4/19/20 1 John 1:1-2:2 “Let Go of It!

17 Apr 4/19/20 1 John 1:1-2:2 “Let Go of It!

4/19/20    1 John 1:1-2:2      “Let Go of It!

I hope that everyone had a nice Easter.  I also hope this coronavirus has not gotten anyone ill or depressed.  We have been quarantined for some time now and that gets to wear a little on nerves.  Personally, I think we should start to ease up a little on this quarantine but that is just me.  However, it is important to remember this when you are battling this disease and its consequences; you are not alone.  Jesus is always by your side and with Him comes His church.  You will always have me on your side so don’t be afraid to give me a call or text.  Today we will be looking at a letter from John to the church.  In the section we are reading today, John gives us all the hope that we will ever need.  It is a hope in Jesus Christ and His church.  Let’s see if there are any ways that we can apply this to our modern setting.

Chris Talton tells the story of a young lady named Linda who might have been a little too independent for her own good.  She started a journey from Alberta, Canada to the Yukon Territories, in a beat-up Honda Civic.  She didn’t know that no one made this trip unless they had some sort of four-wheel drive vehicle.  After a long drive on her first day out, she found a place to stay high in the mountains.  She asked for a wakeup call for 5 AM and the clerk looked at her with a surprised expression.  She didn’t understand until the next morning when she woke up to a very, very thick fog.

There were only two truckers in the dining area when she came down that early for breakfast so she joined them.  They asked where she was headed and she said, “Whitehorse.”

One trucker responded, “No way!!  Not in that little Civic!!  This pass is dangerous in weather like this.”  Linda replied in a gutsy but maybe not a very well-informed way, “Well I’m determined to try.”

“Then I guess that we are going to have to hug you,” the other trucker suggested.  Linda was immediately alarmed and she drew back and said, “There is no way I’m going to let you touch me.”  The trucker chuckled and said, “Not like that.  We’ll put one truck in front of you and one in the rear.  In that way, we’ll get you through the mountains.”  That day, Linda followed two red dots in front of her and she had the comfort of knowing that she had a big escort behind her as well.  She made it safely through the mountains.

I think that we find ourselves in situations like this quite often in life.  We are often in need of a hug.  I can’t help but think of the people who have been sitting at home this past month under quarantine.  They need a hug.  Our shut ins and residents of nursing homes also need a hug.  Today John is telling the early church that they can get a hug even when they are not doing things right.

We need a little background here before we begin.  This was written somewhere around 90 AD, well after the death of Jesus.  I think that it is one of the great miracles of our faith as to how the church survived amidst all of the things pulling against it.  The Romans were actively persecuting Christians.  And now the Jews were doing this also.  Plus, we have in Asia Minor where this is, all different types of religions.  It was from these religions that many of the early Christians had roots.  So, there was a tendency for them to want to go back to certain aspects of their old religions.

And that is where we find ourselves in this reading.  There were many false teachers during this time that were trying to lure people out of Christianity.  John wrote this letter to the Christians of the day so to reinforce their faith.  He couldn’t be in all places at all times so he wrote this letter.  John uses the term light to signify Jesus and darkness to mean evil.

We have many of the same problems in modern times.  We live in a world that likes the darkness and they are afraid of the light.  This is very important if you are trying to understand the world.  If we looked at a globe, we would find that most of it would be dark.  We have several dominant world religions where Christians are really not even allowed to live.  These areas are dangerous but they are not the most dangerous to us so much here today.

We live in far greater danger right here in our own country.  We have things happening here that we have to be on guard for just like the ancients.  We can talk about the same things that John was referring to, the teaching of false prophecy.  The obvious one that comes to mind is all the different religions out there that are not Christian that claim to be Christian or to be like Christian.  These are false.  If you look closely at any of them you will find that they are all based on works.  You have to do certain things to get to heaven or to certain levels of heaven.  They are very clever in disguising their lies.

I have never been able to figure out why people fall for these.  In any of them, you have to work and work and work to get to heaven and then you do not even know for sure that you will get there.  Or you have to work and work and work to get to attain a higher level in heaven.  However, Jesus Christ is standing here right now waiting for people to come to Him and ask to go to heaven.  All you have to do is acknowledge that you are a sinner and accept Jesus.  Then it is a done and you don’t have to worry about levels or whether or not you will get there.  It’s a done deal.  It is easy and it is for everyone.  You do not have to work and work and work.  Jesus has done all of that for you when He went to the cross.

We also have a huge problem with cults in this country.  They try to hide behind the false teachings by calling themselves a religion but they are still a cult.  And once again they have the same problem.  People have to work and work and work to please the people who made up these ridiculous cults so that they think they have a chance at heaven.  These cults too are all wrong, but Jesus still loves all the people in them.  And if Jesus loves them then we are to love them also.  You are not to give up the battle.  You are to keep on loving the Lord our God with all heart, and soul, and mind and strength.  Then you are to love your neighbors as yourselves and these people are all your neighbors.  This is what Christians do.

I was listening to a news show a while back where they were trying to tell me that we as a nation had lost the religion battle.  They didn’t come right out and say this but this was what I got out of this little segment.  They told me that the devil had won.  We might as well give up because everyone in this country has or will soon turn to the devil and worship him.  And if we don’t fall into line with the prince of evil, then we would be persecuted and swallowed up.

