I wanna begin this study in 1 John chapter number four, 1 John chapter number four, dealing with this subject that is almost impossible to understand. When we studied yesterday morning on the Gospel of John, the same writer we believe to have written this small book, this epistle, the New Testament of the Word of God, he explained the deity of God. It wasn't a matter of just a man coming to this earth. It wasn't a matter of just a good religious leader bleeding and dying for our sins. It was God robed in the flesh. We understand that the God of the Bible, yes, he's holy, yes, he's perfect, yes, he's righteous, but I believe in these few words in 1 John chapter number four, he explains the attribute of God more than any other verses in all of the word of God. My life, my story that we shared yesterday, though I have walked through the darkest of the valleys in the last few months of my life, I understood and I believed very early as a child that God loved me. I would sing the song, Jesus loves me. This I know for the Bible tells me so. In the elementary class, in my Sunday school hour, and I believed every word of it. But in the last few months, I've truly learned what the love of God is. I don't know the tragedy, I don't know the valley, I don't know your situation, but I know that this unexplainable love is associated to every child of God. Do you understand tonight, whatever your situation may be, whatever your family life may be, however bad or however how good it may be, the God of heaven loves every man and every woman that is upon this earth. When you study a book of the Bible, it's a very interesting fact to know that you are looking for what God is emphasizing in that particular book of the Bible. As we began in John, the gospel of John, we focused on the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, but in 1 John, 37 times, you'll find the word know or knowing or knoweth, he reminds us. that we can have full assurance of our salvation. Yes, we'll fail God, but we are not saved by our works. We're saved by the grace of God. Yes, we'll have bad days. Yes, there will be days that we will not feel like a child of God, but it is not depending upon my emotions or how I feel. It is depending upon the act and the work of God, sending his only begotten son to bleed and die for our sins. So when you read the book of 1 John, you are reminded that you and I, as children of God, because of his love, we can know that we have eternal life. There was a particular man, if I mention his name, he was world famous. You would know exactly who I was talking about. And in one of his last interviews, the interviewer asked him, do you know that you're going to heaven? And he made this statement that is very sad. He said, I hope that I'm going to heaven when I die. But can I say, if you have put your faith and trust in Jesus, you can know. There's no shadow of a doubt. that you're on your way to heaven with the Lord Jesus Christ. Many look at God as some old man upstairs. Many believe God to be angry and to be mad. And even sadly, preachers will present him as someone that will condemn you and someone that wants to judge you. And yes, God is just. And yes, God is holy. And yes, God is pure. But it all begins with his love. Can I say tonight, no one in this building would be alive if God was not love. No one in this building would even exist. We would not have been born upon this earth if God is not love. Watch the Bible in 1 John chapter number four. We realize as students of the Word of God that the Bible is always a book of order. It's not a sporadic book. It is not a matter of one thought or one doctrine in a phrase or a verse, but it is always a book of order. So notice how it begins in 1 John chapter number four and verse number one. I love this word, beloved, that always refers to the child of God, that is always reminding us that it is the Christian, he's not speaking to the sinner, he's not speaking, John, to the one that has never put their faith in Christ, but he's speaking to the child of God. And notice what it goes on to say, beloved, but believe not every spirit, that is not capital S, that is the spirits of this world, but try or test the spirits, whether they are God, why? Because many false prophets are going out into the world. That word try, Kyle, it's a very interesting word. It's the same word that you and I would use to test. How do you test? You ask questions. John said there are many false prophets that are going out into this world and sadly I've heard this text preached and they speak about those that are liberal and those that are compromised and you gotta wear this and you gotta do that. You gotta walk this way and you gotta act that way. And that sounds wonderful, but that has nothing to do with what John is about to speak of. In its context, if I am to try or to test the false prophets, notice what the Bible goes on to say in verse number two. And hereby, child of God, beloved, know ye, watch this, capital S, the Spirit, That is the Holy Spirit. That is the Spirit that is living inside. He doesn't live in this building, but He lives inside of your body. So John said when we're trying, when we're testing the spirits, we must know the Spirit of God that is living inside of us. Why? Verse two, because every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ is coming in the flesh is of God. Once again, he refers back to the doctrine of the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, and every spirit that