Reading 1 John backwards

Church of Christ Dapto - Sermon Series The First Letter of John Lesson 1: 1 John 1:1-4 “Keep yourself from idols” 1 John 1:1-4 NIV 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 joy complete.  &  V  &  John, the author Matthew 4:21 NIV Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, John 19:26-27 NIV When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," (27) and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. Revelation 1:9 NIV I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. John’s message from God 1Jn 5:21 NIV Dear children, keep yourselves from idols. What is an idol? More than an image of a false god. Ephesians 5:5 NIV For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person--such a man is an idolater--has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Colossians 3:5 NIV Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. How would you turn Church members to idols? Teach a false Jesus, and claim superior knowledge. Many of those who were teaching false doctrine were presenting themselves as spiritually superior. Also, they were presenting their false teachings as an advancement in the spiritual teachings of Christianity. The particular group of teachers John confronted in this letter claimed to have a special insight relative to the incarnation of Jesus. They claimed that Jesus did not come in the flesh (4:2-3). For them, all matter was inherently evil; and since flesh consisted of matter, it, too, was inherently evil. The "flip'' side of their spiritual coin was that spirit is inherently good. Therefore, Jesus the Christ could not have come in the flesh, for He was the representative of God who was all Spirit. Had He become flesh, they argued, He necessarily would have partaken of the sinful nature of the flesh. Beyond this, they claimed to have other special insights into the character and person of God that were not available to ordinary people. These special insights, they taught, were necessary to achieve a right relationship with God (2:19-27). The first readers of this document might have been attracted to this teaching because it promised them a secret or hidden knowledge about God which would set them apart from the masses of humanity. Thus, they would become a part of the spiritually elite who had special insights into the character of God, the person of Christ, and the spiritual world. 1 In this teaching sin and atonement have no place. Christ came into the world, not to redeem it by the remission of sins, but to illuminate a few choice intellects with philosophy: Jesus is not God manifest in the flesh: Jesus and the Christ are distinct: Jesus' humanity was not real, but a phantasm. 2 1 Disciple’s Bible Notes 2 Vincent’s Word Studies 1Jn 5:21 NIV Dear children, keep yourselves from idols. Church of Christ Dapto Sermon Series - The First Letter of John Chapter 1:1-4 - January 22, 2017 Page 2 How can we keep ourselves from the idol of a false Jesus? Hear and believe witnesses to the True Jesus.  &  V  &  Consider the Word 1 John 1:1 What is it we proclaim? That which was from the beginning … from the beginning of all things … from Creation. Not a “thing” but a person! A Fact! Not came into being. [The Word] was already existing when the succession of life began. 3 that which we have heard John is a witness. He listened to His Words. He heard Him speak. that which we have seen John saw Jesus. John saw His life and works and death. that which we have looked at and our hands have touched This Jesus was a real physical being, not a spirit. Jesus was as real a human as you and I are. Luke 24:36-40 NIV While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." (37) They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. (38) He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? (39) Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have." (40) When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. John, and we, proclaim something, someone, real and historical as a human being. We are to have no doubt about Him. He is a historical fact attested to by personal and reliable witnesses. The real Jesus is God! 2 Peter 1:16-18 NIV We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. (17) For he received honour and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." (18) We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain. 3 Vincent’s Word Studies 1Jn 5:21 NIV Dear children, keep yourselves from idols. Church of Christ Dapto Sermon Series - The First Letter of John Chapter 1:1-4 - January 22, 2017 Page 3 He is The Word of Life The word which gives life John 1:1-4 NIV In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) He was with God in the beginning. (3) Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. (4) In him was life, and that life was the light of men. Jesus is God’s Word Jesus is God’s Word which is Life Jesus is God’s Word which brings Life … compared to the life we previously had which was merely existing rather than living. The life He gives, His Life, does not end!  &  V  &  1 John 1:2 John 3:13 NIV No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. The life appeared Jesus was the life and came to earth. He was seen and testified to by the witnesses of whom John was one. John and the other witnesses now tell us about Jesus, and continue to tell to all who will listen. Jesus is eternal life Eternal life is not something which is just an idea or concept! It is Jesus Christ! Eternal life comes from Him and is given by Him. Eternal life is Jesus Christ, not a separate idea of its own. John 3:14-15 NIV Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, (15) that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. John 3:16 NIV "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 5:24 NIV "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. John 6:54 NIV Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. John 6:68 NIV Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. John 17:1-3 NIV After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: "Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. (2) For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. (3) Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. Matthew 25:46 NIV "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." 1Jn 5:21 NIV Dear children, keep yourselves from idols. Church of Christ Dapto Sermon Series - The First Letter of John Chapter 1:1-4 - January 22, 2017 Page 4 He was with God – meaning He was with God in the beginning – He is God. Jesus brought, and brings, the Words from God which give us real life which does not end. The Word came as a Man to speak to us as I am speaking to you today, and to live just as we live from day to day.  &  V  &  1 John 1:3 Why do the witnesses continue to proclaim the Good News about Jesus? So that we may have fellowship with them, be on an equal footing and understanding with them, sharing in the mutually acknowledged Truth and Brotherhood, and the Eternal Life. Acts 2:42 NIV They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. John 17:22-23 NIV I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: (23) I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Their fellowship is with God and Jesus Christ, so is ours! (1 Corinthians 6:17 NIV) But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit. Fellowship means – sharing equally! Communicating with each other! Being One! If we hear and respond to the message of eternal life in Jesus Christ we can share in the fellowship of God and Jesus Christ.  &  V  &  1 John 1:4 Our mutual joy, or your joy. To have “Joy” means to be "cheer"ful, i.e. calmly happy or well cheerfulness, i.e. calm delight:--gladness, 4 Habakkuk 3:17-18 NIV Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, (18) yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Saviour. Joy is a repeated gift of Jesus Christ! John 15:9-11 NIV "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. (10) If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. (11) I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. John 16:24 NIV Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. John 17:13 NIV "I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 4Dictionaries of Hebrew and Greek Words taken from Strong's Exhaustive Concordance by James Strong, S.T.D., LL.D. 1Jn 5:21 NIV Dear children, keep yourselves from idols. Church of Christ Dapto Sermon Series - The First Letter of John Chapter 1:1-4 - January 22, 2017 Page 5 We can know all this about Jesus Christ! It is for all who believe, not just a special elite! We are offered complete joy! There is nothing more that we need. There is no secret teaching that we need to discover. There is no special Jesus for the select few. The benefit we receive in knowing the true Jesus, is the achievement of complete joy so that we will not be disheartened or doubtful, whatever happens. We are to really know Jesus Christ, who He is, and what He has done for us! To keep yourself from the idol of a false Jesus. Believe that you can know the True Christ. Listen only to those who do know Him. Know the True Jesus Christ as revealed in God’s Word. Accept the Truth about Jesus Christ whether you like it or not. Examine and remove false images of Jesus Christ from your mind. Do not act upon false ideas about Jesus Christ. Avoid those who preach a false Jesus. Speak against those who seek to lead others to idols. Know complete joy!  &  V  &  John 3:19-21 NIV This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. (20) Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. (21) But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." John 1:9-14 NIV The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. (10) He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. (11) He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. (12) Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— (13) children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. (14) The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.  &  V  &  Next week: 1 John 1:5 to 7. “Avoid the idol of no repentance” Key Verse: 1 John 1:7 NIV But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 1Jn 5:21 NIV Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.