It’s hard to believe. It’s the end of July and before you know it football season will be upon us. We get to watch the Chiefs play, and hopefully they’ll make it to the Superbowl this time. They have a very promising young quarterback, who uses the same word to start each play, he and all the other quarterbacks who play the game. It’s the word “HUT!” Why that word? Well, about a year and a half ago (2018), right before the Superbowl, the New York Times pondered the answer to that question. The article said:
It is easily the most audible word in any football game, a throaty grunt that may be the sport's most distinguishing sound. Hut!
It starts almost every play, and often one is not enough. And in an increasingly complex game whose signal-calling has evolved into a cacophony of furtive code words – “Black Dirt!” “Big Belly!” “X Wiggle!” – hut, hut, hut endures as the signal to move. But why?
Most football players have no idea why. A pro ball center said, “I guess because it's better than yelling, 'Now,' or 'Go.' Some people have used 'Go' and that's awful. That doesn't sound like football.” A former quarterback reckons he shouted “hut” more than 10,000 times during games and practices. “I've been hutting my way through football for 55 years – but I have no clue why.”
The article suggests the word may have come from the military background of many early pro football players, but that's just a guess. (Bill Pennington, “Hut! Hut! Hut! What?” The New York Times, 1-31-18; www.PreachingToday.com)
There are a lot of things in this world that we just don’t know, and that’s okay, because they’re not all that important. However, there are some things that are important to know, because they affect your eternal destiny and the way you live your life today.
Dr. Jerome Frank at Johns Hopkins talks about our “assumptive world.” What he means is that all of us make assumptions about life, about God, about ourselves, about others, about the way things are. He goes on to argue that when our assumptions are true to reality, we live relatively happy, well-adjusted lives. But when our assumptions are distant from reality, we become confused and angry and disillusioned. (Haddon Robinson, “How Does God Keep His Promises?,” Preaching Today, Tape No. 130; www.PreachingToday.com)
It makes you think: What assumptions am I making that are “true to reality?” And what assumptions am I making that are not “true to reality?” Well, if you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me to 1 John 5, 1 John 5, where God’s Word tells us what we know is true.
1 John 5:13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. (ESV)
If you’re a believer in Jesus Christ, then 1st of all...
KNOW THAT YOU HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.
Be certain of your eternal destiny. Be sure that you will spend eternity in heaven. Verse 11 says...
1 John 5:11-12 And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. (ESV)
There is no “in between.” There is no question about it. If you have Jesus, you have the life. If you don’t have Jesus, you don’t have the life. Either you do or you don’t, no if’s, but’s or maybe’s.
You can be certain of eternal life today, not because of who you are or what you’ve done, but because of who Jesus is and what He has done for you on the cross. He died on the cross for YOUR sins and mine. Then He rose again. And now, He offers eternal life to anyone who believes in Him.
In 1 John 5:24, Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me HAS eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but HAS passed from death to life.”
Jesus does not say the believer WILL have eternal life, nor does He say the believer WILL pass from death to life. No! Jesus says, the believer HAS eternal life, and the believer HAS passed from death to life. Eternal life is a right now, present reality for every believer in Christ, not something you hope for in the future.
There are very few certainties in life, but one thing you can know for certain is that you have eternal life if you trust Jesus with your life. And such knowledge will make a huge difference in the way you live your life today. When you know you are invincible, you will do the incredible when God leads you to.
Quite a while ago, our family enjoyed watching the movie Big Fish, which features the fanciful bed-time stories that Edward Bloom told to his son in rural Ashton, Alabama.
In one of those stores, a giant invades Ashton, creating panic among the townspeople. They fear for their lives as the monster eats their livestock and tears up the town. Edward has had an experience as a boy that allowed him to see he wouldn’t die until he was well advanced in years, so he volunteers to confront the giant on behalf of the town.
The mayor responds, “Son, that creature could crush you without trying.”
Edward counters, “Trust me. He’ll have to try.”
In the next scene, Edward is walking toward a riverbank cave outside of town. He calls out to the giant, introducing himself. The giant repeatedly tells Edward to go away, but Edward persists in wanting to talk. At last, a shaggy-haired, ten-foot-tall giant appears. Edward bravely throws rocks at the intimidating creature.
Edward explains, “Even though I knew the giant couldn’t kill me, all the same, I preferred to keep my bones unbroken.” Eventually, Edward is able to befriend the giant and bring peace to the town. (Big Fish, Columbia Pictures, 2003, directed by Tim Burton, written by John August, 00:21:48 to 00:24:18; www.PreachingToday.com)
Edward did the incredible, because he knew he was invincible, and so will you! When your future is assured, when you know that you have eternal life, you will serve in ways that others will not serve. So don’t doubt it! If you’re a believer in Jesus Christ, 1st know that you have eternal life. Then 2nd...
KNOW THAT GOD HEARS AND ANSWERS YOUR PRAYERS.
Be certain that God listens to you and delights in responding to your requests. Be sure that you have what you ask of God.
1 John 5:14-15 And this is the confidence [the outspokenness, the frankness] that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. (ESV)
We know we have what we ask for if we ask according to His will.
