United In Christ · Growing In Grace · Reaching Out In Love

Sunday Morning Sermon Summary

Note to the visitor:  These are Pastor Paul’s sermon notes from Sunday Morning.  They probably won’t make much sense if you weren’t in the service.  Feel free to contact Pastor Paul if you’d like more detailed information.
For past sermons, please visit the Sermon Archive. 

“How to Get Lost”

1 John 3:7-9

Sunday, June 14, 2009

HOW DO I KNOW I’M SAVED AND GOING TO HEAVEN?

            3 TESTS: Belief, Behavior, Brotherhood

            Test of Belief involves the answer to 3 QUESTIONS

                  What was I “saved” FROM (Omission, Commission, Condition)

                  What I was “saved” BY (Grace, faith, Christ)

                  What I was “saved” FOR (Good works, make disciples)

John 6:38 “The work God wants us to do is BELIEVE” (Believing includes more than lip service)

Test of Behavior: Can I say I believe something that hasn’t changed me? Does my BEHAVIOR matter?

            ATHEISM – “believing” is one thing – following that belief into living is something else!

            Lots of people ”believe” there is no God, easy living like it is something else

            CRIME is up; MARRIAGE, FAMILY, FATHER-PRESENCE is down; GREED is up;             FRUGALITY is down; suicide is way up (especially among teen agers).

Ravi Zacharias: Can Man Live without God: “When the last chapter of humanity is finally writtenwe will find that the implications of atheism, if consistently carried through, will have made life plainly unlivable within the bounds of reason and common sense.”     

Illustration:   ComVIP and ACAUSE.  Frustration with seeking to solve problems without coming to terms with the root causes of those problems; with the increasing difficulty of valuing freedom without accepting the necessity for responsibility.

1 John 3:7-9 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray (cause you to get lost). He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.

How do we avoid getting lost?

            The Bible says, “No one comes…except the Father draws him.”

            HOW DOES THE SPIRIT DRAW; HOW DOES JESUS “COME INTO MY HEART?”

            How does God get glory, how is the kingdom expanded, how are men reconciled?

            What is the Spirit’s STRATEGY? What’s the Spirit got to do with it?

ILLUSTRATION Acts 8:14-25 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money and said, "Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit." Peter answered: "May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin." Then Simon answered, "Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me." When they had testified and proclaimed the word of the Lord, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many Samaritan villages.

            Simon “believed and was baptized (vs. 13) Wanted the power of the Apostles (anything wrong with that?) Willing to “give to the ministry” to get it (anything wrong with that?)

What did Peter see that no one else did? What was it about Simon that proved to Peter Simon  was not “saved”.  What had Phillip missed? 

POINT: “Even bad men, very bad, may sometimes be in a good frame, very good; and those whose hearts still go after their covetousness may possibly not only come before God as his people come, but continue with them. [3.]” (MH)

Notice that when Simon asked for prayer he didn’t repent (change his mind), he just wanted to avoid consequences

►The Test of Behavior: What is the effect/impact of your faith?

            How does what you believe impact what you DO and WHY you do it?

            ►Does it matter?

►JESUS’ 3-PART STRATEGY:

            ►1) Come, follow me! ►2) Love each other ►3) Go, make disciples

►JESUS’ PROMISE: The Spirit (the missing link?)

John 14:15-17 "If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth.

STRATEGY

In other words…

The Spirit causes real belief, including a desire to imitate Christ by living like He lived and loving like He loved.

The Spirit empowers us to live and love like Jesus, making our witness effective and drawing others into relationship with Jesus.

WE:    BUT THERE’S MORE 1 John 3:10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right (behavior) is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother (brotherhood).

Third test of faith: The Test of Brotherhood

            Can I say I believe something with which I am not intimately connected?

Legend:

Green: Mission and Vision
Blue: Illustrations and quotes
Red: Scripture

Note to the visitor:  These are Pastor Paul’s sermon notes from Sunday Morning.  They probably won’t make much sense if you weren’t in the service.  Feel free to contact Pastor Paul if you’d like more detailed information.
For past sermons, please visit the Sermon Archive. 

E-MAIL THIS LINK TO A FRIEND
Enter recipient's e-mail: