Hartland Spring Convocation 2022: Walking in the Light

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Hartland Institute of Health and Education

Charles Holtry

Living What You Believe: Doing the Impossible!

Just listening to that song, I remember singing it with the choir when I was a freshman here a few years back, about 30 almost.

Again, about 30 years ago, I remember working on the farm and spending lots of time.

I don't tan, so I just spent myself a perpetual red all summer long was my complexion.

But I remember distinctly the lessons I learned.

And what a blessing to have a farm program here.

1 more thing that I'd like to share before I get started is some of you are familiar with Piedmont Valley Youth Bible Camp.

If you have got young people between ages 12 and 17 and they're looking for a fun spiritual uplifting experience, this summer here on Heartland Campus from June 5 to June 12 will be the Piedmont Valley Youth Bible Camp.

I'm looking forward to it personally because I get to talk about 1 John a little bit more there.

I will be there and several people I was meeting who came here to visit will also be there looking forward to it.

So if you are not quite sure what to do with part of their summer, Piedmont Valley Bible Camp.

All right, before I start, I always like to just make sure I know who I am and who He is.

Father, it is acknowledgement that is your word that has the power.

It is your spirit that brings the conviction.

And we are simply your people here waiting.

Have you ever heard the expression, so-and-so didn't fall too far from the tree?

Yes, maybe you know someone who really looks like their parent or grandparent or some way like that.

I have a son that looks very much like my father when he was younger.

And we call it the apple didn't fall too far from the tree.

Well, John uses this concept when he's talking about Christians.

Could you turn with me to the book of 1 John chapter 3?

1 John chapter 3, and we will start with verse 10.

And this passage is kind of direct, and again, as we've mentioned, when we're looking at John's writing, John does not have a problem, the inspiration, saying it the way it is.

We're going to see a lot of that as we're going through our study today.

1 John 3, in verse 10, it says, In this the children of God are manifest and the children of the devil." So in other words, he's about to tell us something that can tell us, okay, here you can tell who's a child of God and who's a child of the devil.

He says, "...whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that, " what?

So if you want to find a person, if they're not loving their brother, you can know Instantly, okay, well, we know who they're not related to.

You can tell that they're not related to God.

For this is the message that you heard from the beginning that we should what?

You have in 1 John, we looked at last night, chapter 1 and verse 5.

This then is the message which we have heard of him.

The only other time you see that concept being rephrased is here In 1 John 3, verse 11.

Here in 1 John 3, 11, it is that we should love 1 another.

And as we studied last night, that is the same thing.

So very, very unique picture put in together.

Children of God are those who do righteousness.

Children of God are those who love 1 another.

Verse 14 says, we know that we have passed from death unto life because we Love the brethren.

If I want to recognize a child of God, here's how I recognize a child of God.

What they're listening on their earphones is just right.

Is that how I recognize, per se, a child of God?

In fact, what we're being told here is I can recognize a child of God by how they treat the people around them.

That is the biggest indicator, if you could use the word litmus test, right, of what is true Christianity.

If we, verse 12 says, "'Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one.'" So when you say was of that wicked 1, you're implying that he's born of him, right?

That's the picture, a child of that wicked 1.

And wherefore slew he him because his own works were evil and his brothers righteous.

So you can tell a child of God by the way they treat others and you can tell a child of the devil by how they treat others.

At the end of verse 14, we didn't finish the verse, it says, He that loveth not his brother abides in death.'" Verse 15, "'whosoever hates his brother is a murderer, "'and you know that no murderer hath eternal life "'abiding with him.'" So here it is, just a brief introduction as we get started today.

We can tell who we're related to by how we treat others.

So we looked at the concept, the apple didn't fall far from the tree.

You can tell I am my father's son by looking at my eyes.

You can tell that I am my mother's son by looking at other parts of my face.

You can tell from the physical characteristics.

But when it comes to spiritual things, you can tell who you're related to by how you treat other people.

So with that being said, how do we know, how do we have a connection with God?

I mean, that's the title today, living what you believe, doing the impossible.

First, I'd like to take a little time looking at what God is like.

Love is from God, and everyone that loveth is born of God and knows God.

So if you're born of God, then you are his child, right?

So this idea, love is of God or love is from God.

Do you remember what the fruit's name was?

I'm going to talk about another fruit today.

And this fruit is much more expensive than Cherimoya.

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Living What You Believe: Doing the Impossible!

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