"The Word of Life" - Introduction (Pt. 3)

thank you brother first John chapter one few have your Bibles turn the first John chapter 1 this morning we Surprised I went longer than I should have during communion. Oh, it's okay continue where we left off last week which last week. We really kind of got stuck on the info on the introduction of who John was or John is in the scripture who John was And as it was kind of revealed I have high appreciation for John.

I've always appreciated John. I really appreciate John in Greek class because John's Greek is way easier than Luke's Greek and it was a far less complex. And I notice first John chapter one will read this section again that which was that which was from the beginning which we have heard which we have seen with our eyes which we have looked upon in our hands have handled concerning the word of life life was manifest and we have been seen and bear witness in the clear to you that eternal life which which was with the father and was manifested to us versuri that which we have seen and heard we declare to you that you also may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the father in with his son Jesus Christ in these things. We write to you that your joy may be full. This morning. It's in your little snippet. You know, you got to be awake of the obvious this morning on the way here. I stopped coffee at McDonald's breakfast.

So I was in line and breakfast to get breakfast for a few family members and I'm driving up and I see this the fattest. I mean the the largest Roadrunner I've seen in my life. I mean it was on like you pull up to the drive-thru and you're ordering in this bird this big huge bruise looking at me. It was creeping me out and it's just a really fat is RoadRunner was so large that honestly, I think I ought to be kicked out of the Road Runner club and be called a wall sitter when he when he flew to the ground. He just kind of rolled over and had a control controls for I mean think Humpty Dumpty with feathers. I mean, that's just it was really odd and I don't know if it's pregnant, but don't come from the letter Off The Hook Road Runner. It was quite the deal in I actually was 10 I was thinking about maybe I'd like to order something else and I'm looking at it. the bird was this fat cute bird was looking right at me and said

Consultants suffice it to say I left McDonald's with a cup of coffee. That's what I left with and just so you know a ninja course sometimes the messages of God's Universe cannot be missed and in so that was this morning. True story. I just couldn't believe that bird creep me out. I don't know what the world. Alright, so this morning as we look at John's epistle, John is going to give us some really obvious things about Jesus that he doesn't want us to miss some really obvious really, you know, real foundational truths about John we said last week I think about the about the Apostle John I said it last week and this week John really is the great Apostle of the first-century. I mean, the Apostle Paul is murdered all the other disciples were martyred. I mean everybody is smarter John's the one that makes it to the very end and has an incredible impact and it's interesting. We notice last week. I'm not going to repeat all this the last week. We noticed the Gospel of John we know the book of the Revelation and up in certainly as we think about John in what we call in New Testament literature Johanna and literature. Johanna in sections of the New Testament and by the way, let me just remind you when it's a lot of the new touch with Inkwell Paul wrote so much of the New Testament actually Luke Road more of your new testament than then Paul did so actually you take in Luke and acts that's actually more of the New Testament in the Apostle Paul is so Paul certainly wrote a lot Luke shortly Road John wrote almost as much as those two dead. And so they're John is often. I think, you know, it's especially as you we begin to interact with the disciples early on you can't get a word in edgewise because Peter won't shut his mouth. I mean, I won't tell you where Peter falls in the pecking order of my appreciation. I can tell you Peters not at the top of the list. Part of that is because I kind of rub remind myself a Peter sometimes and so that's scary and in so all of that is true as we look at first John we're going to find out the emphasis Beyond these for 4 versus first 4 verses God is light notice bottom of page. One. God is light. We're going to see that in chapter 1 to chapter 3 God is love God is like noticed page 2 in your notes page 2 in your notes. 2nd and 3rd John we're going to be switching over to issues of congregational life and a few moments that we have this morning will not go along because this morning you've already had a little sermon during communion, but it's good for us to be able to carry the football a little bit further and first gun will pick up next week. Why is Sean writing these Epistles a specific? Why is John writing 1st John? We're going to get the second and third gen. I told you I loved her John's my 3rd, John that little book of 3rd. John is perhaps one of my favorite Epistles in the entirety of the New Testament when we get to 1st John of what you're going to find his notice the purpose really kind of summed up in four statements. Number one that your joy may be full. 1st John 1:4, so you may not send 1st John 2:1 number three that you may know that you have eternal life 1st. John 5 13 and number for that you making the name of the son of God. Wow, I think these are really important reasons why we should pay attention to First John John here in this little Epistles of 1st, John is going to help us concerning our joy are about you but there are times when my joy needs a little oxygen. How about you? Am I the only one in the room there are times when you know

I was just I was just walking in my shoe. And I mean, I don't even know how I did this but I mean, so the deal is we are our bodies fall apart or bodies have issues. I mean, it's not just you know hurting ourselves in by the way. It's not just the old people. I remember when the kids were younger. Every birthday party was like a survival party remember that We make it. You know, I remember one time seeing the same ER doctor like a month apart. Both sons. Saw the same ER doctor in the same hospital. He looked at me and said you again and so I mean they're just walking his reasons. Why are Joy takes a beating? So he's going to give us some help with our joy John's writing so that we may not send us and we don't want to send but we send number three that you may know that you have eternal life. So what's that? That's the dock that's the teaching of it Assurance of Salvation eternal security an important document. I don't have to ask a question. If I was asked the question if how many of you truthfully have ever doubted your salvation all of you would raise two hands.

Great, doubting our Salvation. So the scriptures are going to talk about how we can know we have eternal life. And then first John's going to conclude the last part that you may continue to believe in the name of the son of God, I think in a real way as I find a lot of parallels between John and Isaiah God explains to Isaiah that he Yahweh. God will be a special blessing to his children. God is essentially saying and Isaiah 42 in the midst of change. I am a safe place. Isaiah 42 15th, I will lead the blind by ways. They have not known along unfamiliar pass. I will guide them. I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth when I see when I read that I said, wow. There's just a lot of parallel between what Isaiah saying in 42 In this passage is So when other just background snip it and then we'll really begin to jump in. We'll get to Point number one and then we'll stop and then next week. We'll continue with Point number two, and three in this first opening section. The contacts is just as we see in the Epistle of James Peter and Paul John must deal with the reality of the presence of false teachers in false teaching that are attempting to siphon Believers out of the church probably in Ephesus into their own separate counter group John Oates. I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. You'll see the notice and 1st John chair light turned over to 1st John 2:26. So we see in 1st John 2:26. There's clearly there is quite a group. There's a number of groups of those. The different so those poor else not one. So there's multiple groups or trying to actively deceive you some examples of problem groups were the docetist Jesus only seemed seemed to be human. So we see a snippet of that as he refers to in John chapter 4 verse 2 Corinthians the Christ. Okay. So one group was called the cerinthe ins that believe was it the Christ Spirit came on to Jesus at his baptism and laughed right at the crucifixion. So Jesus was so Jesus was not the Christ initially the Christ element came on to Jesus at baptism. And then the Christ element left Jesus at his crucifixion. And so again, that's a denial of the Jesus is the god-man and then major problem we're secessionist. These are new testament believers who withdrew from the Christian Community. So you had at least these through three groups going on so notice the chapter 1 verse 1 and then he continues I want you to notice John as he's beginning to begins to go through first John. We're going to notice we're going to notice 6 John has six different time segments in is mine. He's considering the pre-existence of Christ. Do it before the beginning Jesus was there we saw them in John chapter 1 in the beginning was the word the word was with God and the Word was God, right? So Jesus as the alpha and him, he's called the Alpha and the Omega before the beginning Jesus. Was there after the end Let's Stay Together Jesus. Is there so before the beginning Jesus is there Jesus before he took on flesh was the word is the longest And so one of the time periods is this pre hit the pre-existence of Christ. And then John's going to talk about his existence is Incarnation. He's taking on flesh and then John's going to talk about by the way, we're halfway up the bottom of page 2 we're going to talk about the time. Of Jesus ministry and then number for John focuses on the minute the time of the ministry impact on the apostles. Will Joel where do you see that looking first one? We've seen her eyes. We looked upon her hands of handled concerning the word of life. So it's also the pre-existence is existence is Ministry is impact on the apostles John's proclamation in the number 6 the future proclamation of the future Churchill as John is writing in his mind. John is looking at six different time periods in his head. So he's he's bringing all that together in 1st John. So I won't you notice Point number one from the beginning was the log off the fact of the Incarnation. From the beginning was the law goes. This is this speaks of the fact of the Incarnation. John is noting the essence of his ministry Ministry of Jesus making the life and Ministry of Christ of the presence of Christ known the theological. Well, we're coming up on Christmas, right? So that what's the big idea of Christmas the big idea Christmas is the Incarnation in so that's what that's what John is focusing on John is focusing on Incarnation. I say this the theological wealth of Christmas hymns are the ones that focus on the beauty of the Incarnation just so you know, I'm not a fan of the Christmas songs. They want to focus on the noise of the animals the presence of snow in the astrological details of a star those are not my favorite Christmas hymns and they look up here at all. Those are not the top three two, I mean House brewing and fresh warm clean. Hey, can I tell you there was no fresh clean warm a oh my goodness. Cuz we coming to Christmas the big idea is what the Incarnation the Clear Point that the agent John is making here is that we heard we saw we touched the word of Truth.

