DEVOTIONAL APRIL 29-MAY 5, 2018 40 5. 348. 3292 H O LYTRI N I T YEDMOND.O RG
Beloved Throughout the letters of John, the Apostle repeatedly uses that term of endearment for God s people: Beloved. Scholars suspect that John wrote all of his writings toward the end of his ministry and life, in the late First Century AD. 1 John, then, serves as a final sermon for all of the Beloved people of God the Church then and now encouraging and directing us in our life as resurrection people. In this Season of Easter, we will look at these timeless, parting words of an old Apostle. As the redeemed people of God, children of the light, we can take heart in all of life s difficult circumstances, for in Christ Jesus our Lord we stand forgiven as His dearly Beloved! We invite you to join us each week, too! Daily devotional booklets, like this one, will be provided each week in an effort to connect the Sunday messages with your daily life. The Sunday devotional offers a review of the morning s Scripture readings and message, allowing opportunity to reflect upon that day s sermon. Throughout the rest of the week, each day s offers a passage from the letters of St. John, with a few thoughts to ponder. Don t feel you have the time to look up the passages? No worries each day also has the verse or two being emphasized. We pray these devotionals will be a blessing to you and your family, and in your Christian life! The Beloved Sermon Series Themes: April 8: Practice the Truth (1 John 1:1-2:2) April 15: God s Children Now (1 John 3:1-7) April 22: We Know Love (1 John 3:16-24) April 29: We Know God (1 John 4:1-11 (12-21)) May 6: Our Victorious Faith (1 John 5:1-8) May 13: Our Living Testimony (1 John 5:9-15)
Beloved: We Know God Sunday Sermon Review April 29, 2018 As we heard last week, we know love. Now, we see that we know love only because we know God or, rather, because God knows us! Unfortunately, there are many who do not know God, or who distort His message. We are bombarded with messages counter to the Gospel constantly. John encourages the beloved to test the spirits to discern what is of God. This calls attention to the need for all the beloved people of God to be in His Word through worship and in our personal devotional life. The Scripture Lesson Summaries for Today: Acts 8:26-40: Philip instructs another Jew (an Ethiopian eunuch who had converted to Judaism) regarding a difficult teaching of Scripture. Through this discipling, the Ethiopian eunuch is brought to faith. 1 John 4:1-11 (12-21): John encourages us to test the spirits the words of everyone as many deceptive messages are out there. Because we know God, we know His message: Jesus, His only Son, came to die for us so that we might have life. Any other message is not of God; anything that points to ourselves is false. John 15:1-8: Jesus is the True Vine, we are His branches, called to bear fruit. If we abide in Him, He will abide in us and we WILL bear fruit; apart from Him, though, we can do nothing. Reflecting on Today s Sermon: 1. At what point was I confronted with the Law? 2. What comfort did the Gospel bring? 3. What story/phrase/teaching stuck out to me? 4. What did I learn about God from this sermon? 5. In response to the Word of God, I will Beloved: Let us abide in Christ and in His Word, that we may better know God as He reveals Himself through Scripture. Pray: Lord God Almighty, You gloriously and mysteriously reveal Yourself through holy Scripture. As we study Your Word, help us to better know You and Your gracious mercy and love. As we better know You, lead us by Your Spirit to truly love one another, that all may see You through our actions and words. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
One Constant April 30, 2018 Text: Read 1 John 4:7-8 Emphasis: Verse 8: The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love. There s a story of a pastor who went to visit one of his parishioners, a farmer. The two men walked and talked as the farmer made his way to an old barn. As they neared that barn, the pastor noticed the weather vane atop the barn, and suddenly he got a concerned look on his face. What seems to be the matter, asked the farmer. It s that weather vane up there. What does it say, replied the pastor. It says, God is love! That s what I was afraid of, said the pastor. Don t you think that s a little inappropriate? After all, weather vanes are changeable, going wherever the wind blows; but God s love is constant and unchanging. Exactly, the farmer chimed in. That weather vane points to the truth of God and His love. Regardless of which way the wind blows, God is love. And when things don t go your way, God is love. And His love always goes with you! It s a comforting thought, isn t it? To know that amid all of the changes and challenges of life, there is One constant God is love, and His love goes with you! God is love He keeps creation in motion in spite of humanity s rebellion. He could have said, Never mind, and wiped the earth clean of humans when He caught Adam and Eve in their shame. But instead, He made a promise to save us. All because God is love. God IS love no other god of any religion can make such a claim. All other legends of deities depict demanding and selfish gods. There, the focus is upon what we do for them. Not so with the Lord Almighty! In Him, we see a God continually giving and giving, not because we ve earned it but because He simply is love itself. With Him, the focus is upon what He has done for us in His only Son, giving us life. God is love! God is love. And while there s a lot of wind in Oklahoma, while things don t always go our way, while things are continually changing, and while we may occasionally turn from Him in sin, this constant remains! Beloved: God is love! And His love goes with you always! Pray: Lord Almighty, I praise You for the many gifts You have given to me most especially, the gift of life through Your Son. In Jesus, we truly see and experience the truth that You are love. Help me to know You more that I may love more graciously Amen.