Peter Charpentier, a pastor in Hammond, Louisiana, talks about leaving for work when his wife wasn't feeling well. He had decided to take a personal day off to care for her, but she insisted that she was fine and told him to go ahead with his plans.
As Peter was about to leave the house, he taught his 9-year-old son how to call him in case of an emergency. Peter sat his son down and walked him through the simple process of calling his dad’s cellphone. To ensure that his boy had retained the lesson, Peter had him give it a try right there on the spot. He watched his son dial his number from their home phone, Peter’s cell rang, he answered, and for just a minute or so, they had a nice, little conversation standing ten feet from one another in the same room.
After they wrapped up their conversation, Peter’s son left the room. Okay, Peter thought. If there's a problem while I'm gone, the little man-of-the-house can reach me. About three minutes later, his cellphone vibrated again, and when Peter glanced to check who it was that was calling, he saw his home phone number. Still standing in the bedroom, he answered the phone with a smile.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Dad,” came the familiar voice. “I just wanted to call from the living room to make sure this phone works from far way!”
Peter chuckled and shared with his boy that their house phone works very well. Peter told him that he could even call China from their phone if he wanted to – before making it immediately clear that he shouldn't call China!
Peter says, “When I walk through a valley, I sometimes wonder if God hears me. I feel ‘far away’ from him. The same fear is stirred when I stray from God. I'm afraid he can't hear me because I've drifted too far. But I know prayer works even from ‘far away,’ because God always [hears the prayers of His children].” (Peter Charpentier, Hammond, Louisiana; www.PreachingToday.com)
Please, be certain of that! God hears and answers you when you pray, especially if you ask for things “according to His will.”
Now, don’t let that be a limiting factor in your prayers. Instead, let it free you up to ask God for bigger things than you ever dared to ask Him for before.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9).
Don’t ask God for little things when He wants to give you big things, things beyond what you can ever think or imagine. Don’t ask for health when He wants to make you whole. Don’t ask for happiness when He wants to make you holy. Don’t ask for all things to enjoy life; ask for life to enjoy all things. Ask for BIG things, because we have a God who delights in doing “far more abundantly than all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 5:20).
In the fall of 2000, doctors diagnosed Pastor Ed Dobson with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease), an incurable and fatal disease. The doctors gave him two to five years to live and predicted that he would spend most of that time in a disabled condition.
I remember hearing him speak at Moody Bible Institute’s pastor’s conference a year or two after he received that diagnosis. He said, shortly after he was diagnosed, he wanted someone to anoint him with oil and pray for healing. And he wanted someone to pray who really believed in healing. So Ed invited a friend, a Pentecostal pastor who had regular healing services, to come over and pray for him.
He said it was one of the most moving evenings of his entire life. The Pentecostal pastor began by telling stories of people he had prayed for who were miraculously healed. He also told stories about people he had prayed for who were not healed and had passed away, receiving that ultimate and final healing. Before he prayed for Ed, he gave him some advice.
“Don't become obsessed with getting healed, Ed,” he said. “If you get obsessed [with getting healed], you will lose your focus. Get lost in the wonder of God, and who knows what he will do for you.”
In a book Ed wrote in 2012, he said, “This is some of the best advice I have ever received… Since that night, I've been trying to get—and stay—lost in the wonder of God.” (Ed Dobson, Seeing through the Fog, David C. Cook, 2012, page 110; www.PreachingToday.com)
By the way, Ed Dobson passed away on December 26, 2015, 15 years after doctors gave him only two to five years to live. That’s a miracle in and of itself, but now he has experienced the ultimate and final healing in the very presence of the Lord He loved.
God did “far more abundantly” than all that Ed asked. Ed got lost in the wonder of God in this life. Then he entered the presence of God and was completely healed.
God hears you when you pray, so be outspoken in your prayers. Pray with boldness for your brothers and sisters in Christ, especially for those who are struggling with sin.
1 John 5:16-17 If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death [at least not right away]. (ESV)
Any sin will kill you if you persist in it long enough. James 5:20 says, “Whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death” – i.e., physical death. 1 Corinthians 11:30 warns believers about taking communion in an unworthy manner, saying, “That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.” Most sins will eventually kill you if you persist in them long enough.
However, some sins will kill you right away! Remember Ananias and Sapphira? They lied to make themselves look good in front of the church, and Acts 5 says they “fell down” and breathed their last (Acts 5:5,10).
You can’t pray for somebody who has already died from their sin, but you CAN pray for a believer who has not yet died. You can pray for one whose sin has not yet led to death, and God will hear that prayer.
Do you know of someone, a friend or family member, who is struggling with a sinful habit that will eventually destroy them? Plead with God on their behalf. Pray with confidence for God to deliver them from their sin, because that IS God’s will. He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). So pray and know that God will hear and answer that prayer.
If you’re a believer in Jesus Christ, 1st, know that you have eternal life; 2nd, know that God hears and answers your prayers; and 3rd...
KNOW THAT JESUS PROTECTS YOU FROM SATAN.
