinking?

Are you a racist? Are you a classist? Do you have class distinctions? In your thinking. Are you an educationalist?

It's probably not the right word. You're better educated. You know, you went to Kingston University. Yeah. Some of us never went to university or are you an ageist?

Are you a racist and ageist? You know, old people are irrelevant. Or young people are irritating. Are you walking as though you're unsaved? Are you walking in the darkness of hate?

Verse 9 anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness You see love is the opposite to all the things I've just said. Look at verse 10. Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light and there's nothing in them to make them step stumble. Love is different. See, if we love, we're not indifferent to people.

We can't just come to church and go. We're not we're this this isn't a drive in movie where we drive in, sit in our place this isn't going to the cinema or the theater where you don't care about. In fact, you're irritated. There are people sitting next to you. This isn't just sit and listen.

This is love. We saw in our Roman series and if you want to hear that go back and listen to Romans chapter 12 that that we are to rejoice with those who rejoice and we weep with those who weep and we're sad with those who are in other words, we're so emotionally chat attached to our brothers and sisters that when our sister or brother is feeling down, we feel down and sad. We feel we feel emotionally affected by it. When they rejoiced here, something that's within, where? What?

What? It's wonderful to hear. There's no jealousy, wish it was me. Was great. You've got promoted.

You want a hundred million pounds. Wonderful. You know? Or whatever it is. We we we're at much we're not to be indifferent.

In differences to hate. Therefore we're to know about each other. We understand what people are going through so we can pray and care and love and not just say hello to them and forget them. A few sermons back, I was talking about fellowship in the light. And I was showing you that we're if we're having fellowship with god, the god of lights, then the thing about light is it shows up our sin and our failures, doesn't it?

I mean, I gave you the illustration of, you know, you can dust your house and think you're clean but then the sunlight comes into the house and you see so much dust. You didn't know why you bothered because sunlight shows up our errors. If we are to have fellowship in the light, if we are to walk with each other as we walk with god in the light, then we will reveal our dust and our sin. You can't really have real fellowship without showing your frailty and your failures. You can't really do that.

So we're not to be if we love self protective. We're not to be detached in our holiness. I'm always extremely holy on my own, but when you come into my life, I'm irritated. Is it you or me? Our relationships are not to be so superficial that we're never exposed, that we're never rubbed up the wrong way so that we can deal with our own sin.

That's what relationships are about. Have you ever wondered why all the stones and pebbles on the beach are smooth? They're always smooth. Are they? They're lovely to pick up Why do children love picking up stones and pebbles on the big.

They're smooth and they're lovely. Why are they smooth? Because they've been together for a long time and they've hit each other and they've smashed off the sharp bits They didn't start smooth. They're smooth because they're in it together. Something hurting.

Oh, it's not to corner off me. Oh gosh. I heard. If you listen to the pebbles, but they're smooth. They're beautiful.

They've taken the knocks. That's what fellowship is about so that I become more stable, more smooth, more real, more Christlike. And I can't do it on my own. Because on my own, I'd be as rough as anything and think I'm fine. Have you noticed the stability that this loving others bring?

Look at verse 10 again. It's very important. Anyone who loves their brothers and sisters, so this is what love does, lives in the light or abides in the light and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. So do you hear his logic? If we love, we abide in the light, we live in the light.

If we love, we abide in the light. If we abide in the light, we will not stumble. Get it? You become a stable person in other words. You don't stumble or you can put it the other way around the negative way and he does in verse 11.

Look at verse 11. But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they're going because the darkness has blinded them. If you're blind, you're unstable, you fall over. So your stumbling or you're not stumbling is based on where you abide, where you live.

If you live in love, then you won't stumble. If you don't live in love, you will stumble. That's what he's saying and your assurance as well of being a Christian that you are a Christ is so much connected with your love for the brothers and sisters. If you don't love your brothers and sisters, you're walking around in darkness. You're confused you're failing.

You're bumping into each other with those sharp edges. There's no direction. There's no purpose. There's no destiny. So do you see how important fellowship is with other brothers and sisters?

Without fellowship, you you will lose your purpose You will lose your perspective. You will lose your direction. You will become unstable. You will be trapped in yourself in darkness. No outward view.

