1,225, that's 1,225. It's the first book of 1 John chapter 1. So 1,225.
That's 1 John chapter 1. And we're going to read verses 1 to 7.
1 John chapter 1, verse 1.
To be able to share fellowship with the Lord's people here is always a privilege.
And I want us to look together at 1 John, and particularly the first few verses of that
particular letter that John wrote.
I wish I was there. I wonder if you can look back perhaps to an event in history,
and you say, well, if only I could have been there. I would just love to have witnessed it
with my very own eyes. If only I could have seen, or maybe it's a sporting event.
And you can look back and say, wow, what an atmosphere. What a kind of situation this must
have been in. We thought all was lost, and then suddenly everything was changed, and our team
won. I wish I was there. I suppose we all have moments like that, when we can look back and say,
I wish I was there. And somehow we feel because we weren't there, we've missed out.
Yes, we've read about it. Yes, we've read about it. We've heard about it. But because we weren't there,
we've missed out. And I suppose there are people in the world today, and we may be among them,
who say that they've missed out because they weren't present when Jesus walked here upon earth.
It must have been wonderful to be where Jesus was. People who visited the Holy Land, they look around
and they see various places, and they try to imagine what it would have been like in Jesus' day.
To be among the shepherds who went to the stable. To gaze at the infant Jesus, to look at Mary and Joseph,
and to worship. It must have been great to be there. To be there when the wise men visited,
bringing their gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. And we may say, well, I wish I'd been there.
It must have been quite a spectacle. Or, I wish I'd been there when Jesus preached his sermon on the mount.
I'd have loved to have been there when he spoke about the prodigal son, and how the lost son came back,
and how the father embraced him. I wish I'd have been there to hear from the lips of Jesus these
wonderful stories. I wish I'd have been there when he was crucified.
And then, a few days later, I wish I'd been there to look into the empty grave.
I wish I'd been there to see the risen Christ.
I wish I'd been there.
And you may feel, well, you've missed out because you weren't there.
And yet I want to remind you of words that were spoken to Thomas all those years ago.
Thomas, because you have seen, you have believed.
Blessed are those who have not seen, yet believe.
Believe.
Now, John wants to show us that we haven't missed out because we weren't there.
John writes, and he tells us that he's seen Jesus, he's touched Jesus,
that he's heard Jesus with his very own ears.
And he wants us to enjoy fellowship as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ,
as though we had been there.
You see, John is the last surviving member of the apostles.
He didn't know what it was like to be actually present during Jesus' ministry.
But he was passing from the scene of time.
And he wants the believers to know that they can have the truth.
And knowing that truth, no matter what age they might find themselves in,
to know Jesus and to walk with Jesus by faith
was to have life that was abundant and everlasting.
Somebody has said he wrote his gospel,
that men might have eternal life.
And he writes his epistle,
that they might know beyond a shadow of doubt
that they had that eternal life.
So John writes his epistle.
And he needed to write it.
He was writing to people that hadn't been present.
He is getting towards the end of his life.
And as he writes to these people who weren't there,
there were others who were attacking them.
There were a group of people called the Gnostics.
And they thought that they had an understanding of the truth,
as others didn't have.
They were attacking the ordinary,
in inverted commas, believers,
who they considered lesser mortals than themselves.
They had arrived at true knowledge.
But their teaching was false.
They didn't have a right understanding of who Jesus was.
But John is determined to show them the real Jesus,
the authentic Jesus.
And that knowing this Jesus was to have eternal life.
John says,
in effect,
you haven't missed out.
And so as we look at these verses together,
we have to notice that John introduces to us
the historical Jesus.
See what he says in chapter 1 and verse 1 of his epistle.
He says,
that which was from the beginning.
It's a similar start, isn't it,
to John's Gospel.
In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
John is introducing us to the central person,
the central character of the Gospel,
even our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
And he doesn't want anybody to be left in doubt
as to who this person is.
And so he shows us
that the one who came into the world,
this historic Jesus,
is none other than the one
who was eternally God,
who became man.
Before the world existed,
the Lord Jesus was.
But the Word became flesh
and dwelt among us,
John says in his Gospel.
And John and others had come to believe
that Jesus was indeed
God made flesh.
Right at the beginning
of Jesus' ministry,
John heard Jesus,
he saw Jesus,
and he touched Jesus.
He had a first-hand knowledge
of the Lord Jesus Christ.
He was an eyewitness.
But he was an eyewitness
to the fact
that this one who was born
was none other
than God manifest in flesh.
The God-man.
And so when John testifies,
he testifies of him
who was from the beginning.
Him who was from eternity.
But man
who could be reached
and touched
and heard
and seen
with the physical eye.
Earlier on,
John had been arrested
along with Peter.
And in Acts chapter 4
and verse 20,
we find him answering
those who said to him,
John, be quiet.
Peter, be quiet.
Don't speak anymore
about this Jesus
and the resurrection.
And they had replied,
we cannot help speaking
about what we have seen
and heard.
How could John be silent?
And he continues
to the end of his days
telling us
of this real, authentic,
historical Jesus.
His message was the same,
of course,
as the Apostle Paul
who writes in 2 Corinthians
chapter 4 and verse 6.
For God,
who said,
let light shine in darkness,
made his light shine
in the hearts
to give us the light
of the knowledge
of the glory of God
in the face
of Jesus Christ.
That's a historical Jesus.
The glory of God
is seen in the face
of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And we ought to be lost
in wonder,
love,
and praise
as we see
this historic Jesus
by faith.
The God-Man.
But John saw
in this historic Jesus
the God-Man
who gives life.
He tells us
in verse 2,
the life appeared
and we have seen it
and testify to it
and we proclaim to you
the eternal life
which was with the Father
and has appeared
to us.
John saw
in Jesus
the God-Man,
but he also saw him
as the one
in whom was life.
He was the very
word of life.
He was the
eternal life.
Eternal life
was to be found
in him.
Later on
in his epistle
chapter 5
and verse 20
he says
he is the
true God
and eternal life.
Life was found
in a person.
Eternal life
was found
in this Jesus.
The one
who was truly God
who became
man.
It's the epistle
isn't it
of eternal life.
And every believer
no matter what age
they find themselves
in
can have
the very life
of the Lord
Jesus Christ
in their life.
Christ
in the believer
and the believer
in Christ.
He is the vine.
we are the branches
and in him
we bear fruit
because his life
is in us
abundant
everlasting
eternal life.
The one
who is eternal
the one
who conquered
death
and the grave
as man
is the only one
who can give us
this eternal life.
life
that life
is in the person
of the Lord
Jesus Christ.
See what he says
in 1 John 3
and verse 9
No one
who is born
of God
will continue
in sin
because God's
seed
remains
in him.
He cannot
go on sinning
because he has been
born
of God.
The very life
of God
in the soul
of man.
So the historic
Jesus for John
is not only
the God-man
but the God-man
who gives
this eternal
abundant life.
And that abundant
life
that eternal life
cannot ever
be taken away.
His seed
remains
in you
and remains
in me.
But John
goes further.
He not only
introduces us
to the historic
Jesus as the
God-man
and the one
who gives
life
but he actually
tells us
that we can
enjoy fellowship
with him.
Verse 3
We proclaim
to you
what we have
seen and heard
so that you
also may have
fellowship
with us
and our
fellowship
is with the
Father
and with his
Son
Jesus Christ.
Notice the
train of thought
that he has
here.
This chain
that exists.
We have
fellowship
with John.
We have
fellowship
with John
but also
with the
Lord Jesus
Christ
and with
the Father.
We proclaim
to you
what we have
seen and heard
so that you
may have
fellowship
with us
and with
the Lord
Jesus Christ
and with
the Father.
A wonderful
fellowship
exists
amongst
believers
of all
ages.
We may
be comparatively
small as far
as numbers
go
but we are
part of a
number that
is being
made up
which we
will be
unable
to count.
A number
that no
man can
number
we are
told
in
Revelation.
And we
will be
made up
called
from all
lands
and all
countries
and all
kinds
of
backgrounds
brought
into
fellowship
with the
Lord
Jesus
Christ.
Brought
into
fellowship
with the
Father
through
the
Lord
Jesus
Christ.
Enjoying
that
oneness
and that
unity
in
him.
And the
wonderful
thing is
that though
we may
belong to
clubs
etc.
in this
life
and the
day will
come when
we will
be removed
because of
death or
moving away
to another
area
so that
we are
no longer
a member
of this
football club
or this
particular
organization.
our names
will be
removed
but our
names will
not be
removed
from the
church of
the Lord
Jesus
Christ.
There is
a hymn
that says
that we
enjoy
mystic
sweet
communion
with those
whose rest
is one.
The church
is one
and that
fellowship
that we
enjoy
so that I
can have
fellowship
if you like
with John
because his
fellowship is
with the
Father and
with his
son the
Lord Jesus
Christ.
I can
enjoy
fellowship
with the
things that
he believed
and that I
can believe
so that I
have not
missed out
and neither
have you
missed out.
Jesus
introduces
this
historic
Jesus
to us.
So it
asks the
question.
Do you
know the
one
who is
with the
Father?
One
who is
eternal
with the
Father?
Do you
enjoy
the
wonderful
gift
of eternal
life
in the
one who
was made
flesh
and dwelt
among us?
Do you
enjoy
the
fellowship
of the
Lord's
people?
Do you
enjoy
fellowship
with the
Father
and with
the
Son?
Or are
you still
saying,
if only
I had
been
there,
I too
would
believe?
My friends,
we don't
have to be
there to
believe
and to
enjoy
fellowship.
So John
introduces
a historic
Jesus.
But John
also
introduces us
to the
one he
knew
intimately.
This
wasn't a
far-off
Jesus.
It was
one he
had an
association
with.
And in the
latter part
of verse
one, he
brings it
home to
us when
he says,
which we
have heard,
that which
was from
the beginning,
which we
have heard,
which we
have seen
with our
eyes,
which we
have looked
at,
and our
hands have
touched.
John
was
there.
We hear
that John
heard
Jesus.
And of
course there
was that
physical
hearing.
There were
times when
Jesus took
his disciples
apart and
taught to
them personally.
He addressed
them in
an intimate
way.
John
enjoyed the
blessing of
hearing the
very words
of Jesus
with the
physical ear.
He'd heard
Jesus when
he was there
by the lake
of Galilee.
Follow me.
And he'd
left his
nets and
followed Jesus
that he
might be a
fisher of
men.
He'd
heard Jesus
speaking to
Nicodemus
saying,
you must
be born
again,
Nicodemus,
if you
would have
life.
He heard
Jesus
addressing
the multitude,
come to
me,
all you
who are
weary
and burdened.
He heard
Jesus
saying,
suffer
little
children
to come
unto me
and forbid
them not
for of
such is
the kingdom
of heaven.
he was
actually
present
when Jesus
went to
the home
of Jairus
and reached
out and
touched that
little girl
and said,
little maid,
arise,
little maid,
get up.
He was
present.
He heard
Jesus
physically.
He heard
Jesus speak
about the
parable of
the sower.
He listened
to Jesus'
instruction
as the
5,000
were miraculously
fed.
He heard
Jesus say,
I am
the door.
I am
the good
shepherd.
I am
the resurrection
and the
life.
He heard
those things
physically.
John says,
I'm declaring
to you
someone I
actually
heard.
but it
was more
than just
a physical
hearing for
John.
And that's
what I want
to bring
home to
you this
morning.
There
wasn't
just the
physical
hearing,
was there?
There was
that spiritual
hearing.
The words
of Jesus
meant
something
to John.
They were
words that
affected
his heart.
They had
dropped,
if you
like,
the vital
length.
From the
head
to the
heart.
And John
believed
from the
heart.
His ears
were open.
He had
been
effectually
called,
if you
like,
from his
nets,
follow me.
And he
hadn't just
heard physically,
he heard
spiritually.
And he
left all
and followed
the Lord
Jesus.
But others
heard Jesus
and it
made
absolutely
no
difference
at all.
And we
can easily
illustrate that.
There's a
passage in
John chapter
6.
And in
John chapter
6,
Jesus is at
the height
of his
popularity.
Thousands
are flocking
to hear
him.
And in
John 6
and verse
35,
he announces
to those
crowds,
I am
the bread
of life.
And if
you come
to me,
you will
never go
hungry,
and you
will never
be thirsty.
Of course,
Jesus is
speaking in
spiritual
terms.
Because he
goes on
in that
same passage
to say,
this bread
that I'm
talking about
is my
flesh,
which I
will give
for the
life of
the world.
For my
flesh is
real food,
and my
blood is
real drink.
Whoever
eats my
flesh and
drinks my
blood remains
in me,
and I
in him.
Now here's
this vast
crowd.
They're hearing
Jesus physically.
Among them
are the
5,000,
no doubt,
who had
enjoyed a
feast that
Jesus had
miraculously
provided.
But they
didn't
understand
what Jesus
was saying.
How can
this man,
verse 52,
give us
his flesh
to eat?
Of course,
Jesus was
speaking of
his death
at Calvary.
He was
saying,
in effect,
if you
want to
have life,
you have
to come
to me.
For if
you eat
the bread
that I
offer you,
you will
live forever.
The words
that I
am speaking
to you,
they are
spirit,
and they
are life.
They
heard.
And then
in verse
66 of
John chapter
6,
we get
these words,
from that
time,
many of
his disciples
turned back
and no
longer
followed
him.
They
heard
physically,
but they
did not
hear
spiritually.
It
made no
difference.
They
heard,
but
rejected.
They
were
present,
but it
made no
difference.
What about
John?
Well,
when many
turned away,
Jesus
turned to
the
apostles.
And he
says to
them,
in John
6 and
verse 67,
you do
not want
to leave
too,
do you?
And
Peter,
speaking for
the others,
including
John,
says,
Lord,
to whom
shall we
go?
You
have the
words of
eternal
life.
we
believe
and know
that you
are the
Holy One
of God.
What was
the difference
then between
John's
hearing
and the
crowds?
Well,
there was
the hearing
by faith.
There was
the spiritual
hearing.
Their ears
had been
unstopped
to hear
the message
of salvation,
to see
that Jesus
Christ was
the bread
of life
and that
in his
death
was life
for them.
My
friends,
how are
you listening
to the
Lord Jesus?
If only
I had been
there,
you say,
but people
were there
and it
made no
difference,
but we
today can
hear him
by faith
and take
hold of
him
and know
this
historic
Jesus
as our
Lord
and Savior.
The
spiritual
hearing
so that
you might
say today
in 2015,
I have
hurt.
But John
goes on
and says
he actually
saw
Jesus.
You think
you put this
first,
before the
hearing,
but it
shows how
important
the word
of the
Lord is.
John,
however,
saw Jesus.
Now we
don't have
a physical
description
of Jesus.
He is
described
in Isaiah
53 and
verse 2.
He had
no beauty
or majesty
to attract
us to
him.
Nothing in
his appearance
that we
should desire
him.
So I
would suggest
if Jesus
walked through
Karageline
today,
it wouldn't
mean that
people
automatically
believed
in him.
It just
wouldn't
happen,
no more
than it
did in
the days
when Jesus
walked here
upon earth.
They might
see,
but not
believe.
And again,
there is the
physical
seeing which
is different
to the
spiritual
seeing.
And again,
we can
illustrate it
from John's
own gospel.
In John
chapter 9,
we have a
blind man.
And Jesus
puts clay
on this
man's eyes.
And after
washing in
the pool
of Siloam,
this man
is able
to see.
Physically,
he had
sight.
He could
look up
at the
sky and
the trees
and the
flowers,
and he
could look
at people.
Who has
done this
miracle in
his life?
Well,
he recognizes
that it
must have
been a
prophet who
had opened
his eyes.
But he
needs to
see something
more.
Later on,
he's brought
into touch
with the
Lord Jesus.
He looks
upon
Jesus.
And Jesus
says to
him in
John 9
and verse
35,
Do you
believe in
the Son
of Man?
Who is
this man?
Well,
Jesus
identifies
himself as
that man.
He
identifies
himself as
the Messiah.
And another
miracle takes
place.
For his
spiritual eyes
are opened.
And we
read in
verse 38
of John 9,
Lord,
he says,
I believe.
And he
worshipped
him.
He saw
with the
physical eye,
but he
saw with
the spiritual
eye.
His
physical
eyes were
opened
opened,
that he
might see
spiritually
who
Jesus
was.
Of course,
there were
others present
that day,
the Pharisees
among them,
and we're
told that they
remained
spiritually
blind.
These men
thought they
saw.
They were
Moses'
disciples.
They were the
religious
authorities.
eyes,
but they
didn't see
Jesus
as the
Messiah.
They didn't
see him
as God
made flesh.
They were
blind to
eternal
things,
blind to the
fact that
God had
been made
flesh and
was living
among them.
And it
was a
terrible
blindness
not to
see Jesus.
Jesus.
And there
may be
somebody here
this morning
who says,
if only I
had seen,
I would
believe.
Would you?
I don't
know.
But you
weren't
living then.
But you
can believe
today.
You can
believe by
reaching out
to him.
and seeing
him as
he's revealed
himself in
scripture.
You can
know him
by the
spirit working
in your
life,
showing you
him.
We spoke
of Thomas
earlier on.
If I
can only
see, he
says,
the nail
prints,
and put
my finger
into those
nail prints,
and put
my fist
into his
side,
then I
would
believe.
And then
Jesus is
present.
Thomas,
because you
have seen,
you believe,
blessed,
happy are
those who
have not
seen,
yet believe.
So have
you seen
Jesus?
