0044S - 1 John 5 - Faith That Overcomes - Sermon

We explore 1 John 5 and discover how true faith in Jesus transforms our relationship with God, fellow believers, and the world around us.

• Everyone who believes Jesus is the Christ has been born of God and naturally loves other believers
• God's commandments aren't burdensome—the regenerate heart finds delight in obedience
• Faith is our victory that overcomes the world when we believe Jesus is God's Son
• Three witnesses confirm Jesus' identity: the Spirit, water (baptism), and blood (crucifixion)
• Rejecting God's testimony about His Son makes Him a liar—faith accepts His witness
• Eternal life is found only in relationship with the Son—not in religious activities
• Prayer has power when aligned with God's will rather than our personal desires
• Not all sin is equal—apostasy (persistent rejection of Christ) differs from stumbling
• Born-again believers don't live in unrepentant sin and are protected from Satan's claim
• Christ gives us understanding to know the true God and warns us to guard against idols
• The thief on the cross demonstrated extraordinary faith by recognizing Jesus as King even at His lowest moment

To join our 91-Day Forging Challenge where we deliberately submit every area of life to Christ, visit us on Patreon at Christian Warrior Mission.

CWM Intro with Drums

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CWM Outro with drums

Chapters

• 1:06 Welcome and Farm Updates
• 4:36 Christian Warrior Mission Ministries
• 13:31 The 91-Day Forging Challenge
• 19:35 Introduction to the Lord's Prayer
• 22:58 Setting the Context for 1 John 5
• 37:08 The Thief on the Cross: Extraordinary Faith
• 47:25 Sin Leading to Death and Apostasy
• 54:49 Communion and Final Prayer

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:27

Happy Lord's Day to you. Welcome to Christian Warrior Mission, a home church, community ministry and farm forging Christian warriors for today's challenges. I hope your day was blessed and that you're enjoying what we call the third or fourth summer of Tennessee. So we got lulled into some nice cool weather and then oh nice, but it's all good and I hope you guys are enjoying it. For everybody who's in the path of the hurricane, you know thoughts and prayers are with you and take it serious. Don't test the Lord, trust the Lord. Okay, so a couple things today. Some announcements for the farm before we get going.

Speaker 1: 1:21

Peg is nesting. Peg is our red wattle pig. She's between 800 and 900 pounds and she's very pregnant and we'd say probably within 24 hours she's going to have her babies because, like clockwork, she goes out and she's very pregnant and we'd say probably within 24 hours she's gonna have her babies because, like clockwork, she goes out and she's so cute she's. She's out there building a nest to uh or a pharaoh, whatever the pigs call it. She's out there, you know, cutting down tree push bite, a sapling in half that big with one bite and just build yourself a nice little place to go through labor and raise a little piglets. It's pretty darn cute so, um. So we expect to have cute little piglet. You know videos and pictures and sounds and they're they sure are fun. They're like super puppies because they're on their own and they mature so fast. Some other things If you guys don't know, we do multiple ministries here, this Sunday service being our church service where we do our sermons.

Speaker 1: 2:35

We also do a Bible study Monday through Friday at 7 am, called your Daily Battle Bible Study, and that's where we fight three battles to get a humble and grateful heart aligned onto the Lord. We deliberately pursue our Lord and Savior by studying His Word and through prayer, and then we pray for them. We put our shields of faith together and we pray for them. We put our shields of faith together and we pray for one another. So we do that. And then on Wednesday we do the War Council. War Council is at 9pm and the War Council is where we talk about all things Christian life. The goal is for that to be a call-in show where we can help people with their challenges and celebrate their victories. Help them, you know, give them cover on their failures and what we learned together, and to just go through this life together because we know how hard it is to find community, how hard it is to find genuine fellowship, and so we are here to do that with you, okay.

Speaker 1: 3:43

The other thing that we are one week into or a lot of us are one week into, but you can start at any time is the Christian Warrior Mission 91 Day Forging Challenge, and this is something that is extremely important. I believe it has a positive impact on everyone who does it. It's life-changing for many people who do it, and I recommend you do it. It's for 91 days, submitting your entire life to Christ deliberately instead of accidentally, instead of getting up and saying, hey, I'm going to be a good Christian and I'm going to kind of do stuff. It is instead the plan saying okay, today, or we break it up into seven battlefields.

