Security In Being Secure

Security In Being Secure: John 10:25-30 by Pastor David Powell (May 1995)

Trying to tell all about Security in 20 min. is like trying to paint a house with a 2" brush. But we’ll try.

ILL. When the world was series going on in San Francisco and Oakland the Golden Gate bridge played a significant part in that it connects the two towns that were competing for the Series. The bridge was built about the year 1937, at a cost of $ 77 million. During the construction of the first part of the bridge no safety devices were used and 23 men fell to their death in the waters far below. In the construction of the second part it was decided to install the greatest safety net in the world, even though the cost amounted to over $100,000. It saved the lives of at least ten men who fell to it without injury. In addition to that the work went on about 25% faster with the men relieved from the fear of falling. The knowledge that they were safe left the men free to devote their energies to the tasks in hand.

To be assured of our salvation sets us free to serve the Lord free from the fear of Hell.

RELATE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCE WITH FEAR.

I remember when my son, Davy was a little boy we used to go on walks. In order to keep up he would hold on to my little finger. After a while he would get tired and his steps would start to drag until finally he would look up into my face and say, "You’ll have to take hold of my hand now, Daddy, I can’t hold on much longer." Isn’t this a picture of ourselves? We have been trying to hold onto the little fingers of security so long that we are losing our grip on things that matter. Now we must ask God to take our hand and lead us. "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you." (Isa. 26:3)

To be assured of our salvation sets us free to serve the Lord free from the fear of Hell.

Def. Security of the Believer. "That all who are united to Christ in faith will continue in a state of Grace eternally."

B. Two extremes, both of which are distortion of the truth.

1. One says man is justified and is eternally safe regardless of what he may become

in his person and his character.

a. The NT does not say that one will be saved whether or not he persists in faith,

but that he will persist because he is saved!

2. The other extreme is that one may fall from Grace.

a. Def. "He may be saved at one time in life and then not be saved at a later

time."

b. Those who believe this say that man is free to either continue in grace or fall

from it

c. To them, man really is the master of his own destiny.

C. The first extreme takes the whole thing out of human hands, the second extreme

makes human effort everything. The true view lies in combining the extremes.

D. God does not preserve us by irresistible grace as by something which overrides our

will, but by constraining grace which enlists our will.

T.S.- It is because of this grace that the term "Once saved,always saved", takes on a very dramatic meaning in our text. JOHN 10:27-29 (NIV) "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never

perish; no one can snatch them pout of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand."

(NLT) - So no one can take them from me.

As we begin I want you to put aside anything and everything you have determined about security and be open to God’s Word and what IT has to say about this. Remember, God’s Word is the final authority!

I. WE ARE ETERNALLY SAVED IN RELATIONSHIP (v.27)

A. The sheep have a relationship to the shepherd.

1. "My sheep LISTEN my voice."

2. "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ." Rom. 10:17.

B. Our relationship brings with it knowledge.

1. "I am the good shepherd; I know My sheep, and MY sheep know me."

John 10:14.

2. Lewis Drummond, professor at Southern Seminary said: "When everything else is

over and said and done, only one thing ultimately matters: Do you know Jesus?

3. Can you face eternity with Him?"

C. How can we know that we know?

1. 1 John 2:3-5, READ.

3 And how can we be sure that we belong to him? By obeying his