Notice the free phrase development three-phase development of this intimacy with Jesus. First of all, the life of Ministry of Jesus Was Heard Luke 7 3 the Centurion heard about taste of your notes the Centurion heard of Jesus and send some Elders of the Jews to him asking him to come and heal his servants interesting. If you look at Luke 7, that's a beautiful passage. Right? Sometimes people want to see Jesus because of the spectacular things. He'd done Wicked King Herod who participated in the judging and crucifixion of Christ. Wanted to see Jesus for this very same reason because of their interaction over Christ King Herod and pilate actually become friends and blue 23. So Herod King Herod in and his father Herod the Great both of them had heard about this Jesus they had heard about the Messiah in the old her hair is case. I mean in the younger than you were here at Herod Antipas Herod had heard that he was king of the king and the Jews and so both of them they had heard and so they they respond in a different way. Jon Batiste and John chapter 1 verse 35 through 31 record the opening moments of John Andrew Peter Philip and Nathanael as they begin to follow Christ hearing his preaching in watching his ministry. Tahir, John Assange look You need to believe in Jesus why cuz this isn't just some made-up fairytale. We saw him. We handle that we watched and we interacted with them who we watched and we touched and we've seen no dispara page to let her be Not only was Jesus her but he was seen. It's interesting to note that after Jesus had healed the demonically possessed and the region of the garden guardians Guardians after the loss of the pigs the town on seeing Jesus Matthew chapter 8 member, there are all kinds of demons in Jesus casting out the demons and they say hey instead of us instead of passing out us into the abyss which by the way probably would mean the Eternal incarceration of those demons the demon say to Jesus. Can you toss us into those pigs in Jesus obliged obliged and toss it happened to the water destroying themselves.

Yeah, when the town sees all that Jesus, I mean you think well, wow certainly if Jesus comes in the room when we see his ministry, we're going to love him that everybody love them.

Just like with hearing another Centurion seeing Jesus before during and after his crucifixion States after the earthquake on Golgotha. Surely this was the son of God Matthew 27. Imagine being able to see for the first time and it was Jesus restoring your site, right Matthew chapter 8 the blind man at bethsaida. Remember that Jesus heals him. He runs it I think of that if I remember correctly, that's the passage where Jesus put some spittle on the dirt and rubs his eyes. And at first he sees people walking around walking around like Jesus does touches them and heals him again and then he's able to see imagine being blind all your life and being able to be seen and the first person you see is Jesus.

imagine that you closing your eyes on this Earth in the first the first person being able to see is the son of God.

Not only are these disciples not only had John heard and can you imagine can you imagine what they heard? Can you imagine hearing Jesus Remember on the road to Emmaus with the two disciple said wow.

The power of hearing Jesus the power of Jesus and the power of touching Jesus. Your John says he didn't just here and we didn't just see him.

Mark 5:27 when she heard about Jesus, this is the woman with the issue of blood Mark 5:27. The woman came up. Worked her way to the crowd reached out and touched Jesus member what Jesus said virtue has departed me.

What did she want and she just wanted to touch of Jesus?

Amber Thomas Lord, if I see I see the scars in your hand. I can see the wounds and if I can see them if I could touch them.

notice when people seen when people notice when people we've seen been with Christ the change that that makes

when we see his touch when we when we see his presence when we see his sight in the impact on those early disciples and then we when we ourselves experience that what kind of a change happens well chapter 4 verse 13 when they saw the courage of Peter and John and realize that they were unschooled ordinary men. They were astonished and took note that these men had been with Jesus.

We said last week all of these at one point. I'm there were 500 that noted Jesus at one point in time. There's a legal application in a court of law witness. Is anyone who is relevant information about the case in question. Remember what Luke said the Theophilus Luke Rocha Theophilus in both actions. I'm writing this with you understand and you will believe in a very similar way John is demonstrating the reality of this Real Witness in a court of law illegal witness is anyone who swears under oath and who can testify of knowledge about the details of that case including and I take this from the legal definition of a legal definition includes that which has been seen or smelled or Touch 1st and

Tell Joel I didn't see I wasn't I wasn't there in the first century will know the scriptures also tell us it's true. We weren't there. But guess what? You have a more sure witness. That's what this is. As sure a witness as it was the scene to scene Christ touch him and hear him. We have a more sure Witness.

So because of that. We know the words of Our Lord of Thomas and John 20:29. Jesus said have you believe because you have seen me blessed are those who have not seen and yet who I believe father. We thank you for this introduction begin to study and 1st John. We thank you for this John's witness of the Incarnation of Jesus. Father we thank you that he was seeing that he was heard that he was touched and father. We thank you for the eyes of Christ. Jesus. Saw Jesus heard Jesus spoke Jesus touched. Father a very real sense we experienced Christ personally as we experiencing through the pages of scripture. We experienced Jesus personally by way of comfort through the comforting presence of the spirit of God, who is our parakaleo. He gives us great comfort. Father I pray as we continue to listen to your word as we get to know Christ through the pages of 1st John 2nd John 3rd, John I pray that we would be encouraged as your people. Weather for you to work in our life Lord for those who may not know you was Lord and Savior. I pray that you would bring Sinners to yourself. We thank you for the message of salvation. We are sinners that Jesus was sinless. He lived a sinless life. He fulfilled the moral law of God perfectly and he was crucified. He he died. He was very he rose again. The father that it will respond with faith and repentance faith in Christ repentance of sin that you'll forgive us that you'll adopt us into your family. Butter for those that do not know you we ask that you would draw them to yourself father for the rest of us as your children help us to go and Grace be encouraged in our hearts forts in Christ's name. We pray. Amen.

Related Media

Related Sermons