1 John

Okay. 1 John chapter 5, we're gonna read the first 15 verses together. Okay? Verse 1. Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well.

This is how we know that we love the children of God by loving God and carrying out his commands. In fact, this is love for God to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome. For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.

Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the 1 who believes that Jesus is the son of God. This is the 1 who came by water and blood. Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only but by water and blood, and it is the spirit who testifies because the spirit is the truth.

For there are 3 that testify, the spirit, the water, and the blood, and the 3 are in agreement. We accept human testimony But God's testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his son. Whoever believes in the son of God except this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his son. And this is the estim me.

God has given us eternal life and this life is in his son. Whoever has the son has life. Whoever does not have the son, does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the confidence we have in approaching God, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

And if we know that he hears us, Whatever we ask, we know that we have what we asked of him. Well, we've been doing a series in 1 John, the little letter of by the Apostle John. And you can get those talks online if you want to catch up. We thought we would just carry on with doing this series. So we're in 1 John chapter 5.

But in order to explain 1 John chapter 5, I want you to turn to John, John's goss for chapter 19 and go to verse 16. And I'm gonna do an extended sort of introduction that I hope when we finally get to 1 John, it will all click in in in place. But before that, I'm going to pray. Father help us please to see this as your word, and may your spirit speak to our hearts and our minds that we may be hearers in the way that our hearts are moved and our actions are informed. We pray this in Jesus' name, amen.

So John chapter 19 and then verse 16, the second half. Let me read. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus, carrying his own cross He went out to the place of a skull, which in Aramaic, he's called Golgotha. There, they crucified him and with him 2 others, 1 on each side and Jesus in the middle, pilot, that's the Roman governor, Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross, it read. Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews.

Now, actually, just from that little passage, you see something of what first century Roman thought of of crucifix and and thought of the cross. It was a demonstration of their power and their imperial rule over people. There are many ways to kill people, and the Romans really knew lots of ways to kill people, and there are many ways that were simpler, and there are many ways that were a lot cheaper than crucifixion. Quite an expensive way of killing people because it was publicly done by Roman centurions. And so this public execution was slow, painful, humiliating, and it said Rome conquers.

So here's pilate. Remember he's standing for Rome. He's standing for for for the secular powers. And he's putting above the head of Jesus on the cross. Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews.

And what's he's saying. He's saying, look at us, we're more powerful than your king. He's saying that Rome even kings, crushes even your king in humiliating pain. Yeah. So you better leave off your rebellion as well.

See, that's what it's saying. So that that attitude is what what the Romans thought of the cross. Anyone on a cross is a defeated, humiliated, conquered even in King. Conquer king. But have a look.

Let's see what the Jews think of the cross. So John chapter 19 verse 20 now. Many of the Jews read this sign For the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city. The sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek, The chief priests of the Jews protested to pilate do not write the king of the Jews. But that this man claimed to be the king of the Jews.

Pilot answered what I've written, I've written. Now why were they upset? Well, because the first century religious Jew saw someone dying on a cross or a tree or a piece of wood, as occurred because actually it says in the book of deuteronomy, 1 of their religious books. The curse is anyone that dies on a tree that dies on a piece of wood like a cross. And so how could he possibly be a king?

You have to say he he claimed to be king. He can't be the king of the Jews because the king of the Jews is a king that will conquer not a king that he's going to to suffer a shameful death in a weak place and is under God's curse. So that's the attitude of the Jews to the cross of Christ. Yeah. The religious attitude if you like.

Yet, this is the weird thing. John, who was a follower of Jesus, an apostle of Jesus, writing his gospel, is telling us again and again and again that Jesus is the king, the Messiah, the Christ, the Christ, the son of God. All those terms mean the same thing. Yeah? And that Jesus is the fulfillment of all of God's promises He is the anointed 1 of God, anointed to rule for God.

Yeah. Now, if you went right back to the beginning to chapter 1, you'll see that that he introduces John John the Baptist, and another John called John The Baptist. And John The Baptist is asked by the Jews, are you the messiah? Are you the king of God? Are you the son of God?

And John the no way. I'm not him. There's no way I am him. All I am is calling people in the wilderness to say that the Messiah is coming. In fact, I, even though you see me as a prophet, I am not even worthy to his shoelaces or undo his sandals or touch his feet even like a servant.

I'm not in I'm not in worthy to be a servant. That's what he's saying. So he's the Messiah, says John the Baptist. He points to Jesus. He's the Messiah.