Just you. Your troubles will feel a thousand times greater than if you were in fellowship with people. You will blow things up out of proportion when you're on your own. We all do it when we're on our own. The person who lives in the realm of darkness cannot master themselves they cannot control themselves they're governed only by their surroundings and circumstances which is darkness.

They have no idea where they're going. They have no it's no controls. They're victims of the darkness. They're always uncertain. They're always unreliable and they're always unstable and they're always quickly.

This person will make promises. 1 moment and break them the next because they're not living for love. They're living for self. These people with this unloving nature will always find problems and always find the troubles. They're always find some insulting them somewhere even when no one's insulted them at all.

They're always getting upset They're always being put out. They're always stumbling in the dark, thinking someone's poking them when they're not. They're always touchy and sensitive and sharp edged. You see the way you knot those edges often sensitivity of his fellowship. If you're not loving your brothers and sisters, you're still in the darkness and listen the darkness is in you.

The proof you truly are a Christian says John is you live in the realm of light. So here's a challenge. Make sure that you're loving your brothers and sisters, will you? Make sure you're doing that. Make sure you're doing that.

You want to be stable, make sure you're doing that. How can you do it? Ask that question. How can you do it? How can you do it in your circumstances with your personality, you and how can you do it more?

Just a little bit more. You, young ones. How can you love the older ones? Older ones? Stop you from being other young ones.

There's a there's a way. Love them. Talk to them even when they don't know what to say and they don't know how to talk to you. And they look at you like this. Just say, Hey, Jesus loves you.

How can you do it more? Ask it. We're gonna take communion. Ask yourself that question. How can I love people more?

How can I be less in the dark? So fellowship and loving brother is is vital to our stability. We can't do this alone. We need to be involved with each other. In some way.

We can't all do the same things, but in some way. And if you think about the titles of church. I mean church is a family. Everybody's a family member if you're a follower of Christ. Everybody's in the family.

Well, what are you doing in the family? We all have our part to play. You can't just leave them washing up. Yeah. We all have a part to play.

Church is is like a hospital. We're all nurses and doctors. We're all patients. A lot of us. But we're all nurses and doctors and we're all on the staff and we should be going in and helping.

How can I help your leg? How can I help your big toe? How can I help you? With your with your mind and your brain. We're all on the staff.

All the churches are barracks. We're all in the army. We're all fighting for the captain. We're all working together or the churches are building the bible says. We're all part of the super and the structure and we all need to be part of that building.

You start pulling you a breakout and the whole thing might fall down. We need each other. We're all part of this. There's a common working together with purpose. We're a temple we're all part of a worshiping community, worshiping price.

We're a body. We're we're not individual parts. We're made up as a body. All of those things you see bring us together. They have purpose, direction, commitment.

They're all images of we need each other. We need to be committed to each other and that commitment makes us stable. You're not a brick on your own. You're a brick in the war. That would make a good song, wouldn't it?

Don't say you're not a brick in the wall. If you're not a brick in the wall, then you're not a Christian. You're a Christian? Did you're a brick? Don't go eat alone, brick?

What's the point of you? There is no point but together we make this superstructure and we're stable and our stability and our completeness comes as we give ourselves to other people. This is 1 of the big problems that's happening in our country. And people are beginning to recognize this. So there were 2 adverts I saw on the telly last night and they were very good adverts and they're very helpful in their way.

So mental health issues has gone up amongst young people. 48 percent in the last 15 years. 48 percent has gone up. In the last 15 years. And they're saying, look, talk about it.

And there was something quite nice about the ad person. It's very they're very helpless. I'm not trying to diss but 1 of the problems is and people are recognizing this that actually stop talking about yourself. 1 of the ways out is not just to talk about yourself and your issues. 1 of the ways out is to do what the church does.

Is to serve is to give is to love others is to see others in a bigger view. That gives you the balance and stability and that's what the Bible has always been saying. It makes us stable. It makes us like Christ as we love others and others become a big part of our view. So this commandment I see this 1 commandment and it's got these multi directions.

It's old. It's new. It's fantastic and then it dispels darkness, but here's my third point last point, meet the family. Let's meet the real family then. Let's see this in action.

