Belief in Christ Overcomes the World and Brings Life

``There are no other places you can go, nowhere else you can run, no other religions you can chase, no works you can accomplish. There is nothing you can do to bring about life. As we just sang in that song in John 14, Jesus says, I am the way, I am the truth, I am the life, and no one comes to the father except through me. There are no other avenues. You can't be a good enough person. You can't find it through other religions. Life is only found in his son. If you do not have the son, you are still in your sins, and you do not have life. [00:37:03] (47 seconds)  #JesusOnlyWay

He died for you. He died for me for the payment of sins, that we can have confidence that our sin no longer stands against us because he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities. By his wounds, we have been healed. John is proclaiming this testimony of what the water, what the blood represents. It's forgiveness for God's people, forgiveness for us who believe in him. It is a testimony that stands proclaiming to forgive these poor, broken sinners. [00:29:59] (39 seconds)  #HePaidForSins

Typically, when we come feeling burdened, overwhelmed by the weight of following Jesus, it's not Jesus that's the weight. Usually, it's our sin, it's our guilt, it's our shame. Come to the altar and remember the words of John again, that if you confess your sin, he is faithful and just and will forgive you your sin. And walk in the light. Walk in obedience. We overcome through our obedience. We overcome through love. We overcome through obedience, but, ultimately, we overcome through our faith. [00:18:48] (43 seconds)  #ConfessWalkInLight

And if you don't believe these things, you're calling God a liar, not me. I'm repeating what God says. God has testified about his son. The spirit in us has testified about his son. The blood and the water, they've testified about his son. Jesus is true. He is the Christ. He's the one we can have confidence in. He is the one who has come to bring life. That's why it's so important that this is true because this is ultimately where we find life, which brings us to our last point, a belief that brings life. [00:34:09] (39 seconds)  #TestimonyOfTruth

However, if this has been you, I ask that you turn to the sun, that you come to where there is life, that you give up your sin, that you believe in Jesus and trust him for eternal life. If this is you, I'd be happy to discuss with you more after communion here because this is where we go to have life. This is the belief that brings about God's ultimate end for us, eternal life. So as we close, I ask you the question again, do you believe? Because those who believe in the true Christ overcome the world and receive eternal life. [00:38:24] (48 seconds)  #TurnToTheSon

The funny answer is because we don't have a verb form of faith. We don't have a faithing. We aren't faithing well. But if but if that that would be more accurate with what this passage is saying. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who faiths that Jesus is the son of God? This is the same word. It's our faith. It's our act of believing. It's our act of exhibiting that faith at which we overcome the world. It's not of us. It's not because we're good. It's not because we're strong. It's not because we're smart, but it's because we're trusting and we're believing in the son of God. [00:20:10] (39 seconds)  #FaithOverComes

Why are you here? Why aren't you sleeping in? Why come? Why sing? Why hear me preach? It's because we believe that the spirit is doing something, that by hearing his word preached, it's making us more like his son. It's growing us closer to one another. We believe this. We have faith. We have faith that Jesus is the Son of God, that he came, that he died for us, and that we'll have eternal life with him. And that this is the chief end of our lives, is to be with him and to get to worship him forever. But how do we have confidence? How do we know that that's true? [00:24:56] (46 seconds)  #GatherInFaith

it all started up again, that Christ took up his life again, that the Lord brought him back to life, that the heart started to pump, the lungs started to expand, and he was resurrected. And we believe that we have eternal life with him because of that reality, because when we put our faith and trust in him, we get life. Apart from faith, apart from our belief, what we're doing here doesn't make sense. You being here doesn't make sense. You could have a sweet brunch table at your favorite dining spots right now if you were in that line instead of sitting here listening to me now. [00:24:12] (44 seconds)  #RisenMeansLife