Have your
eyes been
opened by
the Spirit
of God?
Have you
a testimony?
John had
a testimony.
Remember,
how he
gone to
the
empty
tomb?
And he
looked in,
and we
have his
testimony.
He saw
the empty
tomb.
And the
Bible says,
he saw
and
believed.
Have you
believed?
And the
final thing
that John
tells us
here,
is that he
not only
heard Jesus,
he not only
saw Jesus,
but he
had touched
Jesus.
Physically,
John had
actually leaned
against Jesus
at the
Last Supper.
This
apostle had
had physical
contact with
Jesus.
During the
three years
he had been
with Jesus,
he had
listened,
he had
seen,
he had
touched.
Jesus,
we know,
was a
tactile
person.
He often
reached out
and touched
those who
would be
regarded as
the
untouchables
of the
day.
He reached
out to
people.
On many
occasions,
he'd taken
children to
himself.
He touched
them.
And John
had touched
Jesus.
And to
touch
Jesus
would have
made a
difference,
wouldn't it?
Well,
not always.
Again,
it's not too
difficult to
look at an
illustration of
this from the
Scriptures
themselves.
in Luke
chapter 8
and verse
40 onward,
we have a
story of a
sick woman.
She'd had a
hemorrhage for
12 years.
She'd spent
all her
money and
various quacks
using the
remedies of
the day.
But rather
than get
better,
she got
worse.
And Jesus
was on
his way to
Jairus'
house.
He'd had
an emergency
call.
And as he
makes his
way there,
the crowds
were jostling
him.
But this
woman,
she reaches
out and
she touches
Jesus.
And Jesus
asked the
question,
who
touched
me?
And the
disciples
think it's
such a
ridiculous
question.
Peter said,
Master,
the people
are crowding
and pressing
against you.
Lots of
people are
touching me
and yet
you're asking,
who touched
me?
Well,
there was
someone in
the crowd
who was
reaching out
by faith.
It was
more than a
physical
touching.
It was a
spiritual
touching.
She reached
out.
And that
touch of
faith
made a
complete
difference
to her
life.
She was a
changed
person.
The
hemorrhage
ceased.
And the
Lord commends
her for
her faith.
Now,
we have
not heard,
we have
not seen,
and we
have not
touched
Jesus
physically.
But John
is saying
to us
very clearly,
I'm telling
you about
this Jesus
who I
have seen,
that I have
heard,
that I have
touched.
and I'm
writing this
so that you
might have
fellowship
with me
and with
the Lord
Jesus Christ
and with
the Father.
And we
write this,
he says,
in 1 John
chapter 1
and verse 4,
to make
our or
your joy
complete.
So,
in conclusion,
let me say
this,
we have
not missed
out
because we
weren't
present.
Oh,
no.
We can
still hear,
we still
see,
and we
can still
touch by
faith.
Oh,
it requires
a miracle
of the grace
of God.
it requires
a miracle
of the
new birth
for our
deaf years
need to
be opened
and our
blind eyes
need to
be opened.
And we
need to be
given the
gift of
faith to
believe
and to
reach out
to him.
Seek it
with all
your
hearts.
grace.
But we
can receive
all this
wonderful
gift of
grace.
This
wonderful
gift of
eternal
life.
We can
receive the
miracle of
the assurance
of eternal
life through
faith.
So,
reach out
today while
you have
the opportunity.
And enjoy
fellowship with
the Father
and with
his Son,
the Lord
Jesus Christ.
Who John,
all those
years ago,
heard saying,
I am
the way,
the truth,
and the
life.
No man
comes to
the Father
but by
me.
So,
in him
is one
who is
the truth,
who is
the life,
who is
the way.
May we
know what
it is to
come to
him through
faith,
that we
might know
the Father
and enjoy
fellowship
forevermore.
Let's pray
together.
Father,
thank you
for the
historic
Jesus.
thank you
that we're
not following
a fairy
story.
We're
following
the truth.
We're
following
one who
said,
I am
the truth.
Thank you,
gracious and
eternal God,
that we have
in your
word these
wonderful
stories of
Jesus.
And these
are written
that we
might
believe.
these are
written that
we might
know
eternal
life.
So bless
us each
one.
And if
there is
one here
this morning
who has
not trusted
in the
Lord,
we pray
that their
ears will
be unstopped.
We pray
that their
eyes will
be opened.
We pray
that they
will be
given the
gift to
reach out
and take
hold of
Christ.
And this
we pray
in Jesus'
name.
Amen.