What Does Faith that Overcomes the World Look Like? 1 John 5:1-5

I came across an old parable that I think nails this question. It goes back to a time before school buses and kids had to actually walk to school. The story goes like this:

A man once met a boy walking to school. The boy was carrying on his back a smaller boy who was clearly lame and unable to walk. The stranger asked the kid, “Do you carry him to school every day?” “Yes,” said the boy. “Why, that’s a heavy burden for you to carry,” said the stranger. “He’s not a burden,” said the boy, “He’s my brother.” 

For the older brother, love for his family turned the burden into no burden at all. 

As brothers and sisters in Christ, we are all loved by our Father and called to follow His commandments. His commandments are not a burden, but a privilege and an opportunity to show our love.  

For Jesus Christ, he was given the most burdensome command ever passed down from a Father to a Son--to lay down his life and atone for the sins of the world, for you and me. 
Jesus’ response to this burden:

“Why, my brothers and sisters are not a burden. But rather, obedience to this command is a privilege, it’s an opportunity to show love.”

This is why the Bible says that, for Jesus, the cross was a joy.

“Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2

This means that, for Jesus, breaking his body, being unfairly beaten, getting pieced by nails, spilling his blood... it was all a joy!

You know, it’s tempting to look at Jesus hanging on the cross and to feel sorry for him. But, the cross isn’t to be a pity party. While on the cross, I feel like Jesus would respond like the older brother, with love and say:

“It’s not a burden. This is for my brothers. This is for my sisters.”

Therefore, it’s because of what Jesus did, that we have victory over the evils of the world, and we can have communion with God.

When we come together as a family, we experience the presence of Christ in a unique way--a way that helps us to overcome.

You know, it’s been said that goodness is easier in the company of good people. When we come to this table, we come as together as a family--and therefore, our faith, “faith that overcomes the world,” is strengthened in Christ’ presence.

So tonight, come to the table, bring your burdens, your trials, your temptations and connect with each other, experience the love of Christ, and find the power to overcome.

From the Anchor sermon series "Blessed Assurance," Message: "Overcoming the World."

The Expression of Newness

A new church finds itself celebrating new milestones every week. With every step forward we take, whether it be our first Easter service or completing the framing work on the building, there is a wonderful sense of newness that weaves itself into everything we do. There is one new milestone we reached in August that communicates everything we are about, on a level that is more important than first meetings and completed building projects. I am talking about the celebration of new life within our family, as seen in our biggest milestone yet, our first water baptism!


What makes water baptism so special is that it symbolizes a work that has taken place within the life of a believer. That work being: The Holy Spirit grants newness of life, after one's guilt and sins are put to death through the death of Jesus on the cross. Water baptism communicates this work more effectively and poetically then any blog post, sermon, or theology book can. Every part of water baptism is symbolic: as one goes under the water they identify themselves with the death of Christ and His atoning work, and as one rises up from the water, they do so identifying themselves with the resurrection of Christ Jesus as He arose from the tomb. Water baptism then becomes a celebration of new life, purification, new hope, and joy that accompanies the work God has done within them upon belief.
This is what the term "born again" means, and with smiles and cheers from family and friends it is clear that one is born into a new family--a new community, as they are embraced by their brothers and sisters in Christ.
As a new church, we have several important steps and new projects yet to undertake, and water baptism serves as a clear and powerful reminder, in the midst of the hard work of church planting, why we do what we do: to celebrate God's redeeming work in the lives of His people, and to take that new life to the broken world in the form of a movement--The Redemption Movement.