1 John 1:1-4
I'll tell you this morning, but the songs were like hitting hitting home. A lot of them actually go with what we're going to be talking about today. So about 10 years ago. our society kind of society were fickle right we get we get these
Shows these ideas these these things that we get fascinated with and it just takes over like a wildfire through our society in 10 years ago a show came on TV called The Walking Dead. Yeah. And when The Walking Dead came on like I I mean, I'll admit I watched it but man it took over. It wasn't just the show. It was in commercials and I don't think we started watching it right away and so not watching it while I know we didn't start watching it right away not watching it right away. We we didn't really know what was happening. But there was there was zombies on every commercial there was zombies in the new Sprint. There was a zombies everywhere spin-off TV series and then there's movies and then We get so infatuated with these new Concepts, but I find The Walking Dead infatuation the zombie infatuation. I find that one interesting as I as I prepped for today's sermon one of the movies that I don't remember the name of it. And I really am not going to let him do a lot of research but I can't remember the name of the one of the movies that I saw was this movie about a zombie who like either knew we was supposed to be alive. So he just acted like he was he was it was this weird Love Story Romeo and Juliet spin-off, but the whole point of the movie was this, this is zombie this this Walking Dead who who wanted to be alive but just wasn't alive. Not a good movie. I don't recommend it. It's just came to mine. And so with this this idea of The Walking Dead is amazing how God works in our lives. So yesterday I have and I have the pleasure of leading this this young group of men every Saturday morning where we get to talk about just things of the Lord like I get to spend two and a half hours of these guys and we get to talk about Jesus we get stuck out there last week to talk about we have talked about everything. And yesterday I don't know what was going on yesterday. But yesterday was with exceptional in one of the one of the young men said at the kind of towards the end. He said I got a question for you. What is a successful Christian? So everybody at the table was like okay and you could just see that question start of working in people's eyes and there you can see it in your eyes. I was working her mind you can see it but they just started pondering. What a successful Christian look like. I want the guys with a call on hold on to me. He didn't want me to answer. Neither one of us wanted me to answer until they started chewing on it and talking about it. And and and I I found it interesting with her answers were and what they what they they thought us and what they what they viewed success and luckily thinks we both of them thought that success how I think most people view successful Christians. Most of them realized that wasn't true. I don't have time today or really really is that what this is about but what I wouldn't the one point that I wanted to stress to them the one point that when they were all said and done the thing that they didn't mention was the the one thing that literally every successful Christian has every successful Christian starts in one place
that one place that one key indicator almost every successful Christian. Is that they are Christians?
Why are we going through 1st John? And so what what we're starting today is it is a series on 1st, John and and we are going to go verse by verse we're going to go through the entire book.
So why are we going through first shovel? We're going through first John for the same reason. Did John wrote it? And Sean explicitly tells us soon in 1st John 5:13. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.
That you may know that you have eternal life.
So John was riding this to what we don't know exactly which congregation it was it was probably a series of churches. We don't really know which congregation he wrote it to an invite the structure of the letter we may we assume that he really wrote it as a sermon to be spoken out loud so that the entire congregation could could hear what he had to say. And at this time the church was crazy. I mean at this time and John's John's Ministry like the church was blowing up. I mean there were Believers everywhere.
And just like today's church just like the guy that will we see these mega churches. We see his Believers. It's popping up everywhere just like today. They were struggling with false teachers. They were struggling with false Doctrine. They were struggling with things that were not of Christ. That's what John was afraid of him. And I'm not going to lie to you. It's also when I fear myself with John was afraid of is that they were people calling themselves Christian there were people that were proclaiming Christianity who were deceived. They're walking around every single day as if everything is okay that they are saved but the reality is that they are deceived. They're not Christians.
It's a John wanted to do is John wanted to address this this particular this particular issue. He wrote 1st John so that those who claimed the Believers be Believers could know that they were saved. Does knowing that you have eternal life is knowing that there's a sound of knowing that is that comforting?
Does knowing that you have eternal life is knowing that does that appeal to you? Do you already know that you have eternal life?
Are you on the shore?
The fear is that you're walking around like a zombie you're walking around like the undead and you're doing the things that the living do you're doing the things wanting to be alive and kicking the living but the reality is you are spiritually dead.
I'm not saying everybody here. I'm hoping nobody here. I hope there is nobody here who can relate to what I'm saying, but but it would not be honest or truthful of me or or would I be a good pastor if I didn't let you know that the statistics and the word? Tells me that there are people probably in our congregation or deceived.
So over this next over this next however, many weeks it takes us over this next series. I want you to listen and I want you to pay attention to the words that John wrote. I want you to examine your life. I want you to examine your beliefs. I want to I want you to examine who you are and what your relationship in Christ looks like so that you may know if you have eternal life. I'm not going to be preaching what Nick says I'm only going to be talking about what the word says.
As I Was preparing for this. I heard David Platt pretty pretty famous Pastor. I heard David Platt. Explain 1st John in this way, and we need Splendid I related because it was an experience that I actually had explained it this way. Then you see pictures of the Grand Canyon right? You see these pictures of the of this immense hole in the ground or this Canyon in and the picture show it you know in your life all that. That's really that's really beautiful.
Then you get to visit the Grand Canyon and you step to the edge and you just your peering out over the Grand Canyon and it goes as far as your eye can see there is no end and you look down and there is no picture that can actually give you the idea of how deep it is and how beautiful it is inspiring it is there is nothing there is no picture. There's nothing any person can tell you to explain its beauty and how amazing experience of standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon is That's the way to Platte put and he said he said the first John is like standing at the Grand Canyon of God's love.
We don't just hear it or feel it. Would you are overwhelmed by the love of God you're overwhelmed by the experience? of God's love in your life
says we get prepared. I want you to turn to 1st John 1 1 through 4. So so everybody knows first John is not the Gospel of John. There's four times four times in the Bible for first time he go all the way to the end of Revelation and you go up a couple of books. You going to pass a dude and then go to 3rd John seconds on first down to go towards the back and cut a foot forward and that's where you'll find 1st John the really really short a John himself wrote John the gospel 1st John 2nd 3rd, John and revelation.
Science we explore first John. I will go back to the Gospel of John to kind of better understand what he would expect the readers of this of this letter what he would expect them. to gain from his words
the 1st John 1 1 through 4 that which was from the beginning which we have heard which we have seen with our eyes which we looked upon and have touch with our hands concerning the word of life.
sorry, I want to make sure you guys headed up there to First to the life was made manifest and we have seen it and testify to it and Proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the father and was made manifest to us that which we have seen and heard we Proclaim also to you so that you two may have fellowship with us and indeed our fellowship is with the father and with his son Christ Jesus and we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. Today, we're only getting into the introduction of John. He has put so much just in these four versus this is all we're going to this is all we're going to get through.
verse 1 explains a concept of sorts
explains the concept of eternal life
and as we work our way through
verse 1 he says that which was from the beginning which we have heard which we have seen with our eyes which we looked upon in a touch with our hands concerning the word of life. We have to focus on the life. So John knows that those around him have this physical life that we all in this room are experiencing, but there is there's this concept of eternal life of a spiritual life. And those that don't know it or spiritually dead.
spiritually dead No question. Those of us who have with actually actually experience this eternal life can can attest to the fact that it is a transformation.
It's a life like no other. It's a change from who we were to who we are. It is a new birth because it is a new life. That's why we call ourselves born again.
And John wanted to make sure that you understood this concept. of eternal life
first one is the Christian message of the time. It's the message that we that we that we tell others.
The problem is without verse 2 verse one Falls flat.
first two a John draws the parallel from the concept of eternal life.
to the manifestation of what that eternal life is
first to says the life was made manifest and we have seen it and testify to it and Proclaim to you the eternal life, which was the father and was made manifest to us.
Why is that was made manifest? The concept here is the Incarnation of Christ the big word. What it means is that the indwelling of God into the Flesh of Christ Jesus. The understanding here is that Jesus was himself God. We got to hear the song of of you can bury the Workman but the work work will go on and it is so Embraces who these disciples were and John is sitting here saying the wife was made manifest and we have seen it. And testify to it and Proclaim to you the eternal life.
Don't be mistaken for him to to Proclaim it to testify it was dangerous. It cost almost all of the disciples their life and not just their life, but their life in such a gruesome in a horrible way. John here is the only one that we don't know how he died. The assumption is he died? of natural causes after a long life if it wasn't for not trying. John wrote books John wrote letters John John spent his life testifying to what he had seen or what he had touched and what he had heard of Christ Jesus.
And Jesus are he's telling you that Jesus is that eternal life. You cannot experience that spiritual life without having Jesus without knowing who Jesus is.
You are spiritually dead if there is any other belief in you.
If you do not believe that Jesus is God.
You are not honoring what this says. If you do not just if you if you if you know who Jesus is, but you do not know Jesus.
You're spiritually dead. You do not have that eternal life that John is talking about.
Imma, go back to John 17:3 and you don't have to turn there with me, but it's it it it reads and this is eternal life that you are that they know you the only true God in Jesus Christ whom you have sent. John makes it so perfectly clear that there is only one true God and if he is making the claim that there is one true God than anything opposed to it cannot also be true. If he is making the claim that there is only one true God. Can either he is right or he is wrong? There can't be multiple gods there. Can't be multiple ways. There cannot be multiple ways to have eternal life.
The only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
Jesus is the only way to eternal life.
These false teachers in these false these false doctrines that we here now day of worship. They have congregations worshipping something other than the one true God. Usually they are worshipping themselves their desires their freedoms what they want. They are not worshipping God in Jesus Christ.
Do you like John? It is required for us to stand here and tell you. It is required for me to do it to make sure that you have no questions or qualms as to what it takes to have eternal life.
And as we work through the rest of John.
It's going to allow you to examine your beliefs in your life to to truly know. No.
Think about waking up in the morning and knowing that if you don't make it through the day where you're going to be.
Think about think about think about it a near-death experience and not having to freak out over because you know, what's going to happen next?
Think about living your life because you know who Christ is think about living your life for him?
Knowing Christ is submitting to him. Satan who Christ was demons know who Christ is but you truly know him is to be in a relationship with him to truly know him is to is to be submissive to him. Jesus is already Lord.
To know Christ has to be submissive to that lordship.
You ever been anticipating that big events? Some of us it's it's a proposal some of us some of us. It's okay. I'm going to get down on one knee and propose a while. And if she says yes, I would be so excited and and she says yes, so you want to shout it to the world or or it if if you if you're the woman then he he proposed and so you want to show that ring to everybody? You find out you're going to be a parent. You just want to just tell everyone right you didn't like now. We have these elaborate social media platform where we we don't just announce our baby man. We do these crazy gender reveals to make sure everybody knows if it's a boy or a girl.
That big of an of getting accepted to a college or choosing a college or the scholarship for the promotion everybody.
Methodist, I'm going to focus on that marriage in particular. The marriage is is the is the one because the marriage is the one that that focuses on love. Earliest would love is should be. We're going to we're going to get in the verse 3 and we've already read it. But we going to get in the verse 3 and there's a there's a word they're called that is translated as Fellowship. It's that Word Fellowship is like this this communion between two people and it's often used for that is often used to describe the relationship in a marriage. the intimacy the the union between a man and a woman
how do we know a husband loves his wife? Husbands if you're sitting there and you say my wife just knows. You doing it wrong? Why is if you're sitting there saying? Oh no matter what I say, he knows I love him. You are also doing it wrong your spouse knows you love them because you show them that love your spouse knows you love them. When you're when you when you show them how much you love them. We people know we love each other based on how we show it.
We don't just get to just to pay it lip service and say it. We have to show it.
In this Fellowship, it's designed by God to this Fellowship.
That is used in the inverse 3 this Fellowship that we think that John is talking about this Fellowship is the saying that he uses for marriage only. This is by the creator of the universe the creator of married. This is what it is supposed to look like
First three reads that which we have seen and heard we Proclaim also to you. Today you too may have fellowship with us.
And indeed our fellowship is with the father and with his son Jesus Christ.
That which we have seen and heard. And touched again John is talking about the proclamation of who Christ is.
You propose you get engaged you want to tell the world Sean. It's is that which we have seen and we have heard and we have taught she wants to make sure that you have no question that Jesus Christ is real and he wants to tell the world.
Do you want to everybody to know?
Jesus paved the way for this intimate relationship with with both himself and the father. He paved the way for us to know.
I found it. I'm going to be a father like shout out to all the people on the street in Seattle.
You get the promotion and you want to make sure that everybody knows it because they've been praying for you.
I got accepted to college and it was it was my choice of school. I need to make sure everybody knows that.
I have eternal life and I'm in fellowship with God and Jesus and all of a sudden I fall silent. Does crickets I don't tell anyone.
I'm a shout it to the rooftops when God blesses me with something. I don't get print it to him. But God blesses me with a spouse or God blesses me with a child. But all of a sudden I get quiet. silent
I have fellowship with Jesus and God the Father.
And you can too if you don't already.
You also can have this eternal life. You also can have what? What is Promised in John?
And if you get it and you get the holding you you're going to want to tell everybody in his crazy. You start saying things. You never thought you'd say to people you never thought you talked to. You can make fun of you little maybe but that is what it is what it is.
You should be absolutely nothing standing in the way between you and the proclamation of your savior. Jesus Christ between you and sharing that eternal life with others.
So there are families at during the holidays. They are.
They get together and it's like world war three half the time.
My family gets along pretty well, but there's families that when they get together, it's it's it's bickering and fighting and gossiping and just anger with each other.
And when you bring someone around your family, I don't know if you've ever done this but when you bring someone around your family and I got let me prepare you here. Here's what you waiting for.
Here's what my mom's like mirrors with my dad look like you're the one Brothers like here's my I mean warned you about crazy cousin insert name here. Crazy Cousin Carl. That's crazy, Cousin Carl.
I'm going to prepare you before you enter my family's home. I'm just going to I'm going to apologize for crazy Cousin Carl right now, cuz right now it's going to be a warranted apology.
Families gossip in the snare and they they they they butt heads and they bicker and argue and you can't choose your family. You don't get to choose who you're related to.
He convinced he's in verse 3. John is going verse 3 and I I skipped over this a second ago talking about the fellowship with with Jesus Christ in his and his father. Beginning 2 verse 3 says that which we have seen and heard we Proclaim also to you so that you two may have fellowship with us.
Are far too many people here that are far too many people in the church has a hole. There are far too many people self-proclaimed Christians. They don't ever experienced or even desire fellowship with other believers.
We hang out with are real families and want to see them and they are mean half the time. and some of us feel the same way about about our church family. And it's unfortunate, but people are people.
When we call him father.
When we come to that eternal life. He brings us into his family as his adopted children. We are his. and therefore we are siblings. You're my sister and you're my brother. My brother my sister my sister and my brother. I'm not going to point but one of you is crazy Cousin Carl.
I'ma let y'all figure out which one that is.
This Fellowship. This love is intimate relationship that we're supposed to have with Jesus Miss intimate relationship that we have with the father when we accepted eternal life. Is this same word he use for this intimate relationship in Fellowship. We are to have with the church body.
We are supposed to have that same connection with the people to your left in your right.
We are supposed to have that same connection with each other. We should have the desire to be here. We should just be ecstatic that you're here and that you've accepted Christ and that we're brothers and we're sisters. We should be ecstatic that that you are going to heaven and you're going to have it on to get to spend the rest of Eternity with you. I'm not talking about the rest of the next however long you don't until you fire me as your pastor I get to take you into eternity. We could hang out forever. Maybe I'm crazy Cousin Carl. I don't know. All right.
This Fellowship is John is talking about his not being in here and socializing we can socialize inside the walls of the church. That's not Fellowship. That's no different than what we do at work. That's no different than what we do. Bojangles really have no idea. I don't need a Bojangles on the way.
Did Fellowship among the Believers this is spending time together in God love. Not talking about the game last night. It's not talking about what we did all week. When I can be a part of it. But this Fellowship that we're supposed to have within the church and as Believers in Jesus disfellowshipped, we have should revolve around him should be about him. We should be able to talk about the things of him like I get to do with that group yesterday. We sit down and we get to talk about God we get to talk about Jesus and it is amazing.
I am closer with those guys. So I've been hanging out with for about 4 months. Now. I am closer to those guys that I am with people that I have known for decades.
Because it is built on Jesus. It is built on Christ. It is Bill on my and their eternal life together.
It's Fellowship, but I'm talking about is a spiritual discipline. I know you've heard me talk about spiritual disciplines. But this is this is essential. This is something that we should be doing in the Christian faith to not only build each other but to grow in our own faith our own relationship with God. We don't we're not designed. We're not meant to do it on her own.
But John doesn't finish out this introduction with just that I feel like I've been a lot. or not but now he finishes out strong and verse 4 inches and we are riding these things so that our joy may be complete.
Our joy may be complete. Swinson what you're telling me is that if I know Christ I have eternal life and in through that knowing through that Fellowship through that relationship with him. Through that I am in communion with him and the father and I mean communion with my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, and that should bring me so much joy my choice to be complete because I shouldn't need nothing else.
But yeah, we walk around here like someone's drug us through the mud. We walk around here angry and bitter and and just upset. Because so and so did this or so and so didn't do this we walk around here with no joy that some of you may say this is what my password will put it on your face lets your face know it that you have joy in here.
But what I'm going to guess is that you're lacking that Joy. You liking that joy for a reason?
Do not be deceived exam in your life examine you our relationship with God examine your relationship with Jesus Christ.
I'm not saying you're not saved but what I am saying, it's how are you not finding the joy in that Fellowship in that communion? How are you not following finding the joy in the end in the time that we had with each other. In the alone time in the private time that you have with the father. and his son
and the fact that it's promised the holy spirit is inside of you. How do you not find a join that?
Where is your joy, do you have any?
Is your joy found in the material things in this life?
Or is it found in the knowledge of the eternal life of Christ?
Are you deceived?
Are you proclaiming Christian Christianity when we really what you're doing is just mimicking with the person next to you is doing.
There a story after story after Story of people who have served in the church for years, but never knew Jesus Christ. There are pastors who went through the station and went through the steps of of actually being ordained and never knew Jesus Christ.
I could be good at church and not know Jesus. It's Church things really not that hard. What we're here what three hours a week consistently. So all I got to do is put on a happy face with 3 hours a week sweep the floor and Surf and I am good at this.
That's not what it's about.
Are you going through the steps so that you can follow these these these indicators of what a successful Christian is or
Or I mean at least have you started with the first step. That's servant's heart is important in that serving others is what is key, but have you started with the first step?
I'm actually knowing Jesus Christ. The rest of John is going to be really difficult if if you hadn't hit step one.
It really is. I mean I'm excited about it because I love first John.
I ordered you to examine your your relationship with Christ this morning.
I pray that you find comfort and you find peace. But you know. But you have eternal life. Yep, and when you know it. I pray that you find that Joy. I pray that your joy is complete.
Is that communion with the father and the son and with each other even crazy Cousin Carl that joy that communion is so joyful. Nothing that compares not even a new motorcycle. I know that relates to literally the entire crowd but Nothing, nothing material compares. two deputies or Joy found an eternal life through Jesus Christ
look at the end of service. I always open the altar. I don't care how long you been in the church.
What I said this morning and you say you know what I've been deceived. I don't know Christ walk up here.
Check the ego at the door. If that's not why you need to come up here if you need to come up here because you need to find your joy again. Come up here.
We have people that will pray for you. I'll definitely be up here.
This is not a scary thing to be up in front of the church.
If it is scarier than you are gripped by fear. And then I would question. If you have that fellowship with Jesus in the father.
Please bow your head. God says John 3:16 for God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Please examine where you were living your life. Please examine your relationship with Jesus. Do you know of Christ or do you know him?
Have you seen him or you in fellowship with him?
If you don't know Jesus. If you don't have that eternal life. Come and talk to me. I'm going to be here.
I said I don't care. If every person in this church wonders why you're walking up here. That doesn't matter. Father I thank you for your son Jesus in The Obedience of your people. I thank you for honoring every letter written in the scripture. I thank you for the word that you have given us today. And I thank you God for the opportunity to share it. But I pray that you will lead those in here who do not know you to truly examine their faith break out of the fear Lord and come forward come to know you. I pray for the desire of everyone here that the desire for them to find that complete join that fellowship with with not only you Lord, but that was shipped at the church.
I pray for the desire for them to pursue you honestly and excitedly passion. Are we love you? We want to honor your word and love you through keeping your Commandments of loving you with all of our heart mind strength and soul. Our neighborhoods are so got the hearts in the wheels of everyone here Lord. Guide their decisions that they need to make keep us safe and give us strength to share your message to the community around us in Jesus name we pray. Amen.