Well, I'd like to begin by thanking those of you who let us, Pastor David and I, spend the last several days, Wednesday, Thursday, Thursday, and Friday at the Together for the Gospel Conference.
Of godly men and hear gifted communicators expound on the scriptures.
In many ways, it was a humbling experience, but also a blessed experience.
So thank you for letting us get away.
Any of you who have spent time away from home, whether you're a mom or whether you're a dad, understand that when one of the two of you are gone, sometimes there's some misbalance in the house.
Things aren't quite the way that they should be.
You know, there's a stabilizing force that comes when either mom or dad are both together.
And so riding back in the car yesterday reminded one of the pastors that was riding with us was just sharing with me some of the challenges that were happening in his own home because he was away.
And then also being reminded of some of the challenges my own wife had with our children.
And just sometimes the hardship of that.
Dealing with kids when mom or dad are not around.
You know that as a parent, there's a desire for there to be joy for your kids.
That's the end game, right?
Your desire is to introduce to them the kinds of experiences that are going to lead them to wholesome and lasting joy.
You want to help in their behavior, but that's secondary to the ultimate goal of helping them be more like Christ.
And so what that means is in your desire for joy for your family, sometimes there are those seeming moments of contradiction.
Where someone who was looking from the outside would say,
Whoa! Are you really looking for joy in your home?
Is that really the objective?
Because that sure didn't seem very joy worthy, that moment in your family.
But you know that if you have a love for your kids, and if that love is true and deep,
that sometimes it brings you to the point of saying,
Stop! Don't put your hand on that stove!
It's too hot.
You're going to burn yourself.
Or you're walking across the street, and there have been moments where we're making our way to a restaurant,
and one of the kids is moving ahead, and you see the car coming.
He's like, Wait! Stop!
And in that moment, there is the severity of the instruction and the sounding of the warning that goes out.
It's a sounding of warning because of a deep love for your child.
And what seems to be severe, what seems to be harsh, what seems to be a bit strong in its force,
is coming because of the ultimate desire for the preservation and the joy of that child.
Well, this past week, there were some moments in our home of trying to preserve joy.
And it was interesting, yesterday, and it's hard not to be specific.
Oh well, poor little guy is going to get sold out again.
You find that in moments of severity, it is in the moments of severity that often lead to the fullest joy.
Yesterday, Timothy was watching a show, a cartoon.
And it's a cartoon that kind of the life stories of Jesus, and the story was about Bethlehem.
And he asked me the question, What does Bethlehem mean, Daddy?
And I says, Well, Bethlehem is the house of bread.
And he said, Well, that's really interesting because Jesus says, I am the bread of life.
And he was born in Bethlehem.
And I just sat back and, Wow, where did that come from?
What a connection!
How did that happen?
And it was because in the previous day, through a disciplined moment,
the question posed for my wife was, What are some of the names of Jesus?
What are some of the things you know about him?
And one of those names that came up was, I am the bread of life.
It is through the, sometimes the severe moments of correction and punishment,
the hard words that seem to pierce, are the moments that lead to the fullest joy.
Last week, our introduction in 1 John introduced us to a couple of purpose statements of this apostle for us.
So if you would, please open your Bibles to 1 John chapter 1.
I want to just read through verses 1 through 4 as an introduction.
And then we'll move into verses 5 to 10 as we begin our study.
But I want to remind us of some things so that we know what John's heart is.
Because from this point on, in our study of the gospel, of this letter of 1 John,
it will be one hard thing after the other.
It will leave us wondering, John, do you really care about us?
I thought you were the apostle of love.
I thought you cared about our joy.
And John will say, that's exactly why I'm doing this.
That's exactly why I'm sharing these hard words with you.
It's because I want your joy.
So let me read for us verses 1 to 4.
Here's what it says.
That which we have seen and heard.
Proclaim to you.
So that you too may have fellowship with us.
And indeed, our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ.
And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
There are two of the four purpose statements in this letter.
Two of the purpose statements are found in those three verses.
