First Baptist Church of Hoquiam
Sunday Worship, November 1, 2026
  • Transition from last week: John ended his discussion on sin vs. righteousness by issuing another related challenge:
    1 John 3:10 LSB
    10 By this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifested: everyone who does not do righteousness is not of God, as well as the one who does not love his brother.
    So let’s begin with a question to get our brains going:

    How does hate destroy love?

    Accusation: It’s their fault
    Self-righteousness: Just look at how wrong they are?
    Desensitization: Continued coldness builds walls and divides.

    What are the opposites of these?

    Accusation turns in to Celebration
    Self-righteousness turns into humility
    Desensitization turns into Empathy
    Today, John is going to challenge our own thinking on what it means to love one another. The goal is for us to test ourselves and ask if we are truly obeying God’s commandments to love.
    1 John 3:11–24 LSB
    11 For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; 12 not as Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous. 13 Do not marvel, brothers, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. The one who does not love abides in death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 16 By this we have known love, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17 But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. 19 And by this we will know that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him 20 in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22 and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight. 23 And this is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He gave a commandment to us. 24 And the one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He gave us.

    Love one another

    1 John 3:11 LSB
    11 For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another;

    An expression of loving creation

    Genesis 1:26–27 LSB
    26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, so that they will have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

    Commands to love

    Love God

    Deuteronomy 6:4–5 LSB
    4 “Hear, O Israel! Yahweh is our God, Yahweh is one! 5 “You shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

    Love your neighbor

    Leviticus 19:18 LSB
    18 ‘You shall not take vengeance, and you shall not keep your anger against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am Yahweh.

    Love your enemy

    Matthew 5:44 LSB
    44 “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

    Jesus emphasis on love

    Matthew 22:37–40 LSB
    37 And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 “This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 “And the second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 “On these two commandments hang the whole Law and the Prophets.”
    What is John aiming at when he reminds his readers of this command?

    Illustration: Don’t be like Cain

    1 John 3:12 LSB
    12 not as Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous.
    Genesis 4:1–11 LSB
    1 Now the man knew his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, “I have gotten a man with the help of Yahweh.” 2 And again, she gave birth to his brother Abel. Abel was a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a cultivator of the ground. 3 So it happened in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to Yahweh of the fruit of the ground. 4 Abel, on his part, also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And Yahweh had regard for Abel and for his offering; 5 but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry, and his countenance fell. 6 Then Yahweh said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 “If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is lying at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.” 8 Then Cain spoke to Abel his brother; and it happened when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. 9 Then Yahweh said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” And he said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” 10 And He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying out to Me from the ground. 11 “And now, cursed are you from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.
    1 John 3:12 LSB
    12 not as Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous.

    Absence of love leads to anger, hatred, and murder.

    Matthew 5:21–24 LSB
    21 “You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not murder’ and ‘Whoever murders shall be guilty before the court.’ 22 “But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ shall be guilty before the Sanhedrin; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell. 23 “Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.

    Why does the world hate us?

    1 John 3:12–13 LSB
    12 not as Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous. 13 Do not marvel, brothers, if the world hates you.

    Our righteousness brings their failure to light.

    John 3:19–21 LSB
    19 “And this is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20 “For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light lest his deeds be exposed. 21 “But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been done by God.”

    The truth about hate

    1 John 3:14–15 LSB
    14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. The one who does not love abides in death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

    The example we follow

    1 John 3:16 LSB
    16 By this we have known love, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

    What does that love look like?

    1 John 3:17–18 LSB
    17 But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.

    What does that love produce?

    1 John 3:19–20 LSB
    19 And by this we will know that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him 20 in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things.
    Assurance even in the face of personal doubt.

    What then are we assured of?

    1 John 3:21–22 LSB
    21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22 and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.

    Just like Abel’s offering

    Cain tried to make Abel feel bad for his own failure. He hated Abel because his existence became a reminder of his own shortcomings.
    So, our assurance gives us confidence to know how to ask for the things that are pleasing in His sight.

    Obedience that please God

    1 John 3:23–24 LSB
    23 And this is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He gave a commandment to us. 24 And the one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He gave us.

    Believe in Jesus

    Love one Another

    The one who does these things abides in Christ and Christ abides in him.

    Putting our love to the test

    What did John challenge us with today?

    Do you hold any hatred in your heart?

    Even if it is a hidden hate.
    If I do, how is Christ calling me to love instead?

    Are you guarding against anger, which is the root of hate?

    If I’m not, how is Christ calling me to love instead?

    Is your love genuine or just lip service?

    If it is, how is Christ calling me to love instead?

    Does anything in you need to change to obey the command to love and ultimately please God?

      • 1 John 3:10ESV

      • 1 John 3:11–24ESV

      • 1 John 3:11ESV

      • Genesis 1:26–27ESV

      • Deuteronomy 6:4–5ESV

      • Leviticus 19:18ESV

      • Matthew 5:44ESV

      • Matthew 22:37–40ESV

      • 1 John 3:12ESV

      • Genesis 4:1–11ESV

      • 1 John 3:12ESV

      • Matthew 5:21–24ESV

      • 1 John 3:12–13ESV

      • John 3:19–21ESV

      • 1 John 3:14–15ESV

      • 1 John 3:16ESV

      • 1 John 3:17–18ESV

      • 1 John 3:19–20ESV

      • 1 John 3:21–22ESV

      • 1 John 3:23–24ESV

First Baptist Church of Hoquiam
fbchoquiam@outlook.com
3605324887
http://fbchoquiam.com
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