Tom Mason

How's everybody doing? All right, all right. Welcome to Summertime Wednesday Nights Christ Community Church. Let's open with prayer. Father, we do thank you for your great grace toward us. We thank you for Jesus Christ our Lord. We thank you for the privilege of prayer. We ask now that you would direct us in our time that we might honor you in all that we do. We pray this in Jesus' name, amen. Tonight we will be in First John.

For some of you, it would be the first time that you heard me teach from First John. For others of you, you will remember that we have been going through First John for a while, but the last time I spoke on First John was Wednesday night, March 4th, 2020.

So needless to say, we're gonna have to do some catching up to see what it is that we have been, what it is that we have learned, and then have an opportunity to move forward. And in moving forward, then we will have an opportunity to catch up and move on as we have those times together. So when we think of First John, we think of the author.

The name has been given because it relates to the apostle John. There's no argument about who the author is. The setting, writing would have been somewhere around AD 90 to 95. At the time of the writing, John was in Ephesus, and although he was the youngest of the apostles when chosen, now he is a man that is well aged. And out of that wisdom, he writes as he is inspired by the Holy Spirit. In Asia Minor, what is today Turkey, in that area, it was a hotbed of false religions, cults, philosophies, worshipers of emperors.

And there was no shortage of objects of worship with inclusivism being the watchword for the day. Whatever religion you came up with, you had to have it to where everybody could get a piece of it, no matter what it is that they believe. And then here it is, John comes along and he writes First John.

And he's writing it from the idea of exclusive. It was as if John was saying to them, all roads may lead to Rome, but there's only one way to heaven. And that heaven is exclusively through Jesus Christ, our Lord. And so he comes and he presents his writings and he is setting up that he might help the people of that area understand the truth. And when you are set out for your intentions to be to talk about the truth, the opposite of truth would be a lie. Okay, so John sits his whole writings to always give two examples.

And I like what John MacArthur says about that. He says, in his writings in both John and this epistle, he puts out a series of comparisons of two, never with a third entry.

For instance, when he talks about light and darkness, he doesn't add in there a shade of gray. He wants you to understand that the contrast is between light and darkness. He talks about love and hate. He talks about in the world or out of the world. He talks about the fact that there is death and there is life. He wants us to understand that there are comparisons, but the comparisons are best known when you just deal with the two. So as we look at this writing tonight, we want to be able to keep that in mind, whether he's talking about light or darkness, whether he's talking about truth or lies, whether he's talking about the love of the Father or the love of the world, you will always see John bring it down to two.

And then in doing so, he's trying to help us not to be confused. But there are times that we simply confuse ourselves. The other day Donna and I was at home and there was a knock on the door. And we, I make it to the door and there was two Jehovah's Witnesses. And they was telling me that you have to bring comfort to folks. Those people are confused. People need to be made uncomfortable. In matter of fact, when I described to them what you are to share with those who are outside of Christ, they said, oh, you would scare people if you tell them that.

My idea is I would love to scare them out of that pit that they're in or headed to. John wants us to understand that there is truth and there is error. And he wants us to understand that when we head in that direction of truth, that there is no alternative. We must follow the truth. So as we look at what we've covered, we'll start back with John, first John chapter one, verse one, what was from the beginning?

John wants to take them all the way back to the beginning of the gospel and say to them that we are still teaching the same thing that Christ taught when he was here on earth. And you can go back to Matthew chapter four, verses seven to chapter four, verses 12 to 17. It says, now when Jesus heard that John had been taken into custody, he departed into Galilee and leaving Nazareth. He came and lived in Capernaum, which is by the sea in the region of Lebanon and Napoli in order that what was spoken in Isaiah, the prophet would be fulfilled.

Jesus is ready to start his ministry. And how does he start it? He started by fulfilling the scripture. Look at verse 15 in Matthew chapter four.

