Shalom, everyone. Please open your Bibles. We are studying from the book of 1 John, from the letter that Yohanan, this apostle, the Hebrew apostle, wrote to the Mishpacha, to the family of God. And we are today in the second half of 1 John. Yohanan, ya'i geret shel Yohanan. Please turn to 1 John, chapter 3, and we are reading from verse 11 to the end of the chapter. 1 John, chapter 3, verse 11 to 24. For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, not as Cain, who was of that wicked one that slew his brother, and wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brothers righteous.

Marvel not, my brethren. If the world hates you, we know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer, and ye know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whosoever hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. For if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our hearts condemn us not, then have we confident towards God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son, Yeshua the Messiah, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us by the Spirit which he hath given us.

I don't know about you, but over the study of the book of 1 John, of this letter that Yohanan wrote to the Mishpacha, to the family of God, there are many, many lessons that I personally can see in my life. And I'm sure when you study this as well, you feel that there are many lessons that we can learn from this letter that John Yohanan had written. I also give some introduction in study of any message, and look back a little bit to the previous verses, and have some background so we can move on in our study. In chapter 1 and chapter 2 of this epistle, the emphasis was on the fact that we ought to have fellowship and communion with Yeshua the Messiah, in order for us to be able to live the life of the believer here in this world.

Now in chapter 3, 4, and 5, the emphasis that Yohanan places is the importance to understand that we belong to the family of God. We are now part of a Mishpacha, a family, a redeemed people. We have been born from above, born again, as Yeshua said to Nakdimon some 2,000 years ago. He says you must be born again, accept a man, be born from above. He cannot enter or cannot see the kingdom of God. And every believer in Yeshua the Messiah, we have been born of the Holy Spirit of God into this body of Messiah. And we have these two natures now, not only that we have the Adamic nature, we also have the divine nature, and there is a struggle in the life of the believer.

But because we belong to a family, to a Mishpacha, it is so beautiful to see when the family conduct themselves in a way that is pleasing to the Lord. And in a sense to enjoy love and care for each other. In the previous message that we have had, 1 John 3:1-10. The beginning, if you remember, that John says, "Behold what many of love the Father had bestowed upon us, that we, as sinners, Jewish sinners, Gentile sinners, we should be called sons and daughters of the Father, the sons and daughters of God." He is saying you really need to think about this in your own mind to imagine that God would call us, us who have been sinful and coming from the Adamic, the descendants of Adam.

Now God is calling us the sons and the daughters of the Father. There is never such a love as this, John Yohanan is saying when he wrote to these brothers and sisters. And that's why, if you remember in our previous message together, we have this encouragement, reasons to live a godly life and to live a righteous life, because the love of the Father for us, verses 1-3, the price that the Messiah paid for us, verses 4-5-6-7-8, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in every believer in Yeshua the Messiah, verses 9-10. That's what we had in our previous ministry together. Well now, as he moves along in writing this letter to the Mishpacha, to the family, he continues, and now he is really emphasizing the importance of love among the people of God.

In Hebrew we call the word love, the word Ahava or Le'ehov. It is a beautiful word, something that is not only to say, to speak, to say it in words, but it is practice, something that one will practice in his or her life as believers, in the body of Christ, in the body of Messiah. There are three Greek words that are usually being used for the word love. Basically, two of those words we find in Scripture. One of them is the Greek word phileo, which is more or less like a family love or a friendship love. And the second one, which is a divine love, and most of us know that word, the word Agapeo or Agapeo in the Greek, is a word that really speaks about love that is unconditional.

Love that does not depend upon the performance of another. It is an unconditional love. And so when we read in John chapter 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son," we know very well it is an unconditional love that God set upon every human being that is born into this world. Unconditional! And therefore he sent the Messiah, Yeshua, to die, to pay the price on the tree, that whosoever among the human race in this world only will trust in him. And except Yeshua the Messiah, he or she will have eternal life and everlasting love. Because accepting the work that Yeshua the Messiah have done for us.

But now he is leading on to a love that had to be practiced among the Mishpacha, the family of God. And oftentimes, brothers and sisters, we know that in the body of Messiah, many times why we are so divided and the sheep are scattered is because love in practice is not being evident among the people of God. I wouldn't say not at all, but in many ways, in many times in the history of the church, it was not evident. And when it is evident, it is beautiful to see that those who belong to Yeshua, those who are disciples of Yeshua, by practicing love toward another, they really are showing that they are truly disciples of Yeshua the Messiah.

So let's look on together to these verses, verses 11 to verse 24 in this passage that is before us. Bible teachers have suggested that there are four levels in which people live here in this world. And you and I have to ask ourselves, in which level do I fit in? There is a lowest level of life in which people live today. We can see it in the first few verses. And at the end, there is what you might say, a higher level of living that a believer, Christian, a Messiah follower ought to live in. We will see this at the end of this chapter. Look at the beginning in verses 11 and verse 12.

We have the lowest way of living, which is a life that is being influenced by Satan himself. Look, he began by saying here in verse 11, he says, and this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. But then he adds in verse 12. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And why did he slew his brother? Wherefore did he slew him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother were righteous. Now, Yohanan begins by saying in verse 11, that there is a message that was given by Yeshua, the Messiah, to all those who belong to him.

