Abide

We are continuing our study in First John. This week, we are talking about the important principle of abiding. What does it mean to abide in God? His word abides in us, and what are the results of it?

Open with us to First John, chapter 2, verse 24. Good morning, Cross-Connection Church! Would you stand with me, please, and take out your Bibles? If you don't have a Bible this morning, you can raise your hand, and one of our ushers will bring you one. We are in the book of First John in the New Testament. First John is right near the end of your Bible, so open up to the very last book, Revelation. Turn just a tiny bit to the left, and you'll find First John.

As you're turning there, I want to emphasize one of the announcements we had this morning. We have been connected with a whole bunch of churches here in San Diego to seek to reach more of the people in our county. There are 3.2 million people who call San Diego home, and many of those people are not connected in any way with a Bible-teaching, gospel-centered church. Saturate San Diego is our effort to try and reach our neighbors and our community with the gospel.

I would hope that next Saturday morning at 8 o'clock, if you have some time, you come on out here. We are going to worship for just a little bit, pray, and then go out into the community to bring the Jesus film to people and invite them to the church. We have already passed out a whole bunch of these invitations, but we want to try and finish up our commitment to saturate San Diego. So, come on out next Saturday morning at 8 a.m. I hope to see you all there.

Now, back to First John, chapter 2. We will pick it up today at verse 24. There, John writes, "Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that He has promised us: eternal life."

These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you. But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you. The same anointing teaches you concerning all things and is true.

Not a lie. Just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him. Now, little children, abide in Him. Father, as we open the Scriptures today, I pray that You would open our ears, our minds, and our hearts so that we would receive from You Your Word. Here at this church, we believe that Your Word is living and powerful, and that You desire to do a work in our minds, our hearts, and our lives by Your Word and the working of Your Spirit.

It is through Your Word that You, Lord, teach us doctrine, and sometimes rebuke and reprove us. You correct us and instruct us in right living so that we would be able to fulfill the good works that You have prepared for us. Lord, would You use Your Word and, by the working of Your Spirit this morning, equip us more for the works that You have created us for this week? God, do work. We ask this in Jesus' name, and all those that agreed said, "Amen." You may be seated.

I think I was about eight or nine years old, and I don't know where it came from, but I had this shirt. On the shirt, in big letters, it said "abide." Now, I didn't really know what the word "abide" meant as an eight or nine-year-old, but I had this shirt. You may be wondering how on earth I remember a shirt with the word "abide" on it from like 30 years ago. Well, it's not because it was my favorite shirt; I remember it because of an argument I had with a kid who lived next door to my parents at that time. He was a little bit older than me; I think he was probably 13 or 14 years old.

I was having an argument with this neighbor kid, and in the middle of our argument, he said, "That's a stupid shirt. You probably don't even know what that word means, abide." And you know, he was right. I didn't know what that word meant. It's not like it was my favorite shirt, but from that moment on, I had to defend my shirt. How dare you call my shirt stupid? Who do you think you are calling my shirt stupid? You don't know what that word means. I was kind of dumbfounded; I didn't really know what it meant. He told me that the word means that you're drunk.

Now, I remember him; his name was David Rose. I remember that kid very distinctly because of that conversation. He was wrong; "abide" does not mean drunk. Maybe he thought of "imbibe," I don't know, but he...

That was wrong; that's not what it means, but I didn't know what it meant. As you read through the Scriptures, especially the writings of the Apostle John, who not only wrote First John but also Second and Third John, and he also penned the Book of Revelation, the last book of the Bible, and the Gospel of John, you see this word come up quite a bit. In fact, he uses it some 68 times in his writings in the New Testament. It was a very important word, a very important concept for the Apostle John, and not just for him but for the church and for us now.

This begs the question: why was this such an important topic or concept for John? Very likely, it became an important centerpiece of John's writing and a concept that was significant to him as a follower of Jesus because of the teaching of Jesus that John actually recorded in the Gospel of John, chapter 15. If you would turn in your Bibles to the Gospel of John, we're in First John, which is about a third of the way back into the Bible. To the left, you'll find the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and then John.

In John chapter 15, Jesus gives teaching in this passage, and John was present for this teaching; he was a firsthand hearer of it. What's interesting about John chapter 15, verses 1 through 11, which we're going to look at, is that John, of the four Gospel writers—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—is the only one who records this teaching from Jesus.