Be certain that God’s Son keeps the evil one from harming you. Be sure that Jesus shields you from the devil.
1 John 5:18 We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him. (ESV)
God’s children are in the process of becoming holy like God Himself, so they don’t continue indefinitely in their sin. It’s not that they are sinless. They just sin less as they grow in their relationship with God. That’s because the ONE born of God, the only begotten Son of God, protects the child of God from Satan’s touch. Jesus doesn’t even let the evil one touch you!
Kim Sherer of Ponca City, Oklahoma, talks about a night when her young son, Ryan, was sleeping and a storm began brewing outside. After a loud clap of thunder, she heard Ryan wake up and run to find her. When she tucked him back into bed, he asked her to stay with him until he fell asleep.
Then as Kim lay there with her young son, she realized Ryan had not asked her to make the storm go away, but simply to stay with him. (Kim Sherer, Ponca City, OK, “Heart to Heart,” Today’s Christian Woman; www.PreachingToday.com)
That’s what Jesus does for you. He doesn’t always make the storm go away, but He stays with you to protect you from any real harm.
If you’re a believer in Jesus Christ, 1st, know that you have eternal life; 2nd, know that God hears and answers your prayers; 3rd, know that Jesus protects you from Satan; and 4th...
KNOW THAT YOU BELONG TO GOD.
Be certain that you are forever His. Be sure that you are a member of His family.
1 John 5:19 We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. (ESV)
The world belongs to the devil. Believers belong to God.
About 16 years ago, Jon Foote and his wife, Lori, were working with a youth group in Nebraska. That’s when they met Amanda, a teenage girl the same age as their son, Wesley. Amanda came from a terribly abusive home and was eventually taken from her parents by the state. Jon and Lori welcomed her into their home.
Then, about 10 years ago (August 2009), Jon and Lori legally adopted Amanda at the age of 22. Her name was changed to Amanda Foote, and she even got a new birth certificate! Jon and Lori now have three legal heirs, and Amanda has two new brothers. Her former parents, who disowned her, lost any legal claim they might have had on her, and the process was relatively simple because she was more than 21 years of age. All they had to do was appear before a judge.
Jon and Lori Foote had thought of Amanda as their daughter for a long time, but when asked if anything felt different after that day at the courthouse, Jon said, “Absolutely! When it was official,” he said, “there was a huge change in Lori and me – sort of like when you see your newborn for the first time. And for Amanda, there was a change in her, too. Now she knew she belonged. She knew we were her parents!” (Lee Eclov, Vernon Hills, Illinois; www.PreachingToday.com)
When you know you belong, it changes you! So dear believing friend, know that you belong to God. You have a new name – CHRISTian! You have a new legal standing as a joint heir with Jesus, and you have a new family – God becomes your Father and Jesus your Brother with many other brothers and sisters in Christ. But more than that, God does for you what Jon and Lori could never do for Amanda. He gives you His own Holy Spirit. It’s like giving you His own DNA, so that you become more and more like Him as you grow up in His family. Please, know it to be true for you, because such knowledge changes you.
If you’re a believer in Jesus Christ, know that you have eternal life; know that God hears and answers your prayers; know that Jesus protects you from Satan; know that you belong to God. But most importantly...
KNOW JESUS.
Enjoy your relationship with the Lord. Grow in your intimacy with Christ.
2 John 5:20-21 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols.
Center your life on Jesus, not idols. Focus your attention on Him and not on anything that distracts you from enjoying His company. Truly get to know Jesus.
Know Jesus and know that you have eternal life. Know Jesus and know that God hears and answers your prayers. Know Jesus and know that He protects you from Satan. Know Jesus and know that you belong to God. Know Jesus and know that you are the forever protected, listened to and loved child of God.
Pastor Paul Tripp complains, “I gave birth to a son who just doesn't understand gifts. My wife and I would go out when he was a little guy to buy what we thought was the [perfect] gift. He would tear open the gift, and he'd end up playing with the box.”
It drove them crazy, so they decided for one Christmas that they were going to find… the gift of gifts that he would not be able to resist. They shopped and shopped. They found the gift. They were so excited.
On Christmas morning, He ripped open the gift like a little boy would… and actually got out this toy and began to play with it. Paul had a feeling of such victory. He went into the kitchen to get something to drink, was in there for a few minutes, and came out and his boy was sitting in the box. Paul couldn't believe it.
Paul Tripp says, “If you're one of God's children, you have been given the most awesome gift that could ever be given. It's gorgeous from every perspective. It's a gift of such grandeur that it's hard to wrap human vocabulary around it and explain it. It's beautiful from every vista… It's the gift that every human being needs. It's a gift that in all of your work and all of your effort and all of your achievement you couldn't have ever earned; you could have never deserved; you could have never achieved. It is absolutely without question the gift of gifts. It's the gift of [our]... Lord Jesus Christ, [but] I am deeply persuaded in the face of this gift, there are many Christians who are content to play with the box. (Paul Tripp, from the sermon “Playing with the Box,” Gospel Coalition; www.PreachingToday.com)
Please, don’t play with the box. Get to know Jesus Himself and discover real joy and peace.
