Evidence & Assurance: Serious Questions About Genuine Christianity

1st John – Evidence & Assurance: Serious Questions About Genuine Christianity Introduction Sermon: Assurance of salvation & evidence of genuine Christianity explored and the importance & benefit of expository preaching considered while overviewing the series. -2/2/20 1 John 1:1-4 “Do you believe in Jesus Christ?”— Belief in the apostolic teaching of Jesus Christ is essential to true Christianity and the basis of fellowship in the Church. Sermon points: #1 The preexistence of the Son (1) #2 The Manifestation of the Son (2-3a) #3 The Church formed & Sustained (3b) #4 A True & Abiding Joy (4) -2/10/20 1 John 1:5-7 “Do you walk in the light?” — Simply claiming to know God and saying you have fellowship with him doesn't always indicate genuine Christianity. Sermon points: #1 God is light (5) #2 False Christians walk in darkness (6) #3 Genuine Christians walk in the light (7) -2/17/20 1 John 1:8-10 “Do you realize your sin?” — The way a person views themselves as it relates to their relationship with sin evidences either genuine Christianity or unbelief. Sermon points: #1 Darkness and the denial of sin (8,10) #2 Light and the confession of sin (9) -2/23/20 1 John 2:1-2 “Do you have an advocate?” — The reality of remaining sin in the Christian life doesn't give us license to sin, but drives us to the only advocate and substitute for our sins. Sermon points: #1 Saved Sinners Seek to Avoid Sin (2:1a) #2 Saved Sinners have an Advocate (1b) #3 Saved Sinners have a Substitute (2) -3/1/20 1 John 2:3-6 “Do you keep His commandments? — Being like Jesus and seeking to do what he commanded is one evidence of genuine Christianity that is objectively observable by us all. Sermon points: #1 To Keep, or not to Keep? (3-4) #2 Keeping leads to maturity (5a) #3 Imitation is Evidence (5b6) -3/15/20 1 John 2:7-11 “Do you love other Christians?” — Jesus teaches us that loving one another is the foundational bedrock principle of Christian living exemplified most clearly to us in his very life and death. Sermon points: #1 The old commandment made new (7-8) #2 Darkness and the hatred of Christians (9, 11) #3 Light and the love of Christians (10) -3/22/20 1 John 2:12-14 “What stage of spiritual life are you in?” — The apostle John takes a brief detour from his instruction to encourage genuine Christians in different phases of their spiritual life. Sermon points: #1 New Christians (12, 13c) #2 Mature Christians (13a, 14a) #3 Growing Christians (13b, 14b) -3/30/20 1 John 2:15-17 “Do you love the world?” — Christians are bombarded with the temptations towards worldliness all around, but the apostle John gives reasons for them to identify and flee worldliness at all costs. Sermon points: #1 Christians Should Flee Worldliness (15) #2 Because Worldliness is Satanic (16) #3 And Worldliness isn't Lasting (17) -4/6/20 1 John 2:18-20 “Are you continuing in the faith?” — Some people walk away from their faith in Jesus, and others continue in the faith, and even if we aren't aware, the Bible gives us the reason genuine Christians continue in the faith. Sermon Points: #1 The era of the antichrists (18) #2 The reason some leave (19) #3 The reason some stay (20) -5/17/20 1 John 2:21-27 “Are you opposing antichrist?” — There are false teachers and antichrists that seek to deceive genuine Christians and the Bible teaches us about how to spot them and what to do in response to them. Sermon Points: #1 The beliefs of antichrists (21-23) #2 The deception of antichrists (26) #3 The Christian response to antichrists (24-25; 27) -5/24/20 1 John 2:28-3:3 “Are you prepared for His return?” — What difference should the future return of Jesus Christ make in our lives today? Sermon Points: #1 Confident Anticipation (28, 3:2b) #2 Loving Adoption (3:1-2a) #3 Holy Living (29, 3:3) -5/31/20 1 John 3:4-10 “Do you practice lawlessness?” — There was a change in every genuine Christian's life when they first believed the Gospel and that transformation is evident in the way they relate to sin. Sermon points (1 John 3:4-10): #1 Faker Lawlessness (4-5) #2 Genuine Righteousness (6-8a) #3 Satan's Defeat (8b-10) -6/7/20 1 John 3:11-4:6 “What does your evidence reveal?” — 7 tests or points of evidence that the apostle John gives the church to be able to observe to distinguish genuine Christians from fakers. Sermon Points: #1 The "Hater" Evidence (11-15) #2 Sacrificial Love Evidence (16-18) #3 Conflicted Assurance Evidence (19-20) #4 Confident Prayer Evidence (21-22) #5 Commandment Keeping Evidence (23-24a) #6 Internal Witness Evidence (24b) #7 Favorite Teachers' Evidence (4:1-6) -6/14/20 1 John 4:7-12 “Have you experiences God’s love?” — God's love is the root cause of all true love displayed by genuine Christians. Sermon Points: #1 God is Love (7-8) #2 God's Love: Demonstrated (9) #3 God's Love: First (10) #4 God's Love: Motivates (11) #5 God's Love: Seen (12) -6/21/20 1 John 4:13-21 “Do you have genuine Christian love?” — Anyone who truly experiences God's love will display genuine Christian love in their life. Sermon Points: #1 Trinitarian Relational Love (13-16) #2 Confident Love (17-18) #3 Brotherly Love (19-21) -7/12/20 1 John 5:1-5 “Have you been born of God?” — All the evidences of genuine Christianity point back to a foundational prior evidence of the new birth. 4 Evidences of the new birth: #1 Faith (1a) #2 Genuine Love (1b) #3 Obedience to Christ (2-3) #4 Overcoming the World (4-5) -7/19/20 1 John 5:6-12 “Do you have eternal life?” — God provides 3 witnesses regarding His Son and belief in God's magnificent testimony leads to eternal life. Sermon Points: #1 God's External Testimony: of His Son (Baptism, Atonement, Holy Spirit) [6-9...] #2 Internal Testimony: Personal Saving Faith in His Son [10...] #3 Experiential Testimony: Eternal Life in His Son [11-12...] -7/26/20 1 John 5:13-18a “Does your assurance lead to prayer?” — John wrote this letter of 1st John to encourage genuine Christians with assurance of salvation that leads to a confident relationship with God. Sermon Points: #1 Assurance of salvation is possible (13) #2 Assurance leads to confident prayer (14-15) #3 Assurance motivates prayers for lawless sinners (16-18a) -8/2/20 1 John 5:18b-21 “Who is your God?” — John only envisions two choices, either we are from God and believing in Jesus Christ, or we are from the Devil and of the world. Sermon Points: Who is your God? #1 Either the God who Protects? (18b) #2 Or, the god who destroys? (19) #3 Abide in the God of truth (20) #4 Avoid the false gods of idolatry (21) -8/9/20