Sunday Service

Yeah, I know.

And the challenges, you know that they faced, you know this week and just you know, that sometimes just feeling overwhelmed. And it in it the oldest rated something to me that it's not just the abused and neglected children that are in the foster care system that that are weighted down with challenges and struggles. It's all of us. And in all of us can face some very difficult overwhelming times in our life the Apostle Paul and 2nd Timothy chapter 3 set in the in the last days perilous times are difficult times will come. We shouldn't be surprised that the hardships and the difficulties that come our way and sometimes I can be very overwhelming. Sometimes they can be very challenging even while you're serving in Ministry. I mean on Thursday night I had the responsibility of of of watching a room of boys. Is there as the counselors had opportunity to take an hour and a half break and man I'm like how this is tough because the room was like 85 90 degrees. And I'm like, oh, how did they do it and in so I'm like they did. I mean, they do it and then Isaac, I don't know how you do it. I just as it comes in I'll use one of the counselors he comes in and he's he lays on the floor. I'm like why you lying on the floor? I'm just looking at him as I'm watching the kids and I find out that's where he slept on the floor the whole week practically the whole week in the world. But these are some of the sacrifices that that you make for these boys. and then and then something happened during that experience of being in that room them like this is this is amazing. We had we had we had two two boys. They were brothers in and they're on the top bunks and I I was trying to figure out how I was going to get all of these kids asleep because they were pretty wild up. And so I said you want me to tell you a bear a bear story. I'll tell you a story we want you to read the Bible. What what do you want me to read? I'll go read Joseph in Genesis know we already read that one. I said Daniel Daniel. And and and I read I start reading and Daniel chapter 1 verse 1. And now one by one the boys are going to sleep. But these two brothers they stared at me the whole time soaking it all in and I read 7 chapters of Daniel. As they wanted to just soak all of the stories of what God did for this man in in Babylon, and I'm like now this is going to sound like a cheap shot and I don't mean to be a cheap shot. But every once in awhile, I get a well-thought come to my mind. What adult would want me to sit if I read Daniel chapter 1 through 7 right. Now how many of us would be asleep?

But I make these boys are soaked it in and like that's another reason why this happens just incredible. Then you're you're just amazing. I just tell you what I mean Pete goes in there. He's also has cabin Duty. And I mean now Pete Piccolo more spiritual than I am. He he not only gives a story he gives an altar call and all the kids hands are raised that wanting to receive Christ. I mean is just Incredible Pizzas at your commitment and all of the rest. I mean just amazing and then not only that not only that but this is just this is the the passion that I didn't even see you there.

I mean, I mean just Rose always has a smile on her face. I mean always even when she was struggling through that the that got one, but but just seeing the passion and commitment to all these and then all the work seem like almost all of the workers showed up yesterday for for Ross's wedding. the wedding that you officiated at

Salsa, Jessica and Dante got married yesterday Ross's first when he did awesome Ross, you did awesome. And and so so I don't want to share probably for the next 20 minutes a very simple message. It made me feel very Elementary, but sometimes the elementary stuff we got to make certain is in place because the big stuff will not be supported without the elementary stuff in place.

You don't like I said, we live in difficult times and and and we cannot ignore the challenges. That we space being light in a dark world. It's easy to ignore that we could say we need to be light and dark world. But then the challenges come our way the issues come our way and it can be very difficult to remember as followers of Jesus Christ son to be a light in a dark world. And so some of these challenges creepy end and I see them as a pastor. But the more than just being a pastor seeing them. I also experienced it as well. There's a challenge a product that can come into our life that can can hinder us being light in a dark World bitterness and unforgiveness can also be this a huge hindrance were us being all that God has called us to be in our world legalism can set if we're we're so focused on the rules and regulations that we forget about really the calling God is placing our life to the minister and love people. And then the big one that so many of us battle so often but we're so afraid to admit it and that's insecurity and fear. So many of us are so wrapped up in insecurity and fear that that it it it it holds us down if it changes us up from fully experiencing all that God wants us to to not only the blessings in the peace and the joy and all of that but being able to minister to people in the anointed power of the Holy Spirit. All of these challenges invite spiritual failure and defeat in our life. Continue our Series in in in the way of the Christian Life we run into a question in first John chapter 5 verse 5. Here's the question. Who is it that overcomes the world? So John is riding to the Christian Community the people of Faith the church. And he asked a question. Who is it that overcomes the world Christians? He's talking to Believers and he's telling them who are the ones that overcome. The world obviously there's a world. I mean a word in there the world that grabs my attention. What did John mean about world when he used that as far as overcoming the world now the Greek word in the New Testament use for World here in first John chapter 5 verse 5 is the word Cosmos. and osmosis in general means ordered or arranged the use of this word has five specific meanings in the New Testament. The first one is is the world as far as the universe created by God with design in order. So the cosmos is this world the universe everything that we see.

