Final Thoughts
1 John 5: 16-21
Intro: Don’t you just love this time of year. The air is brisk and there is a sense of cleanliness in the air this time of year.
. Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner. Tis the season to be jolly and happy.
. There is another holiday that is celebrated this time of year by many people also.
. Deer hunting holidays. Many people use vacation time and sick leave to observe these holidays.
I especially like these holidays because when they are over, there are less deer to run out in front of me while I am driving. I thank all of you deer hunters for that.
. Did you hear the story about a lawyer, a doctor, and a preacher who went hunting together. When a prize buck ran past they all fired at the exact same time and the buck dropped. The problem was that there was only one bullet hole and they didn't know which of them shot it. They decided to take it to the registration center, hoping the agent could figure out who could claim the trophy.
The agent said, “Let me look at the deer. Sometimes I can figure it out.” He asked a few questions, examined the deer carefully, and declared, “The preacher shot this buck!” Amazed, the other two asked how he knew it was the preacher. Stooping down he pointed out the wound, “See here. It went in one ear and out the other.”
. Folks, in order for us to know and to grow, we have to make sure that Scripture does not go in one ear and out the other.
. John has spent what we categorize as 5 chapters telling us about love and how we can be assured of salvation.
. In these last 6 verses in first John, He shares with us his final thoughts about our salvation and gives some encouragement, some admonishment and he leaves us with a warning.
Lets look at our scripture. 1 John 5:16-21
16If you see a Christian brother or sister sinning in a way that does not lead to death, you should pray, and God will give that person life. But there is a sin that leads to death, and I am not saying you should pray for those who commit it.
17All wicked actions are sin, but not every sin leads to death.
18We know that God’s children do not make a practice of sinning, for God’s Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them.
19We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one.
20And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life.
21Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.
. The first thing we see here is John encouraging us to pray for one another.
. This is a continuation of verses 14&15 that tell us this:
. 14And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him.
15And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.
. John writes that we can be confident that God will hear our prayers so if we see someone in need of prayer, especially a Christian brother or Sister, we need to pray for them.
.Look at verse 16 again.
16If you see a Christian brother or sister sinning in a way that does not lead to death, you should pray, and God will give that person life. But there is a sin that leads to death, and I am not saying you should pray for those who commit it.
. John says to pray for your Christian brothers and sisters who sin.
. I know many who believe that Christians do no t sin. I have news for you, they do.
. We live this life that we have safe and secure in our faith and do the best that we can to live a life that honors our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.
. We all mess up sometimes. Even us Pastors or Deacons or leaders. John writes that we should pray for our fellow believers who mess up sometimes.
. Why would he tell his readers and us this? Shouldn’t that be the natural thing to do?
. They were probably much like us, instead of praying for and helping those that are struggling with sin, many Christians want to talk about what they have done and gossip about each other.
. People tell me about things that happen with their children in school and how the other children are mistreating. My response to that is that children can be very cruel to each other.
. Guess what, we Christians can be just as cruel. I hear things like, Did you hear what so and so did or I can’t believe what so and so did. It’s hard to believe that a Christian would do that.
. John writes that we are to stop all that and lift them up in prayer and God will help them.
. Now this sin that leads to death here is a very difficult concept here. Depending on your theology, people interpret it in different ways.
. I believe that the sin that leads to death is defined for us in Hebrews 6:4-6
. 4For it is impossible to bring back to re-pentance those who were once enlightened—those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit,
5who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come—
6and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame.
. In the last ten years, over 2500 people have renounced their citizenship from the United States. They have lived here they have seen and know who we are, they know all the benefits that come with their citizenship yet they make a conscious decision to walk away from their rights and privileges as a United states Citizen.
. That’s what the writer of Hebrews is telling us.
. There are some who have been enlightened, who know and understand what God has done for them. They have “tasted the goodness of god’s word” as the writer states. They have felt the Holy spirit as it has convicted them. They fully understand what God did for them and what they need to do. They walk away and say that is not for me. I will take my chances in Hell.
. The writer of Hebrews that it is impossible to bring them back to repentance.
.John is telling his audience and us that there are people who it will do no good to pray for. They understand but they refuse to be obedient and come to salvation.
. There is a sin that leads to death and there is nothing you can do for those folks.
. Instead pray for those who sin. Don’t gossip or talk about your brothers and sisters in Christ, pray for them, help them.
. John encourages us in that way.
. In that same vein, John admonishes us.
. He realizes that we are all human and we will mess up sometimes but we cannot make a habit of doing wrong. It cannot be part of a Christians lifestyle.
. Look at verses 18-20 again:
18We know that God’s children do not make a practice of sinning, for God’s Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them.
19We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one.
20And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life.
. Christians do not have a lifestyle of doing things that should not be done.
. When you practice something, you do it over and over and over etc.
. Christians don’t not make a practice of doing wrong. We are to live our lives trying to honor the God that we serve.
. The lives of so many professed Christians do not match the life that God has intended them to have.
. They believe that they can pray a prayer and they are saved. No change is necessary.
. Jesus said that we must be re-born, born again. Paul in writing to the church in Corinth wrote this in 2 Cor. 5:17
17This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
. John has spent much of this epistle telling us how we can be assured of our salvation. In verse 18, he tells us that if you are a child of God, one who has been adopted into the family of God through placing your faith, trust and hope in Jesus Christ, you will not live in continual sin.
. Your lifestyle is different from non Christians. You are a new creation. There is repentance in your salvation. There is a change in who you once were into a new creation that you are now.
. He challenges us to look at our lives.
.Is there any difference in you now than before you professed Christ.
. John tells us that if you are living in habitual sin with no remorse, no desire to change nor any effort to change, you need to examine your relationship with Christ.
. “God’s children do not make a practice of sinning,”
. While we are not perfect, we do sin, we do not make a practice of living in sin.
. Finally, John gives us a warning.
.Look at the last verse here in 1 John. In verse 21, John wrote:
. 21Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.
. The KJV translates verse 21 this way.
. “Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen”
. Keep away from things that will take God’s place in your heart.
.Keep away from idols.
. This goes back to the ten commandments that God gave th Hebrew nation when they were rescued from Egyptian slavery.
. Exodus 20: 2,4a
. 2“I am the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery.
3“You must not have any other god but me.
4“You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea.
5You must not bow down to them or worship them,…”
. Jesus reaffirmed this when asked what the Greatest commandment was.
. He said that the greatest commandment was to love God. Above all else, we are to love God.
.I know what some of you may be thinking. Pastor, I don’t have an idol that I worship.
. I believe that we have many idols that we worship if we are not careful.
.James Emory White, noted author and Pastor defines idols for us.
. "Whatever you love most, serve most, seek out most, give to the most, worship the most, and care about the most is your god.
Your “god” can be your career, your bank account, the way you look, a particular position or degree, influence, power, or physical pleasure.
It can even be something that is considered intrinsically good, yet you allow it to dominate your life more than God.
Your “god” is whatever you allow to control you, to be the ultimate guide to decision making, the place of your supreme loyalty, and the source of your self-worth."
. What is first in your life? That is what you worship. That is what is in first place in your life.
. John warns us not to allow other things, idols, to take God’s place in our hearts and lives.
. What is first in your life this morning?
. Is God the center of your being? Is He the most important thing in your heart.
. Invitation
*** To my Christian brothers and sisters, thank you for taking the time to read this sermon. I ask that you take another second and score this for me. I am always open to feedback so that I can continue to grow in the proclamation of God’s word.
May God bless you as you continue to strive to walk worthy of His calling.
Sources: The Holy Bible, NLT
Illustrations from sermon central