confesses not that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God, and this is that spirit of antichrist. And watch this, written some 2,000 years ago, whereof ye have heard that it should come? Even now already. John said now in that moment, in that time, now already, it's coming to this world. That spirit, the Bible's an amazing book. That spirit of the Antichrist, John said 2,000 years ago approximately, it's already there in our minds tonight. If the spirit, not the Antichrist, but the spirit of Antichrist was already there, how much more tonight? It's that same spirit living in this world, the spirit of Antichrist. Brother Matt, if I was a topical preacher, I could stop right there and say, now, if you have a spirit of Antichrist, you'll wear a white shirt, and you'll have the right glasses, and you'll shine your shoes, and you'll have the right haircut. That would be a wonderful message, but there would be a problem. That has nothing to do with what John's about to speak of. So what is? That spirit of Antichrist. How can I try? How can I test the spirit and see whether it is of God or not of God? Watch verse number four. Ye, beloved, remember verse one, ye are of God. little children, have overcame them, how? Because greater is he that is this Holy Spirit that I referred to in verse two, because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. And can I say, can I just stop for a moment as we are laying this foundation on the subject of the love of God. We have victory in the Spirit of God that is dwelling inside of us. Oh yes, the Spirit of Antichrist is there. And yes, it's sadly, crept into religion and even into our churches, but greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. We have someone that can teach us. We have someone that can show us. We have someone that can direct us. You know what John said? Because the spirit of God that is living in your body, he will tell you if it's that spirit of antichrist. He will show you if it's not the spirit of God, because the true spirit of God is dwelling So watch the Bible, look at the word of God. Verse number five, they are of the world. Therefore, speak they of the world. And watch this phrase. The world heareth them. There's been sadly many things that has been accused of being worldly. even in our churches, but it has nothing to do with what John's about to say. I've heard, y'all don't have screens, man. Y'all got television sets in your walls. Some, I've heard preachers preach against screens, and I've heard it, y'all in trouble, y'all don't even have pews. I've heard them preach against chairs, and the wrong color carpet, and the wrong color windows, and y'all don't even have stained glass windows. I don't know how in the world y'all are not so right with God. I've heard all of that crazy thing that's not even in the Bible. So what is it John is speaking of? If the Bible, and it is, A book of order. If we're searching for the context, that's simply the intended meaning of the passage. If we're searching for the context of the reality of the scripture, what is John speaking of? This spirit of antichrist, this worldliness. Watch verse number six. Here's the difference. We are of God. We belong to him. All these things that people say we should do, we are of God. We're in another family. Here's what John said. He didn't say we are religious. I'm glad we're in a Baptist church, but he didn't say we are Baptist. He said we are of God. So watch this. He that knoweth God, heareth us. He that is not of God, heareth not us. Hereby know, watch this phrase, know we the spirit of truth. And not only because we have the Holy Spirit, we know the spirit of truth. There's something else you will know. The spirit of error, false doctrine, false teaching, And we certainly could focus on that, but that's not what John is focused on. He, you understand the Bible, he is just laying a foundation. He's getting to where he wants to go, but he is reminding us that even in his day and far much more in our day, this spirit of antichrist, this spirit of error, this spirit of worldliness, it's already here. So watch the Bible, don't listen to the Baptist, I'm not a good Baptist, I should say this, don't listen to the preacher. Let's look at the Bible. What does the Bible say about truth and about error? Can I make this statement tonight? If the Bible says it, it's right. that we don't waver from that, we don't compromise. We all got different opinions. We all like different things. And God made us that way. God is a very diverse God. God created us that way. We don't change on the Bible, but we must interpret the Bible correctly. So what is this spirit of truth? John, you're speaking of worldliness. You're speaking of this spirit of antichrist. John, what is it? that you're referring to. Watch the Bible. Can I say something about the requirement of love? Verse number seven, here's the same word that he used in verse number one in chapter number four. Beloved, still speaking to the Christian, still speaking, that's so important, to the child of God. Look at this requirement of love. Let us love one another. Do you really think that John was preaching a great message on worldliness and preaching a great message on the spirit of Antichrist and telling us how to live and not to live. Then all of a sudden in the next verse, in verse number 70, maybe he put down his pen, maybe he took a little break and maybe he got something else on his mind and it's the same chapter, but maybe he wanted to write, do you really think that he went in a different direction? But watch the interpretation. He laid the foundation. to tell us we ought to watch these false prophets. How do we know that we're testing? Remember, we're trying them, we're asking questions. How do we know they're false prophets? Well, evidence is this. Number one, they never tell you about the requirement of this love. Let us love. Worldliness is not loving each other. Worldliness, false prophets are so angry and so bitter, they're causing division in the family of God. And here's the requirement of this love. John said, let us love one another. If I want this spirit of truth, I must learn as the beloved to love one another. Not only is the requirement of this love, but look at the revelation of this love. Let us love one another. Why? Watch this. For love is of God. No, no, we don't want to be worldly. No, we don't want to compromise. How do we do that, John? He said, act like God. Why? How do we act like God? Do we put on a certain thing or do we, I know we have convictions and I know everybody has preferences and we're certainly not against those things, but if I want to act like God, For love, watch the language of the Bible, is of God. That is the natural ability of who God is. You're acting, I'm acting more like God when there's love in my heart. Why? We see the requirement, the revelation, but look at the relationship. Verse seven, everyone that loveth is what, born of God. The greatest evidence of my salvation is I love like God loves. It tells this world, it tells false religion, it screams to the false prophets, love salvation, love is of God. We'll walk out into this world. And I know we're Christians. We ought to live the best we can. We ought not live like the world. We're not to act like the world, but I tell you what we ought to do. We ought to love those that maybe they don't dress like we dress. Maybe they don't go the places we go. Maybe they don't do all the things we do, but they're gonna know you're a Christian when you love them like God loves them. I have some neighbors across from me. I live in an amazing neighborhood. I have some neighbors across from me, two ladies, according to the state of West Virginia, they're married, but according to the Bible, they're not. But I believe they can be saved. What should I do? Should I get behind the pulpits of America and call them names and make fun of them and laugh at their lifestyle and joke about them? No, I should do what God does. I should love them like God loves them. Why? Because love is of God. And the evidence that I am a child of God, I'm born of God. Watch the Bible, this worldliness, the false prophets. What are the false prophets doing, John? They're not loving like God loves. What is worldliness, John? I'll tell you what it is. It's not loving like God loves them. Watch the requirement, the revelation, the relationship, but look at the reality. We're almost to the message. Look at the reality of this love. Let us love one another, for love is of God. Everyone that loveth is born of God. Watch this. And knoweth God. Why? Verse eight. He that loveth not. Watch the Bible. These false prophets. Context. The spirit of worldliness. He that loveth not. That's the false prophets John was talking about. He that loveth not. You know what John said? They don't even know who God is. What's that mean? Sadly, not here, not here, but sadly there's false prophets in Baptist churches. How do you know that? Because they're not loving like God is loving. He that loveth not. Don't even know who God is. We all have our ways in our mind where we think everybody should be like us and that's ridiculous. We think everybody should act like us and that's ridiculous. Sadly in America, we think everybody should look like us and that's ridiculous. And when I act that way, I'm not acting like God. You know what John said? I'm being worldly. I'm acting like the false prophets. When I act that way and I'm not loving towards my neighbor and I'm not loving towards those that I should already love, it's as if I don't even know who God is. Number one, we see the requirement of this love, the revelation, the relationship, the reality, but here's the message, verse number eight. Look at the reference. of this love. Here's the message for God. This is not a definition of God. This is a description of God for God is love. Do you know why you're saved tonight? Same reason I'm saved. Oh yes, he's holy. Yes, he's just. but he's holy because it begins with his love. He's just because it begins with his love. He's never failed because it begins with his love. He never will fail because it begins with his love. He cannot do wrong because it begins with his love. When you describe God, you need no other argument. You need no other plea. You need go any further. God is love. If I speak of a God that is angry and mad, I'm not speaking of the God of the Bible. God is love. God is so merciful, God is so kind. Read the Old Testament. He gave Israel every opportunity not to turn their back upon Him. He gave Israel every opportunity to get the thing right in their eyes of God. Let's go to the New Testament. He gives us grace, He gives us mercy. God! He is love. You know what being worldly is? It's not loving each other. In this context, you know what it means to act like a false prophet in those that don't even know who God is? It's not loving like God loves. A few months ago, I was sitting in the floor of a prophet's chamber and I began