First May 1, 2018 Text: Read 1 John 4:9-10 Emphasis: Verse 10: Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Have you ever been in a friendship where you felt like you re the one always initiating things? It seems like you re the one to make the first move when it comes to arranging the plans. You re the one to send the first text, the first invite, the first phone call. I think most people have been there before and experienced what that is like. It can be exhausting and frustrating sometimes. Relationships require hard work. Sometimes we may be tempted to give up. Have you ever felt this way about God? Have you experienced apathy toward Him when He doesn t seem to be answering? Have you wanted to give up on spending time with Him because it feels like too much work? I think all Christians have experienced this before. Sometimes spending time with God in His word and prayer can seem like a drag. Sometimes loving God feels exhausting and we look for an easier way. However, John points us back to our foundation: Jesus Christ. John defines love as God loving His creation first, without His creation loving Him back. God sent Jesus into the world because He loves us and wants us to be close to Him. God has always been making the first move. He s been the initiator of our relationship with Him. He s the first to speak to us, first to invite, and first to love and forgive. We now understand love as selfless giving toward another person without expecting anything in return. This is real love, sacrificial love, God s love. So, we take the love God has shown to us, and we give it freely to other people. We invite people into our homes without expecting them to invite us into their home. We give our time and resources to those in need without expecting them to pay it forward or say thank you. We welcome others unlimited times even if they keep brushing off our invitations. We call and reach out even when we receive no response or affirmation. Beloved: God loved us first, and still does! He calls us to love others without expecting anything in return. Pray: Lord God, You first gave me your unconditional love through your Son Jesus Christ. Thank you for continuing to love me even when I don t love you. Help me, with your Spirit, to love others in the same sacrificial way that you love. Amen.
Seeing God May 2, 2018 Text: Read 1 John 4:11-12 Emphasis: Verse 12: No one has ever seen God. If we love one another, God remains in us and his love is made complete in us. No one has ever seen God, John says. This is a difficult concept to wrap our minds around. After all, when you flip through the pages of Scripture, what do you see but so many instances of God s presence. The Lord was walking in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve. Abraham once had three visitors, one of which is understood to be God Himself (Abraham calls Him LORD ). Out of a burning bush, God spoke to Moses. In pillars of cloud and fire, He went with Israel as they exited Egypt. And then, of course, there s Jesus! Immanuel God with us! With all of these instances, and more, how could John possibly say, No one has ever seen God? The point John is making is that, while God has given us glimpses of Himself in many ways and at various times, no one has ever fully seen Him as He is. No one has seen the whole fullness of God. No one except Jesus. And Jesus makes Him known to us. John says as much in the opening of His Gospel account (John 1:18): No one has ever seen God. (Sound familiar?) The one and only Son, who is himself God and is at the Father s side he has revealed him. And John s whole Gospel narrative returns to this theme of seeing God, where people want to see God; and, seeing is compared with faith. (Think of Thomas refusing to believe in the resurrection without seeing Christ s wounds firsthand.) To all this Jesus points to Himself: Whoever sees Me sees Him who sent me. (John 12:44-45) And, The one who has seen Me has seen the Father. (John 14:9b) But Jesus goes on. As He has made God the Father known, we have opportunity to do the same for others to have a chance at seeing God. The one who believes in me will also do the works that I do (John 14:12) Or, we may look to our passage for today: If we love one another, God remains in us Thus, with eyes of faith, looking to Jesus, we have seen God! As we love one another we make Him known to those around us that they may see God, too. Beloved: By faith in Christ we ve seen God! Let us love one another so that others may see God in us, believe in Jesus, and have life in His name! Pray: Lord God, You make Yourself known through Your holy Word. You sent Your Son to show us the Way. And You still give us glimpses of You through all that You give to us and in the fellowship of believers. Let my life direct others to see You! Amen.
God Remains May 3, 2018 Text: Read 1 John 4:13-16 Emphasis: Verse 13: This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. Most of us were vaccinated as babies and perhaps are even still being vaccinated for things like the flu and other illnesses. Vaccinations strive for immunity lifelong protection from the illness or disease. Obviously, vaccines aren t always perfect since every case is different which is why boosters and immunity tests take place; but overall, they are effective at controlling dangerous diseases. God also provides us with immunity, immunity from one of the effects of sin which includes both spiritual and physical death. Obviously physical death is something that, as humans, we face, but we will not face a spiritual death. That is because, in baptism God uses the earthly element water and His Holy Word to work the forgiveness of sins, rescue us from death and the devil, and to provide eternal salvation. This is a life-long promise that God gives to us and that remains in us along with His gift of the Holy Spirit. Baptism isn t about our personal promise to God, but rather God s promise to us, which is why it can happen at any age including as an infant, and why baptism is only necessary one time. Despite these promises, we know that people fall away from the faith, not because God doesn t hold up His promise, but rather because the person rejects the free gifts God has provided. So how do we know that this won t happen to us? Here John 4 provides an enormous amount of comfort. The Holy Spirit that God has given us not only remains in us clinging God to us, but also works through us to help us to remain with God. Through the power of the Holy Spirit we can say, Jesus is the Son of God. The Holy Spirit uses worship, prayer, devotion, and people to grow our faith and understanding of God. He also gives us the confidence and assurance of our salvation, reminding us that God remains faithful, that God remains just, and that God remains merciful, gracious, and loving. We can rest assured that He {God} who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6). Beloved: God will never leave or forsake you. He loves you and will remain with you. Pray: Loving Father, you have shared with us many blessings and promises. You call us your children and gift us with your Spirit. Thank you for remaining in us, despite our sinfulness. Help us, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to remain in you. Amen.