But where did the concept or the idea of abiding, and the important principle of abiding, come from for John? It probably came from John chapter 15, verse 1. In many of your Bibles, you may see that the words are in red, which indicates words that Jesus said. So, in John 15:1, Jesus says, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine dresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, He, the vine dresser, the Father, takes away, and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes so that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches."

And I, and Him, bear much fruit, for without Me, you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered. They gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this, My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so you will be My disciples.

As the Father has loved Me, I also have loved you. Abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you and that your joy may be full.

Now, we have talked about, as we've been studying through First John over the last six or seven weeks, the topic or the focus of our study is this theme: fullness of joy. That concept of fullness of joy comes from the opening words of John in First John, where he writes, "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled concerning the Word of life." That life was manifested, and we have seen it and bear witness and declare to you that eternal life, which was with the Father, was manifested to us. That which we have seen and heard, we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us. And truly, our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you, that your joy may be full.

So, Jesus, in John chapter 15, in this great teaching where He presents the principle of abiding, says, "I've spoken these things to you so that My joy may remain in you and your joy may be full." John, now in First John, says, "I'm writing these things to you so that your joy may be full." He returns to the topic and principle of abiding as well, which leads us to point number one on your outline: fullness of joy is the result of the abiding life.

If you will, that's kind of the point or the principle of what we're going to be considering as we look through this text today. Fullness of joy is the result of the abiding life. As I interact with people, and I'm sure as you interact with people, you begin to discover that the people we live next door to, or work with, or go to school with, the people we interact with on a regular basis, they are seeking for...

Fullness of life, abundance of life, and the pursuit of joy and happiness are central themes in our existence. However, this does not necessarily mean that every person we interact with is seeking fullness in the same way or believes that it can be found in the same things. Each individual has a different perception or description of what an abundant, full life looks like. Regardless of their descriptions, everyone is ultimately seeking fullness and joy.

In John chapter 15 and in 1 John chapters 1 and 2, it is indicated that the fullness of joy is connected to, or perhaps even results from, the abiding life. Unfortunately, there are those who do not experience this abiding life. In the previous section of Scripture in 1 John chapter 2, which we studied last week, John speaks about a group of people who, at one point, seemed to be followers of Jesus. They were part of the church, but now they have departed; they have left and have not abided.

In 1 John chapter 2, verse 18, John writes, "Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard, the Antichrist is coming. Even now, many antichrists have come, by which we know it is the last hour." Notice in 1 John chapter 2, verse 19, he continues, "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued." The exact same word used here, which is translated as "abide," appears some 67 other times in John's writing. It could be literally stated that they would have abided with us. If they had truly been with us, they would have continued to abide with us. However, they went out so that it might be made manifest that none of them were of us.

Sadly, there are people who do not abide in what Jesus indicates we ought to abide in, as John teaches in this passage. This is a grave situation. As Jesus indicates in the passage we just read in John chapter 15, verse 6, He says, "If anyone does not abide in Me, then what is the result? He is cast out."

A branch that is withered is gathered and thrown into the fire, where it is burned. There is discussion among Bible teachers and commentators about what exactly Jesus is metaphorically alluding to when He says that the unfruitful branch is cast out. The general consensus, the majority view, is that this has to do with outer darkness and separation from God, which we typically speak of when we refer to Hell.

Clearly, abiding is necessary and important; the consequences of not doing so are devastating. The one who does not abide is not fruitful, and the unfruitful branches are pruned and cast away. In John's day, near the end of the first century, seven decades after Jesus ascended into Heaven, there were those who had gone out from the church. Originally, they seemed to have some sort of relationship with the church and with Christ, at least on the outside. Yet, they did not have true fellowship, abiding with the Father and with the Son, and so they departed.

Abiding is necessary and important. John makes it very clear that it is necessary for fullness of joy. Each of us today is hoping for, desiring, and looking for fullness of joy, and this fullness of joy is connected to the abiding life. Not only is fullness of joy important, but Jesus' teaching in John chapter 15 indicates that abiding is necessary for fruitfulness in Christ. It is the desire of our Father that our lives produce much fruit.

This raises the question: what exactly is the fruit that we are to be producing in our lives? The most logical passage of Scripture that seems to explain this is Galatians chapter 5, verses 22 and 23, where it says that the fruit of the Spirit—the evidence that God's Spirit is in us and that the life of the Spirit is flowing through us—includes love, joy, peace, kindness, gentleness, and self-control. All of these qualities are manufactured in our lives, and the evidence of that fruit increases our experience of the abundant life.