John wants us to understand front and center why he is writing this letter to this church of Ephesus.
Why he writes this letter to us.
What is the point?
What is the Holy Spirit trying to accomplish in your life and in my life through the instruction that He'll give through this letter?
The first purpose statement is there in verse 3.
Notice what it says.
That which we have seen and heard.
We proclaim to you.
Why?
What does it say?
That you may have fellowship with us.
And indeed, our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ.
I write this to you because I want you to enjoy and experience true fellowship.
Without Jesus Christ, there can be no community.
Without Jesus Christ, there can be no genuine fellowship.
Without Jesus Christ, your hopes for a relationship that will last, that will go any deeper than the surface,
you have no hope of that kind of relationship apart from Christ.
But with Christ, you can have true fellowship.
True fellowship with God and true fellowship with God's people.
That's what Christ came to do.
He came to restore what was broken in the fall.
Jesus came to correct the sin, the damage that Adam and Eve did in Genesis chapter 3.
He came to correct all of those things for us so that the isolation and the rejection,
the alienation that we rightly deserved and experienced,
the hostility of God on sin,
He came to correct that issue.
He came to make things right with God.
He came to reconcile us and to make us new with Him
so that we could experience fellowship.
Are you experiencing fellowship with God today?
Not just some casual relationship.
Not just some, I talk to God once in a while kind of thing.
But would you qualify your relationship with God as something that's intimate?
Something that's sweet?
Something that is continual?
Like, I just can't get enough of Him.
That's the spirit you get from John.
Even though Jesus was now in heaven at this point of the writing,
He was so caught up with the experience of Jesus,
He just can't help but explain the enthusiasm that He has to the church of Ephesus.
It is the kind of experience that He had because He was able to touch and hear and see and behold Him.
But in a way, He wants this church to understand what He had in practicality,
what He had in the physicality,
can also be experienced spiritually with Him today.
Even though the church of Ephesus would never come to know Jesus personally
in terms of a physical relationship,
it was something that they could know.
Something that they could have for themselves.
And He wants them to taste of that,
to know that, and to have that.
That's the purpose,
one of the purposes of writing this letter.
I want you to know the sweetness and intimacy of knowing our Savior.
The second purpose statement is there in verse 4.
It says,
And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
John wants you to experience joy.
Not superficial joy.
He wants you to experience enduring, lasting, hope-filled joy.
The kind of joy that will carry you through.
The kind of joy that will overcome the various circumstances of life.
Maybe not surprisingly,
the time where Jesus talks about joy the most
happens to be the night before He is crucified.
Of the eight times that He mentions joy in the Gospel of John,
seven of them occur in John 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17.
This time where He's spending the last final moments with His disciples
before His crucifixion.
How can anyone talk about joy in a time like that?
How can anyone promise future joy to a group of disciples
who in a very short period of time
are going to walk through some sorrow, some grieving,
some departure of the one that they loved?
And that this is the moment,
the very moment where Jesus chooses
to select out this special topic
to talk about joy and to promise joy to them.
It's because joy comes from the Spirit.
Joy comes from God Himself.
And so joy overcomes any of the circumstances
or situations in which you find yourself.
And as John is reflecting on his experience with Christ,
and as he's looking at this church,
what he wants for them is to experience joy.
Not just knowledge of God through some academic exercise,
but he wants them to know true fellowship with God
through this intimate experience with Him and with His people.
But it's through this fellowshipping experience,
it's cultivating this joy that just overflows from their life.
The satisfaction that they can't get any other way.
And with that in mind,
that leads us now into a more difficult topic
that we're going to begin to find in verses 5 to 10.
Throughout the course of this message,
what I want to do is,
I want to demonstrate,
or maybe I should say,
I want to ask for God throughout the course of this message
to really do a work in our lives,
to help make His Word abundantly clear.
So I'm just going to pause at this time.
I'm going to pray for us.
We're going to move from one point to the next
and probably use prayer as a way,
as a hinge,
to get us from one point to the next.
So let me pray for us,
and we'll move to this next point.
Amen.
