Well, this past week, I was listening to a 55-0 old recording between Apollo 13 astronaut
Jack Swigert and NASA mission control, Houston.
Swigert, okay, Houston, we've had a problem here.
Houston, this is Houston.
Say again, please.
Swigert, Houston, we've had a problem here.
We've had a main B bus undervolt.
And with that, the Apollo 13 mission shifted from landing on the moon to getting these three astronauts home without dying.
The Apostle John, in 1 John, by the way, John is the disciple whom Jesus loved.
This is the writer of the book of Revelation.
He would have been in his 80s when he wrote this epistle, 1 John.
So if you're not there yet, please turn to 1 John.
Well, he's writing to a group of churches in what's present-day Western Turkey.
These would have been a lot of the same churches in Revelation 2 and 3.
Ephesus, Sardis, Philadelphia, Phrygia, Laodicea.
And he's writing to these Christians in the late first century.
And he's saying, okay, churches, we've got a problem.
The essence of the problem was false teaching.
Now, if you're in 1 John, let me show you.
In 1 John 2, verse 26, look what he says.
And now, little children, oops, I write these things to you about those.
This is verse 26.
I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.
And look at chapter 4, verse 1.
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God.
For many false prophets have gone out into the world.
So there was this influence on these churches in Western Turkey at the end of the first century of these false teachers.
In the false teaching was running along three different lines.
We see it in chapter 3, verse 7.
Little children, let no one deceive you.
Whoever practices righteousness is righteous as he is righteous.
Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil.
From the devil has been sinning from the beginning.
So here's the lie that was going on.
The lie was going, hey, you can be a follower of Jesus and do whatever you want in your lifestyle.
It doesn't matter.
That was the lie.
That was the deception.
You can do whatever you want, whenever you want, with whoever you want.
It doesn't matter.
The second line of deception we see in chapter 2, verse 9.
Whoever says he's in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness.
If you claim to be a follower of Jesus, walking in the light of God, and yet hate your brother,
whether that's some kind of flat-out denial or some kind of downplaying,
it's a lie.
What we'll see as we move through 1 John is we must be loving one another, those born of God.
So that's the second lie.
But the primary root falsehood we see in chapter 4, verses 2 and 3.
We read,
By this you know the Spirit of God.
Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.
And every spirit that does not confess Jesus has come in the flesh is not from God.
The root issue, the falsehood that was the kind of the headwaters of all these other lies,
was a denial that Jesus had come in the flesh.
A denial of the incarnation.
Okay, churches, we've got a problem.
Today, there is a downplaying or denying even of the need to live moral, holy lives in obedience to Jesus.
Today, there is a downplaying and even a denying of the need to love all who've been born of God.
And certainly today, there is a denial of who Jesus truly is,
whether that's that He's fully God or fully man or both fully God and fully man.
Then there are denials.
I mean, that's why we have cults.
Jehovah's Witnesses deny the deity of Jesus.
In the first century, the Apostle John writes into this problem.
That's why we have this epistle, this letter.
He's writing to all these churches.
It's a circular letter.
He's seeking to pastor them through this problem.
But it's more complicated than what I've told you,
because look at chapter 2, verse 19.
They went out from us, but they were not of us.
For if they had been of us, they would have continued with us.
But they went out.
The church had been splintering.
People were leaving over these issues.
I don't know about you, but if I was living in the first century and seeing this happen in my own church,
with people I love, I'd be discouraged, shocked,
questioning whether this whole Christianity thing is true,
and questioning whether I was truly born of God.
John writes to assure these Christians in these churches in the first century and us
of who Jesus truly is and what it means to belong to him,
which now brings us to verses 1 through 4.
In 1 John 1, 1 through 4,
John starts this letter seeking to convince these churches of this one truth.
Jesus is our life.
Five points.
You can see it in your bulletin.
Five points to help you see the case John is making,
that this Jesus is our life.
You got life?
You got Jesus?
First point.
This Jesus is fully God.
Notice where John begins his letter.
1 John 1,
that which was from the beginning.
And we got to ask,
well, which beginning is this beginning?
And it is the beginning.
As in Genesis 1, 1,
in the beginning.
John begins this letter by starting off at creation.
Why start there?
Look at the end of 1, 1.
Concerning the word of life.
That which was at the beginning concerning the word of life.
Remember John 1, 1?
The gospel of John?
In the beginning was the word,
and the word was with God,
and the word was God.
That word, word,
is the Greek word logos.
Ultimate expression.
The full and final communication of reality.
It's a reference to Jesus.
He is the full and final expression of God.
And notice,
at the end of verse 1,
it is,
he is the word of life.
That word life is repeated a few times
in these first two verses.
And what's being said here
is that Jesus is the full and final expression of God,
the eternally existent,
second person of the Trinity,
and the source of eternal life.
And not just length of days.
Quality of life.
I have come,
I came,
that they might have life,
and might have it abundantly,
John 10, 10.
What's interesting about Jesus
in that little phrase,
eternal life,
is how he defines it.
If you flip back in your Bibles
to the gospel of John,
to John chapter 17,
in verse 3,
Jesus is praying a prayer
to his heavenly Father.
It's the high priestly prayer.
And he defines eternal life for us.
And this is eternal life.
That they know you,
the only true God,
and Jesus Christ,
whom you have sent.
That they know you.
What is striking about this definition
of eternal life
is that he defines eternal life
as in terms of being
in relationship with God.
To know God.
And Jesus.
Through Jesus.
So in chapter 1, verse 2,
we have the word of life,
which is the eternal life.
Did you see that?
Let testify to it
and proclaim to you
the eternal life.
And this eternal life
was with the Father.
Distinct from God the Father,
yet fully God.
We're in the deep end of the pool.
Verse 3,
we learn that the word of life
is not only distinct
from the Father,
but he goes
by a name.
Jesus Christ.
John starts his letter
in the beginning
showing us that Jesus
is fully God.
Apparently,
the late, great coach
Vince Lombardi
started every
Green Bay Packers season
with a team meeting
at which he would
hold up a football
and say something
to the extent of,
this is a football.
And what he would be saying
is it all starts with this.
This ball is the object
of winning
or losing the game.
The Apostle John
is pointing to the
eternally existent
second person
of the Trinity,
the Son,
Jesus Christ,
and he's saying
it all starts
with Him.
Do you know
what it would mean
for your salvation
if Jesus was not
fully God?
Your sins would not
be forgiven.
Because we sin
against a holy,
eternal God,
we must pay
a just
and eternal penalty.
And the only payment
to satisfy
God's eternal wrath
is an eternally
just
and satisfying payment.
What John
will later say,
you'll use the word
propitiation
for that.
But because Jesus
is fully God,
His payment
on the cross
for your sins
and mine
have completely
satisfied
God's eternal wrath.
there is therefore
now no condemnation
for those who
are in Christ Jesus.
Because God's wrath
has been paid
in full.
This Jesus,
He is fully God
and this Jesus
is our life.
Point two,
this Jesus
is fully man.
Not only is Jesus
fully God,
He is fully man.
If you're part
of King's place,
totally God,
totally man.
Remember,
this was the
issue at hand
in this region
in the first century.
There was heresy
saying that Jesus
who had not come
and was part,
became flesh.
So look what John
explicitly does
in chapter one,
verse two.
The life,
the word of life,
was made
manifest.
And we have
seen it
and testified to it
and proclaimed to you
the eternal life
which was with the
Father
and was made
manifest
to us.
That little phrase,
that verb,
made manifest,
is saying something
really important.
this eternal life
which was
with the Father
has now been
made manifest
to us.
The us,
of course,
if you're wondering,
is the apostle
John speaking
on behalf
of all the other
apostles sent out
by Jesus
who had seen Him,
touched Him,
sent out by Him.
But what is this
made manifest
business?
John is taking
his apostolic
bazooka,
loading it up
on his shoulder,
setting his sights
on it,
and he's taking
a Christological
doctrine missile,
dropping it
into his bazooka,
and this thing
is a powerful
cluster bomb
of truth
that he's going
to aim at
this false
teaching
of there not
being an incarnation
and he's going
to eradicate it
from these churches.
Look how he does it.
There are seven
statements
in this passage
in which he
makes a case
that there is
in our incarnation.
Look how he does it.
He starts by saying
that which was
from the beginning
which we have
heard
with our own ears,
which we have seen
with our own eyes,
which we
have touched
with our own
hands.
That word touched,
the way to think
about it is
imagine a blind
person going up
to someone
to feel their
face,
to delicately touch
in order to know
and to identify.
It's that kind
of intimate
touching.
You're familiar,
you know
to touch
concerning the
word of life.
The life was
made manifest.
We have seen it.
Verse 3,
we have seen
and heard.
That gets at
what this
made manifest
means.
It's the second
person of the
trinity,
the eternal
word of life
breaking into
time and space
and taking on
flesh that can
be seen,
heard,
and touched.
What John is
talking about
is the incarnation.
John is
claiming,
this is part
of his case,
that he
himself had
personally
sensory
experience
with the
eternal
word of life
made manifest
in the flesh.
John didn't
hear about
Jesus through
a big game
of telephone.
He had
first-hand
experience.
He had
heard and
touched and
saw the
incarnate
eternal
word of life,
Jesus.
And the
emphasis here
is on sight
over and
over again.
Seen,
looked,
saw.
It's an
eyewitness.
Now, if you
wanted to get
credible testimony
in a court of
law to make
your case,
you're going to
find a reliable
eyewitness.
And John
is that.
So what
exactly had
John heard,
touched,
seen?
Let me
remind you
of some
things.
John had
heard all
of Jesus'
teaching.
John was
with Jesus
at the
beginning of
his three-year
itinerant
ministry.
He heard
everything that
Jesus taught
and he saw
people marvel
at his
teaching.
Do you
remember at
the cross
what Jesus
said to
John?
first he
says to
Mary,
behold,
this is
your son
and to
John,
behold,
your mother.
That's the
John writing
this.
He heard
that.
Just think
about what
John had
touched.
According to
John 13,
it was John
who had
leaned against
Jesus at
the last
supper.
Tender.
It was
John who
Jesus spoke
to after
his resurrection
and said,
see my
hands,
my feet,
that it is
I myself,
touch and
see.
This John
had touched
the resurrected
body of
Jesus Christ.
Just imagine
what John
had seen.
Miracles,
Jesus' death,
burial,
Jesus'
resurrection,
Jesus'
ascension.
And
could you
imagine what
he had seen?
He's writing
50 years
afterwards
and what's in
his mind
is as clear
as day.
he had heard
and touched
and seen.
Remember that
Vince Lombardi
quote?
This is a
football.
John is
pointing to
Jesus and
saying,
this Jesus
is fully
God and
fully man.
It all
starts with
him.
If Jesus
were not fully
man, do you
know what that
would mean
for your
salvation?
salvation,
it would
mean that
he would
not have
been able
to fully
represent you
as a
perfect,
sinless
representative
on the
cross.
It means
he would
not be able
to identify
with you
in every
single way.
It means
that his
perfect life
of righteousness
would have
been a
sham.
You can't
impute that
to someone
now.
He lived
a sinless
perfect life
because he
was human.
He could
give it
to us.
The fact
that Jesus
is fully
God and
fully man
makes him
the perfect
mediator
between God
and man.
He is
alone the
perfect
savior
of sinful
men and
women.
There is
therefore
salvation
in no one
else.
Because this
Jesus is
fully God
and fully
man.
The eternal
word of
life was
made manifest
in the
flesh to
be our
one and
only savior.
This Jesus
is fully
man.
This Jesus
is our
life.
Which brings
me to point
three.
This Jesus
is who we
proclaim.
He is
our message.
What do you
tell people?
What are you
telling people?
Where are you
telling them to
find life?
Do you notice
in chapter 1
verse 2
life was made
manifest and we
have seen it
and testify to it
and proclaim
to you the
eternal life.
John Stott
helped me see
this this week.
That word testify
means to have
a personal
experience and
you tell somebody
about it.
So maybe you're
thinking right
now well man
I haven't seen
Jesus in person.
I haven't heard
his audible
voice.
I haven't touched
him.
I don't have
personal first
hand experience
like that.
Well maybe you
don't but if
you have bowed
your knee to
Jesus you have
had a personal
experience with
Jesus.
you are not
the same of
what you were
before coming
to Jesus.
You've been
radically changed.
You have a
personal experience.
You've got
something to say
because he's
changed you.
That word
proclaim carries
a sense of
commission of
being sent out.
You may be
saying well I'm
not an apostle
like John but
you have been
sent out by the
risen Jesus by
virtue of the
great commission.
Go make
disciples.
We're all sent
out.
You have
experienced him
and you've been
sent out by him.
That's why we
don't proclaim
ourselves but
him.
Fully God
fully man who
was sent to die
in the place of
sinners.
That's the
message of the
apostle John and
all of the
apostles.
That's the
message entrusted
to us that we
proclaim to
others and call
everyone everywhere
in light of
that Jesus.
That Jesus
repent and
believe.
The main verb
of these four
verses shows up
in verse 3.
That which we
have seen and
heard we
proclaim also to
you.
Proclaim.
Announce.
We proclaim
Jesus.
Why?
Why him?
He's the
life.
The eternal
life.
The word of
life.
And he is the
hope of all
nations because
he alone offers
eternal life both
in terms of length
and quality.
Salvation is in
no one else.
Remember John
17 3.
Salvation is
talked about in
terms of
relationship to
God.
We announce
Jesus to
people to
repent and
to believe so
they enter into
a right
relationship, a
saving relationship
with the living
God through the
Son.
Eternal life is
a personal
relationship with
God through
Jesus.
So let me ask
you a question.
What are you
telling people?
Who are you
talking about?
Who are you
telling people to
go find life
in?
Flip back in
your Bibles to
1 John 5.
Maybe this will
make it all the
more clear.
1 John 5
11 through
13.
And this is the
testimony that
God gave us
eternal life.
And this life is
in his Son.
Whoever has
the Son has
life.
Whoever does
not have the
Son of God
does not have
life.
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.
This Jesus is
who we proclaim.
He is our
message because
he is the
life.
This Jesus is
our life.
Point four.
This Jesus is
who we share.
in verse three
we have the
first of two
what's called
purpose statements.
We see them in
the words so
that.
Look with me.
Verse three.
That which we
have seen and
heard we proclaim
also to you so
that for the
purpose of you
too may have
fellowship with us
and indeed our
fellowship is with
the Father and
with his Son
Jesus Christ.
The purpose of
our proclaiming
Jesus is
fellowship according
to this verse.
So what is
fellowship?
It's the Greek
word koinonia
and it's
describing a
kind of
relationship.
A kind of
relationship with
someone else that
is deep and
meaningful and
aimed.
It's deep
because when you
have koinonia
with someone
you're getting
down to what
matters most.
What's most
important and
it's meaningful
because not only
are you sharing
what's most
important.
People are
sharing with
you what's
most important
to them.
It's so good.
It's so meaningful
but it's also
aimed.
What matters
most aims
you.
Let me give
you two examples
of this from
this past week
in my life.
Thursday night
I had dinner
with a brother
and if you
walked into
the restaurant
and saw us
sitting together
you'd be like
what are they
doing together?
Different
ethnicity than
me.
Wears different
kinds of
clothes.
Speaks different
than I speak.
He's from a
different part of
the country.
He's experienced
all sorts of
hardship that I
have never
dreamed of.
But you know
what we had in
common?
The word of
life.
Jesus.
And all of
those differences
were petty
little differences
because we got
to fellowship
and together.
He encouraged
me.
I encouraged
him.
So here's this
person that I
would have no
business with
outside of Jesus.
And here we are
sharing a meal
together.
Talking about
Jesus.
another example.
Yesterday
morning at
625 AM I'm
doing my
devotion.
I'm writing
2 Corinthians
12 9.
Talking about
his grace is
sufficient for
you.
For in
weakness his
power is made
perfect.
I'm writing
that bling
bling bling
to my parents.
Hey mom and
dad.
Dad.
I got their
DNA.
I grew up in
their home.
Went on
vacations.
There's things I
do because they
built them into
me.
These are some
of the closest
people in my
life.
We've got a lot
in common but
you know what
we got to
talk about?
Jesus.
What means
most to me
about my
relationship
with my
parents is
that they
love Jesus.
I don't take that for granted.
And so here we have in the span of 48 hours
me fellowshipping with a man
it makes no sense outside of Jesus.
And then here I am fellowshipping with my mom and dad.
We could have talked about a whole lot of different stuff.
There's so much in common.
But what matters most is Jesus.
When it comes to fellowship
Jesus is the life center of our relationships.
And in this passage there's a horizontal dimension
so that you too may have fellowship with us.
So we experience a degree of fellowship
based upon whether either of us are loving Jesus.
And there's also this vertical component
and indeed our fellowship is with the Father
and with His Son Jesus Christ.
Fellowship
in verse 3
is the way John is talking about salvation.
We have a relationship
with God and His Son.
That vertical fellowship
is a salvific relationship.
fellowship.
And it flows out into our relationships with others.
So our fellowship with one another
begins with our fellowship with God
our Father through the Son.
And as we go through 1 John
you're going to notice that
this fellowship is spoken of
in familial terms.
Father, Son,
children.
we're one family
in the Lord
united
with Jesus
our life.
So what are you focusing on
when you get together
with other Christians?
There's a place to talk about football.
There's a place to talk about food,
family,
stuff going on at church,
things going on politically
in the country.
Of course there's things
to talk about like that.
But what are you getting
to what matters most?
Are you getting to Jesus?
What He's doing in your life?
Are you finding your time
with other Christians
building you up in the Lord?
Or is it a missed opportunity?
How do we do this together?
Well it begins with us all
each
abiding in Jesus.
That's where it all starts.
Going deep with Jesus in prayer.
Receiving meaningful words
from Him about Him
and lining up
what matters most
to His mission.
And when we're all
doing that together
we're going to fellowship
in Jesus.
This Jesus is who we share.
This Jesus
He is our life.
Five.
This Jesus is our joy.
Our joy
producing
life.
Second purpose clause
is in verse 4
and we were writing
we are writing
these things
so that
our joy
may be complete.
The our
in verse 4
is John's joy
as well as
the Christians
in all of these churches
in western Turkey
in the end of the first century.
Their joy.
It's
an all together
our joy.
A shared joy.
What is
joy?
Helpful distinction
is talking about
happiness
as a gladness
that's dependent
upon your circumstances.
As your circumstances
change
so does your happiness.
Joy
is a gladness
that's dependent
on Jesus.
Jesus
and because
Jesus
is the same
today
yesterday
and forever
it's possible
to find fullness
of joy
in Him
regardless
of how hard
or unhappy
your circumstances
are
because your joy
is in Jesus.
In John 15
Jesus talks
about Him
being a vine
and we are the branches
if we abide in Him
and Him in us
we will bear
much fruit.
He goes on
to talk about
how that fruit
glorifies
the Father
in Heaven.
If you would turn
to John 15
verse 11
I want you
to see something
what comes
of abiding
in Jesus.
Verse 11
these things
I have spoken
to you
I am the vine
you are the branches
if you abide in me
and I in you
you will bear
much fruit.
These things
I have spoken
to you
that
purpose clause
my joy
Jesus joy
may be in you
and that your joy
may be full
complete
full and complete
joy
comes as a result
of abiding
in Jesus
the eternal
word of life
made
manifest
in the flesh
which means this
no one can
steal your joy
but you can
shoot yourself
in the foot
we can believe
lies
for example
if you believe
that Jesus
is somehow
less fully God
or less fully man
you will have
diminished joy
because fullness
of joy
is believing
in who Jesus
fully is
fully God
fully man
if you think
somehow
that obedience
to Jesus
in all areas
of your life
is somehow
optional
you can do
whatever you want
whenever you want
to do it
you will have
diminished joy
because true joy
fullness of joy
is fully obeying
Jesus
in all that
he commanded
his commandments
are not burdensome
we love him
with our obedience
if you are not
abounding in love
for those born
of God
it will result
in diminished
joy
because our
fullness of joy
is to love
others as Jesus
for the joy
set before him
loved us
by giving himself
for us
that's
the these
things
he's writing
about
believe all
truth
about Jesus
fullness of joy
obey all
the commands
Jesus has called
us to obey
fullness of joy
abound in love
for all those
born of God
through the blood
of Jesus
fullness of joy
this Jesus
is our life
he's our joy
the apostle
Paul
or John
is basically
saying okay
churches
we've got a
problem
there's a false
teaching
there's another
Jesus being
preached
so he says
this Jesus
I preach
is fully
God
this Jesus
is fully
man
this Jesus
is whom
we proclaim
this Jesus
is who
we share
and this
Jesus
is
our
joy
Christ
the King
Church
this Jesus
is our
life
let's pray
God in heaven
would you do
a work by
your spirit
in us
and that we
see Jesus
fully
that we
obey him
and all that
he commands
that we
love one
another
regardless
of what
each of us
looks like
or do
or live
with an
abounding
love
all for the
glory of
Jesus
and the
joy
that's in
him
in your
name we
pray
amen