Overcome the World

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Such a special time at North Side Baptist Church this morning.  I love gathering with these people because it truly is family.

We were blessed to have the Erskine Gospel Choir lead us in worship this morning.  Tobe Frierson’s leadership is so passionate and the choir does such a wonderful job.

Today, we worshiped to:

  • Friend of God
  • Praise the Lord
  • Magnify
  • Lord Prepare Me to be a Sanctuary/I Exalt Thee

I preached from 1 John 5:1-5 on overcoming the world.  The passage summarizes John’s 3 tests that he has mentioned earlier.  True believers should possess correct belief, right behavior, and genuine love for one another.  I mentioned how it is shocking that the Body of Christ sometimes hurts each other more than those on the outside of the church.  We show God that we love Him and we belong to Him by the way we love His children!

This passage also mentions that God’s commandments are not burdensome to those who love Him.  This is one of my favorite verses in the Bible (1 John 5:3) because it reminds us that if you are close to Jesus, it is a delight to obey Him not drudgery.

The way John says we will overcome the world is through our faith in Jesus.  A point of application I made is that too often the Church believes that if we can only get the right people in office, the right policies approved, the right amount of people mobilized, we can win our culture back.  While I am all for standing for truth in the public square and letting my voice and vote be heard, we are promised that things are going to get worse before they get better.

But I read the end of the Book.  I know who wins in the end – Jesus!  And when He comes, He is not coming to rally support or take sides, He’s coming to take over.  I have faith that no matter how bad our culture or our world becomes, Jesus is still the answer and the only One who can make all things right.