SERMON GM14-021
SERIES: Christian Living in a World of Chaos &
Contradiction
SETTING: North Kelso Baptist Church
SERVICE: Sunday AM
SUBTITLE: The Test of Fellowship: Resisting the Antichrists
SCRIPTURE: 1 John 2:19-27
SUBJ: Warning against the antichrists
SUMMARY:
You must remain in Christ in order to overcome the deceptive teachings of the
anti-Christ’s.
SCHEME: The aim of this message is to test your claim of fellowship with God on
Christological grounds
1A THE CHRISTIAN LIFE VIEWED AS FELLOWSHIP (1:5-2:27)
1B Fellowship is
tested on practical grounds (1:5-2:11)
1C Practical
grounds of moral like-ness (1:5-7)
2C Practical
grounds of confession of sin (1:8-2:2)
3C Practical
grounds of obedience (2:3-6)
4C Practical
grounds of love (2:7-11)
2B Fellowship is
tested on relational grounds (2:12-17)
1C The Positive Relationship (2:12-14)
2C The Negative Relationship (2:15-17)
3B Fellowship is
tested on Christological grounds (2:18-27)
1C The Contrast (2:19)
2C The Christological (2:19-21)
3C The Centrality (2:22-25)
4C The Clincher (2:26-27)
The Test of
Fellowship: Resist the anti-Christ’s
1 John 2: 19-27 * (Part 12)
INTRODUCTION
A.
Membership in a local church
Membership in a confessing body is fundamental to the faithful
Christian life. Failure to be a part of a local church so defies the explicit
warning not to forsake "our assembling together."
Understanding this prompted Martin Luther to say, "Apart from
the church, salvation is impossible." Not that the church provides
salvation; God does. But because the "saved" one can't fulfill what
it means to be a Christian apart from the church, membership becomes the
indispensable mark of salvation.
"So highly does the Lord esteem the communion of His
church," Calvin wrote," that He considers everyone a traitor and
apostate from religion who perversely withdraws himself from any Christian
society which preserves the true ministry of the word and sacraments."
B.
Experience has shown us that people leave
local churches
Three pastors got together for coffee one day and
found all their churches had bat-infestation problems. "I got so
mad," said one, "I took a shotgun and fired at them. It made holes in
the ceiling, but did nothing to the bats." "I tried trapping them
alive," said the second. "Then I drove 50 miles before releasing
them, but they beat me back to the church." "I haven't had any more
problems," said the third. "What did you do?" asked the others,
amazed. "I simply baptized them and make them members," he replied.
"I haven't seen them since."
People leave good churches. They give a number of
reasons to justify their leaving. In almost every case the excuse or reason
places the blame on the pastor, the elders, or the church. Rarely will anyone
say the fault lies with them. No one will say, I am leaving because:
·
I am to lame and lazy to develop any spirituality about me
·
I am involved in some sin I like and don’t won’t to repent
·
I am not really a Christian but I have played one while here
C.
False teachers left these
churches
It was very apparent that false teachers left these churches. It
gave some cause for alarm, surprise, and confusion for the remaining believers.
Our theme continues to be: watch out for anti-Christ’s
This
is a good reminder for us all to be sober, alert, and always on guard in order
to identify and resist the anti-Christ’s that attempt to destroy our faith by
deception.
Proposition: I propose to you that you must remain in Christ in order to overcome the deceptive
teachings of the anti-Christ’s.
Interrogative Sentence: Why does John warn these
believers to watch out for the anti-Christs.
Transitional Sentence: This passage implies four
(4) arguments that enable us to see why the Christological test of a claim of
fellowship is important.
[The
first argument John gave was…]
1C A Proliferation of
antichrists are a sign of the end times (18)
IOW – don’t worry, fret, or
think it is unnatural that the church encounters many antichrists. John says:
“Children, it is the last hour, and as you have
heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore
we, know that it is the last hour.” (1 John 2:18, ESV)
[John’s
first argument that enables us to see the importance of the Christological test
in the test of one’s claim of fellowship is that a proliferation of antichrists
are a sign of the end times. Therefore, the more and more teachers we see
arrive on the scene and plague the church should not surprise us nor give us
cause to worry. It is a sign of the end times!