Well, I’ve got a news flash for these so-called news people.  We lose battles all the time.  We have been persecuted since the beginning.  But we have not lost the war and we never will lose the war on evil.  Jesus Christ defeated the devil on that Easter morning so many years ago.  The devil has been defeated.  And because of what Jesus did, I will continue to preach the truth as it is presented in the Bible.  And when they come and tell me that I cannot do this anymore, then I will continue to preach the truth where ever I can and that includes here on the internet.  We cannot let these people tell us that we have lost when we haven’t.  We will never lose as long as we have Jesus.

Now as we get back to the Scripture, we find that John has this problem in these ancient times.  Look how John begins this letter.  He doesn’t state the problem at all in the beginning.  He will only state the solution.  He starts with a reminder that he has seen all that he talks about.  He lived with Jesus.  He talked with Jesus.  He ate with Jesus.  He knew Jesus in a way that we all know each other.  And he has and is sharing all of this wondrous joy with these people.

He goes on to say that God is the light.  John talks a lot about God and Jesus being the light.  If we all walk in the light then we will all have fellowship together in a way that the people in the darkness cannot have.  People of the darkness think that they have it all but they do not and cannot have the fellowship that only come through Jesus Christ and his people.  It cannot happen because they don’t have the light.

Then he comes to part of the problem.  His listeners cannot claim to be without sin and still be in the fold of Jesus.  Some of his readers had set themselves above all the rest and had considered themselves to be without sin.  You cannot be a part of Jesus and think like this.  This is why we need to confess that we are sinners and that we sin.  If we claim to be sinless, then we are calling Jesus a liar and He will have no place in our hearts.  These are strong words, after all no one likes to face up to their sins or shortcomings.  But then comes the Good News.

John doesn’t want the people to sin but when they do, not if they do but when they do, they can take these sins to Jesus.  Jesus Christ died and was raised again for their sins.  As a matter of fact, He was raised again for all the sinners of the world and their sins.  Jesus Christ is our first line of defense against sin.

We have already talked a bit about some of the false religions that are around us, showering us with feel good theology.  But that is just the tip of the iceberg of the pagan world around us.  Look at the television programs.  Look at the newspapers.  Look at the news shows like the one I tuned to the other day.  Look at the rampant crime rate.  Look at the self-help books that tell you that you are great and can overcome anything.  We even have preachers who tell us that you can have anything you want if you just pray about it enough!  What a bunch of baloney!  How in the world do we live and raise children in a world that doesn’t have time for Jesus?

But instead of being discouraged, we need to take a look at the same things that John was pointing out to his readers.  We need to get back to the basics.  We need to be in constant fellowship with one another.  You all know that I have not been a Christian all my life.  I spent years without Jesus in what I call secular loneliness.  I was surrounded by people and so-called friends, but I was lonely.  Unfortunately, no one can see this until after they come to Jesus.  But then Jesus came into my life and so did the fellowship of Christians, of all you people.  I can walk into any of my old churches and find people who love me and care.  That is one of the reasons that I think a potluck system is so important.  This is a wonderful way that you can remain in fellowship with each other in a world that would that wants us to disappear.  This is why I think that it is important to have the coffee pot going after church or before church.  Now that I’m not pastoring a church, I can really enjoy these times. When this virus is over, invite people over for coffee or lunch and fellowship.

So, John is telling us how we are supposed to be in Christian fellowship.  But sometimes this is hard.  Sometimes it is hard to follow Jesus.  Sometimes we stumble and fall during our walk with Christ.  You are to always try your best not to sin.  But sometimes you fall short or if you are like me, many times you fall short.  And John is saying that this is ok because you have Jesus Christ, the Righteous One to go to the Father in your defense.  You are to make sure that when you sin, you take that sin to Jesus right away.  You don’t want sin to sit inside of you and fester like an old wound.  You don’t want it to ruin our fellowship with your fellow Christians.  This is why it is so important to have a daily prayer life.  I would guess that most of us will sin in some small way just about every day.   And if you do, then get rid of it.  Go to your daily prayer time and get rid of your sin.  Jesus Christ made the sacrifice for the world and you.  Take advantage of this and free yourself of guilt and sin.  This is a step toward leading a life that you will love in Jesus.

Chris Talton gives us another wonderful example of a pastor who once rebuked a Christian lady who had not forgiven someone who had offended her.  The lady finally said, “Well, I guess I’ll pardon her as you suggest, but I still don’t want anything to do with her!”  The pastor then said to this woman, “Is that how you want God to treat you?  Do you wish for His forgiveness and then have Him withdraw His fellowship and love?  Remember that when Christ put away your sins, He cast them into the sea of everlasting forgetfulness.”  The lady realized that she was wrong and she forgave the other person.

Remember this in your daily prayer life.  If you give your sins to Jesus, then they are gone.  Jesus forgives and then He forgets.  We are the ones that like to hang on to these things because the evil one wants you to feel the guilt forever.  So, John’s advice to you today is to give it to Jesus and let go of it.  This is the way that you will keep your fellowship alive in your church.  This is the way that the members of the community will see you.  This is the way to spread the Good News without any effort.  This is the joy of the Christian life.

So, today I would ask everyone who doesn’t have a daily prayer life to start one and begin each time you talk to Jesus with a confession of sin.  And for those of you who are already talking with Jesus, don’t forget to confess you sins every day.  Jesus Christ went to the cross and died so that He could defeat death, Satan, and your sins.  Don’t hang on to this darkness as it makes it seem that Jesus died in vain.  Jesus wants you to be the best that you can be and He has given you all the instructions on how to do it.  This has been one of the great instructions and one you need every day.  Thank you, Jesus, for living, for dying, and for living again so that we may live like you.  And thank you for first loving us.  Let’s pray.