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It's a mistake to think that humility means a lack of conviction or an absence of confidence's today on Insight for living what we suffer from today is humility in the wrong place. Modesty has some of upon the organ of conviction word was never meant to be a man was meant to be doubtful about himself, but on doubting about this week. Final stretch comprehensive study in first John series Chuck Swindoll has called living right and a wrong world and today will be looking at first John chapter 5 the daily messages you hear on Insight for living were originally presented to the congregation were Chuck serves as senior pastor, often before the message begins. Chuck share some personal comments part of the Sunday morning worship service and what you're about to hear, followed a powerful musical presentation which prompted these thoughts. Some of you are very interested in Scripture memory and when you hear a piece like that. You may wonder because you know words like that are not just from some persons mind there from the Scriptures so you have a pencil or pen handy. Can I give you a couple of references I would encourage you before the summer is over, to memorize the verses I'm going to give you one is in the Old Testament there are three of the verses there. The other is in the New Testament. The first is our first Chronicles 1st Chronicles 29, 11 to 13 you will read words like that. They are words of the prayer of David before the sector is passed from Israel from from himself to the head of the of of Solomon.
First Chronicles 2911 through 13.
The other is revelation 511 if you will. This summer commit those verses to memory. You will never regret it. You will never regret it. They are words that lift up the name of our great savior. You know the difference between Thanksgiving and praise because those are words of praise is a simple little love difference you can take with you in Thanksgiving you are in the picture and praise. You are not in the picture in Thanksgiving. The arrow goes both ways you think God for what he has done for you for what he continues to do it goes both ways and praise your out of the picture. The arrow goes only to heaven. All the honor and glory and praise and worthiness goes to him and those words vinyl Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty and all that is in heaven. The earth's line. Thine is the kingdom, the Lord, and thou art exult, it's all about our God, not about you not about me, and in this age in which everything is about us. That's a nice change.
It's a nice change now for the second sermon of the day were going to be reading from first John chapter 5, beginning at verse one and because of our respect of the Scriptures. May we stand for the reading of first John chapter 513 12 whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the father loves the child born of him.
By this we know that we love the children of God. When we love God and observe his commandments, for this is the love of God that we keep his commandments and his commandments are not burdensome for whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world. Our faith, who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the son of God. This is the one who came by water and blood Jesus Christ not by the water only, but with the water and with the blood.
It is the Spirit who testifies because the spirit is the true for there are three that testified, the spirit and the water and the blood in the three are in agreement.
If we receive the testimony of men.
The testimony of God is greater for the testimony of God is this, that he has testified concerning his son, the one who believes in the son of God has the testimony in himself. The one who does not believe God has made him a liar because he is not believed in the testimony that God is given concerning his son, and the testimony is this that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his son. He who has the son has the life. He who does not have the son of God does not have the life. May God riveted these thoughts into our mind and because of them made that change our lives. Even this week.
Please be seen to search the Scriptures with Chuck Swindoll sure to download his searching the Scriptures. Studies by going to Insight world.or/studies. Another message about believers over comers and witnesses. There are many things I love about this first letter John wrote had been in it for some time with you and Deb come to appreciate at least three special things about the letter.
First, it is so direct. John doesn't beat around the bush.
Things are right or wrong, they are sinful. Are there godly and there were the righteous are there evil. It's of the Lord or its of the devil, it's good it's bad this letter directly cuts through our lives like a hot knife through butter. I like it that is so direct. Second, I like it because it is so relevant. You never wonder when you're reading through first John was with me, or today in my life. It's not only all about the first century it is all about the 21st century as well and it brings with it a sense of assurance because it speaks with relevance. I also love the fact that John writes with authority to pause here and let me clarify not arrogance that we live in a day when authority is now been mixed, mixed up with arrogance and anyone who is dogmatic is automatically bigoted and arrogant. John is an arrogant be just knows what he's talking about. There's a reason for that is a reason he walk with Jesus for over three years of his adult life. Second John is live to be almost 100 years old and that will give you assurance of nothing else. He knows where he stands. Not a lot of gray areas left in John's life. The third thing I would say is that he is known hardship and pain personally.