He's the king. He's the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. And then the next story, so you've got Andrew who sees Jesus and is convinced that Jesus is the Messiah, the king, the son of God, and then he goes and gets his brother, Simon Peter, and says, come and meet this Sire and introduces him to Jesus. And then you can go all the way through that first chapter, then right the way through the book of John and again and again and again. Jesus is being revealed to be the king, the Messiah, the Christ, the son of God, by his miracles, by his in counters by the things that he's claiming.

In fact, so much so that John ends his book in chapter 20. And verse 30, or it's near the end at least. And he tells us why he wrote the book. So John 20 verse 30, Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples which are not recorded in this book. But these, in other words my book, These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the son of God, the king, you see?

And that by believing you might have life in his name. So the whole book of John is set up to show us Jesus is the Christ, but We're here in John chapter 19. And to the Romans, how could that be a king? He's a humiliated weak, pathetic person. And to the Jew, he's in the place of curse.

So how does John get around that? Well, look what he says in chapter 19 and verse 31. Now it was the day of preparation. And the next day was to be a special sabbath. Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the sabbath, they asked pilot to have the legs broken and the body is taken down.

The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. So when when you're on the cross, the only way you can survive is to push your up with your legs and breathe and then sag down again. Breaking the legs mean you can't actually breathe, so you die quickly. But look what it says in in verse 33. But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, They did not break his legs.

Instead, 1 of the soldiers pissed. Jesus aside with a spear. Keep your ears open here. Bringing a sudden flow of blood and water The man who saw it has given testimony. That man is John who's writing this.

And his testimony is true He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled. Not 1 of his bones was broken, and as another scripture says, they will look at the 1 they have pierced. So you get the difference here. To the Romans, we're the conquerors.

This is a pathetic weakling. To the Jews, this is shameful way to die. It's a curse. To John as he listens, as he thinks through what he's seeing. He applies the scriptures and he says, hey, gosh.

This really is like a throne room, this cross. He's the son of God. Just have a look. Just have a look to see what's going on here. So do you see verse 34, the second half, it talks about blood and water.

Do you see that? Okay. What scriptures because John says he's reminded of scriptures. What scriptures come to mind when you hear blood and water? Well, almost definitely the day of atonement, leviticus chapter 16.

The day of at 1 moment, atonement. It's the day when 1 man representing the people goes into the presence of God with water and blood. Blood and water. So John is looking at this cross and he's saying, on this place, It's a place where God is dealing with our issues, sin, and bringing friendship with God that we would be at 1 with God. There's something powerful going on here, he's saying.

Or or look at verse 36, see the phrase not 1 of his bones will be broken. Where's that scripture from then? What is John reminded of that? Well, you have to go back to the exodus. When the Jewish people, God's people were in slavery, and God was going to bring them out so that they could worship him.

But Farrell wasn't letting them go. And there was plague after plague after plague. But the very worst plague was death Yeah. And in order to survive the death that God was sending, they had what they called a Passover lamb. They put blood on.

You could read about it in exodus. They put blood on the doorposts. And the aim of death passed over because of the blood of the lamb. But that lamb had to be an innocent lamb with no broken body, no broken legs. Yeah.

So here's John, blood and water, atonement, made right with God. Here's John. No broken bones. Lam of God that takes away the sin of the world, the lamb that the wrath of God. I meant, look look at that 1 in verse 37.

They looked on the 1 that they had pierced. Now that's a direct quote from a little prophet in the old testament part of the bible called Zechariah, where he says that a spirit or verse spirit of grace and supplication, that's prayer, will come upon you and you will under stand what the piercing is about. That's largely what's going on there. So John is saying the spirit opens our eyes up to see the cross from a very different light to the Romans and to the religious lot and suddenly we see the son of God Pierced, as Isaiah says, pierced for our transgressions. So do you see what's going on here?

This horrific scene, the Romans think if you're on a cross, you're a pathetic weakling and have and no significance, Yeah. The Jews think it's a place of disgrace and curse, and John says, hold it. Take a breath. Look behind the scenes, see what's really going on here. Got it in control here.

Even in this place, and that day of defeat is turned into a day of victory. That day of defeat when the holy spirit Zachariah says, opens your eyes. You begin to see that's why they pierced him. He is the king. He is the son of God.

So much so that Paul can write another apostle in in in the in the letter in in the bible. He can write to a church in corinth and say, listen listen to this. We preach Christ crucified That's our message, and that's weird, isn't it? If you're a Roman, what the what? If you're a Jew, what what?

If you're an unbeliever, what are you talking about? But listen to what he says, we preach Christ crucified. Listen, us stumbling brought to the Jews and foolishness to the gentiles. That's the Romans really, because they're gentiles. But to those whom God has called, that the spirit opened their eyes, whether you're a Jew or a gentile -- Mhmm.

