What A Fellowship!

And, we’re going to be studying the Book of 1 John—it’s not a very long book, only five chapters—and we’re going to enjoy it. The title of our study: “What a Fellowship” because the theme of 1 John is fellowship.

You know, John wrote five books of the Bible. He wrote the Gospel of John, and the purpose of the Gospel of John was to convince sinners—that is, to lead us to faith in Christ. And then, he wrote the Book of the Revelation, and the purpose of the Book of the Revelation was to comfort saints, to help us understand the days in which we’re living and to give us a hope for the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus. But then, he wrote these epistles—these wonderful epistles—and they are written to encourage us. And so, we thank God for this epistle that has for its theme the word know—K-N-O-W and the word fellowship, and the word life.

Look, if you will now, as we read, and we’re going to share together the first six verses.

1 John 1:1–2 (ESV)

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—

1 John 1:3–4 (ESV)

that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also 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.

1 John 1:5–6 (ESV)

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

Now, what is this fellowship—this wonderful fellowship? Well, it is a fellowship that comes through the life that we have with the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, not everybody here in this congregation, and not everybody has life. You say, “If I don’t have life, how could I be listening?” Because you can be existing and not have life. Jesus spoke of an unsaved woman, and the Bible says this: “she that lives in pleasure is dead while she [lives]” (1 Timothy 5:6). The walking dead—dead while they live. That’s the reason Jesus said in John chapter 10 and verse 10: “[I’ve] come that [you] might have life, and…have it…abundantly” (John 10:10). Now, He was talking to people whose hearts were already beating, blood flowing through their veins, but Jesus said, “You don’t have life; you have an existence.”

Friend, it’s not just simply existence; it’s life. And, what the Apostle John here is speaking about is the Word of life. Now, in order to experience this life and enjoy this life, this life that is full and free, the Apostle John tells us three things in these few verses that we’ve looked at.

I. A Fact Established

Now, first of all, he tells us that there is a fact that is established. Look, if you will, here in verse 1

1 John 1:1 ESV

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—

Now, the devil always wants to muddy things; the devil always wants to distort and deny things. And, of course, the greatest truth is the truth concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. And so, the devil, since the Lord Jesus Christ was here on earth—and even before He came—has been trying to confuse people as to who the Lord Jesus is, was, and always will be.

Now, in this day, in John’s day, there was a cult, a false cult. We don’t have it today, at least by the name it had back then. They were called the “Gnostics.” You would spell that G-N-O-S-T-I-C-S—the Gnostics—and it comes from the Greek word gnosis, which means “to know.” And, these were people who felt that they had superior knowledge. Maybe we can just give them the name “the know-it-alls”; they were “the know-it-alls.” And, they were too sophisticated—they were too intellectual—to believe that God could’ve come to earth in human flesh, because they really believe everything material is evil, that any thing that was physical or material was evil. That’s what the Gnostics believed, and so they believed that Jesus Christ could not have had—the true Messiah could not have had—a material, physical body. They believed that the Jesus that was here on earth was sort of a ghost, sort of a phantom, but not real. Now, what John is doing right now—he’s just going to knock Gnosticism right in the head. He’s going to show that Jesus Christ literally, physically, bodily walked here on this earth, and he says, “I am an eyewitness of that.”

there are false cults in our day, and almost every false cult is wrong primarily about Jesus Christ—did you know that? You can check them about Jesus. if they ’re wrong about Jesus, it doesn ’t matter what they’re right about. So, John starts out to establish who Jesus is. And, remember now, we’re talking about that this life is a fact—a fact established.

A. Jesus is an Eternal Fact

And, he’s saying here that Jesus is—now, write it down—Jesus is an eternal fact

He is the Christ of the eternities, and John had already written in his gospel, in John 1:1: “In the beginning was the Word”—“In the beginning was the Word.” Before anything began to begin, Jesus was there. And, that is God’s name for Jesus—“the Word.” “ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). Jesus is called “The Word of God” in Revelation chapter 19, verse 13: it speaks of Jesus coming in glory, and it says, Revelation 19:13

Revelation 19:13 ESV

He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.

Now, that’s interesting, isn’t it? Jesus is called “the Word” here. We see here in verse 1, He’s called “the Word of life” (1 John 1:1). John 1:1: He’s called “the Word of God.” Well, what is a word? A word is the expression of an invisible thought or an idea.

*Jesus is the visible expression of the invisible God.

1. Jesus Is God’s first word.

He is God’s first word. He was there in the beginning: “In the beginning was the Word” (John 1:1).

2. Jesus Is God’s full word.

He is God’s full word. He says over in the Book of Revelation that He’s the Alpha and the Omega (Revelation 1:8; Revelation 1:11; Revelation 21:6; Revelation 22:13)—the Word of God, the Alpha and the Omega. You know what that means? The first and last letters of the Greek alphabet—alpha and omega. If He were speaking to us today, He’d say He was “the A and the Z.” what Jesus is saying is, “I’m God’s alphabet. Any thing that God’s going to say, He’s going to say through Me and by Me.”

3. He’s God’s final word.

Hebrews 1:2 ESV

but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.

when you’ve said, “Jesus,” you’ve said it all—you can’t say any more, and you don’t need to say any more. All of the revelation of God is wrapped up in the Lord Jesus Christ, and He is a fact. not only is Jesus Christ an eternal fact, but write this down: Jesus is a physical fact.

B. Jesus is a Physical Fact

It’s very important that you understand this. Now, notice again what John is saying:

1 John 1:1 ESV

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—

1. There Was Audible Evidence

Now, John says, “He wasn’t a phantom; He wasn’t a ghost. We have the audible evidence. We heard Him.” you could’ve taped the voice of the Lord Jesus.

2. There Was Visible Evidence

And then, not only was there audible evidence; there was physical evidence. John says, “We saw Him”— And, John uses the word theaomai; it’s the word we get our word theater from. It means “to look carefully.” John says, “Look, I was with Him for three years. I watched Him; I saw Him.”

3. There Was Physical Evidence

And, not only was there the audible evidence, not only was there the visible evidence; there was the physical evidence. He said, “We handled Him; we touched Him” (1 John 1:1). We don’t know exactly what he looked like but there were the actual, physical dimensions. An eyewitness- he was so many feet tall, weighted about…color hair, eyes, etc... I’m saying that Jesus Christ was in human form. Now, let me tell you this: it’s as much a heresy to deny the humanity of Jesus as it is to deny the deity of Jesus—you have to understand that. He was God, very God. He wasn’t half God and half man. He wasn’t all God and no man. He wasn’t all man and no God. He was the God-man—never another like the Lord Jesus Christ. But, remember the humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ. And, if you deny the humanity of Jesus, you’re denying Christianity. That’s what John is saying: “Look, we saw Him. We heard Him. We touched Him, the Word of life” (1 John 1:1). He is an eternal fact, and He is a physical fact. He came is human form, and that how he was able to die for our human sins! It’s vital that he came as a man.

*He Is My Redeemer Because He’s a Man

Thank God for His humanity. You see, apart from His humanity, I couldn’t be saved. He became a man to die on the cross, and apart from the shedding of blood, there’s no remission of sins (Hebrews 9:22). Human blood had to be shed.

*He Is My Example Because He’s a Man

Apart from His humanity, I have no example. I can’t follow as an example the God in the Glory, because I’m a human; He’s not a human. But, I can walk as Jesus walked, and I want to tell you something, : when Jesus Christ was upon this earth, He did not pull rank on me. Every miracle He did, He did the miracle as man filled with the Holy Spirit would do the miracle. (now this is gonna sound silly but think about it, He could have done anything, why didn’t Jesus fly around like superman and shoot fire out of his eyes or something crazy?! He was setting a human example, miraculous yes, but he was human in the way he carried out miracles- touching someones eyes, laying hands on someone, speaking a word.) All of the life that He lived, He lived as a man, and He depended upon the same power that me and you can depend upon day by day and moment by moment.

*He Is My Comforter and Friend Because He’s a Man

Hebrews 4:15 ESV

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

So, what is John talking about when he’s talking about this life? He’s talking about an established fact.

But, I want to tell you something else: not only is He an eternal fact, and not only is He a physical fact, but I want to say something else about Him: He is a spiritual fact.

C. Jesus is a Spiritual Fact

“Now, what do you mean by that?” Well, look and see what John is saying:

1 John 1:2 ESV

the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—

“Now, wait a minute—these other people haven’t seen him…” No, that’s right. John says,

“I am going to tell you what I have seen so that you can believe.” - i’m testifying! I have never seen Jesus. I’ve never heard Jesus. I’ve never touched Jesus—not with my hands. But, I believe in Him because Jesus Christ is also a spiritual fact. If he was only a physical fact, we would be left out! He is not here now in a physical body, but the Holy Spirit of God reveals Him. As John has seen Him, faith now becomes the eyes and ears of the soul. As John had felt Him, faith now becomes the hands of the soul. We can know Him through the Spirit. You see, God sends the Holy Spirit now to testify to the words of the apostles, and we have the words of the apostles.

There was a college professor who was an atheist, and he loved to ridicule his students. And so, he asked his students, “Have any of you ever heard God?” Nobody answered. “Any of you ever seen God?” Nobody answered. “Have any of you ever touched God?” Nobody answered. He said, “So, there is no God.” And, the class sat there. All of them cowed and so forth, until one student lifted his hand and said, “Professor, may I ask a question to the class?” He said, “All right.” He said, “Have any of you heard the professor’s brain?” Nobody answered. “Have any of you touched the professor’s brain?” Nobody answered. “Have any of you seen the professor’s brain?” Nobody answered. He said, “Then, we can conclude the professor has no brain, according to his logic.”

Thank God the Holy Spirit of God is here to say what John is saying is true! That is the witness of God. Jesus is an eternal fact. Jesus is a physical fact. And, the Holy Spirit of God testifies to the Lord Jesus Christ.

So we have the facts established.

II. A Fellowship Experienced

It is a fellowship experienced—not only a fact, but a fellowship. Now look, if you will, in verse 2: 1 John 1: 2-3

1 John 1:2–3 ESV

the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also 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.

Now, John wants to share it. John says, “I saw it, and now I want to share it.” And, any body who sees it, hears it, knows it, wants to share it, amen? That’s the reason why we’re called “witnesses” and not “lawyers.” A lawyer argues a case; a witness tells what he’s seen and heard. And, the only person who can’t witness is the person who hasn’t seen or heard anything.

Now, he says, “I do this that you might have fellowship” (1 John 1:3). What is fellowship? (2 fellows on the same ship) Fellowship is not coffee and donuts. What is fellowship? This is a very technical word: “that [you] too may have fellowship with us” (1 John 1:3). It is the Greek word koinonia. and it means “to hold things in common” It literally means “to have something in common.” Now, notice who we have fellowship with.

*Fellowship with God

Notice he says in verse 3: “our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3). Well, that brings up a real question: What do I have in common with the Father? Nothing—nothing. He’s holy; I’m unholy. He is Almighty; I am a worm. And, how can Mike have fellowship with God? But yet, the Apostle John says, “Our fellowship is with the Father” (1 John 1:3). But I have nothing in common with the Father. Notice in verses 5 and 6:

1 John 1:5–6 ESV

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

We’re in the dark; He’s in the light. I mean, there’s a great chasm between us and Almighty God, so how can I have fellowship with Almighty God?

Here’s how: this God, who knows that there’s a chasm between Mike and Himself, and between you and Himself, sent the Lord Jesus Christ to take something that is common between us, human flesh. Jesus becomes a man. And now, He never discards His deity, but now He takes humanity. And now, we begin to have likeness; we become together. He takes on the nature of man that I might take on the nature of God. And, he says in 2 Peter chapter 1, verse 4—you’re going to love this:

2 Peter 1:4 ESV

by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.

“[we have now become] partakers of the divine nature”— And, the word partaker there is exactly the same word that is translated fellowship over here in 1 John. We have the fellowship of the divine nature.

You see, Jesus took humanity, and, therefore, He became like I am that I might become like He is, that we might have that—He took the very nature of man—that we might take the nature of God. And so, I have fellowship with God through the Lord Jesus Christ. I mean, a worm like I am can walk and talk and can fellowship with Him and can sing:

I come to the garden alone [When] the dew is still on the roses And the voice I hear falling on my ear The Son of God discloses.

And He walks with me, and He talks with me, And He tells me I am His own...

That’s the fellowship, the koinonia, that we have with Him because of the Incarnation. And, that’s the reason old John is saying, “Look, He’s a man—He’s a man. We saw Him. We touched Him. We heard Him.” He took the nature of man that we might take the nature of God, and we have become “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4).

B. Fellowship with One Another

And then, you see, look: not only, then, do we have fellowship with God, but it follows that we must have fellowship with one another, because when I am born of God and you are born of God, the same nature that’s in me is in you, and the Jesus in me is going to love the Jesus in you. (that’s a great thought- when you struggle loving another Christian- just love the Jesus in them!) We have the same nature; we’re born from the same womb, from the womb of grace—and that’s so important.

III. A Fullness Enjoyed

And now, here’s the third thing very quickly: it is a fullness enjoyed. Look, if you will, in verse 4:

1 John 1:4 ESV

And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

everyone wants joy—I mean, you want joy. And, this is where joy is found.

Joy is the byproduct of fellowship with God and fellowship with the family.

Joy is character; it is on the inside. Happiness only meets your surface needs, but joy meets your deepest needs. Therefore, happiness is like a thermometer—it just registers conditions. Joy is the thermostat that controls the conditions.

And so, what John is saying is, “Look, let me tell you about this life: this life—it comes from God. It is real. It is a fact. It is established, and it results in a fellowship experience. There’s a koinonia; we have fellowship with God and fellowship with one another. And then, there’s a fullness in joy. We have ‘joy unspeakable and full of glory’ (1 Peter 1:8).”

Next week we’ll look at what the formula is for fellowship and make sure we don’t miss out!

What a great fellowship! We are blessed to have fellowship with God and fellowship with each other.