This coming Sunday (12/27/15), we’ll be back in 1 John again, studying 1 John 4:17-21. The big idea is God perfecting love in us and what it means. I love how Paul Tripp summarizes it: “the longer you walk with God…the more loving you become.” What a great way to end the year, thinking about God working love in His people. I hope to see you this Sunday.
Weekend Recap – Christmas in 1 John
My 12/20/15AM sermon, Christmas in 1 John, looked at various texts in 1 John. Many times we can get stuck at Christmas studying the Bible just looking at the familiar stories of the Gospels (Matthew 1 and Luke 1-2). In recent years, I’ve tried to tease out this theme in the various books of the Bible we’re studying and this was the case yesterday. Christmas in 1 John could be summarized as the Father sent the Son, the Son came in the flesh, and through Him we get life. I hope it helps you.
Weekend Preview – Christmas in 1 John
This coming Sunday, 12/20/15, I’m hoping to do have a fun journey into some themes related to Christmas in the book of 1 John, which we’re currently working through as a church.
Here’s a graphic on one verse that has especially captured my attention:
This isn’t the first time I’ve done this. I did a series called Christmas in Hebrews. I’ve also done a sermon on Christmas in the Book of the Revelation. So, take time to week and browse through the book of 1 John and see what Christmas themes you can find and let’s compare notes on Sunday.
Weekend Recap – 12/6/15
My 12/6/15AM sermon, Abiding: Him and Us from 1 John 4:13-16, sought to expose one thing from the text: how do we know that we abide in God and He abides in us. And, the answer is pretty simple: God. Yes, God’s given us His Spirit, which allows us to confess His Son and this is all an overflow of His love. So, if you’re weary from burning your wheels to impress God, abide in Him. Be freed from all the burden and rest in what He’s done to give His people assurance. I hope it blesses you.
Weekend Preview – Son Sent As Savior of the World
I love the connection that Danny Akin makes, glorying in how the Father sent His Son as the world’s Savior. In 1 John, we see many things the Father has accomplished by His Son.
In the Son the Father…
- revealed the word of life (1 John 1:1)
- brought eternal life (1 John 1:2)
- cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7)
- gave us an advocate (1 John 2:1)
- propitiates our sin (1 John 2:2; 1 John 4:10)
- gives us an example to follow (1 John 2:6)
- sent the Messiah (1 John 2:22-23)
- makes possible the new birth (1 John 2:29)
- sent the righteous and sinless One (1 John 2:29; 1 John 3:4)
- takes away our sin (1 John 3:5)
- destroys the work of the Devil (1 John 3:8)
- sacrificed His Son (1 John 3:16)
- gives us life (1 John 4:9)
As you think about Thanksgiving this week and anticipate our time in the word this coming Lord’s Day (1 John 4:13-16), why not praise the Father for what He’s accomplished by His Son.
Weekend Recap – God Is Love
My 11/22/15AM Sermon, God Is Love from 1 John 4:7-12, is now online. I love how big this truth of God’s love works through the lives of those who are believers. Here’s one quote I used from Paul Tripp:
“If you ceased to love, you’d be an unpleasant human being but you would cease to be human. The same cannot be true of God, though. If He ceased to love, He’d cease to be God, because He IS love.”
Because God is Love, we are compelled to act in very specific and pointed ways. This sermon tried to tease out some of these and I hope it proves helpful for you.
Weekend Preview – Loving One Another Because God Is Love
This coming Lord’s Day (11/22 to be precise), I hope to be preaching from 1 John 4:7-12. This passage repeatedly (see vv.7, 11 and 12) calls us to love one another because God is love. Here is a great action step to take as you think about this passage from Steve Lawson:
“Pause for a moment and take a hard look at your life.
Behind your claim to be a Christian…
Do you posses a genuine love for other people?
Do you really?
Are you a kind and forgiving person?
Do you consider the interests of others more important than your own?
Do you see yourself reaching out to people who are hard to love?”
(from Absolutely Sure, p.97).
I hope you come eager to hear God’s Word this Sunday.
Weekend Recap – Test The Spirits
My 11/15/15AM sermon, Test The Spirits (with Small Group Questions) from 1 John 4:1-6, is now online. It’s nearly impossible to question someone’s spirituality in the day and age we live in. Everyone gets a “whatever works for you” pass. But, God seems to have some sort of standard. And, this sermon was my attempt to deal with what this standard is. I hope it encourages you and helps you live.
Coming This Sunday – Test The Spirits
This coming Lord’s Day, we plan to look at 1 John 4:1-6 and it’s call to test the spirits. If you have time, here’s the passage:
[1] Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. [2] By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, [3] and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. [4] Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. [5] They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. [6] We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
I love what Piper says this means for believers in his sermon Test The Spirits to See Whether They Are From God:
For believers the lesson is twofold.
- Do not take credit for your listening ear or your confessing heart or your correct view of Christ. Give credit to the Spirit who is in you, and give God the glory.
- When you are threatened by any deception of the evil one—any temptation, or discouragement, or anxiety, or cowardice—remind yourself that “he who is in you is greater than he that is in the world.” Almighty God abides within you. Trust him. For this is the victory that overcomes the world, your faith (5:4) in the sovereign indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.
I hope these things encourage you to dig in to what we’ll consider this coming Sunday.
Weekend Recap (Part 1) – 11/1/15
My 11/1/15AM sermon, Assuring Love from 1 John 3:19-24, is now online. This sermon helped showcase what God is up to in calling us to love and how this works to build assurance in us. So, the big aim of John – helping us know that we have eternal life – was tied to the practical aim of 1 John 3 – having our identity in love. These two purposes were fused in action. I hope this sermon proves helpful and encouraging to you.