Sermon Prepared by James McCullen
Email Preach Him with Dr. Jim

OLD BUT NEW LOVE
1 JOHN 2:7-11

INTRODUCTION:
I Can't imagine any New Testament Christian, saying I hope I am saved. I can't imagine any New Testament Christian, saying I HATE MY BROTHER.   The text speaks to those who claim to be Christians but have hatered for a fellow believer.
 
 

A.    A COMMAND THAT IS . . UNIQUE.   v 7 - 8 a
{7} Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard. {8} On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you,

STRONGS 2537. kainos, kahee-nos'; of uncert. affin.; new (espec. in freshness; new in
kind but not new in time. G3501 is prop. so with respect to age):--new.

STRONGS 3820. palaios, pal-ah-yos'; from G3819; antique, i.e. not recent, worn
out:--old.

        1. NEW IN EMPHASIS. Put Deut. 6:5 and Lev. 19:18 together. p 36 clear creek.
        2. New in quality. Christ said love as I love.
        3. New in the extent he gave it irrespective of roll and rank.
        4. New in it continuance as their relationship with God renews it.
 

B. A COMMAND THAT IS . . UNIFYING.   v 8 b    "IN HIM AND YOU"
        (8) which is true in Him and in you,
 

C. A COMMAND THAT IS . . UNFOLDING.   v 8 c
        (8) " . . . because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.

    1.    JESUS IS LIGHT "THE LIGHT IS ALREADY SHINING" v 8 c
 

ILLUSTRATION:
MOM IS OLD BUT HAS A NEW BEAUTY.

WIFE IS ---- ADVANCED IN YEARS BUT HAS A NEW BEAUTY LK 1:18

A Japanese magazine has a picture of a butterfly on one of its pages. Its color is a dull gray until warmed by one's hand. The touch of a hand causes the special inks in the printing to react, and the dull gray is transformed into a flashing rainbow of color. What other things can be thus changed by the warmth of your interest and love? Your family? Your church? Even your city? This old world is hungry for the touch of someone who cares -- who really cares! That someone can transform your home, your entire life. His name is Jesus! -- Paul M. Stevens
 

APPLICATION:

We are commanded to love because love involves a decision.
 
 

A. COMPARED IN . . SERVICE. v 8 c

        1. IS PASSING. v 8 c
        2.. IS ALREADY SHINNING. v 8 c
 

B. COMPARED IN SPEECH. v 9 a ". . .The one who says. . . "
 

C. COMPARED IN SIGHT. v 9 b
{9} b ". . . says he is in the light and <yet> hates his brother is in the darkness until now.

        1. LIGHT vs DARKNESS THE WORLD WITHOUT JESUS
 

ILLUSTRATION:
Rita Snowden tells a story of the war. In France some soldiers with their sergeant brought the body of a dead comrade to a French cemetery to have him buried. The priest told them gently that he was bound to ask if their comrade had been a baptized adherent of the Roman Catholic Church. They said that they did not know. The priest said that he was very sorry but in that case he could not permit burial in his churchyard.

So the soldiers took their comrade sadly and buried him just outside the fence. The next day they came back to see that the grave was all right and to their astonishment could not find it. Search as they might they could fine no trace of the freshly dug soil. As they were about to leave in bewilderment the priest came up. He told them that his heart had been troubled because of his refusal to allow their dead comrade to be buried in the churchyard; so, early in the morning, he had risen from his bed and with his own hands had moved the fence to include the body of the soldier who had died for France. -- William Barclay, "Commentary on Ephesians"
 

APPLICATION:

This old but new love is compared.
 
 

A. CONTRASTED IN . . DEVOTION.        "LOVE BROTHER" v 10 and 11
    {10} The one who loves his brother. . . "  {11} But the one who hates his brother . . . "
 

B. CONTRASTED IN DIRECTION.    "WALK IN LIGHT AND DARK" v 11
{11} But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and  does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

    1.    stumbling = a trap or snare (to catch an animal"

Illuistration
Samuel Johnson said, "Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome."

    1. Hate equals living in darkness. v 11 a
    2. Hate equals walking in darkness. v 11 b
    3. Hate equals grouping in darkness. v 11 c
 

ILLUSTRATION:
When the Bastille, a castle-like prison in Paris, was about to be destroyed in 1789, a convict was brought out who had been confined in one of its gloomy cells for many years. But instead of joyfully welcoming his liberty, he begged to be taken back. It had been such a long time since he had seen the sunshine that his eyes could not endure its brightness. His only desire was to die in the murky dungeon where he had been a captive. In the same way, some men continue to reject the Savior until they eventually become so hardened in their sin that they prefer the dark ways of eternal death.
 

Application

I.  OLD BUT NEW LOVE COMMANDED. v 7-9

II. OLD BUT NEW LOVE COMPARED. v 9

III. OLD BUT NEW LOVE CONTRASTED. v 10-11