Within the heart of 1 John as a letter urging us to increase our intimacy with God, John give us a warning to be on guard to spot lies around us, and when necessary, spot the liar. Are you ready and mature enough in your study of truth to spot the lie and the liar?

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1 John 2:18-27 Sermon Guide

With the dawn of a new year comes the natural opportunity to reflect and reorder our values, time, and priorities. As we return to our This We Know sermon series, 1 John paints a compelling picture of the incomparable fellowship, intimacy, and joy that God graciously offers to His people. In this week’s message, Patrick Blocker equips us to spot the lie and spot the liar, while encouraging us to know the truth and follow the King.

Key Takeaways

• Our greatest days are determined by our greatest fellowship with God.
• There is a real liar (Satan), real lies, and real consequences for foolish choices (Galatians 6:7). “Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.”
• The Devil’s tempting of Adam and attempt to tempt Jesus followed the same pattern:
  • Temptation of indulgence: Do what you want, there’s no consequences.
  • Temptation of independence: You don’t need God.
  • Temptation of idolatry: There’s a better god out there.
• As God’s children, we are to not only learn His word, but to live it out and love others.
• The term “Antichrist” presents a dual definition, referring to:
  • The prophesied person who will claim to be the Messiah and cause tremendous deception and destruction.
  • A group of false teachers who are anti-God, spread lies, and cause confusion.
• “The enemy of the young men is the world, and the enemy of the babes in Christ is the false teacher.” John Mitchell
• “I don’t care how much Bible you’ve read of how much Bible you’ve memorized but how much the Bible has read you.” Howard Hendricks.
• No podcast or resource will ever top the Bible. We must commit time to the Word and be constantly refreshed by the truth.
• We must be ready at all times to discern the truth and call out the lies of our culture, the Enemy, and our evil desires.
• Placing issues in the proper category (absolutes, convictions, opinions, and questions) helps us to have honest conversations, love each other well, and maintain unity.

Discussion Questions / Application

Discuss with your community group:

• What is your plan for 2021 to be your most faithful year with God? What would this practically look like? What is keeping you or could keep you from achieving this goal?
• How can you help each other not only stay consistent with studying God’s Word, but consistent with joyfully submitting to God’s Word?
• Which of the Devil’s lies do you most frequently succumb to and how?
  • Temptation of indulgence: Do what you want, there’s no consequences.
  • Temptation of independence: You don’t need God.
  • Temptation of idolatry: There’s a better god out there.
• What “non-absolute” issues most frequently cause conflict with other Christians in your life? How can you better love others who disagree with you?

Passages Referenced

For additional study: Galatians 6:7, Genesis 3:1-7, Matthew 4:1-11, 2 Timothy 2:15, Psalm 73.

Read before next Sunday: 1 John 2:28-3:3