Knowing the True Jesus leads to True Joy

Daniel Stone

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Scripture Reading: John 1:1-5

Passage:1 John 1:1-4

Title: Knowing the True Jesus leads to True Joy

Intro: Good morning everyone. It is an honor to be here this morning. I do want to introduce a few special people this morning. I would like to introduce my mom and dad, Robert and Cindy Stone. They woke up this morning and drove from Crockett to be here. So I am honored to have them here with me and supporting me.

I also want to thank you for allowing me to be here. To introduce myself, and ask for you to prayerfully consider your vote later today.

But preaching like this is nerve racking for me. I am a text driven preacher, or maybe you have heard the term, exegetical preacher. That is when the preacher walks through a passage, and seeks to preach the Scripture. This means that the Pastor seeks to explain the text, and the true speaker, is the text. This way, I am not preaching my pet subjects, nor can I be accused of preaching directly at someone and their sins. Because I prayerfully pick a book of Scripture and preach that book.

So lets be honest, not knowing if I will preach another sermon here, I have prayed about what message to preach. And I want to make something known, if after this sermon, you know more about me, than you do about Jesus, than I have failed. I am not here to tell you about me. I am here to tell you about the Jesus that Changed me. The Jesus that I recieved as a 5 year old, jumping on my parent’s bed. The Jesus that I realized the need to be transformed by when I was 12 and the Jesus who called me into ministry when I was 13.

And this is the very Jesus that John writes about to the early church in 1 John 1:1-4. If you will please stand for the reading of God’s Word.

READ PASSAGE HERE

Passage Context: When we read this passage, remember that this is a letter that was written by the Apostle John to the early Church. At the time that John is writing his letters, they are the last few books of the Bible to be written. So at the point of him writing this letter, he is one of the last living Apostles. He is one of the the last living people to have actually have walked, talked, eaten, and learned from Jesus.

This means that at the time that he wrote this letter, he was probably aware of the martyrdom of the other Disciples, and of Paul. So now by default he is the leader of the early church. And he writes this letter probably just a few years before he wrote the book of Revelation.

Passage explanation: But before we dive into the text, there is one more thing that you need to remember about John. When John is called by Jesus to be his disciples, Scripture states that he was cleaning his boats and nets with his brother James, their dad, and their servants. And Jesus came up to them and called them to come follow him, and they immediately left their father and followed Jesus. But there is something else that interesting about John, when you read the New Testament, especially the gospels, almost every account of James has John somewhere near. So James and John were very close brothers it seems. And we need to ask ourselves this question, What happened to John’s brother James? Well we are told in the book of Acts. If you can quickly turn to Acts 12:1-4. In this passage we see what happens to James. He is martyred during the time of the early church’s great expansion by King Herod.

So I want you to realize that John, John left a fairly lucrative fishing business because of Jesus, he has been imprisoned because of Jesus, He has watched the majority of his friends die because of Jesus, he watched his very brother die because of Jesus, and yet he writes this introduction for 1 John. And what dose he write to the early church? He writes that Jesus is worth it. Every beating he recieved, every tear he cried, its worth it, because Jesus is worth it.

Main Point: See John is making one main point. The main point of this passage is John telling the early church that Jesus came in the flesh. ANd that Jesus is real. And then John gives two sub points for what it means for the sinner that Jesus is real.

Call to Action: First lets look at the main point that John is making in this passage:

Main Point 1: Christ is the Manifestation of God. 1 John 1:1-2

Explanation: Look at verse 1. “That which was from the beginning,” So look at how John starts his letter, with a clause referencing that which was from the beginning. Now we need to ask our selves, what is he referencing? Well this should call our attention straight to another passage that John wrote. John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” So what was from the beginning? The Word. And we know that the Word is Jesus. So in a way John is saying, “ About Jesus.”

But then look at the next clause, it answers the question, What “about Jesus?” Which we have heard which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of Life-” So now he says, about Jesus, which we have seen, which we have touched, which we have handled. Now remember, John is writing this mostly second generation believers. So He is writing this reassuring the believers that Jesus very much was real, and he was very much in the flesh. He is telling this second generation of believers that he has seen Jesus, he has touched Jesus. And as we read this passage our minds should go to John 20:26-29. This is the passage that we often refer to as telling the story of “Doubting Thomas” of where Jesus appeared to the other disciples, without Thomas, and Thomas says, until I place my hands, on his scars, I will not believe. So in John 20:26-29 Jesus appears to John, and tells him to place his hands on Jesus’ side where spear was thrust, in his hands where the nails were nailed. So here is John saying that Jesus was very much real, that he very much was man, and that he very much rose from the dead. And that John himself was able to place his hands on Jesus’ scars. And the Jesus that was very real when he leaned against him at the Lord’s Supper. So John is saying that the very Jesus that he leaned on at the Lord’s Supper, is the very Jesus that he placed his hands on his scars. So John is saying, About Jesus, We (the disciples and myself) saw Jesus, he was a real person. We touched him in his flesh.

And then John states, in verse 2, “The life was manifested, and we have seen.” So now the Idea is that Jesus was born, and humbled himself and took on the form of man. So here is God in the flesh, who took on the form of man.

And then look at what he says, “and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us-” So now John says, Look I was a witness to Christ, and I bare witness, that Jesus who is eternal, was manifested to man. That the eternal one, took on the flesh, and humility of man.

Illustration:

Application: So I want you to realize what John is saying. He is looking at the second generation believers and he says, Jesus is real. The Jesus you heard about, I saw. I touched. I was a witness to the miracles that he performed, I was a witness to his crucifixion, I was a witness to his resurrection. And Jesus is real.

Procter Baptist Church, if you do not get anything else from this message please get this; Jesus is real. He is not a mythological god like Zeus, he’s not a comic book character like Spiderman. Jesus is real. He came in the flesh, he truly walked on this world, you can go walk where he did. So I want you to realize something, when we say that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, he really did! Look there are some that will argue that Jesus was not a real person, but I want you to realize something, there is so much evidence that Jesus was real, that it is almost absurd to make that claim. And I also want you to realize something, Jesus not only was real, he is real. He is sitting at the right hand of the Father in Heaven, and he is waiting on the Father to tell him to go get his church. SO JESUS was/ and still is REAL. We Worship the true and living God.

Transition: And not only is Jesus real, but Jesus is one who brings the church together, and He is the one who brings the church to God.

Sub Point 2: Christ is the fellowship between Believers and the church (one another), and the church to God. 1 John 1:3

Explanation: Look at what John says in verse 3, “That which we have seen and heard we declare to you,” So now we a shift. John went form telling the church that He saw, touched, and knew the real Jesus, to now saying, that Real Jesus, we now declare him to you. We want you to know the real Jesus, just as we knew the real Jesus. SO John went from, I saw the real Jesus, I know the real Jesus, to now, and I want you to know the real Jesus too.

But look at why John wants the reader of this letter to know the real Jesus, “That you also may have fellowship with us;” Now we need to ask the question, “who is the Us” Well throughout this passage we have seen that John has used plural pronouns, “Us, We.” I believe John is saying, the we and the us, are the apostles. That he wants all to be able to fellowship with those who personally saw and knew Jesus. See John wants all who read this to know teh real Jesus that he knows so that all can be in fellowship. But not just in fellowship with the church, but he wants the reader to be in fellowship with someone Greater than the church.

Who can be greater than the church? Look at how John continues, “and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.” So who is the one who binds the church? Christ, Who binds the Church with God? Christ. See John is saying that he wants the reader to be in fellowship with the Trinitarian God. And that relationship comes with knowing Jesus.

Illustration: See to join the church, you need to be a baptized confessing faith in Christ. A relationship with Christ is the entry into the church.

Application:See John wants you to know the real Jesus, so that you can be in relationship with God. Romans 3:23 tells us“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” We are all separated from God. We cannot have a relationship with God, unless it is through the mediator between man and God, Jesus. Look at Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” See this passage tells us that Jesus paid the debt we owe. So Jesus is not only the entry into the church, which he is. (Go to illustration and come back) But it is not just an entry into the church, Jesus is an entry into a relationship With God. So John, is saying, I want you to know Jesus so you can enter into a relationship with not just the church but with God.

And only Jesus is an entry into the relationship with the Father.

Transition: But John is writing to the church telling them about Jesus, not only so they can have a relationship with the church and God, but also so they may have complete joy.

Sub Point 3: Jesus is the completion of Joy. 1 John 1:4

Explanation: Look at what John says in verse 4, “And these things we write to you” So what are the “the these things?” Well its the rest of the letter, but also the identity of Christ. And he is saying that he is writing this letter tell them about Jesus for a reason.

And look at what that reason is, “Your joy may be full.” See John is saying that he is writing this letter so that they will know what true joy is. See John is saying that true joy comes from a relationship with Jesus.

Now I want you to realize something. John is not saying, “I want you to know my Jesus so you can be happy.” No. Happiness is fleeting. If you live your life chasing happiness, you will never truly be happy. See happiness is a fleeting emotion. It comes and go. ANd if you search for joy in the things of this world, your life will only be empty. Money can bring temporary happiness. But it can’t bring joy. Alchohol, drugs, sex, they can all bring moments of emotional happiness, but that feeling will go away. Only Jesus can bring true joy.

Now this does not mean that Christians aren’t going to struggle. No! See John still struggled, but it does mean that as believers we have peace with our struggles and a way to deal with our struggles. And the way we deal with our struggles is to lean on Jesus!

Illustration:

Application: Now you might ask, well what does that look like? Well John is the perfect example. He was beaten, threatened, imprisoned, watched as his friends died, watched his brother die. Yet he says, if you want true joy, it is found in Jesus. See this Jesus that John knows, gives a reason to live. That reason is to declare him.

So here is John, who says, Jesus is worth it, he brings true joy. Even amongst the struggles of this world Jesus provides true joy.

Conclusion:

So let me ask you this question, do you know the Jesus that John knows. The Jesus who took on the form of man and died for the sins of man. SO that man may now come to the father through Jesus?

Do you know that Jesus? Do you have a relationship with that Jesus? Has that Jesus changed you, and given you a joy that can only come from him?

If not, today can be the day, that your life is changed. You make Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior. You can commit to having a relationship with him.

Is the Christian life easy? No. Honestly, you could die just because you follow Christ. Yet John says, it is worth it. A relationship where even amongst the hardships of life you can truly sing the Song, It is well with my Soul.

In conclusion I want to read to you the lyrics of one of my favorite hymns. Its a hymn that I know many of you are familiar with it is the its “It is Well With my Soul.”

But first let me tell you the story behind this song.:

The Touching Story Behind “It Is Well with My Soul” (thetabernaclechoir.org)

Horatio Spafford knew something about life’s unexpected challenges. He was a successful attorney and real estate investor who lost a fortune in the great Chicago fire of 1871. Around the same time, his beloved four-year-old son died of scarlet fever.

Thinking a vacation would do his family some good, he sent his wife and four daughters on a ship to England, planning to join them after he finished some pressing business at home. However, while crossing the Atlantic Ocean, the ship was involved in a terrible collision and sunk. More than 200 people lost their lives, including all four of Horatio Spafford’s precious daughters. His wife, Anna, survived the tragedy. Upon arriving in England, she sent a telegram to her husband that began: “Saved alone. What shall I do?”

And Horatio Spafford Wrote these words

When peace like a river attendeth my way When sorrows like sea billows roll Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say It is well, it is well with my soul