Sermon Outline

October 29, 2007 am

LOVE THE BRETHREN

Lesson #6

TEXT: 1 John 3:13-19

INTRODUCTION:

  1. The Bible not only tells what we are not to love (1 John 2:15-17).
  2. We are also what we are to love.
  3. We know we have passed form life to death if we love the brethren.
  4. The problem John was addressing was that some claimed to be Christians and yet they hated their brethren.
  5. Hatred is a work of the flesh (John 19:21).
  1. WHO ARE MY BRETHREN?
  1. Luke 10:25-29 Good Samaritan
  2. Not the same as who is my neighbor?
  3. My Brethren are those who are:
  1. 1 Peter 1:23 "Born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible, by the word of God which lives and abides forever."
  2. Romans 8:14 By being led by the Spirit of God through His revealed word, the became "Sons of God."
  3. By becoming sons of God they are part of the "Household of God" (Ephesians 2:19).
  4. The Household of faith" (Galatians 6:10).
  5. The church of the living God the Pillar and Ground of the truth" (1 Timothy 3:15).
  6. Those who are separated from the world (1 Corinthians 6:17-18)
  7. Who have no fellowship with unfruitful works of darkness" (Ephesians 5:11)
  1. Who They are Not:
  1. Those who are walking in darkness and refuse to change (1 John 1:6; 8-10)
  2. Those who will not keep His commandments (1 John 2:4).
  3. Those who hate their brethren (1 John 2:9).
  4. Those who love the world (1 John 2:15).
  5. Those who practice and teach false doctrine (Called Anti-Christs by John 2:18-23).
  6. Love them not fellowship them in such way as to appear to condone their sinfulness.
  7. The prodigal son broke the bond of fellowship with His father but his father still loved him, even when they were not in fellowship with one anther.
  1. LOVE FOR THE BRETHREN IS A MEANS OF ASSURANCE:
  1. We know we have passed from life to death because we love the brethren"3:14).
  2. Remember the purpose of the letter is "That you may know that you have eternal life (1John 5:13).
  3. To love the brethren is not the way we gain eternal life, but a test by which we examine ourselves.
  4. John is giving us various means by which we may verify our relationship with the Father.
  1. One means is to evaluate our love for the brethren.
  2. This is not the only means but one of the many means.
  3. We must also walk in the light (1:7).
  4. Confess our sins (1:9)
  5. Know Him and keep His commandments (2:3)
  6. Love not the world (2:15).
  7. And Love the brethren (3:13-19).
  1. The Christian must constantly evaluate.
  1. Whether it is the teaching we are hearing
    1. Be like the Bereans (Acts 17:11).
    2. They evaluated what was being taught and if was the truth they accepted it.