Speaker 1: 4:31

One faith we read our word every day and we pray every day, or we break it up into seven battlefields. One faith Read our word every day and we pray every day. Two we do sacrificial leadership in the house and we pour the love of Christ into family every day. One family member a day, minimum, all right. Three we pursue a healthy lifestyle, trying to take care of these bodies that we were blessed with. We're made in the image of God and we should be functional. You don't have to be able to run a marathon You're not going to win the best body contest but you should be able to defend yourself, your family and others.

Speaker 1: 5:03

Okay, fundamentals which is your skill set? Either sharpening your skill set, which is what you do for work and provide for your family, or grappling combatives, firearms, electrical plumbing, farming, animal husbandry, sewing it doesn't matter. Anything that's useful for yourself, to make yourself useful and be useful for your family and community in the kingdom. After that comes finances, and this is using the war chest that God blessed you with for his kingdom and not yours, avoiding the pitfalls of the slavery to debt and to materialism. All right.

Speaker 1: 5:46

The next thing that we do is fellowship. This is deliberately pursuing godly relationships, and normally I'm pretty good at this, but I must tell you I've really upped my game and God is so good he's just bringing people across my door, washing people up on my beach that I can help and God will do that for you. Everyone's like hey, you know, I'm a new Christian or I'm an entry-level Christian and we're all entry-level Christians. God is going to put people on your shore that need to hear what you have to say. You just got to be honest and share your testimony and point them in the right direction. Go that way. Go that way, which is the Bible, right? So? And then the last thing is fidelity, and fidelity is finding to be faithful to both Jesus, our spouse, our word, our minds, our entertainment. This is really making sure that you are maintaining your loyalty to Christ, you're not making false idols and you're not betraying the one who you're supposed to love most on this planet. You're a significant other.

Speaker 1: 7:06

All right, now we host the 91 Day Challenge on Patreon. For those of you, you're like Patreon. What is this? It's been around for a really long time. It is a place where you go. You just put in P-A-T-R-E-O-N. It's in our little ticker on the bottom and I think it is Let me see Yep. And you put in Christian Warrior Mission and you go in there and join for free. But we took a vote within there and we put a nominal fee in there and right now it's $10. You can donate whatever you want, because this is a lot of work and it costs us a lot of resources to do what we're doing there, but mainly it's to give people some skin in the game and to avoid scammers and discourage. You know it'll do as if anyone can join. Then you get trolls and everything else and guys really want a privacy because they really want to grow, and putting a small token dollar amount in, there will be a lot of that out. So you go on there. It's all tax-free as well and it's an accountability group. So we post in there every day what we did that day and every one of us goes in there and they should be reading what everyone else is doing.

Speaker 1: 8:40

So we know what's going on in everyone else's life. Someone's doing some stuff and making a lot of progress with their wife. We know that I can pray to help them. If they're trying to reach a coworker with their fellowship and trying to lead them to Christ, well, we can that I can pray to help them. If they're trying to reach a co-worker with their fellowship and try to lead them to Christ, well, we can pray for that, maybe offer some encouragement. It's so we learn collectively from our experiences instead of just doing this on our own. Alright, it is the only way I know how to do this. There might be better ways. It's the only way my employer know how to do this. There might be better ways. It's the only way my employer knows how to do it. All right, so join us on that and if you joined and you've already watched out, come back. You can start anytime. You can start anytime. You can jump in. Tomorrow it's because we're on day seven. You'll be on day one, some people are on day three, four. Eventually you'll be on day 400 because they keep going and other people will be on day one or 36 or 28 or wherever. That's basically that.

Speaker 1: 9:55

The next thing is we've been doing is catechism. Now, last week my back was out, as you guys know. I injured my back and thank you for your prayers. God and you know, good doctors got me back on my feet and the loving hands of my wife. I swear, good doctors got me back on my feet and loving hands of my wife. I swear, yeah, it gives me these painful deep tissue massages that just really make a difference and I'm just so thankful for her in so many ways Lawrence, my wonder woman, and so many ways. So we know we've been doing the catechism. So in the forging group we're going to be on week two, or catechism number two. For everyone else. It's week nine. We have been dropping the ball in the house just because we had so much stuff going on, so I think I'm going to reset to two and we're just going to do one and two today and then we'll do three, because these things, if you don't stay on them, they become motion, they all blend together.

Speaker 1: 12:26

So, warrior Catechism 1. Warrior, what is your life? What is your life? What's the meaning of your life? What's the what is your life? Okay, what is your life? What's the meaning of your life? What's the purpose of your life? To glorify God, honoring and exalting in him forever. Two now. This one should be new for some of you. Most of you will review as well. Warrior, whom do you serve? I serve the Lord of hosts, father, son and Holy Spirit, the one true God, my creator, redeemer, sustainer and eternal king. I'm going to read that again two more times. Warrior, whom do you serve? I serve the Lord of hosts, father, son and Holy Spirit, the one true God, my creator, redeemer, sustainer and eternal Spirit, the one true God, my creator, redeemer, sustainer and eternal king. Last time, warrior, whom do you serve? I serve the Lord of hosts, father, son and Holy Spirit, the one true God, my creator, redeemer, sustainer and eternal king. Okay, memorize that. This week We'll put it up.

Speaker 1: 13:36

I've really kind of stopped on the Facebook group just because we're doing so much in the Patreon group. Double posting really isn't something and so many people in the group are just there coasting. They don't comment, they don't like, they don't do anything, they're just kind coasting. They don't comment, they don't like, they don't do anything, they're just kind of there. So the Patreon group is way more live. Everyone's actively engaged, they're trying to become better Christians and so that's where I'm putting my effort right now. You'll see it there. It's also in our Facebook group, though. I've got, I think, 1-9 or 1-8 there already. So you'll see it there. It's also in our Facebook group, though. I've got, I think, one through nine or one through eight there already.

Speaker 1: 14:19

So let's go ahead and pray to God, sovereign Commander of Heaven's armies. We muster this Lord's Day as your ironclad warriors, forged in the furnace of your will, ready to storm every stronghold and claim every inch for Christ, our conquering King. We rally under your bloodstained banner of Jesus, unyielding in truth, honored in righteousness and wielding the unbreakable sword of the Spirit. Ignite our hearts with your holy fire. Let our worship thunder as a battle cry and our prayers form the gates of hell. Let our praise shake the earth like war drums. Our prayers form the gates of hell. We have a praise shake the earth like war drums. Our intercession's blaze is incense before your throne of glory, amen.

Speaker 1: 15:00

So the other thing we like to do here every so often is teach the Lord's Prayer. We always read the Lord's Prayer but go over what it is. I've got a pretty empty house tonight. I'm going to go in and teach this. So, lord's Prayer. When the disciples asked God himself, jesus, how they should pray, this is how he told them. So obviously this is the best model there is. Okay, so there's how I pray. There's how John Eldredge prayed. There's some great people out there who pray. There's some mentalists like Ken Graves, my good friend and mentor, and just so many others. God told us how we should pray and this is it, and there's a purpose and a reason and a rhyme to it. Okay, so let's do this now. This is where it's in Matthew 6, 9-13, and I'm doing the Legacy Standard Bible version. I just got it on my screen here because I can make the print way larger, and I got this backed up.

Speaker 1: 16:07

If all heck goes crazy, pray then in this way our Father, who is in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom, come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil, For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. All right, so let's break that down. Our Father, who is in heaven, hallowed be your name. Okay, this is basically something that we get humble. We recognize who he is right and we get humble. Our Father, right. So already we're under him. Okay, so our Father, he's above us who is in Heaven, hallowed is your name, holy, separate, amazing. We've already set Him up. We pray with reverence to a sovereign Holy Father. Your kingdom, come, your will be done. Now.

Speaker 1: 17:12

This part is really big and important. We're going to talk about that today in 1 John 5. We align our lives with Christ's kingdom purpose, not our own agenda. Praying against God's will is not ever going to happen. It's not going to happen. And again, your kingdom, recall, give us this day our daily bread.

Speaker 1: 17:40

We live in daily dependence on God, our provider and sustainer. We rely on him for everything. Doesn't mean we don't do our diligence doesn't mean we don't go to work. Doesn't mean we don't do our due diligence Doesn't mean we don't go to work. Doesn't mean we don't do our part or rely on him to bless everything. Forgive us our debts, because we also have forgiven our debtors. We live on forgiveness because we ourselves have been forgiven much. Do not lead us in temptation, but deliver us from evil. We seek God's protection and strength against temptation and spiritual attack, for yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory. Forever we affirm God's eternal dominion, power and victory.