Then there's the planet Earth. world as distinct from the heavens meaning is the fatality of humanity. Can mean the world all of us are the world. And then another meaning for this word world is the total of human existence in this present life with all its experiences and all its possessions was talking about the life and everybody's and what everybody has in their experiences. It's the fifth one that John uses V definition and this definition. Is that the world order? As alienated separated from God. It's it's it's a world in Rebellion against God. It's a world condemns for its godlessness. That's the word and that's the definition that John uses here in first John chapter 5 verse 5. Now the implication of this question in first 5 reveals that overcoming and it talks about overcoming the attraction that we have toward Rebellion Christ. I love God I go to church I give you the off Frank I participate in Ministry. Hi, I've I've been safe for a long time. But that does not mean that the rebellion of the world does not have any kind of attraction.

It if not, all of us would be perfect. All of us would have leaked perfect attitude with perfect days.

With everything going on our way because nothing would get on our nerves.

spouses would have perfect marriages Ministries would function perfectly But the fact is even as followers of Jesus Christ. We struggle because there's an attraction. Toward Rebellion. John wants us to understand that we need to be aware of this attraction and and God has not destined us to yield to this attraction but to stand against it.

We need to be committed. To trust God so much and Real Lies. That the impossible which is overcoming this attraction is made possible through Christ.

So what's look at this passage 5 versus first John chapter 5 verse 1 through 5. Let's see what happens here. Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. That's an important phrase born of God. Everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. Now, there's another word that John uses a couple times several times here and that's everyone. He's he's making some incredible statements here on how the believer the genuine follower of Christ conducts their life.

This is how we know that we love the children of God by loving God and carrying out his commands. In fact This is Love for God to keep his commands and his commands are not burdensome for everyone. There's that word everyone born of God. There's that phrase born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world. Even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world only the one who believes that Jesus is the son of God. So so there's that how question how do we overcome everyone born of God overcomes the world? How can a person know they've been born of God? What do we do we do we take a class do we get a degree? Do we do we do do we belong to a certain group? How do we know that we are born of God in John? 3:3. Jesus said to Nicodemus these words very truly. I tell you no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.

So being born again is a very important truth in scripture and it means that being transformed by the power of God not by my power. It's not what I can do. I can read the Bible everyday. I can pray everyday I could go to church every day. I could give all my possessions. I can do everything that I could possibly think of and that does not get me.

Through the power of God. It is through his grace and that Grace is received by Faith by believing in him by believing in Jesus.

Mountain in John's first letter. He he describes In this passage that I read. Three evidences that indicate a person has experienced the transformative power of Salvation by being born again. 3 obedience love and faith or belief obedience love and face the words believe and in faith occur in versus 1/4 and 5 love occurs in verse 1 2 and 3 and the need to obey or carry out his Commandments. Those are located in versus 2 and 3. And so these three words are inter woven together.

In this passage in perfect Unity John is going out to two everything. He knows what to do to show how essential it is for these three elements to be actively in our life and actively growing in our life. We need to obey the Lord that gives evidence as we obey God as we obey the teachings of Christ that gives evidence. I'm following Christ. One of those Commandments that Jesus gives is for me to love God and to love people so as I am loving others Then I'm giving evidence that I had a faith in Jesus Christ. Not only that but as I am obeying God as I am loving people I am also demonstrating that I've genuinely truly believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God. All of these things are interwoven together. Stop chosen three words these three words arbitrarily. He hasn't selected these things randomly and just sort of threw them together.