The
second argument John gives is that …]
2C One’s relationship to the church can be determined
“They went out from us, but they were not of us; for
if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out,
that it might become plain that they all are not of us.” (1 John 2:19, ESV)
I want you to notice that there are three (3) major
truths in this verse. Let’s look at the first truth. Let’s look at…
1D …their departure
“They
went out from us…”
The word that John uses is a word that indicates
that originally these false teachers, these members were members of the
Christian community.
IOW – whatever procedure that had been established
to become members of these local churches they had performed it.
Now they withdrew. They left the membership. They
stopped attending the services. They separated themselves from the community of
believers.
Notice two things:
·
The language suggests to us that they willingly or voluntarily attached
themselves as members.
·
Their departure was their own choice. Nothing in the text or the
grammar suggests that they were forced out. They attached themselves willingly
and now they were leaving willingly.
There
is no doubt John might have had to throw them out eventually by exercising
apostolic authority and church discipline. Maybe they left one step ahead of
being asked to leave – but leave they did and they left by their own decision.
So,
the first major truth in this verse is that these false teachers left voluntarily.
The second major truth in this verse centers on…
2D Their
difference
“…but they were not of us…”
Look at the “but.” It is the Greek word alla.
In spite of the fact that these false teachers were
members, they had never been true members.
Their connection was external. They did not share
the inner spiritual life that the John’s little children shared. The language
suggests they were not believers.
Regardless of their names being on the membership
roll, they were not true believers.
“They were not ours!” If they had been ours they
would have remained with us. The idea here is that these false teachers, had
they been real Christians would have remained with the other Christians.
Not being inwardly united they did not belong and
were not part of the local churches spiritually.
What is the true test of
discipleship?
The
true test of discipleship is to remain
in the truth.
“Abide in me,
and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in
the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.” (John 15:4, ESV)
John
cannot conceive of any one who had been part of the truth leaving the truth and
breaking fellowship with fellow Christians.
I
know we human beings are hard to get along with. Even Christians can be very
hard to get along with. But to John it was an impossibility that true
Christians would leave the membership and fellowship of a good church.
The
departure showed that their connection to the church was nothing more than
external.
What does this show?
I
am sure it shows many things:
·
Bad evangelism
·
Sinful motives or motivations
·
The true “color” of sin
But
what it really shows is that they could not bear up under the teaching of the
Word of God. Some people leave churches because the teaching is too shallow, or
it is inaccurate, or void of God’s power.
Most
people who leave a church leave because they do not want to submit to and
become obedient to the powerful and accurate teaching of God’s word.
This
verse contains some pretty important truths. The first truth centers on the
departure of these false teachers. The second truth focuses on the difference
between these folks who left and the folks who stayed.
The
third truth draws out attention to their destiny.
3C Their destiny
“…that it might become plain that they all are not
of us.”
John’s statement makes it clear that membership is
no proof of inward union with Christ! Their departure shows not only their
difference, but also their destiny.
·
Membership is important
·
Membership does not save
·
Membership does show the potential of “connection”
·
God was showing these churches that not all members are not true
members – this fact must be made clear
·
The departure did create some pain, some confusion, and probably
generated lots of questions
Their destiny was made known – they were never God’s
possessions.
Guy
King wrote: “Many a defaulter has been spoken of as a
backslider when in reality they have never been Christians at all.”
They
belonged to another camp!
F.
F. Bruce wrote: “Continuance is the test of reality.”
Paul
wrote in Philippians 1:6, “And I am sure
of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at
the day of Jesus Christ.”
There
really was a purpose to these false teachers leaving these churches. God used
their departure to show their true destiny, God revealed the true and real
nature of these false teachers who had been members of these churches.
F.
F. Bruce also wrote, “They cannot be shaken in their faith by the succession of
their former associates.”
So,
we see these self-proclaimed Christians and false teachers depart from the
church, we have seen their difference – they were never part of the body of
Christ, and we have seen their destiny – to be revealed as false professors and
teachers.
This
is why it is important to test someone’s claim of being a Christian or having
John
makes some important arguments about testing one’s claim with Christological
truth. The first argument was that there will be a proliferation of antichrists
challenging Christ, especially in the last days.
The
second argument is that one’s relationship to the church can be determined by
staying or leaving.