Knowing this truth, John writes in 1 John chapter 2, verse 24: "Therefore, let that abide in you." The word "abide" means to remain in, dwell in, and continue. Let that dwell in you which you heard from the beginning.

You heard from the beginning that which remains, dwells, and abides in you. Then you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. This is the promise that He has promised us: eternal life. Let that abide in you. If that abides in you, then you will abide.

What is it that John is saying should remain in and dwell in us, who are followers of Jesus? He says it is that which you have heard from the beginning. What is that which we have heard from the beginning? Those words connect us back to the beginning of First John, chapter 1. If you're in First John chapter 2, if you're not, turn to First John chapter 1.

First John chapter 1, verse 1: "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled concerning the Word of Life." That which we have heard from the beginning is the Word of Life, and John here says that it needs to remain in us, abide in us.

Point number 2 on your outline: The abiding Word of Life brings fullness of joy and fruitfulness. Now, that may seem like a relatively simplistic truth, and I'll grant you that it's pretty straightforward. However, it is true nonetheless. God's Word, what the Scriptures refer to as the Word of Truth, the Word of Life, as it abides in and remains in us, produces fruitfulness in our lives. One of the fruits that it produces is fullness of joy.

Now, that may seem like, "Well, wait a minute, how does that actually work?" To be quite honest with you, I'm not sure that I could exactly articulate a perfect answer for how that works. But I can tell you by experience and by observation, based on what I see in the Scripture, that it does work. What do I mean? Well, as we cause or allow the Word of God to be a part of our lives, to be planted deep in our hearts and in our minds, and to begin to become a part of who we are, it begins to...

Produce an effect in our lives now. I believe this is something that God, by His grace and by His power, does through His Living Word, which is living and powerful. I have seen it so many times over the last twenty-plus years as I've interacted with people. God's Word begins to go into their hearts through their ears and their minds. It begins to take root in their lives and transforms them. It transforms them from what they were, in all of their carnal nature and all the things that are associated with the flesh, which Paul talks about in Galatians chapter 5, verses 16 and onward. We see the works of the flesh being evident in them, and then the Word of God begins to go into their lives and transforms them. Now we see the fruit of the Spirit being produced, which is entirely different from what they were.

Again, we try to figure this out because we live in the post-Enlightenment Western world. Here in the 21st century, we think that everything needs to have a perfectly articulated answer. Yet, there are things that do not have a perfectly articulated answer, and they drive us crazy—or at least they drive me nuts. I'm one of those people who's very analytical. I want to have a very clear propositional statement for everything, but there are some things that I just can't perfectly explain. I just know that it works. As God's Word begins to remain in us, it transforms us. The abiding Word of Life brings fullness of joy and fruitfulness.

I think this is why the Apostle Paul, when he wrote to the church at Colossae in Colossians chapter 3, verse 16, exhorted the church to let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. That's why John, in 1 John chapter 2, verse 24, says, "Therefore let that abide in you." What is that? It's the Word of God. Let it abide in you; cause it to abide in you.

This brings us to an important consideration. If today you are experiencing in your life a dryness, a barrenness, an unfruitfulness, then I would suggest to you that, at the very least, you should start by letting the word of Christ dwell in you richly. You should start by letting that abide in you, which is from the Scriptures. I can't say how many times over the years I've stood right up here after a service and...

Someone has come up to me to pray with me, or they've come to meet with me in my office for counsel. They share that they are lacking joy, peace, self-control, or any of the other things described as the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians chapter 5. My first question, almost always, is how much time have you been spending abiding in God's Word and having His Word abide in you? Invariably, they will say, "Not as much as I should," which actually means none.

I ask them how much time they are spending abiding in God's Word and His Word abiding in them through prayer, devotion, study, memorization, and meditation. The answer is often the same: "Not as much as I should." I then say, "Well, here's what I want you to do. I want you to spend a little more time—just five minutes more than you were. I want you to do that every single day in the morning, and let's get back together in a week or ten days to see if there hasn't been, at the very least, some transformation."

Every single time someone has taken that to heart and done it, I have a follow-up conversation with them. What do we begin to see manifested in their lives? The fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, kindness, gentleness, self-control, and patience. All of these things begin to increase as we take heed to the Word of God, put God's Word in our hearts and minds, and meditate on it.

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law, he meditates day and night. This person becomes fruitful. That's what the Scriptures say in Psalm 1. This is 3,000-year-old wisdom and truth that still applies today.

