Believe.

Sermon Title: Believe.

Scripture Passage: NIV

One main idea for sermon: Encourage the congregation toward genuine fellowship

Goal for life application: Partake in fellowship with God and others by sharing the life of Christ

I. INTRODUCTION

ME:

Im one who is online a lot and I have a facebook, a twitter, and a instagram account. When I see something that I find interesting and really like, I even share it so everyone in my network can see it. Some of the most popular things shared on my news feed are cat videos, recipes for delicious food, and pictures of their children or grandchildren

WE:

It's not just online that we share stuff we like. We like to share the joys of life and celebrate with other people. Things such as graduations, weddings, and other milestones in our lives. Then there are crises periods in our lives such as the death of a loved one, a divorce, or being diagnosed with a disease that we need to share with people so we can have comfort and healing. It also brings us joy but, not in the happy go lucky kind of way. It brings us joy in knowing that we don't have to go through this alone and can do life together with other people.

*Transition* What does God have to say about this? Let's find that out together. Turn with me to .

While you are turning there here is some information on the epistle of 1 John. It was written to a church who faced a mass exodus of people leaving their congregation. They even tried to entice others to leave with them. With this division of community also came a confusion of the faith. In John's letters we see what the false teachers denied.

They didn't believe Jesus was the Christ(),

They didn't believe Christ had come in the flesh (),

Jesus was the Christ(), they didn't believe Christ had come in the flesh(), they didn't believe what Jesus said was to be true(Gaebelein 297). They refused to see salvation was found through the work of Christ and refused to see their own sinfulness(; ). There was a real danger here in threatening the basics and fundamentals of Christianity

They didn't believe what Jesus said was to be true(Gaebelein 297).

They refused to see salvation was found through the work of Christ and refused to see their own sinfulness(; ). There was a real danger here in threatening the basics and fundamentals of Christianity.

Now lets read 1 John 1:1-4

II. GOD:

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We write this to make our[a] joy complete.

Three things are highlighted for us in this introduction:

A relationship,

a fellowship,

and a joy that follows.

But it must all begin with this matter of relationship, for John is concerned first about the family of God. John and Peter and Paul all have different ministries,

for John is concerned first about the family of God. John and Peter and Paul all have different ministries, It was Peter's task to talk about the kingdom of God, Paul about the church of God, but John is concerned with the family of God. These are all the same thing, but they are viewed from three different perspectives. It is into the intimacy of the family circle, now, that the Apostle John takes us. Therefore, this letter can be properly described as introducing us to life with the Father, the intimacy of the family circle of God.

It was Peter's task to talk about the kingdom of God,

Paul about the church of God,

John and Peter and Paul all have different ministries, It was Peter's task to talk about the kingdom of God, Paul about the church of God, but John is concerned with the family of God. These are all the same thing, but they are viewed from three different perspectives. It is into the intimacy of the family circle, now, that the Apostle John takes us. Therefore, this letter can be properly described as introducing us to life with the Father, the intimacy of the family circle of God.

but John is concerned with the family of God.

These are all the same thing, but they are viewed from three different perspectives. It is into the intimacy of the family of God. now, that the Apostle John takes us. Therefore, this letter can be properly described as introducing us to life with the Father, and the intimacy of the family of God.

THAT WHICH WAS FROM THE BEGINNING

Now this first epistle of John begins much like John’s gospel. In the gospel of John it begins by saying..”In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”. In the beginning of the first epistle of John it says “That which was from the beginning”. He is describing the “Word of Life” as eternal. Jesus is the alpha and omega the beginning and the end. He exists simply because He does. God is outside of time because he created it, therefore he doesn’t need a cause to exist as we do. Jesus was present at the creation of the world. We see God have a community within Himself of the father, son, and Holy Spirit. We see all three present in the creation story as it says…”In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” and also in verse 26 “Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness”. Usually, we think of being made in the image of God in individual terms but, we also need to think of being made in the image of God, corporately as His church. We as His church are to be his image to reflect his glory out in the community as we fellowship with God and one another. If we are to reach people today we need to offer them something they won’t get anywhere else. We need to provide an authentic fellowship. One that welcomes all, one that shows no favoritism, no judgment or gossip.If our “fellowship” doesn’t provide “joy” then there is something wrong with our “relationship” with God and with each other. Our fellowship should be an encounter of the presence of God that brings a foretaste of heaven to earth and gives us a glimpse of His glory!