And that message, we're reading in verse 11, this is the message that he heard from the beginning. That we should love one another. Now, every time you hear that word from the beginning in the epistle of John, in the letter that Yohanan wrote, that epistle make a reference always to the incarnation of the Messiah. When God became a man, when God the Son entered humanity in the city of Bethlehem, when he was born to the Virgin Miriam, and he began, he entered into this world, and he became a man, when we read in 1st John that expression, he heard from the beginning, that is the beginning of the incarnation of the Messiah.

When God took union, humanity, and in the person of the Son, he became a man through the Virgin Miriam in the city of Bethlehem. And you remember, when he became a man, and he lived here among his own people, Israel, our own nation, Israel, for 33 years, just before he went to the cross, to the altar, to pay for the sin of this world, he said to these Jewish disciples in the upper room, in John chapter 13, verse 34 and 35. He says those words to them. And I'm reading those words. A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another, as I have loved you. That ye also love one another, and by this shall all men know, that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one towards another.

You see, in the upper room, Yeshua was anticipating to go to the tree. He was going to pay for the price of the sin of this world. He was going to become the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of this world. And just before he went to this cross, to the Roman cross, to the altar, he was talking to his twelve disciples there, in that upper room, and he's saying to them, "Listen, by this shall everyone will know, that you really belong to me, if you have love one towards another." So this is the message that they have heard from the beginning. That beginning is the incarnation, the time that he entered into this world, and he now is speaking in view of the building of the body of Christ, the church, and he's saying, "Listen, all men will know that you belong to me, by the way that you conduct yourself in loving one another." And that's why he continues here now, and John is saying now in verse 12, "Listen, since you have heard this from the beginning, that you are to love one another, let me show how you ought not to conduct yourself towards your own brethren, your own Achim, your brothers and sisters in Yeshua the Messiah.

Don't be like..." And he takes us all the way back to the book of Bereshit, the book of Genesis. And he's saying to them in verse 12, this is John, Yohanan is writing, and he says, "Don't you have that kind of love towards one another as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and he slew his own brother, and why did he slay his brother? Why did he murdered and killed his own brother? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's works were righteous." Now you know very well, brothers and sisters, that the first person that was born into this world, through a physical relationship of her husband and wife, namely Adam and Eve, Adam and Chava, was Cain.

He was the first person that was born into this world, of course, after him, Hevel, or Abel, you'll say it in English, we call it Hevel in Hebrew, then his brother were born. They were the two children, the first children upon the face of this earth. Here is Adam and Eve, and their own son Cain, and his own brother Abel. You would think there would be such a harmony among this little family. They began this new world, and even though Adam and Eve have been chased out of the Garden of Eden, they began this new world as a family, only four souls upon the face of this earth.

But you can see how sinful sin is. Because by the way, Cain, in Hebrew we call him Cain, not Cain, but Cain. Cain was fought by his mother, Chava, that he actually will be the promised Messiah. In Genesis chapter 4, where we read this earlier, we read in Genesis chapter 4, And Adam knew his wife, and she conceived and bare Cain, and she said, listen to what she said, I have gotten a man from the Lord. If you knew the Hebrew text, she actually said, I have gotten a man even Jehovah. Kaniti Ish et Yehovah, in Hebrew. In other words, she was saying, I have gotten this promised Messiah, because in chapter 3 and verse 15, there was a promise of the coming of the Messiah, the seed of the woman.

And so when Chava gave birth to Cain, she was assuming that he will be that promised Messiah. But of course, beloved brothers and sisters, we know very well, that when she conceived and bare this man by the name of Cain, it was not the seed of the woman, but it was of the seed of Adam. And it was because of his disobedience, Adam had plunged the whole human race into sin, what we find out that the descendants of Adam, including you and I, all have inherited a sinful nature. And therefore, this man by the name of Cain was not the Messiah, he was a man that was born a sinner.

And what we really learn here from verse 12, that you brothers and sisters, Achim v'achayot, you are to love one another, because you heard it from the beginning, from the very lips of Yeshua the Messiah, and those that preached the word, like the apostles, he said, you ought not to love one another in a way that Cain conducted himself towards his very own brother. How did he do? He says here in verse 12, "Cain who was of that wicked one." And what happened, that wicked one, is a reference to Satan himself. In scripture, we find many times this expression, that wicked one, he is that wicked one, this evil one, the murderer that murdered from the beginning.

And so he is saying, don't love one another, the way Cain did towards his brother, because what happened, he ended up slaying his brother, and why did he slay him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother was righteous. In other words, let me just say that, that exists often time in my heart, and in yours, is the thought of envy and jealousy. In Hebrew, we call it kin'ah. Kin'ah lekanot. When someone is envious over one another. This is jealousy and envy. So really, what happened? If you remember, both of them were approaching God. Both of them, you might say, were religious people. The one came to God, on the basis of the offering, of the sacrifice, and the blood was shed.

