Sermon One - John’s Foundation of Fellowship

Pastor Joshua Myers
The Framework of our Fellowship   •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented
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Introduction

The message of 1st John presupposes a knowledge of the Gospel of John. The Epistle of 1st John has 5 chapters, 105 verses, and 2,523 words that serve as the “Framework for our Fellowship.” In the writing of this epistle John expresses to his readers his desire for them to experience the same wonderful fellowship with Christ that he had. This fellowship with Christ brings assurance of salvation to the soul. 1st John serves a two-fold purpose:
It was written for our fellowship with our Saviour.
It was written for our assurance of salvation.
Again it is through this wonderful fellowship with Christ we are given the assurance of salvation. So John writes about the One he loves and gives witness to His humanity, which in turns refutes and opposes the Gnostics of his who claimed that Christ wasn’t truly human. John wasn’t intimidated by the anti-Christian forces whose efforts to impede the Gospel were unsuccessful and did not prevent John from living a victorious Christian life and standing up for the Lord Jesus Christ and God’s Words. No matter the circumstances in John’s life his intimate fellowship with Christ produced the assurance John desperately needed in his time of trial. Let us begin our journey through the wonderful epistle of 1st John.
John’s Foundation of Fellowship
A. The Person John Witnessed (vv.1-2) - John is informing us that God is visible, knowable, and accessible.
The Eternal Christ Revealed by the Apostle John - (v.1)That which was from the beginning” Jesus Christ was perfect man and perfect God. He is the eternal “Daysman” Job desperately longed to know.
John 1:1–3 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”
Eternal reference from the Gospel of John:
(V.1) “In the beginning was the Word:” Proverbs 8:21–23 “That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures. The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.”
(V.1) “the Word was with God:” Proverbs 8:30 “Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him;”
(V.1) “the Word was God:” Philippians 2:6 “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:”
1 John 5:7 “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.”
(v.2) “The same was in the beginning with God:” Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”
(V.3) “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” Psalm 33:6 “By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.”
The Encountered Christ Revealed by the Apostle John - (v.1) To hear means to “Give to ear to in obedience.” “Which we have heard” John and the other Apostles heard Christ speak. Also along with John the Baptizer they heard the Father speak from Heaven concerning His perfect Son. An “encounter” with Jesus will change us forever.
John 7:37–38 “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”
John 7:46 “The officers answered, Never man spake like this man.”
The Experienced Christ Revealed by the Apostle John - (v.1) “Which we have seen with our eyes” To see means to “Discern by way of observing.” John was an eyewitness to the goodness, the love and the compassion of the Saviour. John and the disciples were eyewitnesses to many of His miracles. John experienced Christ’s encounter with all peoples, no matter race, nationality or religious background, John experienced God’s love for humanity.
The Examined Christ Revealed by the Apostle John - (v.1) “Which we have looked upon” To look upon means to “Behold in the sense of examination.” We have a couple thoughts here from this statement by John. For almost 3 years John had examined his Lord and Saviour. John was like Sherlock Holmes examining a crime scene in taking inventory of Jesus and learning Him. (Don’t forget Note)!
Matthew 11:28–30 “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
John also beheld Jesus’ full glory on the mount of transfiguration. And also in the Patmos vision.
Matthew 17:2 “And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.”
Revelation 1:13–16 “And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.”
The Embraced Christ Revealed by the Apostle John (v.1) “Our hands have handled of the Word of life” To handle means to “verify by contact.” John embraced the Lord Jesus Christ. But here John is recalling the embrace of Almighty God. The One whose words and hands created all things and now those hands of our Eternal God are embracing John and all who place their faith in Him.
Revelation 1:17–18 “And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.”

Conclusion

Are you standing on Christ the solid rock? Have you heard His voice today? Is He calling you to come to Him? Are you right now experiencing His peace in your soul? Those of you who may doubt, examine Jesus Christ the perfect Son of God and know Him. Feel His embrace upon your life.
Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
Come to Jesus!
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