True or False
“Judas or Peter”
1 John 2:18-27

True or False
	Millennials are the least likely age group to believe that Jesus was God.

True followers…
	Walk like Jesus
	Obey God’s commands to experience His love
	Are not controlled by desires, driven by possessions, or stuck on status
	
1 John 2:18-27

Antichrists
	Anyone who pushes away, denies, or replaces Jesus as God

“Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many.” – Jesus (Matthew 24:4-5)

1st Century problem
	Emperor Domitian – self-proclaimed “Lord and God”
People were leaving the church
	People were confused about Jesus
There was confusion between religion and Jesus

Religion 					With Jesus  
I obey; therefore, I’m accepted 			I’m accepted; therefore, I obey
Motivation is based on fear 			Motivation is based on grateful joy
I obey God in order to get things 		I obey God to discover God
I don’t deserve bad circumstances 		God exercises Fatherly love in trials
Criticism threatens my identity			My identity is in God because of Jesus
I pray for needs and control			I pray to praise and be with God
I am basically good 				I am sinful and deserve to die, but won’t 

“Heads up” for:
1 Timothy 1:3-7; 2 Corinthians 11:3-4 & 13-15; Galatians 1:8-9
	A special spiritual guru
	New, novel, or narrow teaching 
A different Jesus 

Mormons believe in Jesus!  
Jesus became a god, but not God himself

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe in Jesus!
Jesus is Michael the archangel, but was not God

Christian Science believe in Jesus!
Jesus was a human model for inner healing

Muslims believe in Jesus!
Jesus is highly regarded as a prophet, but did not die on the cross

“The Messiah (Jesus), son of Maryam, was no more than a Messenger; many were the Messengers that passed away before him. His mother was a Siddiqah. They both used to eat food. Look how we make the Ayât clear to them, yet look how they are deluded away.” – Quran 5:75

	New Age – All is god – including trees, snails, books, people
	Buddhists – Jesus was enlightened, a wise teacher, a holy man 
	Hinduism – Jesus is a “God,” one to be followed in self-sacrifice and tolerance
	Baha’I – Jesus came from God and spoke for God

You can belong before you believe.
You can’t believe and not belong.
	
“Sticking it out” 
1 John 2:19; Hebrews 10:35-39; Matthew 13:1-23
Good starts don’t guarantee good endings
	Don’t judge too quickly – detours are different than departures 
	Judas vs Peter syndrome 

Why do some “bail?”
1 John 2:19; 1 Corinthians 10:13; 1 Peter 1:6-7; Matthew 13:1-23; Hebrews 10:24-25 
	Never surrendered to Jesus in the first place – cultural Christianity 
	Disillusioned by trials 
	Seduced by worldly treasures 
	Arrogance – I don’t need Jesus 

People are deceived for 3 reasons:
	Lack of grounding in the Word of God
	Lack of life in the Holy Spirit
	Lack of community with other Jesus followers 	

True followers…
	Believe Jesus is God
	Belong to a community that believes 
	Stick it out

True followers believe, belong, and stick it out.