God, it is our desire this morning
to lift up the glory of Christ,
to be people who are pursuing passionately
an experience with You,
a fellowshipping experience with You
that is cultivated with You
and flows into our relationships with one another.
Lord, we want to enjoy fellowship that comes from God.
This unity of experience
because of having been placed into Christ,
the work of Your Holy Spirit
in making us one,
one people.
And Lord, we also want to understand
and know Your joy.
We want it to be personal.
We want it to be practical from day to day.
We want it to carry us, Lord,
just like it carried Jesus Christ,
who for the joy set before Him endured the cross.
And so whatever our experiences are this morning, Lord,
I pray that Your joy would be tangible,
would be real,
would be personal,
and that it would be such a radiant testimony
in this world
that it beckons others
to want the same hope that we have.
So Lord, as we look into Your Word,
as we understand where You want us to be,
You want us to be in fellowship,
and You want us to be people
who are experiencing joy.
So now, Lord, help us
as we look at Your Word,
know how that joy comes.
We pray in Jesus' name.
Amen.
So verse 5
carries us to our first point this morning.
It's what it says.
It says,
This is the message we have heard from Him
and proclaimed to you
that God is light
and in Him is no darkness at all.
What does a life of fellowship with God look like?
What does an abiding life produce?
How do we enter into fellowship with God?
How do we experience the joy that He has for us?
Well, we must first understand
the supreme standard of fellowship.
What is the supreme standard of fellowship?
That's our first point this morning.
John says,
This is the message we have heard
and proclaimed to you
that God is light.
Those are the words you would have expected to see there?
Maybe we fit better.
God is love, right?
Isn't that what we need to know?
That God is love?
Certainly that's what Jesus came to demonstrate.
For God so loved the world
that He gave His only begotten Son.
And that is important.
John will not miss that point later on.
That's coming in 1 John 4, 8, 9, and 10.
God is love.
But the first words,
pen to ink,
coming from Apostle John,
is not God is love.
The first thing I want you to understand
is there is a standard here.
There is a supreme standard of purity.
I want you to know
this is not something you deserve.
I want you to recognize
the unapproachable nature of God.
The unapproachable nature of God.
That's where He begins.
Are you gripped
with the unapproachable,
unapproachableness,
of your God this morning?
Are you blown away
by the fact that He is
so immense
and so pure
and so holy
that you couldn't even begin
to have a relationship with Him
if He had not bridged the gap?
Are you gripped
by your own personal standing
of where you are
in this whole mix?
Do you understand
the significance
of the fact
that God is light
and in Him
is no darkness at all?
The Greek here
actually wants to emphasize this.
He says,
there is no darkness,
not even a hint.
It is only purity,
only radiance,
only majesty,
only holiness.
That's our God.
John.
I think why he is so
amazed
at the accessibility
of God
because he has come
to appreciate
the unapproachableness
of God.
John wants us
to understand
the impossible
standard
of his moral excellence.
And there is not
a subtle shift
that takes place
between verses 1 and 4
and now in verses 5 to 10.
It's clear
in verses 1 to 4
that John is talking
about Jesus.
He's talking about
that which we have heard
and seen
and looked upon.
That's Jesus.
He's there
in flesh and blood.
We can see Him.
We can experience Him
personally.
But now he wants
to make a dramatic shift
in verse 5
instead of just talking
about Jesus.
Now he wants us
to recognize
the true character
of God Himself.
The desire
is here
to make a clear
connection
that he's going
to continue to address
throughout the rest
of this letter.
That God is
distinct from us.
Don't imagine
that fellowship
with God
can be achieved
on your own.
God is
unapproachable.
John is so
caught up with this
He actually begins
His gospel
in much the same way
calling attention
to the life
and the light
of Christ.
He says in
John 1.4
In Him was life
and the life
was the light
of men.
The light shines
in the darkness
and the darkness
has not overcome it.
He is untouchable
in this quality
of light.
light.
And as we make
our way through
this letter
we'll see
the distinguishing
marks
of the light
that God
will produce
in the lives
of His people
if there's
genuineness
to them.