The other one came to God, on his own merit. You see, beloved brothers and sisters, Cain was not an atheist. He believed that there is a God existing. He was a religious man. But he was coming to God, on his own terms. And not on God's terms. And we read this in Genesis chapter 4, just earlier, that both of them approached God, because they were instructed by their parent. The one came to God, on the basis of the instruction, that God gave to Adam and Eve. The other one came to God, on his own merit. And when God accepted Hevel, and rejected the offering of Cain, Cain was mad.

Cain was angry. And Cain actually was envious and jealous, over the fact that his brother was accepted, and he was rejected. If you look in a dictionary, the word for envy, or jealousy, is really the same in the Hebrew, simply mean kin'ah. What is a kin'ah? What is jealousy? What is envy? Envy is a feeling of discontentment, and covetousness, over another advantage, and success. When we see somebody, who is being successful, and we are not. And someone has an advantage, that we don't have. And we begin to desire that, and seek for that, by all means. It leads, often time, to a terrible thing to be done.

In the case of Cain, it's led to a murder. The only thing that he could have done, beloved brothers and sisters, when God said to him, Cain, why are you angry? And Cain's face was fallen, he was angry with God, because God had accepted heaven, and rejected him, because he didn't bring a blood sacrifice. So he was angry with God. So he couldn't take his anger upon God, because God is greater than him. So he took his anger upon his brother. And he ended up killing his brother, murdering his brother. And when God asked him, Cain, where is your brother? You know, he lied. And he said, I do not know.

Am I my brother's keeper? And God had to tell Cain, in chapter 4, he said to him, Why you are angry, Cain? Why is your countenance fallen? Verse 6 of Genesis chapter 4, If you do well, shall thou not be accepted? If thou doest not well sin, laying at the door, and unto thee shall be his desire, and you shall rule over him. And Cain talked with Abel his brother. And it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and he slew him. And the Lord said unto Cain, Cain, where is your brother? And he said, I know not.

Am I my brother's keeper? And he said, What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother's blood cries out from the ground. And now thou art cursed from this earth, which has opened her mouth, to receive thy brother's blood from thine hand. And ultimately God judged Cain. And you know, beloved brothers and sisters, we read in Genesis chapter 4 and verse 16, Cain went out from the presence of the Lord. And the Bible never ever showed that Cain ever returned to the presence of the Lord. He turned his back on God. So now John is writing to the family. And he's saying to the brothers and sisters, to the family, to the children of God.

And he's saying, listen brothers and sisters, you ought to love one another, because you have heard this from the beginning, from Yeshua the Messiah. And don't live this kind of lifestyle to end up hating your own brothers and sisters. And that's why he's saying in this verse, don't be like Cain. You see, he's writing it to believers. And it is possible for a believer who is not judging himself or herself, to come to the extent that when we allow the flesh to take its course, that hatred, envy, and jealousy coming against believers that produce divisions and friction among the people of God. And this is the lowest level of living here in this world.

It's really a murderous type of living. Hating everyone on every hand. And that's why Yohanan is saying, listen, this kind of lifestyle ought not to be found in you. Don't be like this man by the name of Cain. You know, I want to read another verse in Proverbs chapter 27 and verse 4. King Solomon said about envy. He says, Wrath is cruel. Anger is outrageous. But who is able to stand before envy? Who is able to stand before envy? This is the lowest way of living here in this world. It's really an influence of Satan. In 1 John chapter 3 and verse 12, he's saying that the one that is living like this is influenced by Satan himself.

And I read again this verse 12. Not as Cain who was of that wicked one, namely Satan himself. So that's the lowest way in which a person can live here in this world. Hateful, resentful, dissatisfied, constantly fighting and hating others and so on. This is a terrible condition to be in. Believers in Yeshua the Messiah who are part of the family of God are to never arrive to such a state. Here now, let's move on then. In verse 13, 14 and 15. Here's another, you might say, lower level of living here in this world, which is a bit higher than the lowest one. But it's still a sad condition to find a person living in such a way.

This is verse 13, 14 and 15. It's not so much one that had been needing physically to kill someone like Cain have done so. But here is another who are doing that, but he does it in his or her heart. They might have not done it physically, but have done it in our hearts. This is a danger that we are finding ourselves as well. Look at this verse 13, 14 and 15. It says in verse 13, Do not marvel, brethren, when the world hates you. Don't marvel when the world hates you. Why? Because the world hated Yeshua, the Messiah. That word for world is cosmos. And in this context, it has to do with the evil system in this world.

It says, brothers and sisters, don't be surprised when the world, this evil system here in this world, hate the believers. They have hated the Messiah. They will hate those who follow the Messiah. This is verse 13. But then he's saying in verse 14, We know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Now, if I would have read this verse, I would write, we know that we passed from death unto life because we have done many good works. Or we have achieved a lot as believers. Or maybe because I'm a good preacher. Or I'm a good Bible teacher.

Or I'm a good Sunday school teacher. Or Shabbat school teacher. I passed from death unto life because I go to church meeting. I passed from death unto life because I have attended a meeting, a congregation. I sing to the Lord. He doesn't say those things. He says the evidence that we pass from death unto life is because we love the brethren. See, how do we test? How do we show that we have really passed from death unto life because we now become children of God? The proof of it, according to this text, is not what we have achieved. Not how many times we go to a church or congregational meeting.

