Believe what you know and know what you believe

1. Don’t be afraid to open
the door
1 John 2:1–14
1

2. 1 John 2:1–14
Please stand for the reading of
God’s Word
2

3. My little children, I am writing these
things to you so that you may not sin.
And if anyone sins, we have an
Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ
the righteous;
3

4. and He Himself is the propitiation for
our sins;
and not for ours only, but also for the
whole world.
4

5. By this we know that we have come to
know Him,
if we keep His commandments.
5

6. The one who says,
“I have come to know Him,”
and does not keep His commandments,
is a liar, and the truth is not in him;
but whoever keeps His word,
in him the love of God has been perfected.
6

7. By this we know that we are in Him:
the one who says he abides in Him
ought to walk in the same way as He
walked.
7

8. Beloved, I am not writing a new
commandment to you,
but an old commandment which you
have had from the beginning;
the old commandment is the word
which you have heard.
8

9. On the other hand, I am writing a new
commandment to you,
which is true in Him and in you,
because the darkness is passing away
and the true Light is already shining.
9

10. The one who says he is in the Light
and yet hates his brother
is in darkness until now.
The one who loves his brother
abides in the Light and there is no
cause for stumbling in him. 10

11. But the one who hates his brother
is in the darkness and walks in the
darkness and does not know where he
is going
because the darkness has blinded his
eyes.
11

12. I am writing to you, little children,
because your sins have been forgiven
for His name’s sake.
I am writing to you, fathers,
because you know Him who has been
from the beginning.
12

13. I am writing to you, young men,
because you have overcome the evil
one.
13

14. I have written to you, children,
because you know the Father.
I have written to you, fathers,
because you know Him who has been
from the beginning.
14

15. I have written to you, young men,
because you are strong, and the word
of God abides in you, and you have
overcome the evil one.
15

16. Finished
Let us pray!
(You may be seated) 16

17. Many of us think JW’s when we think of “religious”
conversation. Some are even afraid to engage
Don’t be afraid to open
the door
17

18. When the Jehovah Witnesses come to the door
1 John
Equips you with answers
Helps you to know what you believe
Gives you fundamentals of belief
18

19. Americans are not having spiritual conversations
Why people don’t have spiritual conversations
19
Religious conversations always seem to create tension
or arguments: 28%
the number one reason Christians don’t talk about
faith
I’m not religious and don’t care about these kinds of
topics: 23%
Top reason people of no faith don’t have spiritual
conversations

20. Barna
21% not sure
I’m put off by how religion has been politicized:
17%
I don’t feel like I know enough to talk about
religious or spiritual topics: 17%
I don’t want to be known as a religious person:
7%
20

21. Barna
I don’t know how to talk about religious or
spiritual topics without sounding weird: 6%
I’m afraid people will see me as a fanatic or
extremist: 5% especially true for milennials
I’m embarrassed by the way religious language
has been used in popular culture: 5%
21

22. Barna
I’ve been hurt by religious conversations in the
past: 4% Practicing are tee group most prone to
blame this
Religious language and jargon feels cheesy or
outdated: 4% Liberals more likely than
conservatives
22

23. Review from last week
My little children, I am
writing these things to you
so that you may not sin.
23

24. Not a list
 Rules
 Boundaries
 Standards
24

25. INTERESTING WORD CHOICE
And if anyone sins, we have
an Advocate with the
Father, Jesus Christ the
righteous;
25

26. Paraclete
Advocate
Helper
Comforter
Friend
Defined as
one who is
called to
someone’s aid
26

27. Jesus our
advocate in
Heaven
I will ask the
Father, and He will
give you another
Helper, that He
may be with you
forever;

28. Jesus our helper
He Himself is the
propitiation for our
sins; and not for ours
only, but also for those
of the whole world.
28

29. Propitiation
Expiate-OT “to take away, to wash
away, to leave unpunished”
LXX-the mercy seat
NT-appeasement of the wrath of
God
29

30. God is always angry at sin
For the wrath of God is
revealed from heaven
against all ungodliness
and unrighteousness of
men who suppress the
truth in unrighteousness
Romans 1:18 30

31. The 144,000?
Only the Elect?
Whose sin did Jesus die for?
31

32. Accepting the sacrifice for our sins
By this we know that we have
come to know Him, if we keep
His commandments.
32

33. What we can know?
So far
1. We can know God
2. We can know
what He wants for
our lives
3. We can know that
we know!

34. What’s the proof?
We know that we have
known Him
HOW?
(Keep His commandments) 34

35. What commandments?
“YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH
ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL,
AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH
ALL YOUR MIND; AND YOUR
NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.”
Luke 10:27 35

36. ThinkAre you actively loving?
36

37. Discipleship
whoever keeps His word, in him the love of
God has been perfected. By this we know
that we are in Him: the one who says he
abides in Him ought himself to walk in the
same manner as He walked.
Proof of salvation 37

38. A cooperative venture
Do his teaching-God perfects you
Live like Christ, Act like Christ
38

39. Live like Christ
Attitude-Servant leader
Actions-Benefit of others
Habits-Connections
39

40. Look for yourself
Abides in Jesus
Obedience
Have God’s love
Christ-like
Loves brothers
Walks in light
Hypocrite
Disobedience
Dishonest
Hates brothers
Walks in darkness
Blinded by sin
40

41. Loved Ones, Keep Jesus’ Commandments
BECAUSE
The darkness is passing away
The true Light is already shining
Jesus is winning 41

42. I am writing to you
Little Children
Your Sins Have Been Forgiven
You Know The Father
42

43. Fathers
You know Him
who has been
from the
beginning.
43
I am writing to you

44. I have written to you
Young men
You are strong,
The word of God abides in
you
You have overcome the
evil one*
44

45. Don’t be afraid to open
the door
Revelation 3:20 (NASB95)
20 ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.
45