23 Aug ‘Dear John’ | Part 7 ‘Taking Your Confidence Back’

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Key Verse: 1 John 5

1 John 5:13-21 (NIV)

Seven different times John uses the words ‘we know’.  He is saying with authority that this is truth and we can stand firm on it. We have an assurance we are children of God that we have eternal life. We know this to be true.  We can have confidence.

This is not confidence in ourselves.  2020 shows us that we cannot have confidence In ourselves.  John is talking about the confidence that only comes from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

1. We Can Have Confidence that our Prayers are Heard and Answered.

1 John 5:14 (NIV)

We have a God that hears our prayers.  Sometimes it may feel as though we have no one to talk to but the God of the universe hears our prayers and answers them. We need to pray according to His will.

Praying According to God’s Will

Pick one, two, or all of the questions below (A-E):

a. Pray with Faith

Mark 11:24 (NIV)

We need to be praying and believe we are speaking to a glorious and merciful God not just throwing words into the atmosphere that doesn’t mean anything.  We need to believe our prayers will be answered. He is bigger than anything that is going on in our lives right now. He works it for His glory. He may not answer the way you expect but He answers them.

Q. What types of prayers do you not truly believe God will answer and why?

b. Pray in the name of Jesus

John 14:14 (NIV)

The Bible talks about Jesus as our intercessor.   He is the One and Only true God Jesus Christ.

Q. What does it mean to pray in Jesus’s name?

c. Abide in Christ

John 15:7 (NIV)

To abide is to stay, to remain.  He is not saying only when it is convenient for us and then going our separate ways, he is saying we are to remain no matter what, in hard times and good times being obedient to the end.

Q. How do you remain in Christ even in hard times?

d. Forgive those who have offended you.

Mark 11:25 (NIV)

We live in a culture that easily chastises people but that is slow to forgive.  We want to blame others and hold hatred in our hearts,  but we are slow to forgive others for their mistakes.  We cannot hold onto unforgiveness in our hearts against people. We are called to love and forgive no matter what.  Our Father forgave us.  Forgiveness is not denial but it is to forgive others for how they treated us.  God does not hear our prayers if we hold resentment toward anyone in our hearts.

QA. What difficulty have you had in forgiving someone who has offended you?

QB. What experience have you had where someone had difficulty forgiving you?

e. Prayer Cannot Be for your Own Passions

James 4:3 (NIV)

God is not our cosmic Santa Claus.  He is not a ‘do this to make my life better God’. Prayer is making our request known to Him to bring him glory.

Q. What are some prayers you may be praying but you are praying with the wrong motive?

2. We Can Have Confidence that We are Spiritually Protected.

1 John 5:18 (NIV)

This is not physical protection.  We are not protected from sickness or physical things that happen, look at Job for an example.  Job was the most righteous man but God revealed Himself to him in a real and supernatural way.  He had learned humility and who God is and who he is.  If we are in Christ, then He protects us and Satan cannot harm us.  Nothing can pluck us out of his hands.  This life is not ours and this earth is not our home.  We should be heavenly minded not earthly minded.

Q. What experience of spiritual protection can you share?

3. We Can Have Confidence that We are Free People.

1 John 5:19 (NIV)

We are children of God, but those that are not are under the control of the Evil One.  We, as Christians, are free in Jesus.  We have a responsibility to love our neighbors.  Our battle is not against people, it is against principalities in the spiritual realm.  We are to spread the Gospel, to love others, and lay down our lives for others.

Q. How much confidence do you have knowing that you, as a Christian, are not under Satan’s control?

4. We Can Have Confidence in our Eternal Salvation.

1 John 5:20 (NIV); 1 John 5:13 (NIV)

We can have confidence in eternal life if we know Jesus in our hearts not just knowing who He is.  A supernatural encounter with Him.  True relationship.

Q. If you believe and have a relationship with Christ (not just a head knowledge about Him), why do you struggle with life after death?