Sermon Tone Analysis

Authentic

Let this sink in a minute, You are God’s letter of authenticity, that is stamped by His love and sealed by your faith.

It is God’s authentic love that makes the Christian an overcomer.

Authentic: Simple definition-real or genuine : not copied or false.

: true and accurate.

: made to be or look just like an original

Question for personal contemplation: Am I an authentic person?

Question: Are there marks of authenticity in my life?

Question: What can I do to become more authentic?

Do not need to read below, it is only for the outline

(Scriptures used/referenced in this introduction; Jn20:30-31, 1Jn5:13, 1Jn5:1-5)

John wrote the gospel so that you may “have” eternal life in Jesus name (Jn20:30-31)

John wrote the epistles so that you may “know” you have eternal life in Jesus name.

(1Jn5:13)

John in the epistle gives some proof tests of having eternal life in Jesus name.

So evidence of authenticity (1Jn3:10)

and tonight we pick up on more marks of the authentic christian (1Jn5:1-5)

So, here is where we are at tonight.

Glean from the text (1Jn5:1-5)

Authentic Christian and joyful obedience (1Jn5:1-3)

Authentic Christian’s overcome (1Jn5:4-5)

Glean from the text

Let’s look, glean from the text before us so we can see application along the way.

So, open your bible, or bible app and let’s look together.

OK, what sticks out to you?

What are the requirements noted to be born of god, and be a child born of Him (v.1)?

It is belief and love.

What is the proof of our love as children of God (v.2)?

We love God and keep (obey) His commands.

What is the proof of love of God (v.3)?

Keeping the commandments, and that they are not burdensome

What is it that overcomes the world for the one who is born of God (v.4)?

It is our faith.

We know how there is overcoming (v.4) but who is the overcomer (v.5)?

The one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

(Transition) Authentic Christians have marks of authenticity and here it is love, faith that overcomes.

This is obedience.

This is obedience that is not in spite of things, just to be obedient, but obedience that is joyful because of things (God’s love) and the results are His commandments are not burdensome.

Loving, joyful obedience

God loves a cheerful giver, and that is including joyful obedience as proof of your love of God and love for God.

All of creation, with exception of humans, except for man (no I did not say men) obeys the will of God.

ps148:8

If you doubt that, you can read Jonah, God used waves, sea, a worm and a plant, but the prophet still was disobedient, and when was obedient it was not with the right heart.

God wants our heart, not just our obedience.

We sing “we’re part of a family, that’s been born again” and that is what we are family.

So we learn to be joyfully obedient by loving and serving one another as a child of God, born of God and demonstrating God’s love.

D.L. Moody often said “Every Bible should be bound in shoe leather.” - We show our love to God, not by empty words but by willing works.

We are not slaves obeying a master, we are children obeying a Father.

Authentic Christian overcome by Bible (1Jn5:2-3; 1cor2:14, Ps119)

Ones person attitude toward the bible matters.

To the non-believer than the bible is like

The unregenerate person thinks the bible is burdensome and controlling

The authentic christian who experiences God’s love grows in His love for God through the love for the Word.

Consider these verses

Love the word, meditate on the word, how about rejoicing in the word

It has great value and the authentic Christian delights in it

Delight and gain wisdom through the counsel of the bible.

It is sweet as honey

and can bring a song to your lips

just as a loving son or daughter obeys a fathers commands, the authentic Christian joyfully obeys the Fathers commands and they are not burdensome.

Remember started with humans, man is the only part of creation that does not obey the will of the Father.

When we are disobedient to the will of the Father we may not turn to him and confess sin for forgiveness (1Jn1:9) and we start lying, deceiving ourselves and this can lead to turning away from the joy of God’s word to neglecting or forgetting God’s word.

Or are burdened by obligation to read it and not have the heart for it and read it in routine way vs. intentional.

Religion is man trying to please God by his own strength and it is a heavy burden (Mt23:1-4)

The point is found in (v.4) but to keep in context for better understanding I need to back up

Matthew 23:3–4 (NASB95)

3 therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them.

4 “They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger.

(Emphasis mine)

The authentic Christian who overcomes is yoked to Christ and it is not burdensome (Mt11:28-30)

(Transition) - Authentic Christian’s mark here is joyful obedience that is not burdensome.

That leads to our next point tonight.

Authentic Christians overcome

Easy to become a Christian, but to be an authentic maturing Christian takes the divine nature of God (2Pt1:3) working in you.

It is that nature that gives victory and overcomes the world.

A reminder of our verses since it is has been awhile (1Jn5:4-5)

Oh, can you remember what overcomes the world?

- - - - OUR FAITH!

In this world we have many trials, tribulations and tests that try to create obstacles in our obedience to God and to drift away from the faith that saved us in the first place.

God’s divine nature overcomes the world (1Jn2:13-17)

Our old nature in the flesh, is contrary to the divine nature of God that dwells in the authentic Christian.

We know the world appeals to our old nature (see 1Jn2:15-17; remember the love that God hates).

Our new nature, those who are born of God have victory as a result of our faith.

And as our faith grows, we grow in love for God and love for others and the love of God is perfected in us (more on that next week).

Overcome, you have to love that word, for sure enough you have seen that before, John loves that word too.

and maybe note down the times used in Rev2:7, 11, 17, 26 and then 3:5, 12 and 21).

He uses the word overcomer as I’m using the word authentic tonight; one who is born of God.

OK, story time: There was a soldier in Alexander the Great’s army who was not acting bravely in battle.

He lingered vs. pressing on.

Alexander came to him and asked his name and the young soldier replied “Alexander” and Alexander the greet told him “get in there and fight or change your name.” -

What is our name?

We are child of God, Children of God, ones born of God.

That name carries with it the assurance of victory.

We share the same victory as Jesus (over death).

Victory that comes by faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God.

Victory over the tribulations of this world

Victory in overcoming the world as promised by Jesus (Jn16:33)

Victory that gives us peace and courage!

Victorious / Overcomer as “He is” so are we.

(1Jn4:17; 1Jn1:7; 1Jn2:6; Gal2:20; Rom6:4; Eph2:6 and Col3:4)