It says, in the land of Lebanon and the land of Napoli, by the way of the sea beyond the Jordan, the Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who were sitting in darkness saw a great light and those who were sitting in the land and shadow of death, up on them a light dawned. From that time, Jesus began to preach and say, repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. So when John makes this statement, what was from the beginning, he says that has been true from that time in Jesus's ministry and here we are some 60 some years later and he says we're still preaching the same thing.

We want people to repent and to come to a point of understanding that Jesus is the only way to heaven. The false teachers of that day taught that the knowledge of God's provision for you must be reached through some higher level of spiritual awakening, which then would put you in some elite class. Then and only then could you know what God had for you. But John would come along and he would start to write and when he says I write to you little children, he's not talking about an elite class. He's talking about people like you and me.

I write unto you little children that you might understand the way to God and he was directly in contrast to what the false teachers were saying and in these first four verses John has shown us what is the truth compared to the false teachers.

He goes on to say what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands concerning the word of life and the life was manifested and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you that eternal life which was with the father and was manifested unto us. What we have seen and heard we proclaim to you so that you may have fellowship with us and indeed our fellowship is with the father and with his son Jesus Christ. These things we write to you so our joy may be complete.

This word fellowship, it's a partnership, it's a sharing in common. He says I want you to know that our fellowship is with the father and with his son Jesus Christ and we want you to share in that fellowship with us. Believers that's what you and I have been left on this earth for so we can share with others how we have a fellowship with the father and how we want them to share that fellowship with us and then as he moves on through this letter he would talk about this fellowship and how it is that it is to be announced and how it is to be sent out so others might hear it.

In verse five he says this is the message that we have heard from him and announced to you that God is light. Wow. What's the opposite of light? Darkness. He says God is light and there is no darkness in him at all. None. None. God is light and in God there is no darkness at all. He's setting up something here for us. He wants us to understand if our life is tracking in darkness, God is not in us. That's what he is bringing out here. Matthew chapter 5 verse 14 says you are light of the world. A city set up on a hill that cannot be hidden.

Jesus is making this statement to his disciples that would apply to you and to me today. We are lights of the world. We are a city that is set on a hill that cannot be hidden. He wants us to understand that. Paul would pick up on this in Philippians chapter 2 verse 14 and 15. He says do all things without complaining and arguments so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation among whom you appear as lights in the world.

Wow. Paul saw the world of his time as crooked and perverse. I wonder how he would see it today. But notice what hasn't changed you and I or to appear to them as lights in the world and he wants us to understand that.

John said I want to declare to you that God is light. First John chapter 1 verse 7 says but we walk in the light as he himself is in the light and we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanses us from all sin.

Doesn't clean us from some sin cleans us from all sin. First John chapter 2 verse 8 says on the other hand I have written to you a new commandment to you which is true in him and in you because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.

That's how he refers to the true light is already here. We're here to take this message out. Look at the next verse.

First John 2 9 he says the one who says that he is in the light and yet hate his brother is in the darkness until now.

Translation the one who says he is a Christian but hate his brother he says he is in the darkness to now.

He says he's no Christian at all. Why? Because the very thing that God is bringing to us is love and if we don't have that love for one another then there is no God in us. That's what he is pointing out to us. The one who loves his brother remains in the light and there is nothing in him that would cause him to stumble. The Christian is going to love his brother and by doing that he remains in the light and there's nothing there for him to stumble over. We have the light in us and therefore there is no stumbling for us.

Back to first John 6 I'm sorry first John 1 verse 6. If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lie and do not practice the truth but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all the sin. If we say that we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth of God is not in us. If we confess our sins he is faithful and righteous to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

If we say that we have not sinned we make him out to be alive and his word is not in us. Wow just full of good information for us. If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lie and do not practice the truth but by walking in the light it helps us to understand that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin now when he says we he's actually talking about Christians. If you claim to be a Christian and you say that you have no sin he says that you make God out to be alive but since we Christians have sinned he says in verse nine if we confess our sins he's faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

If we say we have never sinned we make him out to be alive and his word is not in us. John lays this out for us that we might clearly understand what it is he's trying to take us to. Let's look at first john chapter two.