There
is a third argument that John proposes that shows the value or importance of
testing claims of fellowship on Christological grounds, and that is…
3C It proves the content of
true teaching and the falseness of false teaching (20-25)
This is a powerful argument.
This argument assumes that true Christians can and will know truth. John does
not leave a lot of room for ignorance or even error with this argument.
In looking at it I think there are four parts that make up
and hold this powerful argument together.
·
The believers know the truth
·
The denial of Christ contradicts the truth
·
The antidote against the false is the truth
·
The truth results in eternal life
So, let’s take a minute and look at the first part
of John’s argument…
1D These believers’ know the truth
“But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you
all have knowledge. I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but
because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth.”
It is apparent that these believers have been shook
up. This experience has caused them some angst.
But, if they would have trusted their own knowledge
and Christian experience, John would not have had to point out the anti-Christian
teachings of these false teachers.
Why?
They should have drawn on their past teaching and
knowledge and the conviction of the indwelling HS and they would have saw the
false teachings for themselves. They should have matched up what they had been
taught with what the false teachers were teaching.
By the way, do you notice what John is doing here or
how he is going about what he is doing? He is appealing to their knowledge
rather than trying to teach them some more knowledge.
What does John base his confidence on?
The gift of the indwelling HS. These believers had
the indwelling HS to convict them or convince them of what was true or false.
John is not dealing with an act or the act of
anointing, John is referencing the result of having been indwelt by the HS.
Honest, prayerful, and sincere study of the
Scripture can be verified, not by claims, signs, or presentation, but by the
calm assurance of the indwelling HS. These believers have the filling and
ministry of the HS which was the very thing the false teachers were claiming.
These believers, just like you and me, have the HS
given to us at the moment of regeneration. It is the HS that establishes
believers in the faith and helps them understand truth.
So,
the already know the truth.
2D The
denial of Christ contradicts the truth (22)
“Who is the liar, but he who denies that Jesus is
the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son.”
John poses what we would call a rhetorical question.
This is written by John very abruptly. John throws out this question because of
the claims of these false teachers. These false teachers said they were the
only ones who possessed a true understanding of spiritual realities.
John calls them a liar. John is just like Jesus,
isn’t he? Why is he so short, so abrupt?
Well – to deny Jesus, to deny that he came from
heaven and dwelt in the flesh does not have salvation. You cannot deny Jesus as
a real living human being and be a Christian.
[Thirdly…]
3D The
antidote against the false is the truth (24)
“…whoever confesses the son has the Father also. Let
what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the
beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father.”
The truth is that Jesus did come from the Father, He
did take on human flesh in bodily form. This truth is essential and determines
whether one is a believer or not. You cannot claim to have fellowship with God,
to know God, to be OK with God and deny that Jesus is the son of God and had
taken on human flesh.
Hold to this truth. It will defeat the false.
[And
finally…]
4D The truth results in eternal life (25)
“And this is the promise that he made to us –
eternal life.”
Here John gives the supreme blessing for those who
abide in and believe the Word of God. God promises eternal life to all who
believe His word.
The person who abides in Christ, who believes his
word and is united to the living Christ, eternal life is already a present
possession.
Our claim of fellowship and its reality is a reality
through and enduring faith in Jesus Christ.
So,
there is a third argument that John proposes that shows the value or importance
of testing claims of fellowship on Christological grounds, and that argument…Proves the content of true teaching and the
falseness
of false teaching. It proves it at least four ways:
·
The believers know the truth
·
The denial of Christ contradicts the truth
·
The antidote against the false is the truth
·
The truth results in eternal life
Our theme is: watch out for anti-Christ’s
This
is a good reminder for us all to be sober, alert, and always on guard in order
to identify and resist the anti-Christ’s that attempt to destroy our faith by
deception.
Proposition: I propose to you that you must remain in Christ in order to overcome the deceptive
teachings of the anti-Christ’s.
Let’s
look then at the fourth and final argument.
4C These believers already possess
the truth (26-27)
First of all – verses 26-27 are a summary, reminding
John’s readers about this battle between truth and false.
Verse 26 reminds John’s readers of the danger from
the false teachers.
Verse 27 reminds John’s readers of the resources
that they possess from the HS who indwelt them at their moment of salvation.