Not how many times we read our Bible. Not how many verses we know from the Word of God. And not how I sing or how I play or how I preach. But the evidence that we passed from death unto life is because we love the Achim. The brothers and the sisters in Yeshua the Messiah. This is how John looks at this. When the believers love one another sacrificially, it's evident that a change happened here. That they have accepted Yeshua the Messiah. They have been born from above. There's a new life in them. And then he said he that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

So here we see when believers do not practice love one towards another, they really abide or remain in the way they used to be before they became believers in Yeshua the Messiah. This is not that they were not born again. But that means that they allow the old nature to take his or its course. Instead of allowing the new man, the new life in the Messiah, the Holy Spirit of God to lead them. Brothers and sisters passing from death unto life. The evidence of this is when we love the brothers and sisters. The one that does not love a brother or sister, he is really remaining in death.

And then verse 15 he says, Whosoever hates his brother is a murderer. Now this is such a strong word John is telling this family of God. He is saying really if you don't love your brothers and your sisters, it's very similar to what Cain have done to heaven. Even though Cain have done it physically. But here he is speaking mentally, emotionally, spiritually. If your heart, the thoughts, the desires of your heart is an animosity towards our brothers and sisters. It's like murdering someone. You may have not done it actually, but you have done it in your own heart. You have done it in your own heart.

Look how Yeshua pointed to this in Matthew chapter 5 and verse 21. Look what Yeshua said in chapter 5 of the Gospel of Matthew. This is the Sermon on the Mount. Yeshua said in verse 21, Ye have heard that it was said by them of all time, Thou shalt not kill. And whosoever shall kill or murder shall be in danger of the judgment. Now verse 22. But I say unto you that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of judgment. And whosoever shall say to his brother reikah or reik in Hebrew shall be in danger of the counsel. But whosoever shall say thou fool shall be in danger of hell fire.

Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar. And there you remember that thy brother has something against you. Leave there thy gift before the altar and go thy way first. Be reconciled to your brother and then come and offer thy gift. You see Yeshua now took this law that God had given to our people of all Israel. Thou shalt not murder. And he went and he took it another step forward. It's not only that one ought not to murder literally murdering someone. But hateful and hatefulness that come from the heart against another is actually according to these verses say sin against the Lord. And it is dishonoring to the Lord.

Even calling someone reikah one is in danger of the counsel. That word reikah means empty. To say to someone you're empty. You're good for nothing. There's no value in you. As far as Jesus is concerned this is really thinking negative to such an extent about someone that is endangering one of judgment. And so back to 1st John chapter 3 verse 15. A believer that hates his brother is actually a murderer. A murderer can be saved as poor. Remember he was accused of murder of Stephen and he got saved later on. But a believer now ought not to live this kind of a lifestyle. A saved person cannot continue on in this type of lifestyle of hate and cause of friction among the people of God.

We might do so a time and confess our sins before the Lord and repent and change our way. But if a person carry on with this kind of lifestyle all the time. Repetition. Ongoing kind of hateful attitude in his life or her life. This is only a proof that this person may really never ever came to know Yeshua the Messiah in the first place. A believer should love the brothers and sisters and change his or her way. Not to continue in the old way of life but in the new way of living following Yeshua the Messiah. Paul said this to Titus in chapter 3 and verse 3.

"For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceiving or deceived, serving diverse lusts and pleasure, living in malice and envy and hateful and hating one another." That's the way that we were, Paul said to Titus in chapter 3 and verse 3. "But after the kindness and the love of God our Savior towards men appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy yet save us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit." And now he's saying change has happened in our lives. We are no longer living the way we used to live before we became believers in Yeshua the Messiah.

Well, verses 11 and 12 of 1 John chapter 3 is the lowest type of living, the lowest way of life here in this world which leads to a murder. Then verses 13, 14 and 15 is also a low way of living here in this world which really speaks of hatefulness that comes out of the heart and a believer ought not to live this kind of lifestyle. And he's leading on now to the next verses where he's moving on to the way that a believer ought to live like. Now verse 16 and verse 17, Yohanan is pointing to the danger of living a life of indifference without concern for one another. And he says in verse 16, 1 John chapter 3 and verse 16, he's saying now those words: "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." You notice that it says here: "Hereby perceive we the love of God." Really the word "of God" is in italic, and it really shouldn't be there.

Someone places this to help us to understand what Yohanan is saying, but it really should say like this: "Hereby perceive we love." How do we perceive love? "Because," verse 16b, "Because he," this is Yeshua, the Messiah, "layed down his life for each and every one of us." And if he laid down his life for each and every one of us, we also ought to lay down our life for the brethren. Now look at this, stand out. Now none of us can say that we are able or willing to lay down our life for another brother. For another sister. In the history of the church age, perhaps there were few that were willing to lay down their life.

But it's not natural for us. Paul said to the Lord in prayer, he actually was writing this to the Romans, and he said to the brethren, "I'm willing to be cut off from the Lord for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh." He was willing to give his life over just that the brethren, the Jewish people, the people of Israel, will come to faith in a Messiah. Moshe, Moses said those words in the book of Exodus. He said to the Lord in Exodus chapter 32, 33, 34, those three chapters there. He said to the God of Israel, "Blot up my name from the book which you are writing.

Just do not blot out the names of the people of Israel out of this world." In other words, I'm willing to lay down my life for my people, the people of Israel. And where do you think they have learned this from? These two towering personalities. Both of them are Hebrew, speaking about the Hebrew people, the people of Israel. One of them before the coming of the Messiah, the other one after the coming of the Messiah, they have learned it from Yeshua. From the Son of God who laid down his life for us. He was judged that we will not be judged. He was punished that you and I will never need to be punished.

And that's why he says, "How do we know love?" The only way that we know love in its full sense of its meaning is when the Messiah laid down his life for us. No religion produced such a thing. No group of people in the world can offer such a thing. No humanity can offer such a thing. Here in this world, only God can provide such a love. Because God is love. God is light, but also God is love. There is no darkness in him, but God is love and he was willing to send his Son to this world. In order that the world will be redeemed and saved through his Son.

He laid down his life for us. Now imagine if he laid down his life for us. Are we as believers to treat each other in such a way as we just read in the previous verses? Hatred that comes from the heart. Coming to the extent that we hate so much. As the apostle John said that one who hates another, it's like a murder. Similar to what Cain has done to his own brother. He says that's not the way at all. Brother, and he says how do we know love? We know it when we look at Yeshua and we see what he has done for us.

If he has done this for us, can one harbor hatred in his own heart or her own heart to the extent that they are willing all sorts of evil to happen to their own brothers and sisters who have wronged them perhaps? You see, he says no. If we learn what love is all about from Yeshua the Messiah who laid down his life for us. We also have to look at this example and be willing to offer ourselves in some measure that we ought to be willing to lay down our lives for the brethren. And then he says in verse 17, the proof that we have love one towards another is by meeting the needs of each other.

That's why he's very practical. You notice when he used the word brethren in plural in verse 16, he is narrowing it down to a brother singular or a sister singular. And he says in verse 17, whosoever has this world's good and seest his brother or his sister have a need and shut up his bowels of compassion from him or from her. How dwell is the love of God in him? Here is the proof that we really learn some lessons from the love of our Lord Jesus of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah is by how we treat our brothers and sisters. And this is very important. This is very practical.

You see, it's not theory. It's not merely word of mouth. Like we often like to say things. But this is very practical. The time that we fail the Lord practically acting upon what he expects from his own people to do. I have a couple of verses I want to link with this passage. Turn back to the book of Yaakov, to the book of James. James chapter 2, verse 14. James, Yaakov saying this. What does a prophet, my brethren, though a man say that he has faith and have not works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked and destitute of daily goods or daily food, and one of you say unto them, depart in peace.

Be ye warmed and filled, nevertheless or notwithstanding, ye give them not those things which are needful to the body. What does it profit? You see what he's saying? He's saying, you say that you have faith. John speaking about love. James speaking about faith. You say that you believe in God. How is it manifest in a practical way in the life of the believer? While in James, in Yaakov, Yaakov wrote in connection with faith. Yohanan is connecting it with love. If you say that you really love the Lord and you love the people of God. Well, how is it evident in the life of the believer?

And so if someone, if a brother have a need and then you shut your bowels of compassion from him. How the love of God dwells in you, dwell in me, dwell in us. You know how many times we had opportunities to meet a need and we failed the Lord. And we failed our brothers and sisters by not acting upon it. And you see how John is very practical. There is a danger of living without concern or indifferent calllessness. You know, I don't care. I'm a child of God. I belong to the body of Messiah. I'm going to heaven. I'm saved. But not to practically be a blessing to each other.

How do you say that the love of God is dwelling in you? John is saying in 1st John chapter 3 in verse 17. This is so practical. John is emphasizing this today. Look at another verse in Hebrews. Again, in chapter 13 this time. Just before Jacob. If you go James. Hebrews chapter 13 in verses 1, 2, and 3. The writer who wrote to Hebrew believers says, Let brotherly love continue. In other words, it began. Let it continue on. And then he said, Be not forgetful to entertain strangers. For thereby some have entertained angels unaware. And then he says, Remember them that are in bonds. As bound with them. And them which suffer adversity.

As being yourself also in the body. In other words, don't be indifferent. Don't be as it says here in our text. Don't have this kind of attitude that is without concern for others. And how we can be like that. How we are always in danger of being like that. Not concerned about the needs of others. Not meeting the need of the brothers and sisters. And though we love the Lord. And yet there is this danger of having a lack of care for the people of God. This is practical Christianity. Practical walk with the Lord. So we have the lowest way of living. This is lead men to murder.

We have then that which you might say a bit higher. And that's lead men to just have an internal hatred. Rather than love. But this hatred among the people of God. Then we have the danger of being so careless. So we are not the worst of the worst. And we are not worse. But we are careless. But then the last verses. Brothers and sisters of this chapter. John is leading these brothers and sisters to the highest form of love. In which we ought to live. And this is something we all need help with. And this is the believers true way of living here in this world.

This is what you call practical walk with the Lord. In relationship to our brothers and sisters. And here it is. Verses 18 to 24. In verse 18 first of all. Notice that he called them my little children. You see he used the word little children before. But now he added something that he also said before. My little children. You notice this expression my. They were not only that they were children of God. They were believers. They were part of the family of God. But he felt this sense of responsibility. Of ownership. And that's why he's saying to them in verse 18. My little children. He used this expression already in chapter 2 and verse 1.

