Uncomfortable Christianity Week 7 • 1 John 5:13-21

February 19th, 2023 • "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." — 1 John 5:15

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Well, good morning.

If you would, take your Bible, turn to 1 John chapter 5.

We're going to be starting at verse 13.

We're going to be wrapping up 1 John today.

Pastor Bo, next Sunday we'll begin 2 John as we continue our study of 1, 2, and 3 John.

As you're turning there, if you would, let's pray together.

Father, we give you thanks for the day that we've had just to come and to worship you.

And Lord, we just ask now that you would just speak to us through your word, through our eyes

as we see your word, and through our ears as we hear your word spoken.

Lord, may it do in us, Lord, may it do in us what you have and what you desire for it to do in our hearts.

May we carry it out in obedience as you speak to us on how to apply these scriptures to our life today.

Lord, we love you and we thank you and we ask this prayer in your name.

Amen.

In this last part of John's, the 1 John chapter 5, it looks like John is cramming a lot in these last few verses.

Starting there in verse 13.

It's kind of like those moments as a parent when you send your child out for the first time.

Maybe you're sending your child out to spend the night with somebody or to go hang out with friends

and you're giving them that final instructions.

You've laid out all these things as they've been growing up and now you're giving them these final instructions

as you're sending them out on that first time to go out.

And you want them to realize who they are.

You want them to realize what they've been taught and what they know.

Trisha and I used to use a phrase with our sons that our good friend and my mentor used in a message one day

about his kids.

We said to them, when you go out and you're going to spend the night with somebody,

you need to know this.

Know who you are and know whose you are.

Know that you're an island, but more importantly, know that you're a follower of Christ.

And I think that's what John is doing here.

39 times in this short letter that John writes, he uses the word know.

Know these things.

In these last few verses that we look at together, eight times he uses that word know.

So if you would, look at verse 13 as we begin to read together.

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 towards him, that if we ask anything according to his

will, he hears us.

And if we know that he hears us and whatever we ask, we know that we have the request that

we have asked of him.

If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God

will give him life to those who commit sins that do not lead to death.

There is sin that leads to death.

I do not say that one should pray for that.

All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death.

We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was

born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.

We know that we are from God and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may

know him who is true.

And we are in him who is true, in his Son, Jesus Christ.

He is the true God in eternal life.

Little children, keep yourselves from idols.

Knowing, that's a big deal for us, isn't it?

We want to know.

We don't want to live in that fear of missing out.

You know, we're so involved in wanting to know all things about life.

We want to know the answers to life questions.

We want to know all the costs and fees associated with buying a home.

We want to know why we feel the way that we do.

We want to know why so-and-so made the decision that they made in life.

We want to know how to relate to God.

We want to know what happens when we die.

We want to know what heaven will be like.

These are just a few things you and I want to know about, and the list goes on and on and

on of the things that we want to know about this life.

In these last few verses, John gives us some more things to know, just like he did all

the other verses leading up to this point.

One thing that John wants us to know is this, know that you have eternal life.

Verse 13 says, I write these things to you.

All these things I've written to you from the very first verse in this letter all the way

up to this point.

All these things and everything following, I write these things to you who believe in

the name of the Son of God.

It's so important that we see that.

It says that who believes.

So John is writing this letter to those who call themselves believers, who believe in the

name of the Son of God.

That you may know.

That's the first one that we see.

We'll see that phrase over and over again in these last few verses, that you may know

that you have eternal life.

You see, you may know it points us to the fact of eternal life for your life and for my life.

The question that you and I have to ask though when we see this word believe is this, do you

and I believe in the name of the Son of God?

Have you had that time in your life where you professed your faith and trust in God?

Did you repent of your sin and ask forgiveness of your sin and place that trust in Him?

It has to start with there.

It has to start with your belief in the Son of God.

So do you believe?

The next thing that we see in these verses is this, know that God hears and responds to

your prayers.

Know that God hears and responds to your prayers.

You know, there's times in our lives when we think God's not listening to us.

Have you ever had that moment?

Have you ever prayed over something and said, God, are you listening to me?

God, do you hear my cry?

God, do you hear my voice?

Am I silent?

But we understand and we see in this that God does hear us and that God does respond.

Verse 14 says, and this is the confidence.

Confidence.

That's a big word.

That's telling you and I that we have faith, that we have trust.

We can believe, we can trust and go into God in prayer because we have confidence that we have toward Him.

Confidence in your relationship with God.

I'm confident that I know God.