Come and meet the family, walking in the light of love here they are and you get that in this little section versus 12 to 14. It's a funny little section. In these verses, John mentions 3 groups of people and he mentions 3 groups of people twice. Children, fathers, young men, then children, fathers, young men. Let's just work through him.

Verse 12, dear children. Look at it. Here's the family. Here's the church. I am writing to you dear children because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.

Dear children is very affectionate here is Johnny so grateful for the for the churches he's writing to and he's like a fatherly affectionate term. When it says dear children here, I think it means everyone in the church. Everybody in the church is dear dear children. So Jesus, when you see Jesus speaking about those who follow him and his disciples, he calls them little ones. Jesus calls his followers, little ones.

It's the same sort of thing here. It's different words, but it's the same sort of thing. Dear children. Now what what is their about children? Well, children aren't the finished product, are they?

See, if we were the finished product, we would all be smooth pebbles on the beach. The problem is I'm a smooth people but some of you are very, very, you know, rough and I have to chip stuff off you. And but the problem is you chip stuff off me. I was smooth in that area and now you made another chip and now I'm a bit rugged. Thought it's doing alright.

I mean, you, you know, that's how it works, isn't it? So children are children are never finished product. They know they're growing up. You even ask them, what do you wanna be when you grow up sort of job? We're used to.

Now it's what you wanna be now. It's it but what it used to be? What what do you want to be when you grow up? And you know, and they're learning to be adults. They know their learners.

They're going to school. They're going to learn people in progress. And children have examples to follow. We want good examples for our children to follow. They're in progress.

Children are also very vulnerable. Aren't they? They can't protect themselves on their own. They need help. And so John is writing and say, look, dear children.

My dear children. And perhaps that, you know, the spiritual children here. You you you wanna know this. You're growing and you're understanding in this family. You're not as smooth as someone else, but you know, keep sticking at it.

Keep having those edges knocked off. You're growing a children and you know that you've been forgiven your sins on account of the name of Jesus. Remember remember that you've been forgiven sins. You have a stability there. All your sins are forgiven.

Now as a family member, dear children, will you not forgive 1 another? Look at the second group, fathers verse 13. I'm writing to you fathers because you know him who is from the beginning. Father. What are fathers?

They're the head of the family. They lead and teach. They are the example to their children. They're supposed to be. They're not they have responsibilities, they're not to abdicate that.

They are providers And John is saying you're like fathers, those of you that have known the 1 from the beginning. You know these truths and like a father teach the children, like a father keep the children the right track. Like a father, you've known this stuff from the beginning. Keep teaching these truths. You have responsibilities, establish the children in the truth.

Father do that. See, we're going into the church and we're seeing everyone with the children we're all growing to some degree. But there are there are people that have been around for a bit longer, and they know they know these keep the keep keep keep sticking at love. You know, don't get old and crusty and grumpy and anti children. Then he comes on to verse 13 again.

Young men. I'm writing to you young men because you have overcome the evil 1. See young men or young people particularly, you know, they have strong appetites, don't they? They've got massively strong urges, you know, to pursue their desires and so forth that and and the world is is feeding that constantly. Think of self.

Think of selfies. Think of self. Think of selfies. Think of self self self self self self. And the wicked 1 is promoting the self and destroying those people and making them unstable as they go all about them selves all the time.

But you, he says you'd be victorious. You've overcome that. You young man. Good on you. You're broken free.

So family member, young men, young women, use your passions to be other centered for the glory of god. So there's 1 round, then he does the round again. Just in case you haven't got it. First 14, dear children. I mean, when you read it, you think, oh, sorry.

Have I read that? Actually, it's a different word for children here. It's a different word in the original. We we can't show this in in English. The word in verse 12, I think is the word means all Christians, my dear children, all Christians, Here, well, he's changed the word and I have no idea why.

Well, I have an idea. Here's I'll tell you my idea. You read the commentaries and everybody's got ideas. Here's mine. Seems to be the best 1, I think.

Is it changing it because he's going from all believers? And he might actually just be simply done with the children. In the family. Dear children. I write to you digit because you know the father.

It's a beautiful thing, isn't it? Isn't it a beautiful thing when our children know father god? So I think the first 1 is all Christians and maybe he's changed this to sort of rub it in a little bit and say no no there is age thing here and it's lovely or it may be just that you're you're a young Christian, you know, it doesn't matter what age you are physically but you're a young Christian children. You know, the father. You don't have to be something special.