Where he says my little children. Now he uses this expression again. Because John felt an ownership over the people to whom he wrote to. What does that mean? He felt that perhaps he was used by the Lord. By the Spirit of God. To lead many of those to the Messiah. He had been sharing the gospel. Teaching the word of God. And so he had. As a father. Had concern for them. And that's why he's adding the word. Not only little children. But he says you are my little children. I love you. You know Paul used this very same expression also in Galatians. Galatians 4 and verse 19.

Paul also used this expression. My little children. He was laboring and laboring and laboring. And ministering the word. Sharing the gospel. And then the believers there became like his own born ones. One that became born from above. But he had ownership over them in a sense. That he loved them. That he wanted well for them. John does the same thing. He has care and concern for the people to whom he wrote. And so in verse 18. He's saying. My little children. And he says to them. He says. Let us not love in word first of all. And then neither in tongue. But then he adds. But in deed and in truth.

Brothers and sisters. He's saying to the one he wrote. In the mishpacha in the family. He says. My little children. Let's not merely love one another in tongue. And in word. But let's love one another in deed and in truth. In other words. He's really saying to them. Let's have a sacrificial love one towards another. You know. It's so beautiful. To see that many years ago. When we were reading Bible stories. To our children. When they were young. I still remember. That really moved my heart. When there's one of those books. You probably have those books. That you read the story. The Bible story. And there's a story about the little boy.

That went to school. And he won a prize. And he was going to get number one. It was a big prize. Just for himself. And in the story. It shows like a cloud. And in the cloud. He was seeing his little brother playing at home. With the toys. And when he was supposed to get this number one prize. He said to the teachers. I do not want this number one prize for myself. Give me number two. Or number three. Because there were two. Two toys. Smaller toys. Not as valuable. But he was thinking about his brother. And really. That's moved me. And I'm sure it will move your heart too.

When you think about. How wonderful it is to see. What the brethren have concern. One towards another. It doesn't mean we have to agree with each other on everything. It doesn't mean that we have to love the way we behave. Sometimes we are not lovable people. We know that. But to love the brethren. Just to wish them well. Just to seek to see them being blessed. Rather than to seek them evil. Ill. Wrong. It's so beautiful. It's so attractive. Because it reminds us of the love of Yeshua the Messiah. Who was willing to lay down his life for enemies such as us. Romans 5. We read.

That while we were enemies. While we were without strength. While we were weak. The Messiah. The Mashiach. Died for us. This is so beautiful. But somehow. At times. Unfortunately. We allow. Satan. To control us. And we allow the flesh. To take its way. Its course. And we end up. Instead of caring for each other. We end up. Careless. About our brothers and sisters. And have no desire. You might say. To practically assist them. Practically aid them. And that's why. He's saying here. In verse 18. He says. Brethren. He says. My little children. I should say. Love in word. Just don't say. Only I love you. Now.

We need to hear that. By the way. We need to say. To each other. Once in a while. You know. Brother. And sister. I love you. I love you. In the Lord. It's a good thing. To say. But don't leave it there. When there is a need arise. Brothers. Don't love one another. My little children. Don't love one another. In word. And in tongue only. Just words. But. Love one another. Indeed. The Hebrew word. Paul. Paul. Do something about it. And truth. And emit. Truth. In sincere. Practical love. To the believers. It is so essential. Brothers and sisters. This is the. Higher. Or the highest.

Standard. Of living here. In this world. Not. Verses. 11 and 12. Which led to a murder. Not. Verses. 13. 14 and 15. Hatred. Come out of the heart. Not. Verses. Even. 16 and 17. Which is. Careless. Or without. Concern. For the believers. But here. He is taking us. He is leading us. To a. Higher way. Of living. The life. Of the child. Of God. Let us. He says in verse 18. My little children. Let. Us. Not. Love. In word. Neither. In tongue. But let us. Love. In. In truth. In truth. It is so precious. Because it reminds us. Of the one who loved us. And gave himself for us. Of Yeshua the Messiah.

Of whom we read. Through the prophet Isaiah. He was wounded. For our transgression. He was bruised. For our iniquity. The chastisement of our peace. Fell upon him. And with his stripe. We were healed. We were healed. Yeshua the Messiah. Died. For our sins. And paid a price. How precious it is. When we learn. From him. The one that. That paid a price. In order to redeem us. This is a practical. Love. Towards mankind. And we ought to show this. In some small measure. Towards one another. Now. He's leading to the end. Here. He's reminding. Those believers. In verses. 19 to 24. Of three things. Here. In conclusion.

First of all. In verses 19 and 20. We ought to know. That God. Is greater. Than our heart. And when we fail. The Lord. And get disappointed. With ourselves. Don't forget. For a moment. That God. Is greater. Than your heart. And don't. If you fail. The Lord. If I fail. The Lord. We need to repent. And to confess. Our sins. And not to come. To a point. That we are so hard. Upon ourselves. To realize. That God. Is greater. Than our heart. Listen to these. Beautiful verses. 19 and 20. And hereby. We know. That we are. Of the truth. And shall assure. Our hearts. Before him. For if our hearts.