-- Christ. The power of God and the wisdom of God. That's extraordinary. In this place of weakness and battering and pain is the power of God. Yeah.

And the wisdom of God. And then he goes on and says, for the I love this. For the foolishness of God is 1 of human wisdom and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. So Robert, do you think you are so strong, but in that weakness, God, he's the power. You see?

I should be marching up and down going power like this. Because that's what it really is. He's the power of God. Oh, or look at look at Paul or listen to Paul in Galatians chapter 3. Listen.

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law? How? How? How has he redeemed us? From the curse of the law?

Because we've broken the law, and we're under the curse By becoming a curse for us, for it is written, cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree. He redeemed us. He says, do you see that? That's what's happening on the cross. Now why am I telling you all of this?

Why is this this extended introduction? Because this helps us understand 1 John chapter 5, I think, at least it did me. John is writing and he's saying, I want you to be utterly confident in what you believe. You can be utterly assured. Listen.

You, wherever you are sitting today, whatever is against you, whatever plague is coming to your house, however big that is and scared people are, your biggest problem is utterly, completely sorted. You are right with God. You're atoned for. You are made at 1 with God because of that cross. That is an extraordinary thing, isn't it?

It's not extraordinary. You can know that. He's saying you can be assured that whatever enemy is coming against you, the lamb of God takes away the sin of the world, he takes the very judgment, whatever is coming he takes, all your sin is dealt with and paid for and he says you can know these things. Look at verse 13 of 1 John 5. Should have said turn back to that now.

We're done with with John 19. So 1 john 5. Look. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the son of God. That's the king word.

So that you may know. You may know you have eternal life. It's not presumption. To think that you're right with God. It would be if it was down to you, but it's promise not presumption.

When you look at the cross, He said, you'll have eternal life. It's not about you working hard, it's about what God has done on the crossfit in Christ. You may know. You may know. Now that was the introduction, and I have now 4 points Yeah.

4 points, they get shorter. Okay? But hopefully, all of that I've said will just And it will If it doesn't, then okay, you know, go somewhere else. But but let's see if it it it fits together. 4 things.

And they're all based on this this this 2 word phrase he uses again and again in this in this little part that we've read. This is this is, this is, this is, this is. And the first 1 is in verse 4, this is. Do you see it at the end of verse 4? This is the victory that overcomes the world.

So verse 4 and 5, look, for everyone born of God, overcomes the world. Yeah? This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the 1 who believes that Jesus is the son of God.

Jesus is the king. That's the 1 who overcomes the world. Now let's be honest with what's going on with us today. We look at our world and I hope not just judgmentally, but with massive pity. It is sometimes hard not to say I told you so, but that isn't our attitude.

Our attitude is pity. It's a world that was so full of pride wasn't it? Unbelievable pride and ruled so powerfully a world that so often told us that the church of Jesus Christ, the son of God, is irrelevant. A dinosaur, a dodo, pathetic. It's dead not to be listened to.

Yeah. And it ought to adapt if it's ever going to survive a few more years to the world's morality. That's what that's what we've been told. A world that was so proud it builds so many towers of babel, all on self. All on self.

Believe how many how many times have we heard that message? Believe on self. Believe in yourself. Believe in yourself, trust in yourself, trust in the banks, trust in our whole economic situation, trust in your drop job, trust in money. Put money aside.

You can be rich. Yeah? A world. That has been so often cruel to Christians humiliated the Lord Jesus Christ mocked the crucifixion. But all of these foundations, the world has built itself on unlike shifting sand, a tiny, un seen virus has pulled the carpet away from under all of those great big towers.

The foundations, they are on sand and they're crumbling. Just as Jesus said, just as he said, but says John. You know, we meant to be depressed by this 1. A little bit of a 4. This is where we can shine as Christians by the way.

Look at verse 4. For everyone born of God, that someone has become a real Christian, overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Now, the Greek word for faith and belief, they're the same word. And he's saying, our faith isn't in our self.

It's not faith in faith. It's not like faith is the big thing here. No. Faith always points to what it is having faith in or trust in. And those who overcome the world believe have faith trust in Jesus the king.

And where do we see him king? The crucified 1, that weak 1 that looks so pathetic, that the the secular world under the Romans would say, it's pathetic, laugh at it. And the religious world will say, what that not a religion to follow. You need something more powerful that we can do and we can we can but here, is the son of God ruling by the cross. It's a belief in the crucified 1 who who side flowed with water and blood.