People often ask, "What good is this book for us? We live in the 21st century. We've built satellites in space, we can beam communication around the world, and we launch rockets and land them. I don't need this." Are you sure about that? Are you lacking in the areas of peace, patience, self-control, joy, and love? Those things aren't produced by a college class at Palomar College; you can't buy those.

Walmart or Amazon cannot deliver in 24 hours or less through Prime. You cannot watch it or download it on Netflix. It does not come from those sources; it comes through taking heed to the Word of God. If you are experiencing barrenness in your life, at the very least, the first step should be a commitment to let God's Word abide in you richly.

It may seem simplistic and elementary, but the Word of Life works mightily in the people of God. It brings fullness of joy and fruitfulness. Not only does it bring fullness of joy and fruitfulness, but as John says here at the end of verse 24 and into verse 25, it enables and prepares us for endurance and perseverance. We would continue to abide in God and receive the promise that comes with abiding in Him.

Look at the middle of verse 24 in First John chapter 2. If what you heard from the beginning, the Word of Truth, abides in you, what will be the result of it abiding in you? You also will abide in the Son and in the Father.

Now, verse 19 tells us in this passage that there were some who did not remain; they did not abide. How is it that they did not abide and went out from us? They were not allowing God's Word to abide in them. However, if God's Word abides in you, then the result is that you will abide in the Father and in the Son.

What is the promise associated with abiding in the Father and the Son? This is the promise that He has promised us: eternal life. This is not just abundant life now, but it is abundant life forever—the promise of eternal life.

John goes on in verse 26, saying, "These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you." John wrote this letter out of concern that there were false teachers who might deceive and lead the church away from the simplicity of the abiding Word being in them and God's power being granted to them by the abiding Word.

There were those in the first century, just as there are those in the 21st century, who would bring another message, another gospel, another way of life, another philosophy, another worldview. John says this will not lead to fullness of joy or fruitfulness; it will cause you to be...

Barren branches will cause you to be unfruitful, and the unfruitful branches will be cut off and cast away. John writes to you concerning those who try to deceive you. This was one of John's concerns, and it was not only John's concern; it was also the Apostle Paul's concern. He expresses it in his second letter to the Corinthians. In 2 Corinthians chapter 11, verse 3, he writes, "But I fear lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve back in Genesis chapter 3 by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ."

Paul writes to the Corinthian church, expressing his concern that false teaching could corrupt them and remove them from the simplicity that is in Christ. He continues in verse 4, stating, "For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you may well put up with it." Paul emphasizes that false teachers abound, presenting a false way, a false worldview, and a false philosophy. They may come and distract you from the simplicity that is in Christ. This was a constant concern for both the Apostle Paul and the Apostle John.

Paul reiterates this concern in his letter to the Colossians. In Colossians chapter 2, verse 4, he writes, "Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words. For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ." He encourages them, saying, "As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving."

The point is made clear in Colossians chapter 2, verse 8: "Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For only in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power."

This was not just a hypothetical concern that John and Paul had. There are many false teachers and many false Christs. The spirit of Antichrist is at work in the world, and it has been for some time.

Thousands of years have been spent giving false philosophies and false teachings, which lead away from the simplicity that is in Christ. Only in Christ is there fullness of joy and fruitfulness.

Point number 300: Only by the abiding Word of life do we have the promise of eternal life. I realize that this is kind of an anathema statement, a cursed concept to 21st-century Westerners. Only by the abiding Word of life is there the promise of eternal life. This is what our culture constantly grates against—the exclusivity claims of Jesus, the gospel, and the Christian faith. Jesus said in John chapter 14, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me." That is a massive stumbling block to Westerners in the 21st century, but it was no less a stumbling block to the people who heard it 2,000 years ago.

Paul said to the Corinthians that the gospel is foolishness to those who are perishing. It is a stumbling block to the intellectual Greeks and Romans of his day, and it remains a stumbling block to people in our day as well. But only by the abiding Word of life do we have the promise of eternal life. There is no life outside of Christ—neither abundant life nor eternal life. By the good Word of God and by abiding and remaining in our lives, we can experience fullness of joy and fruitfulness.

In addition to the promise of eternal life that comes from abiding in His Word and in Christ, we have the following: 1 John chapter 2, verse 27 states, "But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you. But as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him."

