Sermon Tone Analysis

*PRELIM.

NOTES: *Last Sunday on Easter - we had most people in this Worship Center for a service, ever!

No other promotion or advertising than Operation Andrew!

Good job!

We had more people indicating a spiritual step of commitment, including praying to receive Jesus Christ, than in the past!

If you take that seriously we WILL reach the 4 year goal of *70 -100% *growth in worship attendance!

(ahead of time).

Last weeks attendance was a "picture" of meeting that goal....

* Next step is to invite your invitee to a small group like SS.

They need that....

You don't attend SS regularly?

*Then that's where to start now!*

*THE HOPE OF THE WORLD*

*1 John 1:1-4*

INTRO: In the letter of 1 John, John gives reasons as to why the book was written.

* The FIRST reason for 1 John is to promote joy (*1:4*).

* The second reason he gives us this book is to prevent sin (*2:1*).

In other words, that we might be strengthened by the Word of God and that we might be kept from sin in our lives.

Not that we will ever, on this earth, be sinless, but that we will sin "less" as we get the Word of God in our hearts.

* A third reason for the little book of 1 John is to provide protection for believers, or to protect the saints of God (*2:26*).

* The fourth reason for the little book is in order to provide assurance (*5:13*).

You see, God wants you to know that you are saved.

God not only wants you to be saved, but He wants you to know that you are saved.

Today I want to start with the first four verses.

#. *JESUS IS THE SOURCE OF *REALITY*.*

/"Once upon //a time...."/

Remember how exciting those words used to be?

They were the open door into an exciting world of make-believe, a dream-world that helped you forget all the problems of childhood.

Then—BAM!

You turned a corner one day, and "Once upon a time" became /kid stuff/.

You discovered that life is not a playground, but more like a battleground!

And fairy stories were no longer meaningful.

You wanted something real.

The search for something real is not new.

It has been going on since the beginning of history.

Men have looked for reality and satisfaction in wealth, thrills, conquest, power, learning, and even in religion.

There is nothing really wrong with these experiences, except that /by themselves/ they never really satisfy.

/Wanting something real and /finding/ something real are two different things/ something real and /finding/ something real are two different things.

Like a child eating cotton candy, many people who expect to bite into something real end up with a mouthful of nothing.

They waste priceless years on empty substitutes for reality.

This is where the Apostle John's first epistle comes in.

Written centuries ago, this letter deals with a theme that is forever up-to-date: /the life that is real./

*Jesus is the SOURCE of reality.

*

There is a three-fold reality in Jesus given in these verses.

1.

He points out that Jesus Christ is eternally real.

Look at how he begins in v. 1, /"That which was from the beginning."/

Then notice what he says down in the middle of v. 2, /"which was with the Father."/

He is talking here about the eternality of Christ.

Christ was in the beginning.

2. Secondly, look at what he says (v.1b), /"which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled of the Word of life."/

John is saying, "this Jesus I'm talking to you about was not imaginary."

This Jesus had a real existence in eternity.

Then he says, /"our hands have handled."/

He is saying that Jesus had a real body, that the Word was made flesh, that Jesus Christ partook of human flesh.

You see, when Jesus walked on the earth, those who did not know and understand, still saw Him, even though all they saw was just a man.

You cannot get rid of Jesus Christ just by refusing to believe in him.

He's real whether you acknowledge him as real or not.

He Is Savior, he is Lord, he is the Messiah, he is reigning and ruling today in heaven, and he will come again to judge all things, including you, WHETHER YOU BELIEVE IN HIM OR NOT!

3. John says "I want you to know He was personally real.

To me."

Look at v. 2, "/For the life APPEARED."/

The word appeared means to become visible.

John is saying not only was Jesus real eternally, not only was Jesus Christ real historically, but Jesus Christ is real personally.

He's real in my heart and in my life.

And that's what it all boils down to for each of us.

It's Jesus Christ a religious figure to you, or is he really real to you.

Do you /know/ him.

Not just /know about/ Him? Do you /believe in him/?

Or do you /believe Him/?

#. *JESUS IS THE MASTER OF RELATIONSHIP.*

In v. 3, John says that Jesus Christ is the master of relationship.

*1 John 1:3 */We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us.

/

He is saying that coming to know Christ brings you into /fellowship/.

The word fellowship occurs two times in that verse.

Fellowship is a very special word.

It is the Greek word that really means to have something in common.

It means to partake of something together.

ILLUS: Somebody said fellowship means two fellows in one ship.

Let me explain what fellowship is.

Some of you guys like to fish.

I had a man say to me one time, "Pastor, did you realize that two-thirds of the earth's surface is water?"

He said, "What do you think that means."

I said, "I'm not sure exactly what it means."

He said, "the surface of the earth is two thirds water because a man ought to spend at least two-thirds of his time fishing."

Now that's a fisherman for you.

I'm not a fisherman.

Every time I've ever been fishing, the fish get lockjaw, go on strike, and refuse to bite.

But some of you like fishing.

If you are one of them, Cabela's - you don't need a floor plan any more.

*So you see, if a couple of you men who like fishing got together and the subject of fishing came up you would immediately have something in common and you could talk together about fishing because you are both interested in fishing.*

That's what the word fellowship means.

But it is a Christian word.

It means to have the things of Jesus Christ in common.

It means to enjoy Jesus Christ together.

It means to be one in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the Christ of relationship.

But then there's also a vertical fellowship.

Look at what he says, "/And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ./"

Can you imagine the meaning of that statement right there.

That's an overwhelming statement.