My little children I write these things to you so that you may not sin and if anyone sins we have an advocate with the father Jesus Christ the righteous and he himself is the perpetuation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. When we think of scripture don't think of an epistle as a book written it was not it was a letter that is written so he didn't finish with chapter one and say okay let me start chapter two he's simply continuing his letter but he he points out to us that the whole thing is that we would not sin he says but if anyone sins you know do we have an advocate we have one who speaks on our behalf and he says he is Jesus Christ the righteous and he himself is the perpetuation satisfaction for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

Now we we talked about earlier that john writes in comparisons and he always just gives two he never gives a third one.

Some commentators when they get to this verse they want to throw a third group in so well maybe he's including just the believing Jews why would he do that his comparison is between the world and us he says he's the satisfaction for our sins but he says it goes further than that he's not just a satisfaction for our sins but he's the satisfaction for the sins of the world Jesus Christ came and died for the sins of the whole world then why isn't everybody going to heaven because of sin and john tells us that light came into the world but because men loved their darkness they loved their sin they stayed in the dark and that's why people today are still in darkness the jewel witnesses that came by my house they think they're carrying a light they are in darkness they are out there trying to bring comfort to a sinner sinner has no comfort he needs to get into a discomfort situation to where he knows he is on his way to hell for eternity but God has provided an alternative that's the message that we carry as a matter of fact she told me she says you try to scare people no i don't i try to share with people the truth and so these are the things that we john says that he's the perpetuation for the sins of the whole world now guess who i'm going to believe the scripture or commentator i'm going to believe the scripture and when he says it's the whole world it's the whole world and then chapter two verse three he says by this we know that we have come to know him if we keep his commandments everybody want to talk about i i know god i love god but when you start talking about people keeping god's commandment they won't know part of that he says and this we know that we have come to know him if we keep his commandments the one who says i have come to know him and does not keep his commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him but whoever keeps his word in him the love of god has been perfected john says you can say all you want to i'm a christian but if you do not keep god's commandments you are a liar and the truth is not in you now read it read it for yourself i'm that's not my word those are john's words inspired by the holy the holy spirit why because he doesn't want us going the wrong direction think and we're on our way to heaven he goes on to say in verse six the one who says i abide in him ought himself to walk in the same manner as he walked when you see that word walk is talking about conduct yourself we ought to conduct ourselves in the same manner that christ conducted himself that's how you tell whether you are walking in the light or not then chapter 2 verse 15 he said do not love the world or the things that are in the world if anyone loves the world the love of the father is not in him for all that is in the world the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life is not from god but from the world the world is passing away and also it's lost but the one who does the will of god will live forever the one who does what god says that person will live forever that's the message that john is bringing he wants us to understand that there's a way to live and there's a way not to live he goes through and he describes this to us look at verse 18 the same chapter children it is the last hour and just as you've heard that the antichrist is coming even now many antichrists have appeared from this we know that it is the last hour they went out from us but they were not really of us if they had been of us they would have remained with us but they went out so that it would be shown that they are all not of us but you have an anointing from the holy one and you all know he says they went out from us but now this isn't talking about people who leave christ community church and go to another church it's not talking about that at all but if you left christ community church and you went join the jehovah witnesses then yes he would that that's when he would be talking about these people was in the church they sung out of the same hymn books that all of them sung they heard the same message but they got to this point and said guys we have risen above you and we have some knowledge that you don't have so we're going to leave john said don't worry about them they went out because they never was a part of us if they had been of us they would have stayed with us every christian that has ever come to christ stays with christ those who come in and leave they left because they never were christians in the first place by the way the guy who started jehovah witnesses came out of the evangelical church why he was not of us in the first place the guy who started the mormons came out of the local evangelical church of his day why because he never was a christian in the first place that's what john is pointing out to us and that's what he wants us to understand verse 28 he says look the