Your Life Matters to God (1 John 3)
This sermon warmly affirms the profound truth that your life holds deep significance to God, regardless of your personal struggles or how others perceive you. It explores the biblical evidence of God's boundless love, establishing our identity as His beloved children and revealing His unwavering commitment to our past, present, and eternal future.
This sermon affirms that every person's life genuinely matters to God, demonstrated through His great, unconditional love, our identity as His children, and His comprehensive provision for our past, present, and eternal future.
Overview
The sermon begins with a personal anecdote about the preacher encountering an inscribed blanket that read, "Your messages have helped me realize that my life matters to God." This message resonated deeply with him during a difficult time, setting the stage for the sermon's core assertion: every person's life truly matters to God, regardless of personal feelings, hardships, or how others might treat them.
The main scripture used is 1 John chapter 3, verses 1-3. The preacher highlights God's "great love" in calling us His children "now," emphasizing that this relationship is permanent and unconditional. He also points to an "awesome future" for believers, where they will be transformed to be like Christ, and that this hope encourages a purified life.
The sermon then outlines several "evidences" that our life matters to God. These include our salvation, which transforms us from a life less than God intended; our sanctification, an ongoing process of living a godly life empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit; and God's promise to meet all our needs "according to His riches in glory."
Further evidences presented are our identity as His children, which means God is deeply involved in every aspect of our lives, and the future hope of resurrection and eternal life with Him. Ultimately, because our life matters, God desires for us to live pure and holy lives, enabled by the Holy Spirit, bringing Him glory.
Key points
- The core message is that every individual's life matters profoundly to God, regardless of circumstances.
- Hardship, pain, or feeling insignificant to others does not mean your life doesn't matter to God.
- 1 John 3:1-3 reveals God's "great love" in calling believers His children *now*, establishing a permanent relationship.
- Evidences that our life matters to God include our salvation, sanctification, and His provision for our needs.
- The Holy Spirit indwells believers to assure them of their eternal belonging, and to guide, empower, and enable a godly life.
- Our identity as God's children means He is actively concerned with and involved in our past, present, and future.
- God desires that believers live pure and holy lives, which is made possible through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
In Charles Stanley's words
“Your messages have helped me realize that my life matters to God.”
“My love for you is not conditioned; my love for you is absolutely unconditional.”
Outline
- I. Introduction: Your Life Matters to God
- A. Personal inspiration from an inscribed blanket
- B. God's universal message of care
- C. Difficulty and suffering do not negate God's love
- II. The Foundational Scripture: 1 John 3:1-3
- A. God's "great love" bestowed upon us
- B. We are called "children of God" *now*
- C. An awesome, unrevealed future: we will be like Him
- D. This hope purifies those who fix it on Him
- III. Evidence That Our Life Matters to God
- A. Our salvation (God's transforming work)
- B. Our sanctification (the godly life He provides)
- C. His provision for our needs ("according to His riches in glory")
- D. The indwelling Holy Spirit (seals, guides, empowers us)
- IV. Further Demonstrations of God's Care
- A. Our identity as "children of God" (affecting His relationship to us)
- B. Our future hope (resurrection and eternal life)
- C. His desire for us to live a pure, holy life (by the Holy Spirit's power)
- V. Invitation to Surrender to Christ
Scripture references
Insights
Great love calls us children of God, not for tomorrow, but now.
Our worth to God is not based on our feelings or circumstances.
God's care extends beyond salvation to our sanctification and daily needs.
Questions & answers
What is the sermon's main message?
The sermon's central message is that every person's life profoundly matters to God, a truth demonstrated by His deep, unconditional love and care for humanity.
How does the sermon define "God's great love"?
The sermon explains God's 'great love' as His act of bestowing upon us the privilege of being called His children right now, a permanent and unconditional relationship.
What are some evidences presented that our life matters to God?
Evidences include our salvation, God's ongoing work of sanctification in our lives, His provision for our needs, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
What role does the Holy Spirit play in a believer's life according to the sermon?
The Holy Spirit indwells believers to assure them of their eternal belonging to God, to guide, lead, empower them, and enable them to live a godly and holy life.
How does the sermon address the issue of sin in a believer's life?
The sermon states that God has prepared for believers' sin with a strong hand of discipline, not to destroy or harm, but to bring them back into the fold and remind them of their belonging to Him.
What is the preacher's concern about modern society?
The preacher expresses concern that society's attention is drawn away from God and His Word by inventions and distractions, leading to less time spent in scripture and a decreasing awareness of God.
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Source
Unofficial AI summary for study purposes. Watch the full sermon on In Touch Ministries. Sermon Insights is not affiliated with or endorsed by the pastor or church.