1. Are You For Real?

a) True or False?

It's Saturday afternoon and there's a knock at the door. You put

down your newspaper, you struggle up out of your most comfortable

chair, and you go to see who it is.

Standing on the doorstep, there's a well dressed couple. Friendly,

well spoken. You don't know who they are - you've never met them before. They offer you a magazine. Or a book. And they strike up a conversation. They want to talk about the state of the world. The wars. The earthquakes. Family values. Interesting stuff.

And they ask you if you want to know what the BIBLE says about it all. Well, obviously, you DO WANT TO KNOW. You're curious. And you

keep talking. Then you tell them you're a Christian. And you go to the Presbyterian Church. And you notice a strange sort of reaction. They get a bit more careful about what they say. And they start to tell you all the

things WRONG with organised religion. That the church supports war.

Instead of peace. That the church teaches MAN MADE DOCTRINES. Instead of the TRUTH. That somehow, over the last 2,000 years, things have got a bit mixed up. And THEY'RE HERE TO HELP YOU GET IT SORTED OUT.

In fact, here's what the Jehovah's Witness at the door said to me. The Presbyterian Church is BABYLON. The enemy of God. Leading people astray. They told me I had it all wrong. And they had it right.

Now I don't know about you. But when I hear that sort of stuff I get a bit uneasy. A bit uncomfortable. And I start to think, well, what if THEY'RE RIGHT. And I AM WRONG? I mean, it's a pretty serious business. And maybe I'm missing something important. MAYBE I'M NOT SAVED AT

ALL. And I've just been misled.

And the question is, HOW CAN I KNOW? How can I tell who's right and

who's wrong? How can I tell?

There's plenty more. Maybe you're saying, well, Jehovah's witnesses, they're easy. Don't worry me at all. But these days, have a look around at some of the churches that call themselves CHRISTIAN CHURCHES. Mainstream. And see the sort of stuff that's going on.

A couple of years back they were LAUGHING IN THE SPIRIT. They said it was in the Spirit, anyway. Now they've moved on. I've just been reading about Rodney Howard-Browne, one of the leaders of the Toronto Blessing. Apparently these days he's making ANIMAL NOISES in the Spirit. Grunting and squealing. And then CALLING DOWN CURSES on people who disagree with what he's doing.

He does it in the name of JESUS. "Here's a man who's barely able to walk. Come on up. THE GLORY! The glory! If I don't release it I'll blow up. If I don't release the anointing I'll blow up. I got to release it on somebody. The demon must bow to the name of the master Jesus. Yes Lord, I'll do it. I curse that man who dares to speak against this ministry." And he does. And then a blessing. On anyone who sends him money. So his anointing ministry can keep going.

And then there's the GOLD DUST MOVEMENT. People convinced that invisible GOLD DUST is falling down on them from heaven. And the fillings in their teeth are turned from amalgam into gold. Changes back again by the time they get to the dentist to have it checked out. But Silvania Machado says IT'S A SIGN OF BLESSING FROM GOD. Blessing on HER MINISTRY. As she moves around Pentecostal Churches with the miracle gold dust somehow floating out of thin air. She says it's a SIGN OF GOD'S GLORY. Proof that he loves us.

And of course, if you just have enough faith, then the same can happen with you. IF your faith is real… that's the sort of thing you're going to see happen. And if it doesn't… well, we know who's got the problem don't we.

Another story. A big Presbyterian church in Sydney. A guy who goes there said to me once, I look around on a Sunday, there are maybe 200 people. But I reckon there are only 20 or 30 fair dinkum Christians in

the whole place. And the rest are just going through the motions of

being religious. He said, I DON'T THINK THEY'RE CHRISTIANS AT ALL.

Is he RIGHT? Or is he WRONG? And how can you tell? HOW CAN I KNOW? Forget about the JWs at the door. Hard enough when they CALL THEMSELVES CHRISTIANS. But how do you pick a fake Christian from the genuine article? Gold dust? Animal noises? HOW CAN YOU TELL?

And most important of all - forget about everyone else - what about YOU! How do you know where YOU STAND - whether you're a genuine Christian YOURSELF?

2. Testing, testing...

Scary thought, isn't it? If you've got no gold-dust. If you're feeling a bit worn in your faith. Lacking the zing. And someone says, maybe you're not the REAL THING at all.

Well, that's what John's letter's all about. That's the issue he's writing about. Picking the true Christian from the fake. And knowing where you stand yourself.

We saw last week, REAL CHRISTIANS hang on to the REAL JESUS. Through God's word. And REAL CHRISTIANS are REAL ABOUT SIN. No pretending.

Well, there's more today. More marks of the GENUINE CHRISTIAN.

a) True Christians LOVE TO OBEY (v3-6)

Here's the first one. And it's simple. TRUE CHRISTIANS LOVE TO OBEY THEIR MASTER. It's as simple as that. If you're a real Christian, you'll want to do what the Lord Jesus wants you to do.

And that's what John says if you have a look at verse 3. The question

is, how do we KNOW if our Christianity is REAL CHRISTIANITY. How do we know that we really KNOW THE LORD JESUS? And we're not just kidding ourselves? And here's the answer. "We KNOW WE HAVE COME TO KNOW HIM IF WE OBEY HIS COMMANDS."

See, the fact is, actions speak louder than words, don't they? And whatever you might say about it, you can't KNOW JESUS and DISOBEY HIM at the same time. You can't say you know Jesus, and then consciously just ignore what he says. Because if you REALLY KNEW HIM… you'd know you just can't do that.

John points that out in the very next verse. And he's rude about it. He doesn't mince his words. Because it's as plain as the nose on your face. "The man who says "I know him," but doesn't do what he commands is a LIAR, and the truth is not in him." Full stop.

We need to BE CAREFUL, don't we? Because we're very good at making spiritual sounding excuses for our disobedience. Like one young Christian couple I heard about who were sleeping together - cause they'd prayed about it and they felt God was saying it was okay.

We're not called to follow our feelings. We're not called to pray about our disobedience and see if we have a feeling of peace. We're called to be OBEDIENT to the word of God. Because the fact is, what God wants for us is what's best for us. And true Christians LOVE TO OBEY God.

So if you're looking to figure out whether someone's a genuine Christian, don't look for Gold Dust. Don't look for animal noises. Look for OBEDIENCE. If you're trying to figure out where YOU stand with God. Ask yourself this. Do you love him enough to obey him? Or are you always looking for ways NOT TO OBEY?

Here's what John says in verse 5 and 6. "THIS IS HOW WE KNOW WE ARE IN HIM. Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did." Which is walk in obedience to God. Walk in SACRIFICE. Putting others ahead of yourself.

b) True Christians OBEDIENTLY LOVE

Well, that's the first mark of the genuine Christian. Real Christians love to obey. We know we've come to know him if we've come to OBEY HIS COMMANDS. The question is, what is it that Jesus is commanding us?

You know there's a lot of debate around about whether Christians are BOUND BY OLD TESTAMENT LAW like the Jews were. Whether being a Christian is all about KEEPING a whole lot of RULES AND REGULATIONS AND LAWS. Well, we can talk about that later if you like, but it's clear there's ONE COMMAND ON VIEW HERE.

That's what John goes on to talk about next. The command that wraps up every other. Listen to what he says in verse 7. He says "Dear friends, I'm not writing you a new command but an old one which you've had from the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard." And yet he says… "I am writing you a new command; it's truth is seen in him and you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining."

Now let me tell you, that gets a bit confusing. I mean, is it a new command, or an old command, or a bit new and a bit old or what? Well, he says it's the same old command they've had from Jesus in the beginning. So it's not new at all. Had it since they first became Christians. And you could say it's a bit old hat. But maybe it's NEW TO THEM… because they're still not doing it.

Remember the NEW COMMANDMENT? The one Jesus gave? That sums up all the law in one go? We sang it this morning. Love one another. As I have loved you.

That's the command John's talking about. That's the command they've had from the beginning. You don't actually see it spelled out til the next page. Turn over to chapter 3 verse 11 and you'll see him spell it out. He says "This is the message you heard from the beginning - WE SHOULD LOVE ONE ANOTHER."

Friends, the acid test of true Christianity is this. The test of TRUE OBEDIENCE. It's the test of LOVE. Of whether or not you're prepared to actually LOVE your Christian brothers and sisters. When you feel like it - and when you don't. Easy to love the lovely, isn't it. Easy to love when there's something in it for YOU. But if you're going to walk like Jesus walked, it's very different to that. Not so convenient at all.

So are you prepared to put yourself out… for someone who doesn't put themselves out for YOU? To care for someone… who isn't going to CARE FOR YOU? To encourage someone… who isn't going to encourage YOU?

Our problem is, we've turned love into a FEELING. Reduced it to a sentiment.

But the fact is, whether or not you're prepared to love the other people here at church isn't a matter of whether you feel like it. We're going to look at this a bit closer in a couple of weeks. But for now I want you to bear in mind that the sort of love he's talking about isn't just a FEELING. It's an act of OBEDIENCE. And John says, if you're a fairdinkum Christian, you'll work at loving your Christian brothers and sisters. Because he says "Anyone who CLAIMS TO BE IN THE LIGHT, BUT HATES HIS BROTHER is still in the darkness." It's a great test of TRUE CHRISTIANITY. Because true Christianity produces SACRIFICIAL LOVE. Instead of division. Instead of bitterness. Instead of selfish unforgiveness.

Ask yourself this. Is your love for the other people here this morning growing? Or not? Is there REAL LOVE growing here? Or isn't there? Because if there isn't, then we're on the wrong track. And we need to repent.

Test number 1. If you love Jesus, you obey. Test number 2. If you OBEY, then you'll love. Real Christians love to obey. Real Christians OBEDIENTLY LOVE. And you just can't claim you're a Christian if you don't love your Christian brothers and sisters.

b) Don't love the World (v15-17)

Now while we're talking about LOVE, John's got something else to say.

He's says we ARE meant to love our brothers and sisters. And then he says something else. He tells us what we're NOT to love. And that's in verses 15 to 17.

And in those two little verses, he hits on a huge problem. These days we call it MATERIALISM. A love affair with THINGS. Being CONSUMED

by consumerism. Boasting about what we have, what we've achieved.

It's another test of fair-dinkum Christianity, isn't it? Where your

heart is. If your heart's devoted to building up your bank account,

if your heart's devoted to your job, if your heart's devoted to your

house - then you've missed the point.

Have a look at verse 15. "Do not LOVE THE WORLD or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world… the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does - comes not from the Father, but from the world."

Did you ever sing that song SEEK YE FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD? I sometimes reckon for a lot of us it might be a bit more honest if we sang SEEK YE SECOND the kingdom of God. Or seek ye THIRD. Because when it comes to the crunch, what John calls the lusting of the eyes and the boasting of what we have and what we do comes first. Every time. Just got to achieve this. Just got to get that. Then I can get serious about God. first.

And there's a form of false teaching, a type of FAKE CHRISTIANITY that encourages that. I was at a church while we were on holidays; the preacher said GOD WANTS TO BLESS YOU WITH MATERIAL THINGS. You might have to go through your tough times. But keep your eye on that vision up ahead… the beautiful new house. Your business… prospering. Trust God that you'll prosper. And God will honour that.

The fact is, it's just another way of LOVING THE WORLD. Putting your time into stuff that doesn't last. Temporary things. And John reminds us of that in verse 17. He says, "The world and all its desires pass away. But the man who does the will of God LIVES FOREVER."

False teaching. Get things in perspective. Don't love the world. Cause if you do, the love of God will be squeezed out like water from a sponge.

3. Challenge... or Comfort? (v8, v12-14)

Friends, I hope this sort of passage makes you do some hard thinking.

First of all, there are some good signs to look for when you're weighing

up the people who knock on your door. Or when you're trying to figure

out what REAL CHRISTIANITY should look like. This is just the start.

But for now, think about these.

If you really love Jesus, then you'll OBEY HIS COMMAND. And his command is, LOVE ONE ANOTHER. And don't love the world. Very easy to get exactly back to front, isn't it? Examine your heart.

But you know, the interesting thing is, John's not writing to condemn

us. He's writing to encourage us. And we need to take that seriously. Especially if you're one of those people like me who gets worried if you're told you're not the full quid as a Christian. When you're told you're on the wrong track; when you're told there's something more to REAL CHRISTIANITY that you're missing out on.

That's what people were being told 2000 years ago. And that's why John's writing his letter. To encourage them. These are humble Christians he's writing to. Not super-Christians. These are normal Christians like us. Not super spiritual. Not being sprinkled with GOLD DUST. Not sinless and perfect. Not theological experts. Just ordinary.

And you know what he says to them? He says, what you have to remember is WHAT YOU'VE ALREADY GOT. He says, I'm not writing to rouse on you. I'm writing to encourage you.

Look back to verse 8. He's just reminded them about the NEW COMMANDMENT. Love one another. And look what he says. He says to them, when I look at you, I can see it happening. It's like watching the dawn breaking - glimmers of light. Follow it with me. Chapter 2 verse 8. He says, "Yet I am writing you a new command. Its truth is seen in him AND YOU. Because the darkness IS breaking and the TRUE LIGHT IS ALREADY SHINING."

He says, it's happening. You're changing. Be encouraged. And verses 12 to 14. It's sort of like a poem. A message for children. For fathers. For young men. For everyone who's part of the church. You can look at the details later. But I just want you to notice the two key words in every sentence. The words YOU HAVE.

Tally it up sometime for yourself. If you start to wish for the gold dust. If you're thinking there's something missing. That maybe you're not a full scale Christian. Look down verse 12 to 14, and tell yourself this. Say, MY SINS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN, on account of his name. Say, I HAVE KNOWN him who is from the beginning. JESUS.

Say "I HAVE OVERCOME the evil one." He's got no power over me now. Because I trust in Jesus.

Say "I HAVE KNOWN THE FATHER." Because if you're a Christian, all of that's true. And WHAT MORE DO YOU NEED?

Friends, check yourselves out with what John's saying. And if you're following Jesus, if you're serious about loving your brothers and sisters, there mightn't be gold-dust. But you can be absolutely confident. You're the REAL THING. And that means you've got the lot - no matter what anyone else wants to say.