If you are a Christian today, you have received the Word of God; you have received the gospel of your salvation. By receiving that, not only do you have the Word of God in you, but you also have the anointing of God. It says right there that you have an anointing that you have received from Him, and it abides in you. The question is, what is that anointing? What is it that John is speaking of that each of us has if we are followers of Jesus? Paul answers that question for us in his letter to the Ephesians in the first chapter.

In Ephesians chapter 1, verse 13, it says, "In Him, in Jesus, you also trusted; you believed after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. In whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory."

What does all that mean? It means that when you hear the gospel and receive it by faith, by trusting in Christ, you are also given the Holy Spirit of God, the third person of the Trinity, who comes to indwell you. Jesus, in 1 Corinthians 3 and 1 Corinthians 6, says, "Do you not know that you are the temple of the Holy Spirit?" The Holy Spirit abides in you and remains in you, just as Jesus promised in John chapter 14.

In that same passage, Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." He spoke to His disciples as He was preparing them for His departure, His death on the cross, and His ascension to heaven. He said to them, "Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions. Were it not so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you."

His disciples found this comforting, but they were also troubled by the fact that Jesus would not be with them any longer. In the midst of their concern, He reassured them in John chapter 14, verse 16: "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever, the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He dwells with you and shall be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you."

According to Christ's promise, point number four on your outline is that every Christian has the abiding presence of God's Spirit within. I think this is super important because there is a form of teaching that has been prevalent for a long time, suggesting that when you become a Christian, you need to experience some sort of second blessing of faith to receive the indwelling Holy Spirit. However, that is not what 1 Corinthians 12 and what Jesus teaches in other places, like John chapter 14, indicate. Later on, after He raised from the dead, He said to His disciples, "Receive the Holy Spirit." This is not what the Scriptures teach.

Every Christian, upon conversion and faith in Jesus, trusting in the gospel, is baptized by Jesus with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit of God comes and indwells that person by the grace of God. If you are a follower of Jesus today and have received the Word of God in your life, you have the Holy Spirit dwelling not only with you but in you. You have this anointing.

In 1 John, chapter 2, the author writes, "Listen, I am writing these things to you because there are people who are trying to deceive you." However, he is not terribly concerned. Why? Because you have the Spirit in you. He emphasizes the need to constantly cause the Word to abide in you so that you will be able to discern what is right and what is wrong. Notice what he says in verse 27: "The anointing which you have received from God, the Holy Spirit, therefore you do not need that anyone teach you."

Some people may ask, "Does that mean I shouldn't go to church? I don't need a teacher?" That is not what John is saying. He is addressing the false teachers of the day who claimed that what you really need is for them to teach you. They suggested that you do not have all the information and that there is some secret knowledge, referred to in this passage as gnosis. They argued that you need a teacher or a guru to tell you the right way—a spiritual guide to direct you on the path.

John counters this by stating that you do not need that. You need the Word of God to abide in you, and you have the Spirit of God's anointing in you. When you have the Word of God and the Spirit of God, there will be a discerning of spirits. This is why, in 1 John, chapter 4, he instructs us to test every spirit to see if they are of God. Every Christian who has the Word of God dwelling in them and the Spirit of God dwelling in them has the ability, by the Spirit and by the Word, to discern what is true and what is not.

We have the abiding presence of God's Spirit within us because Jesus promised that He would give this Spirit to us. If we have the abiding Word of God and the anointing of God's Spirit, then we will not be deceived. Why? Because Jesus said in John 16:13 that the Spirit of Truth will guide you into all truth; He will direct your steps into truth. Therefore, you do not need anyone to teach you, but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, what then is our work to be done here?

If we have, by trusting in Jesus, the Spirit of God residing in us, then what do we need to do? Well, we need to, as the first verse in our passage, verse 24, says, "Therefore let that abide in you which you have heard from the beginning." We need to have God's Word dwell in us richly.

This is an exhortation that I find we keep coming back to, and I think we return to it because it's so important. It is very clear; research has even indicated this from groups like Barna Research, LifeWay Research, and other Christian research and polling agencies. They have discovered that the average Christian in America rarely reads the Bible. Only about 25 percent of those who attend church on a regular basis spend any time in the Scriptures outside of church on Sunday.

We wonder why we feel deficient in power. We wonder why we can so easily be deceived by false teaching. We wonder why we're not experiencing the growth of love, joy, peace, gentleness, self-control, and patience in our lives. I would suggest to you that it has a lot to do with the fact that we're not allowing God's Word to dwell in us richly beyond just when we gather here for 40 minutes on a Sunday to go through the Scriptures.