I'm confident that God knows me.

I'm confident in my trust in God.

I'm confident that my relationship with God is alive and active.

This confidence feeds into the confidence of your prayer life and my prayer life.

He goes on to say that if we ask anything according to His, meaning God's will, that God hears us.

Not only that, but you go on down a little ways.

It says, hears us in whatever we ask.

Look at those two words there.

Ask anything in whatever we ask.

That has nothing to do with yours or my wants.

Nothing to do with that.

It's not about that we can go to God and ask Him for anything that we want and that we're going to get it.

Sure, I would like to have a nice GMC 2500 power truck.

I would love to have that.

That's not a need.

The truck I have is nice.

The truck gets me from here to home and wherever else I need to go.

The whole purpose behind what John is saying here that what we ask for has to be asked inside the will of God.

Sometimes that's hard to understand.

My wife and I used to have this conversation a good bit.

What does it mean to have the will of God?

What does it mean to be in the will of God?

A lot of times we associate the will of God with the job that we have to do, the occupation that we have, but it has nothing to do with that.

The will of God is found in His Word.

That's where we find and discover the will of God.

There's God's will for your relationships.

Look at it in God's Word.

What is God's will for your life decision?

It's right there in Scripture.

What is God's will for your parenting?

It's right there in God's Word.

What is God's will for your marriage?

It's right there in God's Word.

All life decisions that we have, the things that we go through in life,

the will of God for you and I who believe in the Son of God is found in God's Word.

I read this this week from the Life Application Commentary.

It said this, when it talks about our praying in God's will when we're seeking God,

it says, turn the commands of God's Word into request.

Make the prayers found in God's Word your own.

Pray God's promises back to Him.

By using the Scripture as the basis for your prayer life,

you will be sure to pray in a way that honors God.

Twice we see in here where it says, He hears us and we have the request.

So not only does God hear us,

but it guarantees us that we have the request when we pray according to God's will.

The understanding and the original of the Word here in this part says this,

to be heard favorably.

To be heard favorably.

So you and I as believers in Christ, when we are praying, God hears us favorably.

He is looking on us with favor and wants to answer our request.

He fulfills your request because you have prayed within His will.

What does the majority of your prayers center on?

What does the majority of your prayers center on?

Are they selfish?

Is it all about you?

Or do your prayers consist of praying on behalf of others?

You see, that's what we see in this next part that John tells us about.

Know that it's your responsibility to pray for your sister and brother in Christ.

But it gets really specific here.

Not just praying for their needs and the things that they're going through.

But John says here that you and I are to pray for our sisters and brother in Christ who are sinning.

If anyone sees his brother committing a sin.

He says, you and I see that.

If we witness that ourselves, our brother and sister in Christ sinning.

Not leading to death.

Now we see that phrase over and over again.

Not leading to death.

Leading to death.

That might be one of the things your eyes jump to the most.

What in the world does that mean?

That leads to death.

Well, theologians can't agree on what that means.

John doesn't even give us an insight of what he's giving specifically to.

So what I want us to focus on is the fact that he mentions sin so often in this passage of Scripture.

And he wants you and I to realize that's what the focus is.

You and I, as a follower of Christ, when we see sin in our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ,

you and I are to bring that request to God.

You see, John used the word sin five times in this passage.

What is sin?

He says it right there within that.

It's wrongdoing.

It's when you and I disobey the word of God.

And he's saying, so when you see another brother or sister in Christ disobeying the word of God,

God, do what?

Pray.

Nothing else.

He doesn't say anything else.

But a lot of times that's the last thing we do, don't we?

Maybe we mull it over in our mind or maybe we begin to talk to another believer or a friend that said,

you know, do you see so and so?

It's not what God calls you and I to do.

God calls you and I to intercede on behalf of each other in Christ.

And that's what John is saying here.

He's instructing you and I to pray.

So what do we pray for?

When we seek the face of God on behalf of our brothers and sisters in Christ,

what do we pray for when we see them sinning?

Pray that Satan won't get a foothold on their life.

Anytime Satan can get a foothold, he starts to weave and wedge in order to distract us from our relationship with the Lord.

Pray that the sin won't overtake them.

Pray that they will recognize the sin in their life.

Pray that they will confess the sin in their life.

Pray that God will set them free from the sin that so easily entangles them.

Do you intercede on behalf of your brothers and sisters in Christ?

When you think about the relationships that you have with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ,

whether it be within the family of God here at Willow Ridge,

or whether it be co-workers that you know are believers in Christ,

you have a relationship with them.

