The Haves And The Have Not's

The Haves And The Have Not’s

1 John 5: 11-15

Intro: Has anyone noticed that there is an election coming up? If you have turned on a TV lately, you can’t help but know. One thing we can thank God for is that we only have nine days left until the election. I don’t know about you but I have gotten to when one of the ads comes on I change the channel.

. Some of you may be thinking that the pastor is finally going to give us a political sermon. He is going to tell us which way to vote. NOT. I never have nor will I ever try that.

. As you watch all these commercials, it seems that there is a theme in all of them. No matter which political party or candidate they are espousing. One talks about the other getting rich while in office while another talks about what the other has done to deny you and your children the opportunities for a good education and so on and so on.

. In their minds, there is a battle between the haves and the have not’s.

. God has much to say about the haves and the have not’s, but it is much different than how the world and the political parties portray it.

. Our scripture this morning addresses this very modern issue of the difference between the haves and the have not’s.

. 1 John 5: 11-15

11And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

12Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.

13I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life.

14And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him.

15And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.

. There is a difference between the haves and the have nots.

. The first thing we see here is that the haves have eternal life through the Son.

. Look at verses 12&13 again.

12Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.

13I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life.

. The haves can know their destiny and destination.

. In 1990’s Northwest Airlines offered some unusual round-trip passages aboard one of their planes. Fifty-nine dollars bought a "Mystery Fare" ticket that provided a one-day trip to an unknown American city. Buyers didn't find out where they were heading until they arrived at the airport the day of the flight. Still, the airline had plenty of takers. In Indianapolis fifteen hundred people crowded the airline counter to buy the Mystery Fare tickets that were sold on a first-come, first-served basis.

Not surprisingly, when buyers learned their destination, not all were thrilled. One buyer who was hoping for New Orleans but found he had a ticket for Minneapolis walked through the airport terminal yelling, "I've got one ticket to the Mall of America. I'll trade for anything."

Mystery Fare tickets may be a fun surprise for a weekend vacation, but normally the last thing you want is a ticket to a mystery destination. And one time you never want a Mystery ticket is on the day of your death. You don't want to face eternity uncertain about whether you will go to heaven or hell.

.In 1789 Benjamin Franklin wrote that “nothing is certain but death and taxes”

. I submit that there is one other certainty in this world.

. The haves know that there is one other certainty in this world.

. If you have the Son, you have eternal Life.

. In contrast, the have not’s do not have eternal life with Jesus Christ.

12Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.

. If you do not have God’s Son, Jesus Christ, you do not have life.

. The world will tell you that there are many ways to get to Heaven , folks, the Bible tells us that there is only one way into Heaven, only one way to have eternal life. That is through Jesus Christ.

. In John 14 Jesus tells us this:

. “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me”

. The haves have eternal life, the have not’s are bound for an eternity separated from God separated from love and kindness and joy in a place the Bible calls Hell.