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Illustration: First Penn State Game with 100k+ saying the same thing at the same time together.  Confidence and energy can be affected by the state of the team, but…

The difference between PSU and KU.  One with history and one with not. 

• White out in 2019 registered 2.0 on the Richter scale. Nearly 110,000 attended.
• KU’s stadium 50,000.

What creates confidence in a person or a group of people?

• Past success.
• Current success.
• Anticipated success.

In today’s text, John is speaking to the church with energy that our identity in Christ is a game changer when you know the truth of who you are: “We are…Children of God.”  The historical and current work of Christ gives us confidence in our future because we are His child.

Read 1 John 2:28-3:3

Expectancy of Christ’s return is key to a life of abiding with Christ.  (28)

• He is coming back! “Wait ‘til dad gets home!”
  
  
• Avoiding the shame of how you are living when He returns—having a clear conscience 

Analogy: Unexpected guests can lead to embarrassment due to the state of your home.    “shame”

• Being confident of who you are and your relationship with Him will liberate your life.
  • “confidence”- Greek meaning: bold, freedom of speech, a loosening of tongue.
  • Won’t shrink back from a challenge.

“We are…CHILDREN OF GOD!” 

As a Child of God, you are the offspring of Jesus Christ and carry His spiritual DNA—righteousness.  (29)

• To be a child of God you must be born again. John 3:1-8
  • Only those born again will enter His Kingdom. (3)
  • Must be born again by the work of His Spirit. (5-6)
  • Being born of the Spirit begins a new life that reflects the evidence of the Spirit’s work. Example:    (8)

• Offspring look like their parents.
  • Jesus is righteous and by the Spirit’s work in you will become more and more righteous. (29)

Those who are born again—“We are…CHILDREN OF GOD!”

Behold!  Don’t miss this!

God loved you so much to call you a Child of God…That is who you are!(1)

• An extravagant or lavishing love.
  
  
• Paid a great price through His son Jesus.
  
  
• Passively accepting that is to miss out on the benefits of being in His family.

The more you become like Jesus, prepare to be perceived as strange.  (1b)

• If they don’t get Him, they won’t get you.

As children of God, we get to anticipate a glorious transformation coming face to face with Jesus.  (2)

• We cannot fully envision what we will become. You can only imagine!
  
  
• We only know that we will become like Jesus in His glory when we come face to face with Him. 

Living as a child of God.

1. Go on a purification journey. (3b)

• Re-form your ways to reflect Jesus’ ways. (3)

1. Have childlike faith.

• To walk with Him and to trust him without hesitation.

Matthew 18:1-4 “At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” ² And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them ³ and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

• To humbly acknowledge your need for Him. Example: Anna

3. Set your hopes on something greater than what this world provides—eternity with our Father God. (3a)

“We are…CHILDREN OF GOD!”