Speaker 1: 18:28

Okay, so we are in 1 John 5, verses 1 through 21. We're going to do the whole chapter today. I hope we get some feedback. I'm trying to make the sanctuary. You know, because this is our home, we remodeled our two-car garage to be a sanctuary. You know, everyone thinks we're all fancy and stuff, but you know, this is literally a two-car garage that be a sanctuary. Everyone thinks we're all fancy and stuff, but this is literally a two-car garage that we converted into our sanctuary. Let's play with different things to try to glorify God as much as we can and make it look nice. So again, if it's too busy or whatever, let me know. I'd love to hear about it in text or whatever else, but we just want to glorify God. So we're in 1 John 5, and we need to set the tone review, because this is the last chapter of 1 John.

Speaker 1: 19:24

So, historical and cultural setting. It was written probably approximately in 85 to 95, in emphasis, by the Apostle John, likely the last surviving apostle at this point. He writes as a seasoned general, passing final orders to his troops Under Emperor Domitian or Domitian, sorry, domitian, domitian, domitian, sorry. Persecution was rising. He demanded to be addressed as Dominus, a Deuce, lord and God. Christians who refused were labeled traitors, suffering confiscation of property, exile and execution. John himself was eventually exiled to Patmos, as shown in Revelation 1. Social contact as Christian faced exclusion from trade guilds because membership often required pagan rituals. To refuse that loss of livelihood, believers endured family rejection and expulsion from synagogues on 922 and 1602.

Speaker 1: 20:32

The cost of discipleship was real and daily. Ephesus, where they were, was dominated by the Temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Idolatry was not optional but interwoven with economics, politics and civic pride. In such a setting, john's closing command to guard yourself from idols was especially pointed. There was also doctrine in the internal context. False teachers promoted proto-gnosticism, secret knowledge of salvation. They denied Christ's true humanity Antinomianism, lawlessness, christ's true humanity, antinomianism, lawlessness. John repeated emphasis on Jesus' incarnation, obedience to God's commands and genuine love directly refuted these errors.

Speaker 1: 21:25

The purpose of 1 John 5, john writes to give assurance to the believers, to fortify them against false doctrines, to issue final marching orders to the hostile world. This chapter functions as a victory song and a final command briefing. The war is won in Christ and the soldier must remain faithful until the commander returns. So let's review chapter 1, 2, 3, and 4 real quick. Chapter 1, the call to light. God is light. Fellowship requires walking in light. Confession leads to cleansing through Christ's blood. What do we apply from chapter 1? We get to keep our weapons and armor clean through daily confession and repentance.

Speaker 1: 22:06

Chapter 2, the call to obedience and discernment. The message was obedience is proof of knowing God. Reject the world system, beware of antichrist. Okay Again, what you do matters. Application, maintain mission, discipline, test every spirit and stay faithful.

Speaker 1: 22:26

Chapter three to call to love as Christ loved. Believers are God's children. The mark of a new birth is righteousness and love for your brothers and sisters. Application, supply and protect your brothers. Love and deed and truth. Chapter four the call to test the spirits in perfect love. We are to discern false prophets. Confess Christ, come in the flesh. God's love casts out fear and must flow through his people, and we apply this to our lives by identifying enemy infiltration, wielding truth and fearless love on the battlefield of faith.

Speaker 1: 23:10

Which brings us to 1 John 5, 1-21. We're going to go ahead and read it and then get into it. Everyone who believes that Jesus Christ is the Christ sorry, everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the one who gives new birth loves also the one who has been born of God. And everyone who loves the one who gives new birth loves also the one who has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God when we love God and do his commandments. By this we know that we love the children of God when we love God and do his commandments, for this is the love of God that we keep his commandments and his commandments are not burdensome, for everything that has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the overcoming that has overcome the world Our faith.

Speaker 1: 24:06

Who is the one who overcomes the world? But he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. This is the one who came by water and blood. Jesus Christ, not with water, only with water and with blood. There's a spirit who bears witness, because the spirit is the truth. There are three that bear witness the spirit and the, the water and the blood, and the three are in agreement If we receive the witness of them. The witness of God is greater, for the witness of God is this that he is born, witness concerning his son. The one who believes in the son of God has the witness in himself, and the one who does not believe God has made him a liar Because he has not believed in the witness which God has borne, witness concerning his son. And the witness is this that God gave us eternal life and his life is his son. He who has the son has life. He who does not have the son of God does not have life.