We need to allow God's Word to dwell in us richly as we read it devotionally on our own. We should not only read it but also study it systematically. We can go through the Scriptures on our own, step into a small group Bible study, and begin to memorize Scripture so that we can meditate upon it. This is what God would challenge you to do, and I would encourage you to do it.

Notice what John says in the opening words of verse 28 in 1 John chapter 2: "And now, little children, abide in Him." How do you abide in Him? We back up to verse 24: "Let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning." If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in Him.

So how do we fulfill the exhortation, the command of 1 John chapter 2, verse 28, to abide in Him? By causing God's Word to abide in us. This can be done by listening to teaching, reading devotionally, engaging in personal Bible study, or leading a Bible study.

Now, I realize for some of you this may be the scariest thing of your life. But perhaps God would encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and ask a co-worker, a friend, or a neighbor, "Hey, maybe you want to study through the Scriptures with me? We could start a Bible study." You might think, "I can't possibly start a Bible study."

Not equipped to do that? Well, you have the anointing from God abiding in you, and you have the Word of God that He inspired. I think if you have the Word of God and the anointing of the Spirit of God, you have the ability, at least to begin to teach someone else and to go through the Scriptures with someone else to study them.

I was 19 years old when my youth pastor asked me to teach the junior high ministry here at the church. My first inclination was no; I’m not equipped to do that. I’m not ready to do that. So, I said, "Well, I’ll pray about it," which is the Christian equivalent of no. Then, I found myself on February 14th, Valentine's Day 1999, in the youth building over here in the junior high ministry, standing up to teach the book of Galatians, specifically Galatians chapter one. I did not feel ready.

The frightening part about that is that I was asked to do this, and it was like, "Here, you’ve got a Bible, and you have a service time. Well, aren’t you going to help me?" No! What do you mean, no? I’ll tell you: you will never learn the Bible quite so much as when you are forced to read the Bible to be ready to share something with someone else. I can tell you for certain, because I still have the notes from that time, that by God's great blessing, there were no recording devices in that room at that moment. It was a horrible Bible study—absolutely horrible.

Now, by God's abundant grace, there are still adults who go to this church; they were a part of those early Bible studies. So clearly, God is greater than us. We need to take the Scripture seriously when it says that His Word abiding in us will transform us. We need His Word to abide in us, and that requires that we step out and cause His Word to abide in us.

Point number five, and we'll close with this: God's Word abiding in you will produce abundant life. Jesus said, "I have come that you may have life, and you may have it more abundantly." That abundant life is connected to the abiding Word of God in our lives. So, my exhortation to you as we close is this: if you are experiencing dryness, unfruitfulness, or barrenness in your life...

The works of the flesh and your carnal desires can overpower your spiritual life. I want to challenge you to do something that may seem incredibly simple. Why do I need to do that? I want to challenge you to begin to read through the Scriptures daily. Take the first ten minutes of your morning to pick a book of the Bible, such as the Gospel of John, the Gospel of Matthew, the book of Ephesians, or the book of Romans. Spend those first ten minutes reading through the Scriptures, and then pray, "God, I don't understand what I just read, but would you help me to understand it? Would you help me to apply it? Would you help me to make it a part of my life?"

I want to challenge you to do that for just 30 days and see if there may be a transformation from that dryness into fruitfulness. Test God and see if it is really true when He says that there is an abundance, fullness, and fruitfulness that comes through His abiding presence by His word. It has been my experience and observation that God makes good on His word.

Amen. Would you stand with me for a closing prayer? God, thank you for Your word. You promised that it would not return void but would accomplish what You set it forth to do. In the same way that water waters the earth and causes it to grow and produce fruitfully, Your word, like water, pours out on our dry hearts and causes fruitfulness in our lives.

So, God, I pray that this would be our experience. I pray for my brothers and sisters here, and I pray for myself, because there are so many things in this hyper-busy culture that can distract us, keep us, and hinder us from spending that time in the morning with You, looking through Your word, considering it, and allowing it to become a part of our lives.

God, I pray that You would give us a hunger for Your word and that You would work in our lives mightily by Your word and by the anointing of Your Spirit at work in us. God, do work in us, we pray, and make us a fruitful people that have the evidence of Your presence in our lives.

The Spirit abiding in us produces love, joy, peace, kindness, gentleness, and self-control. All of these things God produces in us when we pray for them. It's in Jesus' name.