Rest Assured
Notes
Transcript
My Shirt, it was a gift from a buddy. While it’s funny it’s also true. Not because we want to beat up on you guys, but because we are called to shepherd you. We do that by preaching God’s word but in preaching it we navigate the spaces that we as a church find ourselves in. The things that you don’t know. The things that you’re unsure about. The areas in life that you struggle with. The sins, the doubt, the fears.
John is writing this letter to give them assurance in their salvation. Our preaching, especially through this book should be for the same reason. We desire for you to have confidence in your salvation. We desire for you guys to have a personal relationship with Jesus.
Sometimes in talking to you guys we hear things that hurt because there are certain things that come up that show doubt regarding your salvation, or reluctance that he would love someone like you.
Often after continuing the conversation it becomes obvious that the situation is no different than the one John finds himself in. Someone has fed you misinformation when it comes to God. Information that sounds good on the surface but doesn’t align with the characteristics of who God is.
So it is our Job to navigate those spaces. Sometimes God presents opportunities to do that one on one. Sometimes in a community group. Or sometimes from the pulpit. Just know that whatever the situation shaming you in your struggles is never the reason. It is always our hope and our mission to bring you back to a place of an authentic relationship with the Lord. One that is based on the truth of God’s word and aligned with the attributes of who God is.
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything 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 requests that we have asked of him.
Let’s rewind my life backwards 8 or 9 years and pretend Maria and I haven’t gotten married yet. I am in a relationship with her a relationship that is going to lead to marriage. But before we start this off I tell her I have some stipulations regarding our marriage.
We can get married but I’m gonna do what I want. I’m gonna tell you what to do. I’m gonna demand things of you and I’m gonna threaten you with some sort of retribution or payback if you don’t do them. I’m gonna have a very poor attitude towards you if you don’t do the things I want done.
I’m gonna talk to you and you’re gonna listen. You’re gonna talk and I’ll hear what your saying but I’m not really going to listen to you. In one ear and out the other.
If you call me out on any of that I’m going to call you judgmental or a liar, or unjust, or mean. Or I’ll say you have no love. Or i’ll just avoid you all together.
I love you Maria! I’m going to marry you Maria. I’m in a relationship with you. I’m all in! The only problem is nobody in their right mind would call that a relationship. At least not a healthy one. Not a real personal intimate one. Yet there are people, maybe even some of us that treat our relationship with Jesus that way.
It’s sad because we should desire to be in a relationship with Jesus. A true relationship. Not a one sided conditional love relationship. So John lays out all these tests by which we can measure up our relationship with Jesus. He desires us to rest assured in our relationship with Jesus. He want’s us to know the reasons he is writing what he’s writing.
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.
In a real sense, the entire letter of 1 John has been pointing to this verse. On five prior occasions, John has given his reasons for writing. I like the way John Piper lists and summarizes all six occurrences:
And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
Piper says John is and unashamed Hedonist, someone seeking pleasure and joy. And that the joy of their assurance will be his joy. And he wants that joy for them and for him. It is good to want that type of joy.
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
He hopes his book will give them fresh power to overcome sin. And part of his method in helping them overcome sin is to assure them that failures do not have to prove fatal to your eternal life.
I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake. I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father.
In other words, he is filled with hope that the ones he is writing to are truly believers. They are forgiven. They do know God. They have triumphed over the evil one.
I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth.
Same thing: My letter is not to get you started in Christian life but to confirm you in it.
I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.
He is concerned with false teaching. This letter is meant to protect them from those who would lead them astray. In other words, the fact that we are born again does not mean we no longer need warnings.
Then today’s passage.
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.
This is the one that dominates in this letter. Most of what is here is designed to provide tests of life: “I write these things … that you may know that you have eternal life.” That is, that you may know you are born again from death to life.
Summing up all these reasons for writing 1 John goes like this: I am writing because you are true believers, but there are deceivers in your midst, and I want you to be rock-solid confident in your present possession of eternal life as regenerate children of God, so that you are not drawn away after sin. And if this letter has that effect my joy will be complete. So at the heart of his reason for writing is the desire to help them know they are born again—that they now have new spiritual life. Eternal life.
Just like Pastor Tony mentioned a few weeks ago these things aren’t listed as ways to earn our salvation. They are listed as markers to assure us that we are already born again, born of God. John tells us it is possible to have eternal life, the very life of God, and yet have doubts. However he does not want us to have doubts. He want’s us to have assurance.
Then he goes on to address our prayers in verses 14 and 15.
And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything 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 requests that we have asked of him.
When we think of those relationship stipulations I mentioned above that would sound something like this.