*TRANSITION STATEMENT**

Now John and the other original disciples actually heard, seen, looked, and touched Jesus who is the Word of Life and enjoyed His physical presence. Even though God isn’t physically present he is still here through the Holy Spirit. Apostle John goes on to talk about how they witnessed the Word of life by...

Which we have HEARD

Jesus taught with authority and power

Pharisees, rabbis, and other religious leaders spoke in the authority of the law whereas Jesus spoke in the authority of grace. It is grace that moves the sinner from death to life. Jesus was under the authority of the father. If we want our Words to give life we must have life. True life is only found in Jesus.

While the Scribes operated in the letter of the law, Jesus operated in the Spirit of the law. In , Jesus repeatedly states, "Ye have heard that it has been said by them of old," and goes on to quote the letter of the law as had been asserted by the Scribes and Pharisees. After having quoted the letter of the law, he then states, repeatedly, "But I say unto you," and Jesus then declares the Spirit of the law. It is in the Spirit of the law that we find God's grace.

Jesus words give life and hope; they were an encouragement to many who heard them, because Jesus spoke with authority outside the law. He spoke with an authority that came from a place the Scribes had never been, and that is what was so astounding to the people.

Which we have SEEN with our eyes

They seen His miracles. The gospels record 37 miracles Jesus performed and he did many more even so much if they were recorded not even all the books in the world would have room for them to be written in! They experienced Jesus turning water into wine, Jesus casting out evil spirits, Jesus healing Peter's mother in law, Jesus healing a man of leprosy, Jesus calming a storm, Jesus feeding 5000 and many many more miracles. They SEEN the Word of life. What do people see in you? Do you live a for the sake of others or for yourself?

Which we have looked at and our hands have TOUCHED

There are a couple examples of people in the Bible who have touched Jesus. Such as the woman with the bleeding problem of 12 years mentioned in . Jesus thought if I could just touch his robe I will be healed. She gave up everything. She traveled thirty miles to get to him, fueled by nothing but, faith. What are we willing to do and give up to get closer to Jesus?

Then we have the story of another person that touched Jesus, Doubting Thomas. says..”Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." We have all been where Thomas was. In a state of unbelief. But, God was big enough to handle our doubts. Once Thomas seen the evidence of the wounds of Jesus he believed. We might not be able to physically see the wounds of Jesus but, we can still see the evidence of Him through his creation and his Word manifested in Jesus and the voice of the Holy Spirit. The greatest evidence though, is that of a changed life

John sums it up by saying...

this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.

The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it,

and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.

We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us.

And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We write this to make our[a] joy complete.

III. APPLICATION

YOU:

John was writing to a Church that had a mass exodus. As many left the church because they didn't believe the gospel that John preached. It was a church that was experiencing pain, anger, and grief. All of them that were still there shared one thing in common and that was the gospel of Jesus Christ. They believed in the Word of Life. They shared in the fellowship with each other and with Jesus and the father. They shared with each other times of struggle and despair. They cried together, they laughed together, and they loved together. Their fellowship didn't consist of meals and shallow conversation but, it consisted of them moving together as a body of Christ toward the will of God. Now that is fellowship

WE:

There are people outside of our fellowship who don't know Jesus and the love of the father. We have also heard the gospel, seen lives changed, and been touched by God. We need to remember that this is a fellowship, not a social club, that the church isn't a museum for saints but, it's a hospital for sinners. It's not a place to be divided by cliqs but, a body united in Christ.

We have been given spiritual life by Jesus and the father. He has imparted his life into us. We have been born as a new creation. Since our beginning of being made in God's image and it's our responsibility as Christians to share the Word of life with others who are dying. We do this by being Christ to others. Being imitators of Him by feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the imprisoned, healing the sick, raising the dead, loving the unlovable, being a father to the fatherless, being hope dealers to the drug dealers. When Jesus life is manifested in us, that's when he can work through us.

Sticky Statement:

JESUS is A LIFE WORTH SHARING because He thought we we're worth dying for.