Victory. Nike means victory. Who here wants some of that? Who here this morning likes to win? Who doesn’t want victory?
[think of the top 5 buzzer beaters...]
Today we’re talking about victory… Let’s take a look.
1John 4:20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.
1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. 4 For everyone born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith.
5 Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 6 This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. 9 If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater; for the testimony of God is this, that He has testified concerning His Son. 10 The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son. 11 And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. 13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
Don't miss another Trinity sighting! [vv5-6]
Believing in Jesus = Born of God = eternal life = loving God = loving His children/one another = doing/keeping His commands = abiding/remaining in Him
Seeing = loving (or should). When you see your brother - if Christ, God’s love seed, is in you, if you have been born of God, then when you see your brother or sister, you should love them. You should have compassion on them. God’s seed of love and compassion in you, the compassion of Christ in you, should come bubbling to the surface and spilling out and over in the direction of your brother/sister. John is saying, it doesn’t make sense that - if you have born of God - that you can claim to love God Whom you haven’t even seen and NOT be loving the brother or sister you do see, who is physically present. Because love is a verb. It manifests itself physically, it demonstrates. And the way we demonstrate love for the invisible God is to love the visible brother or sister who is physically present in the proximity. That’s the whole point of this writing. Professing to love God yet failing to love my brother makes me a liar. Liar #1 (there are two liars in this passage). God’s love is NOT in me if it fails to be directed towards my brother or sister. That’s what John has been saying this whole time. We looked last week at what Seth Godin says. I’m not here just to learn. I’m not just here to occupy 18 inches of pew (or chair) once a week. Yes, I’m learning how to love God and how to observe His commandments, but I’m also here to love. Because Christ gave us this new command - to love one another as He has loved us. And then He put a new nature of love right down inside us. So I’m here to send out love, to serve you, and we one another, just as He served us. That’s how Jesus rolled, and that’s how He wants to roll in and out of each of us…
This is the outcome of what has gone in. God’s seed. The seed of faith, of believing and trusting in Jesus the Son of God and following Him. And John tells us today, this belief in Jesus as the Son of God is the victory that overcomes the world.
This idea of following Jesus and doing what He wants, of obeying Him, of keeping and doing His commands - the world opposes this. It resists. It chafes against this bit. Some unseen Lord? That’s a drag. These commands, they’re cumbersome. Too heavy. Inconvenient. Get in the way. They’re too heavy and slow me down. Like an iron ball and chain.
But John here is saying, no. No way. His commands are not heavy at all. Jesus Himself said, My burden is light. My yoke is easy. We just need to remember to keep the horse in front of the cart. If we’re trying to EARN God’s acceptance and favor, if we’re trying to work our way into the heavenly realms, then yes, keeping God’s commands is an unbearable burden. If our heart is in rebellion, then yes, the very idea of God is a drag. But on the wings of faith, by simply believing in the Son Whom He has sent and abiding in His Spirit Whom He has sent, God’s commands are transformed. We mount up on wings and soar above the morass of works-based religion. It is no longer doing to EARN a blessing, it is doing BECAUSE we have received. Every spiritual blessing in Christ. That’s not saying that the journey of faith is easy. There are challenges, to be sure. But they do not originate in heaven. God’s commands, Christ’s burden is not heavy. In Him, we find rest for our souls. Soul rest. And so, what John is saying here, is that the first thing you can do for the children of God, the family of God, for your brothers and sisters, is to put God first. Put Him first in your heart, and yes, learn with all your might to keep His commands, to do what He wants. Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, work out what God worked in. Remembering that God is at work in you to work and to will for His good pleasure. He always leads us in triumph in Christ! On to Nike! Victory!
But so, what John is saying today, is that the heavy challenges we face in the journey of faith tend to come from the world. Life in the world actually is full of challenges. It is full of fails. Some are more specular than other. Epic fails. Used to be there was one iconic fail. Some of us might remember a guy named Vinko Bogataj? Do you know who he was? He was the agony of defeat…
[agony of defeat - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKEDD1i4oGk]
The thrill of victory - and the agony of defeat. And “the difference between the two can be very slight…” In athletic competition, the slight difference can depend on so many different variables, it can be attributed to the conditions of the venue, the weather, equipment functioning, the performance of my competitors, factors of health, my mental state, how I slept last night, what I ate for dinner, am I getting enough gatorade - so many different factors. The difference between victory and defeat in athletics can be quite difficult to figure out.