It's a belief in the crucified 1 who was sacrificed for our sin. It's a belief in the crucified 1 who by water cleansing and life giving and blood, sacrificial, and shedded for us for our forgiveness. It's a belief in that that makes us overcome this world. Because when the 1 old of death comes upon us like a plague. We are under the blood of Christ.

That's the amazing thing. No Christian dies. You talk, if you if you think Christians are gonna die of this virus, you're wrong. The virus promotes us to glory. That's what happens.

It's an extraordinary thing. We won't know Christian is gonna be self isolated in a coffin. We may be put in a coffin, but we are promoted to glory where there are thousands and thousands and thousands praising God, probably holding hands, hugging each other, greeting each other with a a holy kiss Close, confinement, you know, singing loudly, so our spittle is coming out and come bring each other with with beautiful stuff as we say Jesus is key. We won't be so fascinated. But if you're in the world, if the world death overcomes you, then you will be in the coffin on your own, self isolated.

Alright. I on Friday. I was quite upset on Friday because we had to call off Cornstone church meeting together. It was a big thing for me. I I don't know whether I was making too much of it, but I'm sure a lot of many other pastors felt that.

And I was quite down and I just went to bed. But I woke up in the morning and thought, hold it. It's not about you or your small local church. What does the Lord say? I will build my church and the gates of death and hell will not Here's the word, overcome it.

You have victory. We preach this is the victory. That word victory is Nike, by the way. It's it's it's victory. Anyway, that's the first 1.

Second 1. Look at the the second this is. It's in verse 6. This is the 1 who came by water and blood Jesus Christ. See the water and blood?

See why I was reading John 19 now? This is the 1 we put our faith in, water and blood. What happened at the crucifixion? Spear in the side, blood and water came out. Yeah?

And what John is telling us here in these next few verses is this God's testimony believe it. Look at verse 9. He uses it. He just goes to the sort of human court really to give his sort of central illustration. We accept human testimony, he says, but God's testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his son.

So you accept human testimony if you've ever been to a court. If there are 3 witnesses all saying the same thing, it's worth thing, isn't it? If it was 1, what else? You know, could be right? If it was 2 yeah.

Well, that gives it a bit more emphasis, but 3 witnesses, then well. And so in verse 9, he's saying, but we know that are a human level. But now let's take this to a God level. God is testifying 3 witnesses and all 3 agree. They're not disagreeing.

Look at verse 6 then. This is the 1 who came by water and blood. See that again? Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood.

And it is the spirit who testifies because the spirit is the truth. For there are 3 that testify. There are 3 witnesses. So you could you could have an absolute assurance that this is correct. This is the 1.

Remember? This is the 1 who? Which what? Which 1? Jesus is the 1.

That's the spirit testifies. How does the spirit testify to Jesus? I've tried to show you. All of the old testament prophets. In fact, all of this all of the old testament is the holy spirit word saying, Jesus is king.

Jesus is king. Jesus is king. Jesus is king. How is he king? He's the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.

He is the lamb of God that will take the wrath upon himself. He is the water and the blood that brings us atonement at 1 with God. The spirit is testifying. Through his word is spirit word. The water testifies, what's that all about?

Well, the 1 who is the servant king, the 1 who would take away the sin of the world, came into the Jordan river if you know the story, where John the back was gonna baptize him. He walks into the Jordan River, which is full of water, obviously. Otherwise, it wouldn't be a river. He's in the river And John says, whoa. Hey, yo, dear.

Why am I baptizing you? You're not a sinner. And then to fulfill all all righteousness. I'm going through the river to fulfill all righteousness. So that when I come out, I fulfilled all righteousness.

It's extraordinary on behalf of people. If you know anything about the old testament again, Here's the Spirit testimony again. You'll know that Joshua, which means Jesus, it's the same name, was in the Jordan. He parted the Jordan, went through the Jordan, and he took his people to the promised and Moses couldn't do it. The law couldn't do it.

Jesus did it. Do you see that? Jesus did it. And so this is fantastic, isn't it? What about the blood test?

Well, we know it. We've just seen the cross For God so loved the world that he gave his 1 and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life by the blood shed for us. He's taking the judgment of God upon himself. So we listen to the 3 testimonies. We want you to Are you gonna listen to testament is.

That's why we want you to read scripture. That's why we're concerned for you to read scripture. That's why we're doing the corona chronicles because as you read cringure, the pence spirit is testifying 3 witnesses constantly to you, testifying into your own heart. So your own heart testifies and burns within you. Look, God is so for me.

God loves me. God's taking me to cross the chalk and lean to the promised land. There's this test upon testimony upon testimony. And my heart is alive with the gospel, and he finding in the scriptures. But or I move on to the third this is.