He and the crucible had become very close friend. Because of that mix of having been with Jesus having lived such a long life and also having been acquainted with anguish and heartache in brokenness and loss and pain. John speaks with a sense of authority and that's not incompatible with humility. It's a mistake to think that humility means a lack of conviction or an absence of confidence GK Chesterton address this in the work he entitled the dislocation of humility listen to Chesterton's words, what we suffer from today is humility in the wrong place. Modesty has settled upon the organ of conviction where it was never meant to be a man who was meant to be doubtful about himself, but on doubting about the truth. This is been exactly reverse. We are now on the road to producing a race of men to mentally modest to believe in the multiplication table well stated. Chesterton when you know for a fact that something is the truth you stand on it with assurance confidence, and when necessary authority.
By the way, if you think back in your years in school you'll remember the props that you appreciated the most. They were the most resourceful.
They were the ones you could call on you and they would speak their answers with authority and honesty if they knew the answer they would give it if they were not sure they would admit it and say we get together for class again will have that answer for you honey do a little research is everything right about that. I always loved it and I can't think of a mentor who is helped change my life.
I've always loved the reality of authority in the lives of those who have mentored me, and not one of them was arrogant to think of John today as one of our favorite professors think of him as a teacher in the class where we are free to ask question and he never belittles you for asking what may seem to be a pretty obvious question. For example, what does believer mean since John uses the word all the time even starts this section with whoever believes we didn't know what that mean so turned in John chapter 20 that's the gospel by John chapter 20 located at the very end of that chapter verse 30 John chapter 20 verse 30. Therefore, many other signs.
The word means. Miracles. Many other miracles.
Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book so the gospel by John is a select save includes a selective number of miracles. There were many other miracles that timewould allow me to include, but these I have included verse 31.
These have been written. Why so that you meaning the reader may believe that Jesus is the Christ. Don't miss the definite article the Messiah, the son of God and believing you may have life in his name. When you read the Gospel of John. You read of a number of miracles, six, seven of them one after another, sort of flowing through the narrative of John's 21 chapters and as you read your faith in the son of God becomes I firmed the shoe now. The key of course is that you may believe see that word. Believe listen to Meryl Kenny who writes in his fine work. The gospel of belief. The entire book of John is an attempt to swing the reader to the side of acceptance as embodied in the word believe the underlying Greek word kiss you all is use no less than 98 times in the gospel and is customarily translated believe those who, in a few instances it's rendered trust or commit never doesn't mean mere assent to a proposition. It usually means acknowledgment of some personal claim or even a complete commitment to some ideal or person very helpful statement. These are written that you may commit trust in believe in, rely on the person of Christ as the son of God. Now back to first John chapter 5, verse one. Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. Wait wait wait wait a minute John what does believer mean crucial question a believer is one who trusts in believes and relies on is committed to something or someone when you sat down in the chair you're sitting in you believe the chair would hold you up so you plopped herself down more than once. Today, you've never question will this chair hold me why because you're committed to that happening that chair will hold you up.
You believe it has the strength to hold you up I'll stop right there. For some, that's a greater step of faith and for in this case is not a chair. It's not a thing. It's a person believing in someone and look at the object.
Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ.
The word means anointed one could be rendered Messiah. Whoever believes that Jesus is the Messiah is born of God in the third chapter of John's Gospel. He writes of being born again.
Remember the dialogue between Jesus and the Pharisee named Nicodemus who came to him late one night wanting to know about this being born anew.
What's that all about what John refers to it here as being born of God. Those who trust in the Lord Jesus Christ have two births. We are born the day of our physical birth from our mother and we are born again or I knew when we trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior as Messiah as the holy one of God. I would further there is like a it's like us dominoes standing on end one bumps another.
We believe that Jesus is the Christ.
So we believe in his deity and that bumps over into a love relationship with the father. Whoever believes also loves the father see the end of verse one. Furthermore, whoever believes and loves the father loves the one born of the father. So we are those who believe in Christ. We believe are what we wait. We have a love relationship with God and that leads to a love relationship with others and keep reading.
By this we know that we love the children of God. When we love God and we observe his commandments or in today's words we do what he asks of us. We follow his instructions. We obey him. Verse three for this is the love of God that we obey him keep his commandments and his commandments are not burdensome like in the John added that because someone read it might think. What a way to minute if I have a love relationship with God wiser need to be anything like obedience that follows because love prompts obedience is happened, and every person that's gotten married are valves promise that we will obey these things, we commit ourselves to that unit as long as I haven't had as many weddings as I've had you seen it all at weddings I've had husbands run away before the wedding or groups when I had Bryant's run away before the wedding. I've had grooms fight. I've had Bryant's thing. I've had maids of honor thing two or three of them at a time. I've had I've I've I've had grooms vomit.