to feel sorry for myself because of my situation. Pastor, I've noticed you and your wife and what's brother Matt and his wife. I've seen how you love each other and that's a biblical relationship. And I miss that. And I began to think about those things. God, if you really love me, God, if you really love me, this wouldn't have happened. And it was an amazing thing that happened that moment. God doesn't speak in some audible voice. God doesn't come down in some physical manner and put his arms around you. But I tell you what God did that night. It was as if he sat there on the floor and he cried with me. And he showed me how much he truly loves me. I want to tell you this evening, I don't know your situation. I don't know what you've been through. I have no idea, young person, what you might go through. But the God of the Bible is love. Can I say this tonight and I'll be done? If God is love, this reference of love, look at the manifestation of his love in verse nine. In this, in what? Verse number eight, the love of God. In this, the love of God was manifested. That's an amazing word. It literally means it became such a major thing that it was magnified in the life of humanity. It was manifested, the love of God towards what? Towards us. Why? How do we know this? Because God sent his only begotten son into the world. that we might live through him, this manifestation of the love of God. You say, God, God's never told me he loved me. God already showed you he loves you. You say, how do I know that God, he's already proven that he loves you? Because many, many years ago, he sent his only begotten son into this world that now we might live through him. He manifested. through his only begotten son at Calvary, when he bled and died for your sins. If you would have been the only one on this earth, God would have manifested his love for you. You say, but preacher, you don't know what I've done. You don't know how bad it's been. Can I say every one of us are sinners. Every one of us are messed up, but God is such a loving God. He still sent his son. He still manifested his love. God is love. We see the manifestation of this love, but watch verse number 10. Look at the magnificence of this love. Watch, I love this word. Herein is love. Not that we love God, that's easy, that's easy. Even though we go through the dark days and even though there's trials and there's pain in our life, it's easy to love God. God did everything He could. He showed us by the greatest gift heaven ever had. Here in His love, not that we love God, but look at the magnificence, but that He loved us. All of us that are born sinners, we're sinners by conception, we're sinners by conduct, we're sinners by choice, but yet a holy God who has never failed, a holy God who has never messed up, a holy God who could not sin, a holy God, we don't deserve his love, I could never deserve his love, but God loves us. here in his love, not that we love God, but that God loved us. How do we know this? He sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins. Do you really think that God doesn't love you? How could we ever in our mind let it cross a thought that God doesn't love us? Before I ever went through this valley, God already sent his son. Before you ever had a trial, before you were ever born, before you ever existed, God sent his son. You're in his love. Not that we love God, that's easy. But that God loved us so much that he sent his only begotten son to die for us. Watch this. Child of God, beloved, How could I not live for Him? How could I not give my life to a holy God that loves me that much? How could I not spend every day of my life surrendered to Him? I thank God for Adalie and my friends in this building. I thank God for 28 years of an amazing marriage. my mother, my father, all those things, but I would have had none of them if it wasn't for this God. You say, I don't have that. I tell you what you do have, you have life. You're breathing. You're here tonight. There would be no life without this God. How could we not live for Him? Can I say this and I'm done in this exposition? We see the manifestation of the magnificent. But number three, look at verse 11. Look at the mandate of this love. Beloved, if God so loved us and He did and He does, we ought also to love one another. Here's the message, Adlai, if you'll help us. John, the Bible's amazing book. It's never out of order. You will not find anything. If I find a place that I believe the Bible contradicts itself, that's because my mind is messed up. I don't have the mind of God. The Bible is always correct. It's never out of order. So why would John? Tell us to test, try the Spirit. Watch out for the false prophets. We're living in the days of antichrist spirits. Don't be worldly. Why would John begin this passage that way? I'll tell you why. Because there's preachers, there's Christians, so-called, Mothers and fathers, they're straight, they're right, they dress right, they look right, they act right, they got everything right. Except they're not loving. You know what John said? They're worldly. But Kyle, I wanna do, I don't always do it, but I wanna do what the Bible tells me to do. Can I just sound ignorant for a moment? The Bible says nothing about screens and auditoriums, the Bible. So whether you have them or don't, God don't say nothing about that. The Bible says nothing about stained glass windows, whether you have them or you don't. The Bible, and I'm anybody's conviction, I don't wanna be rebellious, I