I John 1

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The Savior We Know

Good morning my friends… Here we are, the first Sunday in the month of October, and it really reminds us that fall is here.
It is a month of pumpkins and pumpkin spice for many people. Pumpkins are every where during this month more especially toward the celebration of candy and costumes at Halloween.
As we move through this month I want to encourage you to do a couple things.
One I want to encourage you to do your best to be in church every single Sunday. I say that because this needs to be our priority on the Lord’s day.
We so easily allow other desires to take the priority over the Lord. I will tell you truthfully that He deserves and should have the priority of our life, Jesus must be first.
Today we come to a new sermon series and it is the writing of the Apostle John.
John is the one who wrote the gospel of John, the Book of Revelation and these 3 small epistles.
He was the only disciple/apostle who was not put to death, he lived to a very old age, minister and leading in Ephesus with others in the early church.
I think these epistles are often over looked, because we have the Gospel of John.
Now before we get started let me give you a little more background information.
we believe the book is written after the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70, most likely late 80’s to 90 AD. Now there are some who think the date could be before the fall of Jerusalem but that seems unlikely.
Why is the Lord compelling John to write such a work? It seems to respond to an early form of Gnosticism. This is really a modified version of mysticism. Gnosticism refers to knowledge and only through attaining secret knowledge can people find their salvation and overcome the material world.
It also teaches that all matter is evil, corrupt. So then Jesus couldn’t be God’s son since Jesus come and was born into flesh. But a spiritual Jesus is fine, A spirit that seemed to be in the likeness of flesh. And for one to obtaina secret knowledge of Jesus could lead to salvation.
But here is the problem, Jesus had to die a physical death, to atone for the sins of the world. He was as John said the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. This is why you will see such an emphasis that Jesus, God’s son of eternity was real, made in every way as we are, yet without sin.
As we walk through these books, you will see all that John says concerning these things...
So three thoughts this morning, lets begin with this first thought today.
1. A Savior from the Beginning....
As we open the text John echos what he said in the gospel account of Jesus “The Gospel of John.”
So lets hear what John is saying...
Lets look 1 John 1:1
1 John 1:1 ESV
1 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—
Do you see it, John says “that which was from the beginning...” Lets start there....
Now the beginning he speaks of isn’t referring to God’s beginning, No! He has always existed… No, it is referring to the beginning of this world.
From the beginning of the world, of time as we know it, God the Father, Jesus the Son and Holy Spirit have always existed…They were before the beginning ...They are God - one essence, 3 distinct persons that make up the Holy Trinity.
So lets examine this.. Lets look at what John said in his Gospel, John 1:1
John 1:1 ESV
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:14 ESV
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Doesn’t those verses sound a lot alike? Yes, John in both accounts are driving home a couple of thoughts.
The first is that He (God) has always been. And thus the Word the (Logos) Jesus has always been as well.
And the second portion of the Trinity became flesh. And Paul tells us in Gal 4:4
Galatians 4:4 ESV
4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,
And so Jesus came into the world, as a real person.
How do we know this for certain? Because Jesus is recorded as living and teaching outside of the Bible. We can find the historical Jesus in the Antiquities of Josephus. The greatest of the Jewish historians.
You can even buy copies of this book that has been translated into English today.
Jesus came! Fully God and fully man...
And in both accounts John says becoming flesh, we have experienced Jesus. Look again I John 1:1
1 John 1:1 ESV
1 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—
Look at what John says , He who was from the beginning, John says -who we heard, seen, looked upon and touched… They experienced him, walked with him, stayed with, touched him… He cannot be any more plain, both before and after the crucifixion, burial and resurrection of Jesus. We knew him...
Just as you know me, and I know you… that is the type of qualifying experience that John says they (he and the others) had with Jesus.
He was a Savior, a redeemer who has always been, and we knew Him… In fact they continued to know Him as they walked with Him each day… how beautiful. And they testify to His existence.
But remember, He is a Savior… one who came to save others from their sin. He was from the beginning and we knew Him.
What a wonderful account to testify to having know seen, known and loved Jesus… the Savior of the world. What a blessing....
Now let’s move onto a second thought.....
2. The One who Brings Eternal Life....
The one they experienced, and knew.. He brought the joy of eternal life to all mankind.
Look at verse 2 here in I John chapter 1. I John 1:2
1 John 1:2 ESV
2 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 look at what John is telling us.
This life was made manifest. We have been talking about that already.
The coming of Jesus was the fulfillment of all that God had proclaimed through the law and the prophets.
When Adam and Eve fell in sin in the garden, God held the devil, the serpent responsible and do you remember that God told the devil… in the book of Genesis
Genesis 3:15 ESV
15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
And then speaking during the days of Joseph, Gen 49:10
Genesis 49:10 ESV
10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.
In the book of Numbers, God spoke is his coming King.
And as you move through the books of the Old Testament, In the Psalms The Savior was foretold of ....
Psalm 2:7–9 ESV
7 I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. 8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. 9 You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”
And of course with the coming of Christmas we always look to the Prophet Isaiah, remember what he tells us… Isaiah 7:14 first....
Isaiah 7:14 ESV
14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
And in Isaiah 9:6
Isaiah 9:6 ESV
6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
And while i will not read it because of its length, Isaiah 53 tells us of the suffering servant who would take our punishment, our sin so that we could have life.