Speaker 1: 25:13

These things I have written to you who believe, in the name of the confidence of which we have before him, that if we ask anything to his will, according to his will. He hears us and if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the request which we have asked from him. And here this is going to be some challenging stuff here. If anyone sees his brother sinning and a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will, for him, give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death. I do not say that he should make a request for this. All unrighteousness is sin and there is a sin not leading to death. We know that everyone who has been born of God does not sin. But he who was born of God keeps him and the evil one does not touch him. We know that we are of God and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. We know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may know him. Who is true, we are in him, who is true In his Son, jesus Christ. This is the true God in eternal life. Little children, guard yourself from idols.

Speaker 1: 26:56

Okay Now if you're like me, you're dyslexic. You know. You don't have a PhD in eschatology, philosophy, ancient languages. You got into poetry, got into poetry. The way this verse was written and the way the LSB translated it was a struggle for me. I had to do a lot of research, digging around and reading, and I'm thankful for Logos. So let's go through this line by line, verse by verse, and see how we're supposed to take this word from God and apply it to our life and see what we're saying here.

Speaker 1: 27:46

1 John 5.1. We believe Jesus is the Christ, is the Christ is proof of new birth. Faith is not just mental ascent but allegiance. John insists that love for God must issue in love for his children. Again, this is we've heard this over and over you know, if you love God, one you know back in the early church, like we're talking about now, acknowledging who Jesus was not just saying God, right, we got people who are Unitarian and whatever they call God, no, jesus, god, son of God, the Trinity Father, son, holy Spirit. The Trinity Father, son, holy Spirit. And then you're going to act different. You're going to love what God loves and you're going to hate what God loves and you're going to have a love for your children because they're his children. We see this in John 1, verse 13,. Peter 1 and 3. And the quote Cyprian of Carthage no one can have God as a father who does not have the church as a mother. Churches are tough. They can be challenging places and a challenging group of people, and no church is perfect. But if you don't love the church, are you even Christian or are you just a consumer? What's in it for you? So what do we do If you claim Christ? Prove it by intentional acts of love towards fellow believers. Check in, encourage and serve. Okay, that's what we do with 1 John 1. Now let's go to 1 John 5, 1, and then 1 John 5, 2, and 3.

Speaker 1: 29:45

Love for God is demonstrated by obedience, not burdensome. Obedience is the oh man right. It means that love lightens the load. The commandments are not heavy shackles or blocks of freedom, because the regenerate heart delights in God's law. The spirit changes obedience from drudgery into delight. If you're a Christian and the fact that you don't want to go sleep around with your neighbor's wife or commit murder and do all these things and others horrify you, that's a good sign. Walking in, that is. We know that sin always has a cost, sin always leads to death, and that God's law is to protect us from that. In that God's law is to protect us from that. Okay, calvin wrote obedience is not grievous for the regenerate or led by the spirit. God does not command his children what they cannot bear, but in commanding gives also strength to fulfill. What is a crushing yoke to the flesh becomes service to the renewed heart. So what do we do with this? Identify one area you view obedience as burden. Submit it joyfully today. Ask the Spirit to reframe your perspective so that God's command becomes a privilege, not a prison. Share with your family or spouse how joyful obedience is, a mark of true love for Christ.

Speaker 1: 31:24

Let's go down to verse 4. The believer continually overcomes the world is defeated territory. Faith is the victory that unites us with Christ's triumph over sin, death of the devil. The tense in Greek stresses ongoing conquest, not a one-time event. We continue to conquer the world is defeated. Martin Luther wrote Faith is living, daring confidence in God's grace, so sure and certain that a man would stake his life on it a thousand times. Write down a one worldly temptation and counterattack with a memorized verse. Then act on it with boldness, trusting God's grace as your shield. Encourage your family to identify where faith must replace fear or compromise. 1 John 5.5. Victory is for those confessing Christ as God's son. Speak Christ's name unashamedly to a co-worker, family member or friend this week. Be bold. Be bold. Verses 6 through 8.