wanna have the right attitude, but the Bible really don't say nothing about ties and that, can you understand what I'm saying? The Bible says nothing. So why for decades upon decades have we preached against worldliness and never said nothing about the love of God? I want to be the right kind of Christian. And so do you. I want to be straight. I want to be a Bible Christian. I don't want there to be no argument. I don't want there to be no question. I want my friends to know that I'm a Bible preacher. I'm gonna live right. I'm gonna do right. I don't wanna be worldly. You know what John just said? Well, here's how you do it. You love your brother. You love your sister. You know what the test, the Bible, Dr. Adrian Rogers put it best, the greatest commentary on the Bible is the Bible. Well, the Bible just answered its own question. I don't want to be considered a false prophet. That's ridiculous. John said, well, you better start loving everybody. I don't want that spirit of antichrist in my family, in my home. Then you better love your brother. That's hard to love. I don't wanna be a worldly preacher. Well, then you better wear the right clothes. You better say the right things. That's not what the Bible says. Please don't misunderstand me. Yes, we have standards. Yes, we have to have convictions. But in this passage, worldliness is this, a worldly false prophet preacher. Someone that's not loving. I'm thinking of a man right now, I wish I wasn't, but I am. Very strict preacher. He's against everything. But here's the sad connotation. He's also against everybody. And you know what John said? He's worldly. Because if I'll, I wanna be right. I love the family of God. It's revival time. I'm done with this. I love your pastor. I love his humility. God's blessed, but he's not a priest, but I'm gonna confess just for a minute. I'm gonna confess. When Rachel went to heaven, my wife, two years and six months ago today. I began to think different. I began to feel the love of God different. A couple months after she had passed, well, about three months, there was one preacher, I know he lied about me. I know he lied. Brother Matt, I know he lied about me. He did it to get meetings. He'd talk about how liberal I was. I wasn't even on the list yet, but he'd talk about how liberal I was, that kind of thing. Say things that just weren't true. I got angry, got mad. A couple months after Rachel passed, three months, he called me, he texted me, he didn't call me. And he asked me to come preach for him. My first reaction was, you're an idiot. Do you really think that I would preach for you? I know y'all ain't that, I know y'all more spiritual than I am, but that was my first reaction, I'm just telling you. And that's what I wanted to text back to. The Holy Spirit reminded me that God loves him. Preacher two and a half years ago, I would have never preached for that man. But when God breaks your heart, those things don't really matter. This past December, I did my best and I preached for him. When I drove off the parking lot, The Holy Spirit kind of reminded me of these verses. Kind of told me that I was being more like God then, than I've ever been. I wonder who it is in your life. I wonder, What name is in your mind right now? You're thinking, there is no way. I don't want to be a worldly preacher. But that has nothing to do with what I'm wearing tonight. But it has everything to do with bitterness and unforgiveness. Tonight, God is love. There's nobody in this building, especially me, that deserves such love. That's just who he is. He can't help it. That's his character, that's his DNA. God, yes, he's holy, but it begins with his love. Yes, he's just, but it has to begin with his love. God is love. Young person, who is it at your school that don't know Jesus, but they need to see Jesus in you? This is a hard one. Who is it in our family? We wanna see him saved. But we know there's unforgiveness in our heart. So tonight I wonder, are we gonna be like God? Or are we gonna be like false prophets? Wearing three-piece suits and carrying a Bible. but they don't love like God does. I wanna be a Christian who loves like Christ. Can we stand with every head bowed and every eye closed? Adlai's gonna sing in just a moment. Everyone standing, heads bowed, eyes closed, if you're able to stand. Just a moment, I'm gonna pray. And I'm gonna ask you to come. Nobody's looking around, but I'm gonna ask you to come to this altar after I pray. I certainly don't know your heart. You don't know my heart. God does, God does. I don't think this is a matter of we should stand up and confess our sins. But I think this is a matter that every child of God, from both sides, both middles, the front and the back, every child of God should come after I pray to this altar and say, Lord, you know who it is. Lord, I don't want to be worldly. I want to love like you love. I don't want to be like the false prophets. I want to love like you love. Dear Heavenly Father, God, only you can move in this invitation. God, help us all to come, every one of us, every child of God, come. God, maybe we don't even know who it is. Lord, can we come and ask you? Can we humble ourselves at an altar tonight? Lord, would you show us how to love like you love? God, I don't deserve your love, but you love me anyhow. Lord, let us be that Christian. Let us be that man, that woman, that young person at our schools, our jobs, our homes, our neighborhoods, our churches. Help us tonight. In Jesus' name, amen.