If there's
authenticity
in their lives.
Why the connection
between life
and light?
I think it's
because
as John
is thinking
about what
does a true
life look like.
Jesus lived
the life
that He
intended
for all of us.
He was the
true life
that was set
in front of us
as the model
for how to live
and how to really
experience
the kind of joy
and power
that comes
from those
who are walking
with God
and surrendered
to the Holy Spirit.
That is life.
the only life
really lived
since Adam
and Eve.
Every other
life is a life
that is given
to death
and given
to darkness.
Jesus'
was the only
life that was
pure
in every way.
That is the life
He wants us
to experience.
Life
and light
of Christ.
Not only
is Jesus
the creator
of life
but He is
the embodiment
of life
and He is
the giver
of true
spiritual
life.
You want to
experience life?
You got to go
to the source.
You got to go
to God
as the source
of life
and light.
So there is
an unapproachable
nature of God
but there is also
the unblemished
life of Christ.
The unblemished
life
of Christ.
That's our next point.
we just spent
several years
walking through
the gospel
of John
and seeing
the life
of Christ
up close.
Several years
ago
there was
the movie
The Passion.
Any of you
have watched
that movie
there are so
many things
to be said
about that movie
just the
grotesqueness
of the crucifixion.
But what my
own heart
was gripped
over
was the
purity
of Christ
through
that entire
experience.
No other
period in
Jesus'
life
was the
details
of those
final events
chronicled
in such
a way.
We have
more
about the
last 24
hours of
Jesus'
life
than any
of his
previous
ministry.
history.
And as I
look at the
chronicle of
his life
I wonder
for myself
how long
would I
have lasted
even in
that 24
hour cycle
before something
would have
snapped in
me.
Think about
all that
Jesus
experienced
in that
last 24
hours.
There he
is in
the upper
room
bending
down to
wash the
feet of
those
disciples
who
continued
to
compete
with
one
another
about
who
is
more
important.
I
think I
wouldn't
even
last
into
that.
And
then there's
Judas
who thinks
he's full
in Jesus
Christ
about what
he has
in mind.
And
Jesus
dismisses
Judas
and says
go do
what you're
going to
do
Judas.
Go
ahead.
Get
busy.
And
there's
the
protesting
Peter.
No
Jesus
you're
not
going
to
wash
my
feet.
Oh
really
Peter
who do
you
think
I
am?
Who
are you
talking
to
Peter?
Or
they're
on
the
way
to
the
garden
of
Gethsemane
and
those
conversations
that are
taking
place
and
the
disciples
don't
have
a
clue
what's
coming.
Jesus
had
told
them
many
times
what
to
anticipate.
They
finally
get to
the
garden
and
there
they
are
and
Jesus
is
just
having
a
heart
to
heart
conversation
with
them
and
says
can
you
just
pray
for
a few
moments
here.
He
goes
away
to
pour
his
heart
out
before
the
father.
He
comes
back
and
they're
all
asleep.
This
happens
on
three
different
occasions
and
not
once
does
Jesus
demonstrate
any
carnality
of his
heart.
just
continues
to
faithfully
and
lovingly
encourage
them
to
the
task.
And
there
comes
this
band
of
those
who
would
think
they're
going
to
manhandle
Jesus.
And
with a
word
they all
fall on
their
backs.
But
Judas
still has
the
audacity
to come
and kiss
Jesus
on the
face
right there
in front
of them
all.
And
there's
Peter
again
flying
off
the
handle
cutting
off
ears
and
in a
tender
moment
Jesus'
willingness
to reach
down
scoop
up
Malchus'
ear
and
have
a
little
healing
ceremony
right
there
on the
way
to
his
trial.