Do you intercede on their behalf?

You see, God calls us to do that.

God calls us to lift one another up.

God calls us to encourage each other.

And here John says, you need to pray for one another,

specifically when you see each other sinning.

intercede.

Intercede.

James 5, verse 16 tells you and I this,

the earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

That's you and I as believers in Christ in right standing with God.

That is the righteousness.

And that when we pray, it produces great power, it produces wonderful results.

Think about that.

You have the ability because of what God has done in your life to have such a prayer life

that affects the outcome, not only of your life, but those that you intercede on behalf of.

But again, the key is you and I being in right relationship with the Lord.

Our fellowship is consistent with the Lord.

Another thing that John points out here is that know that Jesus is protecting you from the assault of Satan.

We see Satan quite often in the scriptures, but sometimes I think we forget the reality of who he is.

You see, we see in the New Testament that Satan is described as a thief.

A thief who is there to steal, kill, and destroy.

Those aren't comforting words, are they?

That Satan wants to steal from you, that Satan wants to destroy you,

that ultimately he wants to kill you, kill your testimony, kill who you are in the relationship with the Lord.

It also says in scripture that he roars around like a lion looking for who he can devour.

See, in verse 18, we see this that John writes us to warn us.

It says, we know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning.

So you and I, in our relationship with the Lord, we don't live a lifestyle of sin.

Will there be times in our life where we sin?

Absolutely.

But we don't dive into it.

We don't make it consistent in our life.

And that's what John is saying.

We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning.

But he, Jesus, who was born of God, protects him.

Protects you, protects me.

And the evil one, Satan, Jesus does not allow him to touch you and I.

He doesn't allow Satan to have his way with you and I.

One of the things that was mentioned quite often in John's letter to the believers, 16 times in the first four chapters, was the word abide.

You see, you and I, in order for us to have that relationship with the Lord, we have to abide in that relationship.

We have to remain in that relationship.

We have to be connected in that relationship.

That's you and I doing what we are called to do as believers.

John gave all these instructions in these first four verses, four chapters.

Listen to what the words of David in Psalm 32 talk about, his understanding of sin and talking about his understanding of the power of God.

Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.

Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and whose spirit is no deceit.

When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.

For day and night your hand was heavy on me.

My strength was sapped as in the heat of the summer.

Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity.

I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.

And you forgave the guilt of my sin.

Therefore, let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found.

Surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach me.

You are my hiding place.

You will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.

I, talking about the Lord, will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go.

I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.

Do not be like the horse or the mule which have no understanding,

but must be controlled by bit and bridle, or they will not come to you.

Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord's unfailing love surrounds the one who

We trust in him.

Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous.

Sing all you who are upright in heart.

David understood what sin could do, but David, more importantly,

understood the power and protection of God on his life.

Listen to what Jesus said when he's praying to God on your behalf and my behalf.

In John chapter 17, starting at verse 12, it says,

During my time here, I protected them by the power of the name you gave me.

I guarded them so that not one was lost, except the one headed for destruction, as the scriptures foretold.

Now I am coming to you.

I told them many things while I was with them in this world, so they would be filled with my joy.

I have given them your word, and the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world.

I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one.

That is Jesus' words to God the Father in prayer on not only the disciples and them then, but also for you and for me.

Jesus, praying on your behalf and my behalf for the protection against Satan

and the desire to destroy and destruct our testimony and our relationship with the Lord.

Another thing that John points out in verse 19 is that know that you belong to God.

It's just his reminder to say, listen, you belong to God the Father, your creator.

Verse 19, we know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

John's reminding them, listen, the world that you live in is controlled and operated by Satan.

You've got to understand that.

You've got to know that.

But also know that you're from God, and you can't be defeated.

You are set apart.

That's why folks don't understand sometimes why you and I as believers make the decisions that we make in life.

Because they're not in line with who God is and what God desires for your life and for my life.

The other thing that John points out is this.

Know what is true.

He's starting to wrap this up with them, and he's saying, listen, know what is true.

I've shared all these things.

I've just talked about it in my letter.

Know this.

Verse 20, and we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding.

Jesus, in his earthly ministry, and as he continues, as the Holy Spirit writes out the scriptures for you and I,

is there to give you and I understanding of this life and the life to come.

We're not here not knowing how God operates, how God designed us, and how God's working in and through our life.

No, he's given us his Son to give us understanding.

And once again, we see those words, so that we may know him who is true.