You know what God I believe in you and I’m gonna pray and your gonna do what I want because I asked! And if you don’t do what I want I’m going to be mad at you and call you unfair. You know what I might not even believe in you anymore. I’m not going to obey you if you don’t do what I want.
John addressed prayer in 1 John 3:22. There he informed us that God answers our prayers when we are (1) keeping His commands and (2) doing those things that please Him. John now adds a third requirement: (3) we must ask “according to his will” (v. 14). With these three keys in place, he says we can be confident toward God as we pray.
God is in the business of answering prayers. That’s part of who he is. But we can at times get so needy, so impersonal, so demanding that it sounds like just that, a business transaction. Business transactions take communication, they require flexibility, but they lack love. A personal, intimate relationship with Jesus can never lack love.
One of the false teachings I hear often is pastors or other believers saying to someone that God isn’t answering your prayers because you didn’t have enough faith when you asked.
I was part of a little debate recently where the statement was made that God was answering more prayers in places of need because of the faith in the prayers of the people there. They weren’t praying and I quote “simple God if it be your will prayers.” They were prayers fueled by faith and that’s why God answered them. Wow that’s awesome kind of puts us in the drivers seat right?
Wrong. If that was the case why would John say that if we ask anything according to His will he hears us. We might ask why anyone would want something contrary to God’s will. It is right to pray according to God’s will, and it is wise to pray according to God’s will. Jesus prayed according to God’s will.
Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”
He knows what is best, and He wants what is best: His glory and our good. God wants to give us what we want him to give us. The problem is we aren’t wise enough to ask him for the things He wants to give us.
Now, God’s will may be different from what you want, but I believe this: it will always be better than what you want.
Romans 12:2 tells us
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
God’s will is “good, acceptable, and perfect.” I want what God wants for me. I want God’s will.
This time of year a lot of churches are preaching through advent. The order of advent changes a bit but for the most part many today are preaching on hope. We decided that we didn’t want to derail the importance of what John has been teaching us because it is such an important lesson. But in this there is still a deep need for hope.
Our hope is always that you have a strong and deeply intimate personal relationship with Jesus.
That you approach your prayer life with humility and confidence in seeking God’s will for your life.
And that you can leave the doubt of your salvation in the past and rest assured that you are born of God.
Remember earlier I said a personal, loving relationship with Jesus can never lack heart. Well at times I can get so caught up in the teaching aspect of pastoring that it becomes all about brains and no love. Sometimes I step down from the pulpit and feel like a failed college professor. Because I’m not just teaching from a history book about a historical figure. I’m teaching from the living active word of God. About the savior of the world who stepped down from his thrown in Heaven and died a bloody brutal death in the place of all sinners who would repent and believe in him.
That’s personal. That’s not transactional. But when taught without heart and love how can I expect you to pursue a deep and intimate relationship with Jesus. That should always be my most sincere desire in shepherding you guys. But I confess and apologize because at times I lose sight of that and try to no avail, to get all intellectual. And when I do that I do it at the sacrifice of relationship.
I want to teach you. I want to pray for you, but I don’t want you to be like the Israelites who’d rather speak to Moses that to God himself. It’s like God I don’t want you to just be the subject of this. I want you to be the source of this I want you to be behind this. I want you to be in front of this. I want this to be all about you.
It reminds me of Exodus 33 when God tells Moses “Depart; go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God told him Go. Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up with you,
But Moses was deeply saddened by this and responded “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here.
That’s the desire we have for you. Not one that’s filled with health and wealth. Not one that’s based on name it and claim it. One that’s fueled by relationship. One that has you desiring nothing more that to be in His presence and living his will for your life.
Remember earlier I said John wants us to have assurance that we have eternal life?
In trying to bring that assurance he provides multiple tests throughout the book revolving around the themes of belief, theology, obedience, and love.
Those who believe Jesus is the Son of God, pursue obedience, and love others can be assured they have eternal life right now. Today! Forever!
Don’t doubt because of an ignorance of God’s Word and His promises. Don’t doubt because of a faulty theology. Don’t doubt because someone told you you struggle because you’re not keeping your house clean. Don’t doubt because someone says you’re like shooting fish in a barrel for satan and his goon squad. Don’t doubt because of disobedience. Don’t doubt because of shame.
Flee to Jesus!
He is the Word of life.
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—
He is eternal life.
the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—
In this fleeing to Jesus we must remember: Feelings come and go, and feelings can be deceiving. My confidence is in the Son of God; no one else is worth believing. I want us to leave today with hope. Hope in the person and work of Jesus. Find that hope in what Jesus said in John 10:28–29,
I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.
I will take Jesus at His word. Because of that I can know I have eternal life. Will you?
Let’s pray.