Standing
in front
of
all the
people
that
should
know
better
Caiaphas
and
high
priests
there
they
are
accusing
Jesus
of
blasphemy
when
here
they're
looking
at
their
God
in
the
face
slapping
and
hitting
and
plucking
his
beard
and
then
Pilate
has
the
audacity
to think
that he's
actually
the one
in
charge
Jesus
I
could
call
down
a
legion
of
angels
who
do
you
think
you
are
Pilate
and
then
the
decision
between
Barabbas
and
Christ
to
let
that
wicked
man
go
and
there
you
are
on
the
cross
mocked
by
the
two
thieves
that
are
side
by
side
enduring
the
same
penalty
as
you
and
still
in
tenderness
forgiving
and
looking
forward
to
having
one
of
those
thieves
with
you
in
paradise
moment
by
moment
I'm
gripped
by
the
purity
of
Christ
at
any
of
those
moments
my
own
flesh
would
have
reeled
up
raised
up
but
Jesus
demonstrating
faithfully
and
consistently
a loving
compassion
for
people
and
then
in
the
final
moments
to
say
Father
forgive
them
for
they
know
not
what
they
do
to
look
forward
to
God
working
in
hearts
and
lives
of
the
very
people
who
put
you
on
the
cross
this
is
the
beautiful
unblemished
life
of our
Savior
who
bridged
the gap
for us
who
demonstrated
that
although
God
was
unapproachable
that
through
Christ
in
fulfilling
all the
demands
of the
law
we
could
have
access
through
faith
in
him
the
beauty
of
our
Savior
who
through
love
and
compassion
and
submission
and
control
and
tenderness
and
faith
and
patience
and a
heart
full
of
forgiveness
demonstrated
the
purity
that
was
running
through
his
life
meeting
every
demand
of
God
for
him
and
for
us
this
is
our
God
coming
next
to
the
disqualifying
effects
of
sin
we
find
here
in
verse
6
let me
read
that
for
us
so
moving
now
from
the
supreme
standard
of
fellowship
to
the
disqualifying
effects
of
sin
how do
we
experience
joy
how do
we
experience
fellowship
with
God
that's
where
we're
moving
here
we need
to see
who
he
is
and
now
we need
to get
a
hard
look
at
ourselves
recognize
the
significance
of
sin's
effect
in
our
lives
let
me
pray
oh
God
as we
continue
to work
through
this
passage
we
continue
to pray
for your
Holy
Spirit
to give
us
sensitivity
help
us
not
ever
to get
to the
point
where we
think
that
we're
beyond
this
we
thank
you
for
your
Holy
Spirit
that
he
is
a
spirit
who
convicts
and
even
now
Lord
we
pray
that
our
hearts
would
be
tender
and
open
and
sensitive
to
your
work
may
we
not
grieve
the
spirit
may
we
not
quench
the
spirit
help
us
to
listen
to
the
spirit
in
these
moments
we
pray
in
Jesus
name
amen
we
find
in
verse
6
and
8
and
10
three
different
characters
three
different
responses
to
sin
now
these
aren't
the
only
responses
to
sin
but
these
are
the
ones
that
John
brings
to
our
attention
this
morning
the
first
is
found
in
verse
6
here's
what
it
says
if
we
say
we
have
fellowship
with
him
while
we
walk
in
darkness
we
lie
and
do
not
practice
the
truth
indifference
now
John
asked us
a question
this morning
as we were
worshipping
the question
went something
along this
along these
lines
I don't think
I'll have
the exact
words
but
the question
was something
that said
how many
of us
think
we've
arrived
right
and we
all would
nod our
heads
a hearty
yes
none
of us
think
we've
arrived
maybe
a
complimentary
question
which would
get to
the heart
of what
John
is
dealing
with
here
is
how
many
of
us
care
you may
know
where
you are
but
do
you
give
a
rip
and
do
you
give
a
rip
enough
to
do
something
about
it
there's
a lot
on the
line
John
is
trying
to
help
us
understand
what
a
true
fellowshipping
community
looks
like
and
what
a
false
fellowshipping
community
looks
like
which
community
do
you
belong
in
those
who
are
indifferent
are
not
in
the
community
that's
the
message
here
and
then
you
begin
to
say
okay
we've
got
how
much
how
many
months
do
we
have
of
this
I'm
not
sure
how much
of this
I can
take
but
remember
this is
for
your
joy
John
wants
you to
experience
joy
today
you
cannot
experience
joy
until
you
have
fellowship
with
him
you
cannot
fellowship
with
him
if
you
are
indifferent
about
your
sin
if
we
say
we
fellowship
with
him
while
we
walk
in
darkness
we
lie
and
do
not
practice
the
truth
he
uses
some
words
here
that
he
continues
to
work
with
throughout
the rest
of
his
letter
now
we've
kind
of
titled
this
series
the
abiding
life
fellowship
we've
talked
about
walking
he
uses
that
word
here
in
verse
6
this
walking
in
darkness
this
is
the
heart
of
one
who
is
inclined
to
sin
is
walking
down
the
path
is
quite
happy
with
the
condition
of
how
things
are
is
moving
in a
direction
that
is
not
in
the
direction
of
God
it
would
be
different
from
the
kind
of
life
that
we
find
in
Galatians
chapter
5
where
it
says
walk
in
the
spirit
and
you
will
not
fulfill
the
lust
of
flesh
it's
not
that
life
it
is
the
kind
of
life
that
is
walking
and
is
quite
happy
with
its
journey
a
journey
that
is
away
from
God
that
is
satisfied
and
settled
in
its
sin
!
how many
of us
are there
this
morning?
How many
of us
are okay
with a
critical
spirit?
How many
of us
are okay
with
firing off
our mouths
at our
family
when we
feel angry
about various
things?
how many
of us
are okay
with not
continuing
to cultivate
that love
relationship
with Christ?
How many
of us
are okay
with keeping
our lips
shut
about the
gospel?
How many
of us
have things
at work
we know
are wrong
but it's a
whole lot
easier just
to kind
of go
with the
flow
and not
buck
the
system?
how many
of us
have those
private
sins
in our
lives
that we've
just
learned
to be
okay
with?
We can't
be indifferent
about sin
if we want
to fellowship
with God.
Maybe the
first step
this morning
is to
come clean.
Come clean
with somebody
that you
love.
Come clean
with someone
who know
will hold
you accountable.
confess your
sins one
to another
so that you
might be
healed.
You want
to experience
the healing
of God
in your
life?
Maybe
this is
the day
to put
away
the
indifference
and start
living
in obedience.
That's the
first group.
The second
group is
in verse
8.
I call
it the
group who
is deceived.
The group
that's deceived,
here's what
it says.
If we
say we
have no
sin,
we
deceive
ourselves
and the
truth is
not in
us.
Okay,
so this
is the
group of
individuals
and in
John's
day,
there was
this heresy
known as
Gnosticism
where they
kind of
separated the
material and
the spiritual
parts of
your life.
they
thought my
physical
life,
it can
do
whatever
it wants
to do,
I can
indulge in
the flesh
just as
long as
my spiritual
life has
arrived.
That was
one extreme.
The other
extreme was
to say,
okay,
I'm going
to live
such a
regimented
life that
I'm going
to avoid
every indulgence,
every
fleshly
delight,
and I'm
not going
to participate
in certain
things,
so it
became very
legalistic
in nature.
Either way,
there were
some in
that group
who had
said,
I finally
arrived.
I've sinned
in the past,
God has
forgiven me
for those
things,
but now
things are
good.
I'm where
I need
to be
spiritually.
John is
trying to
help them
understand,
the Christian
life is a
broken life.
the Christian
life is a
humble life.
The one
who is
really
pursuing
God,
and the
closer you
get to
the sun,
the darker
the spots
in your
life become.
You understand
the blemishes
in your own
heart and
life.
The spotlight
has been
shining,
and now
there's
nothing but
exposure in
your life.
And as
you submit
yourself to
the exposing
light of
God,
you recognize
those things
that you
were comfortable
with before,
you're not so
comfortable with
now.
That's how
the Apostle
Paul could
say,
I'm the
chief of
sinners.
It's because
the closer he
got to God,
the more he
understood the
significance of
sin in his
own life.
And that's
what John's
trying to
combat here,
is the
sense of
deception
that you
have arrived
spiritually.
And again,
we might not
ever say
that vocally,
but we do
that functionally
when we decide
that there's no
more progress
to be had.
John wants
us to
understand,
if you want
to experience
joy in the
presence of
God,
you need to
continue to be
broken as
people.
And then
finally in
verse 10,
we've
encountered the
indifferent and
the deceived,
and now we
encounter in
verse 10 the
defiant.
The defiant.
It says,
if we say we
have not
sinned, we
make him a
liar, and
his word is
not in us.
These would be
the people who
would say, I
have never
sinned.
I've not
sinned in the
past, I've
not sinned
currently.
And we
would say,
how could
anyone ever
come to that
kind of
conclusion?
In every
sense of the
word, this is
a hopeless
group.
But to
turn the
spotlight on
ourselves, we
might never be
so foolish as
to say this,
but functionally,
this is how we
act when we
choose not to
forgive.
This is how
we act when
we choose to
hang on to
bitterness.
You look at
somebody else's
sin, and you
see all of the
grotesqueness about
that, and you
think of yourself
that you are more
worthy, and they
are less worthy
because of the
things taking place
in their life.
And Jesus deals
with this.
He says, don't
even think that
if you ask for my
forgiveness, but
you are unforgiving,
that there's any
forgiveness offered
to you.
Don't think that
there's never any
point in your life
where there is not
sin taking place.
Recognize your
bankruptcy.
Don't make God
into a liar.
Look at the
audacity of that.
And now he
begins to turn the
spotlight on the
hope that we find.
That's the
darkness, the
difficulty of our
own personal
situation.
But now we can
look at the
abiding life with
God.
What does it look
like?
What does this
abiding life with
God look like?
Let me pray for
us.
God, as we look
at this, give us
hope.
Help us to see
that there is hope
in Jesus.
There is forgiveness
in Jesus.
There is cleansing
in Jesus.
Thank you for
Jesus.
We pray.
Amen.
First we find the
abiding life with
God is a life of
fellowship.
We see that in
verse 7.
Verse 7.
If we walk in
the light as he
is in the light,
we have fellowship
with one another.
In the blood of
Jesus Christ, his
son cleanses us
from all sin.
Now, that is a
surprising conclusion.
That's not how I
would expect this
verse to go.
It says, if we
walk in the light as
he is in the light,
we have fellowship
with one another.
Now, I would
expect we have
fellowship with him,
right?
That's what you
would expect to go
in this verse.
But John wants us
to understand that
something is going
on here.
That fellowship
with God
necessitates and
overflows into
fellowship with
God's people.
You cannot
believe yourself
an abiding life
person if you're
okay with not
fellowshipping with
God's people.
sanctification.
You see, the
church is the
context for
sanctification.
This is the way
that we grow up
into Christ.
It only happens
as we're together.
It only happens
as we're ministering
to and encouraging
and stirring one
another up to love
and good deeds
and doing all of
the one anothering
that God has
called us to.
It only happens
in the context
of community.
You see, this is
the place where
God has designed
all of those
things to happen,
the sanctifying
work of God
to help us be
more like Him
in terms of
shining His
light in this
world.
It only happens
in the church.
So if you're not
fellowshipping with
the church,
you can't grow
spiritually.
This is the
place where you
learn.
how difficult
love can be
at times.
And you learn
the significance
of pursuing
peace and
making things
right and being
held accountable
and serving
the body.
I've always
found it quite
interesting in the
scripture that
we're commanded
to do all of
the things that
the Holy Spirit
has gifted us
to do.
So for example,
we're commanded
to be hospitable
and yet
there's a
spiritual gift
of hospitality.
We're commanded
to be people
of mercy
and yet we
find in the
scripture that
there is a
gift,
spiritual gift
of mercy.
We're commanded
to share the
gospel with
other people
and yet we
find in the
scripture that
there's actually
a spiritual gift
of evangelism.