Have No Fear May 4, 2018 Text: Read 1 John 4:17-18 Emphasis: Verse 18 There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. So the one who fears is not complete in love. It is said that at one point during his years as premier of the Soviet Union, Nikita Kruschev made a speech denouncing many of the policies and atrocities of Joseph Stalin. In the midst of this speech a heckler shouted from the crowd, You were one of his colleagues! Why didn t you stop him? It was then that Kruschev screamed at the crowd, Who said that?! There was a deathly silence in the room. No one dared moved a muscle, fearing the wrath of the Soviet leader. Amid such tense silence, Kruschev finally said, Now you know why! fear involves punishment, John tells us, today. It was certainly the case in that story of Kruschev, above. And it is, indeed, the case today. Fear, at its root, involves punishment. From the very first sin, humanity was thrown into a state of fear afraid of the punishment for breaking God s Law. Afraid of death. Afraid of having to work harder and harder just to survive. Afraid of humble service. Afraid of the pain and difficulty of childbirth, and of raising kids. Afraid of submission to those whom God placed in authority. Afraid of losing what we have. Afraid of the schemes of the devil. Fear is everywhere, because sin is everywhere. But, John informs us, perfect love drives out fear And this perfect love comes from our Triune God. Martin Luther is quoted as saying: God and the devil take opposite tactics in regard to fear. The Lord first allows us to become afraid, that he might relieve our fears and comfort us. The devil, on the other hand, first makes us feel secure in our pride and sins, that we might later be overwhelmed with fear and despair. Fear is everywhere, and fear involves punishment. But our God desires to drive away all fear. His Son has taken the punishment we deserve. That is perfect love! The world may be full of frights, but Christ has overcome the world! Trust in Him and not yourself, for He drives out all fear, indeed! Beloved: Have no fear or despair but take comfort in God s perfect love! Pray: Lord God Almighty, this world is full of frightening things because of sin. Your perfect love alone drives out all fear. So, help me to more fully rest in Your love, and trust in Christ s work on the cross, that I may have no fear of punishment. Amen.
ACTION! May 5, 2018 Text: Read 1 John 4:19-21 Emphasis: Verse 20: If anyone says, I love God, and yet hates his brother or sister, he is a liar. For the person who does not love his brother or sister whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. This sermon series and accompanying devotional booklets have repeatedly used a certain word. Love. it s even found within the name of the series itself: Be-LOVE-d! So, perhaps four weeks into it is a bit late to discuss what love actually is, and what it isn t. But here we go, anyway! In this day and age, we generally talk about love in terms of what we think or how we feel about someone or something. This understanding of love gets muddied when with one breath we say, I love hotdogs, and in the next we say, I love my mother. Both are statements of feelings, but surely they mean different things otherwise, you re putting your mother on par with hotdogs. *** In Scripture and much of human history, actually love was understood as not a feeling, but an action. A verb. It s what you do for someone. Sure, there may be happy feelings attached to that action...but sometimes not-sohappy feelings, too. Regardless, it is an action done out of care for another. The same thing can be said for the word hate. Hate, too, can be understood more as an action, and less of a feeling of anger or harm toward another. When John writes, If anyone says, I love God, and yet hates his brother or sister, he is a liar, understand that he is not talking about your happy or harmful feelings. He s talking about your actions. What it ultimately comes down to is whether we are putting our faith into action or not. To love God is to take action for our neighbor. We don t do this to earn points before God, nor to prove to HIM how much we care for Him. Rather, we love our neighbor in our words and actions simply because they are our neighbor. They are someone in need; someone for whom Christ died. Beloved: Let us love God through our actions of love for one another in the Body of Christ, and for our neighbors who do not yet know Jesus. Pray: Lord Jesus Christ, You showed us the depth of Your love for us, obediently submitting to the Father s will and dying on the cross for me. Your sacrifice is the greatest example of love in action. By Your Spirit, lead me to act in love for all people. Amen. ***BTW: Mother s Day is next week, so here s your chance to make up for equating her to a hotdog! ***
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Christian Standard Bible, Copyright 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible and CSB are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.
DEVOTIONAL APRIL 8-14, 2018 40 5. 348. 3292 H O LYTRI N I T YEDMOND.O RG