Blessed Assurance | Pastor Dustin Rogers
Billions of dollars are spent each year to keep our nation, homes, bank accounts, investments, internet, passwords, and our lives secure. We want to live with the confidence that we are safe from enemies who would steal, kill, and destroy. But, what about the ultimate enemies? What about Satan and all his forces of evil? All those billions can’t ultimately protect against him. What about death? All the money and supposed security in the world will eventually fail against this (nearly) undefeated foe.
But friends, we have access to a SECURITY that money can’t buy! In Christ, we are tethered to the ONE who has defeated death and hell and Satan! In Him, we have overcome the enemy who would steal, kill, and destroy. With the real Jesus, we have an abundant life that is full of joy and hope! The Real Jesus has made All the Difference and provides Real Assurance. This is what John has reminded us of in his first letter, and I, for one, have been blessed by it over these last several months. We conclude this study tomorrow as we look at 1 John 5:13-21, yet I hope we don’t conclude the experience of security. I trust that we will put the message of this portion of God’s word into a Belt of Truth that we wear every day!
Real Jesus, Real Difference, Real Assurance
We conclude Secure the study of 1 John today as we look at 1 John 5:13-21. We are reminded they we have access to a SECURITY that money can’t buy! In Christ, we are tethered to the ONE who has defeated death and hell and Satan! In Him, we have overcome the enemy who would steal, kill, and destroy. With the real Jesus, we have an abundant life that is full of joy and hope! The Real Jesus has made All the Difference and provides Real Assurance.
The Real Jesus Makes a Real Difference
What a beautiful fall weekend! And hey, every weekend is a good weekend to gather with the family of faith to worship Jesus. As we open up the Word of Life together tomorrow, we’ll consider one amazing verse – 1 John 5:13. Having worked our way through the whole of the book of 1st John, we’ll be able to consider this standout verse in light of its broader context. I trust that in doing so, we will find this treasured verse to be all the more valuable for our walk.
Speaking of our walk, at some point along the way in our Christian journey, we will come across moments of disappointment, failure, and fear. We will journey through seasons of dryness or doubt. In times like these we need a Savior…in times like these, we need an anchor. 1 Jn. 5:13 beautifully reminds us that we can be very sure that we are tethered to the Rock that is Jesus Christ. Our heavenly Father wants us to KNOW that we are safe and secure!
“A Wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord…He hideth my soul in the cleft of the Rock and covers me there with His hand”
A Matter of Life and Death
It’s a matter of life and death!
Hi friends! I hope you have had a great week and are eager to gather again to worship Jesus with brothers and sisters in Christ. Last week in our studies in 1st John, God showed us three birthmarks of authentic faith: True Belief, True Love, and a True Life (1 Jn. 5:1-5). In verses 6-12, John does a deeper dive into the centerpiece of True Belief, the doctrine of Christ. As he continues to battle against false teaching about Jesus, John wants to help his people have precision about the object of their faith…for he knows that this is a matter of life and death. “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life”. (1 Jn. 5:12)
Web of Security
As we’ve worked through the letter of 1st John, we’ve seen the Apostle weave a web of security for the people of God…a web of security that shields us from the fears and insecurities that seek to hunt us down and rob us of the joy of knowing where we stand with Him. What a blessing it is that God desires for us to know and experience assurance and security in Him!
In 1st John 5:1-5, John brings the main points of this web of security together as he moves toward his powerful conclusion. I look forward to studying this with you as we gather for worship.
Love One Another
As we continue our series in 1 John, we come to the familiar and yet remarkable text of chapter 4 verses 7-12. Here we find John once again returning to what is, perhaps, his favorite theme. The theme of love. As he grounds and motivates God’s people to love one another, John shows us the Source of love and then sets it in a Showcase. He then concludes with a statement that is both awe-inspiring and persuasive to our hearts. These are challenging days my friends. We need love…we must love one another. We must ever return to the source of love and gaze at Him.
Be Christological
The Real Jesus Makes a Real Difference
As you know, we’ve titled this series “Secure”. Security is a big deal in our world. Billions and billions of dollars are spent each year with the aim of keeping our stuff, safety, and health secure for this brief period of time that we have on this earth. My friends, God is ALSO concerned that you would feel secure – in the present. But, the security He’s after isn’t related to your stuff or even your health…but for your eternal soul. He wants you to KNOW that you are HIS! He wants you to be able to lay your head on your pillow each night knowing that no matter what happens, you’re good because you’re in HIM!
1st John will help us to see that this security God intends for us to have is rooted in an Accuracy with regard to Jesus that leads to Authenticity with regard to Faith.
God Is Greater Than Our Self-condemning Hearts
Today as we study 1 John 3:19-24, we come to one of the most encouraging texts in this letter aimed at our SECURITY. Led by the Spirit, John knew that the sensitive hearts of believers would struggle with self-incrimination. He knew that we would be tempted to believe Satan’s lies and plunge into seasons of doubt. So he wrote 1 John 3:19-24. What a blessing this text is to our hearts. We’ll see here that while our feelings are fallible, well-placed faith is formidable against our fear.