The Word of Life

[Announce text] Please look with me in Scripture at 1 John 1:1-4.

[Scripture introduction] In our series “Life in the Son,” we start from the beginning where the church finds its life and love. This apostolic letter written by John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, provides a vivid image of what it means to possesses eternal life and how Christians are to live in accordance to God’s truth.

In this message, The Word of Life, our church will search the heart of Scripture, which is inspired by the Holy Spirit so that we can discover God’s will for our congregation.

[Reannounce and read text] Read with me these words concerning the word of life in 1 John 1:1-4. [The preacher reads the Scripture passage out loud.]

[Prayer for illumination] Pray with me as we ask God to direct our hearts and minds into his sacred word. [The minister offers a brief prayer asking the Holy Spirit to bless the understanding of the preacher and hearers as God’s Word is proclaimed.]

[Introduction] Whenever you’re communicating the best stories, you try to activate all the senses. John desires for us to engage not in any story, but the story, the message of the word of life. It’s this interaction where he says everything changes forever! He life and relationship will only be filled with joy and God’s presence.

[FCF] "How does John's encounter with the living word of life ignite our longing for genuine fellowship, transforming our isolation into shared joy and renewed purpose?"

To answer this question we must address what it means to be in Christian community and to be full of joy.

I. The word of life was from the beginning (1 John 1:1).

a. message of life (John 1:1; Genesis 1:1) - true knowledge of God.

b. idols of death (Ps 115:3-8)

II. John's testifies his apostolic witness and proclamation of the eternal life (1 John 1:2).

a. Jesus has come into our world.

b. The era of the eternal life has begun in Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection.

c. The life was with the Father from the beginning.

III. Fellowship with us results in a joyful relationship with God (1 John 1:3-4).

a. John invites us to enter into a relationship with God the Father, and his Son.

b. This fellowship comes to those who receive the apostolic gospel message of the significance of the Life from God, who walked among us.

c. The message written down by John provides joy to those who belong to God.

IV. When we join the apostolic fellowship, God will be with us.

Application: The listeners are to choose to fellowship with those who believe in the eternal life (the incarnate Jesus Christ), and these are the people who fellowship is indeed with God the Father and the Son.

God requires the listeners to dedicate time for Christian assembly throughout the week and to be in the presence of other believers. It is in this time where God's people focus on the eternal life and are filled with joy.

The listeners are to motivated by grace to fellowship for we have been given the witness of the word of life through the incarnated Son of God. Jesus chose us from the beginning of time and now is calling his church to live in the age of eternal life with the Holy Trinity and those who he saved.

I can do what God requires of me by living in the spirit of eternal life. I choose to be with those who are living forever and in the fellowship of God and his Son.