" God is Greater Than Our Heart, and He Knows Everything."

Alleluia!  Christ has Risen! 

He has risen indeed!

Alleluia!  Christ has Risen! 

He has risen indeed!

Alleluia!  Christ has Risen! 

He has risen indeed!

1 John 3:19–20 ¹⁹By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; ²⁰for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.

          How's your heart pumping these days?  You ever listen to your heart?  I remember going to the doctor when I was a young boy and the doctor putting his stethoscope on me and letting me listen to my heart beat.  Sounded more like some fluid being forced in and out of a tube.  Seems more like a beat when I hear it night laying on my side and my blood pressure is high.  It almost sounds deafening.  How does your heart sound these days?

          I think my blood pressure goes up based on how many people I hold in my heart.  At least that's what I try to tell my doctor.  Well maybe not.  Enough about my heart, what about our heart?  Yes, what about the collective heart of our congregation?

          We certainly claim to have a heart for our God that we worship every Sunday, and we might even claim that our heart for God never condemns us, or does it?  There are those times when we have been on that side path of sin and then something important comes up that we feel we should go to our Lord and pray for.  So we put our hands together and start to pray and all of a sudden we remember we are on that side path of sin and no words come out.  It's like we are frozen in the thought of what's the use God won't answer this prayer, because He knows of my side path of sin.

1 John 3:21–24 ²¹Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; ²²and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. ²³And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.  ²⁴Whoever keeps his commandments abides in him, and he in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.

          Oh yea, I've been good all this week and God will surely listen to my prayers, yeah!  It's funny how we get stuck on the perfect, that is, as long as we do everything by the law then God will be good to us.  And, if I don't do everything by the law of God then He will not be good to us?  Well... that's not entirely true is it? 

          Certainly if we follow God's commands He will be good to us.  But, if we do not follow God's commands God will forgive us if we have a repentant heart.  Maybe that's the contributing factor of blood pressure, the more one sins and the more one repents the more one's blood pressure increase.  I better stop sinning so much.  Ok, maybe that's not it either.  But it's good to have a healthy heart to keep us on the steady beat.

          You remember what we read first, "God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything."  God knows our heart, He knows why we sin, and what we are trying to make up or replace with our sin.  Though the reasoning for our sin is not a real excuse, God sees everything attached to our heart and becomes greater than our heart as He forgives. 

1 John 3:16–18 ¹⁶By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. ¹⁷But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? ¹⁸Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

          We can believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God because we should know through God's word that we have a loving and caring God.  Our hearts might condemn us, but God says Himself that He does not.

John 3:17 ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

Christ laid down His life to show just how much God wants us to be with him, and not just for a time, but for eternity.  This is the truth of God's love, it is Jesus Christ's suffering, death, and resurrection that gives everlasting relationship with our God who has the greater heart.  Amen.

Alleluia!  Christ has Risen! 

He has risen indeed!

Alleluia!  Christ has Risen! 

He has risen indeed!

Alleluia!  Christ has Risen! 

He has risen indeed!

"Do You Know a Christian?"

Alleluia, Christ is Risen!  He is risen indeed!

Alleluia, Christ is Risen!  He is risen indeed!

Alleluia, Christ is Risen!  He is risen indeed!

          1 John 3:1–7 ¹See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

          Do you know a Christian?  You might think this a strange question to ask to a congregation, however it might get you to take a closer look at yourself.  I got to admit some days I don't feel like a Christian.  Especially when I haven't been in God's word for awhile.  I start to fade from the joy I receive every time I find something that encourages me in God's word, especially when it really gives me a shot of the gospel in a way that I had not heard it or hadn't remembered it.  I stop to think during those times that I slip away from reading the Holy Scriptures, what is a Christian?

          We would most likely say a Christian is someone who believes in Jesus.  Some might even say believing that Jesus is our savior. We might possibly think that saying we believe is enough to get by.  But where is the joy in just saying we believe if we do not know our Lord intimately through His word. 

Most people even in the Church do not know Christ and what he has done for us not only on the cross but what He teaches us as well and how He intercedes for us daily.  Most non-Christians look at Christians as bullies because we talk about sin.  Obviously if we call someone a sinner we probably are a bully, however if we admit that we too are a sinner then we might show all are equal in the eyes of God.

A real Christian knows that they are not a better person than a non-Christian because we all sin.  However a real Christian knows having a real relationship with Christ through His word is essential to knowing the salvation that Christ sacrificed through His suffering and death so that we might have eternal life.  I receive more joy every time I am in the word because the more I study it the more I see and understand God's love for us.

