Rev. Eric Landry - August 30, 2020
1 John 5:6-13
Several years ago, I was privileged to serve as a jury foreman for a murder trial in California. For several days the jury heard evidence from the prosecution and defense as each tried to convince us of the defendant’s guilt or innocence. Evaluating the trustworthiness of the testimony became a lynchpin in our jury deliberations. John knows that as Christians face opposition and persecution the question of the trustworthiness of the evidence for their belief will become more and more important, so as he begins to conclude his epistle he turns to the testimony that should shore up our belief in times of trial and tribulation. Join us this Sunday as we discover the testimony in which we can trust so that we can know that we have eternal life.
From Series: "The Epistles of John: Life in the Light of Christ"
This Sunday, we will begin a new summer sermon series through the three epistles of John. Over the course of this series, I hope to show you how the early church was not much different than our own church. They had to deal with internal conflicts and external persecution. They had to struggle against heresy and complacency. Their temptations to sin are much like our own. Their hope, their message, their role in society is also much like our own. This week, we’re looking at the first four verses of 1 John 1. In those verses we read John’s purpose statement: what’s the point of this letter? Surprisingly, and refreshingly, it’s about joy. After a week of tremendous sadness and grief, can we really find joy—especially in an ancient epistle like this one? I invite you to join us on Sunday as we rediscover the joy of the gospel in the initial verses of 1 John.