The Holy Scriptures provide a good witness of all that God has done in the past leading up to the coming of the Son.
And during the New Testament days, we see John’s testimony.
We were a witness to these things. They encountered and followed Jesus when He called them to be His disciples.
And for 3.5 years, they walked alongside of Him. They heard Him teach, They heard him debate the scholars. They saw him restore the outcasts and remind the Jewish leaders who their neighbors were. They watched him heal the sick and even raise the dead.
They heard him say time and time again, that He came to seek and to save those which were lost.
They saw Jesus face the judgment and condemnation of the Jewish elders. He stood trial before Pilate and they witnessed Jesus even carry His cross, and brought to the place of execution.
They witness His death upon the cross, they felt the earth sake that day… Matthew 27:50-51
Matthew 27:50–51 ESV
50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. 51 And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.
And even the Centurion, a pagan soldier of Rome, confessed who Jesus was..
Matthew 27:54 ESV
54 When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”
Jesus came to give eternal life by offering up his life as the sacrifice to atone for our sin. John said in chapter 3
John 3:17 ESV
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Jesus is the Son of God and the One who brings eternal life to the world. This was the will of the Father, that Jesus be the propitiation for our sins that we might be acceptable and justified in the presence of the Father...
1 Thessalonians 5:9–10 ESV
9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.
And when you look at verse 2 in our text this morning, look it tells us twice in that verse, that the life (Jesus) was made manifest... I John 1:2
1 John 1:2 ESV
2 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—
John wants us to know.. he says I testify to Him- great word: to Testify means to to tell what you know of the matter like giving your account in a court of law.
And then John says we proclaim the truth about Jesus., He was with the Father and has come to the world.
Now this is important. Remember there are those who are saying that Jesus cannot be God’s son, They were denying the deity of Jesus, that Jesus was the Christ.
John is testifying that He was with the Father, being the second part of the Holy Trinity, the Son. John wants to make sure we know that Jesus was with the Father at the beginning. Why, He and the Father are one...
John 8:58 ESV
58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”
There is that I am phrase… Do you remember Moses at the Burning Bush… When God was calling him to go to Pharoah to tell him to let God’s people go. Moses asked God to tell him his name in case they asked him who sent him.
Exodus 3:14 ESV
14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’ ”
He has been made manifest.... the one who brings eternal life.
Friends, God loved us so much, in his foreknowledge, in creating man, knew man would sin, they would need a sacrifice, and He determined to send his Son to redeem us from our sin.
That is the love of God… I hope you know that love...
So why did John tells us about of this ?
3. Your Joy Might be Complete...
My friends, the blessing of knowing Jesus is a joy, is it not?
And we want the world to know that type of joy. The world is looking for joy,They are looking for happiness and peace in a lot of areas, and they never find it.
But they can if they look to Jesus.
Lets go back to verses 3-4 in I John
1 John 1:3–4 ESV
3 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. 4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
You see John says he is proclaiming this so that those who hear this proclamation might have fellowship with the Father. In that fellowship, with others we have joy.
This is the whole purpose of telling others about Jesus. We want others to know what we have discovered in following Jesus.
So John says, that which we have seen and heard (He has said that a lot, do you think he Was blessed to know Jesus?) John says we proclaim to you that you might enjoy two unique things:
A. Fellowship.... the word in the Greek is Koin -o- nia, this word shows up 15 times in the New Testament. It really conveys the oneness of community, you not only have something in common, you share it, You are the community.
John is telling us the purpose of to bring all the believers together, in community , that they can abide with the Son and with each other.
That word abide is important, to abide means to be in harmony with the Son…
Remember Jesus in the upper room with his disciples the night before his crucifixion, He called for them to abide in Him. To keep that fellowship in place...
John 15:5 ESV
5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
We must stay connected to Him, with Him, if we hope to live and serve Him, and help others… We will walk in the light as He is in the light… not darkness.
The other blessing of fellowship is we are in harmony with each other. Only as we walk and love Jesus can we walk and love each other. Amen… That is a mark of the Christian life,, love is an evidence of having eternal life.
Do you love those around you? I understand this is tough at times, but this is a mark of the life we have in Christ… and this is par of the fellowship we have with our Lord.
Now the second point I want you to see is the who reason John says he is sharing this… We write this to make our joy complete.
We write this to make your our complete.... What is John saying here about our joy?
It’s not that he or the other apostolic witness are being selfish, pleasing themselves. No, their joy is that they long for those around them to continue steadfastly in the faith....
As a pastor, I want to see you live successfully in your faith, to grow and be all that God has prepared for you. You want your families to have success, to grow and enjoy the blessings of life God has prepared for them.
This joy is the result of waking in and with Christ, bearing the fruit of the Spirit, keeping Christ’s command of loving God and loving our neighbors.
We are called to love others with the same love that Christ loved us....
When we are living like that… loving God and loving others, God is pleased and this is where John says that joy can be found.
This is the toughest part I think of the life we live at times. Loving God, and loving others.
Loving others enough to engage them with the gospel, to pray for them, love on them and invite them.
That will bring us joy as well...
I want to have that joy my friends, more and more. telling others of the one who loved me, gave himself for me.
lets pray together....
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