1 John 5:11-15 "That You May Know"

1 John 5:11-15 “That you may Know”

We live in a world of trust but if trust is broken the questions can be debilitating. Is the car on the other side of the road going to stay in their lane? Is the driver texting, drunk, or otherwise distracted? Will Social Security be there when I retire? Does my teenage looking Dr. really know how to treat my illness?

God does not want us to have a question about His love for us or our eternal security. It is with that confidence that we can truly be free. It is with that confidence that we can share our faith with people whose lives a plagued with doubts.

1.       GOD WANTS YOU TO KNOW

a.       Vs 13 so that you may know

b.      John 20:30&31

c.       1 thess 4:13

2.       HOW DO WE KNOW
a. John 3:16

b. Rom 5:8&9

c. 2 Cor 5:5-10

d. 1 Peter 1:3&4

3. LIVE BOLDLY FOR JESUS
a. Rom 12:1&2
b. Rom 1:16
c. Phil 1:6

You have information and knowledge that can change the life of a friend, change the life of a family member, or change the life of a coworker. Will you dare to live boldly for Jesus. Will you believe enough to take a risk tell someone about Jesus? “These thing have been written that you may know that you have eternal life.” And that others may know also.

1 John 4:7-12 “What are they looking at”

1 John 4:7-12 “What are they looking at”

1874 Eads Bridge was the first steel bridge, the longest bridge, and no one trusted it. The bridge spanned the Mississippi river at St. Louis, with two rail tracks on the lower level and 4 lanes on the top. The designer Mr. Eads wanted to prove the bridge so he led an elephant across it while 14 locomotives crossed back and forth below. People believed an elephant would not cross a structure that would not hold their weight. The bridge is still in use today.

When it comes to faith and churches people are skeptical. So many denominations, church fights, phony people, and self-righteousness. People are watching and waiting for some kind of proof about the love of God. This passage has a lot to say about this need for proof.

Read vs 7-12

Love is the proof
                the one who loves others is born of God
                the one who does not love is not born of God
                Not just any kind of love
                vs 9-10
                We are called to love as Jesus loved

They are looking at what you will do
                like the people of St. Louis watching the elephant
                Condemn them, judge them, ignore them, listen to them, understand them, walk with them, or even carry them? Will give up on them when they make mistakes or sin?

Steve Camp “don’t tell them Jesus loves them until you’re ready to love them to, with a heart full of compassion for the pain they are going through.”

Love them: those who look like you and those who are not so much
                James 2:1-4
                Matthew 5:43-48

Look around you and see them, ask God to show them to you
identify what is standing in your way, what wall is in your mind or heart
How could you make one positive step to break it down, just one step.

Two weeks from now I will start a series on the Gospel of John. Knowing Jesus, the Jesus you know and the Jesus you don’t. It will be a great place to bring a new person to.

Who is out there that needs you to love them as Jesus did?
What is one step you could take to reach them?

1John 3:1-3

Today is father’s day. We celebrate men who take care of their families, teach their children, protect them, love them and provide for them. Perhaps your father was much like mine. Dad went to war in World War 2 to protect our way of life. Dad took us to church every Sunday 4^th pew on the right directly in front of the pulpit. He taught us respect for authority. Dad taught us about love, sacrifice, and responsibility when we took in my 4 cousins and made them part of our family. That is what I celebrate today. This passage reminds us of the Fathers love for us and our need to respond to it.

1.       How great a love

a.       Lavished upon us, pour out, nothing held back, crazy, ridiculous love

b.      The cat with a crystal bowl and diamond collar

c.       Jesus left the splendor of heaven for earth

d.      Suffered and died on the cross for us

e.      Brought us in as adopted children

f.        Heals our wounds, restores our spirits, forgives our sin, and lavishes us with love.

 

2.       The world does not know us or Jesus

a.       Vs 1 The world does not know us or Jesus

b.      1 Cor 2:14 spiritually

c.       Vs 3 purifies himself (to be the best reflection of Jesus you can be)

 

3.       Great expectations

a.       Go into all the world

b.      Teach them every thing

c.       Make them followers of Me

d.      You will be my witnesses

 

Everything we do, every choice we make, and everything we say, is telling the world about our Heavenly Father, and our savior Jesus. It is only through you that they will get a glimpse of the love the Father has lavished on us, that we may be called children of God.

“The Privilege of Prayer”  Ester 5:1-3

Introduction: A little man from a little country no one cared about, asked to speak to President Kennedy about his country. The man was unknown and deemed unimportant, he was turned away. The little man was Ho Chi Minh, and the little country was Vietnam. How might our history be changed if Kennedy had taken that meeting. We see it today as well. Important leaders, powerful people, and business people, that are impossible to get a meeting with or even a telephone call from. This was Ester’s situation. So I start with Ester to help us understand and use the privilege of prayer.

