What is real?

These are my notes from this past Sunday's sermon...
The text is 1st John 5:1-5
We've been in 1st John now for many weeks. (months?) and I've really gotten out so much from these teachings. It's been good to break down verse by verse by verse.

What is Real?

If God is real, then the most important thing in my life is to KNOW Him. And to know that you know Him.

Truths: loving God and loving people. We're called to love God and love people. This has been a theme throughout 1st John.

vs. 3 "we show our love of God when we keep His commandments and His commandments are not burdensome." and by this (vs 2) we know we love the children of God (people). ....How you know that you love God is NOT what you say or how you feel, it is shown IF you keep His commandments. ... What is a burden? It's heavy. It weighs you down. It's a struggle to carry. It's a struggle to get through. It's difficult. So, how can we keep His commandments without the burden? They are hard to keep, aren't they? ... well There is nothing more burdensome than a life of sin. SIN is initially welcoming. It's freeing. Look what I can do! Who cares the consequences, I'm doing what I want, when I want. ... but soon "it" will be heavy. it is difficult to live in sin. Living in sin will suck the life out of you.

Jody gave an example of a hampster in a cage. Living the good life. And yet every day, he's in the corner of his cage, clawing away as fast as he can, trying to escape. What he doesn't know is that outside the cage, sitting down and watching, waiting patiently, hoping for the hampster to be victorious in his escaping, is a cat. Waiting. Wanting to capture that hampster. ... The enemy patiently waits to take your life away once you "find freedom" in this world. Like wise, there is nothing more liberating than righteousness. A life of walking with God has no burdens in it. We don't have to shoulder anything heavy any more, if we'll just offer it to Christ to take for us. THIS is freeddom. This is joy. Over the long haul, His commands are liberating, they aren't burdensome.

vs 4. Where there is a real relationship with God there IS victorious living. and it is not about you-- it is all about God. The same faith that brought you to Christ is the same faith to exercise your life in Christ, hence victorious Christian living! This is the victory that overcome the world.... our FAITH be/c with Jesus Christ, in Him alone, we CAN have LIFE!


...

Remember that when Christ came and was asked what is the most important commandment. He said, "to love God with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself" Loving God. Loving people. Loving God and Loving People. Sure, there is a long list of "don't's and do's." but bottom line is that IF we are Loving God and Loving People then we are trying to live by the longer list at the end of the day.

Right now I'm focusing on "love is not rude". I've taped up a sign in the kitchen that says

Love is a verb.
Love has action.
LOVE IS NOT RUDE.

(for more about love is a verb, click here to see an earlier post)

I want to live by God's commandments and keep them. I want to bind scripture in my heart so that I may not sin against Him. I want to love my children and my husband and show them the love of Christ through me. I want to be a good steward of the money we have and not covet what my neighbor has. I want to be a gentle listener and slow to anger. The more that I seek God and love Him, the easier these things become.