You ever wonder
why that happens?
It's because we
can't be like
Christ without
learning how it
works from the
Holy Spirit's
help as he's
gifted others to
do what we
cannot.
That make sense?
And so as we
spend time with
one another and
we see, oh,
that's what
effective evangelism
looks like.
Let me partner
with that individual
and learn this
process or that's
what hospitality
looks like.
Let me learn
from this
individual how
to be hospitable
or be a person
of mercy.
We can only be
like Christ in
fellowshipping
community.
God has designed
it that way.
It is a life of
fellowship.
It is a life of
sanctification.
We also find it's
a life of
cleansing.
A life of
cleansing.
We see that at
the end of
verse 7.
If we walk in
the light as he
is in the
light, we have
fellowship with
one another and
the blood of his
son cleanses us
from all sin.
What a wonderful
promise.
Cleansing that
comes from
Christ.
Being placed
into him,
into his death,
being placed into
his resurrection,
because of his
sacrifice on the
cross.
He experienced
the wrath of God
on the cross
for us.
And now because
of that,
the wonderful
exchange,
we exchange our
sinfulness for
his righteousness
and cleansing
comes through
forgiveness,
through faith in
him.
Now there is
freedom to
live,
truly live the
way God has
called us to
live.
And finally,
a life of
cleansing.
We see that in
verse 9.
If we
confess our
sins,
he is
faithful and
just to
forgive our
sins and to
cleanse us
from all
unrighteousness.
God's
grace.
Do you want to
experience fellowship
with God?
Do you want to
know the joy
that he has
for you today?
Do you want to
have that
experience of
fellowship with
God's people?
This is the
starting point.
It's the starting
point for us.
confession.
As we saw in
Isaiah,
in repentance
and rest is
salvation.
That's what we're
talking about here.
Confession and
repentance.
And so now,
I'm going to ask
for all of you
just to bow your
head.
And in these
moments,
as the musicians
come,
in these moments,
I'm going to ask
you to do what
we're called to do
right here in this
verse.
confess our sin.
Only then can
he forgive.
What is it
this morning
you need a
forgiveness for?
What is it
this morning that
will begin this
process of
helping to
get you on the
track of
fellowship with
him?
Let's spend a
few minutes.
I'll close this
in prayer.
And I'll turn it
over to the
worship team.
to lead us
in a song.
Lord, this
morning as we
have looked at
the unapproachable
light of
Christ,
we recognize
the alienation
that we
deserve.
Enemies of
you, hostile
towards you.
And God, we
thank you
that through
Jesus there is
access, there
is fellowship.
Fellowship with
you, fellowship
with your people,
forgiveness and
cleansing.
God, I pray
that you would
help us not
to be one of
those.
Create within
us a tenderness.
Create within
us a sense of
brokenness.
May there be
an active
obedience in
us to seek
accountability,
to confess
sin, to
restore broken
relationships,
to commit
ourselves to
ministry here,
to ministry of
this church,
but especially
ministry to
individuals.
May there be
in us a love
for you that
flows into a
love for your
people.
We praise you
in Jesus' name.
Amen.
This morning, if
there's anyone who
doesn't know
Jesus, I just
want to invite
you as we sing
this song to
come and we
want to introduce
you to this
fellowshipping life
of joy with
God.
We want you to
have it.
Maybe there's
some brokenness
here today.
Maybe some of
you are struggling
with various
things.
You just need
someone to carry
your burden.
we would love
to come alongside
you, pray with
you, and
encourage you
however we
can.
Maybe this
morning, some
of you say,
you know, I'd
like to just
take a step
here in
obedience.
I want to
acknowledge I
need help
spiritually.
And I want
this to be the
day where it's
clear, this
watershed moment,
I am determined
from this point
to make Christ
the Lord of
my life.
Maybe some
of you want
to follow
through in
obedience of
baptism or
become a
member of our
church.
We would
just like to
encourage you
to do that
as well.
But let's
stand as we
sing.
and I'll
continue to
with
a
little
to
see you
in