I've had Bryant's vomit. I've had bride and groom together vomit. Not a very happy thought, but I've had my favorite moments is the father of the bride.
Never forget saying who gives this woman to be married to this man. He said my mother and I do sit out in his mother shoved about the seat as I recall the way the best part of every wedding is the violence that you think is the case to the minister. It's the bow. Why because that's the commitment now I have I have given vials.
I have listened to brides and grooms give their own vows that they've written. I've done it spontaneously with them. Giving them little short verse of the time that I have never once had a bride or groom look at me and say no, wait a minute, there's no way I can bow that I just couldn't do it for the groom to say you asking me to commit myself with those words, forsaking all other women for the rest of your days.
Would you give yourself only to her, so long as both of you shall live, not me man never had that happen.
Why because they love each other because they're committed to each other because they believe in each other. So the vows are not irksome. They're not burdensome matter-of-fact whenever I'm with people who want to renew their vows and they often think I'm 90 to be a part of that.
Also, you know what you need to do that on your own, you may do it on the summer vacation night somewhere, you may do it on the cruise you take together. You may do it at a Adam following a meal you enjoy on your anniversary night, you may do it together, sitting alone and in the chairs of your of your bedroom or of your home, you go back and you rehearse your valves and you commit yourself to each other all over again. Does everything right about and you will discover as you do that it isn't irksome but it is exacting it is exacting. No other woman, or no other man, so long as you both shall live. You promised you fall in love with God because you have believed in his son and as a result you love his commandments. You appreciate what he tells you to do now. Why see verse four. As it begins for that little connected explains the result of that for whatever is born of God. Here we are.
The believer who has been born again.
Whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world. Our faith is being and overcome her important, why would he mentioned that here. In fact, he uses the word if I count correctly three times whatever is born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that overcomes the world. Our faith, who is the one who overcomes the world. So it's related in some way to the world this if we can answer that for you and in a simple way fly is being in overcome her important because it changes our whole perspective regarding opposition from the world.
The world will look at you and frown shake its head, and say to you what on earth are you doing trying to please someone you've never seen trusting in someone whose voice you've never heard this ancient figure that lived in the first century and claimed to have died for the sins of the work but what what's that all about why and how the world could you do that and some comments even more aggressive than that you believe in him, rather than Mohammed.
You believe in Jesus as the son of God instead of Buddha or some other martyr. You're telling me he is the way and the truth and the only source of eternal life.
I opposition may follow. There are places where if you make statements like that your marked out there are places where you are in danger if it's known that you are a follower of Christ, but this is your in overcome her you are from God, little children, and have come then because greater is the one in you than he who is in the world you have overcome another message in our study of first John, you're listening to Chuck Swindoll at Insight for living.
This is a series that concludes Monday and it's titled living right and a wrong world. To learn more about this ministry. Be sure to visit us online@insightworld.org. Even though we're long past the month of March when it became obvious that self quarantined and social distancing were necessary.
It's clear that our world remains threatened by the insidious coronavirus as the pandemic seems to languish without end. Chuck and Cynthia Swindoll have been deeply concerned about the collateral damage caused by an uprising of hatred, prejudice, and even brutal violence in our streets, in light of these unsettling times we are pleased to offer at no cost or obligation to message set that brings a measure of hope amidst the darkness.
It's a miniseries from Chuck Swindoll called finding healing through forgiveness and would like to invite you to download free MP3 audio files in the second message Chuck invites his wife Cynthia to tell her emotional story about her battle with depression, broken relationships in the way God brought redemption and healing to download your free copy of finding healing through forgiveness. Go to Insight.org/find healing. It wouldn't surprise you to hear that the convergence of current events has brought additional financial pressure on this nonprofit ministry as a result were looking to add more monthly companions to our team. A monthly companions. Someone who believes in our mission and agrees to give a donation every month.
When you give in this matter.
Becoming an agent of God's grace and forgiveness.
So, to become a monthly companion right now college listening in the United States: one 800-7788 88 that's 1-800-772-8888 and you can also sign up@insight.org/monthly companion right here on Insight for living the preceding mess believers over comers, witnesses, and the sound recording copyright in 2009 Charles R.
Swindoll. All rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited