Learning True Love Through Suffering! 1 John 3:13-18

The Second Sunday After Trinity                                     9-June-2024
Sermon Text: 1 John 3:13-18
Sermon Theme: “Learning True Love Through Suffering!” I. Born From Above We Love Those Who Hate Us! (Vs.13-15). II. Freed By Christ’s Cross We Sacrificially Serve! (Vs.16). III. Loved By God The Father We Give Of His Goods To Those In Need.(vs.17-18) by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert

I.N.R.I. “I will love You, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. “(Psa 18:1-2) David teaches us this hymn of praise in the 18th Psalm. It took him a lifetime to compose. The title recorded in Holy Scripture drives this truth home to you: To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David The Servant of the LORD, Who Spoke to the LORD The Words of This Song on the Day that the LORD Delivered Him from the Hand of All His Enemies and from the Hand of Saul. David joyfully served King Saul as the anointed of the Lord - the head of Israel’s government called to serve by the Lord. David fought valiantly for King Saul and his nation. Through David the Lord God defeated the giant Goliath giving victory over the Philistines on that battle field. Faithfully sent into harms way by the command of the king, David served on battlefield after battlefield. King Saul’s rejection of God’s clear commands filled his heart with an evil spirit. He grew jealous of David’s popularity and sought to murder him. Declaring David an outlaw, he pursued him with his army. Twice David could’ve reached out his hand and easily assassinated King Saul, but he wouldn’t harm the one God had put into the position of authority in his nation.
      For almost two decades David lived as a fugitive, it was life under the cross. As we sang with David in our introit this morning: Psa 18:18-19 They confronted me in the day of my calamity, But the LORD was my support. (19) He also brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me.” The Lord God anointed David, a man after His own heart, and raised him up to serve as king over Israel for 40 years.
      David’s true joy wasn’t in his kingship, but in the eternal kingship of his future Son and Lord. Through the Holy Spirit he taught the church to sing, : Psa 110:1-4 The LORD said to my Lord,"Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool." (2) The LORD shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies! (3) Your people shall be volunteers In the day of Your power; In the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning, You have the dew of Your youth. (4) The LORD has sworn And will not relent, "You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek." David confesses Jesus of Nazareth - his son and His Lord - the eternal King, Prophet, and Priest sending forth His Word to heal the nations.
    Through David’s Son and Lord - Jesus - we are: “Learning True Love Through Suffering!” I. Born From Above We Love Those Who Hate Us! (Vs.13-15). II. Freed By Christ’s Cross We Sacrificially Serve! (Vs.16). III. Loved By God The Father We Give Of His Goods To Those In Need.(vs.17-18)
I. Joh 1:11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. St. John records in his historical eyewitness account of Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus is the eternal only begotten Son of the Father - the Word made flesh coming to tabernacle among us. Calling sinners back Home to the Father by sacrificing His holy precious blood and innocent flesh - the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world.
    Celebrating the Last Passover before it found its fulfillment in His cross, Jesus tells all who follow Him, Joh 15:18-20 "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. (19) If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. (20) Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.” Born from above by the Holy Spirit by water and our Crucified and Risen Savior’s Word - we are in this world, but not of this world. We are citizens of Jesus’ Eternal Kingdom - hidden from the world’s wisdom. Listen! (Vs.13).
      Earlier John teaches us, 1Jn 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” Adam’s oldest son Cain hated his brother Abel. Why? Because Abel’s actions were righteous and Cain’s were evil. Abel confessed salvation from sin, Satan, and death is only found in the coming Messiah alone. Cain trusted in his own works, ways, spirituality to earn God’s favor. Evil always turns us back in on ourselves puffing us up with pride in ourselves. The fallen angel Satan, the devil, proudly rebelled against his Creator and God. Evil parades its pride. Don’t marvel if the world hates you - it has hated Jesus from the day sin entered this world through Adam and death through sin.
      Marxism, communism, atheistic materialism - hates Christianity. It cannot tolerate the Truth, when it seeks to enslave people in the LIE. Deistic materialism hates Christianity - seeking to enslave people to trust in the beans, bullets, medicine, and guns they amass for themselves as their security in this world. Wisdom calls us away from all foolish loving of this world - for it is passing away - is temporary. Listen to God the Holy Spirit’s calling us into Christ’s Church: Pro 9:10 "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
      We don’t feel, or hope, or experience that we have passed from death to life - WE KNOW! (Vs.14) God the Holy Spirit birthing us from above as infants in baptism fills us with certainty in Jesus. We confess with St. Paul, Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” The world’s love is selfish and self-centered - as it parades in pride it hates those who speak the truth exposing evil. Sin is lawlessness, rebelling against God’s Ten Commandments, rebelling against God’s creation. The world loves darkness and will not come to the Light of Christ, lest its deeds be exposed as evil. Evil love separates and isolates sinners into groups that constantly war in hate.
  Christ’s love redeems, reconciles, and unites all tribes, languages, and nations as One in His Church. Christ’s love flows through us to the world (vs.15) An oncologist doesn’t hate you if she diagnosis the lump on your liver as cancer. In love she tells you the truth that your cancer may be treated and God willing your life extended. As Christians we love our enemies - we speak the truth calling the cancer of sin - sin - that they might be healed. We invite them to come with us into Christ’s Church - the feast of forgiveness is ready! Healing is there for all damaged by the Satan’s LIE - the spiritually poor, the maim, the lame, the blind - Come! We invite! The outcasts - we invite! Jesus has prepared the feast for you!
II.   God the Holy Spirit gathers us into real fellowship in Christ’s Church. Isolation is never a life saver - we are social creatures - from the day we were created God tells us, “It is not good for man to be alone!” More people die of isolation and loneliness than from any form of viruses, cancers, or bacteria.
      Jesus’ cross forms us into real community within His Church (vs.16) Come! All things are ready! The feast is prepared alone by Christ - Wisdom in our flesh! He laid the foundations of this world, humbled Himself to rescue us from Satan’s lie, sin’s enslavement, death’s fear, and hell’s just punishment.
      Know true love! Look to the Crucified - Jesus of Nazareth - He - “God of God, very God of very God” laid down His life “FOR US!” “Sinners!” “FOR YOU!” You didn’t deserve or earn it - in love the Triune God sends forth His only begotten Son as your Substitute to pay all your debts in full. Death and the grave are shattered by His self-sacrificial love! Hell and Satan lose all claim to you. Don’t isolate - come to His Cross - lay all your sin on Jesus! He lives - bearing the marks of your redemption in His flesh! Here in this place - His Church - He is present still breathing forth the Holy Spirit to comfort you - “I forgive you all your sins!” Here He knits you into His one body in the true fellowship of forgiven sinners within His Church.
      Rejoice in the message of His cross! It is foolishness to our dying world, but the power of God unto salvation - in its Light we are freed from the prison of self to truly love one another. We testify, “We will now return to the Gospel, which not merely in one way gives us counsel and aid against sin; for God is superabundantly rich [and liberal] in His grace [and goodness]. First, through the spoken Word by which the forgiveness of sins is preached [He commands to be preached] in the whole world; which is the peculiar office of the Gospel. Secondly, through Baptism. Thirdly, through the holy Sacrament of the Altar. Fourthly, through the power of the keys, and also through the mutual conversation and consolation of brethren, Matt. 18:20: Where two or three are gathered together, etc. (Source: https://bookofconcord.org/smalcald-articles/iii/of-the-gospel/ ) Under Jesus’ cross we are a band of brothers, Christian soldiers, who lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters within Christ’s Church.
III.   Every Sunday we are invited to feast with King Jesus at His table. In His flesh and blood placed upon our lips in bread and wine - He fills us with the triumph of His cross and empty tomb - forgiveness, life, and salvation. Here He joins us as one in His body - the Church Triumphant in heaven, and the Church militant in this world. We are one in Him!
      Daily God the Father feasts us with all we need to support this body and life. Jesus teaches us to pray, “Father, give us this day our daily bread” that we might receive all we have with thanksgiving - it is the Father’s gift to His children. Use the Father’s gifts not as idols to serve self, but as gifts to those in need(vs.17) The Master of the House was angered when His invitation to the feast was rejected by those who cherished their property, business, and family above His eternal gifts. He didn’t want the feast wasted - so He graciously called you to Christ from eternity.
      God the Father sealed eternity to you in Jesus! He cares for you daily and richly providing food and clothing so you can be content. He gives you an abundance to care for your family, and those in need that are laid at your doorstep. Unlike Cain - you are your brother’s keeper.
    1Jn 3:1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Follow your heavenly Father’s footsteps! (Vs.18). No Christian every gave themselves into poverty caring for their neighbor. Wisdom teaches, Pro 19:17 He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD, And He will pay back what he has given.” Communism pretends to care for the poor, but it only enslaves them in poverty to amass power for a ruling class. Dear Christian care for your neighbor’s body providing as you can, and for their souls inviting, encouraging, and bringing them with you every Sunday to the feast! In VBS this past week our children learned to “go for the gold” - Heb 12:1-2 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, (2) looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.. Sealed with Christ’s cross we love in word and deed! Come to the Feast! All is prepared for you! Amen.