Sermon preview, week of May 7, 2024
Overcomers
This Sunday’s order
- Sunday
- Reading
- 1 John 5:1-13
- Preaching
- Kendall Ellis
This is a sermon preview for the fourth sermon in our series on 1 John. To view livestreams, click here.
The reading1 John 5:1-13
“Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.”
-1 John 5:1-13 (NIV)
Read 1 John 5:1-13
1Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father also loves those born of Him. 2By this we know that we love the children of God: when we love God and keep His commandments. 3For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome, 4because everyone born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world: our faith. 5Who then overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. 6This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ—not by water alone, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies to this, because the Spirit is the truth. 7For there are three that testify: 8the Spirit, the water, and the blood—and these three are in agreement. 9Even if we accept human testimony, the testimony of God is greater. For this is the testimony that God has given about His Son. 10Whoever believes in the Son of God has this testimony within him; whoever does not believe God has made Him out to be a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given about His Son. 11And this is that testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
Berean Standard Bible, public domain
It hasn’t quite hit me that this Sunday will be my first Mother’s Day as a mom. When we dropped MJ off at her first day of daycare this week, her teacher asked if it was okay for her feet to get painted for a Mom’s Day craft. Later, a friend messaged me what I was doing on Sunday to celebrate. Each time, I look like a deer in headlights, somehow surprised that having this cuddly lil’ human now initiates me into a new side of the celebrations.
But let’s be real: with the several months of increasing illness I’ve had, I hardly feel worth celebrating. I’m not saying I’m a bad mom. I’m doing the best I can to care for my girl in and out of the hospital. But aren’t we told that moms have superpowers? Aren’t they supposed to be the ones who can overcome anything?! My mom certainly was! And right now, I’m barely even overcoming dinner time.
Does anyone know what I’m talkin’ ‘bout?
I know you do!
I stumbled across a devotional posted on Proverbs 31 Ministries written by a fellow mom in the trenches. She notes that “it’s easy to stay a victim of our circumstances. But it’s not better. It’s hard to overcome. But it brings so much goodness.” Whether or not you’re a mom, we all go through seasons when it feels like life is beating up on us. We all have days when we wonder where we’re going to get the strength to dance and sing into our hairbrushes with Mandisa:
You're an overcomer! Stay in the fight 'til the final round!
You're not going under (you're not going under)
'Cause God is holding you right now.
Friends, 1 John is here to take your hand, lift you up, and join the dance party. He’s been writing about love for several chapters now, but not just because he’s a big softie on the inside. 1 John has been building up to something, and it’s finally going to be revealed in the conclusion of his letter.
So far, 1 John has reminded believers that God has revealed to us who he is through Jesus Christ. He is the one who has loved us and saved us. When Christians confess that Jesus is Lord, they do more than just mutter some words. By faith, they become the children of God. This adoption is a free gift, but it’s one that literally changes our lives!
As children in the family of God, our lives are bound by love. In this series, we’ve remembered:
- what this love looks like: the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ! (Ch. 3)
- what this love is for: to serve others and testify to the good news of Jesus Christ! (Ch. 4)
- what this love promises: to make us overcomers! (Ch. 5)
It’s great news that we don’t have to feel like overcomers. We don’t even have to have special mom superpowers to be overcomers. (Can I get an “AMEN” for that?!)
We are overcomers simply because our Father God loves us children so well that He promises to share His victory with us. So when life is beatin’ up on you, all we need to do is rest in the Father’s love and accept His gift of eternal life. Love and life for today. Love and life for tomorrow. Love and life forevermore in the embrace of the Good Father.
As we celebrate all the spiritual mothers who have loved and nurtured us this weekend, may we be reminded that as much as they have loved us, our Father loves us more. He loves us enough to put up with us for eternity!
In addition to Mother’s Day, this Sunday the Church celebrates the end of Eastertide. What better way to wrap up the resurrection season than by praising God for lovingly sharing His victory!
Keep abiding in God's love, my fellow overcomers!
Reflection Questions
- What has been the most surprising thing you’ve learned about God’s love from our 1 John series?
- How is God inviting you to abide in His love this week? How might God use that spiritual practice to transform you into an overcomer?
