The Foundation of Authentic Living
Notes
Transcript
Intro:
There was a construction crew building a new house. They were in a bit of a time crunch trying to get this house built so they could move on to the next, bigger, more lucrative project.
From the outside, the house looked fine. The walls went up, the roof looked good, and everything appeared to be in order.
But when the inspectors came to check the work, they discovered cracks in the foundation. The whole house was in jeopardy because the builders hadn’t taken the time to do the most important part right.
Now I know that the foundation isn’t glamorous. Nobody drives by a construction site to admire a concrete slab. But without it… nothing else stands for very long.
Through these three Epistles of John, he is building a picture of Authentic Christian Living—what real faith looks like in real life: clear truth about Jesus, obedient living that walks in the light, sacrificial love for one another, spiritual discernment in a confusing world, and a settled assurance before God.
It’s like watching a house go up: truth is the blueprint, love frames the rooms, obedience strengthens the walls, and assurance makes it a place of rest.
These first few verses that we will look at today are the foundation of the whole structure. Before John talks about love, light, or assurance, he pours the footing…
Everything that we will look at in the coming weeks will be built on what we find in these first 4 verses…
Lets look at them together… (Read vv. 1-4)
Meat:
As John starts laying the foundation to build this picture of Authentic Christian Living, he starts with the most important part…
1. The Authenticity of Christ
1. The Authenticity of Christ
At the time John wrote this letter, the church was already facing dangerous false teachings. One of the most troubling was the denial of the true humanity of Christ.
Some early groups, influenced by Greek philosophy, believed that all physical matter was evil while the spiritual realm was good… Because of this, they could not accept the idea that the eternal Son of God would take on real human flesh.
There were some who believed that Jesus only appeared to have a body. According to them, He was like a phantom or spirit who looked human but wasn’t truly flesh and blood.
Some Gnostics claimed that the “Christ spirit” came upon the man Jesus at His baptism and left Him before the cross, meaning the divine Son of God did not truly suffer or die.
Both of these views cause problems to the message of the Gospel…
If Jesus was not fully human, then He could not truly be our representative, could not live a sinless human life in our place, and could not shed real blood for our sins.
Part of the reason that John wrote this letter was to refute the lies that these false teachers were spreading…
Authentic Christian Living is built on the reality and authenticity of Christ…
You cannot live an authentic Christian life if you have an incorrect view of Jesus Christ.
First of all… you have to admit that…
1.1 He is Real
1.1 He is Real
John makes sure his readers know right away: Jesus was not a myth, not a rumor, not a story that got passed down and exaggerated over time… He was real!
1 John 1:1 “1 That which was from the beginning, 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—”
John says, “We heard Him. We saw Him with our own eyes. We touched Him with our hands.”
John heard Jesus preach!
John heard Jesus teach!
John heard Jesus rebuke the Pharisees!
John recorded the conversion of Nicodemus
John saw Jesus turn water changed to wine
John saw Jesus heal the Nobleman’s son
John saw Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead.
John saw Jesus after he had been crucified, buried, and resurrected.
John took some of the portions of the 5 loaves and two fish and distributed that to 5,000 hungry people.
It was John who leaned on Jesus at the Last Supper and asked, “Who’s the Traitor?”
John is telling us “you can know for sure that Jesus is real because I was there. I heard His voice, I saw His face, I touched Him with own my hands.”
Why is that important for us today? Because authentic Christian living can’t be built on a fairy tale.…
You don’t build your life, your hope, your eternity on a make-believe story. If Jesus isn’t real, then everything else crumbles. Paul says in…
17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!
But He is Risen, He is Risen indeed and because He is real, our faith is not in vain… Because He is real, we have something solid to stand on when life shakes us to the core.… Because He is real, we can live authentically — not pretending, not faking, but truly walking with the real, living Christ.
Not only is John stating that Jesus is real… He is also stating that…
1.2 He is Eternal
1.2 He is Eternal
We see this from the first 6 words of the letter… “That which was from the beginning...” and then at the end of v.1 John identifies Christ as “the Word of life”
Very similar to the opening statement that he makes in his writing of the Gospel…
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was in the beginning with God.
John makes the point that Jesus didn’t come into existence at Bethlehem—He existed from the very beginning… Which ultimately points to His divinity: He is God the Son and is co-eternal with the Father.
In the book of Colossians, the Apostle Paul, talking about Christ says…
16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.
Jesus says in…
13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”
From the time that Jesus was walking the earth, up until now… there have been so many false teachers who have stumbled over the eternal nature of Christ.
Some can accept Jesus as a great man, a prophet, or even a supernatural being—but not as the eternal Son of God. To deny His eternality is to deny His deity.
In John’s day, there were certain groups who taught that Jesus was just a man who was specially empowered by God for a limited amount time.… They taught that Jesus was the highest of God’s creations but not co-eternal with the Father.
Today, we have groups like Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, and others carry this same error by denying that Jesus is the eternal God.
I am here to tell you… Authentic Christian living cannot be built on something temporary.
If Jesus were just a good teacher who lived for a few decades and then died, His influence might inspire us for a while, but it couldn’t sustain us forever.
But because He is the eternal Word of Life... He gives eternal life to all who believe in Him.
1 John 1:2 “2 the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us—”
The world promises life in money, success, pleasure, or relationships — but all those things eventually fade.
Jesus, the eternal Word of Life, offers something that never ends.
Authentic living means we don’t chase the temporary… but we anchor ourselves to the eternal.
Authentic Living starts with knowing and believing the Authenticity of Christ.
Another foundational part of Authentic Living is…
2. Proper Fellowship
2. Proper Fellowship
Authentic Christian living is more than simply agreeing with the truth in your mind… it’s living it out…
Belief in Christ is the beginning, but the message of the Gospel is meant to produce fellowship.
1 John 1:3 “3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.”
When we talk about fellowship – I don’t know what you think about… But when I hear that word, I think back to the Church I grew up in… FBC of Newaygo.
Currently, the church is right off M-82, as your heading into Newaygo, just west of the public access drive to Brooks lake.
When I was growing up, the church was on Quarterline St… which that main Church building is now a “Family of God Community Church”.
But down on the corner of Quarterline and M-37, there is a building, I believe its “The Heritage Museum of Newaygo” now, but back when the church owned it, it was our Fellowship Hall… Kind of like our CMB here, just 2 blocks down the street…
Potluck dinners, AWANA, Sunday School, Red punch and stale cookies… and that was fellowship.…
And that may be a form of fellowship… yes… but that is not what John is talking about here…
The Greek word that John uses is koi-nō-nia, which basically means partnership. It’s not just a social situation like a potluck or a Sunday school class… It’s about a real partnership.
One of the best examples of this type of partnership or fellowship is marriage.
Two become one—sharing joys, struggles, resources, and responsibilities… and if that fellowship is going to last, it is going to take daily communication, sacrifice, forgiveness, and a commitment that goes deeper than just words or feelings… It’s being linked together in a common life…
And if we want to live an authentic Christian life, then we need to have Proper Fellowship… first and foremost…
2.1 With God
2.1 With God
I know I am going in a bit of a reverse order, but John says, at the end of v.3 “truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.”
Paul describes it to the Galatian Church like this…
20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me…
As soon as you accept God’s free gift of salvation, provided through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus… You are immediately placed into a relationship, which is an eternal partnership, with Him!
John MacArthur says “The partnership is so intimate that you become the temple of God and you are in some ways indistinguishable from Christ.… You now possess the life of God in your soul, that is your partnership, common participation in eternal life.”
Fellowship with God means:
That we are Walking in His presence daily, not just at Church on a Sunday morning…
Communing with Him through prayer, Reading Scripture, and obediently applying it to our lives.
Sharing life with the One who created us, who knows our hearts, and who calls us His own.
What He loves, we should love. What He hates, we should hate… Fellowship is more than just saying we know God — Satan himself “knows” God, but he does not have fellowship with God…
Our hearts are being shaped to look like His… the more time we spend with Him, the more our thoughts, desires, and actions align with His will.
4 Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart.
That doesn’t mean He gives us everything on our wish list… … it means He changes our hearts so that what we want lines up with what He wants.
Authentic living means bringing our desires into alignment with His, so that His heart becomes our heart.
John also says that we are to have proper fellowship…
2.2 With Other Believers
2.2 With Other Believers
The first part of v.3 “3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us...”
Lets pick this apart real quick…
John writes, “That which we have seen and heard we declare to you…” He’s saying, “We can’t keep this to ourselves.”
The apostles had personally experienced Jesus — they saw Him, heard Him, and touched Him — and now they were compelled to declare Him to others.
Authentic fellowship in Christ is never selfish or private. If you truly know Him, you naturally want others to know Him as well.
You and your family are stranded in the desert… you’ve all been wandering for a few days trying to find some help. You are out of food, haven’t had anything to drink for a day and a half, you find a place for everyone to get a little rest and while they sleep, you climb up the next hill to see if there is anything or anyone around that can help.
As soon as you get to the top of the hill, you see a few trees and a stream of fresh water flowing… … are you headed down to the stream, drinking the water and leaving your family to fend for themselves?… absolutely not!… you’d call everyone around to come and drink with you.
In the same way, part of our duty as believers is to share Christ so that others can enter into this same fellowship with God and His people. Evangelism, then, is not just about winning arguments or gaining converts — it’s about inviting others into the joy of fellowship with Christ.
Two weeks ago, as I was giving the background of John’s letters, I mentioned that John doesn’t mince his words. And right here is our first example of that…
John makes it clear that this fellowship is unique — it is fellowship in Christ… That means, as believers, our deepest connections and spiritual unity cannot be shared with those outside the body of Christ.
Paul echoes this in…
14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?
A lot people think that this is only for marriage… when in fact it goes much deeper than that…
Business Partners - Imagine a Christian entering into a business with an unbeliever. The believer wants to run things with integrity, honesty, and generosity. The unbeliever, however, may prioritize profit above all else, even if it means cutting corners, being dishonest, or exploiting others. Before long, there’s conflict — because their values are pulling in opposite directions… That’s exactly what Paul is warning about.
Close Friendships - Friendship is powerful. The people you spend the most time with inevitably shape your values, your decisions, even your desires.
Solomon said in…
20 He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will suffer harm.
If your closest friendships are with unbelievers, sooner or later, their priorities — partying, money, self-interest, even their type of language — will begin to rub off on you.
Please don’t misunderstand me… This doesn’t mean we avoid relationships with unbelievers… in fact, we should love them, serve them, and point them to Christ.
But “proper fellowship,” the kind John is talking about here, can only exist among those who are in Christ.
True fellowship is grounded in shared faith, shared truth, and shared life in Jesus Christ… Without Him, relationships may be friendly or social, but they lack the spiritual depth and eternal bond that only comes from being part of the family of God.
That’s something unbelievers, no matter how kind or moral they are, simply cannot share until they come to know Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.
The Authenticity of Christ is Foundational, Proper Fellowship is Foundational and the final foundational part of Authentic Living that John mentions is…
3. Complete Joy
3. Complete Joy
John closes this opening section with a purpose statement… v.4
1 John 1:4 “And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.”
Other versions say “… that your joy may be made complete”
The point is… John’s goal is not just the giving of information… its not just the teaching of doctrine for the mind… his goal, in writing these things, is a complete transformation of the heart.
He wants believers to live in joy — not a shallow, temporary happiness, but a deep, abiding joy that comes from authentic fellowship with Christ and His people.
Full and complete Joy must be...
3.1 Rooted in Christ
3.1 Rooted in Christ
The world’s joy is fragile because it depends on circumstances — money, health, success, relationships. And when those things crumble… so does joy.…
But John says real joy isn’t found in things but real joy is found in a person — Jesus Christ.
Joy rooted in Christ is not the same as happiness rooted in circumstances. Happiness rises and falls with how life is going: good health, good news, good days. But joy in Christ is anchored to something far deeper—it flows from Him, not from what happens around us.
When sickness comes, our bodies may weaken, but Christ’s presence never leaves us…
5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for He has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
When disappointment strikes—dreams fall apart, people let us down, or plans crumble—Christ remains faithful. His promises stand unbroken, and His Word assures us that He is working all things together for good.
When loss comes—whether it’s the loss of a loved one, a job, or something we treasure—our hearts ache, but our joy doesn’t die, because it flows from a hope that cannot be taken away.
Jesus Himself said…
22 “Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.
That’s why joy rooted in Christ can survive what would otherwise crush the human spirit… Because His presence and His promises are unshakable… and so is the joy that flows from them…
And when your joy in Christ is full or complete, you cannot help but Share it with others…
Complete Joy is…
3.2 Shared with Others
3.2 Shared with Others
Joy is contagious. John is writing so his readers will share in the same fellowship he has with Christ and the other apostles — and in sharing that fellowship, their joy multiplies.
The joy we have in Christ is not meant to be hoarded...
Think of it like candle light—when you light one candle from another, the first candle doesn’t lose its flame; instead, the room becomes brighter.
In the same way, the joy of Christ is multiplied as it is shared with others. John writes, teaches, and proclaims so that others might enter into the same fellowship and experience the same joy that he has.… He isn’t content to keep it to himself, and we shouldn’t be either.
Listen… Complete joy doesn’t mean we’ll escape hardships or live without pain. What it does mean is that we can carry a deep, steady gladness that comes from Christ Himself.
It’s a joy that doesn’t rise and fall with circumstances, but one that holds firm because it’s anchored in the eternal Word of Life.
The world chases joy in all the wrong places and comes up empty. John says, “I’m writing so that your joy may be full.”
Authentic Christian living produces the one thing everyone is searching for but no one can find apart from Christ — and that is complete, lasting joy.
Closing:
All three of these main points are what make up the foundation of Authentic living.
The Authenticity of Christ
Proper Fellowship
and Complete Joy
All three are necessary, and if we struggle in one area, it affects the strength of the whole foundation.
If we waver on the authenticity of Christ, everything else collapses.
If we neglect proper fellowship, our joy will be shallow.
And if our joy isn’t rooted in Christ, then our witness to the world will be weak.
You can’t pick and choose one over the other — they work together, holding up the structure of the Christian life.
Authentic living requires all three, built firmly on Christ, so that we can stand strong no matter what comes.
The question is…
Are we building our lives on that foundation?
Are we walking in fellowship with God and with one another so that our joy may be full?
If we are not... then we’re chasing shadows when Christ offers the real thing.
Maybe you are here today and you realize you don’t have that joy because you don’t yet have Christ. The truth is, you’ll never find what your heart is longing for anywhere else.
Jesus came, lived, died, and rose again so that you could have forgiveness of sins, fellowship with God, and the gift of eternal life… And with that life comes a joy the world can never take away.
If you’ve never trusted Him as your Savior, I want to invite you to come to Him today. Turn from your sin, believe in the finished work of Jesus on the cross, and receive the life and joy He alone can give.
Prayer:
