Learning from the Little Books: 2 John

ADD Moment:

Pastor Aaron Jozwiak has been covering the Little Books in his current sermon series.  I thought it would be funny to have Bible studies of the same books.  Of course, a Bible study on 2 John would only be a week long. :-D

2 John

2 John 1 English Standard Version (ESV)

Greeting

1 The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all who know the truth, 2 because of the truth that abides in us and will be with us forever:

3 Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father's Son, in truth and love.

Walking in Truth and Love

4 I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father. 5 And now I ask you, dear lady—not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another. 6 And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it. 7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8 Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we[a] have worked for, but may win a full reward. 9 Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, 11 for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.

Final Greetings

12 Though I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink. Instead I hope to come to you and talk face to face, so that our joy may be complete.

13 The children of your elect sister greet you.

Main Points:

1. Commit to the truth

2. Commit to the holiness

3. Commit to gospel purity

Sermon Notes:

Why Commit your life to Jesus?

• God is our creator, and He created us.  C.S. Lewis said that cars run on gas, and people run on God.  We need God to work and operate our lives properly.
• Poured Himself to us and provided us with the Holy Spirit.
• Provides joy to our hearts.
• God's joy for us is when we commit and delight in Him.
• The joy of others (vs. 12), other believers, and others in our congregation.

1 John

Reaping and sowing is a theme in 1 John.  Love like Jesus did and discern what is godly.

Commit to the truth

What is truth?  Is it subjective? Timeless?  Many people in the U.S. 'decide' what is true, and think of truth as subjective.  "Whatever is true for you, is not true for me."  "It is absolutely true, that there are no absolute truths."

Jesus is the truth.  This is a common theme for John.

Commit to holiness

Following the commandments of scripture is how to be holy (vs. 5).  Show love to one another by being holy.  Not following Christ's commands is unloving  to other Christians.  I need to watch what I I am feeding into my heart (GIGO).

Commit to gospel purity

Don't add or take away from the gospel.  In 1 John, some people left the church because of their beliefs in an impure gospel.  We must be watchful of false teachers, antichrists (vs. 7 & 8).  An antichrist is one who is at war against the truth.

Just because you know facts about Jesus, doesn't mean you know Him.  Satan knows plenty of facts about Jesus, but does not know Him.

Don't allow false teachers in your home (vs. 10-11).  In the New Testament times, churches gave hospitality to their teachers.  How often do we validate that which is not true with family, coworkers, and friends?  It is unloving to validate false gospels.

Discussion:

What is True?

• God is for us, not against us.
• God gave us His all.
• God is powerful.
• God is sufficient.
• God provides.

How can we be holy?

• Confession of our sins to God and others.
• Read His words.
• Speak in a wholesome manner.
• Stay away from sexual immorality and impurity.

How do we keep the gospel message pure?

• Share it.
• Love others and remind others who we are.
• Remember we are sons and daughters of the King.

Nehemiah Summary

Nehemiah Summary

Pastor Aaron Jozwiak - May 17, 2015 Red Village Church

Initial Scripture Reading: 

Nehemiah 1:1-4; 13:31b


"1 The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah.

Now it happened in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Susa the citadel, 2 that Hanani, one of my brothers, came with certain men from Judah. And I asked them concerning the Jews who escaped, who had survived the exile, and concerning Jerusalem. 3 And they said to me, “The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.”

4 As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven."

"31b ... Remember me, O my God, for good."

Main Points:

1. God calls us to an impossible task.
2. There will be joy and sorrow.
3. There will be commitment and sacrifice.

Sermon Notes:

Nehemiah's purpose was to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem.  What is our wall?  People.
Ephesians 2:10 "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
As followers of Jesus, we are to walk in good works, proclaim the good news, and make disciples.

God calls us to an impossible task

You may be able to breeze through the New Testament, but when you get to the Great Commission, it's an impossible task.

Nehemiah was set with an impossible task.  He asked to be released by the king to leave for Jerusalem and was afraid to make this request before the king.  However, he was blessed to go on his quest by the king.  At Jerusalem, the city and its people were in terrible shape.  This rag-tag group started this impossible work.  They were threatened by others, and they were threatened from within when some were trying to get rich at the expense of others.  If God is not in control, the walls couldn't have been built and the Great Commission won't work.

We must pray together and plead with the Lord to do the impossible.
We are to make disciples and proclaim the Christ of the scriptures.
We must read the scriptures, sometimes together.
We must repent of our sins.
We all must be part of the team.  The Great Commission is a team project.

There will be joy and sorrow

Nehemiah was a roller coaster of fear, sorrow, joy, certainty, etc.

There will be sacrifice and commitment

The people of Jerusalem could not neglect the temple.  Nehemiah committed his entire life to the wall of Jerusalem.  These are our marching orders.

Red Village Church has only a existed for a short time, and already there are people, missionaries who are around the world who were members of Red Village Church.  The sun never sets on this congregation.

Additional Notes from Our Village Meeting

Philippians 2:16 "holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain."

People, Christians don't disciple, don't know how to pray.  We give up too quickly.  It took Thomas Edison about a year to make an inexpensive, commercially viable light bulb, that inventors had been working on for the last fifty years (HC.com).  In  Philippians, Paul was looking for people to labor for Christ.

How do you (or I for that matter) share the gospel?  

Churches want to harvest (supposedly), but no one is spreading the seed!  There is something wrong with our faith, if we aren't growing.