What he actually did is the show that they are so closely woven together into a single coherent fabric that it is difficult to pluck and disentangle the threats. This past week. I worked at Royal Family Kids Camp there. Darrell I am. Took a picture of me. I'm dressed up as a Frontiersman and I I'm I'm I'm spinning right now wall in the thread and in front of that in the foreground, you could see my womb and I have been working all week on a sash of Frontier sash that that Frontier reenactors like to get and Afraid there for their outfit and I'm so so it's three colors. It's it's gold it's brown and it's red. And so I spent the whole week working on it together that Friday and so it's it's it's it's something I like doing. Okay, I don't have to argue with anybody or have to fix any problems or anything like that. I'm so so so some of the kids help me make this and and and and what's interesting about wall. Is when you pack it in like this this is called the warp faced weave and it's where you're seeing one of the type of thread but you're not saying the other type of thread and so when you win when you pack it in like this, okay, and you make a mistake 9 times out of 10. I'm going to leave the mistake alone. Okay. Now there's a spiritual aspect of that and that is only god is perfect. And so if there's an imperfection in there just showing a human being different. Okay, but if I trying to go back and fix a problem, I make more problems because one thing about Walt likes to tangle itself with one another. And pretty soon it starts the felt and it's in pain when you start trying to take it apart you you actually rip it apart and the threads become unusable because look at this little project here as an illustration of what John was saying. You can't just say, okay. I'll love people but I'm not going to eBay Dodge word. I'm going to believe in God but me and I can't stand his people. Okay, if it doesn't work that way because if I try to take a thread out of this a compromise is the whole the whole Fabric and in it and it loses its functionality. Okay, you have to have all three active and growing in your life. If there's anything that you'll remember today, I am praying that you remember that obedience Love & Faith need to be actively growing in your life. No matter how old you are. Whether you're a brand new Christian, or you've been a Christian for 50 plus years you need to be understand that these elements need to be nurtured and allowed to thrive in our personal lives so that we can be Overcomers of the world because the three times three times in this passage that we read John uses that phrase overcomes the world. Speaker C. God's Destiny for us. Too many professing Christians are struggling. Overcome the attraction of the world and I'm going to tell you I think one of the reasons is we have not allowed these three critical evidences of a of our belief in Christ to well up within us in to grow. We need to love people. We need told as word. We need to believe that Jesus Christ died for my sins rose again for my justification is the king of kings Lord of lords, and I will trust and I will obey him. When I do those things when I have all three elements actively growing and thriving in my life. Then I'll be coming over cover. And when I am an overcomer. I become more able to be light in Dark World and more effective and being a witness For the Love of Jesus Christ. That's what this world needs.

This world desperately needs. To see Christians who are actually Christians. Really? That's one of the things that royal family teaches me. Every single time. I go to Royal Family Kids. Camp is icy the power. of the truth in evidence We could see our reaction. if somebody Start calling you filthy horrible names. We want to call them filthy horrible names, don't we? Yeah, if they want to kick you in the shin, you want to kick them in the shin sister show how how it feels? Let's see in Waltham.

You love unconditionally. You just love and you and I'll tell you what we got some team of they are so gifted a Jill. Who's who's who's the case worker? Social worker part of the team. I'm telling you what I Marvel at her ability to know when to do things and when not to do things. I'm amazing her counselor. Absolutely amazed. I mean I am just I just my mind is blown at their ability to just show love and grace. I was talking with Bob Mason today Bob again. I just won't do it and that is I will not go down that black banana. I just want and he would he would for the kids. How did you go down it?

Why I'm too I mean that thing terrified me when I seen these kids zoom in past me bouncing all over the place like a big water slide. That's terrifying. And I know it. Emma and I see I see these counselors and they wherever the kids want to go. I mean they're they're chasing after them doing whatever because what they want to do is show unconditional love for these

if we could do that in our normal everyday 51 up weeks of the year. The Lies We would check because when first people do that like there is something in you that I want you won't even have to try to find Opportunities the witness, they'll just flood your way because people are going to say what are you How can you forgive how can you dispense Grace? How can you dispense Percy? And the doors open wide for you in a loving graceful tender way to share the good news of Jesus Christ.

We show and share the love of Jesus Christ. Friends, I say this with with with a very exhausted tenderheart this morning. And that is this. Let us let our obedience drive and let us let our faith Thrive and let us let our love thrive. What's let's be forgiving people. Let's be giving people let's be graceful people. Let's be merciful people. Let's be people we don't count wrong. We we don't strive to get even we dispense the grace and love of God. Our words are not to tear down. We don't tear down and rebuild up. We encourage we we lift up. And I will tell you you will be the Overcomer. God has called you to be.

Father in heaven I pray in the name of Jesus.

That you will help us to remember. That the three elements the three evidences that John gave in his in his letter. Are not optional for the believer the genuine follower of Jesus Christ Very sensual. There is as essential as breathing air. Lord help us in our faith in Christ that it will not waver. It will not fall short. Help us in our love for one another. That our love would be genuine and real not not a a love because somebody loves us but a genuine love that regardless of how were treated. We love people because you love them. And God help us to obey your word your teachings. How can we say more that were followers of Christ when we don't follow Christ help us to follow Christ. And God I pray. That you will build us up and encourage us. So Lord, we will not just be aimlessly going through this world. But God we will have a purpose that you give. Oh God, I pray that you'll build us up in Jesus name. A map. Let's Stand Together.