Confident Faith Series

INTRODUCTION

• What is it that will drive some to great things while others sit and do little of nothing? What will drive some to attempt to reach heights that seem to be unreachable?

• What will cause that young man to ask out the beautiful young cheerleader while the other young man will not dare ask?

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• SLIDE #1

• Confidence!

• Many people have faith at some level, but do we have enough faith to follow Jesus where ever He wants to lead us? Are we willing to step out in faith? Are we willing to take stands that are not popular? Are we willing to walk were others are fearful to walk?

• DID Rachel HAVE ENOUGH CONFIDENCE IN ME TO FALL? DID Andie HAVE CONFIDENCE? Why did Andie have confidence in me when Rachel did not seem to?

• Do we do we find ourselves not getting too far with our faith? Do we find ourselves living out an average faith? Do we see our walk with Jesus as an adventure or as something we are a bit afraid to totally open up to?

• One of the things we need to have in order to reach places we have never reached with our faith confidence. We need to have a confident faith! SLIDE #2

• Hebrews 11:1

• Confidence is all the difference in life. Confidence can make all the difference in our faith.

• Are we confident in the promises that God has made to us? Are we confident that God really will do what is best for us?

• John is going to share with us some thoughts which give us a basis to have a truly confident faith. Faith is all about trust, when we can fully trust we will have full confidence.

• When you start to live out a confident faith, you will find that God will do great things in your life that you never thought possible!

• Let us look at 1 John 5:13-15 together this morning. SLIDE #3

SERMON

We can have a confident faith because of the assurance of: SLIDE #4

I. ETERNAL LIFE (13)

SLIDE #5

1. God wants us to live in Him with confidence.

• In verse 13 we see that John has written this letter so that we could know that we have eternal life.

• In chapter one he tells us that he is proclaiming these things so that we could have fellowship with one another. SLIDE #6

• Verse 13 is not too different from John 20:31 where he says that he was writing so that people could believe in Jesus and therefore could have life.

• How many of you here today know without a doubt that you are saved?

• How many of you are pretty sure you are saved?

• How many are not really sure either way?

• Now, of all that answered, how many are Christians? When I ask if you are a Christian, I am asking you if you have placed your faith in Jesus, repented of your sin, confessed Jesus as Lord and have been immersed into Christ.

• If you have done what God has told us to do in His word then why do you doubt your salvation?

• Do you think that God wants you to go through life not knowing if you are saved?

• Do you think God wants you to have doubts concerning your salvation?

• If you believe in Jesus you HAVE eternal life.

• John says he wants us to KNOW this. The word John uses for “know” in verse 13 is not the word that just means to perceive, but it means to know with settled absolute knowledge.

• If you belong to Jesus you need to know without a doubt you are saved! SLIDE #7

• Though doubts come and shake us, though we sometimes falter in our faith, we do not have to worry or wonder about our salvation. If we have the Son (through faith), we have eternal life. It is ours, now and forevermore. Why? Because Christ is life (John 14:6), and eternal life is knowing him (John 17:3). On the other hand, those who do not have the Son of God have no such assurance because they do not have the life. When doubts begin to eat away at your confidence in Christ, let the truth of this verse be your assurance. (Life Application Bible)

• The other thing we need to realize once again is that we NOW possess the eternal life promised. We have not received it in full as of yet, but we will one day when the lord returns!

• Why is it important for us to have confidence in our salvation?