Condemn us. God. Is greater. Than our heart. And he knows. All things. Now pause. With me. Here for a moment. You know. Sometimes. We fail the Lord. As believers. We are not always. Loving our brothers. And sisters. As we ought to. We are not always. Speaking kind. To each other. Helping each other. Practically. A time. We behave. So. Terrible. We are. Disappointed. In ourselves. And others. Are looking at us. And say. Look. You say. That you are. A believer. In Yeshua. The Messiah. Look. What you have done. What is the believer. To do. When he failed. Or she failed. The Lord. To confess. To confess.

Our sins. He is faithful. And just. To forgive us. And to cleanse us. From all unrighteousness. And we are to turn around. And turn back to him. And get up. Dust ourselves. And continue on. To seek to leave. For the Lord. In this world. And sisters. What happened. When we failed. As we learned. From here. A time. We are so hard. Upon ourselves. And we feel. So disappointed. You remember. What Peter. Who said. To Yeshua. The Mashiach. Oh. Everyone. Will deny you. I am going to stand for you. And when the test came. He denied. His Messiah. For three times. I know. Not that man.

And you know. What happened. By the third time. That he denied. Yeshua. The Messiah. The Cock Crew. Remember that. And then Peter wept. And the Lord. Looked at him. You are the one. That promised me. That you are going to. Follow me. And will never deny me. He looked at him. And Peter turned around. And he went out. Weeping. He really felt so bad. And you know. Don't you feel. Sometime. When we. Failed the Lord. We should have been. Wiser. And we were fools. We should have behaved. Better. And we didn't. We should have made. A better choice. And we made. A foolish choice. And we failed the Lord.

And we sinned. What do we do? Our conscience. Bother us. There is no liberty. See. He says here in verse 19. Hereby we know. That we are in the truth. Shall assure our hearts. Shall assure our hearts. Before him. You see. We are sometimes. So disappointed. In the wrong. That we have done. And in ourselves. That we have no liberty. To pray. No liberty. To rejoice. In the Lord. Because we. Fail him. But if we truly. Repent of it. And we turn to the Lord. And confess it. Before him. And turn away. Then. Fellowship. Is being restored. And that's why. It is such an important verse.

To know in verse 20. If our hearts. Condemn us. And how many times. Our hearts. Condemn us. Because we were. Wronged. Before the Lord. Thank God. For what he adds here. He says. God. He is greater. Than our heart. And that he knows. All things. What do you think. We caught God. By surprise. He knows our hearts. He knew our hearts. Before we became believers. He knows our heart. Once we are believers. He knows our hearts. At all times. Let me read you. The prophet Jeremiah. Yirmiah. The Hebrew prophet. What he said. In chapter 17. Jeremiah said. In chapter 17. In verse 9. The heart. Is deceitful. Above all things.

And desperately. Wicked. And then he added. Who can know it. I want to tell you. Who can know it. God knows. Our heart. He knows. When we fail him. He knows. He knows everything. About us. And when we are. Children of God. He delighted. To see. A confession. Before him. And repentant. And turning to him. And then. We read. Notice how beautiful. And I'm back. To first. John chapter 3. Verse 20. God is greater. Than our heart. And he knows. All things. And that's why. Verse 20. Is an important. Verse to understand. Because God. Is in a business. Of restoring. His own people. He delighted. To see. A brother.

A sister. Is being restored. By himself. And then. Continue on. To live here. In this world. For him. The higher. Way of living. Speaking about. In the previous verses. Wonderful. To see this. Here. In this chapter. Of first. John chapter 3. There are many verses. That can come to mind. You remember. When Peter. Denied the Lord. Three times. The Lord. Restored him. In chapter. Twenty. One. Of the gospel. Of John. We find. The Lord. Calling Peter. Peter. Lovest thou. Me. Later on. After Peter. Restored him. How come. He restored him. Because Peter. Repented. He knew. He was wrong. He failed. The Lord. But he repented. And he turned back.

To God. So beautiful. To see this. Beloved. Brothers. And sisters. In Psalm 139. David. Melech Yisrael. David says. Search me. O Lord. And know my heart. Know my thought. And see. If there is any. Wicked way. In me. In a way. Everlasting. Search me. O Lord. And know my heart. David. Wanted the Lord. To search him. Because. We don't even know. Our own heart. God knows our heart. Better than we know. Our own hearts. And that's why. God is greater. Than our heart. Even when you have. No liberty. At time. Even when you feel. Like you disappointed. Yeshua the Messiah. Well. Of course. We need to feel.

That we have disappointed. God. But it should lead us. To repentance. To confession. Restoration. Which will ultimately. Will lead us. Into fellowship. With the Father. Fellowship. With the Son. Fellowship. With the people of God. Wonderful. To be restored. That's verses 19. And 20. We ought to know. That God. Is greater. Than our heart. Then verse 21. And 22. Another thing. That we ought to know. In Yeshua. The Messiah. That God. Is able. To answer. Prayer. You see. When sometimes. You don't feel. Like praying. Because you're disappointed. We're disappointed. The Lord. The important thing. Is to confess. And to repent. But God. Is also. Once we have repented. He's able.

