ASSURED BECAUSE OUR LOVE FOR OTHERS (5 OF 5)
by J.D. Greear
Scripture: 1 John 4:7-21
This content is part of a series.
Assured Because Our Love for Others (5 of 5)
Series: Assured - 1 John
JD Greear
1 John 4:7-21
Introduction:
1 John 4:7-12. A few years ago I heard a story about a UNC student who was in an ornithology class at UNC. Ornithology: study of birds.
He thought it was an Easy - A but it turned out to be harder than he thought. Failed a couple of his quizzes; knew he needed to kill the final.
''You tell me, Professor, you tell me.''
Some tests are unfair.
The book of 1 John is a series of tests to see if you really know God But these tests, unlike the ornithology exam, are accurate; and I would say they are the most important tests you'll ever take.
Is your experience with God genuine?
I told you the 1st week that 51% of the people in our culture believe they are right with God because they prayed a prayer, or got baptized, or confirmed, or whatever your tradition called it.
Plus, people in every religion say they know God.
But how do you know your experience with God is genuine? In Matthew 7 Jesus warns about a lot of people who on the last day will say to him ''Lord, Lord,'' and expect to be received into heaven only to be turned away with the terrifying words, ''Depart from me, I never knew you.''
And they'll say, ''But Lord, we prayed the sinner's prayer.'' And he'll say, ''I never knew you.''
They'll say, ''But Lord, we knew lots about the Bible. But he'll say, 'Yes, but I never knew you.'
They'll say, ''But Lord, but we were in ministry.'' In fact, if you look at it, this group in Matthew 7 was even active in their church's prayer ministry-that's for the ''cream of the crop'' people. When you are part of ''casting out demon'' squad in your church, that's Varsity.
They'll say, ''But Lord, we were moral.'' And they were, but that didn't prove that they knew Jesus.
That scene is not far from my mind whenever I preach and it probably shouldn't be far from yours, either.
How do you know that you won't be in that group?
...
Series: Assured - 1 John
JD Greear
1 John 4:7-21
Introduction:
1 John 4:7-12. A few years ago I heard a story about a UNC student who was in an ornithology class at UNC. Ornithology: study of birds.
He thought it was an Easy - A but it turned out to be harder than he thought. Failed a couple of his quizzes; knew he needed to kill the final.
''You tell me, Professor, you tell me.''
Some tests are unfair.
The book of 1 John is a series of tests to see if you really know God But these tests, unlike the ornithology exam, are accurate; and I would say they are the most important tests you'll ever take.
Is your experience with God genuine?
I told you the 1st week that 51% of the people in our culture believe they are right with God because they prayed a prayer, or got baptized, or confirmed, or whatever your tradition called it.
Plus, people in every religion say they know God.
But how do you know your experience with God is genuine? In Matthew 7 Jesus warns about a lot of people who on the last day will say to him ''Lord, Lord,'' and expect to be received into heaven only to be turned away with the terrifying words, ''Depart from me, I never knew you.''
And they'll say, ''But Lord, we prayed the sinner's prayer.'' And he'll say, ''I never knew you.''
They'll say, ''But Lord, we knew lots about the Bible. But he'll say, 'Yes, but I never knew you.'
They'll say, ''But Lord, but we were in ministry.'' In fact, if you look at it, this group in Matthew 7 was even active in their church's prayer ministry-that's for the ''cream of the crop'' people. When you are part of ''casting out demon'' squad in your church, that's Varsity.
They'll say, ''But Lord, we were moral.'' And they were, but that didn't prove that they knew Jesus.
That scene is not far from my mind whenever I preach and it probably shouldn't be far from yours, either.
How do you know that you won't be in that group?
...
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