THe Apostle John

So knowing that our life is in His hands is one of the greatest comforts and encouragement I believe in the Christian light. His love never ends. That's what we're going to talk about tonight. The love of God because we're going to talk about an apostle that talked much about the love of God and love for fellow believers as well. His name is John and he is the next of the twelve apostles that we're going to look at this evening in the Word of God. Before we get into what the Bible says about him and lessons I want to draw this evening from his life, let me just give you some information about John. John is obviously the brother of James, so much of what we said about James would apply to John as well. Family connections that we know of from the New Testament. His father is Zebedee, his mother is Salome, one of the women who supported Jesus ministry. He came from a good home, a fisherman's home, quite possibly a wealthy home, and he left all of that to follow Jesus Christ. He was probably a disciple of John the Baptist. If you would open your Bible to John chapter 1 and we're going to be looking at several passages this evening, let's begin in John chapter 1 where we have a reference. I believe I think to John the apostle and this probably indicates that he was a disciple of John the Baptist before he became a disciple of Christ in John chapter 1 verse 35. The next day John, and that John refers to John the Baptist, the next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, look, the Lamb of God. When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus, and then the story goes on to say they went to where he lived and stayed some time with him there. Now then in verse 40, Andrew's Simon Peter's brother was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. But John never tells us who the other one was. Where we're going to see it later that that's consistent with John the Apostles record when he's referring to himself in the Bible. He never mentions his name. He will quite often use the designation the apostle whom Jesus loved, but he never calls himself by name. And the fact that the second apostle is not named here, leads you to believe knowing his consistency in that regard, that probably the second disciple or follower of John the Baptist who was pointed to Jesus was John the Apostle. Certainly he was the youngest of the disciples. He wrote his last letter, the book of Revelation, some 60 years after Jesus had died on the cross. So you do the math and you know that John was even if he was quite old when he wrote that letter and then died shortly thereafter. He must have been a very young man when he chose to follow the Lord Jesus, was called to follow the Lord Jesus as his Savior and Master. He was given the opportunity to write five books of the Bible, five books of the New Testament. The gospel of John, obviously three epistles also called by his name, first, second, third John, and in the book of Revelation. Those wonderful books, and when you think about it, great books that describe the glory of Jesus Christ in his earthly ministry and his heavenly ministry and then three epistles to various individuals that he wrote as well. So John was a great apostle and a great man, but the thing that I want to focus on this evening and the lessons I want to draw from his life all have to do with the fact that John was known as the apostle of love because love is a major theme in his writings. I want to look at his life and draw from his life some lessons we can learn about the subject of love, the quality that God wants us to develop in our lives of love. I believe there are three lessons we can learn from John in regard to the subject of love. The first is this that love springs from a transformed life. We do not naturally have the kind of love that John talks about. Now there are different kinds of love. In fact there are different kinds of different Greek words that were used in the New Testament to communicate different kinds of love. There is a physical attraction kind of love, a sensual attraction of love which is legitimate within the marriage context and the Greeks used a specific word for that. It was called eros and then there was a natural kind of friend type of love and the Greeks had a different word for that. Phileo, the kind of friendship attraction, the natural kind of love. Those first two kinds of love we can have naturally. The unsafe people do have those kinds of love but the third kind of love, the highest kind of love that the Bible talks about, the Greeks used the word agape for and it was a special kind of love. It was a love that is rooted in attitudes and actions. It's a love that has attitudes that are benefit the good of another person and actions which are always carried out for the good of another person. It's a self-sacrificing kind of love. It's a kind of love that puts others first and man naturally does not have that kind of love. We may have friendship kinds of love, we may have certain attractions either by way of friendship or physical attractions to other people but we do not naturally have within us the love that John talks about in the Bible. That agape love the Bible said is shed a brow, spread a brow in our hearts through the Holy Spirit, Romans chapter 5 and verse 5. So that's not a natural kind of love. That's a love that has to come from the Lord. And the kind of love that John experienced and expressed in his writings came because of a transformed life. John's life was transformed by the Lord Jesus. Now much that we said about James when we talked about him could also be said about John. They were brothers and together they were known as the sons of thunder. That tells us something about their temperament, tells us something about their personality. And it tells us that the kind of love John talks about was not natural with him either. And I think it's easy for us to see as we look at John's life that John experienced a transformed life because Christ transformed him from first of all intolerance to meekness. Now let's go back to a story that we saw in Luke's Gospel about James. John is also included here. Luke chapter 9. Luke chapter 9. When we get to the story if you remember and we're here when we talked about James you'll easily recognize what we're talking about here. Luke chapter 9 verse 51. As the time approached for him speaking of Jesus to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem and he sent messengers on ahead who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him. But the people there did not welcome him because he was heading for Jerusalem. According to disciples James and John saw this they asked Lord do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them? But Jesus turned and rebuked them and he said you do not know what kind of spirit you are of for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them. Verse 56 and they went to another village. Now Jesus here rebukes both James and John because of their intolerance when they come to this village that does not want the Lord Jesus. James and John are both ready to call down fire from heaven and destroy the village. Remember there is a stern attitude here. There is resentment against the abuse that's being carried out upon our Lord and although the motivation may have been right the response was not and Jesus calls them on their response of intolerance to other people. Now interestingly enough there is evidence that John would learn from this experience and from his time with Christ that this was not the way to respond to these kinds of situations. If you will look at the epistle of third John for just a moment. Third John right over close to the book of revelations where I find it. Think you will find it there too. Third John. There is evidence here that John became a very gracious and meek individual because he commends Gaes for a particular virtue and he rebukes diatrophies for the opposite. Let's just look at it real quickly in verse 5 of third John. Speaking to Gaes he says dear friend you are faithful in what you're doing for the brothers even though they are strangers to you. They have told the church about your love. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. He commends Gaes for welcoming strangers, visitors to his home and taking care of their needs. But there is another man in the church that doesn't want that to be done. You look down in verse 9 he says I wrote to the church but diatrophies who loves to be first will have nothing to do with us. So if I come I will call attention to what he is doing. Gossiping maliciously about us not satisfied with that he refuses to welcome the brothers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church. And then Gaes is warned not to imitate that kind of behavior but the opposite, that of meekness and graciousness. Now think for a moment here John is rebuking diatrophies for the very same spirit that he himself had demonstrated in Luke chapter 9. Now little different situation but diatrophies really is guilty of something worse. At least John's intolerance was against those who were intolerant of Christ. Diatrophies is intolerant of fellow believers because he doesn't want anyone taking the limelight away from him in the church. And so traveling preachers who come by are not welcome and they will not be tolerated by adatrophies in the church or in his home. He will have nothing to do with them because he wants to be first. And John rebuks him for the same kind of intolerance spirit that he himself had once shown. So I believe John learned that you reach out to other people that when you are wronged you are meek and gracious in taking that rebuke. John learned that and we'll see how in just a moment. But there was something else that was transformed in John's life. He was transformed from a proud and selfish man to humility. And pride and selfishness to humility. You remember the story, we won't take the time to look at it. But remember the story in Matthew chapter 20 we saw it when we looked at James. James and John and their mother come to Jesus with a request. And that request is, you know, the text indicates that the mother was the one making the request but you can just kind of see John and James behind her, you know, hand signals about what to say. They're really pushing the agenda here. The request was this, Lord, when you come into your kingdom and Jesus had just talked to them about his kingdom and all the apostles ruling with him on the 12 thrones of Israel over the 12 tribes. Well, when you come into your kingdom, Lord, would you have one of my sons sit on your right hand, one of mine on your left, James on the right, John on the left or vice versa, the two closest to you, the two most powerful positions in your kingdom. We want them as our family. We want them for our family, for my sons, James and John, we want them for ourselves. There's pride and there's selfish ambition there. But there is a lot of evidence that later in his life, John had become a very humble man. I mentioned earlier and we'll see this in a few moments that John never mentions his own name in the Gospels. When he's talking about the disciples, he just kind of slides over himself. He never is pushing himself forward, does not mention his own name. But I want you to look at an interesting story in John chapter 20, the Gospel of John chapter 20. This is at Jesus' resurrection. This is the morning that Mary has come back to where the disciples are meeting in the upper room in fear and she's told them what she has seen, that the tomb is empty. Verse 2 of John 20 says, so she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, they have taken the Lord out of the tomb and we don't know where they have put him. So Peter and the other disciples started for the tomb. Both were running but the other disciple out ran Peter and reached the tomb first. Now probably because he was a little younger and his knees weren't quite as bad. John was probably a very young man, maybe in his early 20s at this time. So he's still a runner. Peter, not quite as young and maybe not doing as much running. John gets there first but he waits for his elder to get there. Notice what he does in verse 5. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. Verse 8, finally the other disciple who had reached the tomb first also went inside. He saw and believed. It's an interesting indication that John by this time who is not promoting himself is willing to wait for his elder. This is after three and a half years, three years probably with the Lord Jesus. He is now waiting for the other apostle to go in. If you will please look over at Revelation 1. Revelation 1. More evidence of John's humility here. Revelation 1. John who is the writer of this book refers to himself and his own experience in the first chapter but notice the ways in which he refers to himself. Chapter 1, verse 1, the revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant, John. He calls himself the servant of Jesus Christ. Look down at verse 9. I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus. See how he refers to himself. Now by this time John is well into his eighties, probably maybe even a little older than that. Writing the book of Revelation, he's probably the last living apostle. He has a position of esteem and respect and stature in the early church that nobody else living at this time probably has. And yet he refers to himself simply to his readers as your brother and companion in suffering in the kingdom of Christ. He does not take advantage of the fact of his position, his experience. He simply refers to himself as a fellow believer, a brother, a fellow companion in following Jesus Christ. I think maybe the reason is found in verse 17 after describing the glorious revelation that he's had of Jesus in verses 12 through 16. Look at verse 17. When I saw him, I felt his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said, do not be afraid. I am the first and the last. I think maybe the key to John's humility and his transformed temperament was seeing, knowing, experiencing the glory of Jesus Christ. In fact, what was it that made the difference in John? How was it that he could be so transformed from intolerance to meekness, from pride and selfish ambition to humility? What made the difference in John? Quite obviously, quite evidently, it is the years of walking with Jesus Christ. It is time spent with the master, with the Savior, as John walked with him and learned from him and was close to him in his earthly ministry. John began to grow and his character began to change. And then as he had all of these years to walk with the Lord Jesus, who is now in heaven, but John is still walking with him, and then he sees him revealed on the eye of Patmos. In all of his glory, in all of these years of walking with the Lord Jesus Christ, he has become like the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you ever feel like you're kind of unworthy material for the hand of the potter? You ever feel like God, the potter, is got a pretty bad piece of clay when he's working with you. That you're just not really the kind of material that he wants or that he can really make anything of. That is certainly not true. One of the most interesting things about studying Bible characters, these apostles or other characters in the Bible, is to see that they were people who had character flaws and weaknesses just like we do. A lot of rough edges on these guys. But Jesus, over a period of time, as they walked with him, shown and polished their character to where it began to glow with the image of Jesus Christ. You know, the Bible says the same thing can happen to us. There's a verse in 2 Corinthians chapter 3 and verse 18 that talks about that. It talks about the fact that we, as believers, beholding in a glass, which I believe is in the context speaking of the Word of God, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are transformed into the same image from glory to glory. In other words, by increments, little by little. We are transformed into the same image of glory, the glory of Christ, that we see in the pages of this book, this book which mirrors which reflects the glory of Christ as we look here, as we walk with Jesus in His Word. Then we begin to become like Jesus. His character begins to fill our hearts and minds. And so we have the same potential that John had and that the other disciples had. Starting with Jesus through His Word, over a period of time, Jesus begins to knock our rough edges off and he begins to shine and polish our character so that we begin to reflect the glory of Christ as well. It doesn't matter where you begin. It doesn't matter how rough the edges are. It doesn't matter how flawed the character is. Your life can be transformed by Jesus Christ, just like John's was. And the love, that spirit and attitude and action that is self-sacrificing that flowed from this man's life can also fill your heart and life as you have a transformed character. Jesus took a son of thunder, a raging stormy, ambitious man. He left within him the strength of a lion, but now turned it and transformed it to be used for the Son of God and to stand for the truth of God. And he turned him from that raging stormy, ambitious man into a meek and humble lamb that could be used by God. One of his sheep that still had the inner strength of a lion but would be used and that strength would be challenged to be used for the Lord. Here's a man whose life was transformed. And the kind of love that he talks about flows springs from a transformed life. That's a great lesson to learn from this man. But there's a second lesson to learn about love from the Apostle John. And the second lesson is this. Love is nurtured by a close walk with Christ. It springs from a transformed life, but it is nurtured. It grows, it develops by a close walk with Christ. This sweet spirit, this attitude that puts others first is nurtured and grows as we walk close to Christ. And you know, no one is better able to teach us this than John because John was closer to Christ than the other Apostles. Now I do not believe that Jesus played favorites. I don't think he played favorites in his ministry. But there were some Apostles and some in his life who enjoyed a closer fellowship with Christ. Whether that was of the Lord's initiation and design or if it was because they sought that, we really don't know. But there were some who enjoyed a closer fellowship with the Lord Jesus. We know that Jesus sent out 70 of his disciples at one time to preach and teach in his name in the villages of Galilee. So there were at least 70 that he had enough confidence in and trust in to be able to send out to minister for him. And they had power to cast out demons and do miracles and all that kind of thing. 70 of those guys, that's pretty impressive. But among those 70, there were 12 that we know had a special walk with Christ, the 12 Apostles. Among those 12, there were three Peter, James and John who were allowed kind of interaccess to the Lord in some of the events of his ministry that the others did not share. And of those three, John seems to be the one that walked the closest and had the closest fellowship with Jesus. You say, John, how do you know that? Well, let's go back to the gospel of John, John chapter 13. And what we're going to see is some of those references where John refers to himself as the apostle whom Jesus loved or the apostle that Jesus loved. John chapter 13. Verse 23, this is in the upper room. Just before the communion service is instituted. Just before Jesus will the next day go to the cross for us. And Jesus has just told them that one of them is going to betray him. Verse 22 says his disciples stared at one another at a loss to know which of them he meant. Verse 23, one of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved was reclining next to him. And so, of course, in those days they didn't sit at a table to eat like we do. The table was very low to the floor, kind of a Japanese kind of deal. Well, just forget that. The table was kind of low to the floor. And they would kind of lie on their left side and recline on their elbow to eat. I've never... They probably had indigestion the rest of the day when they did that. I can't figure that out. We're told now if you eat and then lie down, everything will kind of... Well, you know, it won't go where it's supposed to go. It won't go down. But I don't know how they did that, but they did that. That's the way they ate. And so here is John reclining at his side, which simply means they're at this meal. And he is the one leaning on his left elbow nearest to Jesus. And so Peter says, John, you're asking, what's he talking about? Because you're the one next to him. But notice, he refers to himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved. You say, well, how do you know that's John? Well, look over at chapter 19, verse 26. Chapter 19, verse 26. Let's begin in verse 25. This is a scene at the cross. Verse 25, near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary, the wife of clopus, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there and the disciple whom he loved, standing nearby, he said to his mother, dear woman, here is your son. And to the disciple, here is your mother. From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. Again, the disciple whom Jesus loved. Well, okay. So still, how do you know that this is John? Well, look at chapter 20, verse 2. This is the one we saw earlier at the tomb. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said they've taken the Lord out of the tomb. We don't know where they have put him. Okay, so still, how do you know that this is John? Well, look at verse 7. They're seeing the things that were in the tomb, verse 8. And finally, the other disciple who had reached the tomb first also went inside. He saw, I believe, this other disciple, the one that's referred to earlier in verse 2 is the one that Jesus loved. Well, how do you know that's John? Come on, tell me. How do you know that's John? Well, look at verse 20. Verse 20. I'm going to pay it here. Verse 20, after he said this, this is when Jesus met with the disciples on one of the days after his resurrection. He said this, he showed them his hands and feet, and the disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. I'm sorry, I'm looking for chapter 21, verse 20. Pardon me. Chapter 21, verse 20. This is when the disciples are on the shore after they've been called in from fishing. Jesus has called them in after the resurrection, verse 20. Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and it said, Lord, who is going to betray you. When Peter saw him, he asked, Lord, what about him? In other words, Jesus has just told Peter, you're going to give your life for me. You're going to die for me. And Jesus sees this other disciple and says, what about him? Verse 22, Jesus answered, if I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me. Most of this, the rumors spread among the brothers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die. He only said, if I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? Now, look at verse 24, here's the clue. Right at the end of the book, this is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true. Who is that disciple? The disciple whom Jesus loved, who's referred to so many times by that designation, but never named in the gospel of John, he is the one who wrote the record of these things in John's gospel. John, that's who it is. And so we know that John is the one. He's identified here as the one who walked closer to Jesus than anyone else among the apostolic band. Now, what does that mean? What it means is this, that close walk with Christ brought him greater responsibility and privilege. Think about it for a moment. Walking that close with Jesus, having that close of a relationship with him, brought him greater responsibility and privilege. When Jesus is looking for someone to care for his mother, he chooses John. That's a tremendous privilege and responsibility. For someone who will take care of his mother, it is John who has given that responsibility. John is commissioned to write more than any of the other twelve apostles. As I mentioned earlier, five books, including the gospel that shows the deity of Christ. Among all the other gospels, different from the other three who give a record of Christ's life, but John has a specific purpose, and that is to show that Jesus was the Son of God. And that it's only through believing in his name, you can have eternal life. John was chosen to record that gospel. Who was chosen to record the revelation of Jesus Christ? Not just the record of end time events, but what Jesus is doing in end time events in world history. John was the one chosen to do that. You see, there are special responsibilities and privilege is given to those who walk closer to the Lord Jesus. The same thing is true with you and with me. Do you really want to walk close to the Lord? Well we can do that. We have the same privilege of doing that through His Word and times in communion with Him. But when you walk close to the Lord Jesus, that provides you opportunity to have greater privilege and responsibility. Conversely, do you want greater opportunity, privilege, responsibility given to you by God? Don't seek the privilege and responsibility. Seek Jesus Christ. Seek a closeness with Him. Walk close to Him and God will take care of the responsibility, opportunities, and privileges He gives you. It is not ours to try to work angles to try to gain certain places in His kingdom. That's what James and John were trying to do with sending their mother to get the two places on His right and His left. But it was only as John learned to walk closely with Jesus that Jesus gave Him those privileges and opportunities and responsibilities. So the way to be given responsibility by Jesus, opportunity, privileges by Him to serve Him in certain ways, is to seek to walk close to Him without any ambition for place or privilege. Walk close to Him and whatever He gives you is what He will want you to do. That's what John found out. Love is nurtured by a close walk with Christ. But there's one other lesson to be learned from this man and that is that love should permeate our whole life. John mentions love more than 80 times in his writings. It really is an emphasis in this man's life and writing. It permeates his own life. But John, in talking about love, talks about four different kinds of love in the gospel, of John and in his epistles. Let me just briefly mention them to you. First of all, he talks about love for Christ. We've already seen that. The disciple whom Jesus loved, the one who loved Him, the one who was close to Him, and John tells us in his first epistle, why we love God. We sang about it tonight. First John 4.19, we love Him because He first loved us. That's the reason why we love the Lord. That's the reason why we can love Christ and do love Him is because He reached out to us first. And He loved us. Love for Christ is a highlight of John's ministry. But there's also in John's writing and ministry, great emphasis, not only on love for Christ, but the love of God. The love of God for us is highlighted in John's ministry. The greatest verse in all the Bible, maybe, on the love of God is found in John's gospel, isn't it? John 3. Verse 16, obviously, for God's so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believed within Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. The love of God, the verse that is probably used more than any other in the Bible to show the love of God, written from the pen of John. But I want you to look at a few verses in 1 John, the epistle of 1 John, that talk about the love of God. Such a tremendous emphasis in this man's heart and life, not only love for Christ, but He never got over the love of God for Him. As He's writing near the end of His life, this first epistle, chapter 3, verse 1, He says, how great is the love the Father is lavished on us that we should be called children of God. Look at chapter 4, verses 9 and 10. This is how God showed His love among us. He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love, whoever lives in love lives in God and God in Him. Verse 19, we love because He first loved us. The love of God for us was so paramount in this man's mind, so important in his thinking that he never got over it, even in the end of his life, he's marveling about how amazing the love of God is, the love that He's given us in Jesus Christ. But John not only talks about love for Christ and the love of God for us, he also talks a lot about love for other believers, love for other believers. If you just look at a few verses in this first epistle, back in chapter 2, chapter 2, verse 9. Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. He does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded him. Chapter 3, verse 11. This is the message you heard from the beginning. We should love one another. Then he gives the example of Cain who did not love his brother and applies that example in verse 15. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him. This is how we know what love is. Jesus Christ laid down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This thing is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. So he is talking about the love for other Christians here. He does it more in chapter 4, verses 7 and 8, verses 11 and 12, verses 20 and 21. The loving concern that expresses itself in caring for one another. Some of you will recall back in the 80s the hostages that we had in Lebanon. Remember that in those awful conflicts in the Middle East and those years. And we had several people who were held hostage in Lebanon during that time. From 1986 to 1990, Frank Reed for four long years was held hostage in a cell in Lebanon. For months at a time, time magazine reminds us he was blindfolded for months at a time, unable to see anything, living in complete darkness. Or he would be chained to a wall and he was kept in absolute silence, afraid to make any noise for fear he would be shot. On one occasion he was moved to another room and although he was blindfolded, he could sense that other people were in the room but he was afraid to try to remove his blindfold or move it to where he could get a peek. He was afraid to do that for fear he would be shot. It was three weeks before he dared to try to peek out and see if there was someone else in the room and he discovered he was chained next to two other men whose names you may remember Terry Anderson and Tom Sutherland who were also held hostage there for several years. Frank Reed and these other men were beaten, they were made sick, they were tormented and tortured. But what Reed told Time magazine was this, the thing he felt most was the lack of anyone caring for him. He said nothing I did mattered to anyone. I began to realize how withering it is to exist with not a single expression of caring around me. I learned one great overriding fact, caring is a powerful force if no one cares you are truly alone. My friend, love for other people, love for other believers in the family of God that expresses itself in caring for one another is such a powerful force for Christ. I want to back up just a little bit to something I said this morning. Sometimes when I get preaching I'd amped up a little bit and get passionate about something and I may have given the impression this morning that in the context of our church, maybe even in our Bible fellowships that we don't have enough caring for one another. I want to back up on that just a little bit and say I see an awful lot of caring in this church. There's an awful lot of people reaching out to meet the needs of others in planned ways and unplanned ways. And I want to make sure we recognize that and thank God for that because caring is such a vital factor in meeting the needs of other people and expressing the love of Christ. John talks a lot about that. Having our material possessions share them with others. That's how we love one another. Love for fellow believers. And then let me just mention this one. I won't take the time to look at all the passages. But John also speaks a lot about love for truth. Love for truth. Not only the love for Christ and the love of God and love for fellow believers, but the love of truth. You might kind of expect a man who spent so much time emphasizing the concept of love to be kind of weak need and spineless when it comes to standing for something, standing for truth. But John had a lot to say about truth. He never compromised truth, even though he was full of love. He never compromised truth. In fact, some of the most direct condemnations of false teaching in the Bible come from the pin of John. Now, John knew what it was to love other people, but loving others does not mean that you just whitewash what is error. It means you stand for truth. You know, love means that you hate what is evil. You condemn that which is wrong. Paul says that in Romans 12, and John very eloquently describes that with his condemnations of the doctrines and the teachings of people who do not believe in the deity of Christ. In the deity of Christ, in 1 John 2 and 1 John 4, also in the epistle of 2 John, he talks about loving the truth and standing for the truth. So love does not mean we have to compromise truth. There are lots of folks like that today who, in the name of love, want to be all things to all people and not offend anybody, and so they don't stand on truth. It is possible to stand on truth and still be a loving, caring, Christ-like, compassionate Christian. That's what John was. He balanced those two beautifully. I trust that as you look at a man like this, you will never despair of being used by God. Just like John, you can be transformed. And the love of Christ can spring from your heart. It can be nurtured as you walk close to him and in his word. And you can realize the love of God flowing through you to other believers while at the same time standing firmly on the truth of God's Word. God can do the same thing in our hearts and lives he did in John's. Let's ask him to do that, okay? Let's pray together. Father, we are grateful to you that you are in the life-changing business. Thank you that can change us from hard, callous, unfeeling, and unforgiving people to people who exhibit the love of Christ in our lives. And we pray that like John, our lives will be transformed. Maybe some of us are struggling with issues of a lack of forgiveness. Maybe some of us are struggling, Lord, with issues of callousness in our hearts, bitterness over things in the past. Maybe some of us are just struggling with pride and self-importance, intolerance. We pray, Father, that you would help our lives to be transformed by your love, to be people through whom your love flows to others. We ask in Jesus' name, amen.