children abide in him so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink back from him in the same way at his coming if you know that he is righteous you know that everyone who practiced righteousness is born of him he said you know god is righteous so everyone who practiced righteousness is born of god that's how you tell who the christians are who are not by the way john in his letter doesn't tell you how to get saved but he tell you who to save people are and the first person that we have to look at is ourselves do i measure up to what john has laid out here for us and i love that word practice he said the one who practiced righteousness is born of god see the difference between practice and perfection is what we call humanity you and i practice righteousness we are not perfected in it yet we are still learning how to do because there are times that sin would come up but what does how does practice show itself i am doing more that is righteous than i'm doing more that is sinful so that's what he's talking about he wants us to understand that that the person who practiced righteousness is born of him then we get to chapter three and he says see how great a love the father has bestowed upon us that we would be called the children of god think of that god the creator of the universe the creator of everything there is the giver of every good and perfect gift allows you and me to be called his child he says look how great a love the father has bestowed upon us that he that we would be called the children of god and search we are for this reason the world does not know us because it did not know him beloved now we are the children of god and it does not yet appear to what we should be but we know that when he appears we will be like him because we will see him just as he is and everyone who has this hope fixed himself excuse me have this hope fixed on him purifies himself just as he is pure that's how you know he's talking to christians you'd never tell a sinner to purify himself but how do you and i purify ourselves let's go back to that thing about practicing righteousness i should be practicing more righteousness in a day today than i was last year this time if i am not there's a problem in my life so that's what he's talking about he says anyone who has this hope fixed upon him what is a hope an assured expectation something god has promised to us but we have not received it yet i have the assured expectation that i will spend eternity in heaven with him i haven't received that yet but as i live here on this earth i want to line myself up more with that heavenly walk than with an earthly walk and that's what he is he's bringing us to understand that in verse four he says everyone who practiced sin also practiced lawlessness notice the word practice again if you see in your life or in my life more sin than righteousness there's a problem he says and sin is lawlessness you know that he appeared in order to take away sins and in him there is no sin no one who abides in him sins now sin has an s on it sins you could take that word practice again it's not talking about perfection but no one who abides in him will practice sin and in him there is no sin no one who sin has seen him or know him no one who practiced sin has seen god or knows god again i told you john doesn't tell you how to get saved here he can tell you who the saved folks are he gives you an area where we can line ourselves up to look at the word of god and ask this and ask ourselves the question how am i doing let the children make sure that no one deceives you now why would he put that in right here because see there was those out there that were saying well you know it really doesn't matter how you live down here because see the flesh is one thing but the spirit is another it really doesn't matter john says it does matter if you practice sin you do not know him and you have not seen him let no one fool you the one who practice righteousness is righteous just as he is righteous the one who practice sin is of the devil and the devil has sinned from the beginning the son of god appeared for this purpose to destroy the works of the devil the one who is born of god excuse me the one who is born of god will i'm sorry no one who is born of god practice sin because his seed abides in him and he cannot sin because he is born of god the one who has been born of god will not practice sin because the seed of god is in us god gives us his holy spirit to live within us and the holy spirit is there to guide us through this life and tell us there's a temptation coming your way look away or step away you don't have to follow that temptation that's what the holy spirit does in our life so he wants us to understand that verse 10 is my favorite verse in first john he says by this the children of god and the children of the devil are obvious obvious okay what what does that mean if i told you that tim was sitting down over here you guys would say hey that's obvious we all see that that's what he's talking about you don't have to wonder if a person is a child of god or not he says the children of god and the children of the devil are obvious let me give you another clue there's only two fathers when it comes to the human race either god is your father or the devil is your father there's not a third alternative talking to a guy on the bus one day brought this idea up of there's only two he says i have a third one you have a third one he said yeah i said well what is that third one consist of he says i'm still searching to see who i would be i said that means you're under the child of the devil yeah there's not a third one and don't let anybody fool you that there is obvious the children of god and the children of the devil and they are obvious remember the conversation jesus had with the pharisees in john chapter 8 three times in in in that chapter he said you are of your father only the third time did he identify who the father was he said you are of your father the devil what did he base that on he said to them you claim to be abraham's children he's abraham would have never tried to kill me but you tried to kill me so he could look at their lives what they were doing and say to them you are of your father the devil because you are doing what the devil tried to do from the first day jesus showed up on there that was to destroy him jesus could share this with them that they might understand who he is then we get to first john four beloved do not believe every spirit but test the spirits to see whether they are of god because many false prophets have gone out into the world by this you will know the spirit of god every spirit that confesses that jesus christ has come in the flesh is from god now let's talk about that jesus christ has come in the flesh what does that mean that means that they believe that jesus christ came in the exact form as the bible says that he is jehovah witnesses says that jesus is a god but he is not the god he's not the son of god he is a god and therefore god created him first and then let him create everything else the bible says about jesus christ everything was created by him now if he was created then that would take away everything he could not have been created first and then create everything because you would have him over here being created and he didn't do that he was god in the flesh from the very beginning and he created everything the scripture is clear on that but see they come along and they want to tell you no that's not him so there's that we believe in jesus christ do they believe in him as the scripture has described him no they do not and by the way there's not another religion out there that does not another one that would believe the way that the bible would describe him so he wants us to know this that we are to test the spirits so what does that mean that means when you hear a message whether it's from here or anywhere else test that message by the scripture to see if it is the truth of the scripture if it is then that person is following christ if it is not then they are not following christ he goes on to say in verse three and every spirit that does not confess that that jesus is from god this is the spirit of antichrist then he goes on to say you've heard that antichrist is coming but i want to tell you there are many antichrists already in the world anti just simply means against there are many people out there poking themselves in a religious garb but appointing to another christ instead of the christ of the scriptures and he wants us to understand this by the way sometime in your spare time read first john chapter four and you're going to pick up on some things the word you us we shows up over and over again and then the words they and them again he's making a comparison we would be the believers they and them would be the outsiders he never throws a third person in here he wants you to see clearly there's a comparison of two we do this the world doesn't listen to us why because they are of the world but the believer will listen to us why because we are in this together and that's what he is pointing out to us that we can know this because as he brings this to us he wants us to understand to know the difference between the spirit of truth and the spirit of error we must do that we must be sharp enough to do that and by the way when the jehovah witnesses and mormon come by your house stop pretending you're not home get your bible meet them at the door by the way the other day i told you when she stopped by my house i didn't know she was coming so i'm at the door without my weapon as soon as my wife heard jehovah witnesses she'd go get my bible and stick it right here in my back so she wanted me to be equipped so she comes up she brings the bible she just laid my back i just read if i can get it and now i can preach them from the scripture do not pretend you're you're not home don't do that that's a mission field that god is bringing to your door answer that door and speak to them and share with them chapter 4 verse 19 we love because he first loved us if anyone says i love god and yet hate his brother he is a liar for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love god whom he has not seen and this commandment we have from him that the one who loves god must also love his brother and by the way that's not talking about my identical twin brother okay that's talking about all of you is my brothers and sisters in now fortunately for me my identical twin brother is a christian is a pastor okay so but that's what he's telling me he's not talking about family here he's talking about the family of god and notice what he says about us he says we must love each other that's that's not an option he wants to bring that to us that we can understand that first john chapter 5 we're just about to get to where we wanted to be for the night everyone who believes in jesus excuse me everyone that believes that jesus is the christ has been born of god in that phrase i want you to notice two verbs everyone who believes that's a verse and that verse is continuing it's not a one-time shot everyone who believes that jesus is the christ is born of god now that's another verb born that verse is in the perfect tense meaning it happened at a time back yonder and it is still true today it's not continually happened the first one is continually happening what does that mean that means i continue to believe in jesus every day okay but where this salvation