To answer. Our prayers. Again. Look at verse 21. And 22. We read in verse 21. Beloved. If our heart. Condemn us not. Then we have confidence. Toward God. Whatever we ask. We receive of him. Because we keep. His commandment. And do those things. Which are pleasing. In his sight. You see. What he's saying. Now. When our heart. Does not condemn us. That means. That we have been. Restored. When we have confessed. Our sins. And repented. Now our hearts. Are no longer. Condemning us. Now we can turn. In prayer. To the Lord. And ask him. To assist us. And as he says. In verse 22. Whatsoever we ask. We receive.

And here's the reason. Why? Because we keep. His commandment. And we do the things. Which are pleasing. In his sight. You see. When we. Have a hateful. Attitude. Towards the people of God. That is not pleasing. To the Lord. This is disobeying. His commandment. By this shall all men. Know that ye are my disciples. If you have love. One towards another. Well. If we're not obeying. His commandment. And if we're not. Doing things that are pleasing. In his sight. No wonder. We will have no liberty. To ask anything from him. In prayer. But. He says in these verses. If our hearts. Does not condemn us anymore.

Therefore. He says. Then we have confidence. Toward God. We have liberty. And confidence. We can say. As in verse 22. Whatsoever. We pray. We ask. We receive. Why? Because we keep his commandment. And because. We do the things. Which are. Pleasing. To him. Well. The father. Want us. To do things. That are. Giving him. Pleasure. And joy. Because that's the reason. Why he left us here. In this world. Well. Finally. Brothers and sisters. Not only. Do we. Verses. 19 and 20. Of 1st John 3. We are also. To know. That God. Is. Going to answer. Prayer. Verses. 21 and 22. Then finally. We are to know. In verses. 23 and 24. That God's.

Holy Spirit. Will reveal. To us. If we are. Truly. Abiding. Close. To Yeshua. The Messiah. This is the final. Portion. Of 1st John. Chapter 3. Verses. And we read. These verses. Verse 23. And this is. His commandment. That we should. Believe. On the name. Of his son. Yeshua. The Messiah. Jesus Christ. And love. One another. As he gave us. Commandment. This is. The commandment. That we should. Believe. On the Messiah. Trust him. As believers. In Yeshua. And then. Love the brothers. And sisters. Because he gave us. This commandment. And then he concludes. In verse 24. He said. And he that keepeth. His commandment. Dwelleth in him. And he in him.

And hereby. We know. That he abideth. In us. Because. The spirit. Which he have given. Unto us. Will show this. To us. By the spirit. Which he have given. Unto us. Now. You know. Brothers and sisters. Ruach. Hakodesh. The Holy Spirit of God. Is indwelling. Every one of us. Who is a believer. And the Holy Spirit of God. Is a divine person. He convicts us. He speaks to us. Through the word. He's the one. That is. Speaking to us. Constantly. Allowing us. To understand. Whether we are. Abiding close to the Lord. And when we are not. And when we are not. Close to the Lord.

And we are going astray. And the time we do. We have this. Holy Spirit of God. The person of God. The Holy Spirit. Really. Grieved. Quenched. No liberty. And we feel. That we have made him sad. When we quench the spirit. Or grieve the spirit. We are. We are in a sense. Hurting him. That's why there is no liberty. That's why he says. In the last verse. And he that keepeth his commandment. If we follow the Lord. And obey him. Then we find out. We are really dwelling. In him. And he dwells in us. And he says. At the end here. And hereby we know.

That he abides in us. By the spirit. Which he had given unto us. God had given us. The Holy Spirit of God. And the Holy Spirit of God. Is the one that. Enlightens us. He is revealing unto us. Whether we are in the right. Or in the wrong. Whether we are making the better decision. Or the wrong decision. He is indwelling every believer. And again remember. If a person. Have not the Holy Spirit of God. Romans 8 verse 9. He or she do not belong. To God. Whatsoever. At all. But those of us. That have accepted. Yeshua the Messiah. The Holy Spirit of God. Indwelling in us.

1 Corinthians chapter 6. Says. Know ye not. Know ye not. That your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. The body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. And we belong to him. The Holy Spirit of God. Indwelling to us. And by the Spirit of God. We can know. Whether we are abiding in him. And he abides in us. Or whether we are not. And we know it very well. Because the Spirit of God. Does speak to us. When we go wrong. We know it. Because he convicts us. He shows us. Listen. That's not the right way. And we don't feel satisfied. Or at ease. We have no liberty.

And that's why. It is important for us. To realize. And to know. That God. The Holy Spirit. Will reveal. To you and I. Will reveal. To every believer. Who is part of the family of God. Whether we are close to the Lord. Or whether we are far from the Lord. Whether we are abiding with him. And he abides with us. Or whether we are outside of the will of God. So brothers and sisters. In conclusion of 1st John chapter 3. May the Lord help us. To live the kind of a life. That will be as it is in verse 18. 1st John 3:18. My little children. Let us not love in word.

Nor in tongue. But in deed. And in truth. Let us love one another. And let us seek to be a blessing to one another. Because by this shall all men know. That you are my disciples. If you have love one towards another. Can we say Amen? Amen.