Speaker 1: 32:52

John roots the assurance in historical and divine testimony. This is where we're going to get into the water and the blood and the spirit and so on and so forth which I had to dig into to understand. Christ came by water and blood. His baptism, john the Baptist baptism, inaugurated his ministry and his cross fulfilled it against false teachers who denied Christ's real humanity or death. John emphasizes both events together. The spirit continues to bear witness by applying redemption to believers' hearts and confirming the truth. Thus we have three converging testimonies confirming the truth. Thus we have three converging testimonies spirit, water and blood, all in agreement, providing unassailable evidence that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Some further insight water refers to Jesus' baptism in Matthew 3, 16-17, where the Father publicly affirmed him.

Speaker 1: 33:54

Blood to his atoning death. John 19, 34 and 35, where salvation was accomplished. Spirit to the ongoing divine witness and believers John 15, 26,. Together, these testify historically, theologically and experientially. Testify historically, theologically and experientially.

Speaker 1: 34:20

Athanasius said he became what we are, that he might make us what he is. In the paraphrase John Stott the water, the blood and the spirit, the baptism, the cross and the spirit's witness unite to affirm the identity of Jesus. What do we do with this? Anchor your assurance not in emotion, but in the historical acts, the facts of Christ and the spirit's present testimony. Rehearse with your household the baptism, crucifixion and resurrection accounts of Jesus. Teach them how each proves Jesus' true identity Church in worship and sacraments. Remember that the baptism and the Lord's Supper point directly to these witnesses. Do not treat them lightly, but as vital battlefield reminders of Christ's victory. Verses 9 and 10.

Speaker 1: 35:24

Rejecting God's testimony is making him a liar. Faith accepts God's witness. Unbelief calls God deceitful. John Owens wrote. Now I'm going to cover verse 11-12, and then we're going to talk about something that shattered me today John 5, 11 and 12. Life is in the Son. Salvation is Christ himself, not abstract. Audit your loyalties. What gives you a sense of life re-centered on Christ? So today, again to pause, and we'll unpack the rest of this, but I think this is really important.

Speaker 1: 36:33

I came across a post about the thief on the cross, which is an often a gentleman who's often talked about a lot. There was a sermon that I really liked, a video that was making its way around an excerpt from Halaster Begg about I can't wait to meet the thief on the cross. I'd be like how did you get here? No baptism, no scripture, doesn't understand theology, doesn't do this, doesn't do that, didn't do the Lord's Supper, none of that stuff. I didn't do the Lord's Supper, none of that stuff. And I always thought, you know well, the thief on the cross did the least thing imaginable. So if he could repent in his last moment, he was the minimum standard is the way I looked at it. I am ashamed I'm going to get weepy here to say that I felt that way, because that's not how I see it at all. Here's what I, what God revealed to me today. The Holy Spirit revealed to me today.

Speaker 1: 38:02

Everyone, the economies of heaven and the economies of the world, are in direct contradiction to one another. The thief on the cross, direct contradiction to one another. The thief on the cross had more faith than all the apostles. He had more faith than anyone on earth. That day, the scoundrel probably a murderer naked, nailed to a cross With another man, their name Jesus, nailed to a cross, naked, but he is flayed alive. His feet be on recognition. He's shredded. We took cloths on our imagery and all that. They were naked. All their genitals and everything else just opened to the world. The thief on the cross had more faith than anyone else alive.

Speaker 1: 39:19

Let's look at the apostles' condition at that moment. They had fled that. All the disciples left had fled. Matthew 25, 56. They were hiding in fear, for fear of the Jews. The disciples were behind locked doors John 20, 19. Peter denied Jesus three times Luke 22, 61 and 62. None stood at the cross in confession, except John who was silent.

Speaker 1: 39:57

At Calvary, the apostles faith faltered. They were not publicly confessing Jesus' death. While the apostles doubted, a scoundrel declared this man has done nothing wrong. Luke 23, 41,. Affirming Christ's innocence. Jesus remembered me. Remember me when you come into your kingdom. Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.

Speaker 1: 40:37

Luke 23, verse 41. Confessing Christ as king, despite his crucifixion. This is staggering. He saw royalty and a naked man covered in blood walked and died. When God, as a worldly people, as the earthly people in this world, when Jesus was at his weakest. He's not doing miracles, he's not speaking fancy, he doesn't look great when he is at his lowest.

