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.
They got their
DNA.
I grew up in
their home.
Went on
vacations.
They're 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.
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.
fellowship.
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.
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 four,
and we were
writing,
we are writing
these things
so that
our joy
may be
complete.
The hour
in verse four
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
altogether
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.
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.
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
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.