1. Going before the king
               A. Easter
                              a. serious, as life or death
                              b. not a right but a gift
               B. Isa 6:5-7
               C. Eze 1:27-28
               D. Hebrews 4:16  “approach the throne of Grace”
               E. Matthew 6:6  “Your Father who sees what is done”
               F. Matthew 18:20 “there I am with them”
               G. you have been given the privilege of coming to the throne of God every time you pray

2. This is a powerful tool
               A. Mac and I, the engagement party
               B. Ester was offered up to half the kingdom
               C. John 15:7 & 16 “Given whatever you wish, whatever you ask for in My name”
               D. 1 John 5:14&15
               E. James 5:13-16
               F. this kind of power is not to be taken lightly, a knife, a gun, your SSN#
               G. Take care how we use it

3.  Seriously use it
               A. Eph 6:18 “pray on all occasions with all kinds of Prayers”
               B. 1 Thes 5:17 “Pray without ceasing”
               C. Phil 4:6&7 “do not be anxious about anything,

Conclusion: We have been given a great privilege in prayer, use it seriously, use it often, use it for your family, friends, church, town, and the people you share life with every day.

John 3:31-36 The norm is wrath

John 3:31-36

Last week I talked about the need for Jesus to become greater and for us to become less. I now follow up with the reason behind it. It starts with the classical philosophy question of what is the human condition. How do we stand before God without Jesus? Most of the people we run into today believe most people are good and are going to heaven unless they do something really deserving. Hell is reserved for axe murders, terrorist bombers’, people who shoot up schools and the guy who cut you off on the hwy. But this passage tells us a different story.

1. Wrath is the norm
            a. vs. 36 God’s wrath remains on him.
            b. wrath s the norm not the exception.
            c. eternal wrath or hell is the default destination.
            d. Wide is the path that leads to destruction.

2. Whoever believes has eternal life vs. 36
            a. I am the way, the truth, and the life……

3. desperation
            a. 1987 Jessica McClure fell down a well and the TV was glued to the rescue efforts as they drilled a parallel well shaft to save her.
            b. Miners trapped in a mine, people rescued during the 911 attack.
            c. the list of desperate situations we see in the news every day.
            d. But never a report of the eternal desperate conditions that surround us every day
            e. Do we sense the lostness of the people we meet every day?
            f. Do we realize the amazing gift Jesus has given us?
            g. Do we understand the amazing gift that Jesus wants us to give to others?
            h. We should live with a desperation in our hearts and minds to reach the people around us while we can.

If we sense this desperation we will take action. Attend church so you can build strength with other, attend adult Sunday School and Bible studies to learn all you can. Support your church so it can reach people you cannot. Pray diligently for people in your life, petition God on their behalf. Bring Jesus forward and you become less. We must do this; because “whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him” You may be their only hope.

John 3:22-30 “He must become greater”

John 3:22-30 “He Must Become Greater”

John is at a crossroad in his ministry. He has prepared the way, introduced Jesus, The crowds have come to him. Now people come to John and they present a challenge that we all face, as individuals and as a church and the answer is critically important. The answer will determine if we reach our families, neighbors, and coworkers for Jesus. It will determine if our church grows or shrinks. In one short sentence John summed up the key to successful Christian living and ministry.

1.”He must become greater; I must become less”
A. temptation to defend his greatness
B. To defend or maintain our way
C. Ministry started long before you came and will continue long after you’re gone

2. John focused on the Gods’ goal
A. chose ministry over self
B. allow it to move forward beyond us
C. Michel Jordan and the Bulls
D. John chose the success of the work of God over His own comfort and success

3. Choosing to bring Jesus forward
A. Two parts of you, the ego (I) and the Holy Spirit
B. We must know Jesus
C. Paint what you see
D. Make yourself aware of choice times
               a. a family situation
               b. something at work
               c. the choices of life
E. Choose to bring Jesus forward

What is our life about? What is our church about? Is it about God’s goals and desires or our own? Are we more concerned about our comfort and glory or about reaching the lost and broken of this world. John gives us the answer. “He must become greater; we must become less.

John 3:16-21 “The Wicked Agreement”

John 3:16-21 “The Wicked Agreement”

Have you wondered why the world is so messed up? Why people reject the love of Jesus and keep on sinning. The first part of this passage is one of the most famous in all scripture. The second part of our scripture tells us the truth about our world and gives us understanding into the work of the church and each of us as individual believers.

1. The wicked agreement
A. The World as God sees it
B. You provide cheep cotton and we overlook slavery
C. I overlook your pollution company and You give me a job
D. You sell me Jean for $20. I over look child labor and labor conditions in China
E. You overlook my drinking and I overlook adultery
F. John 3:19
G. TV repair and the 500 watt light
H. the offensiveness of light

2. The Light and the Cure
A. Gods’ plan John 3:16&17
B. John 3:21
C. Matthew 5:14 – 16

3. What should we do
A. Hold out the light
B. Show people there is another way to live
C. Albert, Mario, Rosy
D. Phil 2:15&16
E. The Olympic flame

Do you really see the world as God sees it? A world of darkness? It is up to you to hold up your light. It is up to us as a church to hold up our light. People will through up their hands and say turn that out. Keep it shining and soon their eyes will start to adjust and ever so slowly their vision comes to them and they will see a new way a different way to live, because your light has shown them the way.