happened salvation happened when i was born of god a one-time act in my life and your life whenever that was but because that one-time act has happened in our lives then every day we continually to believe it doesn't matter whether somebody brings something new on the scene or not that doesn't change the fact that what we believe when i was working at edison somebody brought in said tom i want you to take a look at this new religion that has come up he said have you ever heard of it it was called chrysodelphians i had never heard of it before but the last time i was at the la county fair they had a booth out there so he said what do know about this nothing he said well let me bring you something tomorrow and then you read it and tomorrow is our bible study and you can tell me what you think of it in bible study so he did the way you become a christian in that group is over a accumulation of time and knowledge you keep learning and then you will reach a point to where god would say okay you can you're now a believer so we get the bible study he said tom do you have a chance to read that yep he said what do you think about it said it's a cult he said yesterday you didn't know anything about him but today you're calling him a cult why is that because you brought me what they believed and when i read what they believe is contrary to scripture i don't need to know anything yes about them they are a cult and therefore they are not to be followed he said but they give good bible studies i said no they may give good talks but they don't give a good bible study it would be impossible for a cult to do that and everyone who loves the father loves the child that is born of him verse 2 chapter 5 by this we know that we love the children of god when we love god and follow his commandments there's that word again you you're not just to love god you have to love him and follow his commandments if you have a problem following his commandments then there's a problem with loving god he brings this to us that we might understand that and then he says by this we know that we love the children of god so that's why we love each other by the way our team that's down in argentina i can tell you already that they have met some believers down there and upon meeting the believers it's almost as if they've known them already why because we share in common this thing called fellowship this relationship that we have in god and wherever you are around the world you may not even be able to speak their language but you know that you're believers and you have that fellowship together he says for this is love of god that we keep his commandments he keeps bringing us back to that point this is the love of god that we keep his commandments by the way there's nothing emotional about that you just have to do what the scripture tells us to do and he brings it out and he lays this out for us then he says and his commandments are not burdensome what would be a burden if you gave me 200 pounds on my back and told me i had to walk with it that would be a burden he's saying that his commandments are not burdensome for whoever has been born of god overcomes the world and this is the victory that over comes the world one of john's favorite word this victory thing i think it's used 23 times in the new testament john uses it 18 of those 23 he just comes back to the fact that you and i we are victors and we have overcome the world then he says something that's interesting he says we have overcome the world by our faith we have overcome the world by our faith now there's two types of faith okay it could be my faith in christ and i'm overcoming the world by that but i don't think that's what he's talking about look at jude 3 he said beloved while i was making every effort to write to you about our common salvation i felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you would contend earnestly for the faith that was once and for all handed down to the saints he's talking about the faith that christ produced in us that's what he's saying we have overcome the world by the faith that christ has implanted in us and when we see that we understand that acts chapter 6 verse 7 says the word of god kept spreading and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in jerusalem and many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith that's what he's talking about many of the priests now what does that mean i mean that's a little phrase it's just thrown in here think about the priest how did the priest make his living from the temple and from the sacrifice that everybody brought in he says now many of the priests believe what does that mean no more food from the temple they now had to get a job and start to work and do the whole thing but he says many of the priest believed in the faith and i love how they how he explains it here becoming obedient to the faith see there's one thing to say i have faith there's another thing to be obedient to the faith and that's what he is bringing to us here that he wants us to understand verse 5 chapter 5 the one who says i've overcome the world who is the one who overcomes the world but the one who believes that jesus is the son of god again when you hear that phrase the one who believes that jesus is the son of god is talking about believing in jesus christ as the bible has described him he wants us to understand that that's how it is that we come to know him verse 6 this is the one who came by water and blood jesus christ not by water only but with the water and with the blood it is the spirit who testifies because the spirit is true what is john telling us here he says jesus christ has been identified by the father in three ways by the water by the blood and by the spirit