There's no hierarchy in us. Just because the fathers have been round from the beginning doesn't mean to say that you're not in the family dear children See, young people, this is a phenomenal thing church. If you love Christ you're in the family, you are secure, you're stable. You have a stable, secure position even though you're a child. Even though you're young, you don't know much.

But you love Jesus. You want to serve him. You're in the family. This is church. You're in the family.

Pete, the pastor. Is he better than you? No. Is he more secure than you? No.

Does he know god better than you? No. It's just been from the beginning in your eyes. But you're in the family, dear children, you know the father. You know the father.

You know the father. What a place to be in the family? I know some of you have rotten fathers and don't have fathers or that the the men in your life have abdicated their fatherhood and they're appalling people but here's a father. Here is a father, father god. The god who is love.

You know that 1. You know his love, don't you? You know his love. I write to your father's It's the second 1. We're back again to fathers.

I write to you fathers because you know him who is from the beginning. Oh, hold it. I have to go back to verse 13. I write you fathers because you've known him from the beginning. Did he run out of ideas?

What is just banging it in and neat? It's a good preacher. It's the same thing. 3 or 4 lives in every single sermon. There's only ever 2 sermons.

There's only 2 sermons. 1 come to price and the other is get on walking with him. And this is a kid I'm walking with him, sermon, although please come to Christ. I wonder why he repeats it. I wonder why he repeats it after the change of word with children.

Maybe he is specifically talking to men here. Maybe in our culture we just quickly go over father's mothers, you know, fathers being those that have been around And maybe we do need to speak to men and so I'm gonna use it as that opportunity, men. You need to father up. Be a father. If you known him from the beginning, take these responsibilities, men lead.

Man lead. We're in a world where even to say that statement. People get so worked up and so angry, but men we're to lead. We don't have to be big, bulky men. It's not that we're gonna be hairy.

You know, you don't have to be like he saw a hairy man that likes hunting, you could be like Jacob and smooth man as the AV says. You may be a very smooth man. Some some of your heads are smooth. Some of us have a good lot of hair. You know?

Doesn't make me more of a man because your head is shining at me. Although probably does. No, he doesn't. The fathers, look men take responsibility. Come on.

Be fathers in the church. Look after the younger ones. Look after the women. Take this responsibility, preach the gospel, pray, lead, love, not in some brutish way. Take responsibilities.

Now if it means that it means that if you argue with that then okay fathers as in the sense that we are to take responsibility whatever sex. Then the last 1, verse 14, young men. It's back to that again. Right to you young men because you were strong. The word of God lives in you and you've overcome the evil 1.

See, that's strong. The thing about young men isn't perhaps this is now going back to men, young men. You've got physical energy. You've got heads, heart and hands, what use them for god as these people are. Use your physical use your youth, use your energy for Christ and his church in giving, stop this obsession with the self.

It makes you live in the dark and makes you unstable. As you look out is in fact what the senses are meant to do to know that there's something outside of me. You get rid of the senses. You're trapped in the dark. You're blind.

You can't see anything. Set your own thoughts in your head. You can't feel anything out of there. You can't hear anything. You can't, you know, we we can't taste anything.

The senses open up the world. To others makes us balanced as we serve as we love as we give to irritating people. You're strong. Use your physicality. Now something that these verses, 12 to 14 are a poem and they certainly look like it and it's a lovely poem and he seems to have come into the family and he showing these wonderful people battling.

He's saying, look, I love every 1 of you. Look, I want you to know these truths. Look, children, fathers, young men. He says, I want you. I want you to understand what it is to be balanced and not stumble in darkness.

I want you to serve. I want you to love. As you're doing, you're beginning to do is a wonderful thing. So 1 commandment, 2 dimensions, it's old and new, ever new love, love. God is love.

The ancient of days is love and that comes into my life as he writes his grace in my heart and I love and then that expels the darkness. So we're not stumbling and falling in ourselves and then we come to the family and we see children and fathers and young men and brothers and sisters who are battling together to love to love and to serve greater purpose than the self. That's what makes you stable according to John. Let's have a bit of quiet and we can think about these things and how it applies to ourselves and then Rory will take over.