1D The Danger from the false teachers (26)
“I write these things to you about those who are
trying to deceive you.”
These things could refer to the entire letter, but
seems like it is a reference to verses 18-25. This section contains the most
information about the false teachers who were trying to seduce them.
If you remember John calls them antichrist. He
exposes their true nature or character. He reminds them that they want to lead
them astray, to deceive them, or to seduce them away from the truth.
First,
John reminds them of the great danger. Second John reminds them
2D The
Resources they possess from the HS (27)
“But the anointing that you received from his abides
in you and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing
teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie – just as it has
taught you, abide in him.
There are three things to note:
·
These believers have received a crisma anointing or unction.
·
The anointing is a person
·
This person (HS) is sufficient for them
John’s verbiage demonstrates that his anointing is
not merely an impersonal power. They received the anointing at their salvation.
John does not imply that these believers do not need
a teacher to instruct them or to guide them or to teach them into a fuller and
even firmer grasp of the Christian faith.
After all this is what John is doing with this
letter, He is teaching them more truth to bolster their faith.
·
Teachers are a gift to the church
(1 Cor 12:28; Eph 4:11; 2 Tim 1:11)
So,
what does John mean here? John is not dealing with the “accumulation” of
knowledge, but with the detection of “knowledge” or “truth.”
Remember
the false teachers have said that they have special knowledge and these
believers must come to them to have this special knowledge.
But
John says because the HS indwells you, the HS enables you to discern truth and
heresy, or false teaching. Believers do not need a cult leader to initiate them
into additional secret truth or supposed additional spiritual insights.
Same
for you, God gave teachers to the church for good reasons, so you need teachers
but you have the HS who enables you to discern what is true.
Illustration: Dr. Harry Ironside told the story of coming
across a street preacher on the streets of LA. As he listened he recognized the
teaching of a false cult. But he noticed a man listening intently. Every now
and then this man would smile. Ironside felt sorry for him being misled by this
false teacher. When the preacher finished, Ironside went up to the man and
asked him what he thought of what the preacher had said. The man said, well, he
certainly told us didn’t he? Yes he did. Ironside agreed, but he said what did
you think of what he said?
With
a smile the old man said, “Well I didn’t have answers for everything he said,
but the whole time he was preaching he said there was something inside me that
kept saying, it’s a lie, it’s a lie, it’s a lie.
The
HS was teaching this Christian that he did not need a false teacher to tell him
special knowledge.
·
This anointing in you is personal
·
This is the ministry of the HS
·
It is an on-going ministry of the HS
·
Every believer possess the HS
·
Every believer can trust the HS to discern the truth
Well,
the truth results in eternal life.
[What
do you say we wrap this up?]
CONCLUSION
We have come to the end of
this section in John. This section began in chapter 1 and verse 5 and ends in
chapter two verse 27.
John has actually unfolded
his argument in this section. Here we have found that the Christian life is a
life of fellowship with God. John makes it clear that it is not only a
possibility but a reality that human beings can have fellowship with God.
John makes it clear that it
is not just enough to say that you have fellowship with God. The claim to
having fellowship with God can and should be tested.
This first section has dealt
with the fact that this claim of fellowship can be tested by three (3)
different means;
1B Fellowship is tested on practical grounds (1:5-2:11)
1C Practical
grounds of moral like-ness (1:5-7)
2C Practical
grounds of confession of sin (1:8-2:2)
3C Practical
grounds of obedience (2:3-6)
4C Practical
grounds of love (2:7-11)
2B Fellowship is
tested on relational grounds (2:12-17)
1C The
Positive Relationship (2:12-14)
2C The
Negative Relationship (2:15-17)
3B Fellowship is
tested on Christological grounds (2:18-27)
1C The
Contrast (2:19)
2C The
Christological (2:19-21)
3C The
Centrality (2:22-25)
4C The
Clincher (2:26-27)
My goal has been to test your
claim of fellowship with God by these grounds.
Exhortation: I
exhort you to be speak loudly of, to revel in, and to enjoy your claim of
fellowship with God. But I exhort you to test your claim by these three grounds
to ensure your claim is valid.
Peter wrote in 1 Peter 1:10, (ESV)
“Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your
calling and election sure…”
Let’s
pray! J
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