But for us, John says, for us it is actually quite simple. The difference between victory and defeat in life? Simple - what do you say about Jesus? About Him being God’s Son?
He is the Victorious Victor. And so are we, when we are in Him. Vanquishing vanquishers. Conquering conquerors. World conquerors. We conquer the world - in Jesus. No, we’re not talking about the game of Risk here. Any Risk players here? What do you play? Catan? Anyone here play Pandemic? I guess that’s more about preventing global annihilation (which certainly ties in to the nature of our mission). But John says that the vanquished here is the world. The world is at war, in fact - at war against God. The REAL world war. World War Zero. Rebelling against God and what He wants. From the very beginning. Fast-forward and we’re talking about an entire value system which opposes this very idea of God. Opposes the existence of this unseen eternal Being. Opposes this idea of Him as Creator and that I am accountable to Him. Opposes the idea that He has spoken and that His Words are binding on me. Opposes the notion that He is holy and that I fall way short of that. Opposing the idea that He carefully and deliberately designed each of us and all of creation with wonder and distinct and glorious purpose. Definitely opposes the idea that Jesus is God’s Son and died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. Opposes any hint of surrendering what I want to do in favor of doing what He wants to do. And it opposes anyone who aligns themselves with any of this.
So, Victory. With a capital V. Overcoming the world. Remember, John said, do not love the world. The world and its desires is passing away - these desires which are dead set against what God desires. The world does its darnedest to try and pull us away from Christ, away from God and what He wants. The spirit of antichrist - that which is against Christ - is already in the world. Opposing the Word and work of God. Opposing the truth. The truth about Christ. World War Zero. Still being waged in a heart and a life near you...
The irony at this point is who exactly is triumphing here. Baby sheep. Children. Defenseless creatures. Totally defenseless - and no chance of going on the offensive either. The only way baby sheep stand a chance of surviving - much less walking in victory - is the Good Shepherd. Walking by faith with/IN Him.
Victory over the world (& flesh & devil/antichrist) = faith in the Good Shepherd [believing Jesus is Son of God]
Believing that Jesus is the Son of God - THAT is the key to victory. What do you say about Jesus? What do you testify about Jesus? Your testimony. Testimony is what you say before the court and before the judge. It is the words of a witness. And that is the word here in the Greek - witness. God's Spirit testifies, witnesses to our spirit that Jesus is God’s Son and Savior. The water also testifies - Jesus, coming in the flesh, born out of a human womb, one whose water broke just like every other childbearing womb ever. And the blood testifies, Jesus, pouring out His blood for us on the cross. Three witnesses - in a Jewish court they only needed two or three witness to verify the truth. The witness, or testimony of two or three men. And that’s what we have here, three witnesses who testify that Jesus is the One Whom God sent. And more than this - we have the testimony of God. God Himself has set His seal to this, that Jesus Christ is God’s Son. He is the Chosen One, the Promised Messiah, the Savior of the world. And Nike/Victory is found in Him.
But wait - there’s more. Some of us know that the actual Greek word for witness is martyr. As in one who gives up their life for the truth of something. I.e. you stake your life on it. You stake your life and reputation and everything you have on it. You would go to the ends of the earth for it - which is precisely the point. You will be My witnesses, Jesus said, My martyrs, in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. You will testify about Me, the truth about Me.
John says, the witness is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life - and the love - which is all meant to be shared. He who does not have the Son does not have eternal life. This is Liar #2 - the one who says that Jesus is not Who He says He is. It all comes down to Jesus. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may KNOW, 100%, that you have eternal life. 100%. Not based on anything you have done, are doing. Based on what Jesus DID. In Him, it really is DONE. No more doing, no more doing to be blessed. Only believing. Total trust in Jesus.
D. James Kennedy formulated two questions to help clarify where a person stands in relation to the truth about Jesus. I’m sure many of us have heard these before:
- If you were to die tonight, how sure are you that you would go to heaven?
- If God were to ask you, “Why should I let you into heaven?”, what would you say?
Your answers to these give a clear indication of where your trust is for eternal life…
Victory - in this life and in the next - is found only in Jesus. The Victorious Victor. The Nike-ing Nike-er. Have you put your trust in Jesus? Do you need to circle back to Him this morning?
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