Speaker 1: 41:19

This man believe what no one else would. The apostles saw miracles but stumbled at the cross. The thief only saw the cross and believed I can't even fathom that faith. I can't even fathom it. They had no amount of transfiguration. The thief had no amount of transfiguration, no miracles, no walking on water, no resurrection appearance, yet Just the crucified Messiah. No casting out demons, no healing.

Speaker 1: 42:12

Blind, deaf, lame, like Tomlin Hall, he was suffering his own execution and still looked away from himself and Christ. In that moment, the lowly thieves faced the past. Everyone else is now a hero of mine, he's now a hero of mine. To believe, then, is monstrous, absolutely monstrous. You know, doubting Thomas believes Christ has to see Jesus in the flesh, put his finger in his side, touch his hands. This guy is believing Jesus when he is at his lowest.

Speaker 1: 43:27

So I would answer Mr Alistair Begg's thing. When he gets to heaven and he asks him well, how'd you get in? Well, he could say I believed what no one else did. I believe what no one else did. I believe what no one else did. He declared his allegiance. He believed who Jesus said he was. Why don't we? Why don't we live like it?

Speaker 1: 44:22

Faith sees beyond circumstances. Even in defeat, the eyes of faith see victory. No one is too far gone, a condemned thief, some people say Political enemy. Whatever, there's a lot of Proof that grace is greater Than the worst. If he could proclaim crucified King is Lord, jesus, christ is Lord, how much more should we know about the resurrection?

Speaker 1: 44:59

I just I've thought about that scene multiple times. Well, tell us your best thing and now tell us what makes the Bible. I've thought about that scene multiple times. What the hell is the biggest thing? The hell is what makes the Bible miraculous? The Holy Spirit's something that just comes into place and it changes everything. It changes everything. We're up with John. John verse 13.

Speaker 1: 45:30

John writes for assurance. Eternal life is certain, not guesswork. Thomas Brooks wrote assurance is glory in the bud, the flower before it sprouts. Write down why you know you belong to Christ and keep it as a battle. Report 14 and 15. Confidence and prayer comes when it's aligned with God's will. God hears and God responds. When it is aligned with his will, not your will. Prayer is the chief exercise of faith. Do it. Draft a prayer plan anchored in God's will, revealed in scripture 16 and 17,.

Speaker 1: 46:25

John distinguishes between two kinds of situations, and this is that tough bit the tough verses about the sin leading to death and the other sin not leading to death. So let's roll up our sleeves and go to work here. John distinguishes between two kinds of situations. One is when a brother commits a sin that is not leading to death, meaning sins that, though serious, are repented of and do not represent apostasy. Believers are commanded to intercede and God grants life. The other is the sin leading to death, which refers to hardened, unrepentant rejection of Christ and his gospel. This is not a stumble, but a settled condition of.

Speaker 1: 47:14

We'll use the LGBTQ as an example and we'll use adultery as another one. If someone commits adultery and lives in adultery, that is an unforgivable sin. If they continue to do it and don't stop doing it and they just say, well, jesus will forgive me, that is apostasy. That is not true. You are operating outside of God's will. You are not repentant. You are not doing that. Okay.

Speaker 1: 47:56

If you commit adultery, right and you repent and turn from it and you know that it's wrong, you're not saying it's not a sin. You know like, yeah, I'm going to have 42 wives and it's all great. You know, on and on and on. If you're acknowledging it's a sin and you're repenting of it, it's fine. If you're saying, no, I'm going to do it my way and you're not making up your own Christianity. That's what they're talking about there. Same thing with LGBTQ. You could have a homosexual relationship and read the Bible, be convicted of it, repent of it and be saved. Or you can sit there and say love is love and deny what the Bible says and you'll burn for it. I want a small clarification. Not every sin is equal, while all sin deserves judgment.

Speaker 1: 49:03

John recognizes the distinction between sins that can be restored through repentance and prayer and the sin of final apostasy, which rejects the only sacrifice for sins. Examples in Scripture Hebrews 6, 4-6 describes those who fall away after tasting the truth. They cannot be restored because they crucify the Son of God afresh. They walk away from the faith. Matthew 12, 31-32 warns against the blasphemy of the Spirit, rejecting the Spirit's testimony of Christ, attributing what God does to the enemy. Acts 5, 1-11 shows Ananias and Sapphira judged instantly struck dead. A warning of God's holiness. 1 Corinthians 11, 29-30 records believers judged with illness and death for abusing the Lord's Supper.