Just look at verse 10 of 1, 2, and 5. Whoever believes in the son of god, accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar. Because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his son. If you believe God, you're going to believe these testimonies.

The man Christ Jesus is Messiah, king, savior, atonement, lamb of god, or you say god's a liar. Yeah? God's a liar. There's no in between here. Don't say why I'm a nice person.

Quite like the Jesus stuff. No, you don't. Not if you don't trust him. Not if you don't believe in him. God's a liar.

When you were hanging on the cross there Jesus, dying for atonement, I don't believe it. I must atone myself. I don't believe you took my plate. Oh, no. No.

No. I've got a self isolate. I've got to do everything myself. It is an act of willful rebellion against Jesus if you don't trust in him. If you say I don't need to pray, if you say I don't need to confess my sins, and he is faithful and just to forgive us my sins.

No. No. No. No. No.

It's I'm not that bad. You don't believe God's testimony. You've been making God out to be a liar. Why do you think son is dying on the cross if sin isn't an important issue in your life. Lire.

I was listening to a very old song by a group that no one's ever heard of but me called Capability Brown. They were a great group of the seventies. They only did 2 albums. Anyway, has a song called liar. Queen, when they started out, 1 of their first albums had a song called liar, different songs, but they're both saying the same thing.

Lire. That's how it goes. And the chewed, I was listening to it before, I was preaching this. Lire. That's what we say.

God, you are a liar. Jesus, dire on the cross. For sins, not mind, liar. The third of this is is in verse 11. Do you see it?

This is the testimony. What does that mean? This is the testimony God has given eternal life and this life is in the sun. This is now our testimony to the world. At this time of coronavirus, this is an opportunity for us to actually be saying, God has given the eternal life and this life is in the sun.

That's our testimony. You know it, don't you? If you're a Christian, call us own people, Well, I'll speak it out then. I mean there's not a better opportunity, is there? Everybody's worried about death, tiny bit of virus killing them.

This is our testimony. This is the age of preaching the gospel. Look at verse 11 and 12. This is the testimony. God has given us eternal life and this Life is in the son, whoever has the son has life, whoever does not have the son of God does not have life.

Do you see that? See, the reason people are scared of this virus is why? Why is why people are scared of this virus because it kills You die. But that's not the you're gonna die anyway. If you don't die of this virus, you'll die of some other nasty disease.

Or some other plague will hit you, you'll just you'll just die. You know? We're all gonna die. So it's not the virus that is our biggest problem is death and who died in our place? Who rose again to glory?

What does the spirit testify to? Who's the 1 that's did taken us through the Jordan, which is like death into the promised land? Who's done that? Who who takes us through death into a more glorious a more wonderful place where your shine better than you'll ever shine down here. Who's taking us to that place?

Christ. No Christ, no life, and I mean k n o w. K n o w, Christ, k n o w, life. That's what verse 12 says, but it also says, no Christ, no life. N o Christ, n o life.

No Christ. No life. No Christ, no life. Verse 13, these things I write these things to you who believe in the name of the son of God, that's king so that you may have eternal life. There's a fourth 1 here.

There's a fourth this is. I'm gonna open this fourth 1 up next week. Hopefully, god willing. But there's this confidence. Do you see it in verse 14?

This is. He says, the confidence that we have in approaching God. First 14, this is the confidence we have in approaching God that if we ask anything according to his will he hears? Who is? God?

How? Because Jesus has opened the way. We're at 1 with God. He's not angry at us. He's our dad.

He's our father. So I can ask anything. Yeah? And if we know that he hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have what we asked of him. We're confident, not on my ability, not on my religion, not on my power, but on the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Look at the cross. That's what this whole passage is saying in 1 John 5. Don't be like the Romans, don't call God a liar, See that in weakness God rules in power. That's why. If any man comes to me, he must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.

It's wonderful, isn't it? That perhaps us weak little Christians who wanna follow Christ and say no to this world and yes to him, maybe This powerful testimony to a lost world as we say look at Christ. And we have confidence to come and speak to him like a child to a daddy. So a hymn that I would want to sing is a very old hymn, but it's terrific. Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine, o what a foretaste of glory divine and then there's a really lovely refrain.

I know it's an old pin, but the refrain is this is my story. This is my song. Prazing my savior all the day long. Is that is that your song? Is that your story?

It's not praising myself all the day long, and this virus attacks that, doesn't it? How can anyone now stand up and say, This is my story. This is my song praising myself. All the day long, building a kingdom. And how could this just nonsense, isn't My own kingdom ruined by a virus that I can't see, Jesus built.

By dying on a cross in weakness, but showing us he's the son of God that brings us atonement. And forgiveness of sins.