and when we see this then we get to understand what it is that he's talking about so look at mark's gospel chapter one he said john the baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins and all the country of judah was coming out to him and all the people of jerusalem and they were being baptized by him in the jordan river confessing their sins john was clothed in camel hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and his diet was locusts and wild honey and he was preaching saying after me comes one who is mightier than i and i am not fit to bend down and tie his latches of his sandals i baptize you with water but there's one who's coming who will baptize you with the holy spirit matthew chapter 3 starting at verse 13 then jesus arrived in galilee at the jordan coming to john to be baptized by him but john tried to prevent him saying i have the need to be baptized by you and yet you are coming to me but jesus answered and said unto him allow it at this time for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness then he allowed him and after he was baptized jesus came up immediately out of the water and behold the heavens opened and he saw the spirit of god descending upon him like a dove sitting upon him and behold a voice from heaven saying this is my beloved son in whom i am pleased this is the baptism he has now been baptized and had been presented to the world not for his sins but for those that would be put on him by us and he is baptized and he is now announced to those around this is my beloved son in whom i am well pleased this was the spirit of god the voice of god announcing jesus christ is god and god is well pleased in him then when we move to the blood matthew chapter 27 starting at verse 45 he said now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour and about the ninth hour jesus cried out with a loud voice saying eli eli lame sabbathani this is my god why have you forsaken me and some of those who were standing there when they heard it they said this man is calling out for elijah and immediately one ran and was taking a sponge and filled it with sour wine and put it on a wreath and gave him to drink but the rest of them said let's see if elijah will come and save him and jesus cried out again with a loud voice and he gave up the spirit and behold the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom why is top to bottom significant here so the man didn't do it there's no need to keep the holy of holies hidden from mankind because christ has now paid the full penalty for our sins no more need for for the holy of holy so the rip from top to bottom says the rock split all of this is an action taken by god to announce to those present this is my beloved son and i am pleased in him and when john sees this he is letting us know that this is the way that god has testified of his son while he was here on earth for there are three first john 5 7 for there are three that testifies the spirit and the water and the blood and the three are in agreement there was nothing at the baptism that contradicted anything at the crucifixion and the spirit making the announcement did not change any of that he said they are in agreement that's why we see the scripture written over these 1500 years still all pointing in the same direction and when we see that we give glory to god because this is what god has brought to us that we might clearly understand the things that he has shared with us and when we take the scriptures and we read it we find out it's not enough just to read it we must live it and that's what we have been called to do every day that god gives us on the face of this earth is a day that we can get the word out about the christ let's be faithful in doing that that we would fulfill the things that god has left us here to do you know there are many commands in the bible be fruitful and fill the earth is one of those okay love thy neighbor as thyself you can go down the list just keep going on the things that the bible tells us to do we only do those things because he has left us here for one purpose and that's to get the word out about him because see if i'm not loving you then how the world gonna believe that there is love in the church a love from god that's why he tells us to love with one another i love the verse that says bear with one another see that's a that's an acknowledgement that we're not all there yet but he says bear with one another i teach charlie all the time charlie even had to bear with me where does that come up most of the time in our families for their believers okay believe it or not as as dressed up as i look on sunday morning donna has to bear with me sometimes that's what we're called to do with each other why so when people see us together and we stop to share the gospel with them they're not asking questions well why are you acting different now than you're acting later on okay that's what this thing is and that's what we're called to do and we need to keep in mind that we have one purpose on this earth now there are many other things that we may do while we're here but one purpose that we may get the word out about the christ when we do that then we have fulfilled what god has called us to do and left us here for let's pray father we thank you for your great grace toward us we thank you for jesus christ our lord we thank you for your word and how plain you have made it father help us to be obedient to your word that others might see and acts of the hope that is within us we thank you for our time together tonight we pray for our argentina team as they have one more day on the field and then the journey back home we commit them to you in the word of your grace we thank you for our time in jesus name amen