          1 John 3:4–7 ⁴Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. ⁵You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. ⁶No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. ⁷Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.

          It is important to get the key words here, "⁴Everyone who makes a practice of sinning,” this could be confusing but it doesn't have to be.  It is talking about people who plan on sinning as a motif to living their lives.  Certainly we sin and at times we know we are going to sin before we do, however most people do not make it a practice to live their life in sin all the time. 

It is also important to know that when we sin we do practice the lawlessness of God's laws whether they are man's laws or not.  So for the most part we try to practice righteousness and in our righteousness we should practice repenting.  As we repent we know we are forgiven and can embrace the love God has for us as He calls us His children.

Luke 24:47 ⁴⁷ and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

2 Corinthians 7:9-10 ⁹ As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us.

¹⁰ For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.

          A Christian suffers grief from sinning and this grief is our conscience that we receive from the Holy Spirit that leads to repentance.  And repentance leads to forgiveness that leads to salvation.  I cannot imagine anyone not wanting forgiveness, because even the worst of sinners, as Saint Paul called himself wants to be forgiven. 

Our Lord Jesus Christ set out to accomplish four tasks.  One was to reach and teach His people.  Two was to suffer and die to pay the ransom for our sins.  Three was to rise from the dead defeating death and showing all there really is eternal life.  And, fourth was to reach and teach the whole world of God's love for them all.

1 John 3:2–3 ²Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. ³And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

          Do you know a Christian, I hope you will say yes as you look at yourself.  Do you know you are saved, you should, because you are saved?  We believe we are saved into eternal life and even better, that we will have a real eternal relationship where we live in His word and feel firsthand the awesome and great love our God has for us.  Amen.

Alleluia, Christ is Risen!  He is risen indeed!

Alleluia, Christ is Risen!  He is risen indeed!

Alleluia, Christ is Risen!  He is risen indeed!

"The Truth"                                                                

1 John 1: 8 - 10 ⁸If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Alleluia, Christ is risen!  Alleluia, Christ is risen!  Alleluia, Christ is risen!

The Truth will set you free.  We know that Christ died for our sins.  This passage has two meanings and both meanings are correct and should be used at the same time.  One meaning of this passage is that we should be truthful and admit that we are sinners and we have and will sin.  Admittance is the first part of the road to repentance, that is, we should admit to ourselves and confess to God our sins.  We might take a lesson from our Catholic brothers and sisters as they go to confession to do just that confess and repent.  Saying this I really am not looking to hear your sins, rather I would like to be assured you went to your knees and shed some tears as you honestly confess your sins to the one who can forgive them.

          Jesus gives us an example of confession as we read about the Pharisee and the tax collector in Luke 18:10-14.  The Pharisee offered up a list of his good deeds and pompously put down the tax collector. The tax collector gave a confession admitted that he was a sinner, with tears showed remorse for his sins and pleaded for forgiveness and mercy.  This example was not just about praying, but very much about an honest confession.

          The second meaning of this passage is whether or not we have Christ in us as He is the Truth that will set us free, as we read in John 8:31-32.  Jesus is the Truth, He is the only one who can free us from the clutches of the law that demands we pay the full penalty for our sin.  We know the full penalty is eternal death, which is an eternal punishment of torment, which is an everlasting discomfort to say the least.  We can tell the truth and should, however without the works of Christ we cannot overcome death. 

We need to have the Truth in us and that can happen when we abide in His word, and that can only happen if you are truly His disciple, which only happens if you are studying His word.  It is the works of the Holy Spirit and the word of God that we receive Christ in us.  God's word also helps us receive and fuel the Spirit.

          1 John 1:1 - 7 ⁵This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. ⁶If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. ⁷But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

          We know Christ died for our sins He took the punishment we deserve for us so we don't have to die.  We should know and rejoice that Christ was resurrected so that we who believe Christ is our savior may live.  It is a true statement saying that Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the word of God are all working toward leading all people to believe.  

          1 John 5:1 - 2 ¹My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. ²He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

          "The Truth" is that we have an advocate and He is Jesus Christ.  Christ our savior through His works on the cross paid the ultimate ransom for our sin.  It was God's plan from before the fall of Adam and Eve to save what He holds precious in His heart.  God did not create us to die.  God created us to live so that He can have an everlasting relationship with His beloved creation.  We are that beloved creation that Christ died for.  We are that loving creation that Christ resurrects in the last days to live eternal on a new earth in a new heaven.  Wow!  The magnitude of this concept!  Our God is awesome.  Alleluia, Christ is risen!  Alleluia, Christ is risen!  Alleluia, Christ is risen! Amen.  Amen.  Amen!