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Sin to death is understood by most reformed tradition and the reformed tradition as persistent, deliberate rejection of Christ, final impermanence or apostasy. It is not a single act of weakness, but a willingful turning away from God to something else, a false idol, to paraphrase John Owens. Owen, there is no greater folly in the world than for a man to provoke God to depart from him. So what do we do with this? For prayer, we pray boldly for repentant restoration. When you see brothers stumbling, your intercession is battlefield triage, calling in heavy artillery strikes, pulling them back to life. For warning if someone persists in rejecting Christ despite light and grace, warn them soberly. Recognize the danger of them hardening into apostasy. Fight yourself, guard your heart daily with repentance and humility. Keep short accounts with God, confess quickly and fight against drifting. Almost done.

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18. Born again. Do not live in unrepentant sin. Christ guards them. Satan cannot lay claim. Proverbs 18.10 states the name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous one. To it. Enter safe. Establish guardrails, accountability, scripture, memory, memorized scripture and practical safeguards to keep yourself from going falling into unrepentant sin.

Speaker 1: 51:51

Verse 19, two kingdoms, gods and evil ones. The world lies passively under Satan's sway. Martin Luther wrote though this world with devils filled, we will not fear. Stop expecting worldly applause. Train your household for resistance. Number 20 written there the sun grants understanding. So believers know the true God. Christ is identified as God, true and eternal life. Athanasius said the Son is true God. And true God Catechized her family on Christ weekly. Finally, verse 21.

Speaker 1: 52:41

God here means constant watch against idols. Idols in Eph, emphasis, were visible. Ours may be invisible. Comfort, control and even ministry can be idols. And John Kelp said the human heart is a perpetual factory of idols. We have to fight it with everything we have. So what do we do? Conduct an idle sweep, examine time, money, media ambitions and purge or support so as our final charge stand in assurance, purchased by Christ, operate on God's testimony, pray with parrhesia, rescue the straying, hold the ground under the king's protection, confess the son is true God and keep constant watch against idols. To the king, eternal, mortal, invisible and only God, forever and ever, amen. So we're going to go ahead and do the Lord's Supper. This is for baptized believers only.

Speaker 1: 53:55

Examination 1 Corinthians 11. But a man must test himself in doing so using either the bread or the cup Before he partake. Let us quietly bow before the King of glory. Let each man, woman and young boy in here search his heart or her heart. Go ahead, bow your head. Amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen. Amen.

Speaker 1: 54:45

Almighty God, sovereign, lord of hosts, we approach your table today not because we are worthy, but because Christ is worthy. We come not trusting in our own righteousness, but clinging to the righteousness of Jesus Christ alone. We remember his body broken, his blood poured out for the new covenant. We bow in humble gratitude. We lift our hearts in reverent awe. Sanctify this bread and this cup and sanctify us, your people, as we proclaim the death, resurrection and coming kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. We pray in his mighty and matchless name Amen. 1 Corinthians, 11, 11, 23-24.

Speaker 1: 55:26

The Lord Jesus, in the night in which he was being betrayed, took bread and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said this is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me. Remember this symbolizes his body, pierced, beaten and sacrificed for you. Let us partake of the bread together and remember Jesus Christ broke your body for us. Go ahead, nate. In the same way, he took the cup after supper, saying the cup is the new covenant of my blood. Do this as often as you drink in remembrance of me. Remember this symbolizes his blood, the blood that purchased our forgiveness and sealed the everlasting covenant. Let's partake of the cup together. Remember Christ's blood poured out for us. Go ahead and drink, for as often as you drink of this bread, or eat of this bread and drink of the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.

Speaker 1: 56:31

By this eating and drinking, we publicly proclaim Christ has died, christ has risen, christ will come again. We are his soldiers in his everlasting kingdom. Good, good, good Bryce, heavenly Father, we thank you for the gift of assurance through your Son Jesus Christ. Strengthen our faith that we may overcome the world. Keep us steadfast in prayer, bold in confession and vigilant against idols. Fill our homes, our church and our lives with witness of the spirit, the water and the blood. As we march forward, may we do as warriors equipped with truth, love and courage, and may the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved, complete, without blame, in the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he who calls you and he also will bring it to pass. Amen. God bless you.