Speaking of Jesus.

And we are in him who is true.

You and I in relationship with the Lord.

In his Son, Jesus Christ.

He is the true God and eternal life.

Bringing it back full circle from where he started in verse 13.

That you and I who believe in the name of the Son of God, we will have eternal life.

And now he is saying, he is, Jesus is the true God and eternal life.

You see, there's a whole lot of falsehood that you and I see in this life.

And you and I have to be reminded of what is true.

And John says, Jesus is true.

If you have a relationship with God and are doing your part to maintain that relationship,

then you are being given understanding of the things of God and the things of this life, which is truth.

If you know Jesus Christ, the Son of God, then you know truth.

Jesus said of himself in John 14, 6.

Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through me.

I am the truth.

I mean, we're in this world, we seek truth, don't we?

We want to know truth.

We hear so many lies.

We see so many decisions that are made in life we don't understand.

We just want truth.

We want to seek truth.

I know that sounds simple.

But very few want to live in that reality.

There's been times when I've sat down with folks in a guidance and counseling situation,

and I will simply say to them, you need to live in your reality.

You need to face your reality.

But that's not the answer that they want.

They want another way of getting around the problem or the situation.

But God says to you and I, we've got to face up to the reality.

We've got to look at whatever it is we're going through in life and deal with that.

Deal with that with the truth.

The truth of God's word.

We say we want to hear the truth in our life,

but our actions, our words display the reality of whether or not we really mean it.

But seek after God, and you will find the truth for your life.

There's things you're going on through in your relationship with your spouse

or a relationship with a friend or a relationship with a child.

Whatever the situation is, seek the truth of God's word,

and God will guide you through what that is that you're going through.

John wraps it up by saying this.

Know what is false.

It kind of looks like he's separated, but it's not.

He's just told you and I what is true.

And now he says in verse 21, little children, he's reminding them, listen,

John has had an eternal effect on their relationship with the Lord,

this relationship that John has with those he's written this letter to.

And he says, little children, keep yourself from idols.

That was something they were accustomed to following, something they were accustomed to looking at.

And John says, you've got to keep yourself from the idols.

Now you and I, the day and time that we live today,

we don't look at the same type of idols that they looked at when John was writing them.

But the message is true today.

You and I need to keep ourselves from idols.

We have all kinds of idols in our lives.

Sometimes we idol our spouse.

God doesn't want us to do that.

Sometimes we idol our occupation.

God doesn't want us to do that.

Sometimes we idol other things that are special or important in our life,

and God doesn't want us to do that.

Because any time we worship an idol, we are not worshiping God.

Any time we are investing all our time and energy in something other than who God is

and our relationship with Him, it has become an idol to us.

God desires for us to worship Him and Him alone.

Do you have any idols in your life?

Something or someone that has all your attention?

Something or someone that pushes God out of your life?

John has written, 1 John, full of things that you and I are to know as believers.

I would encourage you to even go back and through and read for all of 1 John again.

Read it in one setting.

See how it completely flows together.

And allow God through His Holy Spirit to speak to you and point out to you

the things in your life that God wants you to know.

As I was thinking about how to wrap up this message, something kept coming back to me.

It was the phrase, fix your eyes on Jesus.

Anytime I begin to have struggles or sin in my life,

I recite that phrase back to myself, fix my eyes on Jesus.

Because anytime I'm going through something in my life, this is what my focus is doing.

You know, I'm looking at every direction.

But when I quote that simple phrase in Scripture, fix my eyes on Jesus,

my attention, my mind goes to Christ.

And everything else begins to become out of focus.

That's what God desires for our lives as believers, to fix our eyes on Him.

Hebrews 12, 1-3 says these words.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses,

let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.

And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

Verse 2.

Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross,

scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners,

so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

John has given us a lot of no's to know.

And God has given His word to you and I

as guidance, direction, and counsel for us to follow.

Let's pray together.

Lord, thank you so much for your scriptures.

For they're there for us, not just have enjoyable reading,

but they're there for your word to be alive and active in our life.

Cutting away the things that don't need to be in our lives,

and presenting those things that need to be in our lives,

making them and revealing them to us.

Lord, help us to take what we've heard and apply it to our lives.

May it not become just knowledge that we hear,

but may it become instruction from you

and how to navigate through this life.

Lord, we love you.

We thank you for the gift that you have given us in your word.

That is your letter to each of us.

We love you.

We thank you for your guidance.

We ask this prayer in your name.

Amen.

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