The Importance Of Prized Faith Series

SERMON SERIES

THE IMPORTANCE OF FAITH

Sermon 4

The Importance of Prized Faith

I John 5: 1-15

Key Verse: I John 5:4

1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.

2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.

3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

6 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.

7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.

9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.

10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.

11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

Intro:

1. This month we began a sermon series called The Importance of Faith. The first message was The Importance of Pleasing Faith. We said that pleasing faith brought Salvation, Serenity, Satisfaction, and Service. And we also noted that if we please God with our faith then He would declare us to be righteous!

2. The second message was The Importance of Perfect Faith, and we said that perfect faith is when you have Pardoning Faith, Purifying Faith, Penetrating Faith, and Persevering Faith.

3. The third message was The Importance of Personal Faith, and we said personal faith is a Recognizing Faith, Responsive Faith, Revealing Faith, Rebuked Faith, Requesting Faith, Receiving Faith, and Rejoicing Faith!!

4. The fourth message is The Importance of Prized Faith. There is a prize when you have pleasing, perfect, personal faith.

5. Let’s look at our text:

a. Verse 1 – The first prize is being born as a Son of God! The second prize is we get to love Him!! It’s born in us to love Him!

b. Verse 2 – The third prize is we get to love the children of God (all of God’s people) and they love us. The fourth prize is that we get to keep the Lord’s commandments (we don’t have to, we get to!)

c. Verse 3 - “his commandments are not grievous.” If you get grief over keeping God’s commandments, it is a good sign that you are not saved!!

d. Verse 4 – (Key verse) The fifth prize is that we overcome the world!! Faith in Christ allows you to overcome the world!!

e. Verse 5 – It is a reminder of how we can overcome the world . . . by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ!!

f. Verse 6 – We must be baptized in the blood of Jesus and in the water of Jesus (all human’s bodies are 90% water). This verse proves that Jesus was 100% man while being 100% God! The Spirit is witness to it!!

g. Verse 7 - Three will testify in heaven whether you are saved or not – The Father, The Word, and The Holy Ghost!!

h. Verse 8 – Three will testify on earth whether you are saved or not – The Spirit, The Water, and The Blood.

i. Verse 9 - I like verse 9. It says man can say he has the Spirit, been baptized with water, and has the blood applied, but the only witnesses that count is The Father, The Word, and The Holy Ghost!! These trump man’s witness!!