FBCWest 616 | Eternal Life Certainty
Recorded On: 07/21/2024
Bulletin
Hymn # 263 “Revives Us Again”
SCRIPTURE READING – Psalm 119:33 - 40
Giving of Selves and Our Offerings
OFFERTORY PRAYER
OFFERTORY MUSIC – “Hallelujah for Every Broken Heart
Praise and Worship
“Holy Forever”
“Living Hope”
“Echo Holy”
Proclamation of the Word
Message by Pastor Joe
“Eternal Life Certainty”
PRAYER TIME / Time of Reflection
“At the Cross”
“Lord’s Prayer (It’s Yours)”
Sermon Notes
1 John 5:13 Knowing you have eternal life
Matthew 7:21 – 23 He never knew them
Romans 8:16 & 17 The Spirit bears witness with our spirit
Psalm 51:10 – 13 Restore the jou of salvation
Scritpures
Transcript of Service
FBCWest616.mp3
Transcript
Knowledge is a wonderful thing. We know what we know. There are times that we know what we don't know. And unfortunately, there are times when we don't know what we don't know. John is going to write a letter to believers about eternal life. He's going to tell us something that we can know, but unfortunately, many believers don't know that they know this. So come and listen to what? The certainty. That John writes that we believers can have in Jesus. We are going to continue our. Series in various types of. Messages. Trying to provide. Single or bite size versus that are easy to remember when things come. And present themselves to you. So couple of weeks ago we when we're all concerned about. Am I good enough? Do I live? This way, and I follow certain rules and avoid certain things that the scriptures simply in one sentence. The righteous shall live by faith. Easy to remember. Easy to put out the contrary that somehow we have to follow the law. Then last week we took a look at the. Fact. That sometimes we do condemn ourselves and we think that we're never good enough and we screw up. And description says. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. So we have those two now I want to take a look at a third verse. Very simple verse. But has so much meaning and knowledge because there's so many believers who are so insecure in their faith. John wrote in his gospel the purpose of that gospel was that we might come to faith that we might believe in Jesus and by believing in him that we might have eternal life. Now John is going to write a letter. So first John. So I want you to turn to 1st John Chapter 5 starting with with simply verse 13 and John is going to tell us why he wrote that letter. And the truth that comes from that. So it says these things I have written to you who believe in the name of the son of God. So he is in writing to the world he is in writing to non believers. He's writing to those of us who believe that Jesus is the son of God, that the father sent Jesus. To live, to die, to be buried and Rose again according to the Scriptures, and that if we place our faith in him. We will be righteous and we will have. Eternal life. And so he said.
This.
So these things have written to you who believe in the name of the son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. That not that you might suspect, or might perhaps happen, or maybe maybe not. He's saying that there is knowledge in knowing that you have eternal life. So I. Want you to 1st. Understand this is that you may know it's not that you might hope. It's not that you might suspect. It might not be that you are convinced it's that you may know. There are times when there's this phrase that says, you know what you know. You know what you don't know? And you don't know what you don't know. All too often, Christians are living that and and they're they're insecure in their salvation. Now, I want you to notice that you didn't say. That you may know that you are saved. Being one who has eternal life is the fact that you've been saved, but it's a concept of the fact that you have been given life. And that life doesn't end its eternal life. And so he uses this word I believe, specifically because we said, well, I was saved, but I could lose my salvation. But no, you have eternal life. It doesn't cease to exist. So he goes. You may know that you have. Eternal life. What security and certainty should that give us? That when we sing things like Jesus paid it all or it is finished and that we understand that he did pay it all. That he did say that it is finished, that there is nothing that I can add to it or subtract from it. That is faith in him that gives me eternal life. And faith is what a righteous person lives by now. In case you say, well, that's one verse. And So what? I want to go to what Jesus said. And Jesus said in Matthew Chapter 7 verses 21 through 23 says this. Not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord will enter the Kingdom of heaven. But he who does the will of my. Father. Who is in heaven will enter and so. We might. Uh oh. There are people who say, Lord, Lord, if they don't get to go in and there are others who say ohh well I and and I suspect. And then he'll say many will say to me. On that day, Lord Lord. Did we not prophecy in your name and in your name, cast out demons and in your name perform many miracles and saying. Didn't we do a whole bunch of stuff for you? Really impressive. We we preach great messages, we perform miracles and. All of that. And notice what Jesus says, and then I will declare to them. I never knew you. Notice what it says. Again, I never knew you. He didn't say I once knew you, and you blew it. And now I don't know you. The persons who are claiming Lord Lord never came to him in faith. That is why he never knew. So depart from me. You who practice lawlessness. Now they would argue well, wait a minute. We we prophesied your name? We did miracles. Your name, all those things. Isn't that good enough? And she says no. If you have eternal life is only when you believe in the name of the son. And Paul is going to follow up in Romans Chapter 8, which is one of my favorite passages of the whole scriptures is Romans. And then Romans, chapter 8, verses 16 and 17, he says. That's. The spirit. That's the Holy Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we. Are children of God.
I've got.
I can know that I have eternal life because I have faith in Christ. But on top of that, the Holy Spirit confirms with my spirit that I'm a child of God. And if children errs, also heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with him, so that we may also be glorified with him. He doesn't promise us when this eternal life that it is perfect and it is without problems or persecution. He's going. They persecuted me. They're going to persecute you. But the fact is you will have eternal life because you believed in me. So I can know because the spirit told me. But in case that's pepperoni pizza. The word of God says. If I believe in the son of God, I have eternal life and I can know. It. Then I want to use an example. Now use this example a lot. Because it's a perfect example. David was known as the man after God's Own Heart. God took this little young man who his father didn't even think is worthy to take a king interview with. And God chose him to be king. Not only did him chose him to be king, but that the line of David would have the Messiah come and that the throne would never depart. Because David was a man after God's own heart. But David was not perfect. Actually, there are times when David was. Not even good. And let me give you this story that this particular Psalm. Recount. David was not where David was supposed to be. David was supposed to be with the Kings fighting wars during the time that Kings fight wars, but he decided to take the season off and he sent his other generals out to do what he should have been doing. And walking on a rooftop and the daytime. I'm sure to get a little coolness and debris. He saw a beautiful woman taking a. Bath. He lessened in his heart. And he coveted. And he had her brought to him and he committed adultery, for he was married to several women. And the woman was married to Uriah the Hittite. Then the woman, because of that. Situation became pregnant. So he was afraid what might happen, so he brought your higher home so that he might go home and it might be thought that Uriah was the father of this child. For Uriah being an honorable, the man said my. Fellow soldiers are out in the field and I will not go into my house. And so he slept outside. So David sly. Didn't workout. So then David did. What, in essence, evil people do? He decided to get rid of the problem. So he sent a message to his general saying, I want you to attack the enemy and I want you to withdraw. But not letting Uriah know that you're withdrawing so that he might be killed and he was. Therefore David was instrumental in the Rio's murder. Boy, that's a whole bunch of sense. And there are times that we might say, well, on lease I didn't do all those terrible things. Yeah, but we do what we do and we're not perfect. And we're not even good. David kind of thought, OK, things are. All right. Except the prophet came. Named Nathan. And he told David A story about. A man who had a whole lot of sheep. A man who had one sheep that loved that sheep. So much so that he treated it as his own. And the man that had. Many sheep decided to take the sheep. From the man who had simply won. And kill it. And David and righteous anger said, who is the man? So that he might meet out justice. And Nathan goes, you're the man. Now, unlike most of us. David didn't try to self justify himself. David and then seek to excuse any favor. Oh, but you need to understand. In the Psalm 51 he. Is a prayer. In that prayer, he says this create in me a clean heart, O God. And renew a steadfast spirit within me. He's saying, yeah, I might be a man after your heart, but I I got it pretty dirty. You need. To create a clean heart in me and one that is steadfast, one that doesn't waver like this one. And do not cast me away from your presence and do not take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me. The joy. Of your salvation, notice he did not say restore your salvation. Because David never lost his salvation even though he violated numerous of the commandments. As an evil person might.
Yeah.
He understands. That it is not. What you do or don't do? Who you believe in? He saying Lord? Yeah. On the center, create a new heart, create a clean heart. The restore, because I'm sure what happened, was in all those times between. The time that he committed those sins and the time that Nathan. Accused him. I bet he had a lot of sleepless thought. I bet his prayer life was kind of affected. He probably didn't read the old. Testament the law like he once did. Because you probably heard of people saying. Soon will keep you from the book or the book will keep you from sin. And so David. Lost that joy. Because he knew every time that he might pray every time he might sing the song of worship, that he knew that there was this thing between him and God, he was called sin. But he does not say restore salvation to me, he says restore the joy of your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit. Not one who tries to duck and hide and and accuse others, but one who's willing to come to you and say. I messed up. I'm a Sinner. And because of your Grace, because of your love, because of your faithfulness, because of your righteousness. I am still one saved by your Grace. Then he goes. If Lord you do this, if you return this the joy of my salvation. If you give me this clean heart, if you give me this steadfast spirit, he goes, then I will teach transgressors your way. And sinners will be converted to you. Isn't it interesting? David understood once forgiven and once restored. That he is one to witness. That he wants to teach those who have brung it. Those who are sinners. God's ways. That are the righteous live by faith, not by following the commandments. And it goes because I am going to be so. Energized by your forgiveness. And by the fact that my testimony is not perfect. Sinners will be converted to you. Now centers being converted is not our job. It's the spirits job. But they don't have really a chance to be converted unless we tell them about what God has done for us. And so for all those people who say, well, God can never forgive me, David Boom, let me tell you what God can forgive, and he can recount all this major sins that grow sins that we say, well, at least I didn't do. He can say even though I committed these sins. God still loved me, forgave me, and restored me to him. So. Maybe when we are not that excited. About telling others. Because we don't have a true understanding of what God has done for us. How he has forgiven us. How he's given us a clean heart and a steadfast spirit. That we might have the joy of his salvation.
Right.
Yes. There are times when we sin and it takes that joy away. But as we started. Revive us. Create a clean heart. Restore the joy that I had in you that I might be the witness that you want me to be so that others might be converted to you. But all this takes place not because David. That's perfect or day that. But because of who he loved. Who loved him? You see, we talk about grace. Because the scriptures talk about grace, that God gives it to us. Grace is simply unmerited favor. Which means you don't deserve it. No one does. Not even you. Not even me. But David understood. Who God was. And who he could.
Be.
And having come to this realization and this repentance. He trusted God even when he prayed that the child not die, and it did anyway. And he got up and he bathed and he ate. And no one understood what could happen because the child died and he said I tried to change God's mind. I could not. And therefore I will trust what God did continue to worship him. If God so loved us. That he sent Jesus. Why would we doubt? We have eternal life not because of what we have done. But because of what he has done. Because at the cross. He gave his life as a ransom for many. That I might be able to sing. And say. And live. The joy of salvation. Because I never have to worry that I will lose it. But I have eternal security and eternal life again, as they keep saying, it's not life, death, life. It is life. And God has promised that to us. If we simply believe. Now God's people, Seth.