Authentic Faith and Fellowship

Krista Wilson • August 17, 2022

From Pastor Ryan Lewis' message on 1 John 1:5-10.


"This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." - 1 John 1:5-10



Authenticity is necessary for a right relationship with God


God's character is the source of life. In John 8:12a, John records the words of Jesus who said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."



And in John 12:46 he also records that Jesus said, “I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.”


God doesn’t call us to a fake faith and fellowship, He calls us to authentic faith and fellowship. Authenticity is necessary for a right relationship with God. Living an authentic faith means we need to get honest about our sin.



Authentic faith starts by addressing our sin


Most of us would not outwardly say we do not sin but many times we are living this [self-righteous] way.




Authentic faith is necessary for forgiveness 


True confession is marked by specifically naming our sin, getting honest with God and trusting in who He is and that He alone can help us turn from our sin.




Authenticity is necessary for Biblical fellowship 


Dietrich Bonhoeffer said it well, “In confession, the light of he gospel breaks into the darkness and seclusion of the heart.” In confession, the breakthrough to community takes place.”


"Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working."  - James 5:16


We confess our sins to God for the forgiveness of our sin through Jesus.


We confess our sins to one another for fellowship and healing through His people.




How do we live out these truths?


At Crosspoint, we do life in Community Groups. These are small groups led by trained leaders  that are a safe place to share celebrations and sin struggles. Community is one of the greatest ways God has designed for us to grow together. 

Freed to Serve

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Notes from Ky Martin's sermon on Sunday, April 20, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 2:4-10 Everyone must accept or reject Jesus. He is the cornerstone. We choose to accept Him as the foundation of our lives or toss the truth aside. When we come to Jesus… We become part of His People 1 Pe 2:4-5 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. The cornerstone is The New Temple. From this we learn that following Christ entails joining his community, the church…The freelance Christian, who follows Jesus but is too good, too busy, or too self-sufficient for the church, is a walking contradiction. -Daniel M. Doriani We join a royal, holy, priesthood 1 Pet. 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Because of who Jesus makes us. We receive God’s mercy Fallen man is not simply an imperfect creature who needs improvement: he is a rebel who must lay down his arms….Now repentance is no fun at all. It is something much harder than merely eating humble pie. It means unlearning all the self-conceit and self-will that we have been training ourselves into for thousands of years. It means undergoing a kind of death. Acts 17:30-31 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” Discipleship Questions: Why is it impossible to be neutral about Jesus? Why do you believe that Jesus truly is the Son of God? Do you ever have doubts about this? If yes, what are they? According to 1 Peter 2:9, who are we after we come to Christ? Why does Paul say (in 1